A/N: This idea has been sitting on my shelf long before I even started writing on this site. An idea that had been given to me by an old friend years ago who attempted something similar but could not follow through due to them having to step away. And an idea I intend on bringing to life.

I've always been a strong fan of Bioshock ever since it came out almost two decades ago, I've played each one several times and have enjoyed each playthrough. There are many stories out there similar to what I'm going to be posting, each one similar yet different in many ways, and as a big fan of the series I need to give it a shot myself.

And with so much lore and story to go through, I have a feeling fellow fans may be impressed with the journey they are about to take with this.

Disclaimer: All right belong to their respective parties.

X

Alexander Kane sat on his couch, beer in hand as he watched the news. Keeping up to date with the current state of things, especially now considering how rough the world has gotten.

Much like everyone else, the last thing he had expected was an illness bordering on a plague to spread across every country. Yet COVID-19 had spread like wildfire, countless infected, well over a million dead worldwide, and the numbers kept growing while doctors and other first responders struggled to contain the illness and scientists scrambled to make a vaccine.

Taking another drink from the bottle in his hand, Alex shook his head as he watched both sides of the US government arguing back and forth. Instead of coming together to fight for a common goal, the people in the capital seemed to only want to push their own agenda.

Being a former soldier in the Army Rangers, joining right out of high school, he'd been proud to fight for his nation. The 22 year old had served two tours in the middle east before being discharged due to being wounded in action. Earning a couple medals for his service and the rank of Lance Corporal before being sent home.

But seeing things in such disarray from civilians all the way to congress made his head spin. The world, and his country, had changed. And not in a good way.

Finishing his drink, he got up and went to the kitchen of his home. A small two-story house in the remote town of Bristol, Maine fifteen miles outside the village of New Harbor. It was remote, surrounded by trees and offered peace and quiet as well as privacy.

He'd bought it several years ago. Needing a place to escape the rest of the world when he needed time to himself. It was also the perfect place to hole up during a pandemic, especially with the new restrictions being put in place to avoid further spread of the virus.

To some it may have been lonely, but he preferred the quiet, especially after his time in the army. Though it was a pretty good sized home for only one person, having three bedrooms and two bathrooms, but he made due, especially now that everyone was in quarantine.

Tossing the empty bottle in the bin by the back door, Alex entered the kitchen with the intent of making an early dinner. Having stocked up with enough provisions to last a couple of months to prepare for the coming quarantine much like everyone else had.

Grabbing a frozen pizza from the freezer, he set the oven before tossing it in and set the timer. Food cooking, he went into the downstairs bathroom to wash up. Splashing a little water on his face, he dried off before looking at himself in the mirror.

His dark-green eyes taking in his 6'2'' frame dressed in a simple black t-shirt and worn jeans with his old uniform boots on his feet with his dog tags hanging around his neck. The angles of his face shown in the fluorescents above the mirror as his stare locked onto the deep scar that started above his left eyebrow and went down over his eye and ended mid-cheek.

It was one of the many injuries he'd taken in his time in the army. Most had been minor, mainly cuts and bruises. But the injury that had sent him home had been a bullet wound.

He'd been on patrol with his squad when they were attacked by a local militia group. They'd managed to neutralize the threat, but a lucky round had managed to hit a weak point in his armor and drilled into his liver.

The wound had nearly incapacitated him right away, but his squad had managed to get him back to base where they were able to perform surgery. He'd survived, but he'd lost roughly half his liver from the damage. Once he'd recovered enough, Alex had been served discharge papers and was sent back to the states.

That had been over nine months ago. According to his doctor his liver was slowly regrowing from his injury which had been a good thing…then COVID hit.

Breathing deeply, the former soldier ran a hand over his buzzcut head before stepping out of the bathroom.

Alex had been an only child. His father was also a soldier, a marine, and had died back in 2006 fighting in the long war following the 9/11 attacks. His mother had been a nurse and had passed on six months prior after a long battle against leukemia.

That particular wound was still fresh. And with not many close friends or family he'd pretty much been in solitude even before the virus swept the globe.

Eating a quick dinner, Alex had prepared to settle in for another quiet night when a sudden knock at the door had his head snapping up.

The closest neighbor was over a mile away, and his next Amazon delivery wasn't due for another two days, so whatever this was it was unexpected.

Approaching the door with several long strides, he peered out through one of the small windows. It had just started to get darker, but the sun was out enough that he could see if anyone was there.

Only nobody was.

Pulling the door open, Alex looked around and could confirm that there wasn't anyone as far as he could see. "Starting to hear things." he muttered, shaking his head. He turned to go back inside when something caught his attention.

Sitting in front of his door was a package big enough to fit a hardcover book in. Wrapped with simple brown paper with his name written in smooth calligraphy on the top.

Curious, Alex picked up the package. Finding it to be rather light and giving it a once over, he shrugged before bringing it inside.

Despite being mostly on his own, he did have a couple of friends in his old squad. One of them probably sent him something for one reason or another.

Setting the package on the kitchen table, Alex looked it over again before taking out the combat knife he kept on him at all times and carefully cut the tape holding the wrapping together on one side. Peeling it back and pulling out a small wooden box.

His curiosity peaked even more. The box resembled a well made jewelry box with detailed carvings on the lid that looked like some kind of lighthouse with a massive body of water beneath it with a star-lit sky in the air behind it.

The artwork was impressive, but it left the recipient with many questions. Opening the lid slowly, Alex was greeted with the sight of a letter resting within. Taking it out, he opened the envelope and read what was inside;

Mr. Kane,

You do not know us, but we very much know of you.

Your skills, strength and valor are to be commended. Your willingness to sacrifice for the sake of those who need a guardian is inspiring. And your courage and willpower unbreakable despite the odds.

It is these attributes of yours that have caught our attention, and the knowledge that you are the most qualified person for a task many would not be able to accomplish.

An unplanned variable, in a sea of ever changing constants.

The right man, in a wrong situation that could bring great change..or great ruin depending on the choices you make.

You are more than likely confused about all of this. We can assure you that all the answers will become clear in time. But take in the knowledge that you were chosen for a reason.

All you have to do is take that first step.

And if you decide to, then the rewards that await you will be the ones that you most desire.

Signed,

R&R

Alex reread the letter twice with his confusion mounting. Who the hell were these people? How did they know him? And what did they mean by 'rewards being what he desired'? Shaking his head, he tossed the letter on the table beside the open box without much thought.

He went to close the box it came in when the light reflected off of something else that was in it. Giving it another look, the former soldier reached in and pulled out the object.

Which turned out to be a gold colored pocket watch.

Genuinely surprised, Alex turned the watch over in his hands and examined it from every angle. The back was smooth with a polished shine to it, but the front had the same lighthouse motif carved into it like the box he'd received.

It was a beautiful piece, he had to admit. But why was it sent to him?

Turning it over again in his hands, Alex pressed the switch in the center of the winding knob causing it to pop open and reveal the small clock within. Which had surprisingly been set to the correct time.

Bringing it closer to his face, he blinked when the second, minute and hour hands suddenly started to go backwards. Slowly at first, but then started to pick up speed at an alarming rate.

"The hell? Is this thing broken?" Alex said in alarm. The small arms continued to spin wildly…then sparks of blue/white energy began to emit from the pocket watch like a broken power cable.

"FUCK!" The former soldier dropped the watch as it continued to spark wildly, the fragments of energy gathering into the air above it and condensing into a ball of light that then exploded.

Alex covered his face from the brightness. When it died down, he chanced a look and was shocked to see what could only be described as a portal that was now situated in the middle of his kitchen.

A portal that showed the crashing waves of the ocean beneath a dark, star-covered sky.

And among the rather calming backdrop…was a familiar lighthouse. Its beacon shone out over the water that stretched out around it in all directions.

Alex was in disbelief of what he was seeing, rubbing his eyes and looking again to be sure he wasn't hallucinating in any way. But despite what he was seeing, he could hear the waves crashing, and smell the salty sea air.

This wasn't a hallucination or weird dream…this was actually happening!

Unable to help himself, the former soldier reached out and touched the portal. Only for his hand to pass through it. A strange feeling of static traveling up his arm the more he reached in.

Stepping closer, Alex went to get a closer look…only to not see the chair that had been knocked over when the portal formed. He realized this too late as he tripped over the chair and fell through the opening. His loud curse of alarm was suddenly cut off as the portal sealed behind him and disappeared.

The strange pocket watch fell to the floor where the opening had been and laid on the floor. The arms moving forward at their original speed, ticking softly in the now silent house.

X

He didn't know exactly when things suddenly went completely sideways, but falling through a weird portal that opened up in the middle of his kitchen and then finding himself free falling from over 100 feet in the air above the ocean had to have been the tipping point.

Once the sudden shock had worn off, Alex quickly assessed his sudden situation and realized the danger he was in and how fast the water below was coming up to greet him.

Remembering his training, Alex righted himself so he was vertical and kept his legs straight with his arms crossed over his chest seconds before his boots broke the surface and he was quickly surrounded by cold darkness.

It took a moment or two for the impact to wear off, Alex blew out a bit of air into the salt water he was now submerged in before stroking his arms and kicking his legs toward the surface. Breaching with a loud gasp for air and keeping himself afloat.

"What…what the FUCK?!" He bellowed when the shock finally wore off. Twisting his head around and finding nothing but vast ocean in every direction.

Every direction save for the one that had the massive lighthouse. Its main beacon cutting through the night as brightly as the moon was.

As fucked up as his situation had become in such a very short period of time, Alex knew that if he didn't at least get to dry land he'd either drown or get picked off by passing sharks. So with little to no options available to him, he steeled himself before swimming toward the small island the lighthouse had been built upon.

He'd landed a good distance away, so it took him a good ten minutes before he reached a set of conveniently placed stone stairs that led up from the water to the tall structure itself. Pulling himself from the surf, the former soldier sat on the steps and took several deep breaths to gather himself as he tried to assess his current situation.

First, he'd received a weird package with a cryptic message inside along with a pocket watch.

Second, the pocket watch SOMEHOW opened a portal to a completely different location which had evidently been above the ocean.

Third, he'd fallen head over ass through said portal and was now stranded in the middle the fucking ocean with nowhere to go.

…WHAT THE FUCK HAD JUST HAPPENED?!

Alex ran his hands over his head several times, wiping droplets of sea water from his face as he tried his damndest to make sense of the utter bullshit of what had just happened to him in the last few minutes alone.

For a while, the former soldier remained sitting where he was. Staring out over the water in silent contemplation. His thoughts drifted back to the letter he'd read, cryptic as it was, certain points about it stood out. Though it didn't make sense how it could have been connected to what had just happened or how it was even physically possible.

Yet, somehow, he knew deep down that the ones that had sent him the package were behind this. No matter how bizarre and impossible it seemed. Problem was he had no way of figuring any of that out at present.

Taking a deep breath, Alex stood. His now damp and cold clothes sticking to him with a slight ache in his joints. Rolling his shoulders, he took a look around and took another assessment of his situation.

The small island was in the middle of the ocean, with no other clear land masses in sight. His only chance at any sort of help was that the lighthouse had a radio or a phone he could use to call for help.

Mind made up, the former soldier began to make his way up the steps that led to a large set of double doors that led into the lighthouse. Reaching up, he pounded his fist on the thick metal. "Hello?! Any one home?!" he shouted.

Seconds passed with no answer. Shaking his head, Alex pushed on the door and found it unlocked as it swung open a little. Deciding to take the plunge, he slipped in through the opening.

The interior was dark, and cold. Alex's eyes strained to see anything in the abyss as he took a couple steps further in.

The door slammed shut behind him, plunging him into darkness and making him snap to full alert. No light at all was visible in the chamber, but he could hear water dripping down along the stone walls somewhere within.

Patting his pockets, he located his iphone. Thankful that it was contained within a life-proof case that kept it dry from his sudden drop into the ocean. He turned it on and activated the LED app he had on it, the light on the device piercing the inky-blackness and giving him some level of sight.

"Hello?" he called out again, his voice echoing back at him in the still silence. There was a soft creak, then lights all around the room began to switch on.

Alex looked around as several lanterns activated around the circular chamber, illuminating everything and revealing a lavish interior that looked nothing like what a lighthouse should have.

His gaze traveled along the walls, seeing large metal plates with images imprinted on them before looking straight ahead, his eyebrows raising high on to his head as he looked up..

In the center of the chamber above him, was a large bust of a regal looking man that seemed to look right back at him. Beneath it, was a large red banner with gold lettering that stated clearly;

'No Gods or Kings. Only Man.'

"...What the hell...?" Alex muttered as he slowly approached the bust. Lowering his phone and turning off the app as he looked down at a plaque that was set into the stone railing that went around the very center of the room, branching off and going down two sets of staircases that plunged down deeper below the tower.

The former soldier couldn't help the sense of foreboding that filled his being as he read the words; 'In what country is there a place for people like me?' - Andrew Ryan.

"Andrew Ryan?" Alex wondered as he looked up at the large bust looming over the room. He knew a fair bit about current events and history in general, and the name didn't remind him of any lesson he'd done in the past. Then again, there were plenty of figures in history not mentioned for one reason or another.

Shelving those thoughts for now, the former soldier began to explore the lighthouse's interior. The place was well built, polished stone and marble with bronze built into the foundation and giving it an almost historical-landmark type feel to it.

Construction wasn't his wheelhouse but he was pretty damn sure it cost a shitload to build such a place. But the question that stood out was why would someone build such a place in the middle of nowhere?

Finishing his rotation on this floor, Alex made his way to the stairs that led farther down while taking out his phone again. 'No Service' blinked back at him coupled with no bars meaning it was essentially dead in the water in terms of communication unless he found something here. Slipping the device back into his pocket, he descended farther down.

More lights kicked on automatically as he moved down the wet, stone steps. His booted footfalls echoing off of the walls in the very silent tower.

On the walls near him, he saw bronze plaques depicting Art, Science and Industry. Three of the biggest innovations known throughout the world that have left major marks in history.

Rounding the corner at the bottom of the small flight, the former Ranger found himself in another chamber that had more stairs following along both sides and winding down even lower.

"Most horror movies tend to start out this way." he thought out loud, his body tense and his senses on high alert the lower he went. His still wet clothes doing nothing to fight off the chill he felt adding to the ominous feeling in the air.

Finally reaching the bottom most level. Alex was greeted with the sight of a large metal capsule. The door leading inside was wide open and had a large window in it while the interior contained benches along the walls with velvet seats that could seat over a dozen people and wood paneling on the floor.

And at the back, was a lever that looked to be the main controls.

For a while, Alex just stared at the contraption. He had read about these things before. It was called a bathysphere, and worked like a miniature submarine that was able to travel at certain depths within large bodies of water.

But what puzzled him was why it was here, in a lighthouse in the middle of nowhere?

Looking back up through the round opening in the ceiling above him, he saw the same large bust. Baring the same red banner with gold lettering as though it were welcoming newcomers to wherever the sea transport took them.

Though from where he was standing, the former soldier was at a dead end. There was no viable way off the small island, no communication equipment in the lighthouse, and the only way to go seemingly anywhere was this oddly placed bathysphere.

With no other options, Alex stepped aboard. The chill of the tower vanished almost instantly as the warm interior surrounded him. It definitely felt like something people of high society would ride in given the look and feel of it.

Turning his attention to the main controls, he was surprised to find an envelope leaning against the main lever. As if things weren't strange enough, but the former soldier just thought 'fuck it' before picking it up and opening it;

Mr. Kane,

No doubt you've found yourself in a rather otherworldly situation and feeling as out of place as one could be.

The means of the how and why are difficult to explain in words alone. Just know that you are here for a reason, and only you are capable of handling the trials ahead that will test you in ways you never imagined.

You must steel yourself for what is coming. The answers you seek will come with time, and your purpose in this scenario will become clear. All we ask is that you be patient, and do what you know to be right.

Signed,

R&R

P.S. - Atlas held up the world for his own reasons.

The paper crumpled tightly in his fist. Alex had been right, the ones who sent him the package were behind all of this!

And what the hell did they mean that everything would become clear in time?

Taking a deep, calming breath, he uncrumpled the note and read it one last time before turning his attention to the lever on the main console. Once again reminded of his lack of options and that this seemed to be the only way to get anywhere.

"Oh, what the hell. Better than just sitting here." Alex muttered, tossing the note on an empty seat before grasping the lever and pulling it toward him.

Gears and metal workings began to clunk and grind loudly. The former soldier turned to the door of the transport as it swung closed and locked before it started to drop down. The light located at the top of the bathysphere flickering on just as it hit the water and sank deeper.

Alex took another breath to calm himself as he saw a sign reading '10 Fathoms' pass by the large window. Seconds later, another sign with '18 Fathoms' slid past which made his stomach clench.

From what he knew, a fathom was six feet according to the metric system. Which meant that he was now 108 feet down and going farther. Which left him wondering how deep this thing was going to go. Though that train of thought was cut off when a screen was automatically pulled over the window and a projector located above the console came on.

Classical music began to play in the background while the image of a woman with a cigarette in her hand and a man who was projecting fire from his fingertips sitting together. The captions on the image reading, 'Fire at your fingertips. Incinerate Plasmids by Ryan Industries.'

"Well, that's new." Alex said as he took in the obvious ad. The image disappeared and changed to a new one that showed a man in a chair smoking a cigar. The words, 'From the desk of Ryan.' displayed next to him as a voice began to speak over the music.

"I am Andrew Ryan, and I'm here to ask you a question:" The slide changed to show a farmer wiping his head under a blistering sun. "Is a man not entitled to the sweat of his brow?"

The slide changed showing a man running away in fear from a giant, bald-eagle above the US capitol building. "No. Says the man in Washington, it belongs to the poor."

The image switched to one of another man with his arms up in fear of a massive hand coming down at him from a bright hole in the sky above Vatican City. "No. Says the man in the Vatican, it belongs to God."

The slide that followed that one showed a third man cowering before a giant hammer and sickle above the Kremlin in Russia. "No. Says the man in Moscow, it belongs to everyone."

The projection went back to one of Ryan in his chair. "I rejected those answers. Instead, I chose something different. I chose the impossible. I chose..." The view screen lifted up, the light of the bathysphere shining along a coral reef before rising up over it.

And revealing a sight that took the former soldier's breath away.

Nestled on the ocean floor...was a CITY! Easily as big as Manhattan! Bright lights shining in the dark waters and illuminating them like bright beacons within the abyss.

Words failed him as Andrew Ryan continued to speak in the recording; "Rapture! A city where the artist would not fear the censor. Where the scientist would not be bound by petty morality. Where the great would not be constrained by the small. And with the sweat of your brow, Rapture can become your city as well."

The man's words didn't fully register in Alex's mind. Too focused on the literal impossible site he was taking in as the bathysphere he was in ventured within the underwater city's limits.

Just where the hell had that portal sent him?!

X

A/N: Always a man...always a lighthouse...always a journey through the heart of madness and violence.

As the messages proclaimed, everything will be made clear about why Alex was specifically chosen for this and his stake in the grand scheme of things to come. But if you know the series as well as I do, then you know the former Ranger is about to go through one hell of an odyssey that'll push him to the brink and beyond.

My other stories are still in flux at the moment, and inspiration is fleeting at the best of times, or completely blocked at most. Following such inspiration is what keeps my creative juices alive and keeps me from becoming stagnant for too long. Hate to say it, but I'm getting older, and life has a horrible way of killing one's imagination as the years go by.

We all cope with writer's block in our own ways. Mine is getting my ideas out there before they're robbed from me by the sands of time.

Back to the present story at hand, I already have the next four chapters already saved on the Doc Manager. They just need a bit of fine tuning before I post them. Drop your reviews and PMs when you're ready!