Bioshock Infinite: Union
Chapter 21
-Booker-
"Do you know what they call someone who enters a man home to steal from it? A thief. I do not like thieves in My City, Mr. DeWitt."
*Guess we got noticed.* Elizabeth grimly noted. *Booker, meet Andrew Ryan, the Founder of Rapture.* She didn't even seem to be trying to keep the disgust out of her voice.
"You have killed my men and let loose traitors onto my streets. You have much to account for Mr. DeWitt."
"You call me a thief when *your* men kidnaped my daughter and nearly killed me. You started this Ryan, not me."
Ryan was quiet for a several moments.
"You do have a point Mr. DeWitt. The acquisition of the girl was ordered by Dr. Suchong without my knowledge. However, I believe the remains of his estate should be able to provide adequate compensation. Minus the damages you have incurred of course."
*He's trying to buy you off?*
"Don't money Ryan. I want my daughter."
"The girl provides important resource needed to ensure the survival of My City. It is quite impossible for you be allowed to take her. I assure you that she will be well cared for the rest of her life and is quite happy performing her duties."
"Rest of her life? Duties?" His anger was boiling up again. Murdered in two years? Drinking blood?
"As part of this agreement, you will be unable to return from where you came, but you shall be a rich man which more than compensates for any inconvenience. I believe I am making quite a generous offer considering your behavior."
"You. want. me. to. sell. my. daughter?" Calm down. Need to keep your head. CALM DOWN.
*Bastard.* She was off to the side with her fists clenched, glaring at the screen.
"The girl no longer belongs to you. The only question is if you will profit from this situation. You should be happy for her Mr. DeWitt. She is an important part of Rapture and Rapture shall be the Salvation of Humanity. It is an honor to be part of My City and I believe a man of your talents could do well here."
*He's trying to keep you from destroying the Lutece Device. Booker, could you please show him what we think of his "offer"?*
He got out the Sky-Hook and took a step towards Tear Machine. There were more than a few parts the Sky-Hook would easily destroy.
"Where did you get that?"
"Get what?" He took another steps towards the Tear Machine.
"The Air Grabber you hold it is very unusual. So tell me, does the name "Comstock" mean anything to you?"
He didn't think Ryan wasn't playing for time and diverting him from looking too closely at a connection between him and Comstock was a good idea.
He made a show of looking at the Sky-Hook. "This? It says "Sky-Hook" on it. Them that helped me come here left it for me. Guess they thought it might be useful."
"And what of Comstock. What do you know that religious fanatic?" Ryan demanded, his voice full of scorn and . Ryan's probably worried about Columbia discovering Rapture. Got reason, both Comstock and the Vox would hate his guts.
"Yeah, I know 'em." *Booker!?* "Anthony Comstock, head of the so called "New York Society for the Suppression of Vice". Tried to hire me last year."
*Oh for… If you're trying to provoke Ryan, you're doing a good job.*
*Distracting him.*
"You are a mystery Mr. DeWitt, and I do not like mysteries. You can either accept my offer or you can share the fate of those others that abused my good will."
Ryan's half hidden face was replaced by a view of the Fontaine department store building the he and Clarice's people had escaped from. As they watched, the lights flickered and went out. Then a series of explosions appeared at different locations on the structure.
*He blew out the windows. There's no way they could survive.* Elizabeth said in a stunned, sad voice.
Both of them had known something like that was going to happen, but it still hurt. He prayed that Clarice and those poor mad splicers hadn't suffered long.
Time to show Ryan what he and Elizabeth though of that "generous" offer and Ryan's "good will".
He spun up the Sky-Hook and started to rip apart the delicate systems of the Tear Machine. He noticed that the view in the Tear had shifted again. It looked out a window and he could see Harmony Lane below. Must be inside the Emporia Towers.
"STOP! What are you doing!"
"Thought you would be able to figure that out. When I done making sure you can't kidnap more girls, I'm Going To Find My Daughter!"
"You fool. You are just like that young woman who stood in that same spot and refused me. She paid with her life and you shall as well."
"Had someone lot like you try to kill me already. I'm still around, they aren't."
"You would match wills with me? It was MY will that Rapture was built! It is MY will that.."
"Shut Up Ryan!" he commanded. "Doesn't take "will" to make a city like this. All it takes is power and being too afraid to admit You're Wrong!"
His Sky-Hook cracked the main inducer and cut two control lines. Or was that the line to the Junction System? Wasn't sure.
"Look how far you ran so you could hide from the truth Ryan, all the way to the bottom of the damn ocean." He didn't even try to hide his scorn.
"How Dare You!" Ryan bellowed angrily.
A few sparks shot out from the Tear Machine. *Booker, I don't think you should have hit that.*
"People like you never ask the question "Can I be wrong?" because You. Are. Afraid .Of. The. ANSWER! He punctuated each word with another strike at the Tear Machine.
"This is MY City! I shall crush you like an insect!" Ryan raged.
A shower of sparks erupted from the Tear Machine and the Tear in the center of it grew in size.
*Booker! Get away from it!* Elizabeth screamed.
He jumped back and turned to run back towards the kitchen. 'Guess I DID hit the Junction System.'
As he sprinted away from the Tear Machine there was a blinding flash and the sound of thunder.
Then nothing.
–Elizabeth–
She couldn't hear or see anything. What had happened to the Lutece Device? What happened to Booker?
*Booker. Booker! Can you hear me?* He wasn't dead. She would know, she would feel it.
There! Some light. One of Booker's eyes cracked open, it was all blurry and she couldn't make out anything. Still couldn't hear.
*Booker! Are you ok? Can you hear me?*
*Yeah, can hear you. Talk softly, head hurts.*
He closed his eyes a moment and rested. When he reopened them, he was on his back looking at the Lutece Device. Or what was left of it.
The top half of the Device was missing. No, not missing. It was fading in and out of reality just as the furniture and other objects near the sabotaged Device in the Lutece Laboratory in Columbia had done. She could start to hear something again. It was only a high pitched ringing sound, but it was a sign Booker's hearing was returning.
Booker staggered to his feet, used a First Aid Kit and looked around. *How did I get over here?*
They were on the other side of the room now, at the foot of the other flight of stairs going up to the balcony.
*I don't know. All I saw was a bright light.*
He looked back to the Device and they could see that something was on the floor beneath where the Tear had been. It was a Gear sitting in a hole carved into the floor. The case was damaged, but looked it looked like its contents were still intact. The screen Ryan had been using had been destroyed as had the Security Cameras. Even the crates and other equipment at the periphery of the room had suffered damage.
He took a step towards the Gear, but hesitated as he looked at the Device. The top part of the Device looked more insubstantial now. Parts of it detached themselves to float away and faded away to nothing.
*I think what's happening to the Device is something similar to what happened to the Luteces. Parts of the Device are being scattered over multiple realities.*
"No way Ryan will able to fix that. Think it's safe to get that Gear?" She could hear some now, but things sounded flat and muffled.
*I would rather not get very close.*
"Me either." He said and scratched his face. Then he looked at the block and tackle then walked over to it and picked up a length of rope.
*Don't tell me, you worked as a cowboy.*
"Not quite. Did learn how to use a rope though." Booker created a loop at one end of the rope and tossed it at the Gear, clearly hoping to ensnare it.
And missed.
"Hey, it's been awhile." He said defensively before she could comment. She hoped Anna was smiling about this.
On his second try Booker caught the Gear and pulled it towards him. As he did so, she noticed pieces of broken wood scattered about and what looked like part of a chair leg.
'The Tear must have opened for a moment as the machine overloaded. The Gear must have been the only thing tough to make it through intact. Glad Booker wasn't very close.'
*Booker, where is that thug you knocked out?*
He looked around, but didn't see him. The bodies of Ryan's other attackers still littered the room and the destroyed Patriot hadn't been moved. Then she realized that the thug had been much closer to the Lutece Device when it overloaded than Booker had been.
"He couldn't have woken up and run. Not in the shape he was in."
*I don't think he did. I think he might have gone through the Tear.*
*Be a fitting end for the bastard.* "Let's see what this Gear is."
"This is new. Called "Cat's Feet". Quiets the noise from movement and reduces damage from falls."
*Make it easier to sneak up on people. We better get out of here. No telling what Ryan will do next.*
"Shouldn't blow the place up at least. He will want to see if that thing could be fixed." Booker quickly searched the bodies for anything useful and found a First Aid Kit, a syringe of EVE, 83 dollars, enough machine gun ammo to replenish what he had used and an AutoHack Tool. He didn't keep the EVE syringe.
Booker had started to leave when she reminded him about the schematics. They had been blown all about the room because of the overload.
"Take a long time to pick 'em up."
*Could use the Devil's Kiss, no wait the Heater.*
*The Heater sounds good.*
They went in back and retrieved the Vox weapon and fired a round at the largest group of papers. They caught on fire quite nicely. Booker quartered the room firing one shot into each section. In a minute, all the papers were reduced to ash.
Booker tossed the empty Heater aside, refilled his EVE and walked to the door. They had just entered the lobby of the Silver Fin when most of the lights went out.
"Great." *Ryan must have cut the power to slow us down.*
"Probably sending more people here. Sore looser I take it?"
*A VERY sore looser.*
Booker continued towards the entrance and she realized she couldn't hear when he walked anymore. Even stepping on broken glass produced no noise.
*That Gear works nicely. Would have been nice to have when I was here.*
"Seems you did ok without it."
*Still, would have been easier if I had it.*
*Probably would have spent a lot of time in Columbia to find it.*
*On second thought, I did fine without it.* She had not enjoyed going back to Columbia.
Booker's radio came to life. It was Ryan again. He seemed calm, but there was anger boiling beneath the surface.
+It seems I greatly overestimated you. I had almost admired you for you being able to get to My City. But like so many others, your "altruism" has brought you low. No matter. I have become quite good at eliminating pests. All I need is the right poison.+
*Defiantly a sore loser.* they said as one.
They got to the entrance and the gate had dropped down and been blocked by the crate. Booker strained for a moment and lifted the heavy metal grate up out of the way and let it fall with a crash after he had passed beneath it.
They headed out into the atrium and it was cloaked in shadow. Almost all of the lights were dark here as well.
*Booker, I think we need to go back to where we found the jeweler's tools.*
"Why?"
*The Sky-Hook. Now Ryan knows that you have one..."
*He'll figure it's me if he gets a report of a strange looking Air Grabber.*
*The Air Grabbers aren't as well made as your Sky-Hook, but the still works. Maybe we will be able to make some improvements to it when we get up to Rapture.*
"Going to need to be careful getting there."
*You think Ryan has more people here.*
It bothered her a little that Booker still spoke out loud so often, but she knew it was to give the Luteces data for their "experiment". He stopped talking and they would know something was going on. Just hoped it didn't give their position away.
"Be surprised if he didn't. Should have left a few people to guard the spheres. How much of a problem will the lack of power be to launch the sphere?"
*None. But getting to the Maintenance Bay will be. No power...*
"Means no elevators. Got another problem, what happens when we try to leave?"
*Ryan's going to be watching. Wait, we can use that to our advantage, can't we?*
"Send out one of spheres that brought Ryan's people here..."
*And Ryan destroys it and thinks he killed you.*
"You got it. Then we take "your girl" out around the long way and dock on the other side of the city."
*You make it sound easy.*
"Course it's going to be easy. Life is always easy for us DeWitts."
"It seems like everybody's on the go these days. Everybody but you! Experience Ryan Industries' New Winter line of Plasmids! Evolve today!"
Several minutes later they were in Atlas's old medical dispensary and Booker picked up the Air Grabber and put it in his bag.
*Not going to use it yet?*
"Be good to practice with it for a bit. Going to be a bit different then the Sky-Hook."
As the got closer to the Service Bay, Booker moved more carefully and sometimes he stopped totally just to listen. Third time he stopped they heard something. Took a moment to realize it was someone talking in a low voice, but she couldn't make it out.
Booker crouched down low to stay out of sight and get in closer.
"Tell you somethin' happening." said a deep voice.
"With Atlas and his thieves, something is always going on." came a second voice with a German accent.
"Tellin ya this is different. We get sent out here hours ahead of schedule and the other squads get left behind. We get here and Mitchell gets sent in and we get left here with orders to stay here and guard these doors. Then all the lights go out."
Neither voice was muffled. They didn't have helmets on.
"I know, I heard the orders the same time you did. And we should follow those orders." the second voice admonished.
"That's not what I mean. Why did they drag all of us out there with Atlas pullin' crap back in the city? Ryan scared of something out here?" the first came back.
"Ryan has something going on here and I don't want to know what it is. You get dead if you know too much of his business."
"And what about Mitchell's squad? Why can't we reach them? You think the guy who did Walt's people got em?"
"I don't know and I don't care. If something bad happened to Mitchell, it would be good thing." the second replied.
*You can feel the love these people have for each other. I don't think we are going to learn anything from these two.*
"Hey, Walt was a good guy. Whoever did that needs to be left hanging in Apollo Square. And hang slow."
*No, don't think we will. Should be able to get the drop on 'em. Darkness is helping us more than hurting.*
Booker had just about worked his way around to the far side of the room when one of the security man's radio's came to life.
+Victor, Arnold, get back down here. Orders from the top to make sure the docking bay is secure. The mad splicer took out Mitchell and his men. We're supposed to lock the place up until reinforcements get here.+
The second one responded "Yes, Sargent. Heading back now." They could hear the men start to move.
*Mad Splicer? Humph.*
*To Ryan, anyone that doesn't buy into his twisted philosophy is mad.*
"Christ! One splicer taking down all those guys? Half 'em were splicers too!"
Booker carefully looked around the corner of the display case as they two men neared the door. Neither was watching behind them very much. He sprinted up behind them and struck the second one as the first one, (Arnold?) pushed the doors open. He fell to the floor, hitting with a hard "thump".
"Victor?" the first man said and started to turn. Booker struck him before he finished.
So busy trying to leave they didn't pay attention to what was behind them. Sloppy.
Jim: Hey, Mary, going to the big game tonight? I heard Ryan's Raiders are playing.
Mary: No way, Jim! It's not safe. Haven't you heard? Atlas' bandits are everywhere.
Jim: Hold on a second there! Remember what Andrew Ryan says: if you do that, the bandits win. Take your family to Fort Frolic and Arcadia. Go out and shop. It's the Rapture way of life!
Booker quickly search the two unconscious men finding some money, a flask of alcohol, a sandwich and a bottle of soda. "Guess the elevators must still be working. Musta just killed the lights." He walked back a short distance to the Circus of Values and hit it with Bypass and then Possession.
We need some way to surprise those men down in the docking bay. *Booker, do you think one of those long coats would fit you?*
He collected the money and bought some EVE. "Let's check. Seeing the uniform should be enough to slow them down at least."
*Hopefully will buy you enough time to knock them out rather than kill them.*
"Or at least not get shot up."
He looked over the two men a moment, Victor seemed to be taller so Booker took his coat and tried it on. "Should do." Then he picked up one of the hats to complete the disguise.
He started to walk to the elevator then stopped. "Going to be expecting two people in the elevator."
Booker grabbed Arnold and tossed him over his shoulder then headed for the elevator in back.
When he got there he stood Arnold up and put the unconscious man's right arm over his own shoulder and didn't seem bothered by the weight. She wondered how Booker got to be so strong. Back in Columbia he had repeatedly done things with a single hand what she had been unable to do with two. And in the escape from her tower he had carried her on the Sky-Hook with no difficulty.
*Booker, how did you get so strong? I know that sounds a bit odd, but your stronger than just about anyone I have ever met.*
"Run's in the family I guess. Some of it at least. Worked hard grow'in up, then the Army and I've kept busy since then."
*I felt so weak compared to you in Columbia.*
"No exercise. Spent all your time reading and learning to pick locks. Anna seems to be trying to make up for it though."
*Make up for it, how?*
"By not staying still for two minutes. Always running around. Has no problem keeping up with the boys, even some of the older ones."
*You make it sound like she's a trouble maker.* Was Booker letting her run around and get in trouble?
"Nothing like that. She likes to investigate, explore, experience things. Good at finding trouble, but she usually doesn't cause it."
The elevator slowed which ended the conversation. With a "ding" the door opened and they looked out into the Docking Bay. Still as dark as it had been earlier, which was a good thing because they were confronted by four of Ryan's Security men.
"Hey, Pete get a First Aid Kit! We got injured!" one of them yelled when he saw what was in the elevator.
Two of the men came to help Arnold while Pete turned to run top get a First Aid Kit. A man with the radio demanded "Victor! What happened?"
Booker didn't say anything. "Was it the splicer?" he demanded.
Both of men trying to help Arnold had their hand full lifting the unconscious man when the man with the radio noticed that Booker was not Victor. "You're not...!" he yelled and grabbed for his pistol.
Booker hit one of the men holding Arnold with the Sky-Hook and put him to the floor, then he launched a Bronco at the man with the radio. The other man holding Arnold took a moment to disentangle himself. It was a moment too long.
Booker grabbed the man by the neck and slammed his knee into his solar plexus. The man fell to the floor gasping for air. Booker then sprinted over to the man help aloft by the Bronco and used the Sky-Hook to render him unconscious. The Electric Touch adding insult to injury by shocking him.
"Oops, didn't mean that." he muttered.
Then a small crate slammed into Booker, knocking him back. He looked up to see the guard that had been sent to get the First Aid Kit. He made a gesture and another small crate flew up to left hand as if drawn by magnets.
Booker fired off another Bucking Bronco in the nick of time. The man was slammed into the air and crate smashed into the wall over Booker's head. Booker again sprinted to the thrashing man and made use of the Sky-Hook. Again the Electric Touch Gear activated and small bolts of electricity played over the man.
"Not sorry about that though."
He walked back to the remaining guard who was coughing and trying to regain his feet. Booker grabbed the man's handcuffs, pulled his hands behind him and locked the cuffs around them. Shortly the rest were safely cuffed.
"How did that guy make the crates do that?"
*It must be the Telekinesis Plasmid. I don't think it had been released yet when I was here before.*
"Could he unlock the handcuffs?"
*Don't think so? Where are going to put them.*
*The Café store room is about the only thing I can think of. Doesn't need to hold them long, just long enough to keep them from seeing what we're doing.*
After the bombing of the Kashmir, we were all plenty scared of Atlas and his thugs. But only a fool counts out the right-thinking folks of Andrew Ryan's Rapture. Atlas' thugs have been pushed out of Point Prometheus, they're on the run in Port Neptune. It's one thing starting a war, Atlas, but finishing one's an altogether different matter. Folks say it's only a matter of time before Atlas' entire mob comes out waving the white flag...
"Ryan's goin' to kill you. Doesn't matter how you carve us up, you're dead."
Booker turned to the source of the voice. It was the guard he put his knee into.
*Really? You just took out the four of them and he's making threats?* Guess some people just have to bluster.
"Hate to tell you this fellow, but Ryan lied to you. I didn't carve up anyone. Killed the thing that did though." He reached down and hauled the man up to his feet. "Time to take a walk." He pushed the man towards the Café and the store room. It took nearly ten minutes to drag all five men to the storeroom.
As they did so Booker idly wondered why the one with the Telekinesis Plasmid hadn't used his Tommy Gun.
*I think it's the power.*
"The power?"
*Well, the feeling of power. Splicers seem to love the power they have and look for a reason to use it.*
"Even when using it may not be a good idea."
*Guess, that's what power does to some people.*
"Or maybe why some people try to get power. Because they like it."
*Never thought of it that way. My powers were just something I used. I never wanted them.*
"Me either. People like Ryan on the other hand, they love their power. Probably one reason he came down here. It's where he could be top dog."
*And Comstock went up.*
Booker twitched slightly when she said that. *Hate to say it, but Comstock didn't love power. It was just a means to an end, nothin' more. Guess that's one difference between him and Ryan.*
*Comstock left behind all his power to come to Rapture. He was running from his guilt, but I never thought about what he left behind.*
*His wife, his city, all that he had built and all he thought he believed in. Just to run from his guilt, from himself. Wonder what kind of world he could have made if he had taken responsibility.*
What did Booker just say?
*You think Comstock could have been redeemed?! After what he did?* She couldn't believe what he was saying!
*What's the real difference between me and Comstock Elizabeth? I admit what I did, face what I have done. I'm just as guilty for what I did at Wounded Knee as he was. But Comstock ran, hid, refused to take responsibility. Facing up to killing Anna wouldn't have redeemed him, but it would have been a step in the right direction. He could have stopped being Comstock if he tried.*
*But he didn't. He ran here to forget it all.* she retorted angrily.
*Yeah, he ran. None of them stopped running, ever. Guess that's what made them Zachary Hale Comstock and not Booker DeWitt.* He almost seemed sad. *Best tend to business in the here and now.*
For a moment she thought about what Booker was talking about. What could have been done with Columbia's technology. Even just the Lutece Particle. The whole world could have been changed. But she knew that in all the different realities, Columbia never made the world a better place. It only led to the world's destruction.
-Booker-
He dragged the last one of Ryan's people into the storage room and laid him on the floor, if not gently. The lone man in the room glared at Booker with a mixture of fear and hate. Guess he didn't believe Booker wasn't going to kill him.
Booker closed the door and used a broom to jam it closed. Then it was back to the Bathysphere dock. The sphere they were going to send as a distraction was a standard one built by Ryan Industries. Booker looked around inside the sphere a few moments as if he where double checking on something.
*You're not planning to pull the level and try to get out before the door closes are you?*
"No, that doesn't seem like a good idea. Could probably do it, but better to use a rope.*
*Hope this rope trick works better than your last one.*
"Very funny. Thinking of sending it to Arcadia. Got a better idea?"
*No, Arcadia would be the best.*
It wasn't too hard to find a rope in the construction material around them and soon the sphere was on its way. They watched the sphere as it headed towards Rapture for a minute then turned to go the elevator to take them down the Service Bay. When the radio came to life.
+Did you Really think you could enter My City without my permission DeWitt? Have your altruistic delusions rotted your mind so greatly that you believe you can steal from me?+
Booker turned back to the window. "You haven't been able to stop me yet Ryan."
+Did you know that there is a radio beacon in all he bathysphere's my company makes? And that torpedos can home in on that signal?+
He tried to sound surprised and upset. "What? You think you're just going to sink me?"
+Oh, I assure you I can. And I have. Goodby, "Mr. DeWitt"+ Ryan seemed rather cheerful now.
He could just make out the sphere in the distance. And then there were two small flashes and a bubble of air went up and remains of the sphere sank.
He made sure the radio was off and said "What was it you said earlier about egomaniacs?"
She chuckled a little. *Never underestimate the fallibility of an egomaniac.* *He seemed rather happy at the thought of killing you Booker.*
"Well, let's not do anything to ruin his mood." *The best grift is the one where the victim never even realizes they were fooled.*
*I think we should check over the sphere before we leave. There could be a radio beacon on it as well.*
"Best that we check then, I want to get out of this place." And they left for the Service Bay.
A search revealed that the Stingray did have a radio beacon on it. Elizabeth said it was needed for the automated navigation system. But since they weren't going to be using the automated system, there would be no problem in disabling the system.
Shortly after that, they were on their way. As they had planned, they headed out and away from Rapture with the former Fontaine Department store building between them and the city. Then they slowly circled to the other side before heading in to find a place to dock. Elizabeth guided them to "Prosperity Way". It was a lower middle class area that tended to keep to itself. She had visited it a number of times and knew her way around it fairly well.
Said it had a good bookstore.
It had taken over an hour and half in travel time and Booker had to use the air tank to avoid running out of oxygen. But it wasn't all that comfortable to use. The Stingray surfaced in the dock and the door opened. He sat a moment to enjoy the relatively fresh air before putting the tank back behind the seat and stepping out into the docking bay.
*Welcome to Rapture, Mr. DeWitt. I don't think you're going to enjoy your stay very much.* Elizabeth said in voice that mocked the announcements on the loudspeakers.
"No problem. Get the feeling there are going to be a lot of people that will enjoy my stay a lot less." He told her with a grim smile.
End Chapter 21