Later, in the lobby of Rapture Elite Condominiums…

Steinman stood in the lobby of the large building, his mouth agape in awe at the beautiful paintings which adorned the walls, surrounded by schools of fish which glided through the water outside. People sat in the lobby smoking and chatting away, laughing and bickering away.

"Sir, do you need help?" asked a nasally, high pitched voice. Steinman turned to the voice and saw a young woman in a green vest and black pants. She couldn't have been older than twenty-five, and she had no pimples, blemishes or scars. Her blonde hair was parted evenly and draped over her shoulders. The nametag on her vest said "Jane Smith." She smiled at Steinman, exposing her perfectly white teeth.

"Yes," said Steinman. "My name is J. S. Steinman, and Andrew Ryan has reserved a room for me here." He looked at his feet somewhat sheepishly, hoping that he didn't sound stupid. She was a very beautiful woman indeed. She smiled and withdrew a sheet of paper from her pocket. Scanning it for a few minutes, her blue eyes seemed to poke holes in the paper. Finally she looked up at him and smiled again. "Ah yes, Steinman. Please, put your bags on the conveyor belt and get your key from the bellboy." Steinman nodded and placed his items on the nearby conveyor belt, then took his key and waited for the elevator. According to his key, his apartment was on the fifteenth floor, a sort of honor since it overlooked a large amount of the city. Waiting for the elevator, Steinman didn't notice the middle aged man who had suddenly appeared next to him. The man was about Steinman's height, maybe a little taller. He wore a gray striped suit, a blue tie, and a brown fedora. He looked at Steinman's key and smiled.

"Fifteenth floor, eh?" the old man asked.

"Yes," Steinman said. He noticed that the man had a thick Scottish accent, deep and noticeable. The man extended his hand toward Steinman and smiled warmly.

"The name's Eric Ferguson. I live on that floor."

"J. S. Steinman." He took Ferguson's hand and shook it firmly.

"So what's a lad like you doin' in an aquarium like this? You got an invitation from Ryan I assume?" Steinman nodded. "The man himself! You musta been a really professional doctor on the surface if you got an invite from a guy like that." Steinman looked at the floor and blushed. What a compliment! The doors to the elevator opened and both men stepped inside it. Steinman pressed the button to the fifteenth floor and watched as the doors closed. The elevator began its climb up, signaling its passage of each floor every two minutes.

"So doctor, I'm just gonna cut to the chase," Ferguson said. "On the surface I was a pharmacist. We got put outta business by these damned unruly wee ones who have nothin' betta ta do than ruin someone else's life. But you seem like a nice young lad, so I'm gonna make you an offer you can't refuse. There's somethin' down here in this place, somethin' that everybody wants. Everybody who comes here starts wantin' this bloody stuff eventually, so I'm just gonna show you what it is." He pulled a small veil of red liquid out of his pocket and held it up to Steinman.

"What is it?" Steinman asked.

"This stuff is called ADAM. It's fantastic stuff, it's bloody amazin'. Really makes the days go by. It works miracles. What's your area of work, doctor?"

"I'm a plastic surgeon."

"Perfect. This stuff will get your head outta your arse and make performin' surgery so much easier for you. Heck, it can help you perform the best operations you could possibly ask for." Steinman looked at the veil skeptically. Something marketed as being this strong surely must be exaggerated. Nothing could be that great. On the other hand, Ferguson seemed like a decent fellow. Steinman smiled and looked at the Irishman. "How do I know that you're not just saying that to sell it to me?"

"Why doctor, I'm insulted. I'd never tell a lie to a lad like you! Well, if you don't wanna try it, then that's your loss." He started to slip the veil into his pocket, when suddenly Steinman grabbed his arm. "Wait. How do you know how great this stuff is?"

"Lad, if I wasn't sure, I wouldn't be sellin' this stuff to ya right now, would I? I use this stuff once a month, and it really changes ya. Makes ya appreciate life more than you already do. In fact, just to prove I'm not rippin' ya off, have this samply for free, lad." He handed the veil to Steinman just as the elevator reached the fifteenth floor. "Perfect timin'." They stepped out of the elevator and went their separate ways. As Steinman opened the door to his apartment, he looked again at the veil. "Hey Eric!" he called out.

"Yeah doctor?"

"How do you take this stuff?"

"Just drink it outta the veil." Ferguson smiled and closed the door to his apartment. Steinman looked at the veil and thought about it. Was he really going to drink this stuff? He didn't even know Ferguson, and yet he had trusted him enough to buy this stuff from him. Sighing, he opened the veil and swallowed the whole thing. Nothing. He furrowed his brow and opened the door. He had been ripped off. Sighing again, he stepped into the apartment and closed the door. His bags were already there. The apartment was beautiful. The windows were crystal clear and looked out on the city and into the ocean. Everything was absolutely amazing.

Suddenly, a flash cut through the air. Steinman blinked. What just happened? He blinked several times, and suddenly noticed that everything looked sharper, shapelier, fuller, finer. Everything was much more noticeable now; colors seemed to stand out so much more. His head pounded rapidly; his heart began beating excitedly. He grabbed the wall and stumbled across the room, unaware that he was even moving. It felt as though his innards were being ripped apart, but for some reason he didn't care. He tripped and fell onto the bed, writhing in pain yet feeling nothing that should merit such reaction. His back arched, his toes curled, and his eyes widened. Everything in his body was being rewritten, reworked, and rewired.

Then, as quickly as it had started, it was over. The pain was over. Steinman bolted up and looked at his hands. They looked totally normal, yet they seemed so soft, so beautiful, so smooth. Those hands…they were absolutely beautiful. And the room…it was so bright!

Suddenly, the phone rang, like a melody to his ears. It seemed so far away right now, but then again his arms seemed so long. He reached for the phone and picked it up.

"He-he-hello?"

"Dr. Steinman? This is Andrew Ryan. How are you?"

"Oh, he-hello sir. I'm f-fine."

"Great! Listen, before we brought you here, we had already built a medical pavilion as a hospital. You were the one person we needed to complete our surgical ward, and so now we have officially formed the surgical staff. However, we're still in the process of hiring potential doctors and medical workers, so for a few months you will need to have a temporary job to hold yourself up. When we open up the pavilion, we would be honored if you would give a speech to commemorate its opening."

"I d-don't think I'll n-n-need to write a speech, sir. I l-like to m-make up what I'm s-s-saying when I s-speak in public."

"Perfect. And hey, are you alright? Your voice sounds a little shaky."

"I'm fine, just a l-little c-c-cold is a-all."

"Alright. Well, take a nice hot bath and go to sleep. You need to be up and early tomorrow to search for your new job!" The phone clicked, and Steinman put it back on the receiver. He stood up and stumbled over to the bathroom. He was feeling slightly better, although he was still a little woozy. Turning on the faucet, he noticed how beautiful the water was as it emptied into the tub, how solid, clear and silky it looked. He undressed himself carefully, making sure to fold his clothes and place them on the toilet. He sported a gorgeous six pack and stunning biceps, and extremely ripped leg muscles. He spent hours in the gym every day when he lived in New York, and he must have slept with nearly half the women in the city. He stepped into the tub, feeling the hot water sting his freezing feet. Then he slowly sat down and felt the stinging sensation of the water as it covered every inch of his body. He was tired, cold, frightened…but at home.

He dunked his head under the water and shut his eyes. Images of Carolyn flashed through his mind. She was so beautiful, so innocent, so...so...

Steinman gulped for air. He was suddenly overcome by panic. He felt as though he was sinking in the ocean. He shot his head up out of the water and leapt out the tub. A huge puddle amassed on the floor as he ran over to his bags. He had brought a large medical bag with him, and he needed what was inside it. He unzipped the bag and pulled out the heavy object inside it: Carolyn's head.

It was still preserved, although scarred and bloody. Steinman looked at the head and frowned. All this patient needs, he thought, is a nice cleaning and sculpting, and she'll be fine. He held the head under his arm and got back into the tub. His body had now become accustomed to the water's heat, so it didn't sting as badly anymore. Sighing, Steinman took the soap and began to wash the head. The blood washed away in the water, and suddenly the soft white skin seemed to glow in the bright light. He held Carolyn's face to his own, looking into those deep, dead eyes. They were so beautiful. He closed his eyes and put his mouth on the lips, passionately moving his tongue into...

He spat. For God's sake, this was a decapitated head! He stared at it in shock. Had he really been this transfixed by her beauty? It was so surreal: he had her love only in her death! Was he really going to do such a sick and disgusting thing to this head?!

Yes.

Steinman put his lips to the mouth and kissed passionately, meaningfully, knowingly, lovingly.

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Sorry it's sort of rushed, I wanted to get to the end of this chapter. REVIEW PLEASE!!!