The Tall Oaks Bioterror Incident is an event that occurs in the timeline of the Resident Evil game series. In 2013, the small American town of Tall Oaks suffered a horrific biological attack that resulted in the death of US President Adam Benford and over 70,000 American citizens. The attack was masterminded by US National Security Advisor Derek C. Simmons who was also the head of an enigmatic criminal fraternity called The Family.
History[]
Prelude[]
In 1998, the popular midwestern American industrial centre Raccoon City was completely destroyed by a missile bombardment following a government decision to prevent the mutagenic T-virus from spreading. The initial decision to do so came from Derek C. Simmons, a high-ranking government official. The idea was voted on by a congressional committee and subsequently-backed by the President; as such, the "Sterilization Operation"went under effect, and a missile was fired into the city. Due to increasing pressure from the media regarding his controversial decision, fuelled by allegations of US-involvement in causing the outbreak and the decision (from Derek's suggestion) to limit knowledge on B.O.W.s, the President resigned.
Simmons was the head of "The Family", a secret organization of pre-American origins and consisting of the world's true elite. By the late-20th century, it was in their interests to manipulate the course of human history to better suit the United States, which they had decided should remain at the top of their 'pyramid', and bring stability to the earth's nations. The implications that the disclosure of American involvement in Umbrella's research would raise were expected to be catastrophic for their perceived 'new world order', leading to the total collapse of American 'prestige' and dominance in world politics. When it became evident that his close friend, President Adam Benford, had thoughts on disclosing this fact, Simmons' instincts kicked in, and he began preparations to prevent this. More than simply silencing the President through a convenient assassination plot, Simmons planned on unleashing a widespread bioterrorist attack - conducted by his "Neo-Umbrella" organization, to be used as scapegoats - in the American heartland and subsequently destroying that city in order to remove evidence of his involvement and sacrifice those who had until then escaped the infection. The events would then be disclosed as an unfortunate incident of terrorism, in which the United States was forced into the extremes; this would serve as a message that the government had no plans on backing down to terrorists, and keep its dominance in global politics.
President Benford made preparations to make his address at Ivy University in Tall Oaks - either through Derek's design or by coincidence - in June 2013. Three days before the proposed speech, Neo-Umbrella, who had been conducting wide-scale research in The Family's secret catacombs under Tall Oaks Church, kidnapped Deborah and Helena Harper. Helena, a member of the United States Secret Service, was forced by Simmons to make a hole in the Secret Service's defence of the President. After his death, she believed that her sister was to be handed back to her. Of course, this was all a ploy by Simmons - he had no intention on letting such a witness escape: Helena was to be used as a scapegoat for the assassination and branded a traitor, and expected to die during the city's devastation. Deborah, who was to be killed by Simmons' researchers as soon as Helena left; in the end, the researchers chose to keep her alive as a new candidate in their C-Virus experimentation.
Ground Zero[]
Per Simmons' plan, on the day of the President's speech, Helena posted a false report on a terrorist group's arrival into the university, intent on assassinating him. Falling for the ruse, Benford's protection split up and began searching the university for the suspects. Turning back on her actions, Helena alerted her colleagues as to the ruse, but her history of infractions meant that they were distrustful of her, and continued searching for the suspects. With the hole revealed, a Lepotitsa - one of several strategically-placed in the city - hidden within the university erupted from its chrysalid and began infecting students, teachers and security personnel alike with the C-Virus. With the gas spreading, the President's security detachment was powerless to come to his aid, and he was infected with the virus. When Helena and D.S.O. agent Leon S. Kennedy got to him, he had completely transformed into a zombie and was subsequently killed. Revealing his death to F.O.S. operative Ingrid Hunnigan, Helena informed her of a "lead" at the church, having Leon - confused as to her admission of responsibility for the President's death - back her up. Exploring the university, Leon and Helena's mission was put on hold when Leon chose to help a man find his daughter, Liz; he was willing to drive the two agents out of the university for finding her. This agreement was cut short on the elevator ride to the underground car park, however, when Liz succumbed to the C-Virus and killed her father. Unable to get to the car without drawing attention from the zombies, the two agents were forced to remain in the university, searching for another way out. Making their way into the security room, Leon was forced to give up hope in helping the survivors after witnessing two people being attacked by zombies while alerting the security room to help them.
Devastation[]
Following this, the two agents continue their search for a way out of the university, finally escaping in a police car that was just outside of the campus. However whilst en route to the town, they are ambushed by zombies on the roof and are forced to continue on foot through a subway infested with zombies and dogs, whilst also contending with moving trains.
Upon exiting the station they head to the surface, finding the city in total chaos. Survivors continue their vain efforts to escape and motorists crash when ambushed by the infected. Leon and Helena continue on, however, killing only what gets in their way. The direct route that they intended to take is blocked off, however, when a police van crashes into a truck. Taking the alternative, yet slightly longer route, they happen upon a group of survivors attempting to hold off at a gas station and Leon stresses they need to help, much to Helena's chagrin. After hold of many of the zombies a second police van crashes into the gas station, tearing one of the pumps from the ground and causing petrol to spray up from the ground. Leon and Helena use this to their advantage and destroy the gas station and the attacking zombies.
Leon, Helena and the group of survivors head to the local gun store, the owner refusing to let them in until they mop up the area outside of the store. Outside, a horde of zombies converge on the gun store and the survivors are forced to deal with them, one of them dying in the process after leaving the safety of the store. When the gunfire dies down a little, the owner lowers protective shutters and allows the remaining survivors access to the upper floors of the store.
The owner informs the survivors that he is waiting for a bus to pick him up and take him to the church, where more survivors are supposed to be gathering. This benefits Leon and Helena, and they agree to wait for the bus with the others. Matters are complicated when zombies begin attacking the upper levels of the store and they try to buy time for one of the survivors, a Japanese man, to lower the shutters up there. They hold off and retreat further, before a Whopper bursts in on them and attacks. With combined firepower the large zombie falls and they move further upstairs, finally making their way to the roof.
Even on the roof, they're not safe. Zombies begin to rise and make their way to the store roof, including a second Whopper. With help from Leon and Helena, the survivors are able to last until the bus finally arrives and they make a final run for safety, although a third Whopper is barring their path and the owner and Japanese man are killed in the subsequent attack. The bus finally pushes the Whopper over and kills it by crushing it's head, soon escaping into the areas outside of the beleaguered city.
Sins to confess[]
Following their narrow escape from the main area of the city, Hunnigan informs the two agents that 90% of the population has been infected with the virus, bringing the total death toll up to 70,000 people. The driver spots a zombie and thinking he could pull it off, runs it over, causing the driver to lose control and end up teetering over the edge of a cliff and surrounded by zombies. A truck then rams the bus off of the edge and it crashes far down.
Leon and Helena escape the crash unscathed, however the bus driver is killed when the bus explodes, the other survivors killed in the zombie attack just prior. Despite their sadness, Helena stresses that they need to press on to the church which they do so.
Navigating the zombie infested graveyard whilst contending with dogs, one of which holding the key to the main gates, the two finally make it there, only to be told that the doors are not been opened. Trapped outside, the two engage the zombies with sniper assistance from above and after a lengthy battle and a little bit of convincing, the two are allowed into the sanctuary of the church. The survivors assumptions that they are part of a rescue team are shot down by Leon, and they go back to waiting. Helena assists Leon in gathering all of the necessary pieces of a puzzle to allow access to a facility below the church, unleashing a Lepotitsa in the process. The creature is killed, but they are not without losses, all but a small group of the survivors remain, others having either been eaten by those exposed to its blue fog, or having succumbed to it.
As Leon and Helena wanders through Simmons' laboratory hidden beneath the church, Helena began to drag Leon deeper into the basement. After evading hordes of the undead infesting the laboratory, the two wandered into an ancient network of catacombs. They continued to search for a way out until Deborah, Helena's sister is found. Despite their attempt to get her to safety, Deborah succumbed to the C-Virus inside her and eventually mutated into a mindless monster with the ability to grow spider-like appendages to attack Leon and Helena. But with a little help from Ada Wong, they managed to defeat the mutated Deborah.
Following an intense time in the facility as well as the death of Deborah, the duo escape the facility with nothing but what they know as evidence. And even then, that's not enough to clear their names since Simmons already declared them as suspects in the bioterror attack.
The end of Tall Oaks[]
No official rescue attempt was made for the few survivors of the outbreak and the infamous Sterilization Operation from Raccoon City was once more put into effect. Bombers were sent into the city under order from Simmons to erase all traces of the virus, including survivors. Leon's statement that Tall Oaks was a repeat of the Raccoon Incident came true as they watched the city's end from afar, all evidence of the National Security Advisor's involvement vanishing in the firestorm. After escaping Tall Oaks, Leon and Helena arranged to have their deaths faked so that they could continue onto China where another bioterror event was taking place, also perpetrated by Simmons and Neo-Umbrella.
Creatures[]
The following is a list of B.O.W.s and irregular mutations that were present in Tall Oaks during the incident.
- Lepotitsa - A humanoid B.O.W. capable of spreading the C-virus in gas form. Several of these bio-weapons were stationed in key areas of the city to ensure total infection of the population.
- Zombies - Just like the T-virus, the gaseous C-virus would turn human victims into mindless undead husks that hungered for living flesh. 90% of Tall Oaks' population - approximately 70,000 people - were infected and transformed into these creatures.
- Zombie dogs - Canines infected with the C-virus would also become undead predators, the same as dogs infected by Umbrella's T-virus.
- Shriekers - Mutated zombies that summon other zombies with their supersonic screeches.
- Bloodshots - Mutated, skinless zombies with hardened muscle tissue, making them more resistant to gunfire.
- Whoppers - Giant, fat zombies which crush anything in their path under their tremendous weight.
- Brzak - A huge, aquatic B.O.W. lurking in a flooded area of the catacombs beneath Tall Oaks.
Casualties[]
Over 70,000 people inhabited Tall Oaks at the time of the outbreak. Most of them were infected with the C-virus or were otherwise killed by the infected. A handful of citizens managed to survive the infection only to perish when the city was bombed by the military.
- Adam Benford - The President of the United States at the time. He was the primary target during the whole event; the Family intended to silence him so that he could not reveal the full truth regarding the fall of Raccoon City. He was on the grounds of Ivy University when the C-virus was dispersed and was infected, turning into a zombie. Leon Kennedy was forced to shoot him.
- Liz - A woman whom Leon and Helena attempted to rescue from Ivy University along with her father. However, she was infected with the C-virus and turned into a zombie, killing her father before she was then put down by Helena.
- Deborah Harper - Younger sister of Helena Harper. She was abducted by the Family in order to force Helena into carrying out Simmons' commands. However, Simmons never intended to release Deborah and instead had her injected with the C-virus. When Leon and Helena later found her in the catacombs beneath Tall Oaks Cathedral, she transformed into a psychotic monster and attacked. Helena was forced to drop Deborah into a chasm to her death.
Survivors[]
Only three individuals were known to have survived the Tall Oaks incident.
- Leon S. Kennedy - An agent with the Division of Security Operations responsible for suppressing a number of biohazard events in the past. He had been assigned to protecting President Benford at the time of the attack and tried to rescue civilians while accompanying Helena Harper to the Tall Oaks Cathedral to investigate the source of the outbreak.
- Helena Harper - A member of the United States Secret Service assigned to guard President Benford when he made his address. She had been forced to aid in Simmons' plot after her sister was kidnapped and aided Leon in uncovering the truth behind Simmons' involvement in the whole incident.
- Ada Wong - A spy working for an unknown party. She had previously worked for Derek Simmons and had been in Tall Oaks investigating the apparent theft of her identity by an agent of the terrorist group Neo-Umbrella. She aided Leon and Helena as they searched the underground catacombs and separated from them prior to the city's destruction.