Inside the underground cable car, Javier, Rebecca, and Billy looked at the intricate cable car system with surprise. They couldn't have imagined that such a secret system was hidden beneath the facility. This undoubtedly gave the three of them hope of escaping. By taking this cable car, they could leave this annoying facility. However, there was still one crucial question: could the cable car still be used? They couldn't celebrate too early. The cable car hadn't been used for nearly a decade, and its metal shell was rusted. The three of them couldn't be sure if it still worked, but they could go down and check. Although they weren't cable car technicians, they could perform basic inspections on the vehicle.
"A cable car—?!"
"This is so surprising. Does this mean... we can just take this cable car and leave?"
"Indeed. I didn't expect a cable car system to be built under the facility. It seems the Umbrella Corporation has big ambitions and has prepared so many escape routes. There must be a bigger secret hidden down here," Rebecca said with a surprised look on her face. Billy nodded in agreement. As the saying goes, "where there's a will, there's a monster."
A large cable car system hidden beneath the facility couldn't have been prepared just for the staff's escape. After all, if they needed an escape route, the Ecliptic Express train track they had messed up earlier would have been enough. There was no need to build another cable car. This was as suspicious as "a man with 300 taels of silver buried under a sign saying 'There are no 300 taels of silver here.'"
Therefore, Billy speculated that there might be a bigger secret hidden beneath the facility.
And indeed, he was right. Behind this cable car system was a hidden Tyrant cultivation lab, the most confidential underground research project in the entire facility and the core experiment of the Umbrella Corporation. After creating the T-virus, the Umbrella Corporation created a series of B.O.W.s. But no matter how powerful they were—from zombies and Plague Crawlers to Hunters—they still couldn't satisfy the ambitions of the Umbrella Corporation and Spencer. These B.O.W.s, though powerful, had an irreversible flaw: they lacked intelligence and could not be controlled.
Therefore, to create a more perfect B.O.W., the Umbrella Corporation attempted to create a new type of humanoid weapon using humans as a template. This weapon had to be obedient and controllable, as only a controllable weapon would be popular with buyers from different countries.
Thus, the Tyrant project began. Umbrella used dozens of death row inmates and retired soldiers as test subjects for the Tyrant改造 experiments. Unfortunately, this experiment was very cruel. Out of dozens of people, only three passed the experiment and were given the numbers T-001, T-002, and T-011. But even so, they eventually turned into monsters.
"Ahem..."
"I think we shouldn't get too excited just yet. We don't even know if the cable car is working properly. Instead of daydreaming about leaving on the cable car, we should check it now," Javier said as he poured cold water on Rebecca's excitement. He pinched her cheek, causing her to bare her teeth and almost bite him.
This scene made Billy shake his head helplessly. "There they go again," he thought. But Javier was right. Billy didn't hesitate and jumped down the steps to start inspecting the cable car system. Although he wasn't a professional mechanic, he had been assigned to help with vehicle maintenance, such as military trucks, tanks, and helicopters, during his time in the military. So, he knew a thing or two about maintenance. As for the cable car... he figured it was best to check the power supply first.
A cable car's only source of power is electricity. If there was a problem with the electricity, it would be the same as a military truck, tank, or helicopter without fuel. What was the point of fixing it? At the very least, he had to make sure the power supply was stable.
While he was thinking, Billy glanced at the electrical box on the wall. It seemed to be the power switch for the cable car. Without hesitation, Billy used the wooden stock of his M1887 shotgun to push the lever. Although he wasn't an electrician, Billy understood the basic principle. An old electrical box that hadn't been used in decades could spark and flash when turned on. He had seen too many news reports of electricians being electrocuted and turned into black popcorn. Electricians were usually smart; they would often trick rookies into touching the electrical box themselves because a simple touch would tell them if it was leaking electricity. So, to be safe, Billy used the wooden stock of his gun to push the lever.
"Click—!"
With a crisp sound, the electrical box was turned on. The entire dim underground cable car system was suddenly filled with bright light. The yellow light bulbs lit up one by one, and even the cable car itself lit up. This made Javier and his companions smile. It seemed the cable car was not damaged and was still usable. Although the Umbrella Corporation's actions were heinous and deserved to be condemned, their underground safety measures were top-notch. It was not a shoddy project; even the circuit, which had been abandoned for decades, was still in good condition. It was truly an example of quality work. They might not care about outsiders, but they made sure their own facilities were of the highest quality!
"..."
"I'll go check the control room!"
When Rebecca saw the power turn on, she quickly ran to the main control room above the cable car system. This was the main control system for the cable car and was responsible for its activation and operation. If there were no problems here, it would truly mean the cable car could be used.
"Tap, tap, tap..."
"Let me see... this is the launch lever, and this is the power output to keep the cable car powered..."
After looking around the control room for a while, Rebecca was barely able to understand the various buttons and levers. A small cable car was not big, but the process of using it was quite complicated. She thought it would be as simple as a mine cart, where you just flipped a lever and it would start.
"Bzz—!!!"
When Rebecca finished adjusting all the systems in the control room, the cable car suddenly let out a buzzing sound. The instrument panel inside the cable car lit up, which meant the power was successfully connected and the cable car was ready to be used.
"Hello, hello!"
"Javier, Billy, did you see that? I got the cable car to move! The cable car should be working fine. I've finished adjusting everything here. Hurry and open the cable car door to see if it works!"
Rebecca, who had just finished adjusting everything in the control room, ran out excitedly. She pointed to the glowing cable car and said proudly. As a vehicle moron, Rebecca was an expert in computer programming and data organization, but when it came to driving, she was a disaster. Javier remembered that when she first joined the S.T.A.R.S. team, he had the misfortune of riding in her car. She had just gotten her driver's license, and he wanted to celebrate with his partner, but he had no idea which driving instructor had given her the license. She managed to cause a ten-car pile-up at an intersection in Raccoon City, which left Javier speechless and almost sick to his stomach. He also had to pay ten tickets to the traffic police. If the S.T.A.R.S. team hadn't been part of the Raccoon City Police Department, Javier had no doubt that he and Rebecca would have had to sit in a jail cell and reflect on their lives. Luckily, they were given some slack.
It was for this reason that Javier knew Rebecca had a mysterious "talent" for vehicles! In this world of Resident Evil, where vehicles were a liability, riding in a vehicle driven by Rebecca was the most terrifying and dangerous thing. So, for her to get the cable car to start on her first try was a huge accomplishment. After all, when she first drove her car, it stalled three times, giving Javier a jerky ride.
"Hmm...?"
The cable car door was a sliding one, but for some reason, Javier couldn't open it no matter how hard he tried. The door had no keyhole, which meant it was locked from the inside. This made Javier a little confused. Was there someone inside the cable car? Thinking of this, Javier took out the Desert Eagle he had retrieved from Billy. He aimed the black muzzle at the crack of the cable car door handle. This type of sliding door, like a window, was usually secured with a single latch. Although there was no keyhole, it was much easier to break than a real lock. After all, breaking a lock might not open the door, but breaking this latch would easily allow it to be pushed open.
"BOOM—!!!"
With a few gunshots, Javier easily blasted a hole in the door with the Desert Eagle and broke the latch. With a gentle push, the cable car door slowly slid open.
"Clank—!"
The door slowly slid open, but what rushed out was a suffocating stench, like a dead animal sealed in a sack that had been floating on a river for a long time before being opened. The accumulated rotten smell burst out. The cable car was a small space, and the windows were closed, so the accumulated stench was at its worst when Javier and his companions opened the door.
"Ugh..."
"It stinks! Ugh... It smells like a rotting corpse."
"Cough, cough! Who is this person? Why has their body been left in the cable car for so long without being dealt with?"
Javier and the others quickly covered their noses and mouths. On a seat in the cable car was a heavily decomposed body. It was wearing old blue clothes, but because of the long time that had passed and the severe decomposition, it had been oxidized and dried out. All that was left was a thin body with skin and bones. The pale white skeleton was covered with a thin layer of yellow and black dried flesh. The body's head was tilted back, as if it had been relieved of something.
"This..."
"Was he starved to death in here?"
Rebecca looked at the body and wondered out loud. The air was now circulating because the cable car door was open, and the stench was not as strong. Rebecca recalled the closed door and thought the body had starved to death in the cable car because it couldn't get out.
Javier shook his head and said, "I don't think so. I think he committed suicide here."
"His head is tilted back, and his body is casually leaning on the seat. His posture suggests a sense of relief from being unburdened. But if you look closely at his jaw, there's a clear bullet hole. Although his hair is covering it, there's also a big bullet hole in his skull. He's also holding a handgun, so I'm guessing he shot himself."
"He probably saw the various experiments in the facility or was being hunted by zombies and was forced to escape and lock himself in the cable car. He may have realized that he was running out of bullets or that he couldn't escape, so he used the last bullet in his gun to end his life."
Javier bent down slightly and explained as he looked at the bullet hole in the body's jaw. In the apocalypse, when surrounded by zombies, the last bullet is often saved for yourself. This was the final dignity that countless people reserved for themselves because they didn't want to turn into a grotesque monster.
Javier didn't hesitate to gently pry open the body's stiff and dried fingers to take the special handgun. In addition, Javier also found a yellow key on the man's collar. It was probably a key to a mechanical device in some factory. As for the handgun... Javier wasn't just taking something from a dead person. This handgun was special.
It was an M1911. A large-caliber Colt handgun, a 11.43mm semi-automatic pistol, also known as a .45 caliber. It was designed by the American John Browning and manufactured by the Colt Company. It uses a short-recoil principle, and its large 11.43mm caliber bullet has a high killing power. Its reliability, durability, and ease of maintenance have made it a favorite of many. Although its power was not as great as Javier's Desert Eagle or M500 revolver, it was much more powerful than a regular 9mm handgun. It was a true powerhouse. Javier wanted to add it to his firepower, so he took the gun from the dead man.