RE Project:BURNSIDE CH.3-3

Chapter 3-3: The Beginning…


December 14th, 2009/ 12:23 P.M
Location- Bridge Of  B.S.A.A Naval Vessel: The USS Stars

"Man, This is…This is evil." A perfect statement by Billy. All of them scanned the Bridge area from the top step to spot out various skinless corpses slouched over control panels and other machinery, some were even lifelessly hanging from the ceiling by the skin of their's backs. The scene was pure hell, but the sunrays flashing through the windows held the scene back.

"My god…" The former mercenary said under his breath. Carlos blessed not only him, but for the innocent victims with drawing the cross over himself. "Wesker...what kind of monster is this guy?"

"A monster, period." Came in Chris as he took the lead. "Alright, everyone, listen up. The ship is pretty big so we'll be separating to shorten our search for Ada and Wesker. Rebecca, Billy…search the lower section of this area." The two nodded.

"Got it." Billy confirmed.

"Roger that, Chris." Agreed Rebecca, and the two begun their trek down the stairs. Chris went on directing orders.

"Carlos?"

"Hmm?"

"I need you to follow Billy and Rebecca, but observe the western end once you get down there, alright?" Chris ended stoically.

This caught Carlos off-guard. He didn't think he would be going alone, but orders were orders, as much as he wanted to be with Jill.

Carlos could see Jill was feeling the same for him right now. Her closed eyes, and the wrapping of her stomach with her own arms gave it all away, desperately wanting to object to whatever plan that did not have her along side of Carlos, but as Carlos thought. Orders were orders.

"But why? Shouldn't I go-

"Carlos, just do as I say!" Talk back to Chris Redfield during a mission, and it resulted in that.  

Truthfully, everyone else sided with Carlos in this situation since the news of Jill being pregnant broke out, but none of them could say a thing, so they did the only thing they could do, and that is look on.

Billy stopped midway on the stairs to gaze back up at the scene, Rebecca did the same. "I wonder how this one is going to end up?" Said Billy, while he rubbed his chin, and remembered the encounter between Chris and Leon. Rebecca only sighed.

Leon crossed his arms and leaned back into a nearby wall in his usual stance. His azure eyes going from Chris then returning back to Carlos between the second of exchanging they're words. Being in this position so many times himself with Chris made Leon wonder how Carlos will respond.
To Leon, a punch from Carlos would suit Chris just fine.


Steve and Claire stood a distance away, just a bit behind Carlos. As much as Claire wanted to defend Carlos, she was just as much to expect a 'Stay Out Of This' speech from her older brother. Steve grasped this chance to see if Chris was always this way during missions, and he'll have to make a note to himself to ask Claire later.

Sheva's hues had an apologetic feel to them as Carlos looked to her for some help since her rank surpassed his, but she refused with a turn of her head.

Carlos then turned to Jill, and again…he could only see her visor, and not those blue eyes.

Not one person defended him.

"Hey, it's your call…captain. " Carlos spoke nonchalantly after a defeating sigh. He gripped his Assault Rifle and supported it against his right shoulder as he headed down the stairs, passing right between Rebecca and Billy, and not having knowledge that Jill was watching him on the way down the entire time.

"Steve and Claire. I want you two to inspect the eastern end. The Admiral's Cabin should be located there."  Steve went ahead after a slight nod, but Chris's younger sister didn't bother to acknowledge him, but Claire also didn't hold back from brushing past Chris in frustration, muttering an expletive in doing so.

Obviously, there was pressure in the air, with all blame going to Chris's change of attitude. Having every pair of eyes burn into you was never a good feeling, especially if those eyes belonged to dear friends, but Chris had faith in Carlos to send him alone, even if everyone else thought differently.

"Leon, Jill and Sheva. Let's start checking out the upper area of this Bridge." Chris ordered and lead the way.



Meanwhile, at the lower area, Rebecca covered her mouth and nose, protecting herself from the foul stench while making her way to the lower section of the Bridge, where she noticed more skinless victims . "I heard stories of Wesker…" At this point, Rebecca removed her hands away from the lower part of her face. "But I never heard of anything like this." The sight was getting to her, so was the unbearable smell, but with a firm grip on her right shoulder from a composed Billy, she regained her poise.

"Can't keep your guard up by protecting your nose, Rebecca. Adjust to the atmosphere, alright?"

"Y-Yeah. Let's continue on." She paced ahead with careful steps, gripping her Grenade Launcher tightly. Billy was right behind her, ready with his Shotgun.




Checking the eastern end of the area were Claire and Steve, observing every corner. A flight of stairs connected to the room labeled 'Admiral's Cabin', and it was no surprised that it turned out to be locked.

"Nothing." Claire said softly.

Steve tried once more at opening the door, but no good, as it wouldn't even budge. "Yeah. Let's head back down to the others. This place already freaks me out more than Rock Fort Island." Claire nodded to his offer, in no rush to join her brother and everybody else. Steve felt the same.


Reaching the lower floor, they met up with Carlos between a row of computers on the western end. Most of the computers here were broken and smashed into, and that was one difference to the other control stations. "How is it over here, Carlos?" Claire asked, as she and Steve looked over the shoulder of a kneeling Carlos and saw for themselves on why he didn't answer back.

A key with a tag connected to it. It read 'Admiral's Cabin'. "Steve and I just checked that room."

Claire knelt and took the key into her right hand, and that little movement provided Carlos to catch the shiny object around her finger.

"Let's go check out the cabin. Come on, Steve." Claire headed on her way, and Steve shifted to go along with her, but Carlos' hand came upon his right shoulder. Steve presented an awkward look, with his left eyebrow raised.

"What is it, Carlos?

"What is it? The ring around Claire's finger. I thought you decided on waiting when the two of you get back." Steve lowered his head, his red bangs keeping his eyes out of view.

"I didn't want to wait any longer. I know there is still a chance any of us can die during this whole thing, but I wanted her to be mine, in life and death." Steve lifted his head, he saw Carlos with a soft smile.

"I know it's something not to ask since we're surrounded by deceased bodies, but, what was her answer?" Steve chuckled, shaking his head as he did.

"Claire said yes. I gotta get back to her. Watch your back, Carlos." Burnside advised seriously.

Carlos watched him head off up the stairs, and from here he could make out Claire and Steve talking.

"They look great together." Carlos quietly thought to himself "Jill was right. I can trust him."

"Hey, Carlos. What's up." Billy let Carlos know of his and Rebecca's presence. The two were arriving down metal stairs from behind him.

"Nothing. Found a key, but Claire and Steve knew what to do with it. How bout' you and Rebecca?" Rebecca shook her head, Billy sighed, running his hand through his hair.

"Only a door that look like it leads to the Living Quarters." Said the soft voice of Rebecca Chambers. "It's open, Billy and I have decided to take a look, want to join us?"

Oliveira quickly declined with waving his hands in front of him. "Thanks, but no thanks. Somebody has to watch our escape route, and that is making it back to our helicopter."

"C'mon, Carlos." Carlos gently laughed at Billy's persistence for him to come along. "Are you really just gonna stand here and do some guard duty? You're better than that."

"I appreciate that Billy, I do. But you and Rebecca go ahead. It might be guard duty, but that's where we people like me and you started. I wouldn't mind doing some of the things I've forgotten through the years."

After hearing that, Billy had to joke with the former mercenary. "And what are those things? Carrying a flashlight for a gun?" Carlos once again laughed, so did Rebecca.

"Hey, if it comes to that, why not?" Hearing Carlos reply had given Billy the mind set of not being able to convince Carlos. Rebecca stepped between them, crossing her arms over her waist.

"It's settled then. Billy and I will go search the Living Quarters. Be careful, Carlos." The man of latin background presented his usual thumbs up before watching Billy and Rebecca head back up the stairs.

About every exit had now been taken up. Billy and Rebecca with the Living Quarters, Steve and Claire over at the Admiral's Cabin, and the rest at the upper section.  

A grunt came from Carlos for the lack of action even though it always meant a good sign ahead. But something to his left caught his eye. "What's that?"

It was the helm of the ship, swaying right and left, just gradually. Sitting atop the station were black shades.

Carlos approached it and immediately gripped the wheel to stop the motion, then examined the shades. "Weird. I wonder who's these belong to- huh?" A clicking sound could be heard right underneath him, and moment he was about to look down, the floor opened, sending Carlos yelling down a long chute. "What the hell?!?!"

The chute sealed closed right after.




"Did you hear that? Sounded like someone yelling." Billy asked Rebecca the moment they stepped in the Living Quarters.

It contained several beds, the room gave off a resemblance to army barracks. Billy was not surprised of the complex, since he himself was part of the Navy as a Marine. But Rebecca continued on, having eyes of interest as she examined every blood covered bed, leftover food and bottles.

She grunted before turning around and answering him.

"Is it really that, Billy? Or are you just trying to scare me? We should be worrying about this…take a look." Rebecca said while motioning her flashlight to spot the rows of beds drenched in blood.

Billy put aside the yell he heard earlier and took the front, aiming his shotgun at whatever will try to harm them.

Rebecca provided the light from behind with her flashlight as they traveled deeper into the quarters. Another room entered, the same decoration to it. Blood, the awful stench, and remains of three dead BSAA marines.

One was laying lifelessly on one of the top bunk beds with his left arm dangling left to the right, and the other two were lined out in front of them across the ground.  

"Only three bodies here. There should be tons more." Billy said, resting the shotgun to his right side. "There's a manhole leading down over there. Shall we go further in, Princess? Or is her majesty, how should I put this, frightened?"

Rebecca took this as a challenge to her courage. She did leave this kind of work behind to help others, and Rebecca knew deep down herself she hadn't lost her edge in these situations.

She presented her smirk that Billy loved so much, and shoved the flashlight into his chest, surprising him at best. "Watch me." Speaking out in confidence, Rebecca raised her Grenade Launcher, and loaded it with Acid Rounds.

Having taken the lead role, Rebecca climbed down the manhole access and landed with ease when skipping the last few steps on the way down. Billy did the same, catching up with her down another corridor, but seeing her frozen, with the Grenade Launcher shaking in her arms and taking trembling steps backwards, gave him the thought of her being scared from the very beginning.

But what her eyes were watching would make anyone petrified.

"I knew it. Looks like you're afraid after-

"B-Billy?"

"What? What is it?" Billy asked, his  Rebecca backed up as far as pressing into Billy's chest. She raised her right arm and pointed down into the dark hall.

Billy saw nothing, but at the raising of the flashlight, it soon became known of the reason behind Rebecca's feared state. The light shone, and the brightness lit up the hall to unveil the entire corridor infested with…leeches, also a humanoid leech that spotted the duo. It began to pursue in those eerie steps it would always take. A creature developed by the sole creator of the G-Virus, Dr. James Marcus.

"Rebecca, run!!" Billy didn't have to tell Rebecca twice, both of them turned and jetted back up the manhole access, but Rebecca lost her footing on one step and fell all the way back to where she started, her ankle twisting awkwardly. "Billy, Help! M-My ankle!" She cried out.

Once up, Billy gazed down at Rebecca, who was holding her left ankle to ease the sprain. "Rebecca! Hold him off! I'm coming!" Billy yelled out. He was about to shift his body to climb back down, but several moans sounded out behind him.

Billy peaked over his left shoulder to see the three dead bodies from before, begin to come back alive. The one atop the bed fell down onto the floor and started to wobble back onto it's feet, and the other two on the floor, gasped when awaking and crawling towards Billy. "Shit! Why am I not surprised!?"

Coen unleashed his first shotgun round into the head of the only zombie walking, exploding it's head into pieces. That left the two zombies crawling on the ground, which Coen easily finished off with one round to each head.

As she could hear the blasts from Billy's shotgun above her, Rebecca steadied herself onto her good leg, and fired one acid round into the chest of the walking humanoid leech. It was briefly sent back before pursuing her again. She sent another round that landed in the stomach area, if there ever was one to begin with, but it worked all in all. The monster crumbled, then boiled up before evaporating.

Rebecca wiped her perspiring forehead with the right sleeve of her shirt. Her partner Billy landed right behind her. He looked down the hall and found nothing. "You killed it? Are you alright?" He asked while looking over her left ankle. She flinched away at the contact of his hands. "It's okay, Rebecca. I'm just going to take a look."

"I-I think it's broken…" Rebecca added. She bit her lower lip during the time Billy was removing her left boot. His fingers traced delicately around the swollen area of her ankle.

She was doctor herself, but all her knowledge couldn't tell her if it was broken or just sprained by just the extent of the pain, but Billy had to take advantage of this particular moment. "It looks bad…"

"It's broken, isn't it?" She bent her head down, already wounded within minutes of the mission. She let herself down, but most of all, she let Billy down.

"No, it's not broken. But the problem is your foot stinks." And just like that, Rebecca shoved that very same wounded foot into his chest, knocking him onto his back, chuckling at her.

"Damn you, Billy!!" She snatched her boot and slipped it back on, the pain already fading away. It was an weird way to do it, but Billy succeeded in moving her mind away from the pain. Just a little joke could work wonders. "Now…" Rebecca said as she cleared her throat, with her chin raised high. "Let's go report everything to Chris. Especially…the leeches." She turned for the manhole access, but Billy had to perform one more joke as he climbed right below her on the ladder.

"Report everything? Even your smelly left foot?" Agitated once again, Rebecca kicked Billy from under her, launching him to fall all the way back down, just as she fell earlier.



Claire unlocked the door and discarded the key afterwards by tossing it to a nearby computer station. Steve nodded, giving her the go ahead to open the door.

Burnside drew his pair of Sub-Machine Guns, aiming them in his favorite style of crossing his arms. He rushed inside the small room, with Claire right behind him with her Bow Gun armed with explosive arrows.

Nothing was found inside the room. Only for a bed covered with blood, a desk with several scattered notes, and a extravagant large old jukebox placed to the north side of the room.

Claire searched through several cabinets, finding nothing in her process. She sighed and wiped some of her fiery red hair from her eyes. "Again, nothing."

Steve holstered his machine guns, he then walked to the desk to take a look at the reports, Claire joined him and grabbed a few other notes. But what they read consisted of nothing but old traveling escorts. "Let's head back to my brother and see if he found anything." Claire offered her idea while she slid her Bow Gun into it's sheath behind her back.

"Amen to that." Steve agreed along with Claire. They were on their way out when all of a sudden, a melody began to play from the jukebox, a melody the two were very familiar with, which was followed by a singing female voice they've hoped to leave behind…forever.

"There was a friendly, but naïve King who wed a very nasty queen. The King was loved, but the Queen was feared." During this pause in the song, Steve and Claire looked towards one another in disbelief.

"It…can't be." Claire hoped her own words were correct, but no good as the song continued.

"Till one day strolling in his court, an arrow pierced the kind King's heart. He lost his life and his lady love." The song concluded, and the jukebox began to shut down. When it did, the jukebox slid to the side, revealing a door that already had three familiar emblems placed in various sockets. The Army, Navy and Air Force emblems.

"Claire, it's starting to feel like Rock Fort Island all over again. First the song…and now the emblems." Steve approached the door, his gloved hand carefully tracing over the door.

"Did…my brother build this ship? How the hell does he know about this when I only told him of you?!" Steve turned and saw Claire steaming. Her hands were balled up into fist, and Steve could see the blood rise to her knuckles. He calmly stood in front of her, laying his hands on her shoulders, gaining Claire to life her head up and look into Steve's reassuring green eyes.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Claire. Maybe the Admiral was a fan of Alexia, we don't know. Don't jump to conclusions when it involves your brother. I'm sure he'll be able to explain everything." Just then, Claire raised both of her hands and placed them atop of his that were still resting over her shoulders.

"You're right, but-

"How about you and I go take a look inside? It wouldn't hurt to take a peek, would it?" Steve suggested his idea, and a smile graced Claire's soft pink lips.

"No, it won't. Honestly, Chris can complain all he wants. I want to see what this is about."

"Oh yeah! Then let's go!" Steve displayed his old brash behavior and rushed into the hidden door in the midst of gripping his Sub-Machine Guns, Claire's smile stretched till she laughed softly.

"He'll never change…and I hope he never does…" She thought while opening the door.

It was a small one way passage leading straight ahead with another familiar scene from Rock Fort Island. A door containing Golden Lugers. "I'm starting to doubt my own words, Claire. This is all too suspicious to build something…something so accurate." Steve gave in to Claire's worries.

"If everything is the way it should be, then pass this door should be…-

"Alexia's and Alfred's bedrooms…" Steve finished Claire's assumption, and he also developed an disturbing feeling about this whole place. "Well, only one way to find out."

Then abruptly, the door creaked open on it's own, and the pair raised their weapons high, but nothing was seen except their fears coming true over and over again. The corridor that laid before them was the exact replica of that leading to the Ashford Twins' bedrooms. A path splitting right to Alexia's, and a path to the left leading into Alfred's.

Steve didn't want this, the potential of them separating into different paths, but the option was still there to go together. "Should we separate?" He asked, and turned behind him to face Claire, but before having a chance to answer, the ceiling above them began to crumble by several hard strikes to it.

"Something is up there!" Claire prepared her aim with her Bow Gun, as did Steve while taking the forward position in the corridor. They waited, with weapons held tightly, but the pounding ceased.

"I guess…it's gone, whatever it was." Steve lightly said, dropping his Sub- Machine Guns to his sides, that act caused Steve to be vulnerable to the Bandersnatch crashing through the ceiling. A elevated yellow fiend with a single extensive muscular arm.

The well-known creature to Steve and Claire, shot it's arm out in Steve's direction, who attempted to bring out his new-found powers to burn the monster alive, but nothing occurred.

Steve looked down at his hands. "W-What's going on?"

"Steve, watch out!" Steve heard Claire cry out his name, and was soon tackled by her. Thanks to Claire's action, they were quick enough to dodge the attack. The monster growled out it's annoyance to deal with the perfect pair of fighters, but Claire set herself back up on her right knee, guarding Steve while aiming her Bow Gun.

She let loose not one, not two, but three explosive arrows into the monster's chest, causing it to fall lifelessly onto the floor.

Claire released a sigh of relief and quickly shifted her concentration to Steve. "Are you okay?" He didn't answer, or refused to, Claire couldn't tell. But his face showed disappointment. She tried to assist him up with offering her hand, but he stood up without taking it.

"I-I'm fine…" His mind still wandering for the reason behind his abilities not reacting, and most of all, the embarrassment of failing to protect Claire.

"You're not hurt, are you?" Claire gently gripped his right wrist, only to have Steve pull his arm away from her.

"I just told you I'm fine!" His green eyes briefly brimmed red. Claire lightly gasped, raising a hand to her chest to calm her heart from beating out of her.

Steve came down back to earth, his eyes returning to their original color when frightening Claire. It was something he hadn't done since turning into a monster right in front of her, and attacking her in the Antarctic Base. He could still feel the cold grip of the axe he held that moment through the way her eyes express themselves in this moment. Wanting to help him so much, but couldn't."

"I'm…I'm sorry, Claire. We should get back to your brother. Let's leave this place for later and give him…the details." Soon following his words, Steve Burnside quietly walked out and headed back towards the Bridge Area.

Claire Redfield merely looked on, her eyes displaying much sadness.

"Steve…"




Over at the top of Bridge were Chris, Jill, Leon and Sheva checking out the Captain's chair and controls. It was no different from below.

They discovered the Captain's deceased body sprawled over his control station, his left hand holding a notepad labeled 'Admiral's Log', and his right hand barely gripping a blue keycard.

Chris was well aware of who the Admiral of this ship was, a good friend and companion. So it was only fitting that it was himself who picked up his body and carefully moved it onto the metal floor, laying the Admiral in a more peaceful way.

Jill and Sheva watched every action Chris performed, but most importantly, the women caught the sadness in his eyes that soon lit with anger and revenge. As they looked on, Leon was already underway typing into the vessel's mainframe. "Nothing. The database is gone. Damn!" The agent slammed both hands atop the control panels, getting Jill's attention as he did. "Keep your cool, Leon. Ada is here, there's no way she can get off this ship."

No database meant no maps, and no maps meant this would makes things more difficult than planned for. "No need to worry about the database, Leon." Chris spoke with his back still to them while on one knee, continuing to look over his friend's dead body.

Sheva kneeled beside Chris, wondering if she should look his way or try to comfort him. She did neither, but her brown eyes picked up the blood stained keycard in Chris's right hand. "Are we…going now, Chris?" He shut his eyes, nodding his head right after.

"Yeah, but first I want to take a look at his journal, Sheva. There has to be something about what exactly happened here. Wesker is capable of all this, but it's just not his nature to showcase his work like this. All he cares about killing people who get in his way, it doesn't matter how he does it. That's what matters to him." Sheva didn't decline. Chris then looked over his right shoulder to Jill and Leon, both on their way towards him.

Chris pried the Admiral's log from the owner's cold dead grip. He flipped through several pages, passing through the past dates and logs, until finally reaching today's date. The BSAA captain gave a deep breath before reading…

December 14th 2009/ 8:43 A.M

"Today is my first day as Admiral of Captain Redfield's favorite ship. The USS Stars. He named the ship in tribute to his fallen comrades of the once, actually STILL famous S.T.A.R.S. team. The ship is known for it's size, and I see why, this ship is huge. Actually, some new members, such as I, have gotten lost at times, but no harm happened.

Captain Redfield notified me of this promotion to Admiral, and I still can't believe he gave me command of this vessel at such a young age. I'm younger than him actually, and for him to have that much confidence in me, gave me the feeling to take on anything. The world is right…Chris Redfield is a hero."

The reading stopped. Chris lifted the next paper, but had yet to turn it. Guilt filled his heart, he screamed inside his mind of why giving 'the kid' , as Chris called him sometimes, such a high position. He deserved the job, no doubt about that. Chris saw him as one of the most young promising BSAA agents, but now Wesker took that all away.

He bent his head down, struggling to know he will have to explain to his father and mother of his death, and it wasn't only him, but every member on this ship. Left skinless and massacred. "Chris, are you okay?" The tender voice of Sheva's sent a serene feeling through him, bringing Chris back from the things he should worry about once they were done here.

"Yeah. I'm alright. I'll continue reading…" Chris had at last flipped the page.


December 14th 2009/ 8:56 A.M.

"Well, it's my first day so I shouldn't expect any surprises, right? I WISH! This freak wearing a mask carried this asian woman in his arms, demanding that-

"It's her! It has to be! " Leon interrupted, much to the disappointment of the other three.

"I told you she'll be here, Leon. But let Chris continue." Jill received a firm nod from Leon.

Chris cleared his throat and returned back to reading.

Demanding that both of them be let on the ship. It made no sense to tell you the truth. I felt terrible for the woman being carried about by a man wearing a mask, I mean who wouldn't? Anyway, I did something that might get me in trouble from my superiors, and that is…letting them both on the ship, regardless of my personal suspicions."


December 14th 2009/ 9:05 A.M.

"I just sounded the horn not too long ago. We're now beginning to depart…with the masked man and that asian woman. I try so hard to stray my mind away from those two so that I can enjoy my first day out on the sea, but I can't shake off the feeling of…something bad is going to happen…"


December 14th 2009/ 10:45 A.M

"What a crazy asshole!! One of the officers in the Sick Bay bit me right on my damn arm! God, this bite hurts!! I have trouble writing because of this wound. Forget my complaining. It just a regular normal bite anyway, no big deal. The wound is the last thing on my mind, right now all I can think of is the disappearance of the two we let onboard earlier. Nobody has seen the pair ever since we left the BSAA Headquarters. Ah, damn! The wound is starting to burn!! I'm gonna head back to the Sick Bay and have this bite checked out, after I have that done…I'm going to search for that masked man."

December 14th 2009/ 11:12 A.M

"I-I-I killed…heheh…I killed...about t-twenty of those…T-THINGS!! HAHAHA!! I must be losing my freakin mind hahah!! I shot one of them about fifteen times, spending a whole clip, but it wouldn't go down! HAHAHAH!! I can't believe- wait wait…I hear them…they're right outside my cabin. The moans…the pounding against the door. They're coming to eat me, just like they ate the entire crew."


December 14th 2009/ 11:15 A.M

"All this…is that man's fault, but I'm entirely to blame. I was the one to let him onboard. I went passed crazy…and now crave for death. All I have is this journal, keycard and one more bullet left in my trusty Desert Eagle. I know we as humans are not supposed to take our own life, but…please, may god forgive me. Chris, I'm sorry…I failed you.

There was one more paragraph to be read before all the other blank pages, but that paragraph remained covered by blood. Chris closed the journal. "No, I'm the one who's sorry. Rest well."