Chapter 21

Hephaestus - The office of Andrew Ryan

Jack felt slightly dizzy as he entered the room - so many conflicting emotions came rushing to the surface. In this room, he had met the tyrant Andrew Ryan, whom until that moment he had blindly hated with a murderous intent. In this room, he had beaten the great man - his father - to death, whilst discovering throughout the act that he was blindly under the influence of others. In this room, he had learned what a fool he had been, how he had been tricked and manipulated by Frank Fontaine. The world had changed for him in this room. It was far dirtier than last time, a decade of grime and rot had taken hold, and the stale scent of death hung thick in the air.

He had been on his guard walking through the group of grubby splicers that guarded the way into the office, one had been sniffing him as he walked past, trying to pick up the distinct smell of a recent infusion of EVE. He nevertheless put on a smile and walked with confidence when he entered the office and approached Edward Carson. With little to build an opinion on, Jack entered with the intention to give this chap the benefit of the doubt. Yet, regardless of his intentions, motives and morals, there was something about seeing someone taking Andrew Ryan's desk as their own - sitting in his office, surrounded by his accomplishments, now trying to hold dominion over it all. The feelings surprised Jack, and he wondered if deep down, he did harbor a little affection in hindsight towards his biological father after all.

The new occupier of Ryan's old office seemed to turn pale upon Jack's entrance, and his jaw dropped as he exclaimed "Jesus Christ!". Jack slowed his advance, and whilst working to keep his smile, tried to figure out what it was that had stunned the man so much. Jack wondered if perhaps their paths had crossed back in 1960, and that he simply didn't remember.

Jack held his hand out steadily offering a handshake, which to his delight, Edward eventually accepted whilst trying to speak through a flabbergasted stammer. "My apologies... I don't mean to seem rude, but has anyone told you that you look just like... "

"Andrew Ryan?" Jack chuckled. "I'm afraid to say I know it too well for my liking. My name is Jack... Jack Ryan." Jack grimaced at himself slightly when he used 'Ryan' as his surname. Naturally he hadn't chosen to keep that name, and had lived instead as Jack Perkins back up on dry land, ever since his personal mission to gather information on his biological mother had turned up her true birth name as Jennifer Mary Perkins - Jasmine Jolene being a later embellishment intended to befit an up and coming lady of stage and screen.

Edwards heart leapt so high it could have popped out of his mouth, and then sank so deep he could swear his feet were throbbing. He didn't know how to react, or even how he wanted to react. He was excited by anything related to Andrew Ryan, whom he and his late lover had always idolized, but there was something about this new, handsome face being a blood relation that troubled Edward, he felt the uncertainty in his gut.

"Ryan's son?" Edward coughed, dumbstruck. The splicers beside them all turned quickly at the mention of the name, and began eyeing the stranger with immense suspicion. Of course Edward knew the rumor, the story of Andrew Ryan's son - the man that had allegedly been the one to finally put an end to Frank Fontaine, with the help of some little sisters.

"But that was years ago - word was you made it back up to the surface?" Edward asked, gesturing for them both to take a seat at the desk. Jack was initially optimistic about Edward, simply by his gentle and slightly nervous demeanor, he seemed perfectly 'human' which in Rapture was a word that had lost much of its meaning.

Jack smiled as he recounted the tale of his final escape back to the surface. "That is true, I was able to return back topside, and I've been living in the United States ever since."

Edward listened keenly to every word, and it matched the stories he'd heard. But still he felt this budding doubt, a sort of wish not to entirely believe it, and consequentially, he wondered if this could instead be an elaborate hoax? Conveniently involving a dead ringer for the original Ryan. Still, Edward was eager to here more, to try and paint himself a clearer picture of the situation.

"What of the world above my friend? We've heard nothing of it in so long - did the great wars happen as your father predicted?" Edwards eyes were like saucers as he gazed upon the great man's near-reincarnation.

"My father...let's just refer to him as Andrew Ryan... whilst I admit he may not have been wrong to predict a turbulent future for the world, his paranoia got the better of him, and its what triggered much of his downfall from what I understand. There have been skirmishes of course between nations, and some close calls - but no, no nuclear wars. The world had progressed, moved on."

"Hmph, that's what any winning side would tell its children once the war was won." Boxer, the large splicer growled to himself. Edward waved off the mans comments with a flick of his wrist, and his face begged more information.

Jack poised to continue, but didn't know where to start. "There is a great deal I could tell you, Edward, but I must decline for now, as I have come to meet you for a reason, indeed the same reason that brought me back down here to Rapture" He took in a deep breath, deciding how best to broach the subject of clearing out the cities stock of Sisters, little and big. "I just have to say - I'm pleased to find so many people still alive down here. On my journey out, I wasn't sure how many survivors I'd come across, if any at all."

Edward smiled, and lent forward. "Since you left, a lot has happened... but we have endured." Jack nodded in understanding "Sofia Lamb..."

Edward was curious as to how Jack knew of her, but supposed he had been back in Rapture long enough to hear a few things.

"Sofia Lamb, precisely." Edward confirmed. "But something must have made you feel returning was worth the gamble that we were still alive down here? The city doesn't have long left in its current condition, she's bleeding oxygen and most of her vital machinery is woefully under powered. We have a reliable estimate from 'The Thinker' that Rapture's systems will fail in a few weeks. I'm pushing now for a last ditch attempt to save everyone... whatever you've come back down here for Jack, you may well be too late".

Upon this revelation, Jack decided to hold off discussing his cure for ADAM addiction for a moment. "If the city is collapsing, why not leave? I've gathered from others that Sofia Lamb has left Rapture, so surely with what is left of the Bathysphere's and equipment down here, you could mount some sort of evacuation?"

Edward's star-struck smile started to subside; "Rapture is our home. It gave me everything, and I gave everything to it. I will not abandon my city..." Jack was sure Edwards smile had almost become a snarl. As Edward broke eye contact and gave a passing glance of uncertainty to Boxer across the room, Jack felt yet another, almost jealous thump in his stomach, when Edward had referred to Rapture as 'his'. So far, Jack had certainly recieved no reassurance from this man that he was worthy of Rapture, of all Andrew Ryan's dreams and work. The pair locked eyes for a moment, and it was clear to both that the initial excitement was gone, and that both stood on their hind leg, waiting for the other to throw the next proverbial punch.

Jack knew that a confrontation of any degree could jeopardize his rescue mission

"I have no wish to impose myself upon your plans for Rapture, Mr Carson. God knows the poor souls down here need someone with a level head to watch out for them." He reach across the desk and offered his hand out. Hesitantly, Edward reached out and shook. His eyes were wide, he wasn't convinced.

"Then will you tell me, Jack Ryan, why are you back down here?"

I've been sent back down here, by another that has since returned to the surface. Dr Brigid Tenenbaum. You may have heard of..." Jack tried to continue, but was cut short.

"Yes, everyone knows Tenenbaum. I can't say she won my admiration - she cheated my partner out of the Plasmid business in favour of Fontaine... she was as much a crook and a psycho as the rest of Fontaine's gang back in those days..." Edwards lips curled he frowned as he decribed her. "Most of us had thought her dead, she hadn't been sighted around Rapture since before Sofia Lamb left. Can't say I was sorry at the idea."

Jack felt he had no further recourse but to finally spell it out. "Well, she's sent me down here to bring all the children back up to the surface, and she's sent me armed with a cure for ADAM addiction."

Once more, the pair sat in silence.