Zack wasn't completely clueless about baptism rituals.
Generally, baptism involved a water ceremony where a bit of water was sprinkled on the hand and a cross was drawn on the forehead, or a full immersion baptism where the person was submerged in a pool.
But what kind of baptism involved shoving someone's head into the water?
"Gurgle, gurgle."
The sound of splashing water and rising bubbles reached him, and Zack was speechless.
Could that even be called a baptism?
And they didn't just do it once, they held him under three times in a row.
During the last submersion, the splashing water in front of Zack's eyes gradually faded, and his vision went dark.
"What's going on? Did I drown myself during the baptism? Is this a scripted death, or do I need to resist here?"
Looking at the game's viewpoint plunging into darkness, Zack was completely bewildered.
He hadn't quite figured out what was happening.
But soon, the corresponding game visuals appeared.
He was in a room with a pistol, some bullets, and countless empty bottles and cigarette butts on a table.
"Bring us the girl, and your debt will be cleared."
"What do you want to do?"
"We had a deal, Booker! Open the door, now!"
"I told you... I won't do it!"
He heard Booker's conversation with a man.
So, was this a memory of Booker's past?
Booker took on the mission to kidnap Elizabeth because he was heavily in debt?
As Zack watched the story unfold, he felt a bit confused.
After pushing open a door in the game, he saw a city engulfed in war. But before he could see more, the view went black.
The camera returned to New Columbias, the city in the sky.
At this point, Zack was completely lost.
He even felt more confused than when playing a Souls-like game.
After all, in Souls-like games, even if you don't understand what's happening, you just slash away with your sword.
But Bioshock Infinite, up to this point, was still in a narrative phase, and it didn't seem like a game where you just shot everything.
However, based on the opening content alone, Zack felt it was quite complex.
If that was Booker's past memory, then what was the destroyed city he saw after opening the door?
A hallucination? Or perhaps the past, or the future?
Many questions arose in Zack's mind.
But those questions were quickly overshadowed by what he saw before him.
Because having undergone the baptism, he could move freely.
"Those idiot priests should learn to distinguish between a baptism and drowning someone!"
As Booker, revived, made his fitting complaint in New Eden, Zack carefully looked around.
Unlike when he saw the aerial city of Columbias from the cramped flying cabin before.
Now, standing within the city, Zack could only describe it in two words: dreamlike.
A dreamlike world.
It was like something out of a fairy tale.
The city in the game had a distinct steampunk style.
Giant gears and machinery, with advanced and primitive elements coexisting.
There were cars and also horse-drawn carriages, magic and firearms, and most notably, airships, which were a hallmark of the steampunk genre.
The opening content didn't directly jump into the gameplay but instead allowed players to admire the steampunk city.
Similarly, Zack didn't rush to the objective marker on the minimap to advance the main storyline.
Instead, he enjoyed the scenery of the aerial city of Columbias along the way.
But soon, Zack noticed something different, something unlike reality.
Although this city had technology far superior to that on the ground.
It was a city of fervent religious zealots, but what was strange was that the beings worshipped by these followers in the game weren't deities like Jesus.
Instead, historical figures like "Franklin," "Washington," and "Jefferson" were treated like gods.
Furthermore, based on some simple books and newspapers, Lincoln, also one of the leaders, was depicted as a devil and a traitor.
Strange, that was Zack's feeling.
Throughout the streets and alleys, there were all sorts of posters warning citizens to beware of the false shepherd, lest he lead the lambs astray.
The game wasn't entirely open-world, but there was a lot to explore.
For example, within the city, players could engage in various fun mini-games.
Shooting, testing strength, and even enjoying stage plays and movies.
"But the final big boss is that obvious?"
Zack wondered as he wandered around the aerial city of Columbias.
Based on the current situation, Zack felt that Comstock, known as the Prophet, was likely the final boss.
The entire city in the sky was exceptionally prosperous, and the city was currently celebrating Ascension Day, their national holiday.
Although Booker in the game likely wasn't in the mood for fun, Zack was having a great time here.
He continued until he walked through a large archway and was stopped by a newsboy near a platform under a giant statue of a founding father.
"Sir, your telegram!"
Zack, controlling Booker, took a card from the newsboy. On it was written a message.
[Stop, Booker! Don't let Comstock know you're here. Stop, whatever you're doing, don't choose number 77. Stop...]
What did this mean?
Like Booker in the game, Zack was completely baffled.
What was the meaning of this nonsensical message?
He flipped the card over repeatedly, but besides this message, there was nothing special about it.
But did 77 have a hidden meaning? He kept this information in mind, but soon Zack was distracted by the various entertainment activities in the city.
The shooting mini-game looked like a circus performance, and he also paid money to a vendor to learn an ability that could control machines.
"So, is magic in this world just available on the streets, and you can learn it if you pay? Fine, that's capitalism for you!"
Zack exclaimed in surprise.
Magic was treated just like firearms, bought with money.
With a sense of wonder and joy, he wandered through the city in the sky, completely forgetting about the mission to find the girl.
Until he participated in a lottery event.
He spoke with an NPC and received a numbered ball.
Number 77, it clearly stated.
The moment he saw the ball, Zack remembered the anonymous letter the postman boy had given him earlier.
Was there a connection between these two?
Before Zack could figure it out, the lottery ceremony began.
And coincidentally, number 77 was the winning number.
But the prize for the winner was quite shocking.
The lottery wasn't for a good prize, but for a choice.
On stage appeared a newlywed couple, one black and one white.
They had committed a crime: the sin of intermarriage.
The lottery was for the person who drew the number to make a choice: one lives, and the other dies.
The winning number was Booker's, the 77 ball.
Here, players had two choices: throw the ball at the host's head, or make a choice.
But no matter which option was chosen, there was only one outcome.
Zack, without hesitation, chose to throw the ball. But just as he raised his hand.
Guards grabbed his arm.
They had seen the letters AD on the back of Booker's hand, which was the information about the false shepherd that the Prophet had spoken of.
The subsequent plot development left Zack utterly stunned.
(End of this chapter)
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