Dystopian Fiction

"I had you built! I sent you topside! I called you back, showed you what you was, what you was capable of! Even that life you thought you had? That was something I dreamed and had tattooed inside your head! Now, if you don't call that family, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS!"

"We all make choices, but in the end, our choices make us."

"A man chooses. A slave obeys."

"I am Andrew Ryan, and I'm here to ask you a question. Is a man not to the sweat of his brow? "No," says the man in Washington, "it belongs to the poor." "No," says the man in the , "it belongs to God." "No," says the man in Moscow, "it belongs to everyone." I rejected those answers; instead, I chose something different. I chose the impossible. I chose... Rapture. A city where the artist would not fear the censor; where the scientist would not be bound by petty morality; where the great would not be constrained by the small! And with the sweat of your brow, Rapture can become your city as well."

"Good evening, my friends. I hope you are enjoying your celebration; it has been a year of trials for us all. Tonight I wish to remind each of you that Rapture is your city. It was your strength of will that brought you here, and with that strength you shall rebuild. And so, Andrew Ryan offers you a toast. To Rapture, 1959. May it be our finest year."

"[upon finding out Jack is in Rapture] So tell me, friend, which one of the bitches sent you? The wolf, or the CIA jackal? Here's the news: Rapture isn't some sunken ship for you to plunder, and Andrew Ryan isn't a giddy socialite who can be slapped around by government muscle. And with that, farewell, or dasvidaniya, whichever you prefer."

"[before the player picks up the Incinerate Plasmid] A Parasite wanders the halls. We rebuilt the city, and the doubters send a fly to spoil our ointment. One thousand ADAM to the man or woman who pins its wings."

"[to Jack over the radio, after the submarine explodes] You ooze in like an assassin and then you try to sneak out like a thief. You're no CIA spook. Who are you? Why have you come here? There's two ways to deal with a mystery...uncover it, or eliminate it."

"I came to this place to build the impossible. You came to rob what you could never build. A , gaping at the gates of Rome. Even the air you breathe is sponged from my account. Well, breathe deep ... so later you might remember the taste."

"[speaking to Jack over the radio in Arcadia] On the surface, I once bought a forest. The Parasites claimed that the land belonged to God, and demanded that I establish a there. Why? So the rabble could stand slack-jawed under the canopy and pretend that it was paradise earned. When Congress moved to nationalize my forest, I burnt it to the ground. God did not plant the seeds of this Arcadia; I did. [Arcadia fills with poisoned gas]"

"Julie, we made a business deal, you and I, did we not? Money changed hands. Let me read to you from the agreement... Section 3, Subsection 4: 'Ryan Corp maintains exclusive rights to the creation, use, and exploitation of the Lazarus Vector'. [floods Langford's office with poisoned gas] Ownership is civilization, Julie. Without it, we're back in the swamp..."

"Why are you so resistant to the traditional methods of separating a man from his soul? You're not CIA, are you? You belong to Atlas, the one roach I can't seem to exterminate. Don't worry. I just need time to find the proper poison."

"A worm looks up and sees the face of God! But look around...it's a regular convention of worms in here. They all had mothers, fathers, people who loved them. They got married, fucked their wives. What makes you think you're any different? I haven't chosen a spot for you on the wall yet. Let me know if you have a preference."

"Rapture is coming back to life. Even now, can't you hear the breath returning to her lung? The shops reopening, the schools humming with the thoughts of young minds? My city will live. My city will thrive. And, when that day comes, we'll use your tombstone for paving tiles."

"A man builds a city at the bottom of the sea. That's a marvel. Another man happens to be on a plane that crash lands on the same city in the middle of the ocean. Why, that sounds more like... A miracle."

"Imagine the will it took to create a place like this. And what have you built? Nothing, you can only loot and break. You're not a man... you're just a termite at ."

"So far away from your family, from your friends, from everything you ever loved. But, for some reason, you like it here. You feel something you can't quite put your finger on. Think about it for a second, and maybe the word will come to you: Nostalgia."

"Though my physical defences fall, you'll not defeat me. My strength is not in steel and fire, but in my intellect and will. You hear me, Atlas?! Andrew Ryan offers you nothing but ashes!"

"[as Jack enters Rapture Central Control room] Even in the book of lies, sometimes you find truth. There is indeed a season for all things. And now that I see you flesh-to-flesh and blood-to-blood, I know I cannot raise my hand against you. But know this: you are my greatest disappointment. Does your master hear me? Atlas! You can kill me, but you will never have my city! My strength is not in steel and fire, that is what the parasites will never understand. A season for all things! A time to live, and a time to die. A time to build... And a time TO DESTROY! [suddenly sets core to self-destruct] Come now, my child. There is one final thing to discuss."

"[casually playing golf in his office as Jack approaches] The assassin has overcome my final defense, and now he's come to murder me. In the end, what separates a man from a slave? Money? Power? No. A man chooses; a slave obeys. You think you have memories: a farm, a family, an airplane, a crash, and then this place. Was there really a family? Did that airplane crash, or was it ? Forced down... Forced down by something less than a man. Something bred to sleepwalk through life until they are activated by a simple phrase, spoken by their kindly master. Was a man sent to kill, or a slave? A man chooses; a slave obeys. Come in. [Ryan's office door opens; Jack approaches] Stop, would you kindly? [Jack obeys] Would you kindly? Powerful phrase. Familiar phrase? [Jack recalls all the times Atlas said "Would you kindly"] Sit, would you kindly? [Jack sits] Stand, would you kindly? [Jack stands, Ryan motioning him up with his club] Run. [Jack runs away from Ryan] Stop! [Jack stops] Turn. [Jack turns to face Ryan] A man chooses; a slave obeys. [hands Jack his golf club] Kill! [Jack strikes Ryan in the head] A man chooses...! [Jack strikes again] A slave obeys! [Jack strikes again; Ryan grabs Jack as he screams in agonizing pain] OBEY!! [Jack lodges the golf club in Ryan's skull; Ryan falls over dead]"

"To build a city at the bottom of the sea! Insanity. But where else could we be free from the clutching hand of the Parasites? Where else could we build an economy that they would not try to control, a society that they would not try to destroy? It was not impossible to build Rapture at the bottom of the sea. It was impossible to build it anywhere else."

"I will dictate no laws. The Great Chain moves slowly, but with wisdom. It is our impatience that invites in the Parasite of big government. And once you've invited it in, it will never stop feeding on the body of the city."

"What is the difference between a Man and a Parasite? A Man builds. A Parasite asks, "Where is my share?" A Man creates. A Parasite says, "What will the neighbors think?" A Man invents. A Parasite says, "Watch out, or you might tread on the toes of God...""

"Free will is the cornerstone of this city. The thought of sacrificing it is abhorrent. However… we are indeed in a time of war. If Atlas and his bandits have their way, will they not turn us into slaves? And what will become of free will then? Desperate times call for desperate measures."

"I believe in no God, no invisible man in the sky. But there is something more powerful than each of us, a combination of our efforts, a Great Chain of industry that unites us. But it is only when we struggle in our own interest that the chain pulls society in the right direction. The chain is too powerful and too mysterious for any government to guide. Any man who tells you different either has his hand in your pocket, or a pistol to your neck."

"Atlas radioed on ahead. Says you were looking for an invite to the fisheries. Nuts, I say. But, if'n you heads up to the wharf master's office and find ol' Peach a Research Camera, maybe I could manage an invite."

"Just remember, sonny friend: I smell an ounce of Fontaine on you, and I'll have you in a box! Atlas gives you the vouch, but I ain't turning my eye just on his say so!"

"The wharf rat didn't get himself wet. You got something for me and my crew, or are you just looking to get criticized? You set here a spell. I needs to put on some coffee. Maybe puts on silverware and the like."

"Now, I bet when your boss waggled out of Hell, he done told the Devil he'd be right back, and the Devil says "Sure thing, Mr. Fontaine. I'll hold you a spot." Ryan promised Fontaine was dust, and now here you are, doing his dirty. I guess that makes Ryan a bum and you a –"

"With genetic modifications, beauty is no longer a goal, or even a virtue; it is a moral obligation. Do we force the healthy to live with the contagious? Do we mix the criminal with the law-abiding? Then why are the plain allowed to mingle with the fair?!"

"Today I had lunch with the Goddess. "Steinman," she said… "I'm here to free you from the tyranny of the commonplace. I'm here to show you a new kind of beauty." I asked her, "What do you mean, goddess?" "Symmetry, dear Steinman. It's time we did something about symmetry...""

"Why do we have two eyes? Is there some law that says we must? Two arms, two legs, two ears, two breasts..."

"No, Goddess! He'll ruin everything! Get 'im! Have your harpies tear 'im to bits!"

"What can I do with this one, Aphrodite? She WON'T - STAY - STILL! I want to make them beautiful, but they always turn out wrong! That one, too fat! This one, too tall! This one, too symmetrical! And now... What's this, Goddess? An intruder?! He's ugly! Ugly, ugly, UGLY!"

"My trees! It wasn't you, was it? No... Ryan...! I think I've got a way to save the trees, it's a genetic vector that- Oh, look who I'm talking to... Could you find me a sample of Rosa Gallica for me? Look in the Grotto... I've got to keep working while there's still time..."

"You've brought the Rosa Gallica? Well, what you waiting for? An engraved invitation? Send it through the Pneumo! [when the player does so] Yes, this is perfect... Perfect... [the door to her office opens] Come on up to my office... I'm letting you in now... I think I've got just the thing to put the green back in this forest."

"[passing the Bot Shutdown Panel in the office] I've got the security system in this joint hacked, so those turrets won't bite. Come on up to my office."

"[when Ryan addresses her over the radio; fearful] Mr. Ryan? [Ryan poisons the air in Langford's office] No... Wait... No! Please! [begins choking] MR. RYAN! [chokes to death]"

"[after cutting communications with Atlas] Ah, that's better. Atlas, Ryan, Atlas, Ryan, duh duh duh, duh duh duh. Time was, you could get something decent on the radio. The artist has a duty to seduce the ear and delight the spirit, so say goodbye to those two blowhards, and hello to an evening with Sander Cohen! Now, I haven't seen a sign of real life down here in months. Let's see if you're just another Johnny-come-lately, or maybe something more delicious."

"Ohhhh, I can smell the malt vinegar in this one. I've waited so long for something tasty to come to this little burg, but all that pass are yokels and rubes. Where are my manners? Come in, come in! Sander Cohen awaits you, at the Fleet Hall! WELCOME – to – Fort Frolic! No need to thank me for jamming the transmission of those boors Atlas and Ryan. Let them have their squabble. The artist, yes, the artist, knows there is richer earth to till. For example, I test you, little moth, but for a reason. I test all my disciples. Some shine like galaxies, and some... some burn like a moth at the flame! Come now, into my home."

"I know why you've come, little moth. You've your own canvas. One you'll paint with the blood of a man I once loved. Yes, I'll send you to Ryan. But first you must be part of my masterpiece. Go to the atrium. Hurry now. My muse is a fickle bitch with a very short attention span."

"Do you see it? When I am dust, this is what they'll point to! My Quadtych! My masterpiece. Go ahead. Don't be afraid. Touch it."

"And here's the glorious news: this is just the moment of conception! Out in this place there are three men, all former disciples of mine, all connected by a common thread... Betrayal. Find them, little moth, and immortalize their mortality in my Quadtych. Go. Once they've been sent to their reward, you shall go to yours... and to Ryan."

"You flutter all around the Fort, taking life as you go. You're not a moth, you're an angel. I've never painted an angel... Maybe I should."

"That's three of four...what's that look? You don't like it, do you? I don't need to be judged by you, by anyone! Screw you!! Screw all you fucking Doubters!!! Here's what I say to all of you!!!!"

"I'm sorry for that outburst. You'll have to forgive an old fool his artistic temperament. The birth is so close now. The labor pains can blur the judgment and drive the passions of even the finest spirits."

"[after the player completes the Quadtych] You'll find your path to Ryan is now clear. Tell him Sander said hello..."

"War a terrible thing. Japanese kill every man in my city, except for Suchong. Suchong have opium. Very good opium. This war, terrible thing, too, but not for Suchong."

"You become Big Daddy, it's a one-way street."

"Fontaine scary son of a bitch, but Ryan cheap son of a bitch. You can no reuse protector suit. Take a man, graft skin and organs straight into suit, otherwise suit not work. Ryan say Big Daddy too expensive. Ryan can go suck egg."