"This is Doctor Yi Suchong. Today is Thursday the 5th of February 1959. Performing interview on Big Daddy candidate designate 2A. Can you please state your name for the record sir?"

He remembered looking at the Asian man across the table from him. His eyes were dark and seemed to be larger than normal behind his thick spectacles. Something about this man made him uneasy.

"Uh…Evan McColloch."

"Thank you. Now Mr. McColloch, what is it that you do here in Rapture?"

"I'm an engineer and inventor."

"Anything of note you've created?"

"I'm not sure how that's relevant…"

"Mr. McCulloch I will worry about what is relevant. If you must know, Mr. Ryan is hesitant to have the more gifted minds go through with the process. Now the question still stands."

"Well Suchong…"

"Dr. Suchong if you'd please Mr. McCulloch."

Evan McCulloch was a patient man. In his line of work you had to be. It took months of trial and error to design and create something new. But the doctor sitting across from him was causing his patience to wear thin.

"Well…Doctor Suchong, the answer is yes. I designed every security measure in the city. Cameras, turrets, drones…everything."

"Ah very good Mr. McCulloch. Though I've always found work with machines…simple."

Evan felt his fists clench and his molars start to grind against each other. When McCulloch had talked to Ryan he had promised him the interview was just routine. That what McCulloch was proposing ensured his inclusion into the Big Daddy program.

"Now Mr. McCulloch…why do you want to become a Big Daddy?"

"Have you been outside of Point Prometheus Doctor? You been down to Neptune's Bounty? Taken a stroll through Cavanaugh Park?"

"I can't say that I have Mr. McCulloch."

"Yeah well I wouldn't recommend it Doctor. The people down there they…God I don't even know anymore. They're all so spliced up on Adam that they're barely even human anymore. I mean Jesus Christ, I took my daughter to play in Arcadia last week and I saw two men jump a woman cause they thought they had some damned Adam on her."

"So you think it is too dangerous for you?"

"No. It's about my daughter."

Evan's darling little girl, Annie Lynn. She was sitting outside, playing with her jacks. She was only six years old. McCulloch regretted ever coming down here. Ryan came to him in London, offered him and his daughter a new life after his wife had been killed during the Nazi's bombing of the city. And it was good for a long time…but not now. Now your neighbor was as likely to say good morning as he was to slice your damn throat to get some Adam.

"Ahh yes…your daughter. That brings us to your very intriguing proposition. You are willing to volunteer you daughter into the Little Sister program correct?"

"Only if I get to be her Big Daddy. That was what Ryan promised me."

"Of course Mr. McCulloch, of course. You actually present me with a very interesting opportunity."

"Meaning?"

"Well you see, I'm having trouble getting the protection bond to imprint on Big Daddy's. They simply won't take to the Little Sisters. I've theorized that the bond between a parent and their offspring is founded in genetics."

"So you want me and Annie Lynn to be your guinea pigs?"

"Oh no, no, no Mr. McCulloch, please don't think of it in such repugnant terms. If my research with you and your daughter proves successful then you will be helping so, so many Little Sisters."

McCulloch had seen Little Sisters before. None of them were walking around the city as of yet, but Ryan had commissioned a literal maze of shafts only they could access going all throughout Rapture. Then there were the photos a research assistant leaked to the newspaper. Little girls with grey skin and glowing eyes, dirty dresses stained with the bright read of Adam. That hadn't gone over well for Ryan, and neither did the bad publicity following the mysterious disappearance of the reporter and the researcher.

Evan had thought about it for awhile. He had gotten on his knees and begged God or Jesus or anybody to give him some sort of sign. Just give him a shove in the right direction. He wondered what his wife would have thought…if she would hate him for what he was about to do.

But what he saw in Arcadia almost made his decision for him. McCulloch would be damned if he was going to let that happen to his little girl. Her sweet, cherub face stomped in by some bastard spliced up to his eyeballs and desperate to get some Adam, or worse the victim of one of the horrible plasmids being cranked out by Ryan Industries.

Anything would be better than that.

At least this way, if they went in together, he would be there to protect her.

"I don't care about other girls. Just mine. Understand?"

"Yes Mr. McCulloch…I do."

"Alright then. Am I in or not?"

"You do understand Mr. McCulloch, the process…its irreversible."

"I know."

"And it's very, very…painful."

"I know."

"Well then it is settled. If you would come with me, Doctor Tenenbaum will take your daughter with…"

"Wait! Let me say goodbye. Please."

"Very well…make it quick."

McCulloch walked into the other room where his beautiful little girl was waiting for him. Her red hair shining in the electric light, she looked up and smiled a smile so innocent it would make an angel feel ashamed.

"Hi Daddy!"

"Hey there big girl! Come here for a second."

"Daddy…why are you crying…"

As his tears rolled down his face and onto his daughter green and white polka dot dress he turned away. He couldn't bear to look at the perfect little angel sitting on his lap. He was about to sell her life away. But he had to didn't he? McCulloch refused to splice up, wouldn't touch the stuff. Odds are he'd end up dead and his darling little girl would be left on her own. He had to do this.

"I'm…I'm fine Annie. I just wanted to give you something."

He took the gold chain from under his shirt and unclasped it. Inside was the only picture he had of his wife. The only picture to survive the bombs. It was a picture of him, her, and Annie. She was just a baby in the picture, but she looked every bit as beautiful as her mother.

"You know what this is don't you baby?"

"That's your locket with mommy's picture in it!"

"That's right! And now it's your locket."

He watched as her little mouth dropped and her eyes got wide. He slipped it around her neck and clasped tight. He tiny finger ran along the gold heart before opening it to look at the picture inside.

"Thank you daddy! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her head into his chest. This was going to be the last time he ever held his daughter. He hugged her as tight as he could, pulling her close and stroking her hair. As another tear hit her forehead she looked up and wiped them away.

"I love you daddy."

"I…I love you too Annie. Wait here, I'll be back soon ok? We'll go get ice cream!"

"Ok!"

He couldn't do this. He would do whatever he had to in order to protect his little girl. But he wasn't going to damn her to a life as one of those little monsters.

"Suchong! Suchong I changed my mind. I'm not doing this. Tell Ryan I'm sorry but I can't do that to Annie."

"I'm sorry Mr. McCulloch…but you've already been approved. I'm afraid you no longer have any choice in the matter."

"Wha…"

Evan heard the crack of his skull as he was hit from behind. His world was a mix of white hot pain and spinning darkness. He felt hand lift him up, dragging him away from the door.

"Ann…Annie. Annie!"

He tried to struggle, to wrench himself free. But the more he fought the heavier the hot flow of blood down the back of his neck became. He heard her scream. He heard his beautiful little Annie Lynn scream before everything went dark.

That was the last sound Evan McCulloch would hear as a human being.