Time: October 1, 2007
Location: Waters near Minos Island.
.
"Splash—splash—"
The vast azure sea occasionally sent waves spraying into the air, producing a beautiful, hypnotic sound.
The sky was clear.
The surface glittered with reflected light.
"Splash!"
"Plop~!"
Several white dolphins unique to the Indian Ocean leaped playfully from the water, tracing half-circles through the air before falling back beneath the surface.
If only there were an inflatable lounge chair and a glass of sugar-free cola with ice...
Mmm~
It was practically paradise.
"Roar—! Roar—!"
Suddenly, the roar of twin engines rang across the sky.
A black V-22 Osprey bearing the Red and White Umbrella logo flew over the waters where the dolphins had just appeared.
Its twin tilting rotors were angled upward as it flew low and slow.
Inside the cabin;
Fourteen 'Children' wearing desert camouflage, short-sleeved shirts, and long pants sat facing one another.
Their backs were straight, their gazes sharp, and their expressions blank. They radiated the air of absolute elites.
The boys wore neat buzz cuts, while the girls had short hair reaching their ears.
They were the children Dr. Halsey had selected from six million people for their superior genes—the ones known as Spartans.
But...
Calling them children now was slightly inappropriate.
After all, the Spartans averaged twelve years old, yet every one of them stood over 180 centimeters tall.
Their physiques were perfectly proportioned, and their exposed arms were lined with well-developed muscles.
It was hard to believe these Spartans were only twelve years old.
However, since the day the Spartan Program began, more than half of the T-Virus and vaccines stored in The Hive had been consumed.
Through the money it had poured into them, Umbrella had safely and steadily pushed every Spartan's physical abilities beyond the human peak.
Take William's personally