After hastily devouring your supper, you sat back on the bed and began to reflect on this offer that Milton had brought up. He clearly knew about Rapture, since he is aware of what you are. That also must mean he was living there and escaped to the surface. There still was the problem of the extreme genetic and physical damage from all the ADAM forced into your body. How did he plan on fixing you at the very base of your being? Furthermore, with your bond severed with Eleanor, you worried that your body would begin to give out again. You didn't have any proof that would happen, but you didn't see how raw, unprogrammed ADAM could correct that massive design flaw. You gripped at your chest in anticipation.
Lost in your thoughts, you started at the sound of the door creaking open. A rumbling gasp rolled across your lips. The figure behind the curtain sprinted at you from behind the curtain as they pushed past the door. You felt your muscles instinctively tighten, prepared to defend yourself. The figure hurriedly pulled the curtains apart, and your arm shot outward in reflex. Unfortunately, you recognized too late it was your sweet girl, coming to see you like Milton had said. She, being inexperienced compared to you, took the blow square in the chest, which sent her backwards and onto her rear, sputtering for air. She moaned in pain, as you let out an agonized groan yourself. Tossing yourself to the floor, trying to comfort her in some way, apologize wordlessly through your broken vocal chords. All manner of thoughts ran through your mind, but the one that towered over all others was that you were a beast. Your daughter, the girl who sacrificed so much of herself to save you, was repaid with a brutal attack. You wanted to disappear, to throw yourself off this ship back into the waves where you belonged. The lyrics of a song you heard back in Rapture came to mind.
You always hurt the ones you love. The ones you shouldn't hurt at all…
Just then, you heard a sound you didn't expect to hear. Eleanor was chuckling to herself. Instead of pain, you heard playfulness in her voice as her chuckling rose into a hearty laugh. You picked up your head and looked her in the eyes, no doubt a look of bewilderment on your face.
"I'm sorry, father. I should've known not to scare you like that." she said, her sentence laced with light giggling.
You could feel a pressure building up behind your eyes and your throat tightening. You wrapped one of your massive arms around her and pulled her into you. Though you wished otherwise, the tears never came. Just the pressure in your head and the sorrow in your heart, unable to escape. Weighing it down that little bit more. You wanted to never let your angel go and run away at the same time. You loved her, and yet even that wasn't enough to stop you from hurting her. What kind of father does that, you thought to yourself. A gentle touch on your cheek snapped you back to Eleanor, who was looking at you with a gorgeous smile. Her cheeks were red from having the wind knocked out of her. Yet, despite that, she still had the beauty of royalty to you.
"You have your helmet off. I'm glad. Please, keep it off, just for me at least?" Eleanor asked, with a tone smooth as silk in your ears. After that incident, you didn't have it in you to refuse. You gave a nod of acceptance, and she squeezed your back even tighter with a happy squeal. It was...bittersweet.
"Father, I almost forgot! I came down here to tell you what Mr. Milton showed me. Before he left Rapture, he brought with him an amazing piece of technology. He said it was called The Thinker." she explained. You listened intently, wanting to know what this had to do with your current situation.
"He showed me some of the calculations the computer had done, and told me it could even predict the future. It was capable even of finding a way to fix the damage caused by ADAM, without removing the positive effects! It sounded incredible, almost too good to be true, but Mr. Milton stood by it. If what he says is true, we can get you fixed, you're going to be able to be a normal man again. Doesn't that sound wonderful?" she elaborated.
Even if you were able, you had no words to answer her. On the one hand, it did sound like an amazing thing. If you could go back to being human again, it'd make things so much easier on your family. You wouldn't have to hide or have Eleanor lose out on living for your sake. You could go with her if she wanted to do..whatever surface people do now. It'd been over a decade since you were on dry land; things had to have changed by then. You were beyond skeptical, however. What were the odds the man that happened to find you could also have the capabilities to repair your body? What about the mental conditioning that even now could be murdering you like an insidious serpent? There was little chance he was actually telling the truth, and you would defend your family to the death. As long as they're safe, you would do anything. The darkness from her earlier thoughts began to creep back in, but with a shake of your head, it dispersed again.
You opted to give you a reassuring nod of your head and a strained smile. Your skin still felt tight and twisted unnaturally when you smiled. You hoped it'd go away with time. Eleanor got to her feet and tugged at your hand, trying to pull you up with her. You brought yourself to your feet, still clasping her hand loosely as to not hurt her.
"Come upstairs, Father! The sisters have been wanting to see you too. Especially Rose." Eleanor called as she began to pull the doors open for both of you. You wondered whom Rose was, and your curiosity gave you the wind in your sails to follow. After reattaching your trusty helmet, you set upwards to meet with the rest of your girls.
You made your way with Eleanor towards the bow of the ship. She told you along the way that Milton would be visiting him again to explain his plan, but he had to attend to other matters first. She also told you that they had all also been given access to their own nearby rooms in the guest quarters and fed, flashing a sheet of paper with numbers, presumably to the rooms. The hospitality shown to your girls made your steps lighter, eager to see them again happy and healthy. Ascending the final step to the deck, you felt a gentle tug in your chest, and the warmth you felt spread to your right arm as you reached to embrace two of your girls, that were waiting at the top of the stairs.
The rest of the little ones swarmed you, and began telling you all at once about all the things they were seeing, hearing, smelling, and just being bundles of energy that was contagious to everyone around them. Wanting to spend some quality time with each one, you put up a hand to signal them to stop, and let out a bellow to get their attention. They all ceased within a few seconds at the sound of your call. Next, you picked up the closest one and placed her on your shoulders, both of you overlooking the ocean, waves crashing below against the hull of the ship, as she started telling her experience to you again. As each one finished you'd hug them, place them back on the floor, and follow up with the next one. They were still children, and hearing their funny phrasing and fumbling their words was adorable. One of life's simple pleasures. You stared out to the ocean, but had that small voice in the back of your head whispering a sinister thought.
"You don't deserve happiness."
