Autumn, 2005.
A full year had passed since that harrowing battle in Spain.
Deep in the mountains of Stoneville, Colorado, the once barren underground base had expanded into a miniature subterranean city.
Aboveground, Starfire Pharma's premium sanatorium and R&D center had become the most mysterious and coveted medical sanctuary in the entire United States. Hundreds of meters below, row upon row of precision instruments decades ahead of their time hummed tirelessly around the clock.
Ryan stood at the floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the orderly training ground below.
To the outside world, the past year had just been the aftermath of Umbrella's collapse settling down. To Star Fire, it had been a true emergence from the cocoon.
"Ryan, a classified file just came in from Washington."
Jill walked in through the door in a sharp suit, carrying herself with an increasingly regal air, and set a folder stamped with the President's personal seal on the desk.
Thanks to the successful rescue of Ashley, the President's daughter, Ryan had built an extremely solid and private friendship with President Graham. It wasn't the kind of friendship built on politicians' empty promises but on the dual foundation of "a life debt" and "mutual interest."
With the President quietly backing them, Starfire Pharma had pulled in countless military contracts and regulatory green lights over the past year. In certain niche bio-counterterrorism fields, Star Fire even held privileges that overrode the government's own FBC. And not long ago, FBC Commissioner Morgan Lansdale had been exposed by the BSAA for what he'd done in Terragrigia. He was currently buried neck-deep in the investigation.
Jill opened another file, her tone flat. "Also, the FBC has officially been absorbed by the BSAA. Congress took our recommendations to heart. The former FBC's core labs and a portion of its senior technical staff have been folded into our 'technical advisory' system."
Ryan nodded. "Let them stay busy. Same people doing the work, just a different logo on the door."
"Ashley's been doing well at Boston University. She says she really misses the taste of that 'Golden Egg.'" A faint smile tugged at the corner of Jill's mouth.
"As long as the little princess is safe, a lot of our public headaches get a lot smaller." Ryan closed the folder and turned. "How's Luis doing?"
"That genius is obsessed with the lab's air conditioning and unlimited supply of red wine." Jill spread her hands. "Though I'll admit, he's earning every cent of that outrageous salary."
The lab's electronic door slid open.
Luis strode in wearing a pristine white lab coat, twirling a test tube between his fingers. Compared to the mess he'd been in Spain a year ago, he was sharp and glowing now, a kind of fevered, almost manic scientific gleam burning in his eyes.
"Ryan! Come look, this is God's own handiwork!"
Luis slotted the test tube into the scanner in front of Ryan. A complex genetic helix leapt onto the big screen.
"With Dr. Annette and Dr. Bard's help, we used active extraction on the Las Plagas parasite combined with immune induction from the t-Virus. We've developed the first-generation human enhancement serum. Codename: 'Dawn.'"
Luis pulled up a set of comparison data, his tone turning serious.
"This is a true civilian-grade enhancement drug. Its biggest feature is zero rejection, zero side effects. It won't alter the host's form, it won't erode the brain. It just squeezes human potential to its theoretical peak. Strength roughly doubles, reaction speed averages a fifty percent boost, and self-healing is about three times that of a normal person."
"The gains are limited, sure. It won't turn someone into the kind of monster who punches a city gate to rubble." Luis glanced at Ryan's right hand and muttered the last part under his breath. "But issue this to regular soldiers, Boss, and you'll have the most terrifying special operations force in human history."
Ryan looked at the data on the screen, the corner of his mouth lifting in satisfaction.
This was exactly what he wanted. He might not have a real rival left in this world, but ambitious men were impossible to fully stamp out. He didn't want the people around him to get hurt, and he couldn't watch over them every second of every day.
"Issue it to Carlos's Shadow Force and the core members here at the base." Ryan gave the order. "Inject in phases, per person. Steady and safe progress is what keeps Star Fire's foundation solid."
"And... the other one?" Luis hesitated, then opened a folder sealed in deep red.
Inside, a set of savage, violent-looking gene chains pulsed wildly.
"Codename 'Abyss.' It uses the G-Virus's proliferation properties and Veronica's evolutionary genetics. The effect is absolutely horrifying. It can give an ordinary person the combat power to solo a BOW. But... its unpredictability is off the charts. Even with our Plagas suppressant, the host still has a forty percent chance of developing violent personality shifts or localized physical mutation. This kind of power isn't something we can control yet."
Ryan studied the deep red data for a moment.
"Lock it in the vault for now."
He turned to face the darkness outside the window.
"We're not short on power, and we're definitely not short on time. There are still countless fascinating virus samples in this world waiting to be collected. Africa's Stairway to the Sun, Eastern Europe's Mold, the rejects Wesker's sitting on, and whatever secret Spencer's got buried."
He rubbed his chin, his tone calm, the voice of someone fully in control.
"Take your time. I want perfect evolution, not a pile of obedient maniacs who'll snap at any moment. I've got plenty of patience to play with these people."
"Collect more samples. Do better, steadier research." Ryan tapped the desk, setting the tone for Star Fire's next several years.
"In a world full of monsters, what we need to be is the only clear-headed 'god' left standing."
Jill watched Ryan's back, a flicker of admiration in her eyes.
She knew that this past year had just been Star Fire building up its strength. When the flame flared out at the world again, Wesker and every ancient force lurking in the shadows would be burned to ash.
"Understood, Boss. So, the next stop on the itinerary..."
Before Ryan could answer, his phone buzzed. He glanced down and raised an eyebrow.
"What is it?" Jill asked.
"Ashley." Ryan tilted the screen toward her.
"Uncle Ryan! I'm on break next week, I want to come see Sherry and Becky! Leon's coming too! Pleeease pleeease? (✧ω✧)"
Ryan looked at the emoticon Ashley had sent, and the corner of his mouth twitched.
"What, our 'Brick God of War' got stopped cold by a single emoji?" Jill reached over and helped herself to his coffee. "That First Daughter's enthusiasm is more alarming than the G-Virus's proliferation rate."
Ryan laughed it off and fell into thought.
...
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