Resident Evil_ Extinction - Keith R. A. DeCandido [47]
The chief of staff stepped in quickly. “Mr. Hoyt, we asked for a meeting with all of Umbrella’s experts on this virus. We were told you had a team working on this, and we were supposed to meet with all of them.”
“I’m sorry, but Dr. Love was all we could spare.” Hoyt walked to stand between the two couches and the president. Love lagged behind.
“Love?” The president snorted. “You actually brought someone named Dr. Love?”
The doctor stepped forward. “Actually, Mr. President, it’s my married name. I was born Emily Johannsen.”
Moving his gaze from Hoyt to Love, the president asked, “Very well, then, Dr. Johannsen or Dr. Love or Dr. Feelgood or whatever your name is—what the fuck is happening to my country?”
Hoyt started. “We’re working to contain—”
“I didn’t ask you, Mr. Hoyt. See, when I ask you, I get bullshit. The reason I wanted your team here was to get some real answers.”
The secretary of defense spoke up. “I’m sure Mr. Hoyt is—”
“Shut up, Mike,” the president said. “Dr. Love?”
Love looked nervously around the room first. “I’m afraid, Mr. President, that we haven’t the slightest idea how to combat this virus. We have an anti-virus that works on people who are infected, and it will keep them safe for a while, but only if it’s administered on time, and the number of infected people is simply too overwhelming. We’ve been coordinating with CDC to distribute, but we’re swimming against the tide.”
The president shook his head. “I’ve already declared a state of emergency on the entire West Coast. California, Oregon, and Washington are completely cut off from the rest of the nation. Now, can we—”
“Sir?” The chair of the joint chiefs interrupted. “I’m sorry, sir, but I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news in that regard.”
Glowering at the man in the Navy dress uniform, the president said, “Mr. Chairman, I’ve had more bad news in the past few months than Nixon had after Watergate.”
“Yes, sir, I’m sure you have, sir, but—” The admiral hesitated, then finally said, “We’ve had reports of outbreaks of this T-virus in Oklahoma, in Michigan, and in Baltimore.”
Hoyt put his head in his hands. He hadn’t known about this, and he wondered if anyone at Umbrella did. He had a sinking feeling that they did and just neglected to tell him.
Holding up a manila folder, the president said, “Mr. Hoyt, according to this report, this virus was originally developed as a wrinkle cream. Would you mind explaining to me how a wrinkle cream turns my country into the hot zone?”
Love raised her hand. “Uh, sir, if I may?”
“By all means, Dr. Strangelove,” the president said, waving his hand back and forth. “You’re supposed to be the expert.”
“Thank you, sir. The T-virus was originally developed by Dr. Charles Ashford as a way of revitalizing dead cells. It was meant to be medicinal.”
Another staffer, whom Hoyt did not know, asked, “Have you seen the state of California lately, Dr. Love? Doesn’t look all that medicinal to me.”
“I’m aware of that,” Love said in a tight voice. “I wasn’t part of the development team.”
“Then why aren’t they here?” the staffer asked.
Love hesitated. Hoyt stepped in. “They’re all dead. Most of them were killed when the reactor in Raccoon City melted down, and—”
The president actually laughed at that. “Are you still trying to sell me that bill of goods, Mr. Hoyt?” He held up another manila folder. “This report is from the investigation into the meltdown. An investigation that only happened because I signed an executive order, one that got half of Congress coming through this office telling me not to sign that order or they’d grind government to a halt, that the Umbrella Corporation has been such a huge help in this crisis, and a whole lot of other bullshit. See, until recently, I actually believed that about your company, Mr. Hoyt. But then I read this report, not to mention a report made by the FBI, not to mention a report made by the Secret Service, all leading me to believe that your company