Chapter 11: Changes

Long before leaving Arklay, late on the night the Tyrant Project was approved, an encrypted communication from the highest level of Umbrella Corporation was directly connected to William Birkin's private terminal.

Sender: Oswell E. Spencer.

The content was only a single line, cold and devoid of any warmth:

"Lisa Trevor has lost her research value. Send her to the 'Cabin in the Woods' immediately to execute a cessation of life. Leave no trace, leave no records."

William Birkin stared at the screen for a long time, slowly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, only bone-chilling indifference remained in his gaze.

Lisa Trevor, the starting point of all virus research at Umbrella Corporation, the most perfect symbiote of the Progenitor Virus, the initial genetic source of the G-Virus... Now, in Oswell E. Spencer's eyes, she was nothing more than waste to be destroyed.

"Mr. Spencer... has given the order."

William Birkin spoke in a low voice, as if talking to himself, or perhaps informing Annette Birkin beside him.

Annette Birkin's expression changed slightly: "Even Lisa... has to be disposed of? She is the foundation of the G-Virus."

"Her mission has ended." William Birkin said indifferently, "Sufficient genetic samples have been preserved; her value as a living subject is exhausted. Mr. Spencer's orders are not to be questioned."

A few hours later, night shrouded the Arklay Mountains.

Deep in the logistics tunnel, a huge black containment capsule was slowly lifted by heavy machinery, with striking red warnings printed on the surface: Extremely Dangerous · Do Not Open. Inside, Lisa's twisted figure slept under the effect of sedatives, her deformed limbs pressed against the capsule wall, having long since lost any human appearance.

The containment capsule was steadily secured onto a specialized armored transport vehicle.

In the driver's seat was Albert Wesker.

In the passenger seat was William Birkin.

The vehicle did not head toward the forest, but drove directly into a deeper, hidden tunnel under the research facility, straight to the top-secret, fully enclosed, unmonitored, and unrecorded disposal area known as the 【Cabin in the Woods】.

The vehicle stopped at the secret exit of the underground logistics tunnel of the research facility, a disposal area exclusive to the 【Cabin in the Woods】. There were no doors or windows, no furniture, only fully enclosed disinfection chambers, destruction systems, and a one-touch life termination device—it was the dark, dead corner Umbrella Corporation used to erase all "failures."

Albert Wesker pushed open the car door, his gaze behind his sunglasses sweeping over the tight security blockade, his tone revealing genuine confusion for the first time.

"William, I don't understand."

Albert Wesker's voice was low and calm, carrying his usual sharpness, "Lisa is a universal test subject. The Progenitor Virus achieved perfect symbiosis within her—infinite regeneration, genetic stability, tolerance to all virus strains... She is Umbrella Corporation's most precious living material. Why did Mr. Spencer suddenly order her abandonment?"

William Birkin checked the readings of the disposal system, his movements steady but devoid of warmth, his tone indifferent and without a ripple.

"Because she is useless now."

"Useless?" Albert Wesker followed behind, his tone noticeably heavier, "The base strain of the G-Virus came entirely from her; she could even provide adaptive genes for the Tyrant, for the T-Virus, for every project. And you tell me such a specimen is 'useless'?"

William Birkin stopped his movements, slowly turned back, and looked at this partner of many years.

"Wesker, you and I are merely executors. Mr. Spencer's vision has never been where we can see."

Albert Wesker was silent for a moment, the look behind his sunglasses sinking slightly.

He instantly grasped the deeper meaning, and a trace of unease suddenly rose in his heart.

"...Do you mean that Mr. Spencer has other new plans in his hands?"

A top-secret plan, higher, more core, and more advanced than Lisa, the Tyrant, or the T-Virus, one that even they had no right to know.

William Birkin did not answer directly, but turned back to the control console, his fingertips pressing the encrypted start key.

"Don't ask what you shouldn't. We only need to execute orders and then focus on what we should be doing."

Albert Wesker stood at the entrance of the closed tunnel, not taking another step forward.

Cold wind blew in from the underground ventilation, bringing a bone-chilling cold. He looked at the woman in the disposal capsule who was once revered by the entire Umbrella Corporation as a treasure, and for the first time, clearly realized that Oswell E. Spencer was quietly discarding old chess pieces.

And the new game had already been quietly laid out in the shadows.

The system prompt was short and cold.

The red indicator light flashed and vanished.

William Birkin turned around, his expression calm, as if he had just completed an ordinary experiment.

"Disposal complete."

Albert Wesker nodded faintly, suppressing all doubts in his heart.

"Let's go back. There is still handover work to do at Arklay."

The vehicle drove back into the darkness, leaving the secret disposal point codenamed 【Cabin in the Woods】 forever abandoned in the unknown depths underground.

1. William Birkin officially entered the Nest laboratory, completely leaving Arklay.

And Chloe was left behind in this research facility buried deep under the mountains.

The experimental area returned to deathly silence, but it was completely different from before.

The experimental area returned to deathly silence, but it was colder and more empty than ever before. Gone was William Birkin's fanaticism, gone was Lisa's roaring. Replacing them was a brand-new team brought by John Clemens. They were rigorous, rigid, and methodical, performing blood draws, monitoring, and recording on time every day. The process was flawless, yet they never spared a glance for Chloe.

In their eyes, she was no different from the Tyrant prototypes in the culture tanks, the predators in the cages, or the virus strains in the petri dishes.

"Subject S01, body temperature 36.7°C, T-Virus activity stable, no signs of frenzy."

"Blood draw complete, sample ID AK-70-114, stored in the cold storage."

"Sedative concentration maintained at standard value, containment capsule safety lock normal."

Cold mechanical reports replaced all emotions.

In the higher experimental area, the roar of the Tyrant Project's machinery could be faintly heard—that was Umbrella Corporation's most lethal biological weapon being gestated; while on the second underground level where Chloe was, only the ceaseless low hum of instruments remained.

She still lay in the corner of the containment capsule, looking at the pale light.

Albert Wesker was gone, heading to Raccoon City to secretly lay out his escape plan;

William Birkin was gone, taking her samples, plunging headlong into his fanatical obsession with the G-Virus;

And she had been handed over to a strange, emotionless research director, and along with the Tyrant Project, was locked in this research facility that was heading toward destruction.

Chloe gently closed her eyes, feeling the calm T-Virus within her.

She could faintly sense that, hundreds of kilometers away in the underground of Raccoon City, her blood, her cells, and her genes were being thrown into a horrific experiment. A virus more frenzied, more evil, and more uncontrollable than the T-Virus was slowly awakening, using her as a reference.

That was William Birkin's insatiable obsession.

That was the omen of the G-Virus's imminent arrival.

And she could only wait quietly in this lonely cage.

Waiting for the storm to descend, waiting for the cage to shatter, waiting for a chance of her own to escape hell.

The Arklay Mountains were silent.

But the entire research facility had long been nailed to the countdown of destruction by fate.