Resident Evil: Hive (Survival Horror)

July 12th 2002

A massive catastrophe has unfolded in Raccoon city, impacting the sleepy mountain township, and the world. On the 30th October, 1998 Nuclear armed bombers took off in the middle of the night from US army bases and by dawn the next morning Raccoon City was no more. The destruction of an American city, blamed solely on Umbrella USA due to claims of a supposed 'outbreak'. Have impacted the share prices of Umbrella divisions around the world as the larger company as a whole has found itself facing blame and scrutiny as the USA and their NATO and European Allies engage in a witch hunt against Umbrella worldwide.

In the years since the Arklay diasaster Umbrella's share price has fallen, and without clear leadership from Umbrella HQ the company as a whole is fracturing, yet more bad news looks to be on the Horizon as the Case against Umbrella USA moves steadily through the American court system. High level Umbrella defectors have been bribed or blackmailed into repeating whatever lines Capitalist demand of them and several Umbrella facilities and holdings have been stolen from the shareholders. Nationalised, inspected, with sites decommissioned or destroyed and the ashes sold off to those with connections to the political classes of the West.

Umbrella is being torn into bloody chunks and competitors are circling, stealing what crumbs they can and trying to claim Spencer's genius as their own.

But while the company on the whole is struggling, some, here and there, are doing very well for themselves. Umbrella Bulgaria in particular. The National CEO publicly disavowed the international parent company, and after selling off remaining 'problematic' stock to neighbours in the Balkans and other interested parties further abroad according to all relevant regulations and international law the bulk of Umbrella Bulgaria's focus has shifted to more traditional manufacturing. Expanding the conventional weapons exports, continuing with the hugely popular and beneficial medical products and research, including funding a non-profit teaching hospital for the benefit of the country and producing a small number of other sundries Umbrella Bulgaria has done a large amount of work to repair their reputation. Work that has, largely, borne fruit.

Several EU regulators have attempted to target operations in Bulgaria. Enough to grudgingly declare the local manufacturing of first aid sprays, skincare creams, cosmetic, beauty, and healthcare pharmaceutical products to be safe. With what little Micro-biology research there is being conducted into conventional vaccines with stringent oversight. Buoyed by these reports, and with cover from several highly placed officials who appreciate the hundreds of millions of Lev paid in taxes annually Umbrella has rewarded several employees with vacations in their rural mountain retreat as a reward for all their hard work.

Posing as a luxury retreat boasting several hotels and a spa based around a small farming community the aboveground buildings conceal a Soviert Era bunker built at the height of the cold war. Designed for continuity of government Hive Bulgaria is a self sufficient closed city located deep underground. With dozens of labs and hundreds of scientists, some native to Bulgaria, others from former soviet bloc nations, and yet more fleeing to a nation that is relatively close to the west from more heavily scrutinised major Umbrella facilities in France and western Europe. Catering to their needs is a massive support staff in the secret closed city. For some it's a highly paid position with large amounts of creature comforts, at the cost of never being able to leave. Some were born in the Hive, indoctrinated in secrecy and schooled in obedience. If asked, many would honestly say they owed their life to Umbrella.

If Umbrella's business is life itself. Then Hive Bulgaria offers "A better life, underground." Miles of tunnels beneath the mountains contain apartments, student dorms, public canteens and restaurants. Any luxury you could find on the surface you can find here and more besides. Carefully cultivated Suburbs offer a taste of home for temporary researchers important enough to earn them, imitating sunlight and life on the surface. Hydroponics labs and grow chambers see to most agricultural needs with only small amounts of more complex ingredients needing to occasionally be shipped in to help sell the illusion that the aboveground hotels are purchasing the goods they need. Meanwhile below ground entire production lines output guns, armour, and all the essentials a modern state could need, even small amounts of advanced electronics.

The Hive is a closed system. Intended to survive the end of the world. Unfortunate for them, the threat that led to its downfall came from the inside. The day for you was like any other until the alarms blared out and your world descended into Hell itself.

Be quiet, even in the dark they can hear you.

You are

[ ]Anna Voronin, age 22. Hotel and service worker (waitress, cook cleaner) born into the Umbrella family you're a third generation HIVE worker. With unexceptional grades in school upon reaching adulthood you were given the chance to leave Umbrella entirely. To settle down to a simple life of farming on the surface if you wanted to stay close to your parents, though that came with restrictions of never leaving the town itself. Or perhaps even to leave entirely and go anywhere, at the cost of some comprehensive NDA's and never coming back. You chose to stay and like so many others make a life here. Everyone has to eat and you've worked at an imitation faux diner serving food to middle management and even working shifts in the kitchen when the diner is packed. And even done a short stint in the surface hotels catering to the wealthy holiday makers and influential Umbrella employees enjoying the luxury getaways that the Hives Fronts offer. In the recent days and weeks you've been caring for your grandfather in his old age. With your parents both working you can afford to have some leisure time in between keeping an eye on Grandpa Alexei and one of the benefits of Living in the company town is that at least rent is cheap! Get it, because it's free? More seriously, from talking to people who've seen the outside, anywhere else you'd be considered minimum wage. Here on the other hand as a multi-generational family with a history of Service and loyalty you can afford a comfortable middle class lifestyle. And the health benefits were to die for, at least until the red lights of the residential block flared blood red and an ancient emergency siren began to wail.
[ ]Irma W. Age 24. Lab technician and junior researcher. Yours was a fairly standard introduction to the HIVE, if there is such a thing. Your parents Umbrella execs at a public facing facility they sent you to study at university in the capitol city of Sofia. You completed the first few years of study and were then offered a transfer to a more prestigious university to finish your studies and gain work experience as an intern. And honestly? It was the best decision of your life, there's the ordinary scutwork of quality testing first aid sprays and cosmetics picked out from the assembly lines before they are green-lit for export, but your lessons are second to none and you're at the forefront of biological research and medical advances. Your fellow intern Daria laughs at your dreams of becoming rich and famous, but you just know that one day soon you'll be able to perform your own research and change the world. The Solid Thunk of the security doors locking you both inside your lab however as the lights dimmed to a dull bloody red wasn't the change you were hoping for however.
[ ]Elena Valko, age 21. HIVE security. Your story isn't completely unheard of. As an orphan Umbrella took you in and raised you with a group of peers. You were rowdy kids, getting into trouble all the time, a few even ran away from home. But yourself and several others stuck it out, as soon as you were an adult you enlisted in the army seeking freedom and adventure. Turns out you mostly ended up acting as a border guard. You didn't renew your service and left looking for a job you found yourself contacted by an orphanage worker, the closest thing to a dad checking up on you. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. You again ended up performing basic security work. Locked in the ass end of nowhere you're somewhere between a mall cop and a police officer and in the few short months that you've been here the most you've had to deal with was a scientist with a spork freaking out that the breakfast buffet had ran out of bacon. Just your luck that you were stepping out of the shower from washing tomato sauce out your hair when your radio chirped with another emergency. What now? A warehouse worker speeding with a forklift?
[ ]Gabriela A. Age 45. Business owner. Wholesaler. Surgery patient. What had been meant to be a birthday present to yourself couldn't have come at a worst time. For years you'd handled Umbrella's exports into the black sea and further abroad, and in turn handled any import requests in defiance of international sanctions without looking too closely at the contents or asking questions. And so, having heard about a luxury medical resort where you could reverse years of aging and recovery swiftly with pioneering techniques to resist scarring you could scarce resist. Just a perk offered to a trusted business partner. Go to their facility, sign some papers, undergo the surgery, and enjoy a five star holiday while you recover. It all sounded wonderful. Instead, you found yourself shaken from a drugged slumber with the shrill shriek of alarms ringing.

[X]Anna Voronin

[X]Anna Voronin

Vroooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo The alarm howled out, an ancient relic from a time when the threat of nuclear annihilation was ever present. In the dim red emergency lighting Anna froze and looked around as the alarm sounded for several long seconds, impossible to miss as her Grandpa looked around blearily woken from his nap just as the wailing siren trailed off and the red lights were slowly replaced by the regular lighting at first dim, but slowly brightening until things were as they were before the emergency Alarm sounded.

"Western dogs." Grandpa grumbled in annoyance from his regular spot on the sofa where he had been napping. Ah, this was to be one of 'those days' was it? Anna thought to herself as she sighed, still, while the alarm might have dragged him back to the cold war he was alert and awake.

"Don't worry about them." She assured him. "We're deep underground, the alarm is already over, they've probably gone." She 'guessed'. At times like these playing into his delusions was often the swiftest way to draw him back to if not reality, then at least functionality. "We'll check the announcements." She decided talking aloud to let him know what she was doing as she turn on the tv just in time to catch the tail end of an emergency message.

-main indoors except for work duties and essentials. The message repeated on a loop as it began again. There have been symptoms of infection in manufacturing sector Golf. The sector has been locked down until further notice. This is not a drill. Workers for that sector are to remain home under quarantine. Residents in neighbouring sectors are asked to remain indoors except for work duties and essentials.

Oh. The hive was split into sectors, there was relatively low security areas such as homes, and some manufacturing sectors with basic factory jobs. The hive was largely walkable and thanks to meticulous planning there were nearby shopping centres and other services. Anna's parents were office workers several floors up and for her own job she normally took a tram to one of the main plaza's where higher up researchers imitation suburbs met storefronts at a crossroads between a manufacturing sector, biological labs, and one of the major shopping centres.

'The Trough' as it was so called could, if needed seat and feed up to half of the entire Hive at once, though it only did so on holidays or important occasions. The biggest staff canteen, it saw steady business all day every day, and 'main street' with it's sky simulated by the ceiling boasted a major mall and several rows of shops.

There were other, closer convenience stores, but well, she remembered the last time a major stomach bug had swept through the hive and true to form outside the family apartment in the hallway she could already hear doors opening and shutting, the patter of footsteps and muffled voices as people were no doubt already rushing out to stock up. No doubt by now the local store would be packed, likely to be stripped bare.

"Ahuh." Grandpa grunted as the message continued to repeat before finally the tv switched back to regular programming, Grandpa flicking it to the news channel where a banner at the bottom of the screen repeated the emergency announcement in text form as the Hives chief security officer was giving a statement to the Umbrella News Network.

"We wish to stress that the lockdown and quarantine is a precautionary measure with no signs of any biological outbreak. We ask HIVE residents in the neighbouring sectors to remain in their homes unless absolutely necessary. Everyone else should proceed as normal. In the event that this proves to be more serious we will engage enhanced security measures to enact total lockdown. Rest assured, in the event that further restrictions becomes necessary everyone stopped from working will be paid as per their contracts. The safety of each and every resident of our city, of my home is our top priority. Remain calm."

Several Press officers began questioning him and after he refuses to give any soundbites beyond repeating what he'd already stated the press conference was ended.

"Alright." Anna said to herself moving into the small kitchen and checking the cupboards and fridge and making a shopping list. There's not much in the apartment. There's some stuff for dinner tonight and breakfast in the morning, but her parents were planning on going shopping tomorrow, not an option if the lockdown gets tightened up, so she would have to do that now and pick up Grandpa's prescription at the same time. "You need anything else?" She asked Grandpa Alexei as he shakes his head, already switching channels and finding a movie as he settles in to wait.

"You want me to come with you?" He asks suddenly, watching her seriously as Anna put on her trainers near the door and shrugged on a backpack.

Backpack gained

Inventory slots. [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

"I'll be fine." She smiled at him. "Love you Grandpa. I've got my pager on me. Keep the door locked until I get back okay." He nods, already engrossed in the movie. She hesitated one final time but he should be good for at least a couple of hours now.

Leaving Anna closed the door behind herself and raising a hand to the lock swiped her ring over a sensor as the door was resolutely locked.

Just another sign of the future. Rather than needing to carry a bunch of keys every Umbrella employee was given a ring with an electronic chip, it contained all their details and access credentials and allowed them to get around the hive. Worn constantly there was little to no risk of forgetting it in the same way a key card might be.

The Apartments living room opened into the corridor, a collection of doorways leading to other family dwellings. Leaving the building the security doors let her pass as she swiped her ring until she was out into a main corridor. It was mid-morning and those walking around moved fast. Normally those not in their jobs would be enjoying leisure time if they were out in public. But no doubt with the emergency warning people were either heading home, or to pick up food and supplies.

Anna passed by several security officers who were watching people carefully and she tried not to blush. She needed to pick up Alexei's meds and carry out food shopping that was essential right?

Reaching the tram station one of the guards was trying to prevent a young couple from entering the residential sector.

"Come oon. I live here!" Sami was complaining loudly. The guard shaking his head at him.

"You do, she doesn't." He explained pointing at the woman holding Sami's hand. "Instructions were clear. Residents only." Sami tried to argue for a bit longer, holding up the queue until the huffs and sighs from behind him and the embarrassed expression on the womans face convinced him to leave. The pair of them turning around and sulking back onto the train.

The officer smiled at Anna as she approached, dark blue uniform, bulletproof vest, and beret making him look smart and professional as he greeted her. "Ana, good to see you. Reason for leaving?"

"Hi Stefan. Just medicine for my uncle, and getting a few days worth of food." She answered. "Food and essentials!" She added, blurting it out after a moments thought.

Stefan only chuckled at her as she scanned her ring and the device in his hand beeped. "Medicine, food and essentials? Well, that sounds like an essential reason to me." He teased her before waving her through. "Go on. Stay safe and say hi to your grandfather for us all." He told her, Anna nodding and thanking him as she passed by. Stepping onto the tram she looked around, pointedly ignoring the posters and ads offering the chance to create a new her with breast augmentation surgery, or asking for volunteers for an experimental new drug. Most annoying was the personalised advert screaming at her to take advantage of the 'try before you buy' offer promising a new gun and and encouraging her to try it out at the shooting range. She ignored all of them and found a seat where she could be left alone and try to listen to the music on the radio.

Ads aside, the tram journey was uneventful, half-empty there was plenty of space and with families sitting in groups there was plenty of distance between her and other passengers. Here and there people coughed lightly and Anna felt a twinge of unease. Were those just simple coughs? Or the sign of something more? Still, there was a good several metres between her and anyone else and once the tram came to a halt at the station she swiftly exited onto what appeared to be a city centre late in the afternoon with the sun just setting. If you knew what to look for it was possible to tell that the sky was fake. But passing by the boutiques and trendy stores of the high street she soon passed through the massive blast door into the mall. The main floor held a food court with a collection of benches and tables, even a fountain and a mix of vendors selling everything from hot dogs to fresh dougnuts. At the outer walls of the mall were sit down restaurants, and here and there were escalators leading to higher levels. Taking a couple of escalators to the top floor past all the other stores Anna arrived at a supermarket with aisles of produce and grabbing a trolley began wandering the aisles filling it with food. With her trolley full she paid at the checkout and bagged up her food before arriving at her last stop.

The pharmacy had a variety of over the counter medicines, the much vaunted 'healing spray' lined the shelves, and in one corner tucked away a number of medicinal selling plants were on display. The much famed 'Arklay herbs'. Difficult to grow outside of their natural habitat the Hive had been able to replicate those conditions in carefully controlled hydroponics labs thanks to several soil and seed samples. There was apparently even an ongoing experiment to try to cultivate them in the wild mountains on the surface. Umbrella truly was incredible.

Grandpa Alexei's medicine was included with his health coverage. Not only that, but as thanks for being a loyal customer the woman behind the pharmacy counter offered her a free gift. "From the Umbrella Family to your family."

Choose one

[ ]A first aid spray! Suitable for all manner of emergency applications and with a patented anti-biotic formula Umbrella's 'Aqua cure' spray claims to promote the healing of cuts and wounds and strengthens the immune system against common illnesses.
[ ]A green herb! From the Arklay mountains to your home this natural remedy promotes calmness and healing. With a variety of uses the green herb is a traditional cure for minor injuries.

Green herb wins