Bioshock: No Gods, Kings, or Prophets, Only Men

Chapter 1 ~Ascension~

"Josh... are you afraid of God?"

"No,... but I'm afraid of you."

The feeling of raindrops, the rocking movement of something I'm on, the sound of waves, and the distant rumbling of thunder woke me up as I looked around in shock and confusion.

Where am I? How did I get here? Why am I here? All these questions led to more as I pondered my situation, but it seemed all too familiar. I've seen this play out before.

"Are you just going to sit there?" The man in the raincoat, rowing the boat, asked the lady in the raincoat in front of him.

"As compared to what? Standing?" 

"Not standing. Rowing."

'Why have I heard these lines before?'

"Rowing? I hadn't planned on it." She said as she gave me a box.

The box had a golden inscription that says "Property of Booker DeWitt, 7th Calvary, Wounded Knee". Reality has settled in... I was in Bioshock: Infinite... I don't know how, I don't know why, but I'm here. The raindrops I feel on my skin are all but confirmation that what I'm experiencing is... real... and I've just replaced the main character, Booker Dewitt.

I imitated DeWitt's action in the game as I grabbed the Mauser pistol, holstered in my pistol holster, some coins, the key, and the code for the lighthouse as I silently just gave the box back to her as she took it.

"So you expect me to shoulder the burden?" the rowing man asked her

"No, but I do expect you to do all the rowing."

"And why is that?"

"Coming here, was YOUR idea?"

'I'm never gonna get answers from the twins... they'll speak in riddles that'll give me a headache.'

"MY IDEA?!"

"I've made it very clear that I don't believe in the exercise."

"The rowing?"

"No, I'd imagine that's a wonderful exercise."

"Then, what?"

"The entire thought experiment."

"Do you guys even know if I'm the guy for this kind of job?" I blatantly asked, knowing full-well they know I'm not Booker DeWitt or Comstock but another person entirely, but they completely ignore me.

"One goes into an experiment knowing one could fail." Robert Lutece argued

"But One does not undertake an experiment knowing one HAS failed." Rosalind Lutece argued back

"Can we get back to the rowing?" Robert switches the topic

"I suggest you do or we're never going to get there." Rosalind said

"No. I mean I'd greatly appreciate it if you would assist." he suggests

"Perhaps you should ask Josh here? I imagine he has a greater interest in getting there than I do."

'And of course, they know me. and the fact I'm not Booker... but why go through this process?'

"I suppose he does. But there's no point in asking." he said

"Why not?" she asked

"Because he rows in a different direction."

"He rows in a different direction?"

"Yes, he rows in a DIFFERENT direction."

"Ah, I see what you mean... we've arrived." she said as we got close to the pier.

'Right, rowing in a different direction... I don't know what they mean by that but somehow I do, in a way.'

I sighed in frustration as I got up and climb the ladder as I looked to the twins as the row away.

"Shall we tell him when we're coming?" Rosalind asked Robert

"Would that change anything?" Robert asked

"Might give him some comfort."

"At least that's something we can agree on." he said as they row away.

"WHY ME?! JUST TELL ME WHY ME?!" I shouted at them.

"You'll do fine, Josh! You know this, just keep going! You can do it!" Robert replied as they row back into the fog.

"Fuck my life." I said under my breath

It's about time I introduced myself, my name is Josiah Hardigan Townley but everybody calls me "Josh". I'm a 22-year-old man who plays video games a lot. From what I could remember before I came here was that I had just freshly graduated and my friends were throwing a party. From that point on, everything is just a blur and now here I am, in the role as myself instead of Booker DeWitt's shoes... at least I won't have to "baptize" myself that's for sure. 

I've played the game so many times that I just know where to collect money and stuff. I eat some can of beans and cereal due since I was very hungry and there's not much in this damn lighthouse. I head up and ignore the body since it doesn't matter to me but... God, the stench. I'm used to seeing it in the game but seeing it in reality? It's a whole different experience. I quickly looted the place before heading upstairs. I entered the bell codes first and let the scene play out as I checked around for money and food.

I then waited for the door to unlock as I ate a pear I found downstairs. Once it unlocked itself, I quickly finished eating the pear and headed in. Inside, there's a red chair, I prepared myself for what's to come as I sat down on the red chair.  Once I sat down on it, I quickly raised my hands as the restraints came out and failed to trap my hands, but they did successfully restrain my legs as I wanted them to. The pod started forming and once the whole seat faced down, I held on to my right restraint for support while I held on to the pistol, once it was done with that, it brought me back up as the announcer counts down while I grabbed onto the restraints.

Once it's done counting, I was launched into the air as I calmly react to the situation. After a while, a bright light flashed onto the window of the pod... It's Columbia... I couldn't believe it... it's so... breathtaking. I was so mesmerized by the city that I didn't realize the parachute activated as my pod made a slow controlled descent to the church