Rapture: Welcome to Genesis Read online

  Rapture:

  Welcome To Genesis

  Contents

  Prologue: Rapture.

  Chapter One: Welcome to Genesis.

  Chapter Two: Uncovering Secrets.

  Chapter Three: Beginning the Experiments.

  Chapter Four: The Second Experiment.

  Chapter Five: The Cure.

  Chapter Six: The End of Genesis.

  Prologue: Rapture.

  The Middle of the Atlantic Ocean, 1995.

  A team of ten men departed from dry land and joined the research efforts of the Octopus Corporation. The mission: find the lost city of Rapture, which was an entire city rumored to be buried under a desolate part of the Atlantic Ocean. The voyage made headlines all across the world as the men left for their mission. Men and women of all ages tuned in for the broadcast. Everyone was dying to know about the mysterious and strange happenings of the undersea myth. For years, planes had crashed, ships had sunk, and people had died over this desolate part of the Atlantic Ocean. Most mysteriously, people had disappeared only to have body parts wash up on land. Today, people were setting out to discover why. The excitement was mounting as the men entered their submarine. They spoke amongst themselves after delving sixteen fathoms under the sea. They had set the pace for their voyage; all that was left was to look for any suspicious activity and take notes.

  “I’m on cloud nine, boys,” the captain said, referring to the voyage. The funding for an expedition of this nature had been difficult.

  The lost city of Rapture wasn't something new. It had been covered by countless news stations, conspiracy theorists, and thrill writers. Everyone had some questions about Rapture. There were so many interesting and unexplained incidents that were believed to originate from the city of Rapture. One of the most notable came from a cruise line that began to receive radio signals that sounded like a young girl crying out, then singing, and then crying again. That same radio signal was reported to have spread across TV and radio stations everywhere. The sound of that little girl’s voice haunted almost every American mind. It was the kind of sound that stuck with you for years. Of course, that made sense seeing as the cruise ship that captured it was isolated in the Atlantic Ocean. Certainly not a place for a little girl.

  The Octopus Corporation was doing everything that they could to put the minds of the citizens at rest. They had stated over and over in press releases and news broadcasts that they were sure it was just some sort of technical glitch. Like each and every plane or water vessel that had disappeared, all had reasons beyond the paranormal, reasons that were rational. All of the men on that submarine believed otherwise. All of them grew up with the superstitions whispered about at summer camp. Ghost stories were passed around the campfire from young boy to young boy about what really happened. They believed in stories of a massive sea monster that had a taste for sea-faring ships and air-bound planes. One had become the most popular: the lost city of Rapture.

  It had been almost thirty years since a man who had been missing for ten years resurfaced. He was alive but deemed mentally insane. They found him washed ashore; two fishermen had been kind enough to help him. Those were the first people to ever hear his story. He talked about a terrible place where a man ruled over a city that he had hidden in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The man was drunk with the power he wielded. The man he spoke about wasn't the only kind of monster in the lost city of Rapture though. He told stories of awful mutants and sub-humanoids. So many people were shocked and horrified by this.

  The voyage continued for several hours. As they got closer to the rumored location of their destination, the men became very serious about finding what they were after. They logged the radio signals, the radar readings, and all of the other electronics in the vessel as those were said to be the most likely to fail. All of the electronics appeared to be working fine. That was until a radio signal came in. The captain picked it up, believing it would be one of the heads of the Octopus Corporation. The sound that came over the radio was bone chilling. The hair on all of the men's necks stood on end as a young girl’s voice came over the radio.

  "Help me. Help me. Help me," she said.

  The men looked back and forth at each other, hoping this was a prank and one of them would erupt in laughter having tricked the others. None of them did. They turned white as the blood drained from their faces. Within moments, all of the technology on the vessel began to malfunction. Disturbing messages came through the radio. The radar went crazy. With that, Mission Rapture came to an abrupt end as all ten men lost their lives.

  At least, that's what the overview said as I read it, and what the video cameras and microphones picked up as I reviewed them. I had not been surprised that Mission Rapture had been a failure. After spending over ten years of my life rescuing vessels that had run into trouble in that part of the ocean, surprise was the last thing to cross my mind. I had hoped that this mission would be a success, just like everyone else. I was dying to understand what was really happening, maybe even a little more than anyone else. I did, however, know a tad bit more than the general public even though the Octopus Corporation did its best to keep me in the dark. My team and I had little time to rescue the vessel. All of America was tuned in to the news reports. It was our time to shine. We very rarely, if ever, got recognition for our work.

  We boarded our vessel and set out for that very same spot of forsaken ocean that we had been to so many times before. As we left, I thought about the skepticism in my own mind. I had to disbelieve the stories of Rapture just as much as I had to believe in them. There would be no way that I could do my job otherwise. Of course, the stories did, in fact, leave some doubt in my mind. I spent so much time out in the open ocean where people had reported all of these horrible and miserable events, never having experienced it myself. I wasn't sure if that was what saved my life and kept me coming back to this job day after day. We had documented everything we could from that part of the ocean, but we never came back with anything new or surprising. I listened carefully as my commander led us to the ship. Our rescue missions never caused me to witness anything odd or abnormal before. That fact disappointed me but also relieved me. I wasn't sure what I would do if I had been one to experience the kinds of things that people reported. They sounded almost too terrifying to live through.

  As we boarded the ship, we were bombarded by news teams and radio broadcasters. We had been told to ignore them, not to talk to anyone. That was for the PR agent the Octopus Corporation hired. We were just there as the rescue and retrieval team. We boarded our massive ocean liner. It was larger than the Titanic, a fact that I admired, although this one truly was unsinkable.

  That night began just like every other night since I began working, the only difference being that people actually cared about this mission. I looked over the side of the ship and saw thousands of people gathered. All I could think about were the families that lost loved ones due to something unexplained in that part of the ocean.

  I couldn't tell you if I believed in Rapture or not. I mean my job had taught me that most things have a rational explanation. I believed in the scientific reasonings for it: weird signals, technical malfunctions, and other rational explanations. I felt that if I began to believe any of the paranormal or supernatural theories that went along with the disappearances that I would not be able to perform my duties.

  Humans are meant to have answers to everything. Our curiosity demands that we find explanations. Mathematics, science, and history; it's all an explanation for something.

  That's why when there is something that no one can explain, it’s eerie and unsettling. After all, people can explain the most difficult things—gravity, physics, things like that—yet no
one can give a sure answer as to why over one specific spot in the ocean disaster hits. Our minds automatically go to a dark place when we’re introduced to something that we can’t explain. That darkness represents all of the empty, uncertain space where the answers to those questions should be.

  I couldn't help but rest my head against a metal banister on the side of the boat; after all, it had been a long day. Eventually, my eyes grew heavy, and I fell asleep.

  I awoke to the sound of the men in my team shouting. I stood up, trying to find my balance. The second I did, the ship was hit with such extreme power that the massive ocean liner rocked with more force than Mother Nature could ever aspire to deal out. I fell to my knees, sliding all the way across to the other end of the ship.

  "Roosevelt! Get to your feet, son. There is something attacking us,” my commander demanded.

  I tried to obey his order, but the other side of the ship was attacked again. Whatever was hitting us had to be so massive; it was almost unfathomable how huge it had to be to rock this ship like a child's toy. More men screamed as they were flung overboard by the sheer force. I held onto what I could. I watched as the men I trained with and worked beside for many years were flung overboard into the ocean like rag dolls. I did everything I could to see what was attacking us. Finally, I closed my eyes, hoping the nightmare would end. When the ocean seemed to go still, I opened them again. I looked around. There was no one else on the ship but me.

  The ocean seemed stagnant and quiet as if nothing had happened at all. I stood up, trying to find my balance. I peeked over the railing of the ocean liner only to find the black sea unmoving. I looked around and realized that I was completely alone. Everyone on the ship was gone. I walked into the cabin and picked up the radio. I did everything I could to try and call in an SOS. There was no response; the radio was dead. I stepped back out onto the deck and heard footsteps behind me. Before I could turn around, I felt a sharp pain in the back of my neck and the heat of blood rushing over my skin. Suddenly, my world went black.

  I woke up with a splitting headache. As I tried to steady myself and figure out my surroundings, I vomited all over the floor. Life felt so strange. I felt consumed by pressure. It was like a lump of coal being pressed into a diamond all at once. The pressure was hard to bear. I tried to clear my eyes, but they were too foggy.

  My first thought was I had some form of brain damage from the boat crash. I did what I could just to sit back on my knees and look up. My vision was still blurry but getting better. I was leaning up against something cold; it was most certainly a type of metal. As my vision finally cleared, I looked at the massive tank. I knew from my research that it was a bathysphere, one that had been severely cracked. The door hung from its hinge, barely attached, and the entire side was nothing more than a gaping hole of jagged edges. I continued to look around. The lowlight of the room made it difficult to see exactly where I was, but it seemed to be some sort of vault.

  I tried to stand, but my legs failed me, and I fell back down onto my knees. I wanted nothing more than to black out, but the fear that passed through me prevented me from shutting my eyes. I had no idea where I was or what I was doing here. I couldn't even try to convince myself that I wasn't in danger because I knew there was no way I could be sure.

  Portholes surrounded the room with a large door at one end. I looked up to see the hole where the bathysphere had come through. I gave myself a few more minutes before an attempt at standing up and looking out the portholes. I was most certainly underwater, deep underwater. There was nothing to see but blackness. Pitch black, in fact, with no light whatsoever. I walked to the vault and tried pulling on it. The vault refused to give. I sat back down, not knowing what I should do. I wasn’t trained for this situation, and I have been trained for almost everything that can happen out at sea. I wanted to cry, to revert back to being a helpless child. It took every ounce of man I had in me not to. As I regained some of my strength, I walked back to the vault and began pulling on it again. This time it released with hardly any effort. The door flung open…

  Chapter One: Welcome to Genesis.

  It was what I could explain only as heaven. Somewhere nearby, a chorus sang. The beautiful voices hung in the air, sounding as if they were coming from the rafters. As I looked around, all I saw was metal. I couldn't believe it. Had I found the lost city of Rapture? I began to feel anxious; I didn't see anyone or anything. The thought of being alone there frightened me. I didn't know where I was or where I had been. Suddenly, I felt someone run behind me. I looked back as fast as I could, hoping to not be surprised. As I turned around, it ran behind me again, only this time faster. I held my breath.

  The sound led me down a long corridor lit with candles. On the walls hung pictures of a beautiful woman; she had a beautiful face framed by short black hair. I couldn't help but to admire their beauty as I passed. They were breathtaking. Again, I heard the sound of small feet running behind me. Only this time they stopped. I turned around and saw a little girl. She looked just like the woman in the picture only much younger. She had bright blue eyes filled with wonder and excitement. She was wearing a long white dress with blue lace around the collar, the arms, and the hem.

  "That's my mommy," she said laughing. "I'm Evelyn." She said still laughing.

  The young girl ran away laughing. I ran after her, trying to keep up with her agile young feet. She ran faster and faster until she reached a large vaulted door and opened it. When I finally caught with her, I entered the room. What I saw was horrifying. It was completely pitch black. From what I could see, the ceiling was cracked and water dripped through. That same water gathered on the floor. I reached for Evelyn's hand, wanting to take her away from there. She just stood there stunned. I tried to grab her again. I had never had such a terrible feeling from being inside a room. The air was damp and dank, so heavy it was difficult to breathe. I reached for Evelyn a third time. At once, her face went blank, and she opened her mouth and screamed the shrillest, most earsplitting scream that I had ever heard in my entire life. I looked around quickly to see what she saw, but there was nothing. I grabbed her and pulled her back through the vault, slamming the door.

  "Evelyn, what is wrong?" I asked her. As soon as the words left my mouth, the same serene and bubbly look appeared on her face again. The smile crossed her mouth once more; it was equal parts creepy and cheerful.

  "I'm not sure what that was," Evelyn said before running off again. I took a deep breath. This appeared to be how I would be spending most of the day. I hoped I could find an adult (if there was anyone else even here). I continued to chase after her until the woman from the pictures appeared in front of us, grabbing Evelyn by her dress and turning her around and holding her by the arm.

  "Who are you?" the woman asked me.

  "My name is Roosevelt. I was on a rescue mission, but something attacked our boat. Then I woke up here," I said honestly. Judging from the earlier pictures, this woman was obviously of high social standing. I did as best I could to let her know I respected that.

  "Oh, you must be talking about my wraith. He haunts the ocean above Genesis. By the way, welcome to Genesis," the woman said as she walked down the hallway with Evelyn's arm in her spidery hand.

  "Genesis, is that what this place is?” I inquired. “The myths and legends always referred to it as Rapture."

  The woman stopped dead in her tracks at the mention of Rapture.

  "If you're going to be down here, do not mention that name," she snapped, spinning on her heel and continuing down the hallway.

  "Understood," I replied. "What was in that vault back there?" I asked. "Evelyn ran in there, and she looked horrified."

  Again, the woman stopped abruptly. This time, she turned to Evelyn and looked her dead in the eyes. The slap that the woman laid across the child's face was so loud that it rang in my ears moments after. Even though it left a red handprint on the young girl’s face, Evelyn didn't flinch or even move.

  "Evelyn, what have I told yo
u about leaving the main hall?" the woman scolded.

  "I'm sorry, Mommy. I was walking by one of the guards, and they said that we had a new visitor. I wanted to meet him," Evelyn said smiling up at her mother.

  "Yes, darling. It would appear as though we do have a new visitor," she said, turning to look at me. "My name is Eleanor. You can refer to me as Eleanor. If you have anything that concerns Genesis, you need to speak to me. Unfortunately, now that you are down here, we can never allow you to go back up to the surface. I'm sorry," the woman said without remorse.

  The thought hadn't really crossed my mind that I was trapped there. The truth is the life that I knew on the surface hadn’t had much to offer me. Rapture or Genesis, whichever it was known as, however, was something that I had thought about since I was young. Could this could be the chance for a fresh start?

  "I understand, Eleanor," I said. I followed the two of them to the main hall, as they called it. It was absolutely beautiful. It was much less a hall and much more a city. Large stores, small shops, and houses lined the street. Well, what would've been the street on the surface above Genesis. Here, it was just a large glass walkway. I watched as the fish swam below. Fish that no one above would believe existed.

  "You said something about a wraith?" I asked, remembering our earlier conversation.

  "Yes, the wraith. He protects me and my city. I'm not sure which form you saw him in, but he does enjoy becoming a good leviathan every now and then. But mainly, you can see him as my right-hand man. I will introduce you to him later," Eleanor said. "These are my wardens."