Columbia Storyline

The Columbia Storyline the different events surrounding the creation of Columbia to its demise and later fate.

1890-1893: Creation of Columbia
Zachary Comstock was formally known as Booker DeWitt in his life. But after the events of Wounded Knee, Booker attended a local baptism by Preacher Witting to erase his horrific memories and sins of Wounded Knee. He emerged a new man, named Zachary Hale Comstock, and had a newfound faith in Christianity. Sometime later, Comstock became a farmer and was believed to be visited by the archangel, Columbia, who showed him a vision of a city in the sky. Zachary said she told him that it was his duty to uphold the values of this great city. Comstock became a part of the U.S. Congress, showing them that the city, named after the arch angel Columbia, could uphold the Christian and American values and share them with the world.

Congress agreed to fund the city, believing it could be an example of American exceptionalism. Zachary was later introduced to Rosalind Lutece, a revered quantum-pyshcicist, who was able to indefinitely suspend an atom in midair--her colleagues referred to the process as "quantum levitation," while Rosalind herself dubbed it the "Lutece Field. The two went hand in hand to create Columbia. Columbia was thus created within the year 1892. The city began to travel around the world to showcase the American ideal and glory. Comstock was to become the leader and create a new religion known as the Founders, a religion upholding the Christian and American values. However, Columbia still held its American flaws of xenophobia and laborer rights. Segregation and racism were prominent in Columbia, as were the other religions persecuted in Columbia that were not of Christian base.

Upon further expirmentation in the Lutece Field, Rosalind discovered that the quantum atom she was observing was also being observed from another dimension. It was no other than the male version of herself, Robert Lutece. Upon communication via morse code, Rosalind Lutece created the the Trans-Dimensional Machine, a machine able to open windows into any other dimension. After the creation of the machine, Comstock used this machine to uphold his status as a "Prophet." However, due to the mass exposure of the machine, it caused Comstock to age rapidly and his traits dissipate. Upon viewing another Tear, he discovered that if he did not have an heir, Columbia would fall. But because of his current state, he could not impregnate his current wife, Lady Comstock. Rosalind proposed that they recover a child of his from another dimension as it would be technically the same. Comstock agreed.

With the converse of Robert, the three discovered that Comstock's alternate self in Robert's universe remained Booker DeWitt, never taking the baptism, and in doing so later has child. Seeing that Booker is in debt, Comstock sends Robert to Booker for his daughter, Anna DeWitt, for exchange of clearing Booker's debt. Booker agrees and hands Anna to Robert. However, Booker immediately regretted his decision and went after her. As Robert, Comstock and Anna were passing through the Tear back to Columbia with Rosalind, Booker attempted to get Anna back, resulting in Anna being brought back in Columbia, but with her finger being severed by the closing Tear.

Comstock brought Anna into Columbia and renamed her Elizabeth Comstock. He revered to Elizabeth as his seed that will one day take the throne of Columbia. Upon viewing another Tear, he saw Elizabeth is destined to destroy the surface world when she is ruler. However, in order to compensate for the sudden presence of Elizabeth, Comstock said that his wife was only pregnant for seven days to give birth to the miracle child. While initially Lady Comstock abided by this claim, she eventually became to realize that this was not her child.

1893-1902: The Beginning of the End
During Elizabeth's stay, she began to reveal a dangerous power, she was suddenly able to open windows into other worlds, much like the Trans-Dimensional Machine. Lady Comstock finally realized that Elizabeth was not her child and accused Rosalind of having an affair. Lady Comstock wanted her out of the house. This and the dangerous ability Elizabeth possessed led Comstock and Rosalind to house Elizabeth in Monument Island as an observatory and prison for her. Due to Elizabeth's power and the Trans-Dimensional Machine, it began producing Tears all around the city, momentary rips in the space-time continuum. Everyone could observe them and some even exploited them.

The Founder and Owner of Fink Manufacturing was made from these Tears. On August 12th, 1894, Jeremiah Fink would become even more powerful when he first learned of the Tears occurring throughout Columbia through his brother, Albert, and was skeptical of the Tears until he realized the profits that could be produced from them when Albert made a fortune on usurped music emitting from the Tears. Fink eventually took this opportunity to usurp advance technology and science observed through the Tears, further advancing and expanding his company's inventions, most recognizable are the Vigors.

As Columbia continued construction, Comstock saw through another Tear a vision that one day, Booker DeWitt will somehow enter Columbia and come for Elizabeth. Fearful of his heir being lost to his alternate self, he creates a "prophecy" for the city. Labeling Booker as a "False Shepherd," Comstock declares that the False Shepherd will one day come for Elizabeth to lead her astray from her destiny in becoming Columbia's leader and destroying the sodom below. When he observed Booker through the Tear, Comstock saw his right hand carved in the initials A.D. and reveres this as the the mark of the False Shepherd. In order to keep Elizabeth safe in her tower, Fink built Comstock the Songbird, a creature designed to keep Elizabeth safe at all costs and inside Columbia.

In 1895, Lady Comstock finally became aware of Elizabeth's origins and confronted her husband on the matter. Panicked, he killed his own wife to silence the secret. Moments later one of Lady Comstock's servants, Daisy Fitzroy overhear the struggle and went to see the commotion. Upon discovering her dead body, Comstock quickly blamed the murder on Daisy and she quickly fled the scene. Because of the wide-spread belief that she murdered Lady Comstock, Daisy fled to Finkton where she formed the Vox Populi, a protest group for people of color, nationality, and labor against the Founders, demanding equal rights.

In 1900, Columbia is finally launched into the sky and sent around the world to uphold the American and Christian values. However, Columbia becomes involved in an international incident. During the Boxer Rebellion, Columbia opens fire on Chinese citizens in Peking, revealing to the world that the city is heavily armed. On July 6, 1902 the U.S. government formally disavows Columbia's involvement in the Boxer Rebellion and recalls the city. Outraged, Zachary Comstock declares Columbia's secession from the United States and the city disappears into the clouds. This date is then made into a city-wide holiday celebrating their superiority.

1902-1911: Before the Fall
As the year pass, Rosalind and Robert continued their research and observation on Elizabeth. As she grew, she found interest in reading and learning skills such as lock picking, singing, painting, etc. She remained friends with the Songbird and lived happily. She also began using her abilities more as the grew. She as able to view other worlds and grew an interest in the city of Paris. In time, Elizabeth resented her stay and Songbird and realized she was a prisoner. Her first menstruation gave her a spike in power, in which Rosalind and Robert created the Siphon, a device that leaches Elizabeth's quantum energy enough that she cannot use it to her full potential. Rosalind theorized that the separation of her pinky as in infant gave her the ability to open Tears as her body is in two realities at once.

Years later, Daisy was captured by the Finkton Police. She was studied by Dr. Pinchot who had her take intelligence tests, revealing she had a high-level genius. Before a scheduled lobotomy was to be performed on her, Dr. Pinchot formed a relationship with her and broke her free, but in the end he was murdered by Daisy and she escaped. Daisy now had a full-fledged hatred for the Founders and sparked her protest group into a militant force against the city. Her tactics became more brutal in the ensuing war against Columbia and the Founders. Her belief was to stop the Founders by "pulling them from the roots," which meant killing any supporters including civilians and even children.

In 1909, Rosalind and Robert where observing a Tear that revealed the truth about Comstock's prophecy. In time, Elizabeth will abide by her father's beliefs and will become the city's ruler. When that happens, she will lay waste to the surface world. Both Rosalind and Robert do not wish to see this happen to Elizabeth or the surface, and instead wish to change it. Robert proposed that they send Elizabeth back into her former reality with her original father. However, Comstock got word of this attempt and had Fink tamper with their Trans-Dimensional Device. When the Luteces attempted to use it, the machine malfunctioned. While it did not kill them, it did spread the Luteces all across reality. They now had the same ability as Elizabeth and began their plan. Instead of returning Elizabeth, they now wanted to create a paradox where none of this occurs.