Bioshock: Rapture: The Dusk
This is just a friendly reminder that I in no way, shape, or form own Bioshock, Rapture, or any of the characters. Though believe me, I wish I did. Also, be aware that I have changed some of the Rapture that you knew from the games around a little~ Nothing that's going to make you pull your hair out, I promise... Enjoy, more chapters coming soon!
One: The Pavilion
AIMEE LIANNE DAMARIS. Her mailbox read it in fancy lettering. She lived in Olympus Heights, ever so close to Brigid Tenenbaum. The woman had refused her any sort of audience. It's not like she was crazy or dangerous, she just had an idea.One that would help her! Why not listen? Because she was so damn obsessed with those Little Sisters.
"I must get the girls out," she would always rant. It was her fault those damn things even existed. She hadn't been so worried when she made those monsters. Why now? Because the crazed ADAM addicts-that, again, she created-were killing them off? What a way to play a damn martyr.
Well, it was Tenenbaum fault, to be fair. She did bite the hand that fed her. Now, Fontaine was dead. Not a soul in Rapture would fund her… Except Augustus Sinclair. Augustus Sinclair was a man that you couldn't trust as far as you could throw him. Why Tenenbaum chose him, she would never know. To each their own, right?
But what Aimee was working on…It was a step towards ending the war. She had a Gene Tonic that would allow the user to locate others based on their use of plasmids. This tonic would tip the scale in favor of whoever possessed it. After all, she wasn't planning on mass production of the tonic. There also weren't very many sane scientists left to help her. So she had been working with Steinman, and even Lamb…to help her figure out her tonic.
Of course, either of them had required the rights to use this tonic. Aimee had to agree. Saying no was not only crazy, but stupid. She wasn't under Ryan's grace anymore, so she was no longer protected by him. Either one of them could easily kill her, but she had come up with a way to save herself.
A self-destruct code. She was planning on working it in somehow, so that if she were to expire, the tonic would go haywire. Not foolproof, but very cunning. This is why she had waned Tenenbaum. Tenenbaum wouldn't require much from Aimee, if anything at all. And she most certainly wouldn't make an attempt on her life. If Aimee managed this, she became the most valuable asset to either side. So it would be Atlas or Ryan…Aimee hoped for Ryan.
Why? Not simply for his good graces, but for the fact that Atlas gave her a funny feeling. Not joy or hope, like many others…No, Atlas made her feel dread. Something about him was off-color. Too familiar. Things that he said didn't sit well with her. Sure, the sound of freedom was nice and all, but she just waned it to be the way it used to. Was that really so bad? No, but getting it back would be.
She had been hearing rumors. A newcomer in Rapture, but how? Who had given the invitation? Who had that kind of leverage? It certainly hadn't been Ryan. So, really, that left Atlas. Was this going to be reinforcements? Did Atlas really need them that badly? Her mind had swum until she realized it must be a weapon of some sort. Very sneaky.
With a sigh, Aimee finally locked up her home. Chains, everything. They would not get her things. Since the war started, people stole more, killed more. Everything. Rapture was going to hell, simply put. Ryan knew that he was losing the war. That the city was falling apart. He wanted so desperately to fix it, but how? Hopefully this tonic would be it.
Why? Simply because Ryan needed to win. Atlas was just too off-color. It was wrong. All of it. The war, Ryan, Atlas. None of it fit. Shaking her head, she turned away from the door, headed towards the bulkhead. Her destination was the Medical Pavilion, to see Steinman. Then to the subway, to Lamb. Then finally…to plea to Tenenbaum. Make her listen.
It was unusually quiet today. Typically, this area was overrun with Splicers-crazy, ADAM-addicted citizens-by noon. Soon, she discovered why. The doors of the bulkhead were sealed, and flooded. Flooded. Of course. That meant Bathysphere. That was a pretty hefty cost. Sure, she had the money. Aimee was among the wealthiest still around in Rapture. It was just an unneeded cost.
Unavoidable, she supposed. She didn't have a Sports Boost tonic, so she really couldn't handle the walk to the next bulkhead without having to stop. Stopping, depending on where, was a bad idea. Most places were overrun with the crazy Splicers. Aimee had a lot left to live for, too.
Towards the Bathysphere station she started to notice the sound of footsteps, and dread began to fill her. Was she being followed? That would be just the thing to make her day. She quickened her pace, but the footsteps didn't. Just another wandering Splicer? Maybe, she wasn't sure.
Typically, a Splicer didn't wander. They followed ADAM, though she wasn't sure how. Did they smell it? They must, how else would they know where it was? Aimee knew she didn't, but she wasn't a heavy Splicer. And she made sure that when she did, the doses weren't regular. That's why she hadn't lost her mind, like the others.
Thus, she had collected two Plasmids during her time in Rapture: Hypnotize Big Daddy, and Electro Bolt. Hypnotize Big Daddy had come in handy for her, especially since she didn't used all the genetic enhancement that ADAM had to offer. So a Big Daddy to protect her was a phenomenal idea. And with the latest advancement to Electro Bolt, it gave her enough time to run, as all as confuse her attacker. Bonus if they were in water, the enemy Splicer was done for.
However, Aimee wasn't sure that either would help her out. The steps weren't heavy enough to be a Big Daddy, and too…Focused to be a Splicer. So they would move too fast for Electro Bolt. Must be a follower of Atlas, her own people wouldn't be around here. Much too dangerous now. Nothing else to do but keep going, she would make this work.
The trip to the Bathysphere was quiet, save for the Little Sister that was harvesting. She went around that one. There was no line for the sub, much to her surprise. Only a single man, staring at the door. She slowly approached the sub, careful to watch his movements. Hand firm on the wrench that was in her belt, she took a deep breath before calling to him.
"Hello?" A typical greeting, enough of one that she could be brushed off as just another Splicer. Genius, of course. The man looked up at her, and for a moment she could see fear in his stare. Then it went dull. He suddenly seemed to go from tense to relaxed, and she could tell he was formulating a response to her. Either he was slow, or he suspected she was. So, he was definitely not a crazed Splicer.
"Those bathyspheres require a hefty fee for a ride. Do you have enough?" Charity can go a long way sometimes, she reasoned. But he shook his head at her, and Aimee sighed. As she was about to speak again, he cleared his throat.
"I haven't had to pay…The doors just open for me. I just don't know where I'm going, I guess." He sounded very puzzles, but Aimee understood.
"Well, I need to use the sub if you don't mind…I'm headed towards the Medical Pavilion."
As soon as she spoke, his eyes lit up, as if he suddenly realized something important. "That's it! There's something I need there. You're welcome to take the sub with me, I don't mind the company." A smile touched his lips, and there was a flutter in Aimee's stomach. She quickly shook it off, but felt a spark as she took his hand. He must have felt it, too, because he pulled his hand away from hers, muttering an apology.
"Oh, it's probably just the Electro Bolt plasmid…You probably have it too, and they're just reacting with each other," she laughed, nervously, and followed him into the bathysphere. This man, who was he? She hadn't seen him before, and he sounded so inexperienced. Was he the "new comer" she had heard rumors of? Oh, Mr. Ryan would love to hear about this! But not yet, only after she knew more about him.
He was handsome, and familiar. Even his voice was, but she couldn't place him. Where did she know his face? As the bathysphere roared to life, there was a bell that went off in the back of her head. Posters, somewhere…But that didn't matter right now, only that she could get to Steinman early enough in the day.
As the bathysphere lulled a stop mere minutes later, she looked at her companion. He stood, and motioned for her to exit first. Like a true gentleman, only a little backwards for Rapture. He certainly must not travel with a companion often. Still, she couldn't help herself as she smiled. For just that moment, the world wasn't fucked beyond repair. It quickly broke with the sound of an ADAM-hungry Splicer screech. Aimee automatically tensed.
Her counterpart, on the other hand, simply raised the weapon in his hand-a wrench, much like her own. She almost caught herself smirking, but quickly turned her attention back to where the screams were coming from. She wasn't sure if it was a dying Splicer, or one on the hunt. They sounded nearly the same, making it hard to differ between the two. Quickly, she went up the stairs that led to the entrance to the main foyer, and she heard him close behind.
"Just for now, we should stick together, don't you think?" His voice wasn't as much a suggestion as it was an order, though his voice was gentle. Aimee had to do a double-take. She still couldn't place what was so familiar about him, but she decided to stick with him. Even if it was just to find out how on Earth she knew him. And he was definitely stronger than she was, so she just nodded. He smiled at her, and motioned for her to follow.
They stepped into the main foyer, where there was a double-ended staircase, and a corridor that led behind the front desk, which was currently unattended. Aimee suspected that either the clerk had just up and left, or that Steinman had been "interested" in them. She had been hoping for the former until she saw the blood on the cushion of the wooden chair…And on the lampshade. With a shudder, she signed in at the desk, and took another quick look around.
"Well, sir, I have to head down the corridor, and I'm not sure where you-"
"I'm coming with you." He cut her off so boldly, that she didn't have a response. She could only manage a shrug, and headed down the corridor that disappeared around the corner. She could hear him close behind her, until Andrew Ryan's voice came over the intercom. Then, everything suddenly stopped. Aimee looked up towards the ceiling; eyes closed, and let the voice of Ryan flow through her.
"Citizens of Rapture, this is Andrew Ryan. I call upon you to come together, for there is a parasite of Atlas among us. He has come to take the city as spoils of his own. Beware of him, for he is dangerous, and not like us. Do not converse with the parasite, I want him, dead or alive. Why should you bring him to me? ADAM. I offer more of it than you could ever imagine, for him to be turned into me. So, citizens of Rapture, protect what is yours! Bring me the parasite, dead or alive. Bring me your freedom."
The transmission ended, and it hit her. She whipped around to take a good look at her companion, but he was gone. That's where she knew him-he was the parasite! His face was on posters, and the TVs. She had had him, and now he was gone! She cursed herself, and headed towards Steinman's office. Along the way, she got looks from Splicers, but they seemed rather disinterested. She bit her lip, as the doors to his office opened. Steinman greeted her with a smile, but his eyes were worried.
"Aimee, I'm really happy you made it." He tone was serious, and he sounded sane, which made her uncomfortable. "This isn't going to make sense now, but I need you to trust me. This is the rest of the work I can give you on your tonic, and here's a radio…I need to go into hiding, so I'm going to have to take my own death. That…parasite us after me, and I just can't let all of this fall into the wrong hands. Now please, take these and run. Use the radio to listen for him, he's dangerous. I need you alive, so please, steer clear. Now, go, go!"
Spooked, Aimee merely nodded, tucked the papers into her blouse, the radio at her hip, and backed out of his office. "Stay safe, Doctor." She blinked away a tear as she took off down the hall. Now, she had to see Cohen. He would know what to do. So onto the bathysphere again, and then to Fort Frolic. Maybe she would find answers beyond this there.