Bioshock: The Story of Henry Walker

Chapter 32: Splicer

Loading up another needle this time she decided to use a vein in her arm. 

The vial was called Telekinesis, said to be able to move objects with the mind. Elizabeth had seen many construction workers use this kind of plasmid. Lifting crates of bricks and cinder blocks with ease. It sounded too good to be true. Slapping her wrist, finding a nice large blue line she stuck the needle into pale skin. A soothing wave spread throughout her entire body, like a gentle breeze. Withdrawing the hypo, Elizabeth set it down on the far side of the room. Sitting back in her chair she focused on the empty syringe. Raising her arm she concentrated, thinking thought of lifting the needle. With alarming speed the medical tool surged towards her. Quickly ducking out of the way the hypo smashed against the wall behind her. 

"Okay...let's try it a little slower." she laughed. 

Putting all thoughts on the radio on her desk, she watched as the instrument wobbled back and forth. 

"Easy now..."

Ever slowly, the radio lifted off the table and floated gently into her palm. Elizabeth grinned. Grabbing the last needle and vial her eyes reflected with the red glow of the liquid slowly churning within the glass. 

"Electro Bolt, eh? Let's see what you've got for me." 

Once more she jammed the needle into the top of the vial, pulling back the reel and filling the syringe with the radiating substance. Placing the hypo against her arm Elizabeth pushed the reel in. Her arm jolted wildly. Crying out as electric blue bolts bounced and danced between her hands and fingers. The tingling of ten thousand volts flowing through her veins felt unreal. Backing up, still panicking at the overflowing electricity dancing about the room, Elizabeth fell back, tripping over her chair. As her hands flung back, so did tools, clothing, bits, bolts and numerous other things that were in range of the girl's new telekinetic powers. The room had become a vortex of chaos. Books and clothing flew back and forth as bolts of electricity bounced all around the walls. Elizabeth stood, her arms still shaking, now pulsating with glowing blue veins. 

"Elizabeth, you okay in there?" came Henry's voice from the door.

Eyes widened as she realized the ruckus that had been created in the past few minutes.

"Uh...y...yeah. Just moving some stuff around. Thinking of changing my room up a bit!" she called back.

Looking back at the ever increasing storm contained within the four walls, Elizabeth realized the state she'd be in if anyone found out. She never told Henry she had bought ADAM for gene tonics and plasmids. He never did trust the genetic altering materials. 

"Concentrate, Liz. Calm down...take a deep breath." Inhaling, Elizabeth closed her eyes and focused. Her mind steadied and became clearer. Perhaps a lesser brain would have had a harder time coping with the situation, but with her new, improved state of thinking, she knew exactly what to do. Raising her hands, eyes still shut. 

"Steady...stay calm...aaaand...stop." 

A large unseen pulse resonated from her body, barely audible but she had felt it. Like a breath of wind. Opening her eyes she couldn't help but grin from ear to ear. The wild bolts had ceased their discharging onslaught, and every item in the room, including her bed, was suspended in the air, floating harmlessly in a calm stasis. Gently the objects were guided into their respective areas and set down gently without a sound. 

"Not bad." Henry chuckled.

Elizabeth spun around, a shocked expression reappearing across her face.

"Oh...uh...see it's not...I mean...my body is going through changes and...-"

The man resting on the door frame burst out laughing. Elizabeth's face turned a bright red. 

"I thought I locked the door..."

"You did. You were also the one to open it for me."

Henry eyed the used hypos on the desk and the now empty vials. "Are you alright?"

Elizabeth nodded silently. 

"How did it feel?"

"Unreal. It...it was almost like being born again."

Henry turned his gaze at his adoptive daughter with a stern look. "You know how I feel about this stuff."

"You don't trust it."

"No. I don't."

Silence filled the room. Elizabeth's head bowed as she rubbed her arm anxiously. "I just...want to be better. I want to improve. I want to make sure I make no more mistakes. I want to make sure there are no more accidents when I'm around."

Her words hit home as he realized what she was saying. "You think if you had these abilities you could have changed what had happened at Hephaestus."

She tensed slightly, not saying a word, her gaze fixed to the floor. Suddenly she felt a hand on her head.

"Accidents are going to happen. Sometimes things don't go the way we planned it, but that's just life. We act accordingly and use the choices that are given to use. There are times when we can change things. Other times we can't. In the end we have to cope with the decisions we make and the outcome that follows. Good or bad."

Elizabeth smirked. "Did you prepare that before coming up here?"

"I keep a few cards handy, depending on the occasion." Henry winked. 

She giggled at that, hugging her adoptive father.

"Just be careful with the stuff, alright?"

"You afraid I'm going to burn down the house or something?"

"Liz."

"Don't worry. I will."

The lights began to flicker and glow incredibly bright. Suddenly darkness flooded the apartment as the echo of Jenny's voice could be heard from the floor below. 

Henry looked at Elizabeth with a raised eyebrow. 

She couldn't help but laugh. "Don't look at me, you're the chief engineer!"