Bioshock Infinite: The novel

Lighthouse

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

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

'The mind of a subject will desperately struggle to create memories where none exist...'

-Barriers to trans-dimensional travel
R. Lutece , 1889
...

1912, Coast of Maine

The dark water stretched in every direction of the condensed horizon, cut off by fog thick enough to create isolation in the ocean's expanse of openness. We were at sea off the coast of Maine with no wisp of land in sight. Rain poured upon us as flashes of lightning gave illumination to the darkness for just a blink of an eye. The row boat bobbed on the rough waves, as a man rowed and a woman watched. I was but a prisoner to the boat, to the ocean, to the deed.

"Are you going to just sit there?" The man rowing asked the woman behind him.

"As compared to what? Standing?" she replied.

"Not standing. Rowing."

"Rowing. I hadn't planned on it."

"So you expect me to shoulder the burden?"

"No. But I do expect you to do all the rowing."

In midst of the argument she handed me back a small wooden box. "What's this?" I questioned.

The top of the box had a scratched silver plating which read:

Property of Booker DeWitt 7th cavalry Wounded Knee

The box contained my name, promoting that I was at wounded knee, but my memory did not trigger. There were bigger things to worry about anyhow. Hell, I didn't even know the names of the two who accompanied me, or where we were going in such dangerous conditions.

"And why is that?" The two of them continued, disregarding my question.

"Coming here was your idea," the woman argued.

"My idea?" he blurted in a surprised manner.

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

"The rowing?"

"No. I imagine that's wonderful exercise."

"Then what?"

"The entire thought experiment."

Soon their argument became more obnoxious than comical to my liking, but, the storm didn't help my mood either, as the large crashing waves threw us around adding to my sea sickness."Excuse me, how much longer?" I asked them, as I could still see nothing in our radius.

"One goes into an experiment knowing one could fail," the man continued.

Giving up on trying to be acknowledged by the two in front of me, I opened the box the woman had handed me. The inside contained multiple pictures, a piece of scrap paper with hand-drawn symbols, some coins, a key, and a handgun. I grabbed the gun and loaded the chamber. Well that escalated quickly I thought, but it wasn't like I had never used a pistol before, "That'll work," I told them as I inspected the firearm. *