Umbrella Corporation

We made an appointment to head to Umbrella Corporation to discuss the vial of ‘stuff’ we’d been investigating.
 
The door was very unassuming, just looked like any side door on any street. If Rupert hadn’t given us explicit instruction on how to find them I never would have guessed this was the right door. It made sense though. Why advertise exactly where you’re located. Anyone who needs to know can be given instructions.
 
Once we were through the door we descended down a flight of stairs into a very bright, sterile, white room. In start contrast to the white sterile surroundings were the security guards who were heavily tooled up and dressed in head to toe black combat gear. It was spotlessly clean but they stood out. Maybe that was the point. I couldn’t tell exactly what they all were but I was leaning towards humanoid and robotic.
 
An Elven woman stood up from behind what I assumed was the reception desk. “Dr Zeigler I presume?” Ilyara nodded and the inclined her head, “Please follow me. Dr Ashford is expecting you” and with that she turned and sauntered down a corridor. She was so graceful and fluid I tried to analyse her gait to see if it was something I could replicate. I doubted it, that kind of easy graceful normally only came from years of practice.
 
She opened the door to what appeared to be a large office. The walls were glass and currently clear, although as soon as we were in the office and the door was shut the glass became opaque. Dr Ashford was sitting behind what was an ornate and clearly antique wooden desk, although it appeared it may have been retro-fitted with panels to accommodate the more modern technologies.
 
Dr Ashford didn’t stand to greet us and it quickly became apparent why. He was in a wheelchair. He gestured to two chairs opposite him and we sat down. Ilyara and Dr Ashford spent a few minutes finalising a contract and then she asked me to hand over the data we already had on the sample. I nodded and automatically transferred the data to Dr Ashford. He raised an eyebrow but said nothing. I also placed the vial on the desk and he placed it into a scanner.
 
For a few minutes he said nothing, just nodded a few times as the data from the scanner was displayed on the screens in front of him. “Well well, I see the same as you, Flesh, machine, plant and Animal components. He believes it’s a sample from “The Other” he knows that Gentec had a sample of this and so it’s entirely possible.
 
Ilyara wants to work with them on the sample, rather than just handing it over and he assures her that this will be possible, but in order to give her access she would need to be listed as Gentech staff, even if just as a consultant. He also asks her about the Necrophage virus. I saw his hand reach for a switch and then I don’t see or hear anything until a few minutes later. Everything looks and seems the same, except Professor Ashford who has a rather smug look on his face. I get that most people think I’m just a robot which is why they think it’s OK to just switch me off and on again but I have to admit, it’s really flipping annoying!
 
He also clearly does not want the samples going anywhere else and offers us 5 figures for both vials. Ilyara asks for 24 hours to consider our way forward and then we’ll let him know. He nods, and reassures us that he does take this seriously. “Our business is life itself” - Someone swallowed the brochure as that was the company slogan.
 
We are also informed that any recordings I may hold of our time inside the building will have to be handed over. They would prefer to do it with Ilyara’s permission but they have ways of doing it without.
 
I point out that it may not be as easy to remove the memories as they think. Ilyara lets them know that I am an AI inhabiting a body and he nods. “Perhaps you should meet my daughter, you two would have a lot to talk about” He pushes a button and off to the side of his desk a holographic projection of a young girl appears. She speaks to Ilyara, far more formally and politely than I would have expected of a child her age. As she is talking she deep scans me. I don’t do anything to stop her as clearly Ilyara trusts these people and I don’t want to appear hostile.
 
“The machine is a combat form, hidden compartments concealing weapons, a claw pistol if I’m not mistaken. The two bracelets, they contain nano-weapons. But she is no ordinary robot Her neural weave, even for an AI that’s not normal” Her face and voice were neutral, it gave away no hint of the emotion or thought that sat behind the words. I smiled “That, is because I am no normal robot Or AI” I smiled My name is Eliza. She smiled and placed her hand on her chest. ‘I am Charlotte Ashford” The Professor then told us the story of how she was created. When she was alive she had become gravely ill. When they knew that she would not survive much longer, the Professor scanned her brain and created the AI programme so she could live on and she now works at Umbrella.
 
She is very serious for such a young child and we do discuss that, even though she is an AI, she is also a child and deserves some time off and to learn to have fun and play. I can see her thinking about what I have said but I’m not sure if she will actually listen and take some time for fun.
 
She tells me that communications with her are a part of the package offered to Ilyara and we agree that, at some point I will come back so we can talk some more, there are very few others like us out there so nice to have someone to talk to who understands.
 
Charlotte walks us out of the building, as she walks she flickers as the programme transfers from one projector to the next. I do notice that the few people we encounter on the way out all smile at her and are careful not to walk through her projected image.
 
Although it bothers me that she is so serious and clearly carries a great deal of responsibility, it is also good to know that she is around people who will sill treat her with respect.
 
We say our goodbyes and head to the AV where we can discuss the offer in private and I can hopefully find out a little more about what happened when I was switched off for a while.