Bioshock, Ascent chapter 1

    The lights flickered as the heavy foot falls of Beta shook the entire room.  His bronze plated helmet shined in the lamps, revealing small groups of what appeared to be some form of moss and even some dents from underwater collisions. But Beta didn't care; all he wanted was to see Katrina's smiling face again. His drab, olive green suit was heavily battered and resealed many times.
Many of the men working at the Armored Escorts reacted differently; some spat at Beat whilst others would congratulate them for a job well done. He mostly groaned in approval to them, with the occasional scare to the real jerks at the lab. His Harpoons continued to shift and clang around as he strolled along. His air tanks silently regulated his breathing for him, giving him that much more room for thought in his head.
     He felt as though the hall was extending longer and longer with him in it. He kept trying to turn into the next room only to realize that it wasn't his locker room. He would sigh then continue down the long corridors. He began to remember his first visit down here, when he was asked to help save Rapture and accompany his daughter. He agreed in a heart-beat, never once looking back and thinking otherwise. He loved his Katrina, and now he could keep her safe from the wrongdoers down in the city
     When he reached his personal station, he began to take off his weapons and air tanks. They noisily clambered around eventually finding a resting spot on the ground at his feet. The only things he left on were his suit and helmet. The last thing he wanted to do was give his daughter nightmares about her father's face, and strangely enough he thought the helmet actually improved his look. The light inside the helmet radiated a green and Beta slowly stood up and walked out.
     He began to exit through another hallway and went into the Little Sister's orphanage. He checked his suit one last time before entering the building. Many of the scientists working there had no daughters of their own, but they seemed to look after the Little Sisters like they were their own. Beta once saw the little girls as disgusting but now that Katrina was one, he saw how beautiful they really were. He walked up to his daughter's room and opened the door.
    His daughter was playing by herself in her room. She had a small tea party going on and was asking all her little stuffed animals if they wanted a drink. She would pour the imaginary tea into the little cups and then feed it to them, giggling all the while. Beta smiled behind his helmet and knocked on the door frame to get her attention. She turned around and smiled at her dad. Beat entered the room as Katrina took his hand and led him into the room. She sat him down by a big stuffed bear and then grabbed a book.
    "Here, Daddy! Wanna read this with me?" She asked Beta. He groaned in agreement and opened to the first page. She cuddled into the nook of his arm as he tried to clear his torn throat. He noticed the first page was that of the surface. He had vague but pleasant memories of the surface world he once came from.  He looked down to see Katrina looking into his helmets viewport as she calmly waited for him to start reading for her.
    "Once...upon a time, there…was a girl named Cinderella. She had…two evil step sisters that told her what to do…and how to dress…and she had an Evil step mother…"
     He must've read for hours as his rough, grainy voice slowly made the sounds that could have been words. Katrina eventually fell asleep on his arm and was quietly dreaming. Beta silently put the book away and carried her over to her bed, tucking her in ever so gently. He patted her on the head, and then wished her a great dream that night, before leaving.
     Beta made his way out of the orphanage and into the armored escort's wing for his bed. He clumsily carried himself along, each step creating a noticeable clank with each foot fall. He was about to enter before realizing that someone was following him. He whipped around to face the opponent, who was standing there dressed in what must have once been a suit of great quality but now hung around his frame like a straitjacket. The man put a pipe to his mouth and puffed out a cloud.
   "You are Subject Beta, no?" he asked, with a slight French accent. Beta nodded and tightened his fists.
"Easy, Big Daddy, I came to talk, not to die tonight. You love your Little Sister very much, but she is more than just another little sister, isn't she? She's your daughter." The French man approached Beta and stuck out his hand.
    "My name is Gregory Trefoil, and I have a proposition for you. I know what is about to happen to Rapture and I am giving those who I deem salvageable a ticket back to the surface from whence we once came.  You and your daughter are an interesting couple. I am also aware that you did not undergo the full procedure, to test out a new technique. Would you please remove your helmet, I want to see what damage has been done." He put the pip back in his mouth.
      Beta uneasily removed his helmet and tucked it under his arm. He felt the cool air touch his pale skin of his face. Beta's face had been slightly altered due to the splicing process, giving him an unusually pale skin tone and heavy features such as his brow and chin, which made him look like a heavy lifter.
Gregory smiled and walked even closer to Beta. He walked around inspecting the tall figure. He stopped and stepped back to his original place. "Beta, you don't seem to have been altered beyond humanity, therefore I ask to meet you later, say 8-ish, here tomorrow. And bring Katrina after your runs."
       With that, Gregory left Beta in the hallway, right in front of Armored Escorts. Beta out his helmet back on and walked in. What a night, he thought to himself, What a night.