Hestia Chambers



The southern portion of Apollo Square, Hestia is the name of an area that contains, most notably, a building made by Frank Fontaine as a front for his multiple operations. Signs leading to the area are labeled "Hestia Chambers." The two official businesses run out of here are Fontaine's Home for the Poor and the Little Sister's Orphanage. The name comes from Hestia the goddess of the hearth, and of the ordering of domesticity and family. The name was doubtless chosen to give an air of comfort, familiarity, and welcome to all who stayed there.

There is no requirement for the player to pass through this area, but for those interested in the complete story, as well as achievement-seekers, Hestia is essential to check out.

History
Many citizens of Rapture, such as Peach Wilkins, felt that Ryan was an elitist and exploitative of the "working class" in Rapture (see Meeting With Fontaine). Fontaine gained support by making himself appear as someone who could relate to the people as well as help them out of their condition. As the war drew closer and economic times got harder in Rapture, Fontaine established his two "helping hands:" the Home for the Poor and the Little Sister's Orphanage, gaining direct support from the lower classes. Ryan disliked this place because he felt that these people were parasites. As Jack approaches the entrance to Hestia, Fontaine is heard over the radio saying:

"Made Ryan good and mad when I started playing the charity angle. Fontaine's Home for the Poor."

- Frank Fontaine

Fontaine's Home for the Poor
The building is five stories high, plus a Boiler Room, all of which can be accessed by the player. There is a central atrium which looks all the way up the five floors to a glass ceiling; stairs ascend around the rim of the atrium. In many ways, the Hestia chambers resemble New York City slums: tall, close buildings with clotheslines draped across the alley (in this case, the atrium). Each floor greatly resembles Artemis Suites: there is minimal, if any, decoration. Rows of bunk beds are present. There are communal kitchen areas on some levels.

Fontaine used the poor house to gain support from poor Rapturians; a ghost sequence outside Hestia shows three men in congregation on the ground looking up at a fourth announcing "Who's gonna help you when you're down and out? Ryan? No! FON-TAINE's the man!" Fontaine explains in a radio message to Jack how easy this was:

"'Ryan and his precious Rapture. You don't have to build a city to make people worship you ... just make the chumps believe they're worth a nickel.'"

Once Fontaine had them on his side he formed them into an army, supplied with as many Plasmids as they needed, which he could easily do since Fontaine Futuristics made most, if not all, of the Plasmids. They also had an effective monopoly on the market for ADAM; see Little Sister's Orphanage below.

Note, a Grenade Launcher Turret guards the entrance and lobby of Hestia from a second floor perch. It can be very helpful to you, so hacking it should be preferred to destroying it, but because it's a long run to get to it, your best bet is to empty a tank of Liquid Nitrogen on it as soon as the door opens to give you time to run up the stairs and hack it.

Little Sister's Orphanage
Advertisements can be heard throughout the game on the public address system for the Little Sister's Orphanage.

"The Little Sister's Orphanage: In troubled times, give your little girl the life that she deserves. Boarding and education free of charge! After all, children ARE the future of Rapture."

- Public Address Announcement

People could not afford to support themselves and a family, and they trusted Fontaine, so they opted to send their little girls to the Little Sister's Orphanage. Fontaine used this entirely as a front; the girls were actually taken to Little Wonders Educational Facility in Point Prometheus to be made into Little Sisters. Fontaine paid the scientists who made the Little Sisters, acquired the girls to be converted, and (until his 'death') designed many of the Plasmids and Gene Tonics, effectively owning the entire market for ADAM and its acquisition.

Atlas' Headquarters
After Fontaine was presumed dead in a September 1958 shootout, the humble Irishman Atlas arose, and became a leader and popular figure to both poor Rapturians and anyone opposed to Ryan, which ultimately included even his ex-girlfriend, Diane McClintock. Atlas became a larger-than life figure, who apparently operated out of a locked-up area in Fontaine's poorhouse. Fontaine's duplicity was unknown to all, and so his legacy was sealed as a friendly supporter of the Rapturian people. Multiple Audio Diaries may be found here, as well as a few hanger-on Splicers.

Single Use

 * 1 Power to the People

New Plasmids and Tonics (Found)

 * Focused Hacker Two

Audio Diaries

 * Diane McClintock - Meeting Atlas - Hestia Chambers, Fontaine's Home for the Poor right of entrance inside steamer trunk
 * Frank Fontaine - The Longest Con - Hestia Chambers, Atlas's headquarters on the desk next to the tonic
 * Diane McClintock - Today's Raid - Hestia Chambers, Atlas's headquarters on a corpse near the safe

Trivia

 * Like many places in Rapture, Hestia takes it's name from ancient Greek mythology. Hestia was the goddess of the hearth and home. This is fitting, given Hestia is the alternate name for Fontaine's Home for the Poor, which provided housing for the less fortunate Rapturians.