Lure
of Death's Call
By: Soulguard
I: That movie… "Aliens"?
"Do you ever think of going back there?"
"Rapture? Why?"
"The man that saved you, gave you the key to the city, killed all the bad people didn't he? It can be restored, rebuilt."
"No… not all. Everyone down there was bad. He couldn't kill them all. And the Big Daddy's still work and thrive down there. I'd rather not see them again."
"Do you still dream of it, after all this time?"
"Every damn night."
"How do you cope?"
"I drink… a lot."
"How old were you at the time?"
"Jesus, I don't know… eight, nine maybe."
"That would make you, thirty-eight or thirty nine now?"
"So interested in my age? I'm forty three."
"You don't look a day over thirty."
"Bless you."
"So, the Big Daddies?"
"They were the only good and pure creatures in that hell. A pity what those scientists did to those men."
"Peaceful?"
"Very peaceful, unless you angered them. And then they were relentless in their pursuit of you. They would hunt you down no matter how far you went."
"Noted. Don't anger the Big Daddy's."
"You know, you never told me why you are so interested in Rapture. Didn't I do enough interviews in the 80's?"
"Well, that was the 80's. This is 95, and the sanctions of Rapture have been lifted. Exploration grants are being negotiated."
"You really think to go down there?"
"As soon as our grant is approved."
"That explains how you knew me. Listen, if you really want to go down there, good luck, but I'm not going to give you any more information."
"Why?"
"You'll die down there."
"That's why I would like more info."
"I won't encourage your suicide."
"What if I asked you to come along? To face your demons?"
"Do I look like Ellen Ripley?"
"Great movie, but this isn't 'Aliens', this is Rapture. You were down there, you know how it all works. You were a little sister."
"I got out and never looked back. The world up here is so much better… and safer."
"What could happen?"
"Splicers can happen."
"That was thirty five years ago, surely they are mostly dead, or too old to be a threat."
"You really don't have a clue about the shit they were doing down there?"
"That's why I am going down."
"Well, I'll keep my eye on the news for a lost man at sea."
"I won't be alone. I'm taking a team, and a few heavy hitters."
"Oh, then I'll look in the news for a lost 'team' at sea."
"Come with us."
"No."
"You alone can guarantee an increase in our survival odds."
"What is it with you men and going into hellish places?"
"Testosterone. We'll pay you, and anything you want to bring back is yours."
"No! Never! No way in hell am I going back!"
- - - - - - -
Melissa sat on the edge of her bed, pondering the insane notion that was bubbling in her head. It was foolish, and she knew it. She was too old to be thinking of such things. Rapture was something she desperately wanted to put out of her mind, but she simply could not. The man, Jason, had brought back dreams that she had long washed away. Though her nightmares never ceased, her youthful ambitions had always been to go back. But Melissa knew that she was no longer young.
She picked up the telephone receiver and called an old friend. "Christina?"
"Melissa, what's wrong? It's three in the morning."
"I couldn't sleep."
"Drink some milk, call me in the morning."
"I think I'm going back to Rapture."
Christina was silent on the line.
"You still there?" Melissa asked.
"Yeah, I didn't want to wake Dave. Are you insane?"
"You know all the press we got a few years ago? Back when they found Rapture and we came forward?"
"Yeah, our lives haven't been the same since. But what does that have to do with you going back?"
"I've always wanted to, I was simply fooling myself about not wanting to. I've never assimilated this life the way you did. I didn't get married…"
"You still have time to meet someone…" Christina started.
"and I didn't have kids."
"That can still happen." Christina huffed on the line. "Melissa, you can't go back. You know what's down there."
"I don't have a husband and kid like you do, Christina."
"My son is in college, he's not really a kid anymore."
Melissa sighed. "You know what I mean. I don't have family."
"I'm your family! Remember what we told Jack, and each other. We are family. You're my sister, Melissa, now stop talking about this."
"I even bought a boat a few years ago, in case I found the nerve to go back." Melissa laughed.
"Melissa, why? I can hear it in your voice, and I know what you're thinking. Please don't!"
"I'm not going alone, this guy came to me and asked me to guide his team. Don't worry, I'll keep them away from Prometheus."
"I'm coming over, we can talk more about this!"
"No, Christina. You get back in bed with Dave, kiss him for me and tell Danny I'll try to bring him back some cool souvenirs. "
"Damn it, Melissa, you aren't in your twenties, you are forty three years old! We're too old to be dreaming of adventures!"
Melissa laughed on the line. "I love you, Christina. I'll contact you when I get back."
"Melissa if you go down there you won't come back…"
Melissa hung up the phone and sighed in the darkness of her small one bedroom apartment. The phone immediately began to ring again, most likely Christina calling to talk some sense into her, but for the first time, in a long time, Melissa felt that she was making the right choice. She ignored the ringing phone and packed her bag.
She didn't wait for morning to leave. Melissa drove directly to the New York harbor. This was the only way to avoid Christina if she came looking for her. Melissa got out of her car and walked to the nearest payphone and called the number Jason had given her after the interview.
It was a cold morning and the sun was just about to peak. "Hello." Came a reply on the phone.
"You'll need weapons, armor piercing rounds as well as insulated armor."
"Melissa? Right, right. Of course! Anything else?"
"Food and clean water, though the plumbing down there is most likely running you don't want to run the risk of it being contaminated."
"That's obvious. We have no plans of eating or drinking the food down there."
"Also, and this is most important. Promise me you have no plans of using Adam or Eve?"
"We only want to study it." Jason replied.
Melissa huffed. "I'm a big fan of the movie 'Aliens', Jason. I can see the similarities in our actions. I won't be as calm as Ripley was."
"We know what Adam and Eve did to the people down there, Melissa. You have my word."
Melissa obviously didn't believe him. "I'm at the docks. I'm ready whenever you are."
"I'll call the team, and we'll be there in an hour or less."
Melissa hung up the phone and walked back to her car. She turned on the heat, leaned back in the passenger seat and closed her eyes. She was going back to Rapture, after thirty five years, she was finally going back. As she waited for Jason and his group, Melissa slept and had the best sleep she'd had since she first left Rapture.
To be continued…