Chapter Two: A Deal to be Made

'Rapture?' l snort. 'Naming a city after a biblical event? Well Charles l do believe your Mr Ryan is even more pretentious than I first thought' l say, slightly more mockingly than l had perhaps intended.

'Mr Miller, whether you believe my story or not, it doesn't change what l'm here for,' says Charles. 'I came here under the instruction of Mr Ryan himself. He insisted upon having the greatest minds in the known world to help design Rapture's computing infrastructure. I was the first man approached, and like you l was skeptical at first, but Mr Ryan changed that, he made me believe. Now I'm here, and whilst admittedly my initial recruit was Alan here,' Charles gestures towards Alan who is still fixated on the model sat in front of him 'his responsibilities and connections with your government deem him unacceptable by Rapture's laws and requirements.' Charles says, with a distinctly sympathetic tone.

'And that's why l recommended you Andrew,' says Alan, who's fixation on the model has now been broken. He turns to face me. He's much skinnier than I remember, his hair has become unruly and grey, and his eyes show fatigue and weariness. 'My affiliation with our government has destroyed my chances of being part of this revolution, but you have no such issues,' says Alan as he puts his right hand on my shoulder. 'Andrew, there is no one I can think of who is more deserving of this position than you. You are every bit as clever as me, and more so.'

'But unlike Alan here, you have not been directly influenced or affiliated by, or with any government' says Charles as he rises from his seat and stands at Alan's side.

'Look, let's suppose this Rapture place you speak of is real,' I say whilst brushing Alan's arm from my shoulder. 'And let's suppose that I could take Alan's place, and that I was able to do all of the duties originally intended for Alan.' I say as I walk over to the model set central in the room. 'Why should I do such a thing? Why should I give up my life here to go live in some tin can under the ocean? The war's just finished, our country's won, why would I leave at a time of such patriotic victory?'

'Because,' Charles says calmly, 'this victory has come at a cost. Substantial losses have been made on both sides, Andrew. Whole cities lost, families torn apart.' I see pain in Charles' eyes. He drops down into the closest chair he can find. 'I came here Andrew, in October of 1938. I've spent the last 6 years of my life collaborating with Alan here. He knew from the start that he wouldn't be allowed into Rapture, but he helped me regardless because he knew that it was something worth fighting for.' Charles takes a deep breath in, almost as though to prepare himself for something. 'On September the seventh 1940, Alan and I visited a government code and cypher school in Bletchley Park. We did this with the intentions of obtaining government coding, which would wipe Raptures co-ordinates from Europe's mapping capabilities. Unfortunately we were unable to do so as all military and government buildings were in lockdown.'

'Why?' I asked quietly, so engrossed in Charles' recollections that I barely noticed Alan stand behind him, and sympathetically place both hands on his shoulders.

'Because,' replies Alan, before Charles has a chance to. It's clear to see that Charles in some sort of distress. 'On that night the Germans began an their attack on London.'

'The Blitz' I say, still unsure of why this is of any significance.

'My wife Pearl,' begins Charles, 'was a wonderful person: more beautiful than any gem or diamond. I loved her more than I ever thought possible.' I see tears begin to form in his eyes, but Charles fights them back. 'She was out when the first bomb hit, but she was nowhere near it's radius. But then more began to fall. The sky was clouded with smoke from the artillery. She must have ran so far, so fast. Her body was found miles from our home; she must've been so scared, so alone…' The tears manage to force their way through and Charles sinks lower into his chair.

'The point of this,' says Alan quietly as he looks sympathetically at Charles, then back at me, 'is that many people have made huge sacrifices for this city to be built. The sacrifices were made because they believe that we are striding towards a future where violence and war is no more.'

'Pearl's death was devastating for me of course,' mutters Charles 'but I never gave up hope for Rapture. I want to help create a place, were no one will ever have to die at the hands of others, where no one will ever have to lose a loved one the way I lost Pearl.'

'Mr Porter,' I say cautiously, trying to choose my words wisely 'I'm sorry for your loss, but I honestly don't know what you expect of me. I can't program a city. I'm not one of these great people you talk of,' I sit on the chair beside Charles' and try to look him in the eye, but can't due to an ill placed feeling of guilt. 'I'm a nobody. I haven't had a real job in months. I live in the darkest corner of this city where only the parasites of men reside.'

'All the more reason to accept the offer then.' Says Alan as he sits opposite me. 'You'll be given a permanent job, a spacious home and honest pay.' But the more Alan tries to tempt me, the more reluctant I am, and he knows it. Alan takes a deep breath in says in a quiet but strong tone 'Just look at what you're being offered Andrew' whilst saying this Alan gestures at the model placed between us. 'You could be responsible for putting together the final piece of the puzzle that is Rapture. You could stay here, live the life of a rat: hiding in the shadows and taking whatever scraps people offer you, or you could be something great.' As he says this, he stands above the model and leans in close to me. 'You can help build this new society, a modern day utopia where every man is equal. A city run entirely on the belief that what a man earns is his to keep.' Alan sits back down, takes a glance at Charles and returns his focus to me. 'At the end of the day Andrew, the choice is yours.'

I don't know when it happened or why it did, whether it was Charles' story of his wife's untimely demise, or whether it was Alan's last-ditch attempt to sway may decision with a speech, but I believe them. I believe that somewhere, somehow, deep below the sea there is a city, a city that needs me. Maybe it's because I want to believe that I serve a higher purpose, or maybe it's because I'm a gullible fool; I don't know, but I do now know my decision.

'Alright,' I say confidently but at the same time hesitantly, 'you have yourself a computer coder'.

'Really?' Charles says as he sits up in his chair, his eyes glimmering from hope. 'Are you sure? Once you sign up, there's no going back' he says, with a slightly more stern tone.

'I understand,' I reply. 'Perhaps a tin can under the Atlantic ocean is exactly what I need' I add jokingly, trying to mask my uncertainty with humor.

'Indeed' humors Charles as he stands to meet me with his out-stretched hand. 'I'll be in touch shortly, but until then; it's been a pleasure Mr Miller' Charles says in a rushed voice, almost as if he wants to make his exit before I have chance to reconsider.

I meet his hand and grasp it tightly, 'Please, if we are to be working together, I'd find it fitting for you to call me Andrew' I say, trying to reassure him (and myself) that I shan't change my mind so swiftly.

'Very well,' Charles says as he shakes my hand, 'I look forward to our next meeting, Andrew.'And with that, he bids Alan goodbye, takes one final look at the model city in the center of the room, lets out a long sigh and mutters 'Soon my friend, soon…' and exits the room.

I stand motionless in the room, recapping on everything I have just been told and have agreed to. Alan grasps my shoulder with his hand and says in a reassuring way 'you won't regret this Andrew', but then looks down and says 'I know I wouldn't' in a distinctly disappointed tone.

'I don't understand' I say whilst turning to face Alan, 'Why is this Mr Ryan so apposed to the government?' I ask, suspicious of what kind of man's world I'm going to be entering.

'To know that Andrew,' Alan starts 'you must first know Mr Ryan's life story, and whilst it is an interesting tale, this is neither the time nor the place.' Alan stands and makes his way to the model city. 'It seems a pity to have to dispose of such a tremendous feat of craftsmanship, doesn't it?' Alan says whilst bending over to get a closer look at some of the finer details of the model. 'But there are regulations one must follow, the most important of which being: no evidence of Rapture' and as he says this Alan reaches under the table upon which the model resides. His hand re-emerges with a small box of matches. 'No one can know of Raptures existence on the surface, otherwise it's purpose would be defeated' and whilst saying this he strikes one of the matches, 'anything can be silenced and removed, be it models, rumors or even people…' and with that he drops the match to the model. I don't know what the model is made from but it's engulfed in flames within a matter of seconds.

'Goodbye Andrew,' Alan says over the roars of the flames, 'I hope to see you again someday.' And with that, he's gone. Disappeared into the dense smoke, which is slowly filling the room. I have no time to question my friend's abrupt exit, before I know it the room is completely filled with thick, heavy smoke. I run to the back door and throw myself through it. I land harshly onto the cold cobbled alleyway behind the pub. I begin to hear shouting from the pub, at first it's of shock, but then I hear the landlady. 'What the bloody hell is going on?!' she screeches, her voice booming down every street for miles. Without thinking I stumble to my feet and run as far and as fast as I can in any and all directions, I know I'm not to blame, but who would believe me if I told them what had really happened? I'm not sure I believe it myself.