Only after rummaging through the helicopter and making sure there was nothing there of use to me (a box of ammo doesn't count, and the pilot didn't have a knife. As for the pistol—I never ended up using it at all) did I remember who that fifth highlighted figure was. The mayor's daughter, entrusted to the police chief for protection at the very beginning of the incident. Tch. It would be tempting to turn her—purely as a test—to see whether anything worthwhile comes out of the rebirth of a less strong willed personality as the Four Eyes's, but rather an ordinary civilian.
But if I rush in now, Chief Irons (I finally recalled the head of the police department's name) won't go down to his secret room to turn her into a trophy, won't meet the mutated Birkin there, and won't become a G-parasite himself. Yes—there you have the butterfly effect in all its glory.
On the other hand, even with the rather crude graphics of the early games, she was drawn very nicely. And the chief himself called her the city's first beauty when speaking to Claire over the girl's body. From a purely aesthetic standpoint, testing whether anything worthwhile would come of her is far more pleasant and convenient than experimenting on some grimy survivor—and if I find anyone in this city now, it'll be exactly that sort. Or special forces. But they don't interest me at all. Turning them is possible—that's already been tested, as is the result. What I need is to be certain whether my "first pancake" was a failure, or whether changing civilians is simply something to forget about altogether.
After all, Claire herself—despite having certain specific skills—is essentially a civilian, lacking the kind of willpower the Four Eyes demonstrated. And that can be said of almost all the survivors.
Someone might argue with me right now, or think differently, recalling the future exploits of the Redfield Jr. But I understand clearly from my own experience that it's precisely various trials that forge a person's character. One need only remember the hunted, fleeing version of myself at the very beginning—unwilling to drink blood, and only with great difficulty striking a bargain with my conscience over the killing of sentient beings. And then compare that to who I am now, calmly calculating whom and how to turn for my own greater benefit.
The girl, for now, simply doesn't have a fighter's qualities—and waiting for them to be forged may take too long. Besides, in a couple of months after leaving this "cozy little city," the dungeons on the island will be waiting for her—the place where Umbrella's mercenaries undergo their reeducation. On one hand, if I rescue her from there, she'll be more loyal, and her character will be in just the right condition for fearlessly turning her into one of my kind. On the other hand, the game might have cut that content—and in real life, anything can happen while she's in prison on that island.
In Raccoon City, she's not safe from anything either—and real life has no save files. So I want to be prepared for that turn of events.
And what lies ahead for Claire herself? Having endured the horrors of this city, and then prison on top of that, she's unlikely to be able to settle back into the ordinary life of a normal person. The human psyche is such that it changes easily in conditions like the current ones—but takes a very long time to "return to itself." I wouldn't be surprised if, after everything she's been through, she grabs a bat at every rustle and sleeps with one eye open. I've seen scenes like that in hospital—people labeled "former military." You can recognize them just by their gaze, and by the strange expression of guilt lingering there. Not everyone ends up like that, but many carry the mark.
And sifting through the memories I inherited from Vector, I saw confirmation of that as well. With women, it should be even harder. Yamata—she's the crazy one I've got.
In short, it's better to know for sure what I'll get from civilians—just in case. That means I'll have to tail Claire, and at the right moment, while she's persuading Sherry not to run away and to stay under her and Leon's protection, I'll pay a visit to an old friends' meeting—Chief Irons and Dr. Birkin. Quietly, without fuss, not forgetting to steal a third personality from their encounter along the way. At the same time, I'll find out whether I can turn someone who's already dead—because the girl is dying right now.
All of this I was thinking through while crawling through the smoking wreck of the helicopter, thanking the gods that I can't feel pain from the burned patches of skin that had to press against the still-hot (judging by how quickly burns formed) structure that once flew. Emerging into the corridor by such an extravagant route, I ran into two fire-scorched zombies—one of whom had even survived the blaze. Though, given that they're already dead, "survived" isn't really the right word.
(End of Chapter)
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