DeWitt and Daughter: Investigators International
Disclaimer: According to the Many Worlds Theory, it is likely that in some reality, I actually own Bioshock Infinite...however apparently and unfortunately it is not this particular reality. So as it turns out, I am merely borrowing a man, a city, a lighthouse and a few other things from the owners in this dimension for my wee little fanfic.
/Long summery: Instead of turning over his daughter to Comstock, Booker took Anna and fled both Comstock and his debts. He raised his daughter abroad while doing what he was good at across the globe. From being a o-yatoi gaikokujin, other such jobs in the Orient, as well as some time in Europe, Booker carved out some sort of 'living' for himself and a growing Anna. Even training her in do his type of 'work' as well, because as it can turn out: "Like father, like daughter." Later on, Robert Lutece approaches them to rescue a girl to clear Booker's debt. The DeWitts take the job in hopes of returning to the USA for a quieter life. The year is 1912, let us begin this thought experiment./
Introduction: Welcome to Columbia
"This changes everything," a woman in a raincoat says over the sounds of the falling rain.
"Does this mean you're going to row?" the man also in a raincoat, who is obviously rowing, asks hopefully.
"No, you have done just fine at this before," the woman replies.
"I won't even bother asking them. Some things never change," he sighs.
"But look at what you have done this time," the woman scolds.
"Done what?"
"Completely thrown out the experiment altogether, with these two!"
"This is a new experiment then," the man counters as a lighthouse comes into view.
"We never finished the other!" she huffs.
"Obsessive repetition of an action expecting a different result is considered insane behavior in some fields," the man chides.
"Not in ours or by our circumstances," the woman replies.
"No matter, we are here. Off you two go, remember the deal," the man says as we pull up to a run down dock. Dad-no we are on the job now-Booker climbs up first and I follow. Once off, the two in the row boat row off, still bickering.
Booker calls to them, "Will someone be here to pick us up?"
"I hope so!" one of the calls back in between their repartee.
Eager to get out of the rain, we head towards the desolate lighthouse. As we walk I comment, "I'm not so sure about our clients this time."
"They're odd, but their cash is good. Plus one job, clearing it all," Booker replies simply as we reach the door. On it is a foreboding letter reminding us of our job. He knocks a couple times with no answer.
"Must be upstairs?" I suggest as Booker tries the door. It opens with ease.
"Most likely does not expect visitors," he suggests.
"When would a lighthouse ever expect anyone?" I ask as we enter.
Booker calls out, "Hello, anyone here?"
No answer. It is much quieter inside than out. In fact it is silent, too silent. We both draw out our guns, Dad with a revolver and I take out my Mauser. As we climb the stairs, we pass various odd religious quotes are hung about.
The next level, we reach a telephone, I pick it up...the line is dead.
Up one more level...
"Damn! This just got worse," Dad says as we come up on the next floor. I join and see a, gag, unpleasant sight. There tied to a chair, bloodied, beaten, and dead is I presume to be the 'former' lighthouse attendant.
"This may explain why they are covering the initial debt and 20 years of interest," I muse as we pass on.
Finally reaching the top, Booker draws out a card, "I guess, ring the bells as it says here," he tells me. I take the card and follow the instructions: Two rings of the bell with the sword, two rings of the bell with the key, and one ring of the scroll.
Nothing happens-for a half second. But then the loud tones of the bells repeat using the foghorn.
"What the?" I ask as the lighthouse light turns on and flickers several different colors.
The light then rotates down revealing two seats with straps.
"I guess this is how we get to Columbia," Dad shrugs.
"I don't get it. Since when do lighthouses serve as transport?" I ask. I had expected that we would signal a ship from here and then be on our way.
As we sit down Dad comments, "We have seen stranger, remember Shang-hi?"
"Oh yeah, that time down by the docks with the-" suddenly braces snap on securing us to the chairs.
"WHOAH," the seat tips down showing rockets below flaring.
"Shit, shit, what did we get into?!" I yell over the roar, as an angelic woman begins a count down.
The seats tip back up and a walls appear around us.
"5"
"4"
"3"
"2"
"1"
The rockets suddenly push us upwards and we blast off in to the sky.
"Ascension," the voice says as the ocean disappears from below.
"Ascension," we pass through dark storm clouds that flare lighting.
"Ascension," bursting out of the clouds, the blinding light of the sun blinds me.
"Hallelujah," it announces. I reopen my eyes...impossible!
Outside the porthole, there floating, seemingly effortlessly in the sky amongst the white fluffy clouds are buildings-
No, before me flies an entire city.
The rockets cut out and a jerking motion slows our descent. The angelic voice announces, "Welcome pilgrim to Columbia."
[Author's ramble:
So here is something that made me think every since I took Elizabeth out of Battleship Bay. For a girl being locked up in a tower-with almost no human contact and a giant bird as her caretaker, and texts as her entertainment and knowledge base-she can not only keep her head down in a firefight, but also keep pace with a one man army and support him!
Also I have studied some of the time period and concluded that a man like Mr. DeWitt, a man battle tank, would have easy found work and escaped debts if he left America in that day and age.
So here is my premise: What if instead of giving Robert Lutece and Combstock the girl in the first place, he fled.
What if he fled to the Orient or Europe (in my little FF he did both).
And further, what if he took Anna DeWitt with him.
(Extension: Robert Lutece, not being persistent merely 'flips the page' to another world over and repeats the procedure, only with success.)
And while on these ventures a very imperfect father in a hazardous environment raised a very capable and dangerous daughter.
My reasoning: I mean look at what over a decade in a tower did? Imagine an Anna DeWitt who was raised/survived in the settings of the Meiji Restoration of Japan and the Boxer Rebellion in China and then spent her teens as an assistant investigator (hired gun) hopping across Europe?
This all leads up to my little tale: It is 1912, an experienced Booker and an trained/dangerous in her own right Anna, both weary of the 'run and gun' life style wish to return to America and lead a quieter lifestyle. Robert Lutece, seeing the failure after failure of other Bookers and Elizabeths before, decides to change up experiments and try something interesting. Maybe instead of reuniting the Booker with the Anna, just get Elizabeth out of Columbia and stop Combstock once and for all. Undo the mess still, but subtract the obvious catharsis.
After all, we are dealing with multiple worlds, many oceans, a heavens full of lighthouses: surely with Robert Lutece's belief in the blank page before him, he can draw something different than 122 copies he has helped write previous?]