A Different Lighthouse

Chapter 10

They crossed the lobby carefully, stepping over debris and puddles and corpses, avoiding exposed, sparking wires overhead, and finally came to a pause in front of a bulkhead door. Overhead, a sign labeled it the entrance to the bathysphere station, and Armitage led the way inside, brushing past the door before it was fully open. 

"Down this way."

Ben nodded, reaching out a hand behind him. "Come on, Blue," he said, holding on when she took his hand and picking up their pace as he hurried after Armitage. The man seemed even more anxious than Ben.

They walked past an abandoned ticket station, a sign flickering beside it showing all of the different stations throughout Rapture. Bright red letters shouted CANCELLED beside each of them. They followed the length of a walkway, lined with railing and littered with trash and abandoned luggage, remnants of the escape attempts of Rapture's citizens. At the end lay a platform, overlooking a pool of water with a surface unnaturally calm. Armitage swiftly approached the control panel at the forefront, hitting the release button with a closed fist, and Blue let go of Ben's hand to run and watch as a bathysphere emerged from beneath the pool. The sound of water sliding off of the vehicle crashed and echoed in the high ceilings, making them both grimace. Every sound seemed to be a death sentence in Rapture.

"Let me check the inside," Armitage said. "Stay here." 

He pulled his shotgun, holding it at the ready as he carefully approached the bathysphere. He swung open the door, aiming quickly in anticipation, but there was nothing inside. He sighed in relief, stepping in and propping up his weapon on the wall. "Alright, we're clear. C'mere, and let's-"

The door to the bathysphere nearly slammed on Ben's hand as he retracted it at the last second. He tried to pull it back open, swearing under his breath when it wouldn't budge and backing away as it began to sink back below the surface of the water. Ben put his radio to his mouth, his heart racing. "Armitage! Armitage, can you hear me?"

"I would suggest you save his breath, Little Moth. There is a limited air supply while a bathysphere is submerged, after all."

Ben frowned down at his radio, not recognizing the unsettling voice on the other end. It almost sounded as if it were dripping from the speaker.

"Who the hell are you?"

A soft laugh answered him.

"Not to worry. I've taken the liberty of blocking your signal from those two blowhards, Armitage and Ryan. Use to be you could get something decent on the radio."

"Shit," Ben murmured, peering over the edge of the railing.

"It is the duty of the artist to seduce the ear and delight the spirit," Tarkin continued in that same dreamy tone that sent a shiver down Ben's spine. "And this foolish civil war that your spevial friend insisted on igniting has dampened mine long enough. Come to me, little moth. Perhaps you can be of use. Sate my muse, and we may discuss releasing your dear Huxley."

"I don't want him hurt," Ben said firmly. "I'll come help you, if that's what it'll take. But I want your word he's okay in there."

"Armitage will be just fine. So long as he doesn't breathe too frequently."

Ben chewed the inside of his lip, glancing down at Blue as he considered it. "Fine. I'm coming in."