arklaycounty | very sick girl

very sick girl

31 JULY, 1978.

[ The heat and humidity was almost as bad as it had been in New York, maybe as bad, considering the limited air conditioning capabilities of this place. The house in Ithaca hadn't had air conditioning, and upstairs, the case seemed to be the same here. Downstairs, of course, the temperature was kept at a fairly regulated 22 degrees Celsius, but the architects of the Spencer Mansion seemed to have had a perhaps inappropriate amount of faith in the native climate of Colorado.

As it was, William Birkin, newly appointed co-Chief Researcher of the Arklay Research Facility, lay on his back atop his still-made bed in white undershirt and boxers, holding the latest update on the Ebola outbreak in Zaire a few inches above his face as he read. The ongoing trill of the cicadas in the forest surrounding them on all four sides was louder than he'd ever heard it, though the open bedroom window (non-optional in this weather) did nothing to muffle the sound.

There was so much to do here. The master seed stock of Ebolavirus had been waiting for him upon his arrival, as promised; there were the smaller projects he and Albert now oversaw, the ongoing effort to create a starter virus... and her. A live human specimen, seemingly comatose, her skin gray, her shackled hands inhumanly mangled. What was she?

Infected with the Progenitor virus, they were told. A miraculous thing. But who had she been, and where had she come from? Not that it mattered. They were Spencer's chosen elite. They had been trusted to lead this place, and entrusted with the knowledge of that.

And if they didn't succeed—that could be them, maybe. Not that failure had ever been an option or a possibility in his world.

They hadn't really had much of a chance to talk about it, at least amongst themselves, without the annoying new lab manager listening in as though it concerned him in the slightest. William set the paper to the side, sat up. Wesker's sleep schedule wasn't as bad as his, but he was liable to still be awake, unpacking his clothes and small number of personal possessions if nothing else.

Birkin pulled his jeans back on and stepped out into the hallway, barefoot. Tapped on the door with his knuckles. Lowly: ]

Al.

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[ It was a combination of the sheer amount of work that was to be done and persistent images of the Trevor girl flickering through his mind that kept Wesker awake. His sense of morality rested heavily on the darker side of gray, but even he wasn't sure what to think about Lisa Trevor.

One thing was for certain, he wasn't going to wind up like her. Failure was never an option for someone like him, but that was even more unthinkable.

Wesker preferred everything in his living space to be just so, which meant he'd taken the time to put everything where it belonged when he unpacked. He had few personal belongings, but had organized his clothes and desk. When the knock on his door came, he was arranging books and medical journals on a shelf. ]

Come in, Will.

[ He hadn't even bothered to undress for the night just yet, still wearing dark blue jeans with a jet black t-shirt. The fact that William Birkin was still up didn't come as a surprise, but the late night visit was unexpected. ]

[ William closed the door behind himself, taking a moment to look around the room: Wesker's usual industriousness had continued to be the case in their new environs. Already his friend and fellow Chief Researcher was all but entirely unpacked, everything perfectly orderly, his journals even shelved—such a contrast from William's own stack, pages torn out and saved from prior issues sticking out from intact ones at odd angles, all of them perching on the edge of his desk without a definite home.

It was almost weird, being in his room, having a full conversation there. Wesker had always been an intensely private person, living quarters included, but despite this whole place belonging to them now, William got the sense it was perhaps the only place they could speak to each other in confidence.

Even still, he kept his voice low. ]

You're still thinking about it too.

[ A guess, but one he was confident was correct. ]

The Trevor girl, you mean?

[ He kept his own tone hushed, not convinced that this place was a safe one despite the fact that they were tasked with running it. The confidence he'd come here with had been cracked by the revelation that Umbrella could very well do to them what it had done to her. ]

Yes. Her fate is certainly a... startling one.

[ To put it mildly. The prospect of experimenting on her himself didn't bother him in the slightest for some reason, but the way she had wound up the way she was? He wasn't so sure how he felt about that. ]

[ Truth be told, William wasn't sure if he'd brought up the topic because he wanted to talk about how she ended up there or what they could do with her, but startling was a good descriptor of the situation regardless. No matter what it meant for them, he certainly hadn't expected that, even after a year spent training at Marcus' side. ]

Where do you think they got her?

[ Wesker always had theories about these kinds of things. ]

If I recall correctly, this mansion was designed by a man with the same surname. He and his family likely lived in the area during construction, and when he outlived his usefulness, they all made perfect playthings.

[ But that was just a theory. He couldn't be sure without snooping into records, and he didn't care enough about the mansion or the girl to waste his time with it. ]

Umbrella and those behind it certainly aren't the types to have any qualms about taking out entire families.

No, I suppose not.

[ A long pause. ]

And us, if we don't do what they want us to, probably.

[ William may have possessed a very cerebral knowledge of that fact, but that was where it ended: he said this nonchalantly, a simple statement of the obvious without any real dread. They were the masters of this place, far too valuable by virtue of their intelligence and accomplishments to dispose of as Umbrella had whoever this had been. ]

If we don't do what's expected of us, I've little doubt we'll wind up like her.

[ But after all they had accomplished thus far, there was no chance that they were going to refuse any of it. Even if their lives weren't potentially at stake, there was too much potential here. They could make revolutionary advancements in their field, and as far as Wesker was concerned, no self-respecting scientist would pass up such an opportunity. ]

It's a sobering thought, but there's too much to be gained here to even consider refusing.

Obviously.

[ Nor would the thought ever cross his mind— he was excited. To have these opportunities, to have his name known, to see what might happen when the ebolavirus was combined with Progenitor. It was a thrill, and even if he hadn't been visibly boiling over with enthusiasm during the tour they were given, he felt it. He had the best possible candidate, the only respectable choice, as his joint Chief of Research. The situation was perfect.

This was their chance. This was the moment for them to make their marks as individuals, not as students of Marcus. ]

Do you think there's more like her for us to work with?

I certainly hope so.

[ There was only so much use they could get out of Lisa at once. Having multiple subjects with unusual traits like hers would allow them to fit more complicated testing into a smaller timeframe. ]

But even if there aren't, the resources we have here give us endless opportunities.

[ They were each brilliant as individuals, but together they were an unstoppable force. Putting them in charge of Arklay didn't just promise innovations, it guaranteed them.

Wesker sat down in a plush easy chair and gestured for William to take a seat across from him. He doubted either of them would be able to sleep if they tried. ]

Progenitor is fascinating on its own, and I have a feeling that combining it with Ebola is only the beginning of its potential.

You're right. I heard her strength was amplified before the virus killed her brain function. That's why they had her in chains.

[ A pause. He leaned forward. ]

Do you think that's everything there is to this place? Or is there more they haven't shown us yet?

[ He would like to think that they were entrusted with all of it now—as they needed to be, with this position—but somehow William wasn't entirely convinced. ]

[ It was a good question—one he had asked himself a few times while he was unpacking and organizing. The thought of other potential secrets was an intriguing one, but they couldn't be expected to run the Arklay facility effectively if they didn't know everything. ]

There's likely nothing of significance that we haven't seen. Umbrella likes to play its cards close to the vest, but we've already been in the trenches.

[ Maybe not as deep as they could go, but far enough. ]

Were you hoping for more?

Not hoping for more, per se. But curious.

[ William canted his head to the side, regarding the other newly appointed Chief of Research. ]

Aren't you?

[ The question was all but rhetorical—Albert was always thinking several steps ahead, and regardless of whether or not he said it, he was sure that his friend's thoughts had been similarly occupied since they'd seen the girl. How could they not be? ]

Curious? Of course.

[ If Umbrella had been hiding something like Lisa Trevor, who knew what else they might have stashed away somewhere? But whatever that might be, he doubted it was here. ]

I've no doubt that there are more secrets somewhere, and after today's reveal, I'd be a failure as a scientist if I wasn't curious.

With all the strange locks and mechanisms Spencer had built into this place, we know that he's far too deep into his mystery novel fantasies to not be hiding more.

The locks are overkill.

[ Very much so. The whole place felt kind of like one of the tombs in Indiana Jones, truth be told. Another pause. ]

We should investigate on our own sometime. Once they're watching us less closely.

[ A lot of things about the mansion were overkill, but it was proving to be very comfortable so far, and he was pleased with the lab. He certainly wouldn't be complaining to anyone else about Spencer's eccentricities. ]

When we've settled into a routine, we will. By that point our wandering shouldn't be seen as odd behavior.

[ And they would have a better idea of how to handle anything they might find. That would come with the familiarity of living and working here every day for a while. ]

[ ...True. Again, Albert's focus on the more pragmatic elements of any given situation had made itself useful.

He'd have to be patient, then. There was plenty for them to explore and research in the meantime, and before too long, they'd probably start overhearing things, too. Or at least Albert would—William wasn't interested in the affairs of others nearly enough to eavesdrop. He was here to work, to make a name for himself. Not to make friends with all of the average, underwhelming people they now oversaw. ]

Alright. In the meantime, I plan on getting started with the ebola project. I'll be in the lab at seven tomorrow morning. Are you going right in, or are you going to look around?

[ Seven left a very small window of time for him to sleep between now and going downstairs for breakfast, but William had never needed much sleep, at least not when he was dealing with something particularly exciting. ]

[ Hearing any rumors that were going around came with the territory of being more open to social situations, and he suspected he'd be doing the heavy lifting socially for Birkin as well. Reading people was something Wesker was quite good at, and when necessary, he could be very charming as well. Most people weren't going to like him here, but a select few might. ]

I'll be there at seven sharp. I'm as eager to get started as you are.

[ A cup of coffee or two would perk him right up. ]

If we take a lunch break [ doubtful, but anything was possible ] we can both have a look around then.

I'm not sure I'll remember to on my own.

[ It was the first time he'd actually been able to work with the virus from Zaire, not just read about it in journal articles written by people with the privilege of being there. William was uninterested, of course, in the degree of human suffering attached to these reports; that was frankly none of his concern. The virus, impartial and inhuman, was. ]

But remind me. If things come to a natural stop I'll join you. ...We can make it look like an inspection.

I may choose to skip it.

[ They could both be terrible about eating properly when they were focused. Foregoing meals and sleep were small sacrifices for progress.

It was rare for Wesker to not notice the time. He just didn't always care. ]

If we're busy, our inspection can easily wait.

True, but I don't want to wait too long, either.

[ William didn't like the idea that anything might have been hidden from him, and perhaps common sense would have told him that if the lab manager had revealed something as grotesque as that thing in the basement, there wasn't much else that would be left to show. But he was curious, like any scientist, and somehow the answer just seemed too... easy. ]

We'll make time for it.

[ Something considerably easier for him when his friend was involved. He enjoyed Al's presence, enough so to actively seek his company out, a first for William Birkin. He never would have imagined that he'd be so content to share a title with someone, either, but then again, they hadn't known each other back then. ]

Hmm.

[ If William was so eager, he must have felt that this was very important. In that case, they could certainly make the time. It would be better for them to do this together, since this place was essentially theirs now. ]

If we decide to skip lunch, we can have a look around in the evening. Everyone here will need to get accustomed to the hours we keep anyway.

[ Which may or may not be a significant change. Not everyone had the work ethic of Wesker and Birkin. ]

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very sick girl

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the parallels w high schoolers going into each others' rooms... what is this, riverdale

Throw in some popcorn and we've got a slumber party.

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I can't remember if Wesker would know this rn or not smh

neither can i, i barely know the floorplan of the place lmaoo

Same

i maintain it was probably beautiful before it was abandoned tho

Oh yeah. The mansion was def absolutely gorgeous.

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