Chapter 53 - The Digital Monster

The Digital Monster
"Remind me why we're following this guy..." asked Ellis.

"I know you're concerned, Ellis," answered Neo, "But we have no other leads."

"Also, this is really uncomfortable."

"I know. You've mentioned that several times too." Neo was soaring through the air, black trench coat flapping wildly. He was holding onto Ellis by the waist, dangling several thousand kilometres over the ground below. "Would you rather I carry you by the collar?"

"N-No. I need to breathe, y'know? And I don't want the shirt to rip. It's a good shirt. Did I tell you, Keith had-?"

"Yes, you've told me."

In the American dry plains below a large dust cloud was racing through the dirt, keeping up with Neo's speed.

"Can you see it?" inquired Ellis, looking ahead.

"Just buildings," replied Neo, "No Hakurei Barrier yet."

Up ahead were blocks of white and brown buildings with many air control towers similar in nature to an airport.

"Wait, I see it," reported Neo.

In the centre of the compound was a relatively low building covered in the multicoloured Hakurei Barrier. Neo quickly descended towards it.

"Ugh, I feel sick," groaned Ellis, his stomach feeling light. Neo landed on the ground with a slam, the tarmac rippling like water. Ellis fell to his knees in nausea as Albert Wesker walked up to them.

"This is it," motioned Wesker with a grin, "Area 51."

The Hakurei Barrier covered building was relatively lower than the other building around it. Even though there was a long aircraft runway running up to the building, there was no entrance of any kind. While, the name 'Area 51' strictly referred to the whole military base, it had gradually come to mean this single building by the Gensokyo Administration and The Anti-Humour Society.

"So..." began a bemused Ellis, standing back up, "What we here for?"

"Area 51 is where Reimu locked up everything she couldn't deal with," explained Wesker impatiently, "The undead."

"Yeah, I knew tha-"

"And that's my speciality," grinned Wesker, pushing his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose.

"But it's surrounded by the Hakurei Barrier," commented a confused Neo.

"Indeed, that's where you come in."

Neo glanced at the Barrier and then back at Wesker, "But I can't go through the Hakurei Barrier."

"But Skynet could. And so could the Director. Remember when the Hakurei Barrier and Sonic Barrier were erected this morning? Ever wonder how Skynet and the Director could control people on different sides of the border? They can pass through."

"Y'know," started Ellis, "It was mighty nice of Skynet to defend us from the Director with North High. Thought she was a homicidal tin can but, man, she proved me wrong. You sure it's Skynet?"

"Yes," answered Neo, "I can see her in the air around us." Neo essentially had a second form of sight that allowed him to see what the naked eye couldn't.

Wesker, who was not too happy with the change in topic, had his interest piqued, "You can see her? In the air?"

"Yes. It's odd. I should only be able to see programs like Skynet around computer systems but I can see her everywhere."

"That's worrying... If the Director can do the same thing."

"I can't see the Director anywhere."

"Really? Why not?"

"Ah," interjected Ellis, "Y'know, The AI Director is part of the Left 4 Dead game programming. It ain't the whole program so it ain't a program itself, you get what what I'm saying? By the way, you guys know Left 4 Dead, right? What am I saying, course y'do. Love your games too, Wesk, man."

Wesker's eyebrow twitched, "Regardless, the Director is code, Neo should be able to see him if he's present."

"I can only sense the Director when I'm close to someone who's infected by him," clarified Neo.

"By the way," interrupted Ellis again, "How come you two ain't infected? I'm a Carrier so I carry The Infection 'round but I'm immune to it."

"I'm infected by my own undead strain," replied Wesker, keen to know too.

Ellis and Wesker looked at Neo. "I'm honestly not sure," Neo added, "Perhaps it's because I can resist being overwritten, at least by programs?" There was an awkward silence.

"Fine," sighed Wesker, pushing up his glasses again, "Neo, just try to go through the Barrier."

"I heard that the only thing able to break through a Hakurei Barrier was the HMS Thunder Child," suggested Ellis.

"We don't have the Thunder Child," growled an annoyed Wesker. His attitude towards Ellis was not as accepting and tolerant compared as to Neo. There was a sudden boom in the distance coming from the down the runway, followed by loudening humming.

"What is that?" questioned Wesker as a dark dot appeared over the horizon.

"It looks like a ship," noted Neo.

"Naw," laughed Ellis, "You mean a spaceship."

"No, it's a seaship. And it's heading towards us."

"Err..." Ellis looked towards the dot, which was quickly getting bigger, "Shouldn't we be moving then?"

Ellis was suddenly pulled by the collar and into the air as the ship crashlanded on the end of the runway, sliding down the whole length of the path at a phenomenal speed before hitting the Area 51 hangar with terrifying force. The nose of the HMS Thunder Child crumbled inwards, the vessel folding in on itself to almost half its normal length, the Hakurei Barrier unaffected. As the deafening echo of the collision sounded throughout the entire military base, the ship fell onto its left side with a crash, falling partially off the runway.

"I can't breathe, Neo," groaned Ellis as Neo hovered in the air above the ship, holding Ellis by the collar, inadvertently tightening the hold round the neck.

"The Thunder Child didn't break the Barrier," noted Neo, landing on the relatively intact right side runway by the underside of the vessel next to Wesker who had dodged in this direction.

"What is the meaning of this?" murmured Wesker.

Seemingly in response, the side hatch of the Thunder Child, now pointing upwards, slammed open, a brown haired girl climbing out. Wesker, Neo and Ellis immediately drew their weapons on her, the Beretta 92F Custom 'Samurai Edge', a Heckler & Koch USP and a laser-sighted combat shotgun respectively. Ellis had the laser pointed at her chest. Rulia pulled herself up and stood up straight, her red eyes catching sight of the three armed men.

"Oh," noted Ellis, lowering his shotgun with relief, "She ain't infected."

"She's definitely infected," corrected Wesker, pushing up his glasses for a third time, keeping his gun steady, "I can smell it."

"She's infected," confirmed Neo, "I can see the Director's code."

"What?!" recoiled Ellis in surprised, quickly reaiming his shotgun at Rulia, "But her eyes ain't yellow."

"Who are you with?" called Wesker in a loud voice to Rulia.

Rulia did not respond immediately. "Independent," she responded, "You know The AI Director?"

"No Gensokyo loyalist ever mentioned the AI Director," whispered Ellis to the other two.

Rulia overheard as she jumped down from the ship, "How about Skynet and Yggdrasil?"

"Yggdrasil?" repeated Neo, "Isn't that the World Tree?"

"Yggdrasil controls North High. The Director, Yggdrasil and Skynet have been allies from the start."

"But they were fighting each other."

"To flush someone out," explained Rulia, "I'm not too sure of the details myself but I plan to fight back."

"So why are you here at Area 51?" asked Wesker, gun still raised.

Rulia looked to her left at the Hakurei Barrier, "To open Area 51."

Wesker smiled with amusement, "Then we might get on better than I thought." He holstered his Samurai Edge back under his trench coat.

Neo and Ellis slowly lowered their own weapons, not as convinced. "Do you know how to open Area 51?" Neo brought up.

"I can't do it by myself," Rulia answered, walking towards the Hakurei Barrier. The unbreakable adamantium metal could easily be seen underneath.

"Aww..." grinned Ellis, barely able to contain his excitement, "I always wanted to see what a zombie apocalypse would be like. I mean, I been in one but there were all sorts of rules that the Director has to follow. Like, did you know, the Director spawns more zombies if you and your Survivor mates stand still or wander away from each other or-"

"Be quiet, Ellis," interrupted Wesker angrily.

"No," overruled Rulia, a hand on the wall, listening intently, "Please continue."

"Err... Or you cause too much friendly fire on your pals," carried on Ellis, "Then he'll spawn more zombies to attack the offender. On the flip side, he rewards cooperation and teamwork. Also heard that the Director ramps up the challenge if he thinks you're doing too well by like placing a Witch in your way or something."

The sounds of clacking footsteps behind them caught their attention. All four turning round, they could see Reimu walking slowly down the runway towards them with a furious expression on her face. The three males immediately drew their weapons again on the incoming yellow-eyed shrine maiden.

"Where the heck did she come from?!" cried Ellis.

Rulia grit her teeth, "The only way this could get worse is if a member of the Black Squad was here." Someone immediately dropped from the sky right in front of Rulia, took her by the throat and slammed her against the Hakurei Barrier. Rulia coughed, "Black..." The new Black★Rock Shooter had her pinned, her blue flame flaring from her left eye. Her eyes were bright blue, indicating that she was not under the Director's control.

Neo changed his target to Black, "She's not infected or under Skynet's control. I can sense a third AI though."

"Why do you have control of Black, Yggdrasil?" growled Rulia, "She's human, isn't she?"

"A cat born in a doghouse is still a cat," Black frowned in apparent concern.

"Is that why you canonned out the first Black? So you could swell your own ranks? Do you hate the Director that much?"

"It had nothing to do with the Director."

"You don't seem to get along with Skynet either. Did Skynet not tell you anything?" Rulia noted.

"About what?"

Rulia did not answer, tapping the Hakurei Barrier behind her lightly with the Subtle Knife tip she was holding in her right hand. Reimu screamed out in pain, collapsing onto one knee and hand, her other hand clutching her heart. Rulia's own left eye was set set ablaze with blue fire, her colour scheme turning to one of black and white. With Black distracted by Reimu, she was unable to avoid the close range chains shooting from the adamantium layer. The chains pulled Black into the metal with a slam, triggering a fight between holders of Shooter powers. The ground quickly adopted a black and white checkerboard pattern, covering the adamantium. Rulia's left arm grew black roots, reforming a cannon. She fired at the checkerboard wall, the now ceramic material shattering instantly, creating a huge hole in the side of the building, revealing the second Hakurei Barrier underneath. As more chains took hold of Black, securing her tightly against the Barrier, Rulia looked towards Reimu.

Reimu was panting and sweating, slowly standing back up with difficulty. She met Rulia's eyes but did not do or say anything, completely ignoring Wesker, Neo and Ellis in front of her. Rulia slowly raised the Subtle Knife tip, watching for a reaction but Reimu continued to keep her ground.

Rulia turned her gaze towards a struggling chained-up Black. She had been wanting another holder of Shooter powers to arrive all along to open up Area 51 and her reverse psychology call had been answered. Skynet had apparently not told Yggdrasil about Rulia gaining Shooter powers of her own, or maybe she didn't know to start with.

Seeing that there was no threatening response, Rulia hit the second Barrier, breaking it, chaining Black to the metal wall, blasting the ceramic wall and hitting the next Barrier with the Knife, four more times in rapid succession.

Reimu did not have the time to cry out, her consciousness breaking immediately. She collapsed onto her knees before falling forward onto her front.

Rulia tumbled into the hangar bay of Area 51 with Black, the two of them tripping over a squishy object, only to land on it. The smell of rotting meat was sickening and stomach-wrenching. Despite having opened a significant hole in the side of the building, there was minimal light to see anything. The faint light from Rulia's eye flame revealed the floor to be covered in what appeared to be pinky-orangish spongy flesh.

Black, now free of chains, struggled to her knees. She coughed, feeling sick, her body tingling unnaturally. Her figure began to change shape, her clothes reforming into a black suit, her hair drastically shortening. Yggdrasil attempted to resist the transformation but was unable to.

"It is inevitable," stated a male voice, heard only by Yggdrasil and Black before they lost control.

Outside, Ellis stepped warily towards the fainted Reimu before he was grabbed by Neo.

"Don't be stupid," warned Neo, "She might be faking."

Unexpectedly, someone dropped from the sky at high speed and hit the ground ahead with a crash, diverting their attention. Haruhi stood up from her crouching position. At the same time, a turquoise beam shot down from the sky, Miku warping down next to Haruhi. Behind them, Remilia, completely intact, and Meiling flew down, an unfamiliar female in a black militaristic uniform sitting on Meiling's right shoulder. The stench from Area 51 was quickly spreading out.

"Who is that? Friend or foe?" whispered Ellis to the other two, covering his nose.

"She's creating a void in my Matrix sight. She has no programming occupying her body so she's not controlled by Skynet or Yggdrasil."

"She infected?" coughed Ellis, "Ugh, that's a mighty horrid stink..."

"I can't tell," answered Wesker, "Area 51 is clouding my sense of smell."

"Even if she is, she wouldn't be controlled by the Director," reminded Neo, "Since the Director is part of a program."

The unidentified female jumped off Meiling and gently pushed Miku and Haruhi aside to walk between them. Wesker immediately recognised the black and white circular logo on the girl's beret. "Do you have some affiliation with Naluri?"

"Former best friend. The name's Rokiahi," Rokiahi declared with a resolved expression, "Wouldn't have expected any less of a member of The Anti-Humour Society," complimenting Wesker's recognition. "But there is no time to talk, we need you deleted." Remilia advanced past Rokiahi with a bloodthirsty look on her face, Gungnir shining brightly in her hand.

Rulia, still on her stomach, could hear the squishes of footsteps from further in the building. She raised her head to see a person walking towards her, bright yellow light radiating from their eyes. She recognised the figure with horror as it neared, its red stained figure and features illuminated by the focused light.

"Why are you here?" Rulia lamented.

Sora, with crimson liquid flowing down her face and body, looked down at Rulia, the gleam from her eyes shining down. As she opened her jaw to speak, more light glared out of her mouth.

"Make us whole again."