- The Reputation: Arthur was "the guy you called for a crowd." He had a deep, resonant voice and an unflappable demeanor. He didn't see civilians as "subjects"; he saw them as neighbors. He lived alone in a small apartment in the Northside, and he knew the name of every shopkeeper from the Zoo to the Uptown districts.
- The Douglas Bond: Deputy Chief Raymond Douglas recognized Arthur’s talent for crisis management. Douglas didn't pair Arthur with SWAT; he paired him with the most difficult assignments—the evacuation lines. Arthur became Raymond’s "Street Boss," the man who could calm a thousand panicked people with nothing but a megaphone and a steady gaze.
Arthur Gates didn't come to the R.P.D. looking for a medal. He spent his early twenties in private security, guarding corporate complexes and conducting community patrols in Raccoon City’s residential districts. He joined the police force late, in his thirties, because he realized he was already doing the work—he just wanted the badge to back it up.
While the R.P.D. was being sabotaged from within, Arthur was on the streets, convinced that if people just followed the rules, they would survive.
| Date | Time | Phase | Tactical Action | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Sept 22 | 23:00 | The Rumor Mill | Arthur is on foot patrol near the Zoo. He hears the first "cannibalism" reports over the radio. He spends the night checking on elderly residents. | | Sept 23 | 08:30 | The Zoo LZ | Under Douglas’s command, Arthur uses his megaphone to organize the first wave of helicopter evacuations. He is a "beacon" of calm. | | Sept 23 | 15:00 | The Shift | The helicopters stop coming. The radio is full of static. Arthur realizes the "system" is failing, but he refuses to let the civilians see his fear. | | Sept 24 | 01:15 | The Canal Push | Arthur joins Douglas near Jack's Bar. He is tasked with leading a group of survivors through the alleys toward the canal. |
By the early hours of September 24th, the city’s power grid was failing. The only light in the alleyways near Jack's Bar came from the flickering neon signs and the orange glow of distant fires. Arthur stood in the center of the intersection, his megaphone gripped in a gloved hand. He was a stark contrast to the chaos—his uniform was still relatively clean, his posture straight. He wasn't looking for monsters; he was looking for people.
"Attention citizens!" Arthur’s voice boomed through the megaphone, amplified and distorted, cutting through the sirens and the wet, rhythmic slapping of footsteps in the dark. "This is Officer Gates. Proceed to the north alleyway in an orderly fashion. Do not stop for belongings. Follow the blue strobes toward the canal banking!"
The plan led them to the canal banking—the bottleneck that Raymond Douglas had identified as the last clear path out. Arthur stood at the mouth of the alley, his megaphone hanging from his belt, replaced now by his service weapon. The survivors were crossing the narrow banking, mothers clutching children, old men stumbling over the trash. Arthur was the last one in the alley, acting as a human door.
"Keep moving!" Arthur shouted, no longer needing the megaphone. "Raymond! The rear is closed! They're coming out of the basement of the bar!"