Bioshock: The Story of Henry Walker

Chapter 27: Discovery

"Oxygen levels are in the safe zone, but pressure is slowly rising. Getting harder to move, getting colder too." Will said to himself as he walked along the ocean floor.

The sound of his massive metal boots hitting rock was suppressed by the dark ocean water. This had been the longest he'd ever been under, it had also been the deepest. He had finally found the landmark. The lighthouse in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. He new it had to be here. William Harrington was arguably the best deep see diver in the world. His family had a knack for inventing and exploring.

His parents had uncovered dozens of ancient ruins and his grandfather was responsible for the entire egyptian collection at the Smithsonian back in Washington. His reputation as an explorer was not the most acknowledged but he was determined to change that. While his early relatives and previous ancestors uncovered surface ruins, he was embarking on something entirely ground-breaking. He was going to find the city under the ocean. He was going to find Rapture. 

After three years of searching, William had invested everything he had into this expidition. He had spent close to ten-thousand american dollars funding and creating his latest project, a highly advanced diving suit. With more than six hours of oxygen contained into one massive tank harnessed onto his back, incredibly sturdy steel plating, mixed with flexible material and intense lighting systems he was ready for his final trek into the unkown depths. 

He had taken an immense risk. The suit was impossibly heavy which meant he was stuck at the bottom. There were only two options now. Find Rapture or die from eventual lack of oxygen.

Thanks to the wide array of fog lights made to withstand extreme pressure, Will could see everything in front of him. Unfortunately the suit had very limited mobility, making it very hard for him to turn. He had to be careful were he stepped. Slow and steady strides were doing him just fine.

The sounds of his own breathing and the occasional bubbles from the air pockets in his suit were the only sounds to comfort him this far under.

Will loved the sea. Especially what lay below. Being at the bottom of the ocean gave him a certain sense of peace. Away from the hustle and bustle of his capitalistic world above, the ocean remained untamed. For the most part anyways. 

A large squid swam into view, obscuring his vision and startling him. Once the ink cleared he saw something odd. The spectrum of light had shifted slightly. He knew it wasn't anything from his suit reflecting off of anything, all that lay ahead of him was a large hill of rocky terrain. But beyond he could see it, a small glimmer of light, actual light as the water had changed from a deep dark blue to a soft turquoise.

"That's interesting." his voice echoed inside the helmet. He quickened his pace but carefully trode on the rocks. 

What would have taken him several moments on the surface took almost twenty minutes thousands of feet below the sea. 

He used all the strength he could muster and heaved himself over the last hurdle of rock. He landed with a thud at the top of the hill. The light was brighter than ever. And as he stood what he saw changed him forever. A city, not some ancient ruined castle or sunken ship, but an actual city, with working lights, buildings that reached to soaring heights and submersibles that floated around the massive skyscrapers made his jaw drop.

He put his hands on his hips. "Well I'll be damned, I did it, I really did." If he could he would have wiped the tear that slowly ran down his cheek. He smiled widely at the spectacle. "It's real, and it's here...Rapture."

The city shone in a soft glow of colourful light. Will looked around. "Now how the hell am I gonna get down there?"

"Get me a bit of McHale Gin, please." the small man said sitting down at the bar.

The bartender nodded silently and grabbed a bottle from below. The man put a few bills on the table and the bartender poured the drink.

The small man was left alone with his glass. The bar wasn't busy, a few fishermen sat in the far booth, but either than that it was just him.

Gilbert Alexander sighed deeply. It had been two and a half years since he'd come up with anything significant to offer in Rapture. These last years were really something else.

The discovery of ADAM had become the phenomenon of the city. ADAM was a genetic material found from a deep-sea slug, years back, that allowed a person to change their genetic code in a numerous amount of ways. The invention of gene-tonics had put a major change in society. Gene-tonics allowed people to use ADAM in a multitude of ways. From slimming down, building instant muscle or becoming the smartest genius, there were gene-tonics coming out daily and both Ryan Industries and Fontaine Futuristics were waging an all out war on the market.

It was getting a little too much for poor Gil, he just couldn't keep up with all the competition. Fontaine Futuristics was on the verge of new technology. The most famous gadget to date was the Accu-Vox, a personal voice recorder, basically like an audio diary. Everyone seemed to have one, even Gil had decided to purchase one recently. He sipped his gin and pulled out the device.

It was quite large but had a handle for carrying and wasn't complicated to use. He slipped in a fresh tape and pressed record.

"This is Gilbert Alexander, May 27th 1957. Today I decided to come down to the Fighting McDonagh's Tavern for a drink. It's not as bad as everyone says. A little stuffy and...wet, but other than that it is quite inviting. And quiet. Maybe I came at the early hour. Not that I mind the quiet, it's very relaxing actually, being here without Ryan breathing down my neck all the time, it's a nice change of pace. Ryan is getting restless. We can all see it, but everyone decides to keep it to themselves. My good friend Henry Walker is doing superb, he's come through with keeping Hephaestus in peak condition but surprisingly no new inventions have been concieved. I'm convinced he's given up on his inventing career. When he's not working on the pressure pipes in Hephaestus he's...elsewhere. I know not where but frankly I have no time to sit down and ask. I need to come up with something soon, I feel my employment could be at stake, if only there was some-"

"What the hell is that!?" shouted one of the fishermen from the booth. 

Gil heard a dull thumping coming from behind. Something was hitting the glass. He swiveled around, a little too fast, the gin made him a little tipsy. He walked over beside the three men who were standing a distance from the glass. Gil squinted to look into the blurry light glowing in the dark waters. It was a man encased in a highly advanced diving suit. He knocked on the glass again and waved. Gil smiled and waved back.

"What the hell is that guy doing out there!?" said a fishermen. 

"Beats me." said another.

Gil cleared his throat. "I think he wants to get in gentlemen, I suggest we head over to the airlock."

The men seemed a little drunk but understood the divers plight, they headed to the airlock.

Gil picked up his Accu-Vox, which was still recording. "I think I just found inspiration for a new project."