William gripped the paper, his knuckles tightening slightly.
He wasn’t surprised that Wesker was leaving, but rather that the transfer order was written so thoroughly.
Wesker was completely withdrawing from the site, and S01 was being handed over entirely to him.
“Intelligence Department…
Undercover in Raccoon City?” William repeated in a low voice, looking up at Wesker.
“Mr.
Spencer is putting you below the surface.”
“Below the surface, it’s more convenient to execute the company’s will.” Wesker’s tone had no ups or downs, still using a perfect mask of loyalty to cover everything.
“The police system in Raccoon City will be reorganized.
Umbrella needs one of its own in a key position.
My going is the most appropriate choice.”
He and Wesker had worked together for many years, one responsible for research and the other for control, having long since formed a balance that required no words.
Wesker’s departure meant that from this moment on, Chloe—this S-class top-secret sample—would be entirely his responsibility alone.
“I understand.” William finally lowered his head, looking back at the jumping data on the screen.
“The research on S01 cannot stop.
Her neural resistance, the T-ε stabilization patterns, vessel compatibility…
all must continue to be explored in depth.”
“I am well aware.” Wesker’s gaze fell back onto Chloe, carrying one last assessment.
“This sample is a priority personally designated by Mr.
Spencer.
He paused, his voice dropping lower, carrying a hint of warning that also sounded like a handover.
“I will maintain remote monitoring with the highest clearance and check her status regularly.
William, do not let your fanaticism override safety.
She can be researched, but she cannot be destroyed, and she certainly cannot escape.”
William frowned but did not argue: “I know what I’m doing.”
Wesker said no more.
He took one last look at Chloe inside the isolation chamber.
The little girl still sat quietly, eyes downcast, like a harmless, docile, and non-threatening young animal.
But only Wesker knew that beneath this calm lay a level of composure and endurance far beyond her years.
He vaguely felt as if this little girl knew everything.
This was a subject who knew how to disguise herself, how to endure, and how to wait for an opportunity.
She was a hundred times more dangerous than Lisa.
“Watch her closely.” Wesker left his final words, turned, and walked away.
The black figure disappeared around the corner of the corridor.
The sound of footsteps gradually faded and never rang out again.
The laboratory returned to a deathly silence.
1991?
That’s not right.
Wesker shouldn’t become the captain of the S.T.A.R.S.
Alpha Team until 1996.
Did he leave the Arklay Research Facility this early?
It’s true that the Raccoon City Police Department will be reorganized; by then, the higher-ups will all be replaced by Umbrella’s people.
William walked to the glass chamber and looked at Chloe, his face once again showing that nearly greedy fanaticism.
“From today on, no one will interfere with my research anymore.”
“We will find the secrets inside your body…
no matter how many methods we use.”
The vent of the isolation chamber vibrated slightly, and the concentration of the familiar sedative gas was quietly turned up a notch.
Chloe tightened her fingertips.
Wesker’s departure was not a liberation.
It was a different, deeper kind of imprisonment.
From now on, only William remained in control of her edge of losing control.
And only drugs and endless experiments remained.
Outside, the Arklay Mountains remained silent.
But inside the cage, while one cold gaze was gone, a more suffocating loneliness had taken its place.
She knew that the long, dark years with no one to look in on her had truly begun.