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Prime universe
(Capcom's primary storyline)
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For the Umbrella Corps map, see Antarctic Base (map).

The Antarctic Base (南極基地 nankyoku kichi?) was an expansive complex built in Antarctica south of the 82nd parallel. It served dual purposes to the Umbrella Corporation, being both a state-of-the-art research outpost as well as a transport terminal for licit cargo shipments.[1] The facility functioned autonomously from other corporate divisions, being the only facility within Umbrella South Pole.

History[]

Early years[]

The Antarctic Base was built in 1969 on the orders of the Umbrella Pharmaceuticals geneticist, Dr. Alexander Ashford, 6th Earl Ashford, utilising the remnants of an abandoned mine.[1][2] Included within the plans was a warehouse and airport, a laboratory, and a large house for his habitation. Having not studied virology, Lord Ashford instead used the lab for genetic research, specifically in the "CODE:Veronica Project", a eugenics experiment which sought to successfully clone a human being with advantageous genetic alterations. No further genetic research is known after the experiment was a success in 1971.

In 1981, his creation - Alexia - was offered a research job by Umbrella after graduating from university at a young age, and began work on the t-Virus Project in Antarctica, which soon gave way to the t-Veronica Project. In 1983, both Alexander and Alexia were mutated as a result of Alexia's fledgling t-Veronica strain. Both survived, though Alexander was kept in confinement and Alexia was placed in a comatose state, projecting another fifteen years before the virus would properly bond with her. With both researchers believed dead by the company, the laboratory was abandoned, with all work in the complex transferred to the transport terminal.

Under Alfred Ashford[]

In the 1990s, Alfred Ashford, 7th Earl Ashford was given control over the terminal when he formally joined Umbrella. Under his neglectful and disinterested leadership, the terminal became seriously undermanned, with workers kept at the base for as long as eight years without vacation time. The workers consequently saw the facility as no different from a hard labour camp.[3] These problems had a global impact; in one instance, the resultant backlogs caused a temporary shortage of APL-14, and American laboratories had to donate their own supplies to the intended recipient of the large shipment.[4]

Outbreak[]

In December 1998, H.C.F., a special forces unit led by the believed-dead Albert Wesker, attacked Rockfort Island in their search for the t-Veronica virus, quickly defeating the island's defence force by releasing the island's viral and bio-organic weapons. A number of infected survivors fled from the island on C-130 Hercules cargo planes, spreading the virus to the aircrafts' auto-navigational system's pre-set destination: the Antarctic Base.

Claire Redfield and Steve Burnside, two of the survivors of the outbreak, managed to requisition a mining vehicle from the abandoned mine and attempted to utilize it as a means of escape. At this point, Alfred, who had pursued them from Rockfort, unsuccessfully attempted to ambush them, but was instead shot by Steve and fell into a disused mine shaft to his presumed demise. Continuing on, Claire and Steve reached the heliport, where they were attacked by the newly released Alexander; Claire, however, soon defeated him.

Meanwhile, a fatally-injured Alfred made his way to the cryogenics laboratory to bring Alexia back to life as initially planned fifteen years prior. She would avenge her brother by destroying the snowmobile in which his presumed killers were attempting to escape.

Claire's brother Chris would later take a Harrier from Rockfort Island to the facility in his search for Claire, finding her cocooned to a wall in the residence connecting to the terminal. After Chris released her, Claire discovered Steve in the base's prison, but it was too late. Alexia had already infected him with T-Veronica, and, not long after Claire discovered him, killed him when he successfully resisted the virus-induced madness to save Claire's life. Despite surviving, Claire was trapped.

Chris activated the facility's self-destruct system to destroy the base and rescue Claire by releasing all locks in the base, killing Alexia and fighting to a stalemate with Wesker before escaping with Claire as the Antarctic Base detonated behind them.

Reclamation[]

After an unknown period of time, the facility was used by Umbrella Co. in a failed attempt to dispose of 3A7 with newly acquired C-Virus bio-weapons.

Architecture[]

Gallery[]

Sources[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Resident Evil: Recollections: "Antarctic Base".
  2. Resident Evil 5 (2009), file: "History of RESIDENT EVIL".
  3. Resident Evil CODE:Veronica (2000), file: "Worker's Diary".
  4. Resident Evil 2 (1999), file: "Umbrella Memo".
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