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Parasite.
Mister Ryan liked to throw that word around a lot, usin' it to justify his misdeeds and persecute his enemies. All he had to do was say that one word and the mob would come runnin', silencing any poor sap that had a different opinion.
Parasite.
After all that talk of the evil of "parasites" and how we should all be independent, he sure did do a right good job at makin' the people of Rapture depend on him. Built this grand old city, and all he has to show for it is a mass of lunatics screaming at the wind. People called it "The Fall of Rapture". It's my opinion that this damned city was always falling, just an ocean waitin' to break through a dam. That dam's name was ADAM.
I remember when the plasmid business just started up. Started seeing posters spring up all over the place. Big old letters practically screaming at you, things like "INCINERATE!" and "WINTER BLAST!" I went through the demonstrations, sure, and I'd be lyin' if I said they weren't nifty. Heat up anything instantly and never worry about refrigerating anything again! I saw the terrible consequences, though. Knew that it was only a matter of time until humanity caught up with innovation and brought the whole damned city down on all of us.
I was right, of course, seeing what happened with Frank Fontaine. Ryan was lookin' for a way to put him under, to put that "Parasite" stink on him. Fontaine's a smart man, though. Didn't give anyone a reason to arrest him, if only by lining their pockets. ADAM was starting to be a hot commodity; people were fighting in the streets for the stuff. Sure, that was just in the poor houses and the like, but it was only the beginning. Even the high class folk were practically drinkin' the stuff. Back then I was still under the impression that someone would break and set things right, 'cause surely Andrew Ryan wouldn't allow his city to fall into ruin.
I lost that notion the minute I saw a Big Daddy. Lumbering around behind their Little Sisters, gatherin' up all the ADAM off the poor bastards too slow to survive. Little Sisters weren't the answer to Rapture's ADAM problem. You can't fix evil with more evil. All usin' them did was sacrifice perfectly innocent little girls, because the spliced up folk didn't have much of an issue with outright slaughtering anyone that even SMELLED like ADAM. Sure the Daddies fought back, but not even one of those monsters could stand up to a mob with electricity at their fingertips.
Everything went to hell when Fontaine made his move. Splicers everywhere, slinging fire and gnashing their teeth and cackling like hyenas. They didn't show discretion with their murder, just ran into people's houses and slaughtered entire families. That's all normal now, what with ordinary folk in hiding.
I had to start splicin' a bit to stay alive myself. I didn't have any weapons or anything, so I figured I'd get just Incinerate. Fire could take care of most anything on God's green Earth, and I wasn't gonna meddle with any Daddies. That's how it started. I started seein' ways that other plasmids could help.
"If I had Insect Swarm I coulda snuck in that room and got that gun."
"If I had Electro Bolt I could sneak past those blasted cameras"
I spliced and spliced. It got to the point that I needed more. I was addicted to the raw power, the possibilities. Eventually I was no better than the sods I was trying to escape. My head was starting to hurt, and I was always itchy. I would talk to myself, and pace back and forth. Every day became a struggle not to just go out and fight for more ADAM.
I feel myself slippin', and I don't think there's anything to catch myself on. If you're listenin' to this, that means I gambled and lost. I only hope all this gave you some insight about what this place will do to you if you slip. Hopefully you found this peacefully, and not after I tried to do you in.
Be careful in Rapture, friend. Be careful of ADAM. 'Cause if there's one thing I learned, it's that there's another word for plasmid.
Parasite.
End of Audio Diary