At the end of the passage were dozens of neatly arranged ventilation ducts, each less than a person's height.
According to the holographic projection of the Hive displayed on Wang Ye's wristwatch, all these channels were riddled with hidden traps and secret doors.
Beside the ventilation ducts, a concealed elevator was revealed—a direct path down into the trap zone.
Psshh—
The sound of an airtight door opening echoed as Ham unlocked the elevator.
Renne led the team into the elevator, with Wang Ye and Alice following closely behind.
Inside, rows of glass cages lined the walls. Some were empty, while others held unfortunate souls who had been trapped inside, now turned into mindless zombies.
The group moved carefully through several rooms, each filled with grisly traps. Blood soaked the floors, and severed limbs were scattered everywhere—a testament to the horrors that had taken place.
Following Ham's route displayed on the holographic map, they eventually reached a chamber that resembled a slaughterhouse.
But this was no ordinary slaughterhouse.
The victims here were humans.
Corpses were sprawled across bloodstained tables, while incomplete bodies hung grotesquely from hooks. Bloodied knives, axes, and meat saws lay discarded, bits of flesh still clinging to them.
The scene was nothing short of hell on earth.
"Captain, if we continue along this path, we will reach the target location in seven minutes," reported Ham.
Wang Ye nodded silently, his face emotionless, but his eyes betrayed the rage simmering beneath the surface.
In the Lower Control Room
Wesker stared at Ham's projection, his expression tense and grim.
Never in his wildest nightmares could he have imagined that the Red Queen—the world's most advanced AI—could be hacked and forced offline.
"Who are you people? Why have I never heard of such a powerful force in the world?"
Ham's projection gave a theatrical bow, his gentlemanly demeanor tinged with mockery.
"Since you've asked, I shall graciously enlighten you... Ahem—
Actually, you should be more concerned with how you'll explain this to your superiors."
Before Wesker could respond, a hibernation pod hissed open. From within stepped a middle-aged man dressed in a tailored black suit, his slicked-back hair a mirror image of Wesker's own.
This man was Dr. Isaacs, co-owner of the Umbrella Corporation and the mastermind behind the bioweapon crisis.
"Wesker," Isaacs said coldly, his piercing gaze settling on the visibly flustered man, "are you waking me because the extermination plan has been successfully executed?"
Back in the Upper Levels
Wang Ye, Alice, and the team had left the slaughterhouse behind, now navigating a narrow hallway barely 1.2 meters wide.
The walls on either side were coated in a thick layer of dust, the result of years of neglect.
As they approached the passage, Alice raised a hand to stop Renne, who was about to step forward. Her eyes narrowed with suspicion as she scanned the corridor.
"Renne, wipe away some of the dust on the wall," she instructed.
Renne glanced at Wang Ye, who nodded in agreement. Without hesitation, she walked over to the edge of the hallway and wiped away the dust.
Beneath the grime, glass panels became visible, with rows of white light strips glowing faintly behind them.
"Ye, this passage is extremely dangerous!" Alice exclaimed.
She recognized the design immediately—it was the infamous laser corridor, the same one that had wiped out an entire team of Umbrella mercenaries in the past.
"If it's that dangerous, then Renne—"
Before Wang Ye could finish his sentence, Renne had already raised her weapon and fired at the laser control panel marked on Ham's map.
"—destroy the control panel!" Wang Ye finished belatedly, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead.
Bang!
The control panel exploded in a shower of sparks, and the corridor's lights flickered before dimming entirely.
Wang Ye let out a long sigh, shaking his head with a wry smile. Renne, ever proactive, never waited for orders to be fully given.
"Well done. Now, let's pick up the pace!" he said, motioning for the group to move forward.
Back in the Control Room
Dr. Isaacs sat stiffly on the sofa, his icy glare fixed on Wesker, who stood before him like a chastened schoolboy.
"Are you telling me the extermination plan has failed before it even truly began?" Isaacs growled. "Not only that, but several bases have been destroyed, and now the headquarters' AI—the Red Queen—has been hacked and taken offline?
You're truly remarkable, Wesker. Why didn't you just die with the plan?"
Wesker's face twitched as veins bulged on his forehead. Cold sweat trickled down his temples as he glanced nervously at Ham's silent projection.
"Doctor, the mission failed entirely because of these unexpected intruders. Their strength is overwhelming, and our bioweapons are utterly ineffective against them!" Wesker explained, his voice trembling slightly.
He pointed at Ham's projection, as though hoping to shift Isaacs' wrath onto the AI.
Isaacs' scowl deepened.
The Red Queen's Control Room
Wang Ye, Alice, and their team safely navigated the deactivated laser corridor, finally arriving at the Red Queen's control room.
Here, they could access the Hive's systems and take control of the entire base.
Standing in the familiar room, Alice felt a wave of emotion wash over her. Memories of past traumas resurfaced—her helplessness as the Red Queen had slaughtered her team, the start of the T-virus nightmare—but she quickly pushed them aside.
Walking to the central computer, Alice activated the projection device, causing a holographic map of the Hive to expand into the air.
From an overhead perspective, the Hive's structure resembled an inverted pyramid, each layer growing smaller as it descended.
Beneath the Hive's lowest level lay their destination—the location of the virus antidote.
"The antidote is directly beneath us. Renne, you'll come with us. The rest of you, stay here and be on standby," Wang Ye instructed.
At his signal, Ham activated the elevator platform.
The floor beneath them shifted, detaching from the surrounding walls and beginning to descend like an industrial lift.
As the platform moved downward, a starkly different scene unfolded before them—a landscape unlike anything they had seen in the upper Hive.
(To be continued...)
Want to read the chapters in Advance? Join my Patreon
https://patreon.com/Glimmer09