User blog comment:Pawn of Atlas/Important Discussion for Rapture Storyline page/@comment-75.36.142.227-20140329223049/@comment-867628-20140331192719


 * Ryan may have originally assumed that his takeover of Fontaine Futuristics would be temporary, but Fontaine's continued war against him (in the form of Atlas) essentially destroyed those plans and made more people doubt Ryan--which is essentially what Fontaine's plan was all along. McDonagh's idea to give it to Atlas as a peace offering would not have worked anyway since we know Atlas was really Fontaine; it wouldn't have satisfied him, and Ryan had no intention of "appeasing the parasites" anyway.


 * As for the department store, Ryan's idea was essentially to turn it into a prison for Fontaine's men (and Atlas, I suppose), which implies that he was keeping it up and running. In Episode 1, there's actually a conversation that supports this: in the Watched Clock, one citizen mentions how "we shouldn't have to feed them", again lending support to this explanation.


 * And yes, there is evidence to support Ryan's men kidnapping little girls to turn them into sisters. Before I get into that, let's remember that Fontaine had already been "making Little Sisters by the dozen" (in response to someone's comment on Atlas' surprise to Elizabeth's statement).  Therefore, Atlas' 'surprise' was quite likely a mere act; he would've already known that there's a bunch of Little Sisters.  In addition, it is revealed in an Audio Diary by Mariska Lutz that "Ryan's men have taken you (her daughter Masha) away and said you are needed to save Rapture."  So Ryan was having his men round up little girls; further support is given by Ryan's own diary regarding marketing the sisters (which someone else already posted here).


 * As for Eleanor Lamb's kidnapping, it was certainly before the Kashmir attack, but I'd estimate that it was after Fontaine's "death"; Rapture would've been in something of a 'temporary peace'. Fontaine would be laying low and preparing for his introduction as Atlas, and Ryan's only real obstacle would've been Sofia Lamb, whom he had sent to Persephone.


 * Also, the Audio Diaries are essentially the only reason we know any of what happened before the events of the first game; the city's already ruined, so the diaries are pretty much the only evidence we have. I wouldn't call that not constituting any hard narration.