Chapter 9: Hive Technology Shock
The metal door closed slowly behind them, sealing off the gray, dying world outside.
Wu Fan led the way.
Behind him were Dr. Jenner, his wife Candice, and several old professors. The seven survivors from the isolation area were left behind on the upper floor—he didn't intend to reveal this place to them yet.
The corridor was long and softly lit. It didn't feel like a basement at all, but like a high-end corporate passageway.
Metal walls lined both sides. Every few meters, a sealed door appeared, unmarked and silent.
Dr. Jenner finally broke the silence.
"What exactly is this place?"
His voice echoed faintly, carrying unease.
Wu Fan was about to answer—
"Warning."
A cold, mechanical female voice suddenly cut in.
Everyone froze.
"Unauthorized personnel detected entering the Hive. Total: thirteen. Please leave immediately. Repeat: please leave immediately. Defense systems will activate in ten seconds."
Red lights flashed across the ceiling.
Dr. Jenner's face went pale. "Defense systems?"
Wu Fan didn't panic. He simply raised his head.
"Red Queen. It's me—Wu Fan, S-class executive of Umbrella Corporation. Grant temporary access to all visitors."
A pause.
"Identity verified. S-class authorization confirmed. Temporary access granted. Welcome to the Hive."
The red lights went out.
Silence returned.
Dr. Jenner exhaled sharply. "Red Queen…?"
"Artificial intelligence," Wu Fan said calmly as he walked forward. "She manages the entire Hive. Don't provoke her. She doesn't like being disturbed."
No one spoke after that.
They followed him.
At the end of the corridor, the space suddenly opened.
A massive circular hall stretched before them.
At its center stood a towering cylindrical elevator shaft enclosed in glass.
But what stunned them wasn't the structure—it was the walls.
All four sides were giant screens.
And they were showing Atlanta.
Not the ruined Atlanta outside.
But the city before the outbreak.
Busy streets. Moving traffic. Crowds walking under sunlight. Taxis honking. The Ferris wheel at Centennial Olympic Park turning slowly in the distance.
Sound filled the air.
Car horns.
Street musicians.
The noise of a living city.
Candice covered her mouth, eyes trembling.
"I know that street…"
Dr. Jenner slowly reached out and touched the wall.
The image rippled beneath his fingers.
"It's… real-time rendering?"
A professor adjusted his glasses in disbelief. "This level of resolution… 8K minimum. Maybe higher."
"Umbrella Corporation's entertainment division," Wu Fan said casually. "Employee stress relief. You can simulate anything you want—city life, beaches, weather, seasons."
Another professor muttered, stunned. "If this were commercialized…"
"There is no 'if,'" Wu Fan interrupted. "The world is already over."
Silence fell again.
Dr. Jenner stepped toward the elevator.
The control panel showed:
-1 to -11
His eyes widened. "Eleven underground levels?"
"We've worked here for ten years," he muttered, "and never knew this existed."
"Now you do," Wu Fan said.
He swiped his ID card.
The elevator doors opened.
The elevator descended smoothly.
"Why only -1?" Candice asked.
"Only -1 is unlocked," Wu Fan replied. "The rest require authorization."
"And if we force it open?"
Wu Fan smiled faintly. "You can try."
No one asked further.
A few seconds later—
DING.
Floor -1.
The doors opened.
And everyone froze again.
A vast underground world unfolded before them.
Above their heads was a perfect blue sky with drifting clouds.
Sunlight poured down naturally.
In the distance stood skyscrapers.
Closer in, rows of neat villas lined clean streets. Red roofs, white walls, trimmed lawns, parked cars.
Birds chirped somewhere nearby.
Candice staggered slightly. "This… this can't be real…"
Dr. Jenner caught her, equally shaken.
Wu Fan stepped forward.
"Welcome to the Umbrella Corporation residential zone."
The space stretched endlessly.
"This area is 100,000 square meters. It supports up to a thousand employees and their families."
He pointed ahead.
"Housing: fully furnished, independent villas."
"There's a supermarket, clinic, gym, restaurant."
"A school. A farm. Hydroponics system."
He gestured toward the artificial sky.
"And that? It's all LED simulation. Weather, seasons, rain, thunder—you name it."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
An old professor suddenly laughed.
But it sounded like crying.
"We spent our lives trying to save the surface…"
"And they built a world underneath it."
He crouched and touched the grass.
It was real.
Living grass.
"Is there soil beneath this?" he asked.
"Nutrient layers. Drainage system. Concrete base below," Wu Fan replied.
The professor stood slowly. "Insane…"
Dr. Jenner and Candice walked forward in a daze, looking through the windows of one villa after another.
Fully furnished homes.
Sofas. Tables. Kitchens.
Everything normal.
Except for one detail.
The Umbrella logo on the wall.
"Has anyone lived here?" Candice asked softly.
"Once," Wu Fan said. "They were evacuated during the outbreak."
She fell silent.
Then she turned back.
"Can we live here?"
Wu Fan looked at her.
Fear. Hope. Exhaustion.
All mixed together.
"Yes," he said. "That's why I brought you here."
He turned to the group.
"This will be our base."
"The CDC above is just a cover. This is the real Hive."
"We'll secure the surface later. For now—this is survival."
He paused.
"And if you still want a vaccine…"
"There are labs below. Higher authorization required. But for now, the CDC lab is yours."
He looked at them directly.
"However, you must join Umbrella Corporation."
The old professors exchanged looks.
Finally, one stepped forward.
"I am Abraham, Director of Virology. I worked on Project Wildfire."
He extended his hand.
Wu Fan shook it.
"Welcome to Umbrella Corporation, Dr. Abraham."
A moment later, Abraham turned to the others.
"What are you waiting for? Choose your homes."
Laughter broke out.
Relief.
Exhaustion.
A strange kind of hope.
Under the artificial sky, people walked toward the empty villas.
For the first time since the apocalypse, they felt like they had somewhere to stand.
Wu Fan stayed behind.
Watching.
Quietly.