Chapter 45
Point Prometheus - Bathysphere Loading Bay
"But why could you possibly need it all at once? This is almost a month's work you're taking all at once, this should be conserved and utilized at a steady pace - you could placate nearly a thousand splicers with this amount for 6 months! What could you possibly need it all for?" Dr Petrov was almost begging now after an hours worth of demanding an explanation.
Edward had offered up all he was willing to give, that "It was for a confidential project, that would ensure the cities ongoing survival".
The four fishing submersibles that had been being worked on down in Neptunes Bounty, were all docked now in Point Prometheus's dry dock facility, with their vast cargo holds being hurriedly filled with the large, glowing vats of ADAM. His men, lead by the ever faithful Boxer and Bear, held the scientists under a sharp watch, their machine guns and shot guns all held at the ready, to discourage any disobedience.
"I told you we couldn't trust this man!" Dr Violet Arenberg burst through a side door and pointed straight at Edward. "We have been working our asses off, for nothing,cutting open little girls again, all on your say so... and now this? Whats it all for?" She bit, punching Dr Petrov in the chest when he tried to interrupt and calm her down.
"All I ask if that you trust me, have I not delivered on my promises so far? I've given you all heat, power, security! I've even had your bedrooms cleaned and fresh linen laid on your beds... I've given you everything." Edward snapped, walking away from her to inspect one of the submarines more closely.
"Are the external hoses ready?" He called out to Bear. "Yes sir, we'll fit them just before we leave."
"Hoses?" Arenberg echoed, "What are those for, you going to piss it all away into the sea?" Edward tried to ignore her, but her insubordinate persistence was beginning to irritate him. He span back on her, stopping her in her tracks with a jolt. He met her gaze defiantly, before looking across at Boxer. With a simple, swift gesture of his hand, he pointed across the room to Dr Petrov, and nodded once. In obedience, Boxer raised the bolt gun he was carrying, and fired a single bolt directly into Petrov's forehead. The man didn't know what hit him, but fell immediately to the floor, dead.
Arenberg screamed in horror at her fallen friend, before trying to swing a kick at Edward, which missed. "Now listen Arenberg - I had him shot because you are the better scientist so I'm told. But make no mistakes, if you continue to harass me, you will be next!" He felt his face go red and perspire with anger, enough for the doctor to fall silent, and begin to cry as she scurried away. Edward looked back at the body of the man he'd just had executed, and swore to himself. Why were these people so foolish, why were they making him suffer by forcing him to do such terrible things? How he hated them for it.
He made sure he took comfort for himself in knowing, that despite these dreadful things these people were forcing him to do, that he was still a good enough person to try and save them anyway. What other man would go through such hardships to save such people as the insane, moronic citizens of Rapture?
Paupers Drop
Fishbowl Diner - Kitchen
Jack had handed over distribution of the ADAM cure to Dr Wells whilst he took a personal five minutes in the kitchen of the diner. There, he repeatedly kicked in the side of an oven, as he let his sorrow out. His mind raced with the smiles and laughter he had shared with Edward, how he had been drawn in to it all! Had Edward been lying to him the whole time? Had every smile and promise been fake? Was he a murdering asshole from the very beginning? If he had been, that was all the worse, for Jack had found him a most enticing man - a friend to be cherished at the least. Jack had had enough of friends turning out to be sonsofbitches down here in this shit hole.
How Jack found himself wishing he hadn't stopped the cities self-destruct sequence back in 1960 when his father had activated it - if he'd only been strong enough to fight Fontaine's hold over him, he could have let the Rapture nightmare end then and there. It would have prevented all these people's suffering that they had gone on to endure over the last ten years. Too many people had spoken about breaking the cycle, too many thought they were the solution to Rapture's problems. The real problem, was Rapture itself. Through necessity, its legacy was suffering and death. As painful as it was for anyone to admit, the city was not worth saving, Jack could see it now - poor Grace had tried to tell him that.
With a stronger resolve than ever before, Jack left the Diner, and made his way up to Grace's apartment in the Sinclair Deluxe.