R
Literature
Remembering Steve “So, to understand this, you were forcefully kidnapped by the Umbrella Corporation, while you, Chris, were investigating Umbrella’s European branches and in turn, went to help your sister after being informed by a Mr. Leon Kennedy that she needed rescuing from Sheena Island that was supposedly was ran and operated by the Ashford family who are part of the Umbrella Corporation? Do I have that correct?” The interrogator asked looking up from his list of notes to gaze upon the Redfield siblings who were still dirty and battered from their ordeal three days prior from escaping the Antarctica base and managed to seek refuge on an US aircraft carrier. “Yes, sir. There is more to the story than what we can explain.” Chris stated, “There was another force that attacked the island as well as the Antarctica base, the attack force was conducted by a Albert Wesker. He was my former Captain of S.T.A.R.S. of Raccoon City. He faked his death and left Umbrella to work with another company.” He said nodding to the officer, “We can return to the island and prove to you what happened there, but I can’t with the Antarctica base as it has been destroy by self-destruct.” He looked over at his sister seeing her looking distant, still recovering from the ordeal she went through and the painful loss of Steve. She was already wanting to cry thinking about him, he sacrificed his life to save her, if he had survived what could they have done together? Would he be experimented on by people? Taking a breath, she could feel the burning sensation inside her nose and tickling in her eyes. Tears were starting to form against her will, streaming slowly down her cheeks in which the officer noticed since Claire had been mostly silent during the interrogation since Chris wanted to do all the talking. Claire was glad to have a brother like him, he wanted her a chance to get herself sorted from the nightmare. “Do you know the exact coordinates to this island?” The officer asked and Chris nodded, passing a piece of paper and pen, Chris wrote down the information so the ship admiral so they could investigate what happened and pass on the information to the President. “We will also investigate the documents you both have given us from these places.” He said closing his folder and looked at the two seeing them nodding. “We will summon you both once we have clearance.” The wait for clearance gave Claire a nervous sensation while they waited in another room, a few times she would glance over at Chris and attempted to speak only to calm herself down from bringing up a topic she knew he could become sensitive about. Clenching her fists, she took a breath and looked at him, “Chris, if we’re going back to Rockfort, there’s still a danger with the monsters.” “I know, Claire.” He said looking at her, even he knew he didn’t kill everything, and I have a feeling there are still BOWs out there as well. I’ll have to help fight them off unless they don’t trust us being armed.” He shook his head, “They’re going to be looking the harrier over as well, maybe figure out how the Ashford’s were able to get such jets for their bases without drawing attention. Umbrella’s connections are…frightening.” He felt Wesker wouldn’t be bothering returning since he took Steve’s body away to take apart and use for his evil plans. There was nothing they could do about it and it stung him remembering Claire’s crying, her gut-wrenching sobbing. She loved Steve more than anything, he was the only guy she was truly in love with. He knew of her romantic flings in college, but Steve held her, he didn’t know everything the two went through but it was enough to have his sister fall in love. “Chris, I want to go to Rockfort, I want to see if I can…find anything.” He nodded in understanding and rubbed Claire on the shoulder feeling her body relax slightly. “You can always cry, Claire, there is nothing wrong with it. When Mom and Dad died, I tried my hardest to be strong for you, but even I ended up crying for them. I did everything I could to be strong for you and make you a strong woman you are today.” Smiling to her, she looked at him with a smile, “We’re Redfield’s, we are a strong family.” While they were waiting, the siblings were given food and able to clean themselves up, Chris was able to mingle without issue with the Air Force men and Claire mostly kept to herself listening to them talking during the ride back to Rockfort Island. It took some time to reach the ruins of the smoldering island and Claire could see what was left of the Ashford Manor, smoke still rising into the sky being fueled by the nightmare memories smoldering away under the rubble. She swore she could still smell the manor, the dusty scents mixed with wood smoke and rotten flesh of the Bandersnatch she encountered. Hearing Chris play with his lighter, she remembered about the bats wondering if they were still flapping around the island and were infected. Mentally, Claire was reflecting on what she remembered of the layout of the compound. Her attention quickly fell onto an officer approaching them and was soon escorting them to a helicopter that would land on the island while three other helicopters had already gone ahead to land on the island and two more circling for threats they were advised about. The moment they touched down, Claire was feeling the rush of the island in his core, remembering the zombies, the BOWs, already she was dreading if the worm was still alive rummaging through the earth looking for prey. She had no idea Chris had taken care of that abomination. Was the man who needed the hemostatic medicine still alive? Moving away from Chris and the men, her eyes fell onto the ruins they landed nearby and was already trying to recall the place. She was certain they landed near what was left of the medical building where the Anatomist was with the torture chambers below. A thought crossed her mind if Steve was ever taken down there to be tortured. “We should be able to easily get to the headquarters from here unless the bridge has been destroyed.” Chris said pointing the way seeing the men nodding and were already moving with Claire following them briskly catching sounds of gunfire from the circling helicopters taking down any shambling zombie they saw. The heavy gates were still there, even in their ruined state. Casting her eyes to the broken spotlight she could still hear Steve’s voice ‘Wait, wait! Don’t shoot!’ Their first encounter that set their fates together. “I’ll never forget it, Steve.” She whispered drawing her brother’s attention to her curiously seeing her looking up at the ruined gun turret and spotlight. Clearly reminiscing what happened to her here. They had to wait while the Air Force teams were able to lay out support for the bridge as it was too unstable for any of them to cross on. “Claire, we can explore around till we can get over to the main complex, most of the infected have been taken care of already.” Patting her shoulder, she was nodding in understanding. Even with the map still on here, many of the places she could see were far too damaged for exploration, however she was able to go underground to the cell she woke up in upon arriving. Sadly, the man was long gone from his post, and she was able to use a flashlight to look over the scattered documents around the desk finding only a few notes on other prisoners that were on the island, including a Bob Michaels. “This might be the Bob I read about in the one journal.” She said softly setting it aside to take back to the airmen for their records, there was likely many missing people who were brought here against their will like she was. The rest of the documents weren’t of any use for her, she felt herself growing needy to find anything that was once Steve’s, even any documents pertaining his information. “I need to find his father’s body; Steve could have left something behind. There’s nothing left at the Antarctica base…Oh Steve, please let me find something… don’t let only have just memories.” Leaving the underground cells, she saw the helicopters lowering platforms to the bridge, for a moment she swore she heard movement in the graveyard she was in. Her eyes scanned over the rubble and tombstones it was beyond the fire she noticed a zombie hound tearing into likely a zombie corpse buried in the rubble. The hound wasn’t interested in anything else around it and she left the area quickly and informed of the zombie dog to a few of the men that would take care of it. “The bridge is finally ready for crossing.” One of the men said approaching Chris, “You will show us what we need to see and where you found the harrier.” Chris nodded and they headed across and up the damaged staircase. The facility was still the same as Chris remembered it and looked at Claire knowing she was going to be looking around. Claire here where she was going and slipped away from them, passing the gates and rubble to try getting to where Steve’s father was left behind. It took here a bit of figuring out how to get back to that room and she found his covered rotting body under bits of rubble. She remembered how Steve saved her from him, the truth about how Steve ended up here and about his father. “I should have comforted you more… you were alone like I was. Steve, I’m sorry…” Crouching down to Steve’s father’s body, she noticed there was a photo sticking out from under the cover. Collecting it carefully she saw it was a family photo and it was of Steve with his parents. “Oh, Steve.” Steve would have given his father the photo after Claire had left, she sighed rubbing her thumbs over the photo watching Steve with all her intent. It made her ache recalling him telling her how he and his father ended up here, her mind drifted to her and his escape from the island. “Steve has been a while, surely there are records still in this place… anything…” Putting the photo into a pocket, she headed back out to head to the doors into the office, the airmen were rummaging around when she arrived, looking through files that weren’t destroyed by the fires. Radio chatter was calm, and a few were talking how many zombies they had killed. Moving to the computers, she saw one was still working even with the damages, seeing one of the technicians working on it, she knew it was going to take some time before she could gain access unless she found another terminal. Recalling one at the main entrance, she left in a hurry and was seeing Chris with a few other men clearing rubble away on the staircase so they could get to the secretary office and Alfred’s. Seeing no one at the terminal, she hurried around and was glad to still have the employee ID with her. Picking up the chair from the floor, she took a seat and went to work on the terminal, she was able to observe files and went to work doing a search for Steve. There were many Steve’s on the island, inmates as well as employees, even one that was a USS agent that was recently trained her according to the files. However, she had to work on lessening the search and had to roughly guess Steve’s age. What came up was his photo the night he was imprisoned here. His hair was a mess, and he had a bruised eye and broken lip, his eyes holding sadness and anger. “Steve Burnside, 17 years old… I finally know your history Steve, on being here.” Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply feeling the pricking pains in her sinuses and eyes knowing she was going start sobbing again. Working her hands a few times she looked around for any printer only to be interrupted by a technician. “I take it you have found a way to unlock it, huh?” He asked and she hurried to nod while he moved around seeing Steve’s photo and information on the screen, “God, they kidnapped kids too? Sick bastards.” Setting his bag onto the counter, he looked at her, “I’ll need to work on this computer, you should regroup with someone, it’s still dangerous here.” “I will but…can you print this file off for me? I personally knew him; we escaped this place together before…” She started straining with her words and he understood that the youth was likely deceased. “I understand, all this information from the terminals will be collected and families informed of loved ones passing away.” He stated to her giving Claire a wonder if Steve had any family still alive out there. Cousins, aunts or uncles, maybe even grandparents she could talk to in order to learn more about her Steve. Hell, even his address so she could see his home. What were his hobbies? Where did he learn to fly? Outside, Claire sat on the stone steps looking at Steve’s family photo, “I’ll find your home, Steve Burnside, I’ll learn as much as I can about you and always carry you with me. Umbrella will pay for what they did to you, to us. I’ll never let you become a forgotten memory.” Hugging the photo against herself, she sighed, “I promise to always love you, Steve. One day, we’ll be together again.”
