Chapter 5: A Company Dog's Day
"I could hear Dr. William Birkin's vehement opposition to my 'Flesh Weakness' proposal echoing all the way from the West Coast," Vera said, almost smiling.
"He's not here today, Dr. Vera..." one of the administrators stammered.
"Bring him to me. If he has objections, let's discuss them face to face. We're colleagues, after all," Vera said with exaggerated nonchalance. Then she looked around, pretending to search. "Oh? Where is Dr. Birkin?"
The administrator from Umbrella's Raccoon City branch froze, his smile stiffening. He could already tell this meeting wouldn't go well.
The rumors about Dr. Vera Adelheid Russell were rampant within the company. Her intelligence was said to rival that of the late Alexia Ashford, Umbrella's previous rising star. However, what set her apart wasn't just her brilliance but the fact that her research was entirely distinct from the virology and biological sciences that had dominated Umbrella's focus for so long.
Dr. Vera was an expert in materials science, human bionics, prosthetics, and intelligent control systems. She wasn't here to fight viruses; she was pushing for mechanical augmentation and human evolution through technology.
"Flesh Weakness, Mechanical Ascension"—this was Vera's mantra, something she repeated at every company meeting, to the board, and to anyone who would listen.
It was clear she and William Birkin were headed for a showdown.
Birkin represented the "virology faction," a group of scientists deeply entrenched in virus research, bio-weapons, and the like. But Vera was part of a new wave, one that saw human augmentation as the future. As Vera's projects in prosthetics and AI gained traction—and more importantly, profits—her influence grew. The old guard, led by Birkin, was being pushed to the margins.
Virology projects, like Birkin's G-Project, couldn't be openly funded or marketed. They were always shrouded in secrecy, their potential locked behind closed doors. Vera's prosthetic research, on the other hand, could be sold to the world. She was building real, marketable products, and money was pouring in.
The struggle for Umbrella's limited resources became a battleground. Initially, Birkin had the upper hand with his seniority. But as Vera's innovations began to overshadow his virus research, support for her within Umbrella skyrocketed.
Birkin's arrogance only grew in the face of his diminishing power. He had always considered himself a genius, a prodigy even, and to see his control slipping away was more than he could bear.
In Raccoon City, it wasn't uncommon for Umbrella staff to overhear Birkin's angry outbursts and rants about Vera.
As Vera entered the conference room at Umbrella's Raccoon City facility, she quickly recognized a familiar face: Annette Birkin, William's wife.
The name on Annette's badge confirmed it.
A researcher in her own right, Annette was a part of her husband's projects, including his much-touted G-Project. She looked tired, her blonde hair tied into a loose ponytail. Noticing Vera's gaze, she forced a smile.
"Dr. Vera," Annette greeted politely.
"And you are?" Vera asked, though she already knew the answer. She grabbed a glass of ice water from a passing attendant.
Annette hesitated. "I'm Dr. Annette Birkin, co-developer on William's project."
"Ah, Mrs. Birkin," Vera said, deliberately using the title to remind Annette of her position. "May I call you that?"
But before she could continue, the conference room door slammed open.
"Stay away from my family, Vera!" William Birkin shouted as he stormed in.
Thin and pale from years spent underground in the Raccoon City labs, Birkin was the picture of a man who had given his life to his work. His blonde hair was thinning, and his eyes burned with resentment. Protectively, he pulled his wife behind him.
"You won't win this, Vera. You can't surpass me," Birkin snarled. His voice was strained, almost manic. "I am the chief, and once G is completed, your toys will be obsolete. The world will remember me, not you."
Vera didn't flinch. Instead, she calmly shook her head, a look of pity crossing her face. "You're a sad, obsessed man."
"I don't need your pity, Vera!" Birkin's voice was rising again, his thin frame trembling. "Your work is nothing but short-term profit. You have no vision! You don't understand what it means to push the limits of human biology."
"And you don't understand that you've trapped yourself," Vera replied coolly.
The tension in the room was palpable. Their rivalry had been building for years, and it had now reached its peak.
"It doesn't matter what you say," Birkin spat. "When G is complete, you'll see."
Vera leaned forward slightly, her voice dropping. "William, next summer, my research facility in California will be fully operational. Do you really think your outdated ideas will survive that?"
Birkin's face twisted with fury, but before he could respond, Vera continued. "But don't worry. You'll still have a place in Umbrella, as the head of White Umbrella's biological research. You can keep doing what you're doing, as long as you don't get in my way."
Umbrella, as everyone knew, was split into different departments. The Red Umbrella was the paramilitary wing, Blue Umbrella focused on bio-weapons, and White Umbrella led the biological research efforts.
But now, Vera had enough clout to create a new division: Black Umbrella. It would focus on her fields—cybernetics, prosthetics, and human augmentation.
Birkin's face was pale with rage. "You—"
Vera interrupted again. "Umbrella will now have four pillars: Red, Blue, White, and Black. I won't be playing your game anymore."
There was a long silence. Birkin could only stand there, seething.
"Just wait," he muttered before storming out.
"One more thing," Vera called after him. Birkin stopped but didn't turn.
"There's a new pharmaceutical factory being built on the West Coast," Vera said. "It's been approved by the board, and your Raccoon City branch will provide personnel and data. I expect no problems."
Birkin's shoulders slumped. He muttered something under his breath, but Vera didn't care. She had already won.
---
Leaving Raccoon City
Vera didn't waste time after the meeting. She left Umbrella's Raccoon City building, surrounded by her personal bodyguards. Her next destination was Raccoon City Airport.
As her car drove through the streets of the city, Vera casually flipped through the day's edition of the Raccoon City Daily:
The Special Tactics and Rescue Service (S.T.A.R.S.) is still recruiting.
The Raccoon City Police Department will move to a new location this summer.
Several new cooperation agreements between the city government and Umbrella Corporation are in place.
"A storm is brewing," Vera murmured as she folded the newspaper. She could feel it in the air—Umbrella was teetering on the edge. The bio-weapons division was out of control, and Raccoon City was a ticking time bomb. But none of it would matter to her soon.
One year left, she thought. After that, she'd be gone.
---
Arasaka Tower
Back in the corporate world, Vera's mind was sharp and focused. She arrived at Arasaka Tower, the heart of the world's largest megacorporation, where she had a second role as a biotechnology researcher.
As she stepped out of the sleek, black company car and passed through the security checks, she took in the sight of the rebuilt Arasaka Tower. The company had left parts of the old tower intact, a reminder of the nuclear explosion that had once brought it down. The plaque read: 2023, We Will Remember.
Vera entered through the executive-only passage. Arasaka's hierarchy was rigid, and she knew how to play the game.
Her "Gift," a mysterious ability that connected her consciousness with other versions of herself across different worlds, was still evolving. But she didn't rush it. There was no need to force things; her power would come in time.
In this world, Arasaka valued results, and Vera was delivering. Umbrella's bio-tech might have been cutting-edge once, but in the cyberpunk dystopia of 2077, where the old Net had collapsed and technology had regressed, Arasaka saw value in even the smallest scraps of innovation.
And Vera was bringing more than scraps.
"Officer Vera, we've arrived," her bodyguard said as the car pulled to a stop inside Arasaka Tower's underground parking lot.
"Good," Vera said, stepping out into the corporate behemoth that was now her playground.