Bioshock: The Story of Henry Walker

Chapter 29: ADAM

        The feeling was unreal. Blurred images and shadows crossed between visibility. Dark shapes phased in and out occasionally. There was no knowing how long this went on. Sometimes everything would move incredibly slow. Other times it would pass in an instant flash. Dark grey smoke concealed the shadowy figures. They would linger for moments. They would stand for eternity. Here there was no such thing as time. They just were. Constantly shifting, always moving. Once there was nothing but the fog. Alone with no sound. A mute void. But eventually the darkness took form. And so the images came to be. There was no particular feeling. No sense of emotion. They just were. Shifting endlessly. 

Then the sounds came. A soft and quiet thump. It happened every few moments in an irregular pattern. Incredibly quiet, but noticeable. Every beat made the figures edge blur and fizzle. The thumping continued over time. Eventually the odd patterns became steadier, and soon enough established a calm rhythm. 

At some point the fog shook as another anomaly entered existence.

A wispful voice.

"Where..."

The shadows floated in continuous visions. 

The voice echoed quietly in the shifting void. "Why...am I here..."

The beating pulsed slowly.

"Sound..."

The dark figures melded into the fog, slowly swirling in the black void. They began to settle. White edges glowed softly, outlining simple shapes. As the smoke cleared, the visions became sharper. 

Realization followed. 

"People..." the voice whispered. 

They came in all sizes. Most were tall. Sometimes a really large one appeared. Other times two shorter figures stood in the fog. Always facing forward. They seemed to be watching something. 

"Who...are you?"

 No response came forth. Every now and then the voice would ask again. When the shapes shifted and a different figure came through the fog it would ask again. The answer was always the same.

The thumping grew louder.

"What...am I? Who...am I?"

The void continued to swirl in endless motions. From the darkness came visions. A house filled with trinkets came to view for but a moment before shifting away into the black abyss. Then the ocean swallowed the world. Dark water filled with whispy shapes consumed the vision. The white lines grew tall, standing side by side. An illusion of lights flickered into motion. Buildings and structures took form. It was a city, no ordinary one. It had a name.

"Rapture..."

The pace of the pulsing quickened.

Shapes rose and fell simultaneously. People appeared for only a moment before disappearing into the darkness. The ghostly figures had become more refined, their features became clearer. A large, round man stood in the fog, longer than the rest. A wide smile spread across his face as he flipped a pancake over a stove. 

"Louis..."

The big man quickly vanished into the smoke as another figure took his place. A slender woman. Buxom, with skin as pale as the moon. She twirled and danced in the darkness, mesmerizing and beautiful. An angel in the abyss.

"Annabelle..." 

The slim silhouette faded back into the void. Names known and familiar faces revealed. It was starting to come together. A connection between it all.

This time not one but two shadows appeared through the mist. Their features vastly different. One was short, a child. She giggled and spun about, skipping merrily in the fog. The other was tall, raven black hair fell down her back. An easy smile and kindly eyes looked at the smaller being. For a moment they continued their actions, then fell still as they looked forward.