Excerpt of the diary of Natali Doyle

(translation from Russian)

June 27

Today we arrived in Rapture. As they promised in Ryan Industries for our million we with John have received one of the best apartment in the city, in the most luxurious part - Athena 's glory. I was stunned by the genius of a man who was able to create this miracle. Our apartment had been decorated a la the Ritz which I enthused.

August 16

John was lost himself in the casino to waste money. I was furious, but I couldn't do anything. I plunged into a vortex of entertainment. The city offers many opportunities for any kind of entertainment. There are from the most innocent until lecherous one. Between different levels of system functions bathysphere that quickly and easily transfer everyone to the place which they wish to visit. There are zoo, cinemas, bars, restaurants of high-class cooking from all over the world, great theater, casinos, tennis courts and football fields, where the championships are held between teams of Rapture. Most of all I love to walk in Arcadia. There are growing unusual trees, which I admire, knowing how difficult it was to create them.

October 14

I was out of spirits after the death of John. The murderers of John never found. I thought they killed him because of his links with the gambling mafia, but I had no direct evidences. The police closed the case, because they're afraid to disturb the influential people of the city who could be related to the murders. My female friend Camille wanted to distract me from melancholy feelings and she was dragging me about evenings to make acquaintance with a man. She succeeded in her efforts. I meet to … what do you think? I meet to Andrew Ryan, the founder of Rapture and the owner of Ryan Industries. As it turned out he's Russian like me. In 1918 my noble parents fled Russia to escape the horrors of Bolshevism. We with Andrew quickly became friends.

December 18

Today I together with Andrei paid a call on Frank Fontaine. He and Andrei are the business partners as Andrei explains to me constantly. Perhaps he has convinced himself that he needs to cooperate with him. There's a rumor the most imported Fontaine's business was smuggling of goods from the surface. But Andrei pretended to be blind. I imagined Fontaine was an abominable scumbag. But he turned out to be pretty nice person who I'd even found attractive. While Andrei was in the billiard-room, Fontaine showed me his collection of marine animals, among which were extremely bizarre creatures. He told me about the unusual mollusks, containing a substance that could change the structure of human cells, giving him different abilities. He was so fascinated by this idea that I was afire with enthusiasm for it. When we return to the guests, I found myself irritated by Andrei. It seemed he had been incensed by the fact that I was alone with Fontaine. Sometimes he was so jealous that it amused me. I saw his eyes, he looked around my evening dress and Fontaine's suit. Perhaps he was thinking about, could Fontaine during this time put on and take off to remain his suit in the same perfect condition.

April 7

Today I together with Andrei went to Sander Cohen's musical 'Patrick and Moira. The story of love after death'. Cohen's talent metamorphosed in his incredibly perverted fantasy. All his shows were full a desire to demonstrate a lust in the varied form. But Andrei enthused over the Cohen's story and after ending went to congratulate Mr. Cohen. I said to Andrei I was tired and I'd waited for him in the lobby. Here I was faced with Fontaine. He began to question me about my opinion of the play. I've told him I never watched the more stupid story before. He smiled and said he totally agreed with me. Cohen's show were always such awful. I objected quite rudely: why have he came to this musical if he didn't like vulgarity of Cohen? At first he hesitated but then he replied he was a devotee of the ballet and ballet pieces of the Cohen's show 's were always perfect. I didn't tell him this but I thought Fontaine was so rich he could smuggle all of The Royal Ballet from London in their boxes to enjoy them day-and-night and to not waste your time on Cohen's rubbish.

July 5

Andrei adored the Cohen's show, his hymns composed in glory of Rapture. I find these hymns are garish but I never say this to Andrei. Newspapers of Rapture had been printing a few witty and wicked reviews of Anna Culpepper who tore the show and hymns of Sander Cohen to pieces. I believed Andrei was annoying. Once I eavesdropped the conversation of Ryan and Cohen. Cohen complained of Culpepper to assault his reputation. Andrei promised to solve this. I didn't like the ominous tone which Andrei said to Cohen this. After Cohen's visit Culpepper suddenly had fallen silent and I never saw her satirical articles and cartoons in newspapers of Rapture. There's a rumor she had been murdered by a burglar in her house. I thought it wasn't spurious coincidence.

August 14

I decided to visit the Cohen 's gallery of art. In Rapture there are some extremely talented artists, sculptors and their work were often exhibited in his gallery. I can't say I like all of it. Cohen showed his sensual fantasy in it as well. But I was passing by these 'masterpieces'. When I've been viewing one of the paintings, trying to understand its meaning, I suddenly heard a familiar voice: 'A kind of early Picasso'. I turned out and saw Fontaine who was also at this time decided to visit the Cohen's gallery. I've told him I know nothing of such a kind of painting and I prefer realism in art. I don't understand these crazy geometric shapes. Suddenly he became a lively and vividly explained the meaning of this painting. He captivated me with his explanations. His voice wrapped in dream I believed I haven't heard his words, but saw his images created by him. I was surprised he was an artistically aware person. I believed he was a man of great erudition and had remarkably sharp mind. He suggested go to the café. I thought he is trying to cast a spell over me. I knew very well Fontaine he 'could be gettin' the gravy from any dish' as a picker-up of pars was writing. He has love affairs with some women at the same time. And in the morning he was with one woman, and in the evening he was with a different one. In the Rapture nobody paid attention to such things. But why does he lose his time on me? Suddenly I understood. It is a kind of competition with Andrew Ryan. Competition is not only in business but in private life. Grown men are like boys each of them wants to prove to another he has the best toy.

August 16

Yesterday a messenger brought a basket of white roses with a card with the words: 'Thank for the marvelous evening'. The signature was of two letters F. I realized it was a Fontaine's joke and threw the note and the flowers to the dogs. Today a messenger again brought a basket of roses and a note. Andrei saw them and was in a fury. I tried to explain to him it was a practical joke. I was angry with absurd Fontaine's jokes and his desire to spoil things for Andrei.

August 20

I was furious more than Andrew Ryan. I understood well Fontaine wanted to tease Ryan. I decided to find Fontaine and told him what I think about his escapades. He've tried to explain he want nothing wrong. He suddenly asked me: 'You are a very beautiful young woman. What have you found in this old, pompous fool? Is his power?' I was pretending to be fool and said that I really love 'the most powerful man in this city'. He laughed and began explaining to me that the most powerful man was him, Fontaine. He brought under control the city now. His services earned for him the gratitude of people. Andrew Ryan hates altruism and charity. He believes the rich bear rule, in fact, the power resides in the poor. Fontaine's words reminded me of assumption of power of the poor in Russia detonated a civil war and chaos. Power-happy Fontaine was as green as to imagine that he could bring under control chaos. In the end he said he would no longer try to capture my attention because of respect to 'marriage-bed'. But Ryan is not honest with me like I'm with him. Ryan has an affair with an exotic dancer Jasmine. It was so disgusting I didn't even know I was more angry at Fontaine paid me back or at Ryan played with hot dancer in hugger-mugger.

August 22

I've found out absolutely Jasmine was really mistress of Andrew. I was shocked. How could I be so blind? I tried to pull myself together and talk to Andrei. He told me it wasn't true. He likes show of Jasmine only. Of course, I didn't believe him. I thought let Fontaine get what he wanted. I know this is a stupid female revenge. I'm a mere toy in Fontaine's hands.

August 25

I together with Andrew went to another Cohen's musical 'Bedtime Surprise' which title was suitable to my occasion. There were no ballet pieces and I thought Fontaine didn't come. Fortunately, I was wrong. I was also afraid that he brought a lot of their gals with him but he was alone. Of course he came to greet Andrew and me. I gave the glad eye to Fontaine so a full idiot would have realized what I wanted. During the intermission I met with Fontaine. I thought we made a date only. But as we say in Russia: 'strike while the iron is hot' he acted immediately and was grabbing me to a room where we were making love. He was careful and tender lover. I'd missed the begin of the second act. Of course, Andrew asked me why I was late. I told him that I felt sick and I was in the ladies' room. I thought he saw Fontaine's absence. I hit the mark.

September 2

I thought Ryan abandoned me because of my affair of Fontaine. But he was unusually quiet and calm. I was worried about. Suddenly I eavesdropped the conversation of Andrew and Sullivan, the head of security for Rapture. Andrew told him he wanted to introduce the death penalty against the smugglers. I took my breath away Sullivan began to object. Despite the fact that his methods of police power were far from humane he was opposed to the smuggling equated to a much more serious crimes. It seemed Sullivan wanted to step down from an office. But Ryan managed to persuade him. He told Sullivan this was necessary to get Fontaine and his empire out of the way. He, Ryan, created this city, gathered here the best people in the world and Fontaine got in the way of absolute prosperity. Sullivan agreed Fontaine should be eliminated. He promised Ryan that the amount of evidence against Fontaine would be great. This would be enough for a hundred gallows. I heard Ryan gave a baleful word: 'a broken neck would be too easy death for this scumbag.'

I should warn Frank.

Here Natali's diary breaks.