Bioshock Infinite: Union
Chapter 44
-Booker-
Mary inviting him to dinner was a surprise. "Sorry, but I should be going."
Mary wasn't going to let it go that easily. "Think of it as payment for getting us those weapons."
Had no worries about those who had been down in Fontaine's, but he didn't know any of the recent additions and had no reason to trust them. "Best if I get this Wildhelm as soon as I can."
That made Mary pause. "Hm. I guess so. But we still owe a dinner."
"Maybe next time."
Wasn't sure if Elizabeth had been disappointed or amused by it all. Probably a little of both.
He returned to the first floor while Mary went to speak to Mrs. Wildhelm. He spent a short time talking to Sam and William. Actually, William did most of the talking. In fact he didn't seem to want to stop. Even Elizabeth was ready to gag him before long.
Not soon enough Mary came down and gave him an Audio Diary. They chose a frequency on the short wave so they could talk to each other and he could let them know when he brought Wildhelm down as well as simple code words to be used. After that, he headed out for Point Prometheus.
They were soon walking up the incline to Olympus Central Square. Elizabeth was a little ahead of him.
No, she wasn't.
"So, what are thinking about?"
*Hmm? Oh. I think we found a place to go to if, when, we leave the Way.*
"Thought it was clear I can't stay with Clarice's people."
*Not with them, near them.*
"Near? You mean the other side of the tram tracks."
*Yes. You would be close enough to help them if there was trouble, but not so close to pose an immediate threat.*
"Hum, might work. If someone attacks they will be focused on the other side. Find a room on an upper floor, maybe get a few turrets if I can."
*Turrets?*
"Can't be awake all the time."
They arrived at the Square, but didn't hear or see anyone else. Probably wouldn't last long. "Want to check out the bistro?"
*Might was well, but we shouldn't spend too much time.*
They went in the side of the bistro opposite the entrance to Apollo Square. Despite all the damage the place had taken, there were still unbroken bottles of alcohol on the shelves and on the tables. He didn't understand how, but there they were. They noticed an Audio Diary that had been knocked on the floor and went over to pick it up.
Yi Suchong: Mozart of Genetics
That's quite a little monster Fontaine's dug up. When she does speak, which is almost never, her accent is thick and grating. Her hair is filthy and she seems to wear the same mustard-stained jumper day after day. But I've got to hand it to Frank: Tenenbaum is the all-time diamond in the rough. No formal training, no experience... but put her in front of a gene sequence, and she's Mozart at the harpsichord.
He put the device on the bar. *Tenenbaum must be extremely talented in order for Suchong to give her any kind of praise.*
"Let's hope she's as good as he says she is." He walked behind the counter and looked around a moment. In a box under the counter was an Infusion. He used it to boost his Health. Next they went over to the El Ammo Bandito which noisily greeted them with by saying "Bienvenido al Ammo Bandito!",
He Bypassed it and looked at the ammunition for sale. No Heavy Revolver ammo or Electric Buck. They did have two new things though. Something called "napalm" and liquid nitrogen.
*Napalm is a mixture of gasoline and something that makes it stick to whatever it hits. Often some form of aluminium salts *
"Set's people on fire. What's with this liquid nitrogen?"
*Nitrogen is a gas that forms nearly 80% of the air we breathe. This nitrogen is so cold it's liquefied.*
He got it. "There's something that can shoot this stuff and imitate Incinerate! and Winter Blast. Might be useful."
*Whatever it is, it would probably have a rather limited range.*
"Better than nothing."
The heavy door that led to Apollo Square started to cycle open. Time to go. They quickly left the Square the way they had come. Once in the tram tunnel they kept moving until they were out of sight of the Square.
"Is there a more direct way to get to Prometheus Point rather than going back to the Way?"
Elizabeth was quite for a moment. *The locked up tram stop you passed earlier would have been the best bet. Other than that I can't think of anything. Wish I had spent a little more time finding out how to get around Rapture now.* Her expression showed frustration and irritation.
"Not like you knew this would happen."
*I could have known though, Should have known.*
"No use worrying 'bout it now, is there?"
*I guess not.* she said in a depressed tone. It still bothered her that she hadn't known he and Anna would be in Rapture.
They didn't have any trouble walking down the tram tracks, but just before they reached the closed tram stop they found am unkept splicer in the middle of the tram tracks. He was carving a statue out of a twenty foot tall block of ice using Incinerate!. The stature was only partially done, but even he thought it could be impressive.
Still, they kept their distance from the splicer and his statue. Never knew when a splicer might up and attack. After a minute or so the sculptor noticed them and waved at them with a friendly, but sad smile. He turned back to his sculpting, but called over his shoulder "If you're around in a couple of hours, I should be finished by then."
"Sorry friend, don't think I will." Booker told him.
"Too bad. Nice to hear what people think of my work, even the critics. Take care out there."
They continued on their way as the sculptor worked. "Why is he making a statue out of ice in the middle of a tram track?" he quietly asked.
*A statement about the impermanence of art? Maybe about people and everything they build?*
"City's tearing itself apart around him and he's making "statements" like that?"
*That's how some artists are. Comstock certainly hired enough artists to know.*
"Humph! Comstock hired people to make propaganda, not art." He looked back at the sculptor engrossed in his work. "Guess I never understood art."
*When I get older maybe we can try to understand it together.*
He smiled a little at that. "You'll probably have to explain it to me." They gotten close to the closed tram stop, but there had been some changes since then. One of the metal gates on the entrance way had been ripped apart.
"Looks like someone in there wanted out."
*Judging from the size of the hole it must have been a Big Daddy.*
"Hope it was."
*Why would you hope that?* she asked with a puzzled expression.
"Cause if it wasn't a Big Daddy, means something else can do this kinda thing down here."
As they climbed into the entrance, he had an impulse to turn around and help Elizabeth over the twisted metal. He crushed the impulse. She wasn't there.
Remember, the parasite is lazy. The man who does nothing is nothing.
A green and white style street sign stated that this was Achilles Commons. The layout was similar to the Blue Ascot's, but larger and much fancier. Instead of a depression in the middle of the lobby there was a large swimming pool surrounded by a low fence. The pool was occupied, but not by swimmers. Three swollen forms floated in the sickly looking water.
There were no other bodies around, but there were some signs of combat. He looked at the bodies again. All three were dressed in black. One of them looked to be a maid? The smell was terrible.
*Those bodies have been in there about two days, given the amount of bloating due to being in water. We aren't going to be able to tell much about what happened here.*
"Wouldn't say that." He focused his eyes on the bodies' legs.
*I see. They were tied.*
"Bet there's some kind of weights at the bottom of the pool."
*Weights? Those people were drown?*
"Someone wanted them to suffer."
*On the other side of the pool, is that writing?*
"Yeah, think it is."
Big red letters scrawled on the floor. Couldn't really read them upside down. As they walked around the pool it turned out that the message was "Class Traitors". At least it wasn't written in blood.
*Some of Atlas's rebels have the same attitude of the Vox. If you just work for the rich, you're guilty in their eyes.*
He paused to look around the lobby then glanced up.
"Shit."
Hanging off the third floor railing were a line of bodies with rope around their necks. Old men, women, teenagers. He didn't want to count how many.
He quickly turned away. "Let's be shut of this place."
-Elizabeth-
They had walked under those bodies and not even realized it. She was getting a little more worried about Booker. He was starting to look around for the hallucination of her, of Elizabeth, a little more often. She hoped it was just a result of him being tired and not a sign of his condition worsening.
They found an exit from Achilles Commons and chose one of the glass tunnels that seemed to head in the direction of Point Prometheus. It took a little while before they found a sign that pointed them to Reese Plaza. As they started down the tunnel, a baseball bat wielding splicer came charging up from a side tunnel. A few hits from the Air Grabber to activate the Electric Touch Gear and a blow to the back of the head left the woman unconscious on the floor.
They saw several Big Daddies, but only one Little Sister on the trip back.
*All the Little Sisters are starting to look alike to me. I don't even know if I would recognize myself anymore.*
"Sure I'll know you when I see you."
*Oh? And how can you be so sure?*
"You'll be doing something to cause trouble." She could hear him smiling when he said it. For a split second she wanted to argue, but realized that he was probably right.
*Does she Really cause that much trouble?*
He chuckled a little. "Not for me, but…" *I'm not going to let anyone bully me.*
"No, you're not." He sounded rather happy about that.
After a short time they came to Reese Plaza, but no one was there. As they left the Plaza she remembered the Audio Diary they had found in the Tram Tunnel and reminded Booker to play it. Upon hearing it she wished she had remembered it sooner. The woman's voice had a heavy German accent and carried more than a hint of shame.
Brigid Tenenbaum: Failure
Date: Jan 18, 1959
Extracting the slug safely from the little ones is proving even more difficult than I had first believed. Forcibly removing the slug or killing it ends the symbiotic relationship with the little one and they soon die. I had believed, was certain, I had found a way to remove the slug safely and undo the damage.
The little one died 38 hours 27 minutes later.
How can I save them? How can I undo the terrible things I did to them?
"Guess she hasn't figured it out yet." her father said grimly.
*That was over a month ago. I'm certain she's made progress since then.* 'I know she'll find a cure, I saw it. I just hope it's soon.'
"Nothin' we can do about it." he said as they continued walking towards the Point.
A little later Booker knocked on the door of Wildhelm's office. He had to knock several times before getting a response from inside. A weary and wary Wildhelm cracked open the door to look at Booker.
"Back already?" Guess he had a right to be surprised. "Were you able to find the picture and the ring?" A look of sad hope filled his face.
"Something better." Booker told the man and held out the Audio Diary Mary had given him.
He took the Diary reluctantly. "What's this?"
"Told it was a message from your wife for you."
"My wife? You mean…Joan, she's alive?"
"What I was told. I'll wait out here while you listen to it."
Wildhelm slowly closed the door. It was more than five minutes before the door opened again. Wildhelm had been crying, but he had a smile on his face.
"I'm sorry I took so long, I thought lost… she's alive. Let me go get the Research Camera. You've earned it."
"Don't worry about it now. You can give it to me after I get you to Athena's Glory tomorrow."
"What? Tomorrow?" Wildhelm blinked in confusion.
"You're going to need to help to get down there. Best to make the trip after both of us have had some sleep."
He sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Guess you're right, tomorrow would be better. But knowing she's still alive..."
"I should be here about eight o'clock or maybe a little later."
"Thank you, thank you, Mr…ahh, I never got your name."
"It's Robert Boston."
"Thank you, Mr. Boston." Wildhelm said as you stuck out his hand for Booker to shake.
He took the offered hand. "See you in the morning, Mr. Wildhelm." Booker told him and left.
They took the elevator down to the lobby of the building and soon left Point Prometheus for Reese Plaza. When they stepped through the Securis door into the Plaza they found a woman in the remains of a fancy dress and armed with a shotgun. She was standing near the Tunnel entrance they had used to get to Olympus Heights with a Security Bot hovering around her. She was looking down at something on the first floor, waiting for something?
She looked at Booker as the Securis door finished opening and shrieked "Parasite, Parasite! Kill him Albert! Kill hiiim!" He backed up as the Bot opened fire damaging his Shield. He hit it with the Bypass Plasmid and it stopped firing for a moment.
The woman started backing away and fired the shotgun. Booker's Shield took the hit, but it probably wouldn't take much more.
"I'm your BETTER!" she screamed.
Her father had the Autopistol out and fired three times at the woman, hitting with all three shots. Then the Security Bot opened fire on him again, breaking his Shield.
Booker quickly backed up down the Tunnel to get out of the machine's line of fire. The Security Bot swooped down to the Tunnel entrance to shoot again and her father hit it with Possession. The Security Bot hesitated a moment then turned and fired on its former master.
"Least that still works on machines."
"Albert! You traitor!" the splicer yelled and the shot gun fired twice. The Bot fired once more, then all was quiet. The possessed Bot flew back to the tunnel entrance and hovered there a moment before turning to look at Booker making a sound almost like it was wondering if it did good. It reminded her a little of how a dog would act. They walked out into the Plaza as the Bot flew back and forth. When they checked the body of the splicer they found only a few dollars and a chocolate bar.
After a few more moments the Possession on the Bot wore off and it dropped to the lower floor below with a loud crash. After that, all they heard was a clicking sound.
"So exactly what happened?" Booker wondered out loud looking down at the Security Bot.
*I think the Bot shut down. You should try to hack it while it's disabled.*
"No, why did it keep shooting at me after being Bypassed?" That was a good question.
She thought as Booker made his way to the lower floor. The Bot lay on the floor of the plaza still covered with the blue flame of the Bypass Plasmid and continued to make a clicking sound.
Incinerate! The New Plasmid from Ryan Industries! When it absolutely positively has to erupt in flames, don't wait - Incinerate! Evolve Today!
*Security Bypass was designed to make security systems ignore the user. I suppose if there are direct orders to attack, the security system can't ignore you anymore. I think that if you damaged a Turret or Security Bot, it would no longer ignore you either.*
"I destroyed a Turret down in Fontaine's."
*You destroyed it so quickly it never had the chance to try and shoot at you.* Now that they were closer she noticed that the Bot had flames painted on the side. The splicer had decorated the Bot? Also, she had called it Albert. Some people really seem to enjoy personifying machines.
He bent down to start to hack the Bot, but stopped. "If I hack this, what's it going to do? Follow me around?"
*Yes.* *Oh, I see. It would be rather hard to sneak around with a Bot flying about your head.*
"Just a little."
Then the Securis Door on the first floor started to cycle. She doubted that someone friendly would come through it.
Booker quickly moved to one of the darker corners of the small plaza and put his back to the wall. The Gear did its job and made Booker look like part of the wall.
Less than a minute later four people walked in, three men and a woman. All where splicers and the three men carried either a shotgun or a machine gun.
A man in a battered black suit and white hat yelled "Yo Vicky! We're here!"
The woman in a dark colored flapper dress and a blood splattered cat mask noticed the inactive Security Bot and walked over to it. "Hey Frank!" she called out in a high pitched screechy voice. "This looks like Vicky's pet Security Bot."
Frank walked over to look at the Bot. He had a dark gray suit on and carried a Tommy Gun. The last man walked over as well. He carried a shotgun and wore a blue blazer, tan pants and broken rabbit mask that only covered the left side of his face. The exposed right side of his face was extremely swollen and covered with open sores.
Frank ordered "Spread out. Find Vicky. Kill anyone you see." His voice was deep and harsh sounding. The flapper vanished in a cloud of red and black smoke. The splicer in the dark suit and white hat was walking in their direction, his Tommy Gun ready to fire.
This wasn't looking good. The splicer would see Booker if he got much closer. He was muttering something about "a mook".
"Aw, Vicky. What happened to you?" came the flapper's voice from the upper level. The three male splicers all looked up at her. No one was even remotely looking in Booker's direction for a moment.
"What'd you find Amy?" Frank asked as Booker left the wall and strode up behind the splicer in the white hat and knocked him out with the Air Grabber. If the blow hadn't worked Booker had the heavy revolver in his had ready to put a bullet into the back of the man's head.
*Glad whoever made this thing, made it tough.*
Instead of letting the splicer fall, her father grabbed him and dragged him back behind one of the pillars.
"They killed Vicky, those BASTARDS!" the Houdini yelled down to Frank.
"Len, get upstairs. Arlo, finish checking over there." Frank commanded.
Booker leaned the unconscious Arlo against a pillar using a hook on it to keep him upright. Then he returned to his former position to allow the Chameleon Gear to blend him into the wall again. She knew what he was doing now. Booker set up unconscious Arlo as part of a trap.
"Arlo? Hey Arlo!" "God Damn It Arlo, I don't need your horse shit right now!" Frank complained.
An angry Frank started stomping in their direction as Len climbed the stairs. The splicer got a little closer and noticed Arlo's leg that was partially sticking out from behind the pillar.
"There you are!" Frank went right up to the unconscious Arlo and was grabbed him before realizing the other splicers condition. "What the?" was all he was able to say before Booker hit him and he collapsed on the floor.
Booker's little trap had worked well enough against Frank, the last two would be harder to deal with.
"Hey Frank! Where are you Frank?" the screechy voiced splicer called down. Booker moved two pillars away from where the two unconscious splicers lay and took cover. He had the Tommy Gun out now and Devil's Kiss ready to use.
"Len! Somethin's wrong. I don't see Frank." Oh was her voice irritating!
They couldn't see the stairs from behind the Pillar, but they heard the splicer slowly walk down them as the female Houdini continually called for Frank. Guess she didn't care about Arlo much.
The sound of Len's footstep changed, he had reached the bottom of the stairs. Booker stepped out from behind the pillar first he threw the fire bomb and then started shooting. The upgrade to the Tommy Gun worked nicely and Booker easily kept the rounds from the Tommy Gun on target even at a fair distance.
Len was only able to get off a short burst from his own machine gun before dying. Now came the hardest part, dealing with the Houdini.
Her father ducked behind the pillar and quickly reloaded with anti-personnel rounds. The burst from Len's machine gun hadn't damaged his Shield heavily, but Booker didn't seem to want to chance it. The remaining splicer was quite now.
That actually bothered her more than if she had kept on talking.
Booker peaked out from behind the pillar, but didn't see anything. She didn't like this and Booker seemed to like less. He shifted his position to the next pillar to the left and then to the one closest to the corner. As he did so, he started loading the shotgun with explosive buck.
Just as he loaded the fourth shell, the splicer appeared in the center of the plaza, but vanished again before Booker could fire. He suddenly sprinted back towards the two unconscious splicers as a red and black cloud appeared at the far side of the plaza. The splicer had teleported into the center of the plaza to find out where Booker was and then changed to a safer location. Why so far away?
Booker quickly switched to the Tommy Gun and fired a short burst, then fire exploded all around him. He took cover behind a pillar, but the flames kept eating away at his Shield. The splicer wasn't throwing fireballs, all she had to do was snap her fingers her target would catch on fire. It took several seconds for the fire to burn out.
"CATCH!" the voice came from the left and a piece of concrete smashed into Booker before he could react. His Shield shattered and the impact staggered him. He recovered quickly and turned, but the splicer had already vanished. She had Incinerate! AND Telekinesis. Worse, she knew how to use her Plasmids to good effect. There had to be something she could do to help!
"You killed FRANK! You killed Vicky!" she screeched. They looked up to see that the Houdini had teleported to the upper level. "You're going to DIE!" Then the splicer vanished again.
Booker tried something different this time. He sprinted to another pillar for cover and ducked down. A moment later flame exploded over his head. He swung around the right, but was too late. He swung back the left to see the black and red cloud forming at the other end of the plaza. He waited an instant and fired a bolt of electricity from the Air Grabber.
As electricity played over the splicer, her father brought up Charge and switched to the shotgun. He wasn't going to miss this opportunity and activated the Vigor after only a moment. They slammed into the shocked splicer and Booker quickly fired twice using the explosive buck before the splicer teleported again.
"BASTARD!" came a pain filled scream from the upper level behind them.
Booker jumped to the side and turned at the same time. The spot where he had been standing exploded in flame, but he hadn't been fast enough and flames stared to eat away at his newly recovered Shield. To her surprise Booker used Bucking Bronco on the splicer. For a couple seconds the burning woman thrashed in the air before teleporting again.
While the splicer was under the effects of the Bronco, her father swiftly reloaded the revolver with Incendiary Rounds. He had just finished when the Houdini appeared on the upper level to their right. But she appeared behind a pillar. She was taking cover? Booker quickly threw a Devils Kiss firebomb next to the pillar.
The splicer screamed when the bomb exploded and teleported again, this time near Securis Door. As he fired, new flames enveloped Booker and his Shield broke again. He got off a one shot before the splicer vanished again.
When she reappeared behind him she started thrashing around as she continued to burn. Her father fired twice more, the last one hitting her head.
He quickly used a First Aid Kit, then started reloaded his weapons.
"As I said, these splicers are getting tougher."
*I wonder why she tried hiding behind the pillar?*
"We can check when after we visit the Values machine."
First they checked the dead and unconscious, finding some money, three flasks of hard liquor and two EVE Hypos. Once done with that, they bought a First Aid Kit, some coffee and a six of Pep Bars.
*Think you have enough Pep Bars?* He started to look to the right, but stopped himself.
"Used a lot of EVE. Let's see what that splicer was doing behind that pillar."
The walked over to the pillar and on the floor near it was a First Aid Kit.
*You must have interrupted her with the fire bomb and she dropped it.*
"She'd been able use that, fight would be lot harder." He sounded grim.
*But she didn't, so let's get back to Prosperity Way.*
"Yeah, bed's lookin' might nice about now."
As they walked down the stairs to the first floor again there was a small explosion. The Security Bot had blown up.
*They must have some sort of security measures in place so that is a Bot isn't shut down properly, it self- destructs after a period of time.*
"Think they would lose a lot of those things that way."
*Probably was intended to keep Atlas's people from using them. Somehow, I doubt it worked very well.*
The rest of the trip back to Prosperity Way was without any problems. Once back, they walked to the newsstand to get a paper and noticed some workmen just short distance down the Way putting up something. It was easy to figure out what it was even in its partially completed state.
A Vita-Chamber.
"Put'n up those things everywhere."
The man behind the counter at the newsstand thought Booker spoke to him and replied. "That's what I hear. I'm happy to have one close by. Don't have to leave the Way to get rejuvenated now."
"I guess so." Booker politely responded as he paid for a paper. "Night" he told the man and turned to walk to the Renaissance.
"Get rejuvenated?"
*It's not public knowledge that the Vita-Chambers purpose is to bring back the dead. I expect that they do something to make a person feel better, but it's just a cover story. Ryan must want the Vita-Chambers all over the city so he can never be killed so long as he stays here.*
"Wait, then how is Jack going to kill him?"
*I think he uses a golf club.*
"Golf club?"
*I can't really remember the details, but Jack does kill Ryan and Fontaine.*
"Most important part I guess."
There was a haggard looking woman behind the desk when they got to the Renaissance. She had her left hand wrapped in a bandage. There were about twenty people in the lobby and more in the lounge, but things were quite.
They took the elevator up to their floor and soon were in Booker's room. He spent a few moments putting stuff away, then he asked her to do something.
"Could you close your eyes for a moment. You'll know when to open them."
He was up to something. *And why should I close my eyes?*
"It's a surprise." She could tell he was smiling. What kind of surprise could he have for her? She was starting to feel a little sleepy. Better play along unless wanted to fall asleep in the middle of something. She "closed" her eyes, but planned to listen carefully.
*Ok.* So, what was he up to?
He walked a short distance, must be in the bedroom. Then there was a soft dragging sound. Something opening? It was quiet for about ten seconds.
Then the sound of a strings being strummed and the start of a song. She opened her eyes. Booker had a guitar! She didn't say anything, just wanted to listen to him play. It sounded so good. It was something she had been missing, but hadn't known it. She closed her eyes again and just let the music take her away.
It wasn't long before everything started to fade, but she could feel herself smiling.
End Chapter 44
