Rapture (Rap-turh)

Rapture (also known as the North Atlantic Project and the Rapture Colony) is a massive underwater city forged from the personal dreams of Andrew Ryan to escape from the political, social and religious constraints of a post-World War II world. It was first established on November 5, 1946, and construction of the city itself finished in late 1951. It is located within the northern Atlantic Ocean at 63° 2' N, 29° 55' W, approximately 433 kilometers west of Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland.
When Andrew Ryan began forging the city of Rapture, the original goal of was to create a laissez-faire society free of religious and government interference of any kind, where any citizen could prosper for their own gain, without being hindered by the needs of others. The "world’s best and brightest" would be granted freedom of will and choice in Rapture, unrestrained by government, religion and other such established institutions. Instead of abiding by the traditions and moral systems imposed by those institutions, values such as ambition, scientific reason, and free thought were to guide the inhabitants in their pursuit of achievement, no matter how big or small.
This would-be utopia had its flaws. In Rapture's purely capitalistic society, there were no public services; everything within the city was privately owned and hence came at a price. This included the city's food, healthcare, sanitation, and even its oxygen supply. Even police and fire departments were subscription-based private companies such as Poppadopolis Police Department and Fontaine Fire Fighters. With no restrictions on businesses and labor, there was nothing but competition and customer's choice. This allowed many industries to flourish at first, but also led to unscrupulous, dangerous business practices. This system alienated Rapture's less fortunate citizens, who, as their situation deteriorated, began to resent Ryan's society as cold-hearted and elitist. Andrew Ryan's hostility and growing paranoia towards "Parasites", and others he suspected of undermining his vision kicked into motion a chain of events that would ultimately lead to his downfall and that of his city.

Rapture construction began in 1946 and ended in late 1951, with Andrew Ryan opening the metaphorical gates to the public who migrated en-mass to The Lighthouse, in the center of Iceland and Greenland in the Northern Atlantic Ocean.

Type

Large city

Included Locations

• Medical Pavilion RAPTURE
• Rapture Welcome Center RAPTURE
• The Lighthouse RAPTURE