Jack
Moments ago I was in the water, writhing and flailing before finally sinking into the murk of the horrible horrible water ... I recall that damned Songbird reaching after me into the water before the cracking of its eye lens convinced it to turn back ...
Now I find myself on a soggy metal floor. There is a dim knocking sound, one which grows louder as I push myself to my feet.
"Mr. Wynand! Mr. Wynand!"
That voice sounds familiar, but to whom it belongs I have trouble recalling. When I gather my surroundings, a sense of familiar dread covers over me.
I am in Rapture, in the office of Andrew Ryan. Next to me is a bent golf club, coated in dried blood and brains. Ryan himself is nowhere to be seen ...
"Bring us the girl would you kindly!"
The voice shouts once more, and I ache with unease.
I look up to see Elizabeth in here with me; she is leaning back against Andrew Ryan's old desk. On her face is a look of strain, like that of someone gone catatonic.
"Elizabeth", I ask, " are you alright? Have you been harmed?" She does not respond, but instead continues to hum.
"Are you in there Wynand!" the voice demands.
I have to take her to New York ... I have to get her anywhere but here.
"Elizabeth, they might be splicers. If they are then I will have to go deal with them. Wait until, I will call you when the way is clear ..."
I grab the golf-club from the ground, and walk towards the door ...
When I awaken, it is to the feeling of Elizabeth's hands pressing rhythmically over my chest and to the sight of her concerned face. She seems to notice my awakening, as a great deal of relief seems to wash over her.
"It's me; Elizabeth. Are you all right?"
I try to nod, but doing so causes me to gag and cough up some of that horrible salt water. God, I hate water ...
With both of her hands she grabs one of mine; I like the way her hands feel. They are soft and gentle and warm, just like her big blue eyes. Eyes that were pleased to see that the water and the bird did not kill me.
While my left hand, I use my right to push myself into a sitting position. I breathe in some ragged breaths, and vaguely I hear some music. It seems to be a jaunty tune, played on an instrument with pipes.
I only vaguely notice it - I've heard music lots of times before - but Elizabeth takes note. She seems utterly captivated by it.
"Do you hear that? It's music!"
I nod, still a bit woozy. "Go on, I'll be up in a bit. Just be careful ..."
She smiles with excitement, "I won't be long. I won't be long Jack."
I had better get up, after I close my eyes for juuust a moment ...
When I awaken again, the sun is low in the sky. I can not tell how long I was out for because I did not check it the last time I was awake. It might have been a minute, it might have been an hour.
Either way, I need to find Elizabeth.
I stand up, stretch my shoulders, and roll my head to get the kinks out of my neck. First I scan out into the water, and instead of going on forever like the real ocean does this water seems to go off an edge after two or three miles. The presence of low clouds, and large floating buildings nearby, tells me we are still in Columbia.
...
Did you really think it would be that easy Jack? Did you think you could just fall 40,000 feet to an actual ocean and somehow still survive! Come on Jack! Get your head out of the clouds!
Actually, get your whole body out of the clouds. And Elizabeth's too. Time to get to New York.
On the beach are couples sitting close to each other, men and women sun bathing, and children playing in the sand. All of these people are wearing what look like swim suites. I consider asking these people if they have seen Elizabeth, but I decide the risk of alerting any spies in the area is not worth it.
After a brief scan of this area, I can tell that Elizabeth is nowhere to be found in this half of the beach. The only people here are Columbian Beach-goers in weird swimsuits. I had better check the other half of the beach.
While walking through the small hallway that separates them, I see something that might come in handy. A large poster of an airship. "PRESIDENT COMSTOCK'S PERSONAL AIRSHIP!" it says, "AT THE FIRST LADY'S AERODROME" it says. Now I know how we're leaving Columbia.
I walk past the poster and past a crate of life preservers, and there on the other half of the beach I see Elizabeth. She is dancing merrily and care-free with ten or so beach goers ... at the end of the pier.
That means to reach her and take her to The Airship I will need to walk on the pier with horrible sloshing water flanking both sides.
Fuck.
Ok Jack, you can do this! It is only water. Sloshing, swirling, salty, icy, water ... just like the stuff that was destroying that horrible horrible city where you were born ...
Jack! You didn't die in the Baptism Chambers, you should be able to manage this!
Taking in a deep breath, I force myself to walk over to the pier. Finally, After several more deep gulps of air, I actually walk up the pier.
Just keep walking, don't pay attention to the splicer juice on either side of this walkway! Just keep walking!
When I reach the pier, I am able to get a better view of what is going on. One man is on an accordion, one on a fiddle, one on a piano, several other men and women stand in a circle clapping their hands together, and in the middle of the circle is Elizabeth. She is dancing with such grace and energy and pure joy that I feel amazed. Her beauty and her bliss cause Elizabeth to all but shine ...
When she notices me, I feel a bit embarrassed that I was staring at her. But in her exuberance Elizabeth does not seem to notice. "Hello!", she says, beaming, "Oh this is wonderful! Come dance with me Jack!"
She holds out her hands for me. The only problem is I do not know how to dance ...
Fuck it. This is a safe area and it is important to set time aside for unwinding when on dangerous missions. And Dancing with a beautiful woman sure as Hell beats drinking eight bottles of Arcadia Merlot by myself in a dark corner.
I take her hands and allow her to lead.
I have two left feet, and at first I am barely able to keep up with her. Yet somehow I do, with Elizabeth's help, together we dance. In her arms I feel my heart lighten and for a brief moment I am able to forget. To forget that I am surrounded by water, to forget that I ended lives, to forget that others tried to end my life, and even to forget that I am a soulless abomination.
For this briefest moment of lighthearted jubilation, I forget my worries and focus only on this beautiful woman with hopeful blue eyes and dark black hair. This woman who for some reason wants to dance with me.