rexbox | The Second Coming of Ryan

The Second Coming of Ryan

A lot of things have led up to this point. The short of it: He barely escaped a hellhole under the sea with nearly two-dozen children and the scientist who ruined and repaired them, he made a new life for him and the kids on the surface, most of the kids were rehabilitated and adopted (but some stuck around).

Kids started disappearing again. Red lights were seen on the coasts. People were looking for something in the sea.

Jack knew where it was.

So did Tenenbaum - she left first, but Jack followed. She obviously didn't think he would or should, but he did - Rapture was dangerous enough when he left, and hard enough to leave, and he had the benefit of Ryan's genes and half of his company's splicing catalog.

And lo, the Son of Ryan did return to the underwater city of Rapture, much too late for his tastes. And, at the same time, it was one visit more than he ever wanted to make down here - bu that didn't matter, not as much as the missing girls, and the danger they and Tenenbaum could be in.

Speaking of which, he brought his radio with him, and it hangs beside the controls of the bathysphere, switched on and hopefully able to receive a transmission from her, to give him an idea where to dock.

In fact - he is in sight of the city now - maybe that's close enough for her to hear him. He switches the radio on, and sends out a simple message:

"Can anyone hear this?"

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At first, there is nothing but radio silence. But as soon as Sofia realises just where's she receiving this signal from, there's a response.

"Who is this?"

The man's voice is distinctly unfamiliar to Sofia. He certainly isn't the first attempted visitor to Rapture they've been gifted with since her rise to leadership, but their presence usually did little to help keep the peace. However, it would be foolishness to drive off any intruder without at least learning their name. She was no Andrew Ryan, and this city was not hers to own. If she had to take action, it would be for the good of the people.

"Are you aware of where you are?" she asks, peering through the security cameras to spot where the transmission is coming from. The sighting of a lone bathysphere soon solves that issue.

That's not Tenenbaum.

It's not someone he knows, either - though he didn't exactly make a point of meeting every name in Rapture during his last visit.

Whoever it is knows he's here, and they sound rational, at least. Maybe they even have some influence, and if not, they might have some information to share. That said though, it was Rapture - He decides to use a little caution when he radios back his answer.

"I know exactly where I'm headed," he says, "But I'd like to know who I'm talking to before introducing myself."

The bathysphere should look familiar. Even if the brand and factory number is hard to make out at his distance, the curving designs in the metal perfectly matches Rapture's deco lines. This is a Rapture vehicle, and it's not as rusted and barnacle-covered as anything bobbing around the lighthouse.

Edited 2014-02-11 04:35 (UTC)

The good quality of the bathosphere is indeed puzzling. Sofia pauses at her transmitter. This is no accidental visitor, nor it is a complete outsider. This man must have come from Rapture.

"My name," she replies, "is Dr. Sofia Lamb." There shouldn't be any danger in revealing a name, particularly if her guest has been away for so long. "Now, I wish to know your name and why you are here before I grant you entrance to the city."

'Doctor' has him bristling already. He didn't meet a lot of them who were... Well, Tenenbaum was sort of an exception, but even then her record wasn't spotless.

However, she also seems to be the one in charge. It was time for him to tap into what little diplomacy skills he had:

"I'm here looking for a friend," he starts, and though he hesitates on it a little longer, he finally shuts his eyes and goes for it:

"My name is Jack."

She recognises the name instantly. She had spent enough time pouring over the evidence the Family had collected, flicking through blurry security photographs. The son of Ryan had returned.

"I'm sorry. Whomever you are looking for is likely dead," she says softly. "There are not many people left alive here. There was a terrible war."

No word of that was a lie, but Sofia can already guess exactly what sort of friend he's looking for. She immediately modifies her language, deciding that a genetic experiment does not take kindly to doctors. It's best to sound as normal as possible.

"I can let you dock somewhere, if you want to meet me. I'm afraid I will probably not be much help."

"I know," Jack answers solemnly. About the war, that is, assuming she means the last one Rapture went through. Though it wasn't impossible for another one to happen in eight years, he supposed. But he knew that Tenenbaum could survive whatever war and Rapture threw at her - she'd done it once already. And maybe this person didn't even know she was there.

... He'd have to see if that was a good thing or not.

If she's the one who controls who docks where (or is at least offering a safe point of entry), it might be a good idea to listen to her, at least.

"And - yeah, that sounds like a good idea." He shrugs, though she can't see it.

"It's better than nothing. Where to?"

"There is a small docking station near my current location," Sofia replies, flickering her eyes to the camera she has set up at the nearby bathysphere station. She rolls off the exact coordinates as she ensures that no Family members will be in his path to disturb his safe journey to her.

"I look forward to seeing you, Jack."

"Same," he answers, to be polite. Forgive him if he doesn't 100% trust the first radio voice he hears this time.

He follows the coordinates, and sure enough, there's a place to dock right there for him. He docks, and after getting his supplies together (most of which fits in one bag, over his shoulder) and arming himself, he steps out of the bathysphere. The heavy stuff; the grenade launcher, the crossbow, the tommygun, they're disassembled and with his supplies. For now, he's making out with his shotgun and pistol holstered on his person, and a wrench tucked in his belt (not the wrench - that was with Tenenbaum).

Maybe that's excessive, but he also remembers his first time in a bathysphere dock, too. Granted, the place Lamb's directed him to seems pretty clear, actually, and quiet, but he's still a little on edge as he leaves.

The path to Lamb's hiding place isn't complicated. The corridors of Rapture are certainly more dilapidated than Jack may remember, and there's a distinctly damp smell. Along the wall, luminescent blue butterflies are painted, fluttering towards the direction that Jack wants to be heading.

If Jack reaches the end of the long pathway, Lamb's voice once more crackles onto the radio, prepared to give further directions.

"I am in Persephone. I assume from your bathysphere that you have been to Rapture before, but I should hope you have never been to Persephone," she states. "However, it is secure from attack. We will be safe to talk there."

His progress is a little slow, with his cautious pace, but he's starting to get the idea that maybe there aren't any splicers in this area. He glances at those butterflies on the wall, wondering what they're supposed to mean. Territory marking? Or something more?

"I haven't been there, no," he says. He never heard of it, in fact, but admittedly that was the same for much of Rapture. He didn't want to stick around for a full tour.

"Any chance I could get directions?"

He hasn't seen much in the way of signage down here, surprisingly. He's guessing Persephone isn't as commercial as the rest of Rapture, and wherever he isn't wasn't a route commonly taken by people not in the know.

Sofia gives him the directions, quickly and succinctly. She speaks to him about twists and turns, along with security codes and airlocks. Persephone is certainly not an easy place to access, but luckily, the good doctor has complete control over the system.

She watches him from the security cameras, arms folded as she considers the importance of this new visitor. Eleanor slept on nearby; she would have to move her for the present. It wouldn't do to scare her latest patient.

Finally, some time after giving the directions, Sofia decides to speak again.

"Where did you live in Rapture before, Jack?" she asks. "Not many people have ever heard of Persephone. However, it was not unusual to hear rumours of its existence before the war. Did you flee from the fighting?"

Her directions are good and her knowledge is solid - she certainly has this area under control (there are still no splicers, he's noticed). She clearly knows it well, and honestly he's still a little on-edge because of it - he knows how difficult parts of this route could be if she didn't want him there. But... She did. She's a little more welcoming than many of the people in power during his last time through.

Would any of that change if she knew the real reason he was here? Someone had restarted the Little Sister project, and while Dr. Lamb here didn't sound like a splicer, she had to know something about them...

While Jack's thought a lot about all this, he hadn't really devoted a lot of effort into a cover story. Granted, he didn't even expect to meet anyone lucid right off the bat, if at all, but he's still stuck for an answer.

"Uh..." he stalls, probably giving away how honest his next words are going to be, "Kind of fled from the fighting, yeah."

oops he skimmed right over that first question. He grimaces, and tries to add a blanket excuse:

"I've tried to forget about it, honestly."

"Don't worry. Forgetting seems to be common in Rapture," she replies softly. By now, her headquarters have been thoroughly removed of all incriminating evidence. The bare, rusting walls of Persephone are all that's left to see.

When Jack reaches the final airlock, Sofia decides to speak again. Overloading her visitor with questions is likely to put him off from engaging with her, and engaging will be the crucial first step if she's to gain his trust.

"I have opened the door for you here, Jack. I am waiting on the other side," she says simply. Waiting behind the bulletproof glass of the quarantine room, she hopes that the son of Ryan is not so fiercely individualistic as his father.

Jack smirks.

"Good to know that hasn't changed."

Even bare, the walls of Persephone look intimidating. Well, that's because it's a prison, but Jack still doesn't know that completely, yet. It feels as closed-in and oppressive as everywhere else in Rapture, especially with the surface so fresh in his head.

He's managed to get lost in thought by the time Sofia radios him again. He nods, though she can't see it, and approaches the door. It opens, and he sees... An open room, and a chamber of glass, and in it, a tall, blonde woman. That's... curious. But it's Rapture, and if this is how she's managed to stay safe, who's he to judge.

Despite how benign their radio communication has been, and how uneventful his trip here was, Jack still moves cautiously, still glancing around in case there was something waiting in the shadows. In case this was somehow a trap. No offense, ma'am, but habits, even rusty ones, die hard.

By the time he's halfway through the room, he's gotten the idea that maybe he's not about to get jumped by crazy hook-wielding splicers.

"Doctor Lamb?" he says. ... Through the radio, because that glass room looks pretty sealed shut.

"Hello, Jack," she replies over her own radio. "I apologise for the quarantine. I have found cautiousness is an integral part of surviving in Rapture."

Pressing the door release button, the cool air of the chamber pours into the main atrium. Sofia steps forward, hands in front. A paranoid man never likes a person who doesn't show their hands, she had found.

"Welcome to Persephone," she says, smiling sweetly. "We are safe here for now. The splicers do not come to this area often. It is much too hard to reach."

She checks Jack up and down. There was no mistaking him.

"I can provide you with some food. Would you like that?"

He does ease up a little at seeing those empty hands. And what she says makes sense, both the quarantine and the explanation for the splicers, considering the twists and turns and locks he went through.

There's probably some symbolism in that offer he should be aware of, but he's never had a head for it. He thinks it over, but she's been civil, so far. It's been safe, so far.

He nods.

"Sure. If it's not too much trouble."

Sofia nods in return, turning to walk towards a door at the other end of the room. Allowing him to make his own decisions would be best for now. A simple offer of bread would never go amiss.

"You said you came here to find a friend," she says, hands still held in front of her. "I'm sure I could help you find them. I have control of many of Rapture's security measures, as you have already seen."

Her voice is remarkably calm and composed, and her walk is confident and poised. She still wishes to carry herself as a person of some authority, after all.

It's hard not to think about talking to someone with such control over Rapture without picturing it used against him. He flexes his hands, easing the tension out of them.

"If you're offering... That depends."

The other reason he's reluctant to ask for her help with Tenenbaum - with that much control over Rapture, Lamb surely has to know about the Little Sisters. And if she disagrees with why he and Tenenbaum had returned to the city...

He tries to think of a way to continue without giving too much away. He probably doesn't succeed, but he can't leave it hanging.

"What do you know about the Little Sisters?"

Sofia stops in her tracks here. She turns around, allowing an expression of worry to carry onto her face. She was no actress, but she knew what faces to pull to get a patient to open up.

"Are you looking for a young girl?" she asks, simply. For now, she will just skirt around the topic. It's best to find out what he knows and how he feels about it. The attention shouldn't be on her.

He stops too, watching her reaction. His poker face has never been good, and the slight raise of his eyebrows gives away some surprise - he was expecting less... sympathy out of someone in Rapture. He's not really sure what to do with that. There's a small part of him that's hopeful, though - but he reminds himself he shouldn't be. Allies weren't that easy to find, right? Even Tenenbaum needed to be earned.

Still, his voice is even when he answers:

"Several, as a matter of fact."

He stands his ground - though he's not sure what to expect, now.

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The Second Coming of Ryan

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sorry for the lateness!

no worries! it happens. :)