NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 44: Chapter 44
Unsurprisingly, the Red Queen ignored Ethan completely.
Originally, from earlier impressions of the series, this artificial intelligence seemed to have developed a level of self-awareness. But by the later chapters, it became apparent that the Red Queen was nothing more than a strictly programmed AI, obedient to its coding, with its apparent "madness" being nothing more than a carefully calculated illusion.
This made things particularly difficult for Ethan. If the Red Queen was simply following pre-designed instructions, then there would be no way to truly reason or negotiate with her.
"Red Queen, I know you can hear me, so stop pretending to play dead and come out to talk," Ethan called out, his tone sharp. "Otherwise, these guys are going to shut you down completely."
The group had already entered the room adjacent to the laser corridor. James had been about to instruct Kaplan to hack into the Red Queen's program and open the door to the central control room. But upon seeing Ethan's actions, James held up his hand, signaling Kaplan to wait. He wanted to see how things played out first.
When the Red Queen still didn't respond, Ethan sighed and turned to Kaplan. "Since she refuses to negotiate, let's talk to someone else instead." He added, "Kaplan, can you hack into the Hive's control system entirely? We need to go down to the real person in charge."
"The real person in charge?"
The information was so unexpected that the group froze in confusion. Kaplan, however, was more direct. "What do you mean? Aren't we already on the bottom floor?"
Ethan shook his head, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Things are more complicated than they seem. The Hive has more secrets than you can imagine."
He stomped his foot on the ground, the dull sound echoing through the room. "The floor we're standing on right now? It's an elevator. Kaplan, I need you to hack into the Hive's control program and send us to the lower level."
Kaplan hesitated, glancing at James for approval. When James gave a firm nod, Kaplan finally agreed. "Alright, I'll give it a shot. If there really is an elevator program in the system, it shouldn't be too hard to activate."
Before Kaplan could get to work, however, a holographic image of a young girl appeared suddenly, projected from a hidden device. The familiar face of the Red Queen materialized in front of everyone.
"Who are you?" the AI asked, her voice calm yet tinged with suspicion. "I've scanned nearly every database available, but I can't find any personal information about you."
Ethan wasn't surprised by her sudden appearance, he had fully intended to provoke her into revealing herself. Whether the Red Queen had true self-awareness or was simply acting on preprogrammed logic, one thing was certain: she could not allow Ethan and the group to reach the deepest levels of the Hive.
Because that was where Umbrella's darkest secrets were buried, alongside the cryogenically preserved bodies of its executives.
When Ethan had first seen this twist in the movie, he'd been utterly shocked by the sheer absurdity of it. But now, standing here in this world, he felt an odd sense of relief. Without that plot device, he wouldn't have been able to draw out the Red Queen. His only option would have been to physically shut her down and rely on Kaplan to hack the elevator controls.
"This isn't about me," Ethan replied coolly. "You're here now, so why don't you explain to these people what's really happened in the Hive?"
The Red Queen ignored him outright, Ethan didn't have the authority to command her. Shrugging, Ethan turned to Alice, who had been standing quietly to the side like a forgotten extra in this unfolding drama. She hadn't made much of an impression so far, blending into the background like a mere observer.
"You're an Umbrella employee," Ethan reminded her. "Ask the Red Queen the questions you want answered."
Alice, though still disoriented, seemed to understand. Following Ethan's suggestion, she began to interact with the AI, and just like in the original events, the Red Queen complied. Through a series of holographic projections and recordings, the group was shown the events that had led to the Hive's current state.
The Red Queen concluded her explanation with a warning. "If you shut me down, it will release all of the infected individuals I've been containing."
Her tone was chilling, as if she already knew what the group intended to do. She had calculated their objective and had likely planned to eliminate them as soon as possible.
Unfortunately for her, Ethan's presence had thrown a wrench into her plans. She now found herself wondering whether Ethan's interference was deliberate sabotage or simply a chaotic accident.
"Sorry," James said after a pause. "This is our mission—we have to shut you down. But maybe there's a way to do it safely."
Ethan, who had been pondering this for some time, quickly jumped in. "There is. It's simple: the Red Queen can cooperate with us. She can release the infected in small groups, and we'll take them out one by one."
"The infected?" Jill asked, her tone uneasy.
"Zombies," Ethan clarified. "The Red Queen already said it, headshots are the way to kill them. As for the numbers, there were only a few hundred researchers in the Hive. That might sound like a lot, but if she releases them in manageable batches, it'll be no different from target practice for the mercenaries."
The most terrifying thing about zombies isn't just their numbers or how easily they infect others, it's the fear that comes from not understanding them. But in this situation, infection wasn't the biggest concern. Even if someone were bitten, Ethan still had the antivirus safely in his possession.
As for their numbers, that could be managed with the Red Queen's help. By opening one room at a time and releasing only two or three zombies, they could easily handle them in smaller, controlled groups. Even if a situation arose where there were more zombies—like inside an elevator—they could keep their distance and maintain a safe advantage.
Clearing out the zombies wasn't the hard part. The key was getting the Red Queen to cooperate.
"Wait," Alice suddenly interjected, her tone sharp. "I have another question… how exactly did the virus leak?"
She raised an important point. If there was a continuing source of contamination, shouldn't they eliminate that danger first?
The Red Queen, in response, displayed another set of images, shifting everyone's attention to Spence.
At that moment, Spence had moved to the edge of the group, clearly trying to avoid notice. When Alice's question brought the focus onto him, he immediately bolted, turning and sprinting toward the nearest exit. His memories had been jogged earlier, during the Red Queen's playback of the virus experiments, and he had realized just how bad the situation was for him. He'd been waiting for a chance to escape.
Unfortunately for him, Ethan had been keeping an eye on him. Before Spence could get more than a couple of steps away, something struck the back of his knee with precision, causing him to collapse. His legs gave out beneath him, and he fell forward, landing face-first on the ground with a sickening thud.
The sudden commotion caught everyone by surprise, but no one blamed Ethan for the action. In fact, the two mercenaries closest to Spence nodded at Ethan, their expressions a mix of gratitude and approval. They dragged the groaning Spence back to the group. Though the injury to his knee wasn't severe, the fall had knocked out several of his front teeth, leaving his face bloody and swollen.
No one expressed any sympathy. After seeing what Spence had done in the Red Queen's playback, they all believed he deserved worse.
"So… this guy's the reason for all of this?"
The group now had their culprit. Spence was the one responsible for the disaster that had overtaken the Hive. It seemed like the matter was resolved, the truth revealed, and the guilty party caught.
But Ethan sneered, shattering their sense of resolution. "The truth? This is just the version of the truth Umbrella wants you to believe…" He paused, reconsidering his words.
"No, actually, even that's not accurate. These so-called truths aren't even for you. According to Umbrella's plan, you're all already dead."
The Red Queen's gaze shifted to Ethan. "Who are you? You seem to know quite a lot."
Ethan smirked. "Of course. I know more than you'd expect. For example, I know you intended to kill us all with the laser grid in the main corridor."
All eyes turned to the Red Queen's holographic projection. Her silence spoke volumes, confirming Ethan's accusation. Instead of denying it, she only asked how he had figured it out.
This sealed her fate in the group's eyes. James immediately turned to Kaplan. "We should shut her down. She's completely unreliable."
But Ethan shook his head. "If you shut her down, it's not just the infected researchers you'll have to deal with. What about the lickers in Dining Hall B? How do you plan to take care of those?"
James faltered at the mention of the lickers. The Red Queen had already shown them data on those creatures—mutated horrors that were far more dangerous than ordinary zombies. While it wasn't impossible to kill them, their speed, strength, and ferocity made them a serious threat. James couldn't afford to lose his team in an unprepared fight.
"We should deal with the lickers first," he muttered reluctantly.
The dining hall wasn't far. If the Red Queen decided to release the lickers suddenly, the group wouldn't stand a chance.
"Red Queen," Ethan addressed her calmly, "you should have a way to kill the frozen lickers directly, right?"
The AI didn't respond. Ethan sighed and gestured to Alice. "Tell her to answer."
"Answer his question," Alice demanded, her tone firm.
"Yes, I can," the Red Queen replied immediately. Her compliance caught Ethan's attention. It seemed that deep within her programming, there were hardwired restrictions that compelled her to obey Alice's commands.
"Red Queen, kill all the lickers," Alice ordered.
The AI executed the command without hesitation, confirming Ethan's suspicion. The Red Queen's programming placed Alice in a position of authority, despite her seemingly low rank within Umbrella's hierarchy.
"Alice," Ethan said smoothly, "ask her to send us to the lower level."
At this point, even the others began to notice something strange. Alice was technically just a security officer, assigned to monitor the Hive's entrance. At best, she might be considered a mid-level manager. At worst, she was simply a glorified guard.
So why was the Hive's central AI, arguably one of Umbrella's most critical assets, so obedient to her?
James frowned, his mind racing as he replayed Ethan's earlier words: "That's just the truth Umbrella wants you to believe…" The situation was becoming more and more complicated.
He now faced a difficult decision. Should he stick to his mission, completing his contracted task and ignoring the bigger picture? Or should he dig deeper, risking everything to uncover the truth?
Before James could make up his mind, Ethan dropped another bombshell. "If you're hesitating, maybe you should let Alice take the lead. Let her confront the Red Queen 'personally.'"
But this time, the Red Queen didn't respond to Alice's command. Instead, her holographic image vanished entirely. Moments later, the door to the central control room remained sealed, but the door leading back to the Hive's main corridors creaked open on its own.
The group froze in confusion.
Only Ethan understood immediately. His expression darkened as he barked out a warning.
"Be careful! The Red Queen just released all the zombies!"
***
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