Bioshocked

[mitochondriaaya]

Who: Aya and the boys?
When: Once the boys are old enough to remember Rapture? 1960 or so.
What: So they probably shouldn't leave that down there huh?

Breakfast tables were...probably dangerous. Given how often things discussed there determined the fate of the world and all. Or at least that's how it felt some days. They lived on base given Elcy and Yinsi were high assets and Braig and Dilan were likely to be even higher assets. Some days she felt kind of like she'd just managed to stumble accidentally into something that made her so happy. Growing up as a base brat had bled into college that led to liaison to their scientists had led to something of a whirlwind romance had led to special dispensation that ad her waking up every morning with two wonderful men in her life.

Not bad as far as she was concerned, even if it took a particular frame of mind to accept their marriage. They were headed into a era of more openness and allowance, hopefully, she'd like that after growing up in the fifties and it's insistence on perfect modular housing and nuclear families.

And kitchen devices. What the hell was that even about? Granted, she wasn't a modern housewife that spent hours in the kitchen, she had a range of talents that did not...comply with the standard and Dilan was a better cook than she'd ever be. A fact that kind of made her outcast at the base housewife socials but hey, she was usually busy anyway.

Still, some days she almost wished for the standard experience. Days like today when she looked up from her eggs at the breakfast table to blink at her husbands, bemused, as they did the secret language based on prior experience thing. She loved them, yes, but sometimes her brilliant men lost her...

...and then wrote out a list.

Hell.

"So we're going to the middle of the ocean..." she drawled, later, in front of her CO. "For world peace." At least that was how her men had phrased it? Half remembered horrors from a city under the sea. She hadn't had a chance to stop by her inlaws before pinning the commander, but...the boys outranked anyone on base normally. That was what happened when you wrapped intelligent people in a military bodyguard set. You protected your intelligent assets after all...

"A boat and...?"

"I've a requisitions list for the armory."

"...of course you do. You're sure this isn't just some night terror, Brea?"

"Operation Paperclip. All of the files on it are redacted," she noted softly. She'd...checked? Subset of scientists NOT brought to the US had been listed with Rapture destination though. It was...legit? As far as records went. And there had been adverts about an open city, Rapture...

...she wasn't feeling nearly as stable by the time their boat bumped against the small, rocky outcropping and they were threading their way into the dark lighthouse to...go down. Down. Oh hell. The video clip kicked on at eighteen fathoms.

Where the artist need not fear censure...

...where the scientist need not be bound by petty morality.

That was a bad sign wasn't it? "I see why your parents left," she admitted quietly as she leaned back against the boys, shadows playing across the packs at their feet. The neon splashes that shifted through the window as they came in on the approach to Rapture was...almost normal. Neon was the advertisement hook of choice these days but the whale drfting past painted in those reflected colors was certainly...striking.

Okay, admittedly, she was impressed. A city under the sea? All shadowy depths and polished windows and chrome? It was...attractive.

But they had a lot of ammo for a reason yes. Staying grounded was important, this wasn't a vacation. Not...really. "Not seeing much movement in the connecting tunnels," she noted softly as the bathysphere leveled out. "Population is likely low..." Given it SHOULD be a time of day when people were out of work and at their leisure?

Should.

"I demand a proper honeymoon after this," she noted softly. JUST IN CASE.

Comments

[mitochondriaaya]

Aya reached up to touch Braig's cheek gently, just a bit of contact before they were shifting down the hall, jimmying the door and then heading toward the screaming yes. Because that was always fun. Looked like a riot went through and no one cared afterward. Had help, she agreed with Dilan.

[sliceitwithwind]

Braig covered Aya's hand with his own briefly before taking up rear guard since Aya went in first. Dilan, as both the worst shot and the person carrying most of the gear, was perfectly content with being in the centre. It also meant that he could reach over in either direction if things got to the hand-to-hand stage.

He really didn't want them to get there.

[mitochondriaaya]

She was both relieved and creeped out by how few options they had as far as hallways went. This entry hall had no branches, and was headed toward a stair with, yeah, that was a shadow at the top, their crazy laughing person who was...levitating a couch and setting it on fire somehow.

Okay then.

Flaming couch coming at them as the laughing person darted away through the door up there. She pressed back against Dilan, letting the couch crash down a few feet ahead to flicker and crackle.

Super powers. And a couch.

This was a very surreal place. Their couch tosser hadn't gone far, just up the stairs to beat on a glowing, cheerful machine, yup, though she wheeled in rage to come at them when they hit the top of the stairs.

Gatherer's Garden, recorded, cheerful girl's voices. Eeeesh. Blue shot? There was a blue, glowing creepy thing they probably shouldn't leave behind but...ADAM? She had to spell it out to be sure.

[sliceitwithwind]

Dilan instinctively turned so that his back was between Aya and the couch, breathing a deep sigh of relief when he was not hit by it. He then leaned in to look at the glowing thing, sighed, and nodded. It was Adam. They were not going to...shit. He sighed deeply and pulled out a collecting bag.

Muttering lowly Braig said, "If we leave it, other assholes can use it against us."

[mitochondriaaya]

She nibbled a lip trying to figure out how to phrase things...damn it, never mind, she bent to write in the soot from their couch throwing friend, that's one that shifts your genetics? They just...vend them?!

[sliceitwithwind]

The boys nodded, grim as death.

Smash, grab. Dilan's fingers flew. They weren't going to leave a single, solitary bit of Adam where people could find it if he had anything to say about it. Vending machines were going to be toast.

[mitochondriaaya]

She tapped her fingers thoughtfully a moment then held up a finger, asking for a moment as she looked the machine over. It was...very sturdy, hell couch tosser had only managed to ding one vial out, and that meant it was meant to protect itself...how about...Hack and rig to electrocute or explode if anyone else touches it?

Gods she'd need to find a piece of chalk or something before too long. Soot was a bit fortuitous now but...

[sliceitwithwind]

Dilan shrugged and signed smash again. He didn't want to do anything fancy. He just wanted to break the damn things.

Braig put a hand on Dilan's arm, and underlined Aya's question. He was with her.

After a moment Dilan agreed with a short nod of his head. Fine.

[mitochondriaaya]

Smash means more hunting us. It was obvious and meant their 'prize' was out there with someone else in tweaker's minds. Rigging they checked and got taken down a peg or two at least.

Some careful access at a panel and a few moments of staring at things and she got her hands in the machine, making it grind and laugh and...spit out more vials. The one cracked one she used to pour glow back in the front glass so it LOOKED like there was more in there yes.

Seal the panel? She didn't have any way to do so, so the boys were on that once she'd fiddled.

[sliceitwithwind]

Dilan pulled their supplies around himself until he could get into it and find enough things to seal the machine up until it looked damn near new. He couldn't help himself...he was honestly proud of himself for not trying to clean Rapture.

Braig stroked his dreadlocks as he worked, and leaned in to give Aya a quick peck on the cheek.

[mitochondriaaya]

Anything we come across as to the science on these things instead of the sales brochure I want... She got the viable glowing shit tucked away in her pack and then carefully wiped out the words in the soot. She didn't know if the users here could even read with their brains Adam scrambled but no point risking it right?

Only then did she carefully clean her hands take a moment to kiss Dilan's forehead. Just half an hour in and they were...all not happy. That was awesome wasn't it. The only way out past the machine had...a angrily sparking panel. Facepalming? facepalming.

[sliceitwithwind]

Fire. Braig's gesture said in response to her last writing. They were going to burn everything that even hinted at how to make it. Nothing was coming up from Rapture if they had anything to say about it. Nothing but them and the Little Sisters.

[mitochondriaaya]

I get to read it first. In case. In case she had to use the damn things. Anyway, repairing an arcing panel was fun, and it led to a hamster tube walkway to another section.

[sliceitwithwind]

The boys frowned, but nodded slowly. Dilan almost said he didn't think she'd understand it, since most of the stuff in Rapture was based off of insane people with far too much education, but decided on reflection that he rather liked having kneecaps.

They continued on in near silence. Near because Braig and Aya were not capable of being as quiet as Dilan...and not even Dilan could make the pack not rattle sometimes.

[mitochondriaaya]

Yeah, she knew that, and she'd ask for clarifications if and when it became necessary. The next 'area' was...uh, apartments? And plants. There were trees and vines stretching upward, and elevators in gilded wire and bar tubes. She almost whistled softly.

Almost.

Given one of the two elevators was a twisted mess of steel still flickering with oily flames, and several areas upward along the towers were collapsed it wasn't as pretty a picture as it could be.

The next tube out was also way the hell up and on the other side judging by glancing out the window.

[sliceitwithwind]

The boys moved closer to Aya, tightening up their formation and moving with eyes watching as close to all directions as was possible for people with binocular vision to watch.

Braig checked his gun and reloaded to refill the few bullets he'd spent earlier.

[mitochondriaaya]

Yeah, there was movement up on the various walkways and balconies...but damn it if she didn't like the contrast between the water view out the windows and the trees in here. That was nice and finding any aspect nice...yeah. No stairs, why would a city of the future have stairs? That meant they had to head for that second elevator.

Rope and tackle miiiight be better option honestly but...yeah. They'd try it. It ground to a halt after only two floors, a masked face peering through the grate at them before it ran off to go...get friends apparently. That was the sounds of a hunting party yes.

[sliceitwithwind]

Dilan sighed and said, "No use being quiet now." before dragging the grate open so that they could all get out. He reluctantly pulled his own gun out and cradled it to be ready to distract anything that Braig and Aya couldn't get to right away.

Braig grunted and knelt so that they had high, low, and mid covered.

[mitochondriaaya]

Aya sighed and checked her gun as well, "roving bands of crazy..." she muttered softly. JUST IN CASE THEY COULD BE HEARD. "Might need to crack the windows after we leave, let it all fill..." Might be kinder?

[sliceitwithwind]

"Making sure it all goes to hell is part of the plan." Braig agreed. Dilan nodded, although he thought Aya couldn't see that, and said, "Pretty sure they're planning on bombing it after we've done our run."

[mitochondriaaya]

"Oh good," yeah, there was way too much relief in that statement but hey. It was a creepy place full of creepy people so it was probably forgivable. "Why masks?" The sheer number of bunny and cat masks coming at them now from an apartment door was...uncalled for.

[sliceitwithwind]

"I was six when we left." Dilan pointed out, "I have no idea why masks."

"Or why those masks." Braig agreed, taking aim, "Stop or we kill you." it was said coldly, without any emotion at all.

[mitochondriaaya]

"Was mostly rhetorical," she admitted wryly. "Don't offer, just shoot." These people were insane and if they backed off now they'd just come up behind them later...

...plus it meant she didn't have to hear Braig being that empty again. Most these guys dropped after two shots, though a few were staying back with..."that's a tommy gun." Oh hell.

[sliceitwithwind]

Braig's shots were as targeted as ever, and when the tommy guns appeared he concentrated on headshots to take those people out first. Shoot first ask questions later was fine with him, he just thought that she might be upset if they went that route.

Dilan fired much, much more slowly than Braig, and only hit about half the time - for much the same reason as he couldn't drive. Too many Things! Moving! for him to focus quite right.

[mitochondriaaya]

That was alright, shots to the side and above spooked people just as much as hits did. Especially people as strung out as this lot were. "Looks like they blocked or dropped most the external balcony ways. We may have to thread through apartments," Aya growled during a reload.