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Real World article
(Written from a Production point of view)

Wesker's Report Ⅱ is a journal that provides a detailed account of the t-Virus research conducted at the Arklay Laboratory, as seen from the perspective of Albert Wesker. Originally created to promote the 2002 release of the Resident Evil remake in Japan, this journal was made available for reading on the game's Japanese website. Over time, it has been republished in various formats, including Famitsu's "biohazard archives" resource book, which was later translated into English as BradyGames' "Resident Evil Archives".

Furthermore, the Japanese version of the 2015 Resident Evil HD remaster included Wesker's Report Ⅱ, along with the documentary film titled Wesker's Report, as unlockable content. Notably, in 2014, a fan group called Resident Evil Database produced a narrated version of the journal, enlisting voice actor D.C. Douglas to provide the narration.[1]

Transcript[]

This transcript section includes the official Capcom translation, the BradyGames "Archives" translation, and the original Japanese text. However, both translations have significant flaws. For a more accurate fan translation, please follow the link provided here. The Capcom USA translation is sourced from a defunct website version and can be accessed here.

Part 1[]

July 31, 1978
The first time I visited that place, it was the summer of my 18th year. That makes it about 20 years ago. As I got off the helicopter, I remember the sight of the swirling wind that the helicopter blades whipped into the air. When viewed from above the old mansion seemed quite normal, but when seen from the ground there was something foreboding and unapproachable about it. Burkin (my junior by 2 years) seemed, as usual, to only be concerned with the document he was holding.

We were assigned to the mansion 2 days earlier, on the day that the "executive training center", we had belonged to, was closed. It all seemed like it was planned and too much of a coincidence. But probably the only person who knew the real truth was Spencer.

Spencer was one of the main guys in charge of America's "T-Virus" research at the Arklay Research Facility.

As soon as we got off the helicopter the head of the facility was standing in front of the elevator ready to greet us.

I can't even remember the guy's name. Who really cares about formalities and figureheads like him; from that day on, the Arklay Research Center was ours. As Chief Researchers, we were put completely in charge of all aspects of the facility. Of course that is just how Spencer had planned it all out. He chose us.

We ignored the facility head and got on the elevator. I had already memorized the building layout the day before, and Burkin, although he has no bad intentions, never really pays much attention to other people.

Most people probably get pretty irked from the first 5 seconds that they meet us.

However, the facility head had no reaction at all.

Back then I was a young-buck completely full of himself, so I didn't really pay the facility head any mind.

But in the end, I was really only Spencer's puppet, and the facility head, whose boss was Spencer, at least actually knew what Spencer was up to, and what he was thinking.

The whole time we were riding in the elevator, Burkin never took his eye off of the documents he was holding.

The document that Burkin was scrutinizing so closely was a report about a new virus that has shown up in Africa. It was called "Ebola".

At this moment there were many people, all throughout the world, who were studying the Ebola Virus. However, I think there are two major reasons why they were studying it. To help people and... to kill them.

As you probably know, the death rate of someone affected by Ebola is 90 percent. In 10 days it quickly destroys a person's organs. Even now, there are no known ways to prevent it or cure it. It could, quite possibly, destroy a large part of the human race.

Of course even before this, due to the "Biological Weapons Prohibition Pact", it was illegal for us to study the virus as a weapon. However, even if we weren't the ones to research it, there was no proof that someone else wouldn't be doing that same thing and so it was considered legal for us to research it--just in case. There is a thin line in "international law" between what is acceptable and what is prohibited.

And so, it became necessary to research how the virus study information would be used as a method of prevention, not as a weapon. There really is no difference in the way in which you research a virus as a cure, from how you research it as a weapon.

But since the two are very similar, it is possible to pretend you are researching a cure, while in fact, be researching the virus as a weapon.

Even though, at that time, for whatever reason, Burkin may have been looking at the Ebola report, he wasn't really researching the Ebola virus. The Ebola Virus had too many "weak spots".

First of all, the virus could only survive for a few days if not inside a human body. It would soon "die" if under sunlight (ultra-violet light) for too long.

Secondly, since it kills the host too quickly there isn't enough time to transfer/infect other hosts.

Finally, the virus is only transferable through direct touch and so it can be easily prevented.

Try to imagine the following: If a person who was heavily infected (the disease had spread all throughout their body) could actually stand and walk around? And, without knowing it, was in direct contact with other people, of their own accord...

What if the RNA of the Ebola Virus could actually alter a person's genetic code? And if, through that, a person was able to carry the virus without dying? What if this person had the resilience of a monster?

That is, wouldn't this person be a "living dead" whose body carried the virus? Something that could infect others, sort of like a "living biological weapon".

I guess we are lucky that the Ebola Virus doesn't have the potential to do such things.

I wonder if we will be successful in holding on to such a virus without it getting into the wrong person's hands?

The Arklay Lab headed up by Spencer was built for that purpose, it seemed. To create a disease capable of the characteristics I listed before. Officially it was just a pharmaceutical company researching cures to viruses, but the truth is, it was really a factory for manufacturing biological weapons.

The origin of the company was to create new "starter" viruses by recombining genes.

In order to produce "biological weapons" out of these new "starter" viruses, they began studying "virus mutations" in order to "strengthen" the basic viruses they had created.

This was known as the "T-Virus" experiment.

RNA based starter viruses can easily be mutated. Through those mutations, it is possible to "strengthen" their traits.

The reason Burkin was so interested in the Ebola Virus was that he was thinking of recombining the Ebola genes into a starter virus to strengthen its attributes. By the time we had arrived at the research center there was already a sample of the Ebola Virus waiting for us.

We changed elevators several times and finally reached the upper level of the complex. When we arrived even Burkin looked up.

It was the first time we had met "her".

We hadn't heard a single word about "her" before. She was a secret of the utmost confidentiality at the research center. And they didn't let any information about her out of the compound.

According to the records, she was at the research center from the very moment it was first built.

She was 25.

But we didn't know her name, nor why she was here.

She was to be used as the experimental subject host for the T-Virus. The day we began the experiment was November 10th, 1967.

We did T-Virus experiments on her for all of 11 years.

Burkin mumbled something.

Maybe they were words cursing our situation. Maybe they were words of praise.

In any case, we had come to the point of no return now.

We had two choices: to succeed in our research.... or to lay here rotting like she was. Of course that meant we really only had one choice.

She was bound to a "pipe bed" and something about her made me think....

Had this been a part of Spencer's plan all along?
(The report continues 3 years later)

When I first visited that place, I was 18 years old and it was summer. That was 20 years ago. I still remember the smell when the helicopter landed and the rotor caused the wind to stir. From the air, the mansion seemed normal but from ground, something was different. Birkin, who was 2 years younger than I, seemed only interested in the research files he had as usual…

1978 July 31 (Monday)
The 2 of us were assigned to that place. 2 days ago, the same day they decided to close the executive training centre. Everything could have been planned out from the beginning, or it could have all been a coincidence. The only person to know the truth was, most likely, Spencer.

Spencer at the time was using the Arklay research facility for the research on the t-virus.

As soon as we got off the helicopter, the president of that place stood in front of the elevator.

I don't even remember the guy's name. It didn't matter what was said officially. From that day on, the research facility was Birkin's and mine. We were assigned to be chief researchers there. This of course, was Spencer's idea. We were the chosen ones.

The two of us ignored the president as we entered the elevator. We had already been briefed about the layout of the area, and Birkin, with no bad intentions, we ignored everyone as usual.

Usually, when someone sees our actions, they would react within 5 seconds.

But the president didn't even react at all.

At the time, I was only a youngster so it didn't bother the president.

In the end, the president understood what Spencer was thinking and didn't take notice of someone like me.

While the 3 of us were on the elevator descending to the basement, Birkin still kept his eyes on the research files.

The files contained information about a new filovirus found 2 years ago in North Africa, called Ebola.

Even now, there are thousands of people researching the Ebola. But the people are always divided in half.
One group to save people from it.
One group to kill people with it.

As known, if a person is infected with the Ebola, the possibility of dying is 90%. It has the ability to destroy the physical structure within 10 days and even now, a cure hasn't been found. If this is used as a weapon, it would display incredible destruction.

Since making a bio-weapon is illegal, we would not use the virus as a weapon. But I'm certain that someone out there would use this as a weapon. So to prepare for a case of that nature, it is important to do research on a weapon now.

However, the line between finding a cure and making a bio-weapon is thin. This is because the actual research conducted do not differ at all between the two.

So one could say that they are researching for a cure, while they're actually making a bio-weapon.

But Birkin was not interested in either, because he just wanted to research the Ebola itself. The virus had too many things unknown about it at the time.

One was the fact that it would die within a few days by itself, and would die instantly when exposed to sunlight (ultraviolet rays).

The second was that it kills the host (human) so quick that there's almost no time for it to infect anyone else.

The third was that it has to physically touch another person in order to infect them, and can therefore be easily quarantined.

But I would like to bring up the following thought.

What if a person infected with the Ebola virus could stand up and walk around? And that infected person would have a disrupted chain of thought, and would infect others that weren't infected?

What if the DNA and RNA of the Ebola had a direct impact on the DNA of a human? And due to that, you'd make the person not die to easily?

The person would be dead from a human's point of view, but would still go around as a human bio-weapon spreading the virus around?

It's fortunate that the Ebola may have features like this.

Even from now, we will be the only ones to know about this.

Umbrella, with Spencer as the head, was an organization created to do research on viruses with these qualities. As a cover, they tell the world that they are a company making cures for these viruses, but the truth was a human bio-weapon developing organization.

The finding of the original virus which restructures the human DNA was the start of everything.

Using the original virus as a base, an enhanced virus would be made to develop a human bio-weapon.

This was the t-virus project.

The original virus was also an RNA virus, and would cause abnormalities that would enhance a person.

Birkin was interested in the Ebola because he planned on combining it with the DNA of the original virus to make an enhanced virus. The sample of the Ebola had already been brought to this research facility.

We had gone through many elevators and had finally reached the destination.

When we reached that place, even Birkin raised his face to the sight.

This was our first encounter with that woman.

We were not told anything about that woman. Everything relating to her at the research facility was kept top secret, and the data was not to be leaked to the outside.

From the records, she'd been there since the research facility was created.

She was 25 years old at that time.

But what her name was and why she was there was a mystery.

She was a test subject for the research on the t-virus.

The research began on 1967 November 10.

For 11 years, she had gone through tests with many viruses.

I heard Birkin whisper something.

Whether those words were cursing or praising, I do not know.

But we had come to a place we couldn't get back out from.

We knew we could either take the research to its completion, or end up like her. For us, we only had 1 choice.

That woman lying on the pipebed had moved something within both of our minds.

Was this also a part of Spencer's plan?

1978.7.31(mon)

「女の実験体」

そこを初めて訪れたのは、18歳の夏だった。今から20年前の話だ。降り立った時の、ヘリコプターのローターで掻き回された風の臭いは今でも憶えている。上空からは何の変哲もなく見えた洋館も、地上では近寄りがたい何かがあった。私より2つ年下だったバーキンはいつもと変わらず、手にした研究書類にしか興味はない様子だったが…。

私達2人がそこへの就任を告げられたのは、その2日前、所属する幹部養成所の閉鎖が決まった日の事だった。全ては計画されていたようにも思えたし、単なる偶然とも考えられた。真相を知るものは、多分、スペンサーだけだろう。そのスペンサーが、当時アメリカでの「t-ウィルス」の開発の拠点としていたのがそこ、アークレイ研究所だった。

ヘリコプターから降りるとすぐに、その施設を管理する「所長」がエレベーターの前に立っていた。「そいつ」の事は名前すら憶えていない。形式上はどうあれ、アークレイ研究所は、その日から私とバーキンのものだった。私達は主任研究員として、そこでの研究の全権を任されたのだ。もちろん、それはスペンサーの意志だ。私達は選ばれたのだ。

私達は「所長」を無視してエレベーターに乗り込んだ。私はその施設の構造を、前日に全て暗記していたし、バーキンは悪気などなく、他人の事は目に入らない。2人を相手にした人間は、最初の5秒で憤慨するのが普通だ。

しかし、「所長」には何の反応もなかった。当時の私は慢心した若造だったので、その「所長」の様子を気にも留めずにいた。結局、そこにいた頃の私はスペンサーの手の上で踊っていたに過ぎず、「所長」はそんな私よりも自分達のボスであるスペンサーの考えを理解していた訳だ。

3人を乗せたエレベーターが地下へと降りる間も、バーキンは手にした書類から目を離すことはなかった。その時、バーキンが目を通していたのは、2年前アフリカで出現したフィロウィルスの新種「エボラ」の記録だった。今この瞬間も、「エボラ」を研究している人間は世界中に大勢いるはずだ。だが、その目的は2通りに分かれる。人を助けるためと、人を殺すために。

知ってのとおり、「エボラ」が感染した場合の死亡率は90%。10日で人体組織を破壊する即効性を持ち、今現在も予防法も治療法も確立されていない。兵器として使用されれば、恐るべき威力を発揮する可能性がある。

もちろん、それ以前から既に「生物兵器禁止条約」が発効されているため、我々がそれを兵器として研究することは違法だ。しかし、我々ではなくとも、どこかの誰かがそれを兵器として使用しないという保証はない。そういった場合のために、予め研究しておくことは合法である。そして、その境界線は極めてあいまいだ。

なぜなら、使用された時の防衛策の研究には、どう使用されるかも研究する必要がある。治療法の研究と、兵器の研究には、内容に何ら違いは無い。それはつまり、治療法の研究と偽って、兵器を研究する事も可能という事だ。

しかし、この時のバーキンはどちらの理由にせよ、「エボラ」そのものを研究するつもりでその記録を見ている訳ではなかった。そのウィルスには余りにも欠点が多過ぎたのだ。

まず第1に、生体外では数日しか生きられず、太陽光(紫外線)で簡単に死滅する。第2に宿主となる生体(人間)をあまりにも早く殺してしまうので、次の宿主に移るまでの猶予がほとんど無い。第3に宿主から宿主への感染には直接的な接触が必要で、比較的簡単に防護できる。

だが例えば、次の事を考えてみてほしい。

もし「エボラ」を発病した人間が、体内にウィルスが溢れたその状態で立って歩けたとしたら?そして、意識の薄れた状態でありながら、感染していない人間へと自分から接触していくとしたら?

もし「エボラ」の遺伝子であるRNAが人間の遺伝子に影響を与えるとしたら?そして、それによって簡単には死なない怪物のような耐久力が人体に授かるとしたら?

それは人としては死んだ状態でありながら体内のウィルスを他の生体へと拡散させる「生体生物兵器」となり得るのではないだろうか?

「エボラ」がそのような特性を持っていなかった事は幸いだった。これからも我々だけがその特性を持ったウィルスを独占し続ける事ができるのだから。

スペンサーを中心として設立されたアンブレラは、まさに、その特性をもったウィルスを開発するための組織だった。表向きはウィルス治療の製薬会社だが、実体は「生体生物兵器」の製造工場だ。生体の遺伝子を組み替える、「始祖ウィルス」の発見が事の発端らしい。

「始祖ウィルス」から「生体生物兵器」を製造するために、その特性を強化した「ウィルスの変異株」を開発する。それが「t-ウィルス」計画だ。

RNAウィルスである「始祖ウィルス」は突然変異を起こし易く、それによって特性を強化する事ができる。バーキンが「エボラ」に興味を持ったのは、その遺伝子を「始祖ウィルス」に組み込む事での特性強化だ。「エボラ」のサンプルは、この時既に、この研究所にも届いていたのだ。

私達は、何度かエレベーターを乗り換え、施設の最高レベルに到着した。そこではバーキンですら顔を上げた。私達はそこで初めて、「彼女」と出会ったのだ。

「彼女」については事前に何も知らされていなかった。この研究所の最高機密であり、そのデータは一切外には出されなかったのだ。記録によると、この研究所が創設された時からここにいる事になる。

「彼女」はこの時25歳。だが、名前も、何故ここにいるのかも判らない。「彼女」は「t-ウィルス」開発のための実験体だった。実験開始日は、1967年11月10日。「彼女」は11年もの間、ここでウィルスの投与実験を受けていたのだ。

バーキンが何かをつぶやいた。それは呪いの言葉だったのか、それとも賞賛の言葉だったのか。私達は既に、後戻りできない場所まで来てしまったのだ。研究を成功へと導くのか、それとも、「彼女」のように朽ち果てるのか。もちろん、選択肢は1つしかなかった。

パイプベッドに拘束された「彼女」の姿は、私達の意識の中の何かを動かしたのだ。これもスペンサーの計画した事の一部なのだろうか?

(記録は3年後へと続く)

Part 2: Alexia 1[]

July 27, 1981
Today, a 10 year-old girl was sent here, as a chief researcher, from Umbrella's Antarctica Research Facility.
Her name was Alexia Ashford.
I was 21 and Burkin was 19.
As annoying as it was, the whole Arklay complex was rampant with rumors of "Antarctica Alexia". Nobody talked about
anything else.
She had been at Umbrella for a long time. The older guys at Umbrella knew the legendary Ashford name.
Before, if we ever reached a dead end in our research, one of the old timers would say "if only Professor Edward were
still alive"...
If I remember correctly, "Edward Ashford" was one of the people who first discovered the "Starter Virus" and who
originally planned creating the T-Virus.
However, he died soon after Umbrella was founded. It's been 13 years since his death. So is there really anything to
gain by having high expectations of the "Ashford" lineage?
And, in fact, the Antarctic Research Center founded by his son hadn't yielded a single result.
Don't people know the limits of Alexia's smarts? She is only Edward's grandchild after all.
But from the day she came, our worthless, good for nothing subordinates began to say "It's a good thing Alexia is here".
She may be from a famous family, carry great "genes" within her, but nonetheless, I knew it was gonna be a real hassle
having subordinates with such a lack of good judgement.
It's idiots like that, who, if they accidentally stuck their foot in a bucket, wouldn't be able to move or figure out what to
do unless someone told them.
At least I could still tell the difference.
However, if, at that time, I would have gotten upset about the whole thing, it would have just slowed down our progress
on the T-Virus research.
Unless you can keep cool and still be decisive no matter what the circumstances, then success will always evade you.
At that time I was thinking this:
By making good use of the "past", then we could definitely yield good results. And if some of those "old timers", who
feasibly could die at any second, then they would make great test subjects.

After all, do you think it is possible to stand above the people, if you can't rationally use their "human resources" well?
However, the problem was Burkin.
The way he reacted to the Alexia rumors was terrible.
He never really said it, but for Burkin, the fact that he was the youngest person to ever be a chief researcher was always
something he was proud of.
That "pride" was severely injured by having a mere 10 year-old become a chief researcher. It was probably the first
time someone so talented as he had ever tasted defeat.
He just couldn't accept the "younger, girl of good lineage".
To be made a fool of by someone who hadn't gotten any results. Someone who had worked so far away.
The fact that he couldn't get over it, showed his immaturity.
However, even though he was still immature, no matter what, I had to bring him back to his senses.
It was during these three years that our research moved up to the 2nd level.
It was at this point that we fixed upon the idea of making a "living biological weapon". We started to call the "T-Virus"
by a new name--"Zombie".
However, it was impossible to get a 100% infection ratio. Within people there is a subtle difference that the virus
couldn't totally overtake. It seems "compatibility" also was a major factor.
About 10 percent of the people who were injected with the "Zombie Virus" didn't get infected. And this was something
that, no matter how hard we researched, we just couldn't overcome.
A disease that would affect 90 percent of all humans seemed to me to be quite an effective weapon. But Spencer didn't
see it that way. Spencer said that he was hoping for a specialty virus that could "easily" wipe out EVERYONE.
But, why in the world would he want something like that?
One important characteristic of biological weapons was that they could be developed cheaply. However, the "biological
weapon" that we were researching started to become very costly.
If Spencer was in it just for the money, then he probably wouldn't have chosen to spend the extra money on researching
a specialty virus that infected and wiped out 100% of its victims. It just wasn't financially "worth it".
Why would he want to ignore all financial concerns just to continue the research?
If by changing the idea of war (through biological warfare), he was attempting to monopolize all military industries then
I would have understood that but...

Even to this day, I have no idea what his true intentions were.
But whatever Spencer's real reason was, Burkin was planning on making a biological weapon that would increase a
country's military capacity.
Not to just manipulate the genes of the "T-Virus", but also by adding other genetic code he was planning on creating
"him".
A military biological weapon that could annihilate those who went unaffected by the virus, as well as, people who were
wearing anti-viral gear and equipment. This weapon was later named "Hunter".
However, that experiment was temporarily put on hold.
In order to protect the test subjects from Burkin.
Burkin's pace was quickened by Alexia's existence. He began to act "out of the ordinary".
He would stay at the lab for 24 hours straight. Attempt experiments that he hadn't really thought out.
I tried to use other researchers to get as many samples from the subjects before they died, but I just couldn't keep up
with his pace.
The head facilitator brought in a new subject, as if nothing had ever happened. But she, too, soon died.
It was hell.
And within that hell there was but one person living--The female test subject's body that continued to live on.
She was already 28 years old. Having lived 14 of her years in this research facility.
Someone whose "consciousness" had been taken away by the "Starter Virus" that had been injected into her 14 years
ago. Someone who, if their "heart" did happen to actually be alive, would only hope for "death".
But she continued to "survive".
Why was only she able to survive this long? Her basic experiment data and that of other subjects seemed to be the
same.
It would still take a long time for us to solve this riddle.
(The report continues 2 years later)

1981 July 27 (Monday)

On this day, Umbrella assigned a 10 year old girl to be the chief researcher at the Antarctic research facility.

Her name was Alexia Ashford.

At that time, I was 21 and Birkin was 19.

It was very provoking that even in our own Arklay research facility, everyone was talking about Alexia and the Antarctic.

It was because all the old high staff members of Umbrella considered the name of the Ashford family a legend.

Every time something went wrong with our research, those old fools would always say the same thing.

"If only Professor Edward were still alive…"

It is true that Edward Ashford was the first one to find the original virus, and he may have been an incredible scientist for starting the t-virus project.

But soon after Umbrella was formed, he died. It had been 13 years since then. Would there be no reason to expect anything from the Ashford family?

In fact, over the 13 years after Edward's death, the Antarctica research facility that his son built had done nothing.

This grand-daughter Alexia of his is probably nothing useful either!

But one day, our useless workers started to say these things.

"If only Alexia was here."

It angered me to think that our own workers and researchers are filled with these mindless fools who only judge people by their family name and bloodline.

Because they think like that, they always had to be told what to do, and never got promoted even though they were old enough to have one leg inside the coffin!

…But, I still had good judgement.

If I had let all of that go to my head, the development of the t-virus at the Arklay research facility would have been delayed

As the head researcher, I always had to keep myself under control or success would not be possible.

Then, a thought came to my mind.

I could use those old staff members to further the progress of the research and to gain my success. Those old fools could die at any time, and would serve as perfect test subjects for the dangerous experiments.

To be able to rise above everyone, why shouldn't I be able to use all resources to my full advantage?

But the problem was Birkin.

His reaction to Alexia was great.

Although he never spoke of it, Birkin took pride in the fact that he was the youngest to be assigned to this lab at the age of 16.

But his pride was completely destroyed by this 10 year old girl. Born as a genius, he had tasted his first defeat.

He couldn't handle the younger, legendary family, girl.

To be outdone by a girl who hadn't even made any research progress.

The main reason was the fact that she was still a child.

But I had to have Birkin back to his normal self again.

We had already reached phase 2 in our research in the past 3 years.

At that point in time, the t-virus was able to stably create a human bio-weapon, called a zombie.

But the effects of the virus vary greatly between people and there was no 100% guarantee for it to infect the DNA. Every person has a different DNA structure, and some may react differently.

If a zombie were to pass on the infection to a group of people, 10% would not get infected. This we could do nothing about, even though we continued to study the DNA.

With the remaining 90% of people that did get infected, this would still be enough to be used as a weapon, but Spencer thought differently.

Our employer wanted a 100% human-killing, independent perfect weapon.

But why?

Originally, the bio-weapon was to be made with very little cost. But our research into the human bio-weapon, was getting more expensive.

If Spencer just wanted to make money, he wouldn't have chosen this path.

If used as an ordinary weapon, he could easily make a profit from it. But to continue researching it as an independent perfect-killing weapon like we've been doing, it wouldn't add up.

Why does he continue the research even though he's loosing money?

I would understand if he was aiming for a military industry monopoly to change the meaning of war…

I still didn't understand Spencer's real intentions.

Apart from Spencer's real intentions Birkin was currently doing tests on a perfect human bio-weapon that possessed combat skills.

By changing the DNA of the t-virus and incorporating DNA information from other living things, this being could be created.

This fighting human bio-weapon, made to kill off any opposing forces or people that are immune to the virus, was later called the hunter.

But the tests had to be put on hold for a while.

The test subject had to be protected from Birkin.

Birkin felt it was meaningless to compete against Alexia, and started to act differently than usual.

For 24 hours a day, he would stay at the research facility, continuously doing tests without a plan.

I tried to use other researchers to collect samples and data from the test subjects before they died, but at the speed that Birkin went by, it was impossible for me to keep up.

The president would keep getting us new test subjects as if nothing happened, and that subject would die shortly after.

That place was like hell.

However, 1 person in that hell, that woman test subject, still lived.

She was already 28. That is to say, she spent 14 years in the research facility.

Over the 14 years, the effects from the original virus must have corrupted her mind, but if she were to still have a conscious mind, death is what she would want.

However, she lived on.

How could she live for so long? There was nothing different between her test data and those of the other test subjects.

More time was needed to solve this mystery.

1981.7.27(mon)

「アレクシア-1」

(前回の記録内容から3年後)

この日、アンブレラの「南極研究所」に、10歳の少女が主任研究員として配属された。名前は「アレクシア・アシュフォード」。私が21歳、バーキンが19歳の時だ。

忌々しい事に、私達のアークレイ研究所でも、「南極でのアレクシア」の噂は研究員達の話題を独占した。古くからアンブレラにいた年寄り連中にとって、「アシュフォード家」の名前は伝説だったからだ。

以前から、研究が行き詰まると無能な老人達は決まってこう言った。『「エドワード博士」が、生きて居られれば。』確かに「エドワード・アシュフォード」は「始祖ウィルス」発見者の1人であり、「t-ウィルス」計画の基盤を創った偉大な科学者だったかもしれない。

しかしアンブレラが創設されて間もなく彼は死んだのだ。その死から既に13年が過ぎていた。

今更「アシュフォード家」に期待して何になる?事実、「エドワード」の死後13年間、その息子の設立した「南極研究所」は何の成果も上げてはいなかった。孫である「アレクシア」の頭脳も高が知れているではないか!

ところが、この日を境に、私達の部下である死に損ないのクズ共がこう言い始めた。『「アレクシア」様が、ここに居られれば。』名家だの血筋だのでしか人間を判断できない、愚民共が部下では先が思いやられた。

奴等は、そういう考えだから、棺桶に片足を突っ込んだ年齢になっても誰かの指示がないと動けない下っ端なのだ!…しかし、私にはまだ分別があった。

主任である私が、その時、熱くなっていたなら、アークレイ研究所での「t-ウィルス」開発はもっと遅れていた事だろう。いかなる状況でも、冷静に判断できねば成功は有り得ない。

その時、私は次のように考えた。古い時代の御歴々を上手く扱ってこそ研究成果も上げられる。いつ死んでもおかしくない御老体ならば危険な実験にも相応しい、と。全ての人材を合理的に利用できねば人の上には立てまい?

だが、問題はバーキンだ。「アレクシア」の噂に対する彼の反応は悲惨なものだった。口にこそ出さなかったが、バーキンにとって、それ以前では最年少の16歳で主任になった事は自慢だったはずだ。

そのプライドが「10歳の少女」によって粉々に砕かれたのだ。天才として生まれて、初めて味わう敗北感だったのだろう。「年下」の、「名家」の、「女」を、彼は容認できなかったのだ。

まだ何の研究成果も上がっていない遠い地での人事に翻弄されるとは。つまるところ彼はまだ子供だったのだ。しかし精神的に未熟であるにせよ、バーキンには何としても立ち直ってもらう必要があった。

私達の研究は、この3年間で第2段階まで入っていたのだ。この時点での「t-ウィルス」は、通称「ゾンビ」と言われた「生体生物兵器」の製造には、安定してきた。

ただ、ウィルスによる遺伝子への影響に、100%という事は有り得ない。人によって遺伝子には微妙な違いがあり、相性というものがあるためだ。「ゾンビ」から感染しても、1割ほどの人間は発症を免れる。こればかりは遺伝子研究を続けてもどうにもならない。

9割の人間を発症させられるなら兵器としては十分なはずだったが、スペンサーの考えは違ったようだ。私達のボスは「それだけ」で100%の人間を殲滅できる、独立した兵器を望んでいた。だが、一体何のために?

もともと生物兵器の取り柄は安価に開発できる事だった。ところが我々が研究する「生体生物兵器」は、極めて高価なものになり始めた。スペンサーも普通に金儲けがしたいだけなら、こんな道は選ぶまい。

通常の兵器システムとの併用ならば十分採算が取れるはずだった。だが「独立した殲滅兵器」として研究を続けるのは割に合わない。なぜ採算を度外視してまでこの研究を続けるのだろうか?

戦争の概念を変える事で、「全軍需産業の独占」でも狙っているのなら理解もできるが…。

スペンサーの真意は今でも判らない。

スペンサーの真の目的は別として、この時バーキンが考案していたのは戦闘能力を重視した「生体生物兵器」だった。「t-ウィルス」の遺伝子操作だけでなく、他の生物の遺伝子情報をも組み込む事で、「そいつ」を創り出そうというのだ。

武装、又は対ウィルス装備をした人間や、感染発症を免れた人間をも殲滅する、「戦闘用の生体生物兵器」、それは後に「ハンター」と呼ばれる事になる。

だが、その実験はしばらく中断せざるを得なかった。バーキンから実験体を守るためだ。「アレクシア」に対して無意味な焦りを持ったバーキンは、常軌を逸した行動をとるようになっていた。

彼は24時間、研究所に泊り込み、無計画な思い付きで実験を繰り返した。私は他の研究員も使って、実験体が死ぬ前にできるだけ多くの生体サンプルを抽出したが、彼のスピードには追いつかなかった。

「所長」は何事も無かったかのように、新しい実験体を補充し、それもあっという間に死んでいく。そこは地獄だった。だが、その地獄の中で唯1人、あの「女の実験体」だけは生き延びていた。「彼女」は既に28歳。もう14年をこの研究所で過ごした訳だ。

14年前の「始祖ウィルス」投与によって人間としての思考能力は無いはずだが、もしも心が残っているのなら「死」こそ「彼女」の望む結末だろう。だが、「彼女」は生き続けた。

なぜ「彼女」だけがこれほど生き続けられるのか?実験データは他の実験体と何ら変わらないというのに。その謎が解けるまでにはまだ多くの時間が必要だった。

(記録は2年後へと続く)

Part 3: Alexia 2[]

December 31st, 1983
The winter of my sixth year at the Arklay Research Center.
For the past 2 years, there were no significant results and time seemed to just stagnantly flow along, but before long we
had a breakthrough.
The thing that started it all was a report we got that morning.
Antarctica Alexia had died.
The cause of her death was that she accidentally got infected by a virus that she, herself, was researching. It was
called the "T-Veronica Virus".
Alexia was 12 years old. It seems she was just a little too young to be undertaking such dangerous experiments.
There were many rumors to be heard. One particular rumor actually suggested that she injected the "T-Veronica" into
her own body. But no matter what the circumstances I find that particular "theory" to be implausible.
Probably she was just so shaken up over her father's disappearance one year earlier that she just made a mistake in the
experiment.
After that Alexia's last remaining blood relative, her twin brother who had worked in the Antarctica Research Center
came and picked up her work where she left off. But no one had any expectations of him.
In the end, the "Ashford" family was basically "dead"... without even yielding a single advance for the experiment.
It was just as I thought. A legend is, after all, merely that....a legend.
After the news of Alexia's death, Burkin changed. Or I guess I should say, he returned back to his normal self.
But I guess the biggest thing was that all of his subordinates now had no choice but to think of him as the main
researcher. Since, now, there was no one who could surpass his talents.
However, with that, it became "taboo" for anyone to talk about Alexia in front of him.
He fiercely opposed me when I planned on getting a sample of the T-Veronica Virus.
I had no choice but to put finding the truth about Alexia's research on the back burner.
In the end, even though the situation was at its best, Burkin, himself, failed to grow up and advance his research.
However, at that time I was concerned more about a different question at hand.
The Arklay Research Center was surrounded by a dense forest.

I often hiked through the forest but since the center was located in a mountain region there was never anyone to be
found nearby.
The only method of transportation was by helicopter. And the center wasn't exactly the type of place that people came
to visit.
One important reason for the fact that the center was located in such an isolated location was to prevent the virus from
getting out in the instance of a "leak".
However, "biological weapons" aren't that simple.
"Viruses" don't only infect humans. The can infect "other" things as well.
Any virus is usually capable of infecting more than one host.
For example, the number of species that the ordinary "influenza virus" (the common flu) is recognized as infecting are
birds, pigs, horses, seals, and humans.
The difficult part is that not all types of animals/people within a species are affected. Even though, within the bird
species, ducks and chickens are affected, all other birds are not.
And, if a virus mutates, then the kinds and number of hosts it affects changes.
So it is impossible to create a virus that is capable of affecting everything.
And that was the main problem--trying to adapt the T-Virus so that it would affect "everything" that it came into
contact with.
After Burkin became "useless", I started investigating the T-Virus's communicative infection rate.
It was then that I found out that, it was a fact that the T-Virus could infect almost any kind of living thing.
Not just animals, but plants, insects, fish--almost any species. The virus had the power to expand and disperse all over the earth.
Whenever I would leave the center for a walk in the woods I would always think to myself...
Why did Spencer choose this place?
Because there were lots of different types of species concentrated in the woods.
If the virus ever did get out here, then what would happen to a place where there were this many types of living things present?
In the case of insects, they are small so you might not think of them as "dangerous" even if they are secondary carriers of the virus.
However, insects usually exist in "swarms" and that huge number makes them a very dangerous "carrier", indeed.
If they were carriers then how far would the virus spread?
If a plant was a carrier then, since they can't move, you wouldn't expect them to be able to infect many people.
However, what about the "pollen" that comes from plants?
Considering those factors, the center was an extremely dangerous place to run "virus research".
And if you really think about it, the location of the Ashford's Antarctica Research Center was really a much safer and
obvious choice.
It would almost seem as if this place was specifically chosen, as a location, for the purpose of "spreading" the virus.
But, I just can't imagine that would really be so.
What is Spencer trying to get us to do?
This was a major issue. So big that I couldn't tell the other researchers.
At this time the only person that I felt I could have talked with about this was Burkin, but it was evident that telling him would be meaningless.
I needed more information.
It was at that time that I first began to feel the limitations of my position as researcher.
I needed to get myself a position that had more access to information that would reveal Spencer's true objective.
I felt no love lost for throwing away my position as a researcher in order to find out.
But I couldn't rush things. Because if Spencer ever got wind to what I was doing then it would be all over.
I jumped back into my research and it was "business as usual" so as not to call attention to my plans.
During those times, the female test subject that continued to survive was left in some corner and forgotten.
A living "could've been".
We began to call her that, sometime after she stopped yielding useful data for us.
At least, until 5 years later that is...

(The report continues 5 years later)

1983 December 31 (Saturday)
It has been the 6th winter since I started working at the Arklay research facility.

During the before 2 years, we had made no real progress with our research, and time passed by.

But that came to an end.

We had received word from the Antarctic that Alexia had died.

The cause of Alexia's death was the t-veronica virus, which she had created herself.

At this time, Alexia was 12. It seemed that she was too young for such dangerous research.

Our Arklay research facility was located in a very dense forest.

I often went out walking into the woods, but because this facility was near the center of the forest, you would never encounter any other human.

The only way to get there was by a helicopter.

It was a needed precaution, since if by chance, the virus was leaked out, it would prevent the chances of spreading.

But a bio-weapon isn't so simple.

The virus can also affect non-human beings as well.

Any virus isn't always limited to only affect 1 type of organism.

For example, the Influenza virus not only affects humans, but also birds, pigs, horses, and even seals.

And even in each of these species, only certain ones are affected, such as with Seagulls and chickens while all other birds are not.

That same virus may also have different effects on different species.

The problem lies in how the t-virus can affect many different life forms.

During the time when Birkin was useless, I had done my own research on the t-virus.

I had found out that the t-virus can affect most life forms out there.

And not only mammals, but plants, bugs, and fish can also be affected by the t-virus.

Every time I walked in the woods outside the research facility, I always asked myself the same question

Why did Spencer choose this place?

There are many different forms of life in these woods.

What would happen if the virus were to leak out?

If only an insect were infected, it probably would not go through a big mutation because of its small size.

But these insects could spread the infection at an incredible rate.

If this were to happen, how far would the virus spread?

If a plant were infected, the plant itself couldn't move and would seem safe.

But what about the seeds that the plants give out?

It would be extremely dangerous if a case like that were to happen.

Now that I think about it, it was very smart by the Ashford family to locate their research facility in Antarctica.

But here, it almost seemed as if someone wanted the virus to spread.

But could that be possible?

What was Spencer trying to make us do?

This issue was far too great and couldn't be discussed with any other researcher.

The only one who I could talk to was Birkin, but he probably wouldn't even be interested.

I need more information.

I had started to realize my limits as a simple researcher.

To find out what Spencer was truly thinking, I needed to be at a position where I could obtain more information.

For that, I would throw away all my current positions.

But I couldn't do this quickly. I couldn't let Spencer notice my plans, for if so, everything would be over.

I continued to do the usual research with Birkin so that no one would notice my true intentions.

During that time, that woman test subject was completely forgotten at the research facility.

A failure that just lived on.

Until that day, 5 years later…

1983.12.31(sat)

「アレクシア-2」

(前回の記録内容から2年後)

「アークレイ研究所」で迎えた6度目の冬。この2年間はろくな研究成果も上げられず停滞した時間が過ぎ去っていったが、そこにようやく転機が訪れた。きっかけは、この日の朝に受けた1つの報告からだった。

南極の「アレクシア」が死んだのだ。死因は「アレクシア」自身が開発した「t-ベロニカ-ウィルス」の、感染事故だった。この時「アレクシア」は12歳。危険な研究を続けるには余りにも若すぎたようだ。

噂の中には「アレクシア」は当初から計画して自分自身に「t-ベロニカ」を投与した、という話もあったが、いくら何でもそんな事はあるまい。たぶん、1年前の父親の失踪の悲しみから立ち直れず、ミスを犯したのだろう。

その後「南極研究所」では、残された唯一の正当な血縁者である「アレクシアの双子の兄」が研究を引き継いだが、「この男」には誰も期待はしていなかった。結局「アシュフォード家」は何の研究結果も出せないまま、滅びたも同然だった。私の予想通り、所詮伝説は伝説に過ぎなかったのだ。

「アレクシア」の死によってバーキンは変わった。いや、元に戻ったと言うべきか。だが、何よりも部下である研究員達が彼を認めざるを得なくなった事は大きい。今となっては、彼を越える人間はいないのだ。

ただ、それでも彼の前で「アレクシア」の話をするのはタブーだった。私が「t-ベロニカ」のサンプルを手に入れようと画策した時も、彼は猛反対したものだ。「アレクシアの研究」の真相を掴むのは、しばらく後回しにするしかなかった。

結局、取り巻く状況は好転したものの、バーキン自身は何の成長もしなかった訳だ。しかしその頃の私は、そんな事よりももっと大きな疑問を抱えていた。

私達の「アークレイ研究所」は深い森に囲まれている。私はよくその中を散策したが、山岳地帯の中心部に位置する「この研究所」の近くでは人と出会う事は全くなかった。そこへの交通手段はヘリコプターしかなく、人が訪れるような場所ではなかったのだ。

周りに人がいないという要素は、万が一ウィルスが流出した場合での被害を最小限に食い止める上で、もちろん重要な事だ。だが「生物兵器」はそれほど単純なものではなかった。「ウィルス」は人だけに感染するものではないのだ。

どんなウィルスも、1つの種だけを宿主とする訳ではない。例えば「インフルエンザ・ウィルス」は確認されているだけでも、人間以外に鳥やブタ、馬、アザラシまでも宿主とする。ここで複雑なのは、その種の中の全てが宿主となる訳ではなく、鳥の中でもカモやニワトリは宿主となるが別の鳥はならなかったりする事だ。

しかも「同じウィルス」でも、「その変異株」によって更に宿主は変わる。「1つのウィルス」だけを対象としても宿主となる生体を全て把握する事は不可能なのだ。そして問題は、「t-ウィルス」が持つ種を越えた適応性の高さにある。

バーキンが使い物にならなかった頃 私は「t-ウィルス」の二次感染性を調べていた。そこで判った事は、「t-ウィルス」はほとんどあらゆる種の中に宿主となる生体がいる、という事実だ。動物だけでなく、植物、虫、魚など、ほとんどの種が「t-ウィルス」を増幅拡散させ得る可能性を持っている。

「研究所」を出て森の中を歩く時、私はいつも考えた。スペンサーはなぜ、ここを選んだのか?

森の中にはあらゆる生態系が集まっている。もしここで「ウィルス」の流出があり、宿主として合致する生体がいた場合、どうなるのだろうか?

それが昆虫だった場合、元が小型なので単純な二次感染だけならば大きな脅威にならないと感じるかもしれない。だが昆虫は生物的に、爆発的な大量発生をする可能性がある。その場合「ウィルス」はどこまで広がるのだろうか?

それが植物だった場合、自分からは移動しないので汚染の可能性は少ないように思えるかもしれない。だが、その植物の出す花粉はどうなる?

この場所は、あまりにも危険だった。

考えてみれば、「アシュフォード家」が研究所の設立場所を「南極」にしたのは至極当然の事だ。それとは逆に、ここはまるでウィルスを拡散させる目的で選んだ拠点のようではないか。だが、まさか、そんな事はあるのだろうか?スペンサーは私達に何をさせようとしているのだろうか?

この問題は余りにも大きく、他の研究員達には漏らせなかった。この時私が相談できそうな相手はバーキンくらいだったが、彼に話しても意味のない事は明白だった。

必要なのは情報だ。この頃から私は、研究員としての自分の立場に限界を感じ始めていた。

スペンサーの真の目的を探るためには、もっとあらゆる情報に近いポジションに就く必要がある。そのためになら、それまでの地位を捨てる事にも未練はなかった。

だが、急いではいけない。スペンサーに感付かれては、全てが終わってしまう。私は自分の考えを誰にも悟られぬよう、バーキンと共に研究に没頭した。

そんな中、あの「女の実験体」は研究所の片隅で忘れられていった。生き続けるだけの「デキソコナイ」。意味のある実験データが採れない事から、いつしか「彼女」はそう呼ばれるようになっていた。

5年後の、あの実験の時までは…。

(記録は5年後へと続く)

Part 4 Enter Nemesis[]

July 1st, 1988
The summer of our 11th year at Arklay was just starting.
I was already 28.
Burkin had become a father and already had a 2 year-old daughter.
His wife was one of the researchers that worked at Arklay.
You would normally think it hard to understand someone wanting to get married and raise a child, all the while doing
their research.
But, it is said that only "non-ordinary" people ever continued to do research at Arklay
Only the crazy ones ever succeeded there.
And so, after 10 long years, our research finally reached the 3rd stage.
To create a living biological weapon that was a soldier that would follow strict orders, obey its program, and have
intelligence.
It was the so-called "Tyrant", basically a monster, that we set out to create.
However, there was a major obstruction to our research back then. Finding a basic body for "Tyrant".
The biggest problem was that suitable bodies for Tyrant were, at that time, genetically very limited.
The source of the problem lay in the nature of the T-Virus.
The T-Virus mutation used to create "zombies" and "hunters" could be used on just about any human but it would also
cause a decline in the subjects brain capacity.
If the subject didn't have a certain amount of "intelligence" then it couldn't function as a Tyrant.
Burkin tried solving the problem by picking out new mutagens that would keep down the "wear and tear on the
subject’s brain" so long as the subject fit the "Tyrant Profile".
However the number of people that had "suitable" genetics to accept the tyrant cells were very limited.
In a genetic analysis simulation it was found that only 1 in a million had the genetic make-up to become a "Tyrant", any
other person would merely become a regular zombie.
If we would have continued with our research then I'm sure we would have found a way to make a different type of TVirus that could change more people into "Tyrants".

However, in order to do that research, we first needed people that were perfectly suitable for the new mutation.
However, the odds of us being able to bring one of those few people, living in America, that fit the profile was extremely
low.
In the end, the only thing they were able to do was to, by force, bring a few "close contenders" in from other labs
Even before we had the chance to start our research, it seemed we had already hit an obstacle.
At that time I heard a rumor about another location in Europe where they had already reached the "third level" of
producing a living biological weapon using a method that no one had thought of.
It was known as the "Nemesis Plan".
In order to change the stagnant working pace and conditions, I took it upon myself to get a sample of one of the
subjects from that "plan".
Of course Burkin first disagreed with me, but in the end I was able to get him to reconsider.
Everyone had no choice but to recognize the fact that, until we found a suitable "Tyrant" subject, our research wasn't
going anywhere.
The "package" from Europe came at midnight, several days later, after a series of broadcasts, proposals, and counterproposals.
That box that contained "it" landed on the helicopter pad.
It read "Nemesis Prototype".
I had to use some very strong tactics to get the incomplete "thing" where it was being researched in France, but all the
while, Spencer was backing me up, pulling all of his strings and using his influence.
Only Burkin showed no interest in "it" until the end. But he, at least, recognized it as an important part of the
experiment.
The sample was developed to create a never before seen, totally new "form".
By manipulating genes, they had artificially created a "living parasite".
That was what "Nemesis" really was.
It could latch onto another organism's brain and then take control of the host's brain bringing it a high-level of
destructive power.
By combining intelligence with a destructive body suitable for battle, they were able to form the ultimate biological

weapon.
And if they could complete the project then they would be capable of creating "warlike bodies" without having to worry
about the intelligence issue.
However, the problem was that the parasite containing "it" was not stable.
The only thing written within the document that was attached to the sample was "Failure--sample died" over and over
again.
Anything that had been affected and whose intelligence was being controlled would die within 5 minutes.
We all understood that messing around with the "incomplete" prototype was very dangerous.
If we could only somehow manage to extend the amount of time that the hosts would live then we could take control
over the project. That was what I was aiming for.
Of course we would use "her" as our test subject.
Surely her unusually high endurance would be perfect for sustaining the Nemesis Prototype parasite for a long time.
Even if she didn't last that long, it's not as if we would be losing anything special anyways.
However, the experiment yielded a result that was opposite from what I was predicting.
The Nemesis parasite that tried to enter her brain disappeared.
At first, I didn't even know what was going on.
I couldn't believe that "she" would be the one to mix with the parasite genes without dying.
That was the beginning.
Somewhere within that "undying" body of hers, there had been a change...
We had to re-examine her from head to toe one more time.
During our 10 years of research she had been totally and thoroughly examined but this time we ignored that previous
data.
For the 21 years that she had been here, for the first time, something was finally happening.
After she had already survived longer than other subjects who had received the Nemesis Virus, it was only Burkin that
started to realize what was happening.
There was something within "her".

That "something" was a deviation from the T-Virus plan.
Something new that gave way to a new form.
Something that changed our destiny.
It was the beginning of the "G-Virus plan".
(The report continues 7 years later)

The 11th summer had come since we started working at the Arklay research facility.

I was 28 at the time.

Birkin had become a father to a 2 year old girl.

The wife was an also a researcher at Arklay.

It was natural that people who conducted the same research at the same facility fall in love and had children.

But a normal person wouldn't be able to continue research at Arklay.

Everyone who were still here were crazy.

We had gone into phase 3 of our research in the 10 years.

A programmed life to be used a soldier, was the fighting human bio-weapon.

This project was to be called the "tyrant".

But this project had a huge set back from the start. Gaining the human test body for the tyrant was a problem

There were few people who were compatible to become the tyrant.

This was due to the nature of the t-virus.

Any human could be used to make a zombie or a hunter using the t-virus, but their intelligence would be lost in the process.

A certain amount of intelligence was needed to create a tyrant.

Birkin devised a different approach in order to compensate for this problem.

But only a very small amount of people with compatible DNA could be used for this different method.

In the simulation, only 1 out of 100 000 000 people turned into a tyrant, and the rest became zombies.

If our research continued, we could create a different kind of t-virus that was compatible for more people to become a tyrant.

But for this to happen, we needed a new and different completely compatible person as a test subject.

But even if we searched through all of America, we would only find 10 or so people that were compatible test bodies.

Other research facilities ran into the same problem.

We had run into a wall before our research even began.

But we had received word that the Europe research facility had thought of a plan to conquer this problem in phase 3 of the human bio-weapon development.

This was the Nemesis project.

I had urged to get a sample of the project to further our own research.

Although Birkin had strongly opposed, I had convinced him.

Until we found a compatible host, our research wouldn't move, and Birkin had to admit this.

We received a package a few days later with a number of precautions written on it.

The package brought to the heliport was a small box.

Nemesis Project

Gaining this package from the France research facility required quite an effort, but was mainly accomplished due to Spencer backing us up.

Birkin took no interest in the package until the end, but had at least admitted to do tests.

The sample was totally new and was thought up for test purposes.

A parasitic life form created by manipulating DNA.

That was what the Nemesis was.

The intelligence was the only thing enhanced, and this life form couldn't do anything on its own.

But once it finds a host, it becomes a parasite, and its intelligence would take over, causing it to have incredible combat abilities.

The host for the fighting life form and intelligence of the parasite would be made separately and later the 2 would be combined to create 1 human bio-weapon.

If this were to succeed, it would overcome the intelligence problem, and we could create the fighting life-form we had planned.

But the problem was when the parasite takes over the host.

All that was recorded in the files was the death of each host once taken over by the sample.

Within 5 minutes of the intelligence takeover by the Nemesis, the host of the parasite would die.

But we were already aware of the danger that lay in the prototype.

If we could prolong the survival time of the host, the Nemesis project would succeed. That was my plan.

The host would be that women test subject.

Her incredible life rate could survive longer against the parasite of the Nemesis prototype.

And even if it failed, nothing would change on our side.

But the test had created a result I had not expected.

The Nemesis that had tried to enter her brain had disappeared.

At first, we couldn't tell what had happened.

We didn't expect her to consume the parasite.

That was the beginning.

Something was happening inside that failed experiment.

We had decided to start research on her from scratch.

In the past 10 years, we had conducted every bit of research possible on her, but we had decided to throw all those files away.

Within the 21 years that she lived, something was beginning to show.

Only Birkin had begun to notice the change.

Indeed, something had begun to change inside her.

But that was something totally different from the t-virus project.

Something new and would bring a new idea to us.

The project which changed our destiny, the G-virus project.

1988.7.1(fri)

「ネメシス」

(前回の記録内容から5年後)

私達にとって、「アークレイ研究所」での11年目の夏が始まろうとしていた。

その頃は私も既に28歳。バーキンに至っては2歳になる娘の父親にもなっていた。相手も「アークレイ」の研究員だ。互いにそこでの研究を続けながら、結婚し子供まで育てる気になれた事は普通に考えれば理解し難い。

だが、まともな神経の人間ではないからこそ「アークレイ」での研究を続けられたとも言える。そこで成功する者は、狂った人間だけだ。

そして10年という歳月の中で、私達の研究は遂に第3段階に入っていた。知能を持ちプログラムされた命令を遵守し、兵士として行動するより高度な「戦闘用の生体生物兵器」。通称「タイラント」と呼ばれたモンスターを創り出す事が、それだ。

しかし、その研究には当初から大きな障害があった。「タイラント」の基となる、「生体」の入手が困難だったのだ。遺伝子的に「タイラント」として適応する「人間」が、当時は極めて限られた事が最大の問題だった。

それは「t-ウィルス」の性質が原因だった。「ゾンビ」や「ハンター」を製造する為の「t-ウィルス変異株」はほとんどの「人間」に適応したのだが、脳組織を衰退させる問題があった。ある程度の知能が維持できねば、「タイラント」には成り得ない。

バーキンはその問題を克服するべく、完全適応すれば脳への影響を最低限に抑える新しい「変異株」の抽出を行なった。だが「その変異株」に対しては「適応する遺伝子を持った人間」が極めて少なかった。遺伝子解析班のシミュレートでは、「1000万人に1人の人間」しか「タイラント」として発症せず、他はただ「ゾンビ」となるだけだったのだ。

研究が進めばもっと多くの「人間」が「タイラント」として発症する別のタイプの「t-ウィルス」も開発できるはずだった。しかし、その研究をする為にも先ず「新しい変異株」に完全適応する「人間」が必要とされた。

とは言え、アメリカ全土を探しても数十人しか存在しないような「人間」が、「実験体」として連れて来られる可能性は極めて低い。実際その時は、他の研究所からも無理矢理集めた上で近い遺伝子のものが僅か数体用意できただけだった。私達は研究を始める前から暗礁に乗り上げていたのだ。

ところがそんな時、ヨーロッパの「ある研究所」では全く新しい発想で「第3段階の生体生物兵器」を製造する計画があるという噂を耳にした。それが「ネメシス計画」だ。

私はその時の状況を変えるためにも「その計画」の「サンプル」を入手するべく行動した。もちろんバーキンは反対したが、この時は何とか彼を説得できた。「適応する生体」が見つかるまで私達の研究が進展しない事は彼も認めざるを得なかったのだ。

ヨーロッパからの「荷物」がいくつかの中継を経て届けられたのは、それから数日が過ぎた深夜の事だった。ヘリポートに降ろされた「それ」はほんの小さな箱に入っていた。

「ネメシス・プロトタイプ」。「フランスの研究所」で開発中だった「それ」を手に入れる為にはかなり強引な手段も使ったが、結局はスペンサーの後ろ盾が大きかった。バーキンだけは最後まで「それ」に興味を示す事は無かったが、それでも実験する事の意義は認めてくれた。

「そのサンプル」は全く新しい、画期的な構想のために開発されたのだ。遺伝子操作によって人工的に創られた「寄生生体」。それが「ネメシス」の正体だった。

「知能」だけを特化させた「生体」で単体では何もできない。しかし、「他の生体の脳」に「寄生」する事によって「知能を支配」し、高度な戦闘能力を発揮することができる。「知能」を「戦闘用の生体」とは別に用意し、その2つを複合する事によって1つの「生体生物兵器」を構成しようというのだ。確かにこれが完成すれば、「知能」の問題を気にする事なく「戦闘用の生体」を創る事ができる。

だが問題は、「それ」による「寄生」が全く安定していない事だった。「サンプル」に添付された書類にも、失敗による「生体」の死亡例だけが羅列されていた。「ネメシス」の「知能支配」から5分と持たずに、「寄生された生体」が死亡してしまうのだ。

しかし、未完成の「プロトタイプ」が危険な事は承知の上だった。何とか「寄生時間」を延ばす事だけでも成功すれば、「ネメシス計画」の主導権はこちらが握れる。それが私の狙いだった。

もちろん、あの「女の実験体」を使うのだ。「彼女」の異常な生命力ならば、「ネメシス・プロトタイプ」の「寄生」にも長い間耐えられるだろう。たとえ失敗しても、こちらは何も失わない。

ところがその実験は、私の予想に反して全く別の結果を引き起こした。「彼女」の脳に侵入しようとした「ネメシス」が、消えてしまったのだ。

最初は何が起こったのかすら判らなかった。まさか「彼女」の方が「寄生生物」を取り込んでしまうとは思ってもみなかったのだ。それが始まりだった。

それまではただ死なないというだけの存在だった「彼女」の中で、何かが覚醒しようとしていた。私達は「彼女」をもう1度、最初から調べ直さねばならなかった。

それまでに10年間で「彼女」の事は調べ尽くされていたが、敢えて過去のデータは無視した。私達がこの研究所に配属される前の時間も併せて21年間、誰も掴めなかった何かが見えようとしていたのだ。

更に長い時間を費やした時、バーキンだけがその何かに気が付いた。確かに「彼女」の中には何かが存在した。

しかし、それは「t-ウィルス計画」からは逸脱したものだった。それは全く新しい、別の構想を生み出す事になる。私達の運命を変えた「G-ウィルス計画」の始まりだった。

(記録は7年後へと続く)

Part 5: Enter G-virus[]

July 31st, 1995
It had been 17 years since I’d been back "there".
When I come, I remember the wind. The scenery and buildings from the surrounding area hadn't changed a bit.
I saw Burkin standing on the Heli-pad. He arrived before I did.
Meeting with him somehow already seemed "nostalgic".
It had been 4 years since I had left the Arklay Research Center.
4 years ago, when Burkin's proposed "G-Virus" plan was approved, I put in a transfer request for the
"data/information" section and my request was immediately approved.
The fact that I had given up on being a researcher and needed a change probably seemed like a natural change that
most people go through.
Actually, the truth of the matter was that "G" had already reached a level that was beyond my ability.
And even if I wasn't really here to discover Spencer's "true intentions", I think that, at that time, I would have definitely
realized the limitations of my ability.
As the wind danced around the helicopter, Burkin was, as usual, fixated on some document.
Apparently, he was coming to Arklay on a routine basis, but he was no longer assigned there.
A while ago, he had been transferred to a huge underground research facility in Raccoon City. That was the main facility
for his "G-Virus" research.
But to tell the truth, 4 years ago, I really didn't think that Spencer would approve "G".
Because, "it" deviated from the idea of "weapon" and it was created with too many unknowns left unsolved.
The big difference between "G" and the "T-Virus" was that a body infected with "G" would spontaneously continue to
mutate.
Of course a virus's genes are unprotected so it quickly mutates.
But the cells within a living organism are different.
Even if the subjects make-up has been altered by the virus, the cells within the organism's body rarely can be mutated.
Of course, by using outer "stimuli", such as radiation, you can make mutations occur within a living body.

However, a body that is infected with "G" continues to mutate, without any outer stimuli, until the host dies.
Even that "T-virus" has lots of attributes that are quite similar to "G".
It has already been observed that the genetic make-up of one of the "living biological weapons" (a person infected with
the T-Virus), who has been placed in a special setting, has continuously "changed".
But in order for this change to occur it is necessary to use outer stimuli as a catalyst. And one can mildly predict which
changes are likely to occur.
However, there are no such "laws" concerning a body infected with "G".
No one can predict just how someone infected with "G" will change. No matter what kind of method you use to try to
cope with "G", it continually changes, making that "method" ineffective.
7 years ago Burkin noticed a little bit of this effect in the female test subject.
There wasn't the slightest change in her appearance, but deep within her something was constantly changing and she
continued to co-exist with the virus used in the experiments.
And so after 21 years of inner mutations, even the "parasite Nemesis" just became one more mutation within her body.
The "G-Virus Plan" was a plan to push those "characteristics" to the utmost limit.
However, the thing that lay ahead could be an evolution to the "final form" for mankind... or it could be a "finale" in
which the organism merely dies...
Could we really call that a weapon?
What was Spencer thinking when he approved this plan?
Even though I had been working in the information section for these 4 long years, I had still been unable to figure out
what Spencer was planning.
And now Spencer has stopped coming to Arklay.
Almost as if something that he has been eagerly awaiting and expecting has begun to start.
Spencer, like some mirage floating in the desert, had begun to grow farther and farther away from me.
But I was sure that a chance would present itself to me eventually.
That was, of course, if I lived long enough to see that day.
Burkin and I got on the elevator and rode to the top floor.

To the place where we had first met "her".
A man named John, Burkin's successor and new chief researcher, was waiting there for us.
He came from a research center in Chicago and was supposedly a very talented scientist but he was a little too
"straight" to be working at a place like this.
He began to question the "inhumanity" of what was going on in the labs and made his opinions known to the upperlevel executives.
I had heard rumors about him at the information section.
Everyone seemed to agree that if any information ever leaked out, he probably would have been the culprit.
We ignored John and kept on walking, and then began the final "disposal" procedures on her.
"You must kill her".
Due to her being infected with "Nemesis", although only a minor amount, she started to "think" and become conscious.
She started to act in "grotesque" ways.
Her behavior has continued to escalate and now she wears the face of another woman that she "peeled off" just like a
mask.
According to reports, she acted in the same way after they gave her the first "Starter Virus".
I don't know why she began to act in such a way, but because she recently killed 3 researchers, "they" have decided to
"dispose" of her.
Now that the "G" research is on the right track, there is no real use for a "test subject" like her.
After constantly checking and re-confirming for 3 days the fact that she was dead, her corpse was, as per Facility
Head's order, taken away somewhere.
In the end, I never did find out who she was and why she was brought here?
Of course, she was merely a test subject.
But still though, if she hadn't been here then there wouldn't have been any "G Plan". And Burkin and I would probably
be leading different lives now.
I left the Arklay Research Center, thinking that very thing.
I wonder how much of this was according to Spencer's "plan".
(3 years later the "incident" began)

When I came back to that place, it had been 17 years since that day I was first assigned there.

Every time I go to that place, I would remember the smell of the wind of that day. The buildings and the surroundings all looked the same as before.

On the heliport, I could see Birkin.

It has been a long time since I'd seen him.

4 years had passed since I left the Arklay research facility.

4 years ago, when Birkin's G-virus project was authorized, I requested to be transferred to the secret service, and this was easily approved.

From everyone's point of view, it was a natural change for me to stop my research profession to go into another field.

In reality, the research conducted on the G was far above my level.

Even if my motive wasn't to find out what Spencer was truly thinking, I could feel my limits as a researcher.

In the midst of the wind blowing, Birkin as usual, didn't take his eyes off the research files.

He came to Arklay quite often, but he was not employed there anymore.

A little while ago, a huge underground research facility was built under Raccoon City. This was the place where his G-virus would be developed.

To be honest, 4 years ago, I didn't think that Spencer would authorize G.

This was because it was far from being a weapon, and had too many things unknowns about it.

The reason the G was slightly different from t-virus, was due to the host spontaneously reacting to the virus continuously.

It was very easy for a mutation to occur since the DNA would be open to a virus.

But this was just in the case of the virus itself and not the host's DNA.

Even if the virus could cause some form of change, the DNA of the host becoming mutated was a rare case.

If there was an outside force like radiation, however, it would be a different story.

But in the case of G, it was different, even without an outside force, it would keep mutating the host until death.

Something very similar to this did exist within the t-virus as well.

When a human bio-weapon is put in a specific area, the virus inside the host eventually causing some form of mutation, was already confirmed.

But for this to happen, an outside force was always needed.

But the G host had no need for such a thing.

No one could even predict what was lying ahead with the mutations, and even if we thought of a way to stop the mutation, the virus would just mutate to accommodate.

7 years ago, Birkin found this in that woman test subject.

At first look, the woman had no changes on the outside, but inside, various mutations had occurred which kept on consuming each kind of virus injected into her, and had continued to live on.

And over the 21 years of mutating, it had mutated so much that it would even consume the Nemesis parasite.

The G-virus project was to take this mutation to highest point possible.

But this could lead to the ultimate life form or it could end in disaster.

…could this be called a weapon?

What was Spencer thinking when he authorized this project?

Even when I moved to the secret service, I still couldn't find out what Spencer was really thinking during these 4 years.

And he didn't even show up at the Arklay labs anymore.

Almost as if he was expecting something to happen there…

Spencer was slowly drifting away from me, just as an oasis in a desert.

But, my chance will come soon enough.

That's if I can survive until then.

The elevator took Birkin and I to the highest level in the research facility.

To that place where we first saw that woman.

There, we met the new research leader, John, who was the successor to Birkin.

He had come from a Chicago research facility and was an excellent researcher, but he was too normal to work in a place like this.

He had started to question the motives of the research there and had repeatedly questioned the superiors.

This had even reached my ears at the secret service.

"If information was leaked out, he would be the first to go." This is what everyone had started to say.

We both ignored John and had started the cleanup of that woman.

We had to kill her.

When she had consumed the Nemesis, she started to regain some intelligence but they were very peculiar behaviors.

Each time it would escalate, she would rip off the face of another woman and would wear it herself.

According to the records, she showed the same behavior when she was first injected with the original virus.

No one knows why she would behave like that, but recently, 3 researchers had been killed that way, and this was what triggered the decision for her to be killed.

Since the G research was progressing steadily, there was no more use for her.

Her death was confirmed over the course of 3 days, and her dead body was carried somewhere by the president.

In the end, no one knew who she was or why she'd been here.

But this was also the same with any other test subject.

But if she hadn't been here, the G-project wouldn't have existed. If this were the case, both Birkin and I would have been in a different situation than now.

I had this on my mind as I left the Arklay research facility.

How far was Spencer planning to go with this?

1995.7.31(mon)

「G-ウィルス」

(前回の記録内容から7年後)

私が再び「そこ」に降り立ったのは、そこを初めて訪れた「あの日」から17年が過ぎた夏の事だった。「そこ」に来るといつも、「あの日」の風の臭いを思い出す。周りの風景も建物も、あれから何も変わってはいなかった。

ヘリポートの上には、先に到着していたバーキンの姿も見えた。彼と会う事すら、既に久しい。私が「アークレイ研究所」を離れてから、もう4年が過ぎていたのだ。

4年前バーキンの立案した「G-ウィルス計画」が承認された時、私は情報部への転属を希望し、それはあっさり受理された。私が研究員としての道を断念し転機を図るというのは、誰から見ても自然な成り行きに見えたはずだ。

実際のところ、「G」の構想は最早私などがついて行けるレベルを越えていた。例えスペンサーの真意を探るという目的が無かったとしても、その時研究員としての自分の能力に限界を見出したのは確かな事だった。

ヘリの風が舞い上がる中、バーキンは相変わらず手にした書類から目を離す事はなかった。彼は定期的に、「アークレイ」には来ているようだったが、その彼ももう、そこの所属ではない。しばらく前に、同じラクーン市内の巨大地下研究施設に転属していたのだ。そこが、彼による「G-ウィルス」開発の拠点となっている。

だが正直なところ、4年前の私は「G」がスペンサーに承認されるとは思ってもいなかった。何故なら「それ」は、兵器としての概念からも逸脱した、余りにも未知なる構想の上に成り立っていたのだ。

「G」がそれまでの「t-ウィルス」とは一線を画した理由は、それに感染した生体自体が自発的な突然変異を続ける事にある。もちろんウィルスは遺伝子が剥き出しの状態である事から、突然変異を起こし易い。だがそれはウィルス単体での話であって、生体内の遺伝子は違う。たとえウィルスによって構造変化したものであっても、生体内の遺伝子が突然変異を起こす事は非常に稀だ。放射線を浴びるなどの外的要因があれば、話は別だが。

ところが「G」がに感染した生体はそんな外的要因を全く必要とせず、死ぬまで突然変異を繰り返してしまうのだ。

これに近い特性ならば、「t-ウィルス」にも少なからず存在する。特殊な環境に置かれた「生体生物兵器」が、体内のウィルスの活性化によって遺伝子構造に再変化を起こす事は既に確認されていた。だがその為にはあくまでも外的要因による引き金が必要であり、再変化にもある程度の予測の範疇にあった。

しかし「G生体」にはそんな法則は無い。その変化の行き着く先は誰にも予測できず、どんな対抗手段を考えようとも、それを無効化するべく変異していくのだ。

7年前バーキンは、あの「女の実験体」にこの作用の片鱗を見出した。「彼女」は外見的には何の変化も起こしていなかったが、その深層部は常に変化しあらゆる実験用ウィルスを融合共存しながら生き続けていたのだ。そして21年間続いた内部変異は、「寄生生体ネメシス」すら取り込んでしまうだけの変化を遂げた。

「G-ウィルス計画」は、その特性を究極まで推し進めようとしている。しかし、その先にあるものは「最終生体」への進化かもしれないし、崩壊による終焉かもしれない。…それが兵器と言えるのだろうか?

スペンサーは何を考えこの計画を承認したのだろうか?情報部に移って4年という歳月が過ぎたにもかかわらず、私はスペンサーの真意を掴めずにいた。そして今やスペンサーは、アークレイにすら姿を見せなくなっている。まるで、やがてそこで始まるであろう何かを予測しているかのように…。スペンサーの姿は砂漠に浮かぶ蜃気楼のように、私から遠ざかって行く。

だがチャンスはいつか巡ってくるはずだ。それまで私が生き延びられればの話だが。エレベーターは私とバーキンを乗せ、研究所の最高レベルへと降りていった。「彼女」と初めて出会ったあの場所へ。

そこでは、バーキンの後任である「ジョン」という名の新しい主任研究員が待っていた。こいつはシカゴの研究所からきた男で、科学者としては優秀らしかったが、この研究所で働くには人としてまとも過ぎたようだ。ここでの研究の残虐性に疑問を持ち、それを是正するよう、上層部に意見を提出していたのだ。

それは私のいる情報部でも噂になっていた。『外部に情報が漏れるとすれば先ずはこいつからだろう』というのが皆の意見だった。私達はそのままジョンを無視して、「彼女」に対する最終処理を始めた。「彼女」を殺すのだ。

「ネメシス」を取り込んだ「彼女」は僅かながら知性を取り戻したのだが、それは奇怪な行動を生んだだけだった。その行動は次第にエスカレートし、今では「他の女」の顔を剥ぎ、それを被るようになってしまった。記録によれば最初の「始祖ウィルス」投与の時も、同様の行動を示したようだ。

「彼女」が何を考え、そういった行動に出るのかは判らなかったが、最近3人の研究員が犠牲になった事から「彼女」の処分が決定された。「G」の研究が軌道に乗った以上、実験体としての「彼女」には最早、何の利用価値も無かったのだ。

「彼女」の生命反応停止の確認がそれから3日間に渡って繰り返された後、「死体」は所長の指示でどこかへと運ばれて行った。

結局、「彼女」が何者で、なぜ「ここ」に連れて来られたのかは今も判らない。もちろんそれは他の実験体も同じだ。だが、もしも「彼女」がいなかったら「G計画」は無かったかもしれない。その場合、私とバーキンの現在は今とは違っていただろう。私はその事を考えながら「アークレイ研究所」を後にした。

スペンサーは、どこまで計算しているのだろうか?

(それから3年後、「事件」は始まる)

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