Halo: Rapture
Chapter Twenty-One: Quid Pro Quo for a Coup d'état
Master Chief, Spartan-117________________________________________________________________
When I was a little kid, long before I was 'recruited' into the Spartan program, I can vaguely recall watching acrobats doing some of their routines in a Fair I attended. In my childish mindset, I had decided that I wanted to be able to do those things. Unfortunately, I could never stand the feeling of blood rushing to my head and morbid thoughts of all the fluids crushing my brain…
So naturally my present situation is on the top of my list of 'uncomfortable situations'. I'm currently hanging upside down from a service ladder in an empty elevator shaft with a penlight held in my teeth while trying to pry the elevator doors open. I grunt in discomfort and readjust my grip on the doors. The metal is denting and my fists are making imprints.
Yes, I am stronger than the average human but my currant position is making it difficult to open welded shut doors. With a final burst of strength, I yank and manage to slam the doors open. I freeze when the sound echoes throughout the dark corridor. After nothing happens and nothing comes to attack me, I reach up and grab the rung my legs are hanging from. I then move so I'm right side up again before swinging through the doors and out the elevator shaft.
I land catlike in the hallway and stay there for a moment to wait for my dizziness to subside. The problems with hanging upside down. When the excess blood drains from my head, I stand up and look around. I only had to travel ten minutes from R&D to find the elevator shaft that leads to the Executive Offices. Obviously, Ryan's office wasn't located here (it's near the city core) but Kyburz office was and that is my destination.
From what Atlas had been telling me, Stanley Kyburz was responsible for the R&D department I just came from. His office is located somewhere on this floor. I cautiously and silently make my way down the hall and stop at the turn. I peek around and see a hoard of cubicles taking up almost all the space in the room.
Seeing nothing immediately dangerous I step into the room. Atlas told me that Kyburz has an office not a cubicle, so I have to keep moving. I'm halfway through the room when a familiar whale-like groan echoes from the hallway ahead of me. I freeze before jumping to cover in a cubicle and grab my Brute Shot.
I wait as the thundering footsteps get closer accompanied by childish giggling and whispering. There's one…yep just one. A Big Daddy with two children. One a red headed little girl and the other is a slightly taller, raven haired boy. The cherry haired girl was riding on the back of one Big Daddy and was chatting nonsensically to no one in particular. The boy was walking ahead of the Big Daddies with a flashlight in one gloved hand and a combat knife in the other.
I frown, under his clothes the boy looked as if he was wearing a Kevlar vest and pads on his elbows and knees. The youth looked around the room with glowing eyes before walking fully into the area and walking cautiously down the rows of cubicles with the Big Daddy following him. They seemed to be using him as a scout but…weren't they supposed to be protecting him? Not using him as an early warning system. Taking a deep breath I ready the Brute Shot. This is going to be tricky.
I load the Brut Shot with the Proximity Grenades and start setting my trap. After lobbing three on the floor and one on each wall of the hall, I arrange the next ammo belt with one Flash Bangs and five Incendiary grenades for good measure. I take careful aim, so I don't hit the boy directly. I saw my chance when the Big Daddy looked straight at me and pulled the boy aside to make a threatening roar. I gave the Brute Shot a gentle squeeze and Flash Bang flew straight and true squarely into his chest.
The desired effect was immediate. The Little Sister fell off her protector like a sack of hammers and the boy starter fumbling around growling and swinging his knife like a homicidal maniac while trying to clear his fogged vision. The Big Daddy was a very different story. It shook off the effects of the grenade and charged at me like a bat out of Hell with its eyes blazing red with a terrible rage. I stay still until the last possible moment…then duck into an adjacent cubical and wait for the explosion. There was a long loud death moan from the dispatched guardian and crash of metal hitting the floor. That was too easy, these must pack more of punch than I thought.
"Why won't you move Mr. Bubbles?" The Little Sister sobbed.
I holster my Brute Shot and locate the Little Sister crying by the burnt corpse of the Big Daddy. I quickly grasp her shoulder and concentrate on killing the slug in her body. After a few moments and the bright light fades, she turns to me with wide green eyes. I'm about to turn away to find the boy when she hugs my legs, "Thank you sir! You saved me!" I awkwardly pat her head and step away from her.
"I have to find your friend, please stay here." I say as I pick her up and set her down on an empty office chair. She nods with a smile and begins to spin herself around in the chair. I step away and look around in the general direction of where I knocked him out with the Flash Bang. He was nowhere to be found.
Where…?
I let out a shout as the boy suddenly drops out of nowhere and lands on my back. Before I can overcome my surprise, he gives a feral growl and jabs his knife into the junction between my shoulder and neck. I scream as pain shoots through my body and my vision turns red. He twists before yanking the knife out and moves to stab it higher up my neck, but I use my good arm to grab him and throw him off.
The boy cries in pain as he hit's the wall with a thud and makes an indent. I can feel the blood pouring from my shoulder but my wound (and the rest of my arm) feels strangely numb. I grasp my injured shoulder and make my way over to the kid where he is pushing himself up shakily. I kick the knife away and grab the boy by the arm. He shouts angrily as he tries to pull away, but I keep a firm hold. I kill the slug and release my grip. He drops to the ground as he vomits the ADAM in his system, and I check my shoulder.
A yellowish green scab has already formed over the wound and the numbness is subsiding. But then I feel a strange cold sensation enter my mind and my skin feels like a thousand spiders are crawling across me. "Reclaimer." A faint voice whispers so close I could swear it was right beside me. However, as I spin around to face whom ever it was… I was met with nothing.
"Atlas?"
"Yes, Chief? Are you well? Your vitals showed you flat lined for a moment! What happened?"
"I…don't know. I'll call you back in a second." Looking back over at the boy to see the glow in his eyes has subsided, and I can now see his deep blue eyes. He stands up and bits his lip, "Sorry mister. I really am but I was s'posed to protect Jenny like Mr. Bubbles." Yes, I am pissed about getting stabbed, but I can't hold it against him.
"It's fine. Your friend's over here." I lead him over to the red head, he called Jenny, and she jumps off the chair to hug him.
"Jenny. You're okay!"
"Yeah I'm ok. Are you?"
"Nothing papa Suchong won't fix!" Exclaimed the small boy. Somewhere down the hall I could hear what sounds like Splicers rampaging towards this direction.
"All right the both of you have to get out of here the Splicers are coming." The girl seemed frightened but the boy simply walked over to a vent and pried it open then gestured to the girl.
"Come on Jenny! If we get back soon Mama Tenenbaum will tell us a story!" Before she crawled in she turned and mentioned for me to bend down. I did so and she gave me a small smile then a peck on the cheek. "Thank you mister." With that they disappeared down the dark tunnel.
"Why was the boy armed and escorting a Big Daddy and his Little Sister?"
"They must be fresh from the Proving Grounds. As for the boy…where did you think the Big Daddy's came from? This is part of his training. The boys do this for a few years, then they get 'Upgraded' at Suchong's free clinic. It's… not pretty Chief…they first graph that suit to their skin and organs, implant a voice box, and have to suffer weeks of brain washing till they were nothing more than mindless beasts. Before that can happen though they need the slug to build up a supply of ADAM in their systems, so they can survive the procedure."
"Atlas, who is Dr. Suchong?"
"Oh, that would be the Dr. Moreau of Rapture. The Big Daddy's, the Little Sisters, the Plasmids, and the pheromones that controlled the Splicers. They were all the brain child of Dr. Yi Suchong. Personally, I felt Ryan should have left him in that Insurrectionist camp."
"A Rebel camp?"
"Yeah, that's where he met Ryan. The Rebel's had raided Suchong's colony, but he bribed them with his large supply of opium, and they spared his life. After the opium was gone, they kept the doctor around
because of his brilliance and expertise. Meanwhile, a teenage Andrew Ryan (then Andrei Ryanofski) was being held prisoner in an Innie Camp reserved for political and other important prisoners. Suchong was
using a few of the prisoners as test subjects and that's where he met Ryan. They must have buddied up because (from what I've figured out) Suchong helped Ryan escape. In return Suchong was one of the first people to be invited to Rapture and given a prestigious place in the city."
"Ryan was held in an Insurrectionist Camp?" I've seen those camps, they aren't pretty. Torture and starvation is only some of many things they do there. I can't help but feel bad for the guy, despite everything.
"What of it? Look, it's not important now. So, would you kindly get moving, we don't have a lot of time before Ryan figures out where you are and sets off an alarm." He's right. I got to keep moving.
I walk out of the cubicle room and continue down the hall. I pass a break room and some offices, but it takes me several minutes to find Kyburz office, and I can't help the wave of relief that goes through me. Finally. His office is unlocked and the inside looks like it was tossed by professionals.
"His office has been searched."
"Hmm. They must have done it when they captured him. Give me a moment…" There's some static on the radio before another familiar voice comes through. "Hey Chief, it's Victor. Listen, Stan may have had loose lips when he was plastered, but he was paranoid above all else. Underneath his desk look against the wall. Some of the carpet should be loose and coming off."
I do as he instructed and climb under the old fashioned wooden desk. Sure enough the worn, beige carpet is beginning to come off. "Alright, peel it back." I do and find that some of the metal tiles underneath have been taken out and a trap door has been set in to replace them. The door is coded and it looks strong enough to withstand most explosives. "The code is, listen carefully: 0126. He told me in case he didn't make it."
I impute the code and hear the gears turn before the safe pops open. Inside is several Audio chips, some blueprints, a laptop, a can filled with an unknown substance and (to my amusement) a full bottle of gin that was dated back to the 21st century. That's old alcohol. I grab the first chip I see and place it in the laptop the moment it boots up.
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"Stanley Kyburz, Research and Development Department Manager-
I spent the afternoon trying to get as close to Ryan's gate as possible without making a spectacle of myself... He's got it shielded six ways till Easter. There's no way into that place. All I got for my trouble was
the hairy eyeball from Ryan's Splicer mates. That's the reward you get for trying to outsmart the best electrical engineer of our generation."
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Okay Ryan's gate is guarded by Splicers. Nothing I didn't know before. Nonetheless, I insert the next chip.
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"Stanley Kyburz, Research and Development Department Manager-
Ryan's Splicers are dragging the young woman off right now. I'm certain she's one of Ryan's spies, sent to feel me out... I think she is... if I'm wrong, an innocent girl'll end up on Ryan's bloody trophy wall. If
I'm right... well, I best be right. The device is almost finished. I can't get soft now, I can't!"
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Paranoia. Interesting but no help.
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"Stanley Kyburz, Research and Development Department Manager-
What a barmy dream... some kind of fruit tree, spinning like a top, and it was pouring juice down Ryan's throat, choking the bastard. But it wasn't a tree, really, when I looked closer, it was the core control,
the gizmo that feeds the shield on Ryan's gate. You can't cut off the power, comes right from the volcanic vents... Ryan always gets his juice. But I suppose you could drown the son of a bitch in it…"
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Now, that's what I wanted to know. It makes sense. Overload the power to blow the circuits.
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"Stanley Kyburz, Research and Development Department Manager-
The bombs ready, or almost, just gotta add the can of ionic gel, and I'll have myself my own homemade EMP device. It should send the core into compensation mode, push power down the line and trigger
the circuit breaker on Ryan's gate. That's the theory. It'll either work like a charm, or blow up half of Rapture. Nothing ventured…"
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What was that about blowing up half of Rapture? "Sounds like Kyburz did most of the hard work, all you have to do is fill the bomb with the gel. So, would you kindly get down to the Workshops. Victor tells me that's where he hid the thing."
I nod even though he can't see and look around for something to carry everything. I'm in luck, sitting forlornly against the door near a coat rack is a rucksack. I grab it and place in it, the can of ionic gel, the laptop (it could come in handy), blueprints (never know), and as an afterthought the bottle of gin. I don't drink but Harvey and the others might like it. A thank you for the brand new weapons and everything
else they've done for me. I leave the office and go back to the elevator shaft. I'm halfway there when my radio picks up a transmission.
"Imagine the will it took to create a place like this. And what have you built? Nothing. You can only loot and break. You're not a man, you just a termite of Versailles." When Ryan finishes his speech the lights turn red and an alarm blares.
I grab the Assault Rifle and break into a run. If I can get to the elevator shaft, I should be safe. Sentinels turn the corner ahead of me, and I can hear them closing in from behind. I shoot at the ones ahead to throw them into disarray and freeze a single one behind me. I race into the room with the cubicles to see Splicers waiting for me. Each and everyone is dressed in what appears to be a security uniform, and they have ski masks covering their deformed faces.
One fires a shotgun blast that just barely missed me. I dive into a cubicle and fire at the Splicer that shot at me only to watch in amazement as he actually dodges the bullets. They are fast. Very fast. When I duck down to reload one finds me and proceeds to unload a clip from his pistol. Several hit the already dented armor on my arm, but I jump at him and twist his arm to break it. He screams, alerting the others, and I break his neck before he can do anything else.
Before I can even turn around another Splicer flips onto the desk and shrieks as it kicks me hard enough to go flying through several cubicles. I groan as I land heavily on a desk and break it, but again I have no time to move because another Splicer (possibly the same one) jumps on top of me shoot me with an Electro Bolt. My entire body goes numb as it convulses from the shock. Despite this I can make out the Sentinels closing in on my position.
Without a second to waste, I grab the Splicer by it's legs and throw him into the machines before jumping up and moving into cubicle that's still intact. My body is still twitching from the electricity, but I shakily
manage to summon my Winter Blast. I wait for my next target patiently as I stay crouched down. I hear the sound of approaching Sentinels, and I only have to wait for a few more moments before two come into view. I shoot the Winter Blast at the two and watch as they crash to the floor and shatter to a million pieces.
However, I don't stand there and ogle, instead I shoot at two of the three Splicers. One's head gets riddled with bullets, and it crashes to the ground in a limp heap. The second dodges and back flips out of the way. I dive out of the way for more cover as soon as the clip is empty. There are still two Splicers, both injured, and four Sentinels.
I hear a Splicer approaching and the minute, he flips over the cubicle wall, I hit him with the Winter Blast and watch as he tumbles from the air and hits the desk. I move away from the cubicle and out into the open. I fire the Assault Rifle at the Sentinels and manage to take out two more before the rest riddle me with bullets. Several catch my leg but I don't realize it until I am crouched behind some debris. The area around the wound and all my other wounds have gone numb, and I don't feel any pain as scabs are beginning to form.
The Splicer I clipped with Rifle fire has disappeared and its making me nervous. I lean over to the edge of the debris and fire at the last two Sentinels. When they hit the floor broken to pieces I look around. He's gone. I don't get to think about it more because he makes an appearance by jumping down from right above me. He crashes into me and we both hit the floor. Before I can react, he has strong hands around my neck and is cutting off my oxygen supply.
One of my hands grabs the Splicer's hands (breaks them) and at the same time my other shoots out on it's own accord and punches him hard in the stomach. I feel the Kevlar but it doesn't seem to help him because he immediately let's go of me and stumbles backward in pain, gripping his stomach. He hacks and coughs and I can see the Splicer's black ski mask get stained around the mouth area. It doesn't take a genius to know that he's coughing up blood. Internal bleeding.
I don't want to waste my chance, so I get up from the floor and shoot him in the head. He collapses without a sound. I look around at the damage before checking all my weapons and heading back to the elevator. Time to get to the Workshops.
-END OF CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE-
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Authors Notes:
Dear Readers,
I haven't been feeling very well lately and I think this chapter is a testament to that. My overall feeling for this chapter are best described as: 'meh'. Oh well, best I can do for the time being.
Let's see. I had stuff I wanted to say…
Ah, I know! In an attempt to get over writer's block I was surfing around on Bioshock Wiki and found lots of stuff I decided to incorporate into the story. That bit about Ryan being in a Rebel Prison camp came from his bio (albeit tweaked to fit this story, obviously), the audio diaries and audio messages also came from there.
At least you also all know why there are Little Brothers in this story now. I thought the game lacked description on the Big Daddy transformation so I made some stuff up. Gosh, I would've put the reason in sooner if I had known so many people would throw a fit over it.
Anyway, I hope at the very least you enjoyed this chapter.
-KTHM