Chapter Two: Application And Transportation

January 28th, 1956

Alex peered out the window of the slow moving vehicle as it made it's way through the streets of New York. Until now, he had never actually been to the United States, let alone a larger city, and gazed upon the buildings and people with a dull interest. He had no idea where he was in the city itself, but it appeared he was somewhere near the heart of it.

Mr. Stevens had contacted Alex a few days earlier. It had taken nearly two weeks, but the lawyers colleague in Seattle had finally tracked down Alex's aunt and contacted her. Apparently she had gotten bored with Seattle, and moved several times across the States, finally settling in some place called 'Rapture'.

Alex had never heard of it, and frankly, wasn't sure if he even wanted to. To him, it sounded biblical like, and being an atheist, he wasn't too fond of religion. He wasn't sure if his aunt was religious or not, but the thought of possibly being told to convert to Christianity didn't sit well with him, and now was starting to have second thoughts about his decision to live with her.

Alex quickly pulled himself out of his thoughts as the car stopped, the engine dying as it was turned off by the driver.

"We're here. Did you need a hand with your luggage?" asked the driver as he peered at Alex in the review mirror.

"No, thank you. I've got it." Alex lifted the one bag he had brought, showing the driver in the reflection. He was told he only needed to take some clothing, and a few other things if he had liked. Thankfully, this all fit into one medium sized suitcase, as Alex didn't like taking more than he had needed.

Alex thanked the driver, gave him a tip, and stepped out of the car, closing the door behind him. The scent of the vehicles interior (and driver) left his nostrils, as the smell of the city invaded them. He pulled his coat closer to his neck, shielding himself as best as he could from the morning winter air. It wasn't as cold as what he was used to, but it was enough to send a frosty chill down his spine.

He looked around briefly, then reached into his pocket. He pulled out the piece of paper with the address Mr. Stevens had provided. Matching the address to the large square building in front of him, he made his way through the revolving doors and into the lobby. It was a simple space, with only a few chairs, a small coffee table tucked in the front left corner for people to sit down if they chose to. The walls were made of oak, and the large stone tile on the floor was a black and white pattern, much like a chess board. At the back of the lobby, there was a receptionist desk that was currently unattended.

His shoes clicked lightly on the floor as he made his way to the desk, but the acoustics of the lobby quickly echoed the sound, making it much louder than it actually was. Ignoring this, Alex continued walking to the desk at a steady pace, wondering where everyone was. The street outside was bustling, and full of life, but it seemed no one else had any business to attend to here. As he approached the receptionists desk, he heard a small cough from somewhere behind it.

"Uh, hello?" He called out.

"Can I help you?" The voice was monotone, dull, and feminine. From behind the desk, a door that blended quite well with the wall, opened wide, and a short, petite woman stepped out. She appeared to be in her late 20's, and looked very bored. In her left hand, she had a mug which was full of what appeared to be coffee, or at least some equivalent to it.

"Um, yes. I'm here to fill out a form?" He continued to explain. "I'll be moving to Rapture, and I was told to come here first to register with the city."

"Alright, give me a moment," the woman replied, in the same monotone voice. She opened a file drawer in her desk, and began searching for the paperwork.

"May I ask why I must register with the City Of Rapture here in New York?" It was a question that had been nagging at the back of his mind him since he boarded his plane back in Toronto.

The receptionist looked up at him. "The registration papers are also an application," she replied, the tone in her voice actually changing slightly this time. "You need to qualify before you can actually go there."

"Ah... How long does this process take?" Alex had been bored enough waiting two weeks at the hotel. He didn't really feel like waiting days or possibly weeks just for an application to be approved or declined.

"Anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour. The guys who decide work upstairs, and it's not like we get many applications to go through. Rapture isn't exactly publicized."

"That's good to hear." Alex instantly felt relieved. "By the way, where is Rapture located, if I may ask?"

"You'll see when you get there. If you get there." Her replies had begun to take on a bit of a rude tone. She finally found the papers she was looking for in the drawer, and placed them on her desk. "Alright, let's get this over with. What's your full name?"

"Alexander Franklin Matthews."

* * * * * * * * * *

Alex leaned over the railing of the small ship (though it was more like a large luxury boat than a ship), breathing in the cool, evening ocean air as he watched the sun set. It was good to be able to finally relax a bit (despite the cold), and was even more revealed to get on a 'ship' to Rapture the same afternoon.

The application interview had taken just over 30 minutes to fill out, as the receptionist attitude became progressively more and more intolerable, and many of the questions on the form seemed more than unnecessary just to register with a city. He found it strange that a city required to know your entire belief system, as well as medical history. Then again, the city was named after a prophesied event in the bible. Either way, Alex tried not to let it bother him too much, and made an effort to try and enjoy the actual trip.

The receptionist did finally inform him once his application was accept (which actually had taken a full three hours, as opposed the the promised one hour time frame), that Rapture was located somewhere in the northern Atlantic Ocean. She didn't say anything more than that however, so he assumed it was just a small city, built on a remote island.

"Are you headed to Rapture as well?"

"I, uh... Pardon?" Alex jumped. He was so lost in thought, that the question startled him, catching him off guard. He turned his head to see who was speaking to him.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you. Just asked if you were headed to Rapture, that's all."

The voice was soft, sweet, and subtle. It easily matched the face of the young woman it belonged to. Her skin was pale, with a hint of freckles across her soft complexion, that drew your attention directly to her green eyes. She would have been able to blend in with a crowd, had it not been for her long, straight, vibrant red hair. She couldn't have been much older than Alex.

"Oh, yes." Alex regained his composure quickly. "I assume you're headed there as well?"

"I think it's safe to assume so, yes," she giggled. "I'm fairly certain everyone on this boat is headed there. I mean, it's the middle of the Atlantic. Not much else to go for out here." Alex noted that she seemed to have a somewhat tomboyish air about her.

"True I guess. I'm Alex by the way." He extended his hand out to hers.

"I'm Susan," she replied, taking his hand and giving it a warm shake. "You're welcome to call me Sue though. Everyone else does."

"Fair enough." Alex smiled. It was the first real smile since his mother had died. "Speaking of everyone else, there doesn't seem to be many people on this ship. If you can even call it a ship."

"Apparently, Rapture is not an easy city to get into. It was supposedly built by some guy who wanted it to be remote and uninfluenced by the outside world. Something about wanting it to be untainted by parasites. Can't remember his name though."

"Sounds like another religious fanatic to me," he responded. "I'm really starting to question my decision to live with my aunt. Not a big fan of organized religions."

"I wouldn't worry about that too much. He's an atheist, and proud of it," she stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Have you been to Rapture already?" Alex was wondering how she already knew so much about the city.

"Oh goodness no. The receptionist I dealt with was quite helpful and informative. Really nice older lady."

"Ah, that would explain it. The receptionist I got was sort of a bitch."

"Hey now! My sister is a receptionist!" Susan shot him a stern look.

"Oh, uh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like-" Alex stumbled over his words, trying to think of the right ones for an apology.

Susan laughed.

"I'm joking! You can relax. Trust me, I've come across a few nasty receptionists myself."

Alex smiled in response.

The two continued their friendly banter as they watched the sun slip away behind the waves, the moon slowly ascending to take it's place in the stars. It's light danced across the surface of the water playfully.

* * * * * * * * * *

Dinner had been served about an hour after sunset. All the guests on the boat we're seated in the same small dining area, which hadn't been a problem, seeing as there were only about 20 guests on the ship to begin with. Alex noted that all the guests seemed to be of the 'wealthy upper class' variety, as all of them wear wearing very fine outfits. This caused him to feel somewhat under dressed, but didn't let it bother him too much, as Susan hadn't dressed up much either.

"Here, let me get that for you," he said as he pulled out a chair for Susan.

"Thank you deary, you're such a gentleman! But you didn't have to. I might be a woman, but that certainly doesn't make me a lady," she replied laughingly.

"Alright, I'll just pull it out from under you next time then!" He chuckled back at her. It was good to be able to joke and laugh again.

"So you're living with you're aunt?" She asked as Alex seated himself. "Why don't you just get your own place?"

"Not old enough. I'm only sixteen. Besides, it's a request my mother made in her will. I'm required to stay with a relative until I'm eighteen."

"You're only sixteen? Cripes, I thought you were at least three years older than that! You're younger than I am!"

Alex had half expected that type of response. He knew he wasn't tall or muscular by any means, but his face resembled that of a young adult rather than a teenager. He kept his dark black hair short and closely cropped, as it tended to get curly and unmanageable if it grew too long. The light trace of facial hair could often be seen on his face, even after shaving, and his pale hazel eyes seem to have a maturity to them that isn't seen in most youth. It probably didn't help much that he sometimes acted twice his own age as well.

"Sorry to hear about your mother though," Susan added. "May I ask when she passed away?"

"A little over two weeks ago. She passed away in her sleep. Heart failure." The response was almost automatic at this point, as he had been asked similar questions by the family friends that had attended the funeral.

"Jesus, I'm sorry! I shouldn't be prying. I'm just a bit too curious for my own good at times," she said as the tone in her voice took on a note of pity.

"Don't worry about it. Really. I grieve quickly, and I don't much like funerals to begin with, regardless of how close to me the person may be. I mean, death is inevitable, right? So, it's best just to move on." Alex blurted the response out quickly, as he simply didn't wish to stay on the topic of his mother too long. "So how long is this trip supposed to take anyway?"

"Oh, a few days I suppose? If the weather holds that is. Are you excited?" Susan was thankful for the change of topic, as her voice changed back to it's usual sweet sound.

"Somewhat. Nervous though. Haven't seen my aunt since I was a toddler. Barely remember her. What about you? What brings you to rapture?"

"Well, I enjoy a good horse race now and then, and placed a bet on this particularly lucky bugger. So, I've taken my winnings, made some good investments, and now I'm going to Rapture to see if I can't further myself even more! Maybe even find the man of my dreams!" Her eyes lit up and sparkled brightly as she talked about her dream.

"So, you're old enough to gamble then?" Alex inquired.

"Not quite. I may have lied about my age once or twice," she confessed with a devilish grin. "Again, I might be a young woman, but that does not make me a lady by any means."

Alex laughed with her, and congratulated her on her new found fortune.

Their supper had arrived by this time, and after making a quiet toast to their new friendship, dove into their evening meals, commenting on their food as they sampled each piece. Shortly after dinner, the call for lights out ran across the small bulk of floating metal, and the two parted ways for the evening, bidding each other a good night.

Authors Notes:

I really truly have no idea where the Susan character came from. She sort of just appeared... This is probably because I tend to write without really thinking about it. I find that it works best though =P As always R&R if you feel you can contribute! I may edit this chapter (and others) at a later time, if there is a need for it. I wasn't totally coherent when I wrote this, but it still makes sense to me.

Also, do you guys think Susan and Alex are going to hook up? Take a guess =P

-Rave