Welcome to Rapture: Welcome to hell

Prologue: A new life

I couldn't believe that I had made the cut.

After all this time of living on the surface and soaking up the sun (which was literally killing me, mind you) I finally had the chance to live a dream. The dream of living under the ocean. Because, of course, who wouldn't like the chance to do so? To avoid the world above. The war. The suffering. Where no kings and no masters ruled and only man.

At least, that what was told to me and the few others that now floated in the depths below in the bathysphere that transported us. I was traveling with three others, a family by the looks of it. A tall, slender, red head male with bright green eyes. A strawberry blonde, slender female, with deep brown eyes and a bust that could push anyone out of the way (not that I was looking of course) and a young girl, about seven years old, with darker strawberry hair, and fair hazel eyes. It was her that I was drawn to, because I had never seen the likes of the way that she was dressed. While her mother and father seemed well off, wearing nice, rather, expensive clothing, there was the young child who, she herself wore a rather expensive dress. But unlike others I had seen on the surface, it seemed off. A solid blue colour with a white "apron" sewn on the front. Her hair was pulled back into a pony tail and stayed in place with a bow. Her shoes were cute white flats. She seemed...different. As she continued to stare out into the ocean, fascinated by the swallows of fish the moved to and fro, I then turned my attention to the two adults once more. Their conversation was not loud, but of course I could hear it from the fact that we were four people stuck in a small device. Though as they finished speaking, the male turned to me.

"So, sir, are you excited?" He then inquired. I merely glanced to him and let a thin smile fall on my lips.

"Honestly, sir? I am a little anxious, thinking about everything."

"Might I ask?"

"Certainly. Think about it. No natural sunlight. The chances of leaks. The thought of a utopia built under water by one man. But there are the good qualities as well."

"Such as?"

"Well," I glanced from him to his wife who narrowed her eyes at me; as if daring me to say something terrible or unsettling. My eyes went back to the male now. "Now people can't be drafted to any wars. And I heard this was a place where one moves up with hard work. Clearly to have such a thriving city under water, all of the inhabitants have to be hard working."

"Look daddy!"

Me eyes wondered from the father, to the little girl who pointed out the window of the bathysphere excitedly. Passing us, was a large whale who made its loud, yet oddly peaceful call as it swam by.

"It's so big!"

My smile widened now. Sometimes, I wished that I had a child of my own. But I knew much better. I was not meant to have anything as precious as a child at my side or in my care. I knew, like on the surface, I would mess that chance up really fast. The thought was shaken from my mind as the woman now spoke to me. The male, the husband, rather, glanced away from the widow with a worried look, like something rude was going to be said from the female.

"So, how is it that you made your way to such....an exceptional and expensive city?"

I felt like I should have been insulted. At least a little. Because it certainly felt as if she were implying that she believed me to be poor or not good enough to have the chance to come down to the city of Rapture. While this was true, and while I one to admit as such, it still did not give her the right to ask such a personal question. It was the sixties and she had only the right to remain silent or at least ask an intelligible question. But, with the pleading look of her husband, and a quick glance from the man to the child, I turned my attention to her and smiled weakly.

"Well, ma'am, to be quiet frank with you, I myself do not know." I answered honestly. "I signed the papers in hopes of finding a place to better myself as a person. To find better work and to earn my place in a society that would not be quick to judge others based on things they do not understand about another."

"I see"

With that, there was no more discussion. She seemed to turn her nose up to me and it made me want to say something indefinitely to her, but, I held my tongue for the sake of the small child that rode with us. Besides that, it was clear that we were entering the city now, a dark looming "skyline" now appeared. I watched from the only other window in the bathysphere as we neared. It was amazing, I could hardly wait to go out and explore the what looked like hallways and trams that connected the city. I could hardly wait to meet the people who had lived here and experienced a completely new life. I could hardly wait to start working once again with people who I felt would treat me so much better then on the surface for some reason.

In short, I could hardly wait to start my new life. I finally felt I may have found something better then the life I had made for myself on the surface. Perhaps I could finally be at peace with myself down here.

I was hoping that, with all that I had messed up in my life time,  I could make things right again down here. As this thought became clear in my mind, the little girl glanced up at me. With those hazel eyes, she seemed to gesture that everything was going to be alright.

I hoped so.