Allow me be the first to say that this was my first time ever playing a Bioshock game, and after the events that took place, I do not want to see another copy of the game again.
It all started back a few years ago, it was pay day and I decided to buy a new game from my local GameStop. My friends kept telling me that Bioshock, a game that recently came out, was an excellent game. So I asked the guy behind the counter if there were any copies left, considering that it was just released I assume it was sold out. But to my surprise, a few copies remained. He then pulled a copy of the game, it have the same cover art like the others, it was also still in its sealed wrapper.
I paid the man and soon rushed home to open it up. I opened the game up, but it was different from any game I have ever seen. The game case did not contain a game manual, and the disk was one of those blank burnable disks. Written on it was "Prototype 10". On the top and on the bottom it said and underlined, "RETURN TO LAB".
My curiosity had me at an inbound in wonder what it meant and I decided to boot it up. For some reason, the game just started right away. It just skipped the console menu, but the game itself was in almost working condition. Although the screen was looking a little cheap and rushed- in plain Arial text it just read Bioshock- I assumed that this prototype was a very early model of the game. There was also no sound at all. It was almost feeling ominous. There was an option for subtitles so I decide to turn it on and just live without sounds.
When I started the game It did not have any cutscenes. I did see some footage on the internet, and knew that there was a cutscene in the beginning about an airplane, but I guess it was too early in the prototype to be put in the game. I was playing for a good 20 minutes, and It looked really amazing, with the visuals of an underwater city. After I met the man named Atlas, I came to a very dark room. I could not see anything, and I did not have a flashlight option. After about two minutes in the dark room I could hear the sound of a whale, and a little girl crying. Then a large spotlight in the game shined on a figure of a small little girl turned away from me. The whale sounds where getting louder and I could start moving towards the little girl.
Every time I got closer to the little girl, the crying and the whale sounds kept getting louder, as I got up close to the girl her skin was a very light grey, and my hair was starting to raise. The girl stopped crying, I could not move, and the girl turned to me, and looked at me with the bright yellow eyes, and her grimy, devilish looking smile, and she screamed a very high pitch scream. In the back of the scream I could also hear the whale sound just as loud as the scream. And then my character then turned around and a large robot much like the one on the cover was right in my face. It made a large whaling sound, and struck me with his drill hand.
Everything went quiet. The screen went pitch black, and the vision on the screen came back, I was outside the city in the game, drowning and hearing the sound of whales and the sound of rushing water, I could swear I heard a faint whisper, all I could make out was the word saying "Kindly". Currently I thought it was part of the game, just trying to get the player scared. The screen then faded to black, and it brought me to the same title screen that I was at. I tried to restart my file again, but I could not move my cursor, instead it decided to move itself. It moved to load game and started at a safe file, the thumbnail was pitch-black much like the room I was killed in. It started in the room again. I was Confused and Frustrated with what was happening I shut off my game, and went to bed.
I can still remember the dreams I had that night. It was nothing but the word "Kindly" Everywhere, as well as the sound of the whales and little girls crying. I also remember feeling like I never slept at all.
The next day, I had a day off work and decided to go talk to my friend about the events that happened to me, I told my friend about the dark room and the drifting out to sea. She looked at me puzzled and said, "I do not think that was in the game, I would like to check this out," So we went to my house and up to my room where my game system was, I was nervous to boot up the game, but I had to show her. When I booted it up, Something was wrong, the system menu came up not like yesterday, It then popped out the game "BIOSHOCK" Like it supposes to, My friend look confused at me, I then replied, "It will start acting weird, trust me." She then pressed the little icon and then the game started, I was terrified of what was going to happen, It then showed the title screen, But for some reason it was different then before, much like the menu actually working. It was working normally which made my friend more impatient. She started to play the game the sound was completely working, and by the time she got to the Dark room, it was not there, in fact, I found out what the little girl was, It was the same model of a little sister, apparently they are a big part of the game, so where the robots that attacked me, It was called a Big Daddy. My friend then played for about a hour, and still no sign of the room or the other occurrence that happened. My friend then looked at me thinking that I am Insane, and replied "I do not know what you are on, but I hope you get help", I tried to argue that the events that happened where true but she just ignored it and I showed her out of my house. After the my friend left, I went back into my room.
And what happen is something I still cannot explain to this day, the TV was just pitch black, But both the TV and the game system was on. I had then realized I was back in the dark room, I could start hearing the crying of the little sister and the sound of the whale. The spot light then shined down and showed the little sister again, but this time, much further out then I remember. I tried turn off the game, But I could not. All I could do was just walk to her. So I started walking. When I started walking, I started hearing more and more whale sounds and started to hear rushing water. They where getting louder and louder with every step I took. Then once I finally got close to the little sister, all the sounds just took an immediate stop. And then the little sister turned around, and opened her eyes and screamed. It was a louder more Blood curling scream then last time and her eyes were like those hypnotic eyes like form loony Toons. Once again the Big Daddy attacked me and I was once again, outside the city, but much farther out. It then did an immediate cut to black. The black screen then came up with white Ariel text saying "Would you Kindly?". I was Super confused on what it meant, I was then greeted again to the title screen, again not being able to move. It then started to play the sounds of the dark room. Then I started to hear a faint British voice, repeating the phrase "Would you Kindly?" I was freaking out of what was happening and I still could not turn it off, until I unplugged the game console itself.
The very next day, I got up and went to the Gamestop I bought the game. The person who sold me the game was still there, He remembered me and smiled, saying "welcome back, Something wrong with the game"? I then told him that I would wish to have another copy because this one was extremely faulty. The Clerk then opened the game and saw the blank disk with the black marker wrote in it. His smile quickly turned into a face of sheer anger, He then started to yell at me "Is this some somewhat sick joke? This is not an official disk. This is some sort of prank to get two copies? Get out of my store and do not come back!" I was Furious at him, he did not even hear my part of the story, But if I just explain to him, what happened yesterday might not believe me again. So I had to leave, there was nothing I could do, Other customers started looking at me in a very grim fashion, Looking at me like I was a convict getting sent death row. I left the store not knowing what I would do next.
I stopped at my local restaurant where I usually go. I was pondering, why is it that only it affects me when I play the game, When the waitress came up to refill my coffee, she was old and frill, She could not reach the coffee cup so she asks with a soft voice, "Sweetie would you kindly move your coffee cup over for me"? Without even thinking, all the muscles in my arm reflex and moved towards to the cup, and quickly moved the cup closer. Me being petrified, I ran outside and into my car digesting what just happened. I was feeling sick to my stomach and I vomited on the concrete and I had to get home. I started up my car and went home. I laid on the couch holding my stomach in pain, as well as an aching headache. My brain could not stop thinking about two things, The pain, And what is happening to him. Finally about 20 minutes later, the pain in my stomach had died down, but my head still ached. I took some painkillers and just went to bed. I could not think about doing anything else that day.
Another dream came to me that night. I cannot remember it like it was just last night, It was the same dream as the night before, but this time, the sounds were louder and it felt more real. I woke up in the middle of the night, In cold sweat, my head was pounding still. Every time I slept that night, I would have the same dream, always waking up in the same fear that I had the previous times.
Early that morning I decided to go to the head source of what was happening, I decided to phone 2k Games, Surely if anyone knew what was happening it would be them. All I got was a lousy machine telling me which buttons to press to talk to, I pressed the button to allow me to talk to customer services, The person who picked up sounded young, but he still sounded confident in what he was saying to me. I told him about my story and with the same reaction with everyone else I told about it, They thought I was crazy. He was about to hang up, but then I suddenly forced the word out my mouth, "Prototype 10". All I heard was silence, and then some mumbling in the background. It soundly like it was two people arguing. I could not make out most of the conversation, But what I could make out was two men arguing over something about my call. For about two minutes of listening to the arguing, I was just about to hang up, when I heard the phone being pick up again. This time there was a voice different from the person I was talking to. He said softly and almost nervous speech, I remember the words well, he said "Would you kindly hang up and never call this number again"? Then just as soon as he said those words my muscles began to flex again, and just like in the restaurant I did that very action, I hung up without any will power and slammed the phone to my table. I was terrified. Why could not I control my hand? Why did I listen to what he said? Why is it that my head is always pounding when I hear the phrase? All these questions had to be answered. But for now It was a Monday and I had to go work.
During work I could not stop thinking about what was what was happening to me. Work was finished and I was still pondering what was happening. As soon as I got home, I had this really strange urge to play the game once again, the urge felt like the same feeling when I was at the restaurant. Fearing of what was going to happen I booted up the game once again. But this time there was no title screen, no beginning part or anything, Just the black room I had dreaded ever since I bought this game. Something was different. There was no sounds coming from my speakers. I could not figure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Then the spotlight that usually had the little sister in it, She was not there. All there was, was a table with an object that I could not make out from the distance that the game started me on. But as I grew closer to it, I recognized the object. It was a tape recorder from the game. I recognized because my friend who was over got far enough to find one. A prompt came across my screen saying "Press A to Play." I hesitated to press it, but then the prompt changed saying "Would you Kindly Press A to play?" Again may arm flexed and my thumb uncontrollably jammed the A button as hard as I could. My hair stood up on the ends. The tape played.
Unlike the tapes from the actual game, It was an actual tape. It had brought a picture of a real person, He looked like a professor or scientist of some sort. The tape began playing, The person had a very frail British accent. This scientist was from the "Westminster Physiology Hospital for the Mentally Ill" His name was Doctor Harold Knights one of the many physiologists in the hospital. The date was also listed of August 21 1957. Most of the tape was consisting of telling how the human brain can be hypnotized by using certain sounds and words. Some of the examples the doctor listed for the sounds was, Whale sounds, Little cries, and the sound of rushing water. After the examples where listed it sounded like the doctor was about to say something else, but the tape had cut him off in mid sentence.
As soon as the tape ended, the spotlight in the game then shut off, leaving me back in the darkness. But then I started to hear sounds of crying and whaling sounds again, I was assuming that something was going to happen again, but no. Instead the only thing that was happening was the text "Would you Kindly?" flashing rapidly and I could also hear the loud voice of a British accent saying that exact phrase. I was becoming mesmerized by what was happening, almost like I was going to pass out. I tried to keep up my strength but I just collapsed and could not get up.
I regained my strength, for how long, I still do not know but it was morning and somehow my game was turned off. I knew it was not a dream so something must of happened. I need to go back to work, but as soon as I left, I took the game for a special reason. I have a friend at work who is known for taking games and being able to export the files and editing them, So I asked if I he could export the files on the disk and give it back to me. My friend agreed to what I asked. He said that It may take a few days because of how much work he has and because it takes a few days to export so much coding.
During those few days, I wanted to play the game, I still had the nightmares
about the game, and I wanted to phone 2K games again, but every time I picked up the phone my brain just made me put it back down. I had no feeling of free will, no feeling of freedom, and I was scared of what was going on.
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A few days had past and my friend had knocked on the door of my house. He looked pale and almost terrified. He was holding a CD case and the Bioshock game case in one hand. He handed me the two disk cases saying in an almost faint but still noticeable "I do not know what you got yourself into, but I pray you can find a way out." He then just left, with nothing else to say.
On the disk there were a few files, Most of it was coding and model views. There was also one file that stood out of all them, It was titled "PROTOTYPE 10". In that file to had ten different text files and two different MP3 files. The text files listed as Test subjects #1-10, These where papers from the Psychology Hospital that the doctor Harold Knights was from. The test subjects were testing on Dr. Knights theory on mind control. One sound file was the same file with Dr. Knights, that was in the game that I listened to a few days back. The other sound file was something different, It was two men arguing over the prototype Bioshock game. The most
notable part of the conversation was:
Man 1:"This man is a Genius,"
Man 2:"He is insane,"
Man 1: "If we get people to play this game then we will have them under our total control, we could make them buy our games,"
Man 2: "You're talking total nonsense, we are not going to manipulate our customers, we are sticking with prototype 9"
Man 1: "How could you let an opportunity like this slip through your hands? This could make it the bestselling game ever, we could be better then Nintendo could ever be, With just sick simple words, "Would you kindly buy this game?"
Man 2: "Absolutely outrageous, you are talking like some kind of, Saturday morning cartoon villain. This is taking away a human free will for your personal use! At least the doctor did was for science."
Man 1"YOU ARE AN ABSOLUTE MORON FOR NOT GIVING THIS A CHANCE!"
Man 2:"WELL THIS MORON HAS JUST FIRED YOU, now would you kindly, GET OUT OF MY OFFICE"
The file just ended there, It also came to my attention that the second man had a very similar voice to the man on the phone when I called K games. There was nothing left on this file.
I could not think after this, I just collapsed on my bed and fell asleep. I woke up with the thoughts of the two men arguing and the Doctor. I saw the game case unopened after my friend returned it. Then a thought came to my head, a British accent in my head said "Would you kindly play that game one more time?"
Once again, My arm had flexed and put the game in my console. I played it, trying to resist, but I could not put it down, and my eyes forced on the screen and resisting to close them or even blink them. My thumbs were moving by themselves, moving the joy sticks and controlled the player. The same events happened again. When then the spot light shined, the little sister again was not there, nether was the tape, about 30 seconds later, my eyes started to become sore from remaining open. Then the little sister came out in front of me and screened the highest pitch I could ever hear. Then the screen shut to black, and nothing came up. But in a British accent whispered "Would you kindly?" Over and over again, Until the sounds of whales came up once again. My muscles then relaxed and I could control them again.
My heart was pounding and my head ached, but I could not do anything about it for now, I was late for work, and I used up my sick days and had to go to work. When I was at work, I could not focus. All I could think about was what to do next. My boss then came through the door. I remember him looking furious, He had a very large stack of papers. He was angry about my lack in working that day. He then asked me in the words I dreaded him to ask, "You have not filled out an entire report all day, for that, I am asking you, Would you kindly fill out these reports? If not your fired!" He then slammed the papers on my desk, by then, I blacked out. Once I regained conscience It was dark out, my clock read 11:23PM My boss came in at around 12:00PM and all the papers were filled out with my signature and my hand writing. It happened again, but I had no memory of doing it.
I panicked and ran to my car. In my car I could only hear the sounds of crying and whale sounds. I was crying myself. Holding my head, and pulling my hair, I just wanted it to stop, Why would it not stop? Once again, I fainted, And fell on the concrete of the parking lot in front of the office.
I had a dream, The last one I remember from these events. It was a room. The room itself was very gritty, much like a room from an asylum. All I heard was the sound of people in scared voices. I turned around. It was a few people, some in the fetal position or pacing themselves back and forth. Each of them had scratches on the faces, from their own nails, Their eyes where dilated and bloodshot. Then one of them grabbed me and started repeating the words, "Would you kindly, Dr. Knight," they also moaned like a whale.
I then woke up, dazed and confused. I was in a hospital bed, and the sight of the sun coming through the window, I could also hear the sounds of people in the hallway. I had no idea who was there or what they where talking about because the curtain separated me from the door. Then I heard footsteps, And the curtain opened to reveal a tall man, with a friendly grin on his face. "Well look who is up" I then looked past him. Both my friends were there. They looked really worried. They might think that this relates to what I have told them. I then glanced back at the doctor, he said, my friend found me laying on the concrete. I then looked at the doctors name tag. "Dr.Knights" It read, but he did not sound like him, and this doctor was young. Then I noticed, that the doctor had a British accent, much like Dr.Knight. Scared, I jumped out of my bed and pushed the doctor to the side and ran through my friends as they tried to stop me. I then ran out to the hospital. I had to destroy the game but for some reason I stopped, turned around and looked at the hospital name, "New Westminster Psychologically Hospital". I went to my knees and started to cry. I was then Grabbed by the hospital security. They dragged me back into the hospital bed, They hand cuffed me to it.
I spent a week in the hospital, after them asking questions about the reasons for my fit of rage, I never told them about the game, they would never believe me if I told them. My friends visited me everyday, they then believed me to what had happened. I was then released from the hospital and my friends took me home. They saw the game case and I took it and did what it told me what to do.
Return to lab.