Bioshock Gate

The War Begins

"Well Hershel, you need to understand that those below us are just thinking they are all presentation, they don't have the great minds like the Fink brothers, their technology and music are simply sublime." 

"I know that Ethel, but...they took down the airship fleet across the city with their flying machines." 

"Oh please. They had to swarm them to take them down. The Father assured us that we are safe, and that none of those  sodomites will ever step foot in our great city. They may as well be the army of the false prophet, and they work with those Vock Populars or something."

The pair talked on one of the beaches of the city, talking, when they heard a foreign noise. Looking up, a massive plane, larger than some of the airships flew over them. Something trailed behind them. After a few minutes, leaflets started to land over the beach and water.

Hershel picked up the paper that landed near by.

"By declaration of the President of the United States of America, Ronald Reagan, we are announcing, on this day, July 16st, 1984, that the rogue state of Columbia will be pacified, and brought back into the Union. Forces will not be targeting civilians, and the following locations will be considered shelters, Museums, Libraries, and Churches as long as they are not turned into military/hostile positions. We ask the people of Columbia to stand down and to not resist as operations commence, your homes and businesses will not be targeted but may be damaged if conflict occurs. We ask that if you are in a conflict zone, go into a interior room, stay low to the ground.

the front read, flipping it over, 

"We will accept surrender, however hostile actions will be against those who lead this secessionist movement, along with the heads of state, industry, and others who have broken the laws of the free world. The United States desires to create a bastion of freedom and democracy, while undoing the draconian beliefs that are from the time of your city's founding and separation from the Union."

"They must be fools now. They can't even get the date right now. Just shows those savages below are as foolish as those workers down in Shanty town, no schools or anyone smart enough to keep track of the year." 

"They think they can bring us back to the Sodom. We can show them how we deal with them how we dealt with those Chinese and their boxer rebellion. I bet I could take out one of those soldiers." 

"Hershel, don't be silly. You wouldn't even get a chance to see them, not unless we decide to lower ourselves and try and take the fight to them, but I think the ever wise Father will do everything in his power to ensure that we are safe." 

The pair crumpled up the paper and tossed it in the trashcan, along with several others. These notes were dropped across the city of Columbia, dropped by planes flying well above Columbia. 

-meanwhile-

Zachary Hale Comstock, Jeramiah Fink, Esther Mailer and dozens of the other members of the Founder who were important for the security of the city and of Columbia all gathered.

"The Sodom below us desires to consume our great city, destroy it, and make it in their image. They do not know what they are asking to create. We are the ones who are truly right. God sent Columbia to me to show how the world should be, where the man does not have to listen to the crazed ramblings of those who have strayed from the light. I know what is needed, and it is not the false claim of "Democracy".

"Democracy," Comstock scoffed at the word, "it is little more than the illusion of choice used by those who can not make the people see that they are honest. It is unnatural, we've seen it in the histories of our world. Only god can truly decide the path man walks, and he is with us." Comstock preached to the gathered. 

"But now the Sodom has taken many of our people from us, the first Zealot, may his memory be unsoiled, has been killed by those who we thought could be civilized. We retaliated and struck the city of our founding. They stole the heart of our brotherhood, so we struck at the only anchor they had to us." Comstock continued, as he walked to the chair and sat down.

"We are most grateful of your wisdom." several people said as he finished his impromptu sermon.

"Thank you, Father. May I begin with my way of defending our great city from the enemy flying machines?" Fink asked, annoyed at the delay due to the sermon.

"Yes Fink, go ahead." Comstock explained.

"Currently I am retooling a production line away from the Triple R machineguns and placing into production the much more effective Finkton Automatic Rifles Model 10s. They fire a much more powerful round, the ones our carbines use. Additionally, I am going to be creating more Mosquito balloons, that can be deployed from an airship. Lastly, I am looking into how we can possibly interfere with their flying machines. I am looking at the wreckage of the one our great protector, the Song bird, took down, and I am figuring it out, it's just....so unusual. Even the technical manuals are beyond my design teams." Fink explained.

"Do you have a way to counter them though?" 

"I have a method. Are you aware of the idea of the explosives known as mines? I believe that it will be rather easy to create hanging small balloons that can be activated with a switch from a remote location, the detonate in the air with hundreds of thousands of ball bearings inside, spraying in all direction. Air Mines aimed to damage their flying machines while we can approach with our airships. We know we can take down their propeller crafts, so we need to just ensure we take out their attack craft." Jeramiah explained.

"Very good. I am having the Police and Founder's Army to prepare and train up militias to resist. We are needing to rebuild the Firemen and the Handymen. We are also preparing to deploy the Beast equipment in limited numbers." The General of Defense, Nathanial Malcolmson explained

"Very good. If the Sodomites somehow reach us, we will be ready for them, and we will destroy them."

-meanwhile-

The teams deployed quietly, meeting up with a Vox Populi air barge, the team was given clothes, and were smuggled into the city in the cover of night. The CIA would be making sure that when the Vox Populi launched their attack, it would cripple the industrial production of Columbia, but was recoverable. 

"Team one is setting up in Shanty town with the Vox. Team two is to go to Soldier's field, see what we can find of Slate's men and any chance of reorganizing there. We will be rebuilding their group." 

"Team 1 will also be extracting information on the armaments of Columbia. Everything we find now are less surprises for our boys when they make their landings."

"Then we just need to make sure everyone can work together long enough for us to survive the war. Seems doable." 

"Yep. Now, let's get down to business boys. It's just a city, we can win this and be home in time for Christmas." 

"Invasion is in 15 days, that's when the airborne drop in and the First Lady comes up loaded with Rangers and the 7th Cav."