Ch. 3: Welcome to Rapture
A.N.:
Hey everyone!
Sorry it took so long. Normally, I try to update every week.
Thank you to everyone that fav'ed and followed my story! I appreciate it!
Read and review if you want.
I shuddered as the icy waters overtook my body. Despite my spliced Big Daddy physique, my body was still sensitive to such things. Luckily, my metal lungs provided me with a practically endless supply of oxygen and my canvas and leather skin protected me from the extreme conditions of this alien landscape. When my vision returned, I found the entire room flooded. Thick, green mud covered everything near the now warped gaping hole where the windowpanes had been. The force of the water had pushed the bronze statues almost back to where I was. The ceiling had partially collapsed, leaving tiny pieces of rubble in my path.
Looking around me, I saw more utter devastation. The room was almost unrecognizable. The lights flickered as they fought on vainly to provide illumination for the restaurant patrons that were long-gone. Remains of paper and cloth filled the water around me. Schools of fish swam past me as they eagerly explored this new virgin territory. I was filled with a strange feeling of loss as a once beautiful wooden table floated past me. It reminded me of exploring shipwrecks in my previous life.
In my previous life, I had always been fond of the sea. Its elusive mysteries always held me in awe in a way that few other things could. It seemed like I was one of the few individuals that the cruel, heartless mistress of the sea took pity on as I had survived things during my career as a U.S. Navy Master Diver that defied explanation. Countless times, my comrades had believed that my demise had finally come only for me to surface nearby due to a freak gas expulsion from the seabed or some other phenomena that had miraculously saved my life.
Before me, in the huge pile of debris and mud, was a "u" shaped depression that was just wide enough for me to get through. Not wanting to be in the freezing Atlantic water longer than I had to be, I began to force my way forward. Everything echoed in my head as I made my way towards the hole. Beyond, I saw two beams of light that, upon closer inspection, came from the wrecked remains of a submersible just beyond the hole. At least, I thought that they were coming from the submersible. As I neared the remains of the stage that was beside the glass panels, I realized that the lights were coming from giant metal housings. Whether they were placed there intentionally to illuminate the sea floor or were the remains of this ruined resort, I did not know.
The submersible itself only had two flickering lights on either side of its compromised central glass window located in the front. As I began to pass through the hole, my radio activated. The thick German accented voice of Tenenbaum piped through my radio as she said, "In that suit, even the ocean cannot harm you. This is good. But Rapture is the death of many great men. Alone, you will not survive long. You can still reach the train station- find me there."
With nowhere to go but forward, I entered the abyss beyond the hole. As I neared the wrecked bathysphere, I saw a light flicker on inside of it. A trail of bubbles blocked my view of the interior until I was standing just outside the compromised vehicle. Inside, I saw two bodies. As I looked at the two bodies, a memory broke loose inside my mind.
"Hey, you awake down there old man?" My diving helmet's radio barked unceremoniously.
Groaning, I replied, "Affirmative topside." Being mindful of the fact that I was still tethered to the diving bell, I continued searching for the reason of my extremely hazardous mission. The thick darkness of the ocean floor made it impossible to see more than three feet in front of me. I had passed several small wrecks, likely commercial fishing trawlers. However, so far, I had yet to discover a reason for their sinking. Their hulls were compromised by the impact with the bottom so I could not definitively determine the cause of their demise.
My radio activated once again as the topside U.S. Navy Research Vessel contacted me, "Any luck finding that Nazi or Red Outpost yet, Chief?" Following several naval vessels being mysteriously lost south of Iceland, we had been tasked with locating a caused for the losses. Command believed that the Nazis had somehow created an outpost under the ocean originally so their U-Boats could resupply safely, but now, with the fall of the Third Reich, they were using it as a staging post for guerrilla-style resistance and possibly even wanted to create a new Reich. However, the newest generation of officers believed that the Soviets had a secret base in the area and were planning to use the facility as a launch site for their nuclear warheads.
I replied, "Negative. I have located several commercial fishing vessels but was unable to determine the cause of their sinking. Continuing search."
My assistant said, "Copy that, sir."
After searching for another few minutes, I began to worry that we were in the wrong area. However, just as I was about to give up and return to the diving bell, a cluster of lights to my right caught my attention. As I made my way towards the light, I informed topside, "Hold on, I may have something here..."
Coming over a rise on the seafloor, I suddenly came face-to-face with something impossible. A giant underwater city loomed before me like a sparkling jewel beneath the ocean. As if in a trance, I slowly walked towards it as a feeling of awe overwhelmed me. It was the most spectacular thing that I had ever seen. Neon lights advertised products unknown on the surface, gigantic skyscrapers rose up from the seafloor like mountains of metal, glass, and light, and other evidence of prosperity were immediately apparent. The city looked like a beacon of hope compared to the Hellish world above. However, as I neared it, my trance was broken as I was rudely awakened to the situation.
An angry voice suddenly piped through my radio, "What is this that knocks on the door of MY city? Who sent you parasite? The wolf or the jackal?"
Remaining calm, I replied, "Neither, sir. I assure you, I am simply a deep sea explorer. I am investigating the loss of ships in this part of the ocean. I meant no trespass on your property. I will just be leaving now." I went to leave, but the man stopped me.
He said, "No, parasite. You will not be leaving. I assure you that you will not live long enough to return to your bell. I had been tempted to let you and your comrades live until you were unfortunate enough to see the lights from my city."
As a feeling of cold erupted inside my mind, my assistant from the surface contacted me, "Sir! We're under attack! Get out of th..." His voice was suddenly cut as I heard the sound of gunfire.
My mind was briefly shell-shocked from the sudden turn of events. Then, my survival instincts kicked in as I began to locate a way into the city. Since the city would need periodic exterior maintenance, there must have been airlocks that allowed entrance into the city. I had to find one before the equalizing pressure inside my suit was released from the surface. If I did not, my entire body would implode from the extreme pressure of the ocean depths.
As I pushed my legs as fast as they would go, the angry man contacted me again. He said, "I apologize for the extreme measures that I have been forced to take. However, please understand parasite, I cannot allow your kind to feed on the body of my city. People are entitled to what they have earned. Your kind has no place here. Just relax and accept your fate, parasite. It will be over before you even feel it."
Refusing to die cold and alone in the mud and the dark of the ocean floor, I continued forward. Though it was just because I was paranoid, I felt as though I could already feel the air supply from the diving bell and ultimately from the surface getting thinner. The thick green and tan mud beneath my feet was like quicksand and I had to fight for every step. By the time that I had reached the side of one of the structures, I was completely exhausted and had to use the side of the underwater building to remain standing upright. Inside the building, I could see well-dressed people pointing at me as I leaned against one of the windows.
Noticing a worn trail in the mud, I followed it in hopes of finding an airlock. My strategy succeeded as I soon located a flooded, open airlock. With the last ounce of my energy, I heaved my body into the lock's barnacle encrusted interior. However, I faced one last obstacle: my tethered line to the diving bell. There was a chance that the line would prevent the airlock from completely sealing. Out of time and options, I steeled myself and proceeded to firmly grab the handle of the cycle switch located on the wall in a housing similar to a ship's telegraph.
I had no sooner used the last ounce of strength left in me to cycle the airlock before I gagged as seawater began to fill up my helmet through the tethered line. Luckily, the line was pinched shut by the exterior entrance of the airlock. However, without a supply of oxygen, I now faced the prospect of suffocating.
As the water in the lock drained away, I reached down and unscrewed my nonmagnetic beryllium copper diving knife from its brass sheath. Holding the wooden handle in my right hand and holding the line in my left hand, I began to saw through the compromised tether with the serrated edge of my knife.
I heard the other entrance open as I finished sawing through the line. My thoughts began to race as I felt fatigue hit me. Not even bothering to sheath my blade, I stomped out of the airlock. Upon hearing gasps, I looked up to see a group of children staring wide-eyed at me. They must have snuck into the maintenance bay to explore. One of them, a pale young girl with brown hair tied back into two ponytails bravely demanded with a British accented voice, "Your suit is not right. Who are you mister?"
My delirious, exhausted mind mistranslated the question as being "Where are you from mister?" Unable to continue, I dropped to my knees. As the children began to gather around me, I released my grip on my knife, which clattered against the floor. Just before darkness claimed me, I replied, "Top...topside...ma'am." Then, I collapsed onto my left side as darkness overtook my vision.
That had been how my nightmare started. By either dumb luck or perhaps fate, I had somehow managed to locate the one airlock that led to the maintenance bay where Eleanor and a group of her secret friends were exploring. If it had not been for her actions, Ryan's men would have found me. I shook my head as I barked at myself to focus. That was then and this was now. Eleanor needed me. My past was irrelevant. Eleanor was all that mattered.
Hearing a loud crash, I saw that one of the resort's signs had broken free from the building and landed directly in my path. Leaving the side of the bathysphere, I moved forward through the path between the large sections of rock that towered above me on either side. Upon reaching the red lettered obstacle, I stepped up on top of it with my heavy right foot and then stepped down on the other side. I was capable of jumping but the landing hurt too much for me to get into the habit of doing it.
Ahead of me, I saw a series of windows that allowed me to see the interior hallway of the nearby building. I began to walk towards it but let out a grunt when I saw the Little Sister skipping down the hallway past one of the vents. The vent resembled a beacon as it was the only object in the dark hallway that was illuminated. Stomping towards the side of the structure, my Protector Instincts began to make their presence known in my mind as I feared that another Little Sister was without an escort. Soon, however, I was met by the sight of another new protector.
This one was clearly not a grown Little Sister. Judging by its immense height and size, I ventured a guess that it was a new Big Daddy model. It did not appear to be as heavily armored as the Bouncer or Rosie. Moreover, it looked more cobbled together than the previous models. Ropes were used to hold armor plates along its canvas body and belts were used to secure a strange contraption that was mounted over its right shoulder in place.
Its face was not even solid. Instead, it had a weird canvas barrel looking design with two round portholes on the end with one being larger than the other and four portholes arranged in a circle along the middle of its bizarre elongated face. Its body resembled that of a Rosie's except without the muscular build, colorful skin, and external armor.
Had the fools at Ryan Industries finally wised up to the fact that they needed to stop favoring brawn over intelligence? The Bouncers were as clear of an indication of the superiority of the strength of the mind over raw muscle in combat as a child would have needed. Those lumbering tin men were a step in the wrong direction in my opinion.
As I moved closer, I was horrified to see a man appear and begin to fire his revolver at the pair. I let out a guttural roar as the artificial maddening fury of my programming erupted inside my mind. Rushing forward, I watched the new tin man as he defended his charge.
The giant lifted the child over his left shoulder and then threw what looked like a metal ball about the size of a softball in an arc towards the man. As the ball hit the ground, I saw that it was actually an automated miniature turret that began to fire small caliber rounds at the man. I felt my spirits lift as I witnessed the use of an automated turret for tactical fire suppression. Perhaps, I had been right about this new model.
However, to my complete dismay, the notion of a more intelligent model was dismissed as the protector rushed forward as he used a lever in his right hand to fire a rocket from the contraption mounted over his right shoulder. Rockets? Fucking typical! Even less brains with even more brawn! That rocket launcher would not be so cute once his enemies got straight in his face. What does he use for melee? His left fist?
My suspicion was confirmed when a disfigured female Splicer rushed from the other end of the hallway and started swinging her bent golf club into the tin man's back. The Big Daddy roared as he wheeled around and struck the woman in her face with his massive left fist. The blow was enough to snap the woman's neck. With all of the Splicers neutralized, the Big Daddy's portholes returned to their neutral yellow color. As the Little Sister began to make her way further into the building, the tin man observed me where I was just beyond the exterior of the window directly in front of him for a moment.
As he did, I raised my gloved left hand up, turned it around so the top was facing the brute, and then flipped the ridiculous protector my middle finger. This brute warranted even less of my respect than the other Mass Production Big Daddies. Some of my Alpha Series brethren specialized in rocket launchers but only if their weapons were modified to prevent damaging flashback both for themselves, and, more importantly, for their daughters.
This brute was more of a danger to himself and to his charge than he was to a Splicer. During that little confrontation, I had seen the poor girl's skin flash yellow from being hurt at least five times. Little Sisters were practically immortal, but I could personally attest that they felt pain like everyone else. Clearly somewhat put off by my blatant disrespect, the tin man turned around and followed his charge.
I turned to the right and continued forward towards the train station. Ahead of me, I saw the remains of a fishing trawler that I noticed, humorously, had a school of fish above it. Continuing, I passed underneath a school of jellyfish as I walked through the skeletal remains of a whale. Just beyond its skull, I noticed an advertisement for "Meal-Time Frozen Dinners". Happening to look up, I noticed the tail section of commercial airplane on the top of a large rock outcropping. Beneath the ocean growth, I saw that it was once white with blue detailing. Despite thinking that there had to be an interesting story with that one, I pressed ahead.
Up ahead, the path narrowed as it went through a large cave-like area. I followed the path for a moment. Then, as I went to the left, there, shinning less brightly than I remembered was Rapture. As I approached the hole that overlooked the city, I saw an anglerfish being devoured by a shark. Seconds later, a giant squid swam past.
I laughed with a grunt as I thought, 'There's always someone bigger and stronger than you, my friend. That's what I always told my brothers. That is why intelligence is better than brawn. React. Adapt. Overcome. The difference between an amateur and a professional is their proficiency with those three things.'
Looking slightly to the right, I noticed a billboard that had bold letters that read, "WELCOME TO RAPTURE". Below them, in smaller font was the phrase, "YOUR BEAUTIFUL CITY". I walked to the edge of the hole. I cringed when I saw that it was a straight drop down to the next section of seafloor. Steeling myself, I walked over the edge.
After falling several stories, I let out a loud anguished grunt when I landed on the top of what appeared to be a generator. Before me was a large air condition unit looking machine that had a trial of bubbles exiting out of the top where the fan blade was located. After taking the final plunge down to the, surprisingly clean looking, seafloor, I turned to my left. Before me were two large pipes that jutted out from the rock outcropping.
Moving forward, I passed beneath them to find the Atlantic Express Train Station. Relieved at the prospect of getting out of the icy water, I moved towards the building with renewed vigor. However, as I approached it, a Big Sister, possibly the same one from the resort, appeared. I paused as I did not want to frighten her into a fight. Once again demonstrating her impressive physical abilities, she jumped up and then swiveled around to face me as she paused by the yellow "Atlantic Express Maintenance Depot" sign that was a good two stories above the ocean floor.
After staring me down for a moment with her Hellish red eye, she jumped once again except, this time, she continued up and even began to swim. I lost sight of her as she swam beyond the top of the building. I felt a wave of sympathy for the poor adolescent. What had this city done to her? Teenagers were supposed to be concentrating on trivial matters that seemed important during this stage of their life, not intimidating an armored diving suit clad monster at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the ruins of a once thriving city.
Seeing the open airlock with two statues of Poseidon wielding a triton on either side of the entrance, I moved towards it. Upon entering the airlock, I moved to the far left corner where the cycle switch was located. Gripping the handle with my left hand, I cycled the airlock. Moments later, the water finished draining and I waited for the second door to open. As I did, my radio activated. Tenenbaum sounded genuinely grateful as she said, "Ah, Herr Delta...you arrive, as the little ones said you would. Come upstairs to the ticket booth, and I will offer what I know of you."
Know of me? Is that what she thought I had come all this way for? I knew perfectly well what and who I was. Whatever, as long as she could point me in the right direction to find Eleanor, I did not care. Eleanor was the important thing. Everything else was just a ghost of my past. A dinging noise riled me from my thoughts. The interior entrance to the airlock opened to reveal a heavily encrusted maintenance bay. Directly in front of me at the opposite side of the room was a male "Thuggish" Splicer. Upon seeing me, he fled deeper into the building.
Moving forward in a combat stance with my drill at the ready and blue electrical arcs dancing around my left hand, I began to make my way towards Tenenbaum. The crustaceans crunched beneath my armored feet as I moved forward. Overhead, a giant fan grinded in its housing as it slowly rotated. Hanging down from the ceiling were several abandoned diving suits that heavily resembled the Rosies' armor. The fan cast eerie shadows in the room as I passed beneath it.
After searching the lockers for anything useful, which resulted in some drill fuel, an EVE Hypo, and a few cans of food that I discarded as I had long since lost the need for food, I continued forward. The distorted sound of a song filled the air with its haunting, ghostly tones as I proceeded after the rambling Splicer. After climbing a set of stairs, I came to a sign that read, "Atlantic Express Maintenance Facility". Turning right, I saw another set of stairs and made my way towards them. All awhile, the Splicer was continuing to ramble as if he was talking to someone.
Eventually, as I passed a useless Vita-Chamber and the overhead mail tube, I saw the deranged individual. He was messing with one of the doors a few feet ahead of me. Realizing what he was about to do, I grunted threateningly as I stomped towards him. He cried out in terror and retreated further into the building. However, before I could reach it in time, the security bulkhead closed and remained closed due to the Splicer's jerry-rigging.
As I approached the bulkhead, my radio activated. Tenenbaum said with noticeable disgust, "Now, most who survive are like this. Splicers. They are drug addicts, vicious animals." Standing before the slightly discolored metal security gate, I let out a frustrated groan that echoed through the hallways of the flooding depot. Out of irritation, I thrust my drill into the gate. My strike left a gouge in the bulkhead and created sparks but otherwise was fruitless.
A fully enraged Bouncer was capable of muscling his way through a security gate and I had personally witnessed a clever Rosie use his mines to demolition his way through one once. However, I was unsure if Alpha Series Big Daddies possessed the raw muscular fortitude to accomplish such a feat. I did not doubt my kind's abilities. I simply had never attempted such a feat and I had never witnessed one of my brothers attempt it.
Perhaps, I needed to take my own advice and utilize my intelligence rather than continuing to rely upon my body. These gates were controlled, of all things, electronically. For being built by geniuses, this city had some rather amateur designs in its construction. Surrounded by water at the bottom of the ocean, yet half of the city relied upon electrical systems for its fail-safe security measures. No wonder the city was flooding. If I could just find some way to reach the control panel on the other side of the gate, I could get the gate open.
Looking around, I noticed the side room to my right. Upon entering the room, I saw a strange looking device on the table to the left. As I neared it, I saw a little dispenser for darts of some kind on the wall and a diagram for the device. Upon inspection, the diagram revealed the device to be a "remote hack device".
As useful as that would be, I would have to detach my drill in order to use it. Detaching my drill was the one thing that I avoided if I could get away with it. 'This is my drill! There are many like it but this one is mine! Without me, my drill is useless! Without my drill, I am useless!'
Looking at the window, I noticed that it was broken just enough to allow a blast of Electro Bolt to pass through it and into the control panel for the door on the far wall near the gate. If I could introduce a big enough of a jolt into the system, the circuit would read it as a command to open the door and would reverse the locking mechanism. Focusing on hitting the panel, I willed a blast of Electro Bolt out of my left hand and into the panel. My tactic worked and the door opened. Returning to the hallway, I continued forward.
Just beyond the gate, I found a Security Bot on the floor. Designed by Gilbert Alexander, the same man that designed the Alpha Series and our unique bonds with our daughters, the odd machine resembled an outboard boat motor that someone had modified to carry a belt-fed Thompson submachine gun whose ammunition was supplied by a small fruit crate mounted on the back of the machine. Using the helicopter-like propellers located on the top and the existing propeller at the bottom of the foot, the device was the airborne menace of Rapture. Once the Security Cameras identified an intruder, the Security Bots would attack in endless waves of pairs until the target was dead, the camera was hacked, or the alarm's time limit ran out.
It was grinding its props onto the floor as if it was trying to get airborne. Standing next to it, I had to admit that having an ally, however temporary, would be a nice change of pace. Kneeling down, I inspected the machine. I was not an engineer by any stretch of the imagination nor did I have any fancy degrees like the man who designed these machines. However, I had been working with my hands to make a living since I was old enough to work.
The hardware was basic, which was no surprise, and what the eggheads would call the "CPU" was located just above the mounted weapon in a rectangular housing. The device would need an inhibitor for the periods of storage. Therefore, if I could just find it and bypass the wiring to it, I could rig the machine to be constantly active. Once I reactivated it, the machine would seek out the nearest radio frequency, which, in my case, theoretically would be from the one built into in my head.
After a moment, I managed to locate the inhibitor and disconnected the wire running to it. With the inhibitor bypassed, I stood and placed my right foot on top of the machine. Firmly grasping the pull start rope's handle in my gloved left hand, I pulled back on it in a smooth motion. Giving off a loud shrill noise, the machine powered to life as its motor briefly ejected black smoke. The green light emitting from the round lights mounted on the front indicated that the machine was friendly. With my escort, I began to move forward once again.
On the wall ahead of me, written with white house paint, was the phrase, "WE WILL BE REBORN". Beneath it was a kind of shrine made with around a dozen lit white candles. Moving into the room beyond, I turned to see the shadow of the Splicer as he retreated further into the building. I mentally sighed as I wondered if the Splicer thought that he was being clever by luring me into an ambush.
Calmly proceeding after him, I soon found myself in a workshop. A greenish monorail-style train was mounted in the center of the room by an overhead track. Around the abandoned vehicle were the remains of the worktables and tools that the workers once used to repair it. Now, of course, the sounds of repairing and idle chatter were long-gone. In their place, the sounds of the Splicers laughing to each other while they waited for me to appear filled the air.
Moving into the workshop, I prepared myself for the coming confrontation. As I neared the center of the room, a loud cracking sound rocked the air and seconds later, the train crashed to the flooded floor of the repair bay beneath it. As if the dinner bell had been rung, Splicers came charging out from where they had been hiding. To my left, a woman with a welding mask covering her face and wielding a section of pipe rushed towards me. In the far right corner of the room, another Splicer ran towards me.
My Security Bot gave off an alarm and began to fire its submachine gun at the Splicer at the other end of the room. Focusing on the woman, I electrocuted her with a blast of Electro Bolt. As she cried out in agony while blue electric arcs danced around her disfigured body, I swung the razor sharp tip of my drill into her face. The welding mask might as well have been paper as my hardened steel tool easily penetrated the thin mask.
The sound of crunching bone filled the air and the usual squirt of blood flew out of the open wound as the Splicer crumpled to the ground. I had no time to celebrate as I let out an enraged roar when a pipe wrench struck me in my right shoulder. Swinging my drill all the way back behind me, I struck the male Splicer full force in the side of his head with the side of my drill.
The force of my blow lifted the man off his feet and launched him several feet through the air. He smashed against the side of the wall and then collapsed unceremoniously into a heap at the base of the wall. He, of course, had been dead before his feet had even left the ground as the force of my blow had broken his neck and shattered his skull instantly.
Seconds after I had dispatched my two assailants, the loudspeaker system activated. The voice of my daughter's kidnapper announced, "This is a message from Doctor Sofia Lamb. Andrew Ryan is dead, but the tyrant dwells within us all. Remember, we reject the gene; we reject the self, we reject the tyrant."
I was stunned by the revelation. Andrew Ryan was dead? As overjoyed as I was by this news, I felt a sense of disappointment because I had wanted to be the one that killed him. Shrugging off my feeling of disappointment, I focused back on getting to Tenenbaum. Seeing the health station mounted against the wall on the left, I moved over to it and destroyed it with my drill. After refilling the red tank on my back with the health kit, I searched the room quickly for supplies.
My search resulted in eight dollars, more drill fuel, which I had to ignore because my reserve tank was already full, and another can of useless food. Continuing forward, I found that the massive security bulkhead behind the train was sealed. I would have to open it using the switch located inside the control room. Locating the entrance to "Gate Control" room in the far right corner of the workshop, I made my way towards it.
On the wall to the left of the entrance to the control room, I saw another message. This one read, "The end of RYAN Is the end of the SELF". Moving into the control room, I located the switch. However, my instincts caused me to be uncomfortable in the room. The light emitted from the overhead light fixture bathed the room with an unsettling red hue. The metal shutters were closed on both sides of the gate controls. Two television monitors were mounted against the wall to the left of the controls and five were mounted to the right. Frigid water dipped down into the room from the right ceiling fan.
I did not like this situation at all. If something were to happen, I would be trapped in this tiny box. However, I had no choice. I had to get to Tenenbaum in order to get to my beautiful Eleanor. Mentally sighing, I firmly grasped the switch handle with my left hand and pulled it down. Instantly, my instincts were proven correct as the room turned pitch black as the lights were cut off.
After sulking from humiliation alone in the dark for a moment, the television monitors audibly powered on. White light filled the room, briefly blinding me. When my vision returned, I was met by the sight of the woman who had dared to harm my daughter. Sofia addressed me, "I know you. That symbol on your hand marks you a dead man."
She actually expressed regret or possibly even guilt for a moment before she continued while the camera got closer and closer to her face, "Ten years, Subject Delta, since I watched you put a gun to your head and pull the trigger. But take heart...out of your pain, paradise was born. I don't know how you survived, but your suffering is over now. These men will ease your burden."
The shutters opened as multiple "Leadhead" Splicers attacked the windows with Thompson submachine gun fire. My thoughts began to race. I was trapped. Refusing to back down, I let out an ear-shattering guttural roar that succeeded in frightening the attacking Splicers for a few seconds. Sofia finished, "Please understand that like all I have done, this...is an act of love."
At the same time that Sofia was finishing her speech, Tenenbaum contacted me with fright in her voice, "It is Sofia Lamb! She has found you!" Seconds later, the Splicers' assault had compromised the windows. I moved to the back of the room to avoid their wild gunfire. However, to my shock, they tossed in two lit Molotov cocktails, one of which landed on me. I roared with fury as flames erupted along my body while .45 ACP rounds began to strike me. The room itself caught fire as well and was soon reduced to a burning coffin.
My health system continued to work its magic but I was unable to reach my assailants to retaliate. However, seconds later, I heard the wooden floor beneath me begin to groan and creak over the sound of the screaming mob outside the room. Realizing what was about to happen, I began to laugh loudly at my would-be murders.
My grunt-like laughs caused a few of them to pause and look at each other briefly before they returned to firing their Thompsons at me. With one final cracking sound, the floor beneath me gave way and, letting out a grunt, I plunged down through the hole. Seconds later, I landed in frigid water that went above my head. For once, I was grateful for the frigid water as it soothed my cooked flesh.
After collecting myself, I observed that I was in a flooded maintenance pumping station. Directly in front of me was a large discarded fan. Freezing, I moved forward to locate the nearest path out of the water. After I had passed multiple desks, several pipes, and four slime-covered, floating corpses, Tenenbaum contacted me, "Now you know of the enemy we share. Sofia Lamb. The camera in your helmet allows me to watch through your eyes and help you to fight her."
Pressing on, I squeezed underneath a narrow access tunnel. On the other side, I saw a flight of stairs that led out of the water. Pushing my body as fast as it would go, I made my way over to the stairs. To the left of the stairs, I saw an advertisement for the 1959 Rapture Masquerade Ball that was complete with the image of the iconic bunny mask.
Slogging up the stairs, I exited the water. Before me, mounted into the wall, was a large fan with a bent blade that was slowly grinding in its housing as it struggled to turn. Moving up the stairs, I noticed a large white butterfly on the far wall that appeared to be made out of handprints in the shape of smaller butterflies. After squeezing underneath the wedged security gate that allowed access into the storage room beyond, I entered the room.
A Vita-Chamber was on the far right side of the storage area and as I neared it, a loud buzzing sound alerted me to the presence of my Security Bot, though how it had managed to reunite with me was a complete mystery to me. Turning left at the Vita-Chamber, I saw the entrance to the "drafting" room. A security camera was mounted on the left wall inside the drafting room. As I approached, I heard the sound of two Splicers rambling inside the room.
To my annoyance, the direct route to the other end of the drafting room was blocked by a fallen filing cabinet. I would have to go around. I had just started to move around the draft room when the two Splicers, a male "Thuggish" and a male "Leadhead", cried out as they saw me. The one armed with a revolver screamed, "Gotta stash myself!" As he ran off to find cover, the one armed with a section of pipe rushed at me.
Mentally sighing, I electrocuted him a blast of Electro Bolt and then followed up with a skull-shattering strike from my drill. Throwing his lifeless body against the glass wall to the right out of impatience with my left hand, I moved forward to eliminate the last Splicer. Staying out of the camera's view by continuing to follow the path on the exterior of the draft room, I flanked around the Splicer, who was engaging my Security Bot.
The deranged man was so focused on my escort that he failed to notice me approaching him from behind. With a single thrust, I buried the sharp point of my drill into the base of his skull. He would have never felt it. Snipers called it the "t". The individual is dead before they hit the floor. My surgical strike neutralized the final threat. After ripping my drill out of his lifeless corpse, I turned and made my way out of the draft room.
Entering the "jet postal office", I was shocked to see a red wagon directly in front of me as if it had been waiting for me. Inside, on top of a few white pillows, I saw another red vial of a plasmid and a jar of lightening bugs. As I crossed the threshold, I was suddenly overcome by the same blissful, peaceful feeling from before as a bright light with pink edges overtook my vision.
My grown daughter's eyes appeared in the center of the light as her beautiful voice filled my mind. "Father...it's me, Eleanor. I know you're awake in there – I can feel it. Mother won't be able to...to toy with you like that, ever again. This plasmid is for you. If I'm right, you can use it NOW!"
The sight of her eyes changed into the sight of her entire body. I was struck by her appearance. She was skinny, extremely pale, and unusually tall for her thin frame. Her face was the most innocent and fragile looking that I had ever seen. However, the sharp look in her blue eyes dismissed the notion of helplessness. She was wearing a white dress just like she had when she was a little girl. Her brown hair was cut short and was the only colorful part of her besides her enchanting blue eyes.
Overjoyed, I started to reach out for her. However, dishearteningly, she began to move away from me. After a moment, she began to run away from me. Why did she run away? She did not sound angry or upset. I called out for her to stop because there might be Splicers nearby but she said, "Please, find me." Then, the feeling and vision vanished as I was returned to the jet postal office.