"Just one more minute...the 'sphere...the 'sphere's coming up now."
Tristina's breath caught in her chest as she watched the wall pass vertically past them. "Johnny, Security's banging off all over" warned the 1st male voice from somewhere around them. "Get a move on!"
"What in the blazes is that?" Jack murmured as they took in the sight before them. "Please lady...I didnt mean no trespass...Just dont hurt me..." the man begged. Tristina assumed this man was 'Johnny'.
Tristina narrowed her silver eyes to make out little more than a hunchbacked figure backing towards them, and a second figure stalking menacingly towards the first. As Johnny drew closer to the baythsphere, Tristina could make out his black vest, white and blue plaid shirt, and brown plaid pants.
"Just let me go..." Johnny sobbed, still backing up to Tristina and Jack. "You can keep my gun. You can-" Tristina screamed as the second figure thrust into the light, ripping a hook like object across Johnny's stomach. Tristina needed no explanation as to the spurt of scarlet that leapt out from Johnny's sides, nor from the way Johnny gasped and held his stomach.
The second figure struck again, holding Johnny by his throat. Tristina unconsciously backed away from the bathysphere door as Johnny let out one last gurgle and a sick squelching noise followed.
"Oh Shit..." Jack whispered as the figure released Johnny's body and let it fall into the water. "Oh Sh..." "Is it someone new?" the figure rasped, before letting out an insane scream. Tristina let out another scream as the figure leapt to the area above them and the bathysphere began to rock.
Tristina gasped and stared upwards as the bathysphere began to rock and several groans and clanks of metal filled the air. Tristina pointed her palm at the ceiling and shot several bursts of light up at the creature. After a few terrifying minutes, the world around them settled and silence retook the bathysphere.
"Would you kindly pick up that short wave radio?" a voice asked from somewhere near the bathysphere door. Jack seemed to move unconsciously towards the door and picked up a small black box to the left of the bathysphere door. "Hello?" Jack asked. "I don't know how you survived that plane crash, but I've never been one to question Providence. I'm Atlas, and I aim to keep you alive."
"Thats good to know." Tristina commented mildly, smiling weakly to Jack. Jack returned Tristina's smile as Atlas's voice came over the radio again. "Now keep on moving. we're going to have to get you to higher ground." said Atlas. Tristina gazed around them as thick iron window covers slowly retracted. Various schools of fish swam past the windows.
"Take a deep breath and step out of the bathysphere." said Atlas as Tristina and Jack crossed the concrete dock. "I wont leave you twisting in the wind." Promised Atlas. Tristina's eyes took in the ravaged terminal. Piles of rubble lay strewn along the carpet and chipped tile. Tristina's brow furrowed as she noticed the various sights.
'Rapture is dead.' declared one picket sign. 'Ryan doesnt own us!' another stated "What the hell happened here?" Tristina asked, walking past the flickering lights. "I don't know, but..." Jack began before a voice called out "I'll wrap you in a sheet." "Lovely." Jack muttered, which made Tristina smile.
Her smile disappeared as the top part of her foot caught on a bulky item. Letting out a yelp, Tristina caught herself with her hands. "Are you alright?" Jack asked, supporting Tristina's back with one hand while offering the other. Tristina took his hand, then looked up to see a large black blocky object hanging from four powerful cords.
Several locations such as 'Point Prometheus' "Hephaestus' and 'Fleet Hall' were all listed in white. beside each listed 'place' was the word 'cancelled' in big red letters. As Jack helped Tristina to her feet, the wolf's silvery eyes fell upon a sign that read 'Attention, All Bathysphere Travel is now denied.' "Come on." said Jack, tugging on Tristina's hand. "Just a bit further" muttered Atlas from the radio on Jacks hip.
Tristina shifted into a defense position as a bright flat light Illuminated the area infront of them. In the center of the area was a disfigured woman. Beneath her torn red sweater and blood stained and ragged blue jeans was a pale white skin. A large flap of skin covered one of the womans eyes, while the other hung from the womans slack right half of her jaw.
Screetching, the woman pointed at the security camera as what sounded like a gang of tiny bells rang from around them. Moments later, a four toned whistle sounded and the woman reverted to all four limbs to scramble towards the wall. "How do you like that, sister?" Atlas bellowed from the radio. bullets launched towards the woman from what looked like a outboard motor with a propeller near the top. Tristina barely had time to notice the gray and red paint when the device dissapeared after sounding one long beep.
"Now, would you kindly find a crowbar or something?" Atlas asked. as Jack began searching the surrounding rubble, Atlas continued. "Bloody splicers sealed Johnny in before they...God damn Splicers." Tristina sighed and shook her head, then looked around them as Jack picked up something near the door. "This will work." said Jack, giving the silver and red wrench a few practice swings.
Jack then looked at the chunks of concrete rubble jamming the garage like door. Tristina approached the door and ran her hand over the rubble. "Stand back, Trish." said Jack, gently pushing the quesa behind him. Tristina was about to ask what Jack was going to do when he let out a yell and swung the wrench with all his might. the wrench practically shattered the concrete block, allowing them to crouch under the now broken door.
"Nice." said Tristina appreciatively, smiling as Jack crouched under the door. "Mind your head." said Jack, offering Tristina his hand to help Tristina under the door. Beyond the door was a flight of stairs that were lined with what Tristina imagined was once polished white tile. a thick layer of dust and dirt now caked the tile, giving the deep red walls a abandoned look.
lined along the stairwell were pictures of faded posters advertising various products and things Tristina had never heard of. 'Rapture Radio' advertised one, 'What a floor show! Every night!' declared another. "Look out!" Tristina yelped, shoving Jack against the far wall. Tristina then hurriedly backed up as a burning couch haphazardly tumbled down the stairwell, barely missing the two of them.
Before Tristina could ask if Jack was okay, her large white ears flicked to a sudden yell. "Come on." Jack muttered, running up the stairs towards the sound. Hot on his heels, Tristina nearly bowled into Jack at the top of the stairs. "I'm not a bad person!" a mans voice slurred as he leaped at them.
Jack ducked left while Tristina hurriedly backed down the stairs. "Dont fucking judge me!" The man raved, as he turned to confront Jack. Jack ducked again and swung his wrench, gritting his teeth as the wrench cracked what sounded like the mans cheekbone.
"Come on! I just wanna tal-" a sudden blast of light and energy engulfed the raving man, and he fell to reveal Tristina standing behind him. her palm was pointed where the mans back had been. "What the..." "I'll explain later." Tristina said, lowering her hand as she nodded to the radio on Jacks hip. Jack nodded, then knelt down to the man with Tristina. the quesa reached around the mans profusely bleeding jaw and gently pressed her index and middle finger into a vein on his neck.
"Dead." she announced, removing her now bloody fingers and cleaning them off on the hem of her skirt. Standing up, Tristina dusted herself off as Jack approached something against the far wall. On a dusty round table in a corner of the room was a blue and white canister.
Tristina picked up the canister and unscrewed the thick white lid. holding the canister up to her small black nose. a wave of steam carried a rich savory aroma to her nostrils. Smiling to herself, screwed the cap back on and continued her search. Looking in the dust covered teal blue chairs around the table, Tristina spotted a faded orangish brown bag that seemed to have one long leather strap folded up at its side.
grabbing the bag, Tristina examined her find for any holes or snags. "This could actually be useful." Tristina said to herself, looping the strap over her head and across her chest. stuffing the canister into the bag, Tristina noticed that there were two small white packages on the table, each labeled 'Pep bar'. sensing food inside the white wrappers, Tristina grabbed the bars and stuffed them into the bag as well. Tristina's ear flicked behind her as a crash sounded from the other side of the room.
Jack stood near what looked like a bronze model of the city, the glass in pieces around his feet. "I tripped." Jack mouthed as Tristina hurried to his side. "Hey, looks like you found more than me." said Jack, nodding to the satchel on Tristina's side.
"You like coffee?" Tristina asked, reaching into the bag and pulling out one of the teal blue and white canisters. "Anything to warm up." said Jack, taking the canister and unscrewing the lid. Jack then tipped back the canister, drinking greedily from its depths. "Where did you find this?" Jack asked once he had drained the canister. "same place I found this." said Tristina, producing the fig bar. "'Pep-bar'?" Jack asked, reading the label.
"S'long as its food." said Tristina, taking a small bite out of her own bar. as Jack began to unwrap his bar, a childs tinny singing voice called out to them.
"My Daddy's smarter than Enstien, Stronger than Hercules, and can light a fire with a snap of his finger!" the voice boasted. Tristina and Jack glanced to eachother curiously, than began to make thier way up the dust riddled black and white triangled stairs.
along the wall to the right was a large neon hand with bolts of lighting etched near the fingers. slightly above the hand was the word 'plasmids'. "Are you as good as my daddy mister?" the tinny childs voice continued. As Tristina and Jack arrived at the top of the stairs, they were greeted by a light purple and deep red vending machine. on ethier side of the machine was a statue of a girl, thier happy smiles frozen in carefully painted metal.
At the top of the machine in neon letters were the words 'Gatherers Garden'. "Not if you dont visit the Gatherer's Garden you arent!" the tinny childs voice continued. "Smart daddies get spliced at the Garden!"
"Spliced?" Tristina asked, grabbing Jacks arm. "Jack, what if this stuff is what made those monsters we encountered earlier what they are? This plasmid stuff might be what drove them mad!"
"Trish, we have to get through that door." said Jack, pointing to the 'securis' door on the other side of the room. "We wont survive long if we stay stuck here." "Let me try to blast it open. please?" Tristina begged.
"Can you control it so it only damages the door and not the area beyond?" asked Jack. "Only one way to find out." said Tristina with a sly smile. leaping over the banister at the far end, landed with one knee bent, then faced the door.
crossing her arms infront of her face, Tristina began to concentrated. soon, a small glowing ball began to form at the point where her arms were crossed. "can-non..." Tristina called out, long white whispy tails forming around the ball. "BLAST!" Tristina cried, pushing her energy forward towards the door.
the energy surged from the quesa and slammed into the door with a loud 'bang'! when the light faded, Tristina saw that her attack had merely dented the center of the door. "Shit." growled Tristina, running her hand over the door. "I guess it..." Tristina trailed off as a cry reached her ears. looking behind her, Tristina's ears folded against her head as white lances of lighting began to shoot out from the balcony she had jumped from.
"Steady now!" Atlas's voice cried from the raido at Jacks hip. Jack, meanwhile, was stumbling back towards the balcony, screaming. "Your genetic code is being re-written!" Atlas called over Jacks screams. "Just hold on and everything will be fine!" His blue eyes mad with pain, Jack jumped on the railing over the balcony.
"Watch out!" Tristina called, throwing her hand to Jack. screaming, Jack leapt off the balcony and landed with a screamed as gravity took over. With a sickening thud, Jack landed in a heap at Tristina's feet, who knelt by him in panic. "Jack! Jack answer me!" Tristina whispered, shaking his shoulder. the young blonde man did not respond.