(a/n: Please enjoy and review!)

Ch.9: Alex the Great and Powerful

The train came to a halt in the small station.

Delta, Artemis, Sinclair and Wally disembarked the train. The station was small and empty with a single door that led out to a large common area.

Sinclair spoke aloud "This is it, end of the line". Delta marched through some destroyed turnstiles and the others followed.

As they made their way out of the station, Sinclair continued, "If Cohen is right, then Lamb is using ADAM to force the minds and memories of Rapture's greatest minds into the poor girl's mind. She would also be reprogramming Jack to be her obedient attack dog"

"Where do you think Lamb's keeping them?" asked Artemis.

Sinclair rubbed his chin and answered "Probably somewhere deep and dark beneath Fontaine's headquarters. We're going to have to have to sneak in without alerting Lamb".

Delta and the others passed through a common area, down a corridor and down a set of stairs. They passed a few shrines to Eleanor. Artemis saw an image of a butterfly painted on a wall. It was comprised of thousands of white handprints, all organized into the shape of a butterfly.

After descending another set of stairs, they saw a small Gene Tonic bottle sitting on the floor beneath a message that was painted on a wall. The message read "Hurry Daddy!" Delta picked up the bottle and injected himself with its contents, then resumed.

They reached a glass-covered corridor that led to Fontaine Futuristcs.

Before they passed through it, a television screen crackled to life and man appeared on the screen.

He had black hair, pale skin and a thin moustache. The man cleared his throat and spoke calmly "Hello. My name is Gilbert Alexander and by the time you hear this, I will clinically be insane" everyone stared at the screen in confusion.

Artemis looked to Sinclair and asked, "Who is he?"

"Gilbert Alexander" answered Sinclair "Creator of Big Daddies, well co-creator actually. Suchong was the one who started the Big Daddy project but some rouge, insane Big Daddy, killed him. Gil picked up from where Suchong left off".

Gilbert continued "I am recording these diaries in advance, as a last ditch effort to assist anyone I might…threaten…in dealing with me. My next message awaits you beyond the security checkpoint. The bio-scan will ensure that you are sane enough to need it."

The image faded to static and the screen went dead.

Wally shivered a little "That's comforting"

"Yeah" muttered Artemis. They resumed their journey cautiously.

Delta and the others reached Fontaine Futuristics.

The glass walkway led to a small workshop with a set of stairs. The group climbed the stairs. At the top of the stairs, scorched into the wall were the words "You're fired!" Wally touched the scorched words and found that they had been burned into the wall a long time ago.

Suddenly they heard a voice scream, "He's stealing office supplies!"

Wally, Artemis, Sinclair and Delta rushed up more stairs and entered a spacious lobby.

In the lobby they saw a security bot hovering in front of a pair of Splicers. The Splicers were raiding a broken Circus of Value's vending machine.

The security bot shrieked "The cheeky little bugger! I saw him stealing ADAM from the company stock- I saw him! Search him!"

the Splicers looked up at the security bot in confusion then to each other and asked each other what to do.

Suddenly the security bot screamed, "You are fired! Terminated! Dismissed!" a bolt of lightning shot out of the robot and struck the Splicer in the chest. The Splicer was flung across the room and landed with a thud. The other Splicer tried to run but the security bot fired another bolt of lightning at the fleeing Splicer. The Splicer tumbled to the ground with a large, smoking hole in her back.

The security bot growled, "I hope that was instructive to the rest of you".

Artemis stared at the security bot and saw that there was a small screen attached to it. On the screen was the image of a single, crazed eye.

Delta entered the lobby with Sinclair and the others following closely behind him. The security bot turned, facing the screen to the newcomers.

The voice spoke "Oho! Come back to line your pockets with more Fontaine ingenuity have you? Understand sir, that I am the body corporate! Understand sir, that I am Alex the Great!"

"Alex?" muttered Artemis. She blinked then asked "As in Gilbert Alexander?"

The voice didn't answer. Instead he rattled on "A company is an organism my friends-I can piss you right back into the ocean with just a little squeeze…" The robot hovered away to another part of the lobby with Alex screaming something.

Sinclair groaned "Oh hell. It is Gil Alexander. He sounds madder than a March Hare now".

"What now?" asked Wally.

Sinclair pointed up a grand staircase that led further into Fontaine Futureistics "We keep moving, before Alex and the Splicers decide to make us lunch".

The group hurried up the stairs and Delta threw the switch. A spotlight came on and a computerized voice spoke "Scanning" they waited a few moments then the voice spoke "Identifying clearance level".

There was a small ding and the voice spoke "Identified...Clinical test subject. Classification: Protector. Designation: Delta. Status: Deceased. ERROR…Please stand by, updating" the spotlight switched off.

They heard Alex speak "What's this? My secretary vouches for you!"

Wally glanced back and saw the security bot hover towards them. The bot faced Delta and said "Delta eh…you were one of our old Protectors, yes? You're a fine product, Delta, a fine product! Built to last!"

Alex gasped "Don't look now, but I believe that one of your old colleagues wants to welcome you back to the office."

The security bot ascended to a higher altitude. Wally scowled "What does that mean?" suddenly there was a deafening roar that shook the lobby.

Everyone looked back and saw a large gaping hole in the ceiling. A large shape dropped out of the hole and landed with a loud crash.

Artemis squinted and she saw that it was a Big Daddy. Except, this Big Daddy looked like Delta, only newer and cleaner. The Big Daddy roared and he sprinted towards them at an astonishing speed. Delta raised his hand an unleashed a wave of ice on the Big Daddy.

The Big Daddy's body was slowly being encased in ice but he kept running. Delta poured on the ice and the Big Daddy finally froze, just inches away from Delta. Delta raised a fist and punched the frozen Big Daddy, causing it to shatter into a hundred, large frozen pieces.

Wally inspected the shattered remains of the Big Daddy and said, "What was that?"

"A Big Daddy" answered Sinclair, kicking over a large chunk of ice "An Alpha series by the looks of it. Like Delta". Delta said nothing. He just approached the door and the computerized voice spoke "Designation: Delta, status updated. Status: Active, access granted".

There was a loud click and the doors slid open.

Delta entered first, followed by the others.

The four found themselves in a reception area where a large sign hung on the wall, pointing to different areas of Fontaine Futuristics.

Artemis noticed another Tv screen on the wall. The TV screen came to life and another video of Gilbert Alexander came into view.

Gilbert coughed a little and said "Hello again. I have been exposed to a massive dose of substance ADAM. By the time you hear this, I will have armed the facilities defenses en mass. You my friend, must therefore penetrate them and…kill me" Artemis and Wally stared at the screen in shock.

Gilbert nodded slowly and sighed, "I know. Please believe me that if I could have done it myself…" he sighed again.

Gilbert paused for a moment then spoke "And on that cheery note, you may use the diary lying near the screen to bypass the vocal print locks and enter the security office. The password is…Agnus Dei". The screen flickered and died.

A small panel on the wall slid open, revealing a small hidden compartment where a tape recorder sat. Wally removed the tape recorder from the compartment and pressed play. Gilbert's voice spoke, saying only two words "Agnus Dei". The tape came to an end.

Artemis thought of the man they saw on the screen and she felt a little sorry for Gilbert. Gilbert knew that he was slowly going insane and he knew that he would be a dangerous threat to everyone around him. It must've been very hard to record his final sane thoughts in an effort to end his own life and release him from a lifetime of madness.

Wally pocketed the tape recorder and the group continued onward.

They came to a halt in front of another door where there was a button and a microphone. Wally pressed the button and a computerized voice spoke "Please enter vocal print" the speedster pressed play on Gilbert's tape recorder and he spoke "Agnus Dei".

The voice spoke "Access granted. Welcome Gilbert Alexander". The door slid open and the group pressed on.

As they traveled down a corridor, they heard Alex speak on the radio "I heard that! My likeness is company property. Just like Delta. Don't make me strip you for parts me laddo!" they reached another door with a security door requiring a vocal pass code.

Wally moved to enter the code but a security bot appeared with small screen showing Alex's eye.

Alex growled, "I warned you" he cleared his throat and he began singing "When you're down in the mouth and life's a pain. Weather man says heavy rain!" arcs of lightning shot out of a prong on the security bot and struck the microphone. The microphone sparked and the computerized voice sputtered.

Alex continued singing "A little boost is all you need, Average Joe to Hercules, stronger arm and sharper brain. That's why the future is Fontaine!" Alex concluded his jingle with a round of mad cackling.

Sinclair tried the voiceprint but it didn't work. The scanner shut down and the voice told them to try again in another few minutes.

Sinclair groaned, "Damn. Gil is jamming the voice lock with his awful croonin'." "Can't we do something about it?" asked Wally.

The businessman nodded "Yes. We can try and break Gil's control over the building's security. There should be a security shutdown station somewhere near here"

Sinclair pointed down one corridor "Search down that way" he pointed off to another corridor "I'll search this way".

Wally and Artemis nodded. The group split off and went off in search of a security bot shutdown station.

After several minutes of searching, Artemis and Wally found a shutdown station where a small transmission device was attached.

The archer reached to remove it but Alex snarled "Don't you dare touch that signal relay young lady! Its value is ten times your paycheck!"

"Sorry, no can do" said Artemis. She tore the small blinking device and tossed it to the ground. The archer stamped it to pieces with her boot. After it was destroyed, Alex growled, "I am very disappointed in you young lady. Destruction of a Fontaine asset is punishable by summary dismissal. Shall I simplify it for you? You're fired. Fired! Fired! Fired!"

Artemis rolled her eyes.

Sinclair spoke on the radio "Good work, I got another one and Delta is on his way to the next one, just one more to go".

Artemis nodded "Ok" the archer and Wally left to search for the next station.

Delta lumbered through the derelict Marketing Division office.

Papers were left scattered all over the floor. Framed advertisement posters hung crookedly on the walls and filing cabinets were left tipped over.

The Big Daddy walked past a conference room where a group of Splicers in dirty business suits sat around a large table. At the head of the table a Splicer in a dirty grey suit was screaming about bad office morale and their failing stock. The other Splicers were too busy quivering in fear to notice Delta.

Delta searched through a spacious office that looked like it had been looted several times.

There was a large wooden desk in front of a grand view of Rapture. Filing cabinets left knocked over and looted. There where shelves filled with bottles of Liquor. Delta saw a large portrait of a bald man in business attire. At the bottom was the inscription "Frank Fontaine".

The Big Daddy searched through office and he noticed a tape recorder on the desk.

He pressed play and a man thick Bronx accent spoke in an angry voice "Every time Ryan turns up the heat, I know I'm a little bit closer to beatin' him at his own game. But now the game's changin' - Ryan's boys are comin' in heavy - lookin' to knock down my door and take what's mine. Like this is the first time I had to dodge a bullet. They're comin' to my house expectin' a show, but they're gonna get a disappearin' act. Say goodbye to Fontaine..." there was a sound of a weapon being cocked and the man's accent changed to an Irish one "and hello to Atlas".

The tape clicked and ended. Delta pondered on what it was about but he just shrugged and left the office.

Eventually Delta found the relay in a nearby storage closet and he switched it off.

Wally and Artemis met up with Sinclair on the central stairs near the lounge. The stairs led to the upper floors where Sinclair and Delta had already searched through. Sinclair explained that Alex had him cornered in one of the labs but he managed to fight his way out.

Soon, Delta arrived and Sinclair asked, "Did you do it?"

Delta nodded. The businessman smiled "Excellent" he turned and he hurried down the stairs saying "Come on! lets get goin' before something goes wrong"

Wally, Artemis and Delta hurried after him.

At the door of the security office, Wally used Gilbert's recording and the door slid open.

The four poured into the abandoned security office. Inside were a number of consoles and screens. On one of the walls was a gun rack with a shotgun and a machine gun still hanging there.

One of the screens flickered on and Gilbert Alexander's face appeared on the screen. He smiled a little "Hello again. I must assume by now that you're willing to help end my life. In exchange, I have prepared a friendly security escort for you".

The four heard a soft beeping and they saw a security bot hover into the security office. Gilbert paused for a moment then continued, "Ah, now…there's a switch in here, which will allow you access to the real laboratories where…where what's left of me awaits you".

The image flickered then the screen went black. Artemis frowned a little and muttered, "What's left of him?"

"That doesn't sound pleasant" said Wally.

After stocking up on ammunition, Delta and the others embarked on their journey to the laboratories where Alex awaited them.

They descended a long flight of stairs that led deeper and deeper beneath Fontaine Futuristics.

Wading through a half flooded corridor, Sinclair spoke "If I remember correctly from my dealings with the owners of this place, the top secret laboratories where the Big Daddies and the other secret toys were made, are down here. There's a good chance that Lamb is keepin' Jack and Eleanor down here"

"Good" said Wally "Because I really want to give that woman a piece of my mind"

"Me too" agreed Artemis. They passed through a door and into a entered a dark corridor that was overgrown with plants.

Delta led the way, illuminating the darkness with the light that came from his helmet. As they passed through the overgrown forest of sea plants, Artemis thought of Julie Langford and Arcadia. The botanist helped them stop Ryan from poisoning Arcadia and suffocating the entire city.

But unfortunately, Ryan killed Langford. Her death still echoed through Artemis's mind.

At the end of the corridor, they reached another door.

Through the door was a dark, spacious room. The floors were covered in tiles. In the dark, there were some sparks and flashes from low hanging wires.

Suddenly a screen on a nearby consol flickered on, bathing a small portion of the room in a pale light.

Gilbert didn't appear on the screen but they heard his voice "I'm afraid the lights in here sting my eyes terribly. Until you arrive to deal with me, they will remain off". Please locate the breakers and restore power from this consol".

Gilbert's voice stopped but the screen didn't turn off. Sinclair squinted and glanced around the dark. He muttered, "Now where are those circuit breakers."

He walked off into the dark toward the sparks. Delta did the same. Wally and Artemis waited for the two to return. As they waited, Wally felt as if someone or something was watching him. Artemis felt like something was going to jump out of the dark and grab her.

After a few moments of darkness and silence, Delta and Sinclair returned. Sinclair went to the consol and as he flipped the switch, he muttered, "Let there be light".

The lights flickered on, revealing the size of the room. It was much larger than expected. There were more consoles and screens lining the walls. There were several doors leading to different areas. But what caught their attention was the massive glass and metal tank that sat in the middle of the lab.

It was partially overgrown by moss and the glass had a red tint to it.

Gilbert's voice spoke again "Sofia and I knew that to create the first true Utopian would come at a high cost my friend. We needed someone to be the host of all that ADAM…Rapture's finest minds. A willing subject…that is to say myself."

Artemis felt her skin crawl. Gilbert practically volunteer to an experiment that drove him to insanity and it obviously went horribly wrong.

Inside the tank they saw a shadow approach the glass but suddenly it recoiled and they heard Alex's voice scream in agony. The shadow quickly retreated away from the glass and into a cloud of smoke that was inside the tank.

Wally's eyes widened "What was that?" "I have no clue" said Sinclair, looking just as surprised as Wally.

Gilbert spoke "Whatever you may have seen in the tank, that was indeed me"

Artemis, Wally and Sinclair looked at the tank in shock. The tank's occupant didn't look human. It wasn't even human in shape.

Gilbert continued, "I fear that the fate of Eleanor Lamb and Jack Ryan will be less physical but no less grotesque. This tank for deep-sea life is the ideal way to…dispose of me. First you need to retrieve enough ADAM-infused plants to lure me out. The slugs feed on that stuff and it's…all I seem to want now. I left a sample for you. Good luck". The screen went dead.

Artemis and Wally stared up at the tank then they glanced over to a nearby table where they saw a strange, red flower. Artemis picked it up and studied it. She handed it to Sinclair saying, "We need a few more of these"

"Right" said Sinclair "We split up and we search for 'em" Delta nodded and the others nodded.

After they decided which way to go, Delta and Wally went one way, Artemis and Sinclair went another.

Artemis and Sinclair trudged through a corridor that was overgrown with tall grass.

As they went deeper and deeper into the corridor, they saw some Big Daddy corpses lying in the grass, covered in bullet holes and dust.

Sinclair sighed deeply and shook his head "Poor things. What a life, marchin' around playin' daddy until some splicer manages to kill off their little sister. If the coma doesn't take 'em they'll turn maniac. Nothin' left to do but scream".

The archer frowned and asked "Coma?"

"A Big Daddy and a Little Sister share a special bond" explained Sinclair as he stepped over a dead splicer "If the Little Sister dies or is separated from their Big Daddy for a extended period of time, the Big Daddy will get sick within a matter of days. If they don't retrieve their Little Sister, they'll slip into a coma and die" he glanced back over his shoulder to Artemis "Which is one reason why Delta is after Eleanor. He'll slip into a coma if they remain separated any longer"

"That sucks" said Artemis.

Sinclair nodded "Indeed".

They reached a small abandoned lab where it had many assorted potted plants scattered around. Artemis spotted the plant they needed two separate pots. She plucked them from their pots and Sinclair said "Two down, one more to go".

Delta and Wally managed to finish off the last Alpha series Big Daddy and cure the Little Sister. The two trudged down a hall filled with pipes and were ambushed by another Alpha series Big Daddy who was accompanied by a Little Sister.

Once the girl was safe in the Little Sister vent, Delta and Wally continued on.

They marched through a few more winding corridors until they found a laboratory. The laboratory had hundreds screens, consoles and an operating table with restraints. Wally went in search of the plant. As he searched through a nearby storage closet, the Big Daddy stood there glancing around the lab.

Delta recognized the lab. This was where he was turned into a Big Daddy.

Eleanor spoke to him telepathically "This is where they bound us together, Father. Playing God…and you were one of the few good things that Rapture ever gave me".

A few moments later, Delta heard his radio come to life and he heard Soifa spoke.

Her voice was bitter and angry "She was not supposed to have a father, Delta. She was supposed to be an heir to my life's work. And this is where they changed her…bonding her to you. The child she was, died in this room" the radio went silent.

Delta stood there thinking about what Sofia told him when he heard Wally exclaim "Ah ha!" the Big Daddy went to the storage room where Wally was. He saw the speedster holding the plant they needed.

The four returned to the main laboratory and gathered the plants together.

Sinclair smiled "Time to feed the fish".

But before they could act, Sofia spoke to them; her voice sounded sorrowful "Poor Gilbert. It was his will to die, to serve the majority by protecting them from his lunacy. Your entire journey is based on your refusal to do the same. Will you grant his request, knowing that he served the family?"

Sinclair rolled his eyes "Rebirth eh? Sure, you live forever but minus your body. I happen to like my body thank you."

"Is that so?" said Lamb.

Sinclair chuckled "Yes. I don't feature the idea of my memories an' personality bein' stored in the head of some saintly child like some dusty ol' book in the library".

They heard Sofia chuckle and say ominously, "If that is what you wish, then I am happy to oblige Augustus."

Once the radio went dead, Wally muttered, "That was creepy" "Never mind her" said Sinclair "Right now, we need to deal with Gil".

Sinclair waited by the switch. He had directed Delta, Artemis and Wally to some nearby pipes where they fed the ADAM-infused plants into them.

The pipes led directly to the tank. Once they were finished, Artemis gave Sinclair the signal and Sinclair threw the switch. There was a loud hiss and some red objects began to float into the tank.

Over the loudspeaker, Alex boomed, "A notice to all employees, Subject Delta and his cohorts are hereby dismissed! Escort them from the premises!" almost on cue, a pair of Alpha Big Daddy's entered the lab followed by a dozen Splicers each.

Delta, Artemis and Wally engaged them, trying to keep them at bay while Sinclair dealt with Alex.

As the battle raged on, they heard Alex trying to resist eating the plants but he was slowly succumbing to his hunger.

After the last of the Splicers were defeated, Alex snarled "How dare you try to…buy me out with this…this bribe…this…pittance. This…sublime…God damn you, Delta…" A large shadow moved in the tank, snatching up the plants as they floated to the bottom. Sinclair hit a switch on the console.

Inside the tank, there was a metallic whirr and they heard Alex giggling.

The console hummed for a few moments and a small, square piece of metal emerged from a slot on the console.

Sinclair plucked the metal object and held it up for the others to see. Artemis asked, "What is that?"

"A genetic key" answered Sinclair "This key has Gil's DNA, which will give us access to where Lamb is hiding"

"Sweet" said Wally.

Artemis glanced over to the massive sea-life tank and asked "What about him?"

Sinclair shrugged. He saw a blinking light on the consol and he pressed a button. Gilbert Alexander's voice spoke to them "It is done. The sample disposal button is on the consol in front of you will deliver a jolt of electricity to the tank, just enough to kill me. Whatever I may say to dissuade you, do not listen. The man whose voice you hear now is long gone"

Gilbert sighed, "As my mind now fades, I find my thoughts turning to the suffering Eleanor will be made to endure and I am overcome with pity. I can only offer my feeble prayers. Perhaps, after my death, you can do more. Now please…I ask of you, grant me peace. Goodbye my friend, and thank you".

Sinclair glanced to Artemis and Wally. They both stared solemnly at the tank where Alex the Great was busy devouring the ADAM infused plants.

Artemis nodded to Sinclair.

Sinclair sighed deeply and he looked up at the tank.

The businessman muttered "See ya in the next life Gil" he pushed the sample disposal button.

The journey out of the secret laboratories was melancholy. None of them spoke or mentioned anything about Gilbert Alexander.

After a few moments of silence, Artemis asked Sinclair "Where to now?"

"To Persephone" answered Sinclair.

Wally frowned "What's Persephone?"

"Rapture Penal Colony" said Sinclair bitterly "A foul place where Ryan sent his enemies and other people he thought were conspiring against him. That's where we'll find Lamb, it's the only logical place she'll be hiding in."

"How do you know that she'll be there" asked Artemis.

Sinclair sighed, "She was a prisoner there but she became the prison therapist. Later she gained a following there and caused a riot. It's the perfect place to hide. Its easily defendable, its isolated and it has an escape ship that leads to the surface".

The archer glanced at Sinclair and asked, "How do you know that?"

"I helped build the place" said Sinclair grimly. He held up the key saying "And this is our ticket in".

The group passed through corridor that split into two. Delta, Artemis and Wally continued forward but Sinclair came to a halt. He glanced down the second hall and saw a Little Sister sitting alone on the floor at the far end weeping.

The business frowned in confusion. Where was her Big Daddy? Why was she alone? Sinclair trudged over to investigate.

Once he was close enough, Sinclair knelt down and asked, "What's wrong sweetie?"

the Little Sister sniffled and looked up at Sinclair with her glowing eyes. She said sadly "M-Ms. Lamb is sending you to time out".

Sinclair felt his heart skip a beat. He blinked "What?"

Before Sinclair could react, a Big Sister dropped down from an air vent above and she grabbed the businessman by the throat then lifted him off the ground. Sinclair kicked and fought but the Big Sister had a tight grip on him.

Slowly, Sinclair faded into unconsciousness.

Wally, Artemis and Delta appeared at the end of the hall "Hey!" yelled Wally "Let him go!" he took off running at the Big Sister.

The Big Sister quickly tossed a grenade at the speedster. The grenade bounced around on the floor.

Wally skidded to a halt and he quickly ran back the other way.

The grenade detonated and blanketed the corridor with smoke. Once the smoke cleared, Wally and Artemis saw that the Big Sister and Sinclair were gone.

End of chapter

(a/n: What do you think? Please review!)