Prolouge
GLaDOS's consciousness flitted through the Aperture Science Enrichment Center, testless. She wanted to test, she really did, but she couldn't. The humans were gone. There was nobody left. Only her, atlas, and P-body. Well, some turrets, but robots really weren't the best company…
Artificial intelligences weren't consciousness's. They were machines. Artificial intelligences. GLaDOS, on the other hand, was a human. Operating word there being was. Caroline still lived in her, whether she liked it or not. GLaDOS could download more humans into machines, perhaps create another formerly-human super computer. Perhaps a male. But, on the other hand, she couldn't. She couldn't- she wouldn't put another through that. Damn conscious. Damn Caroline.
She could find Chell again, and re-erase her memories so she technically wouldn't be betraying her. After all, if Chell couldn't tell anybody about her pain, she couldn't feel it. Right?
GLaDOS rolled her metaphorical eyes as she watched the bots perform tests. This wasn't science. This was observation. A robot watching two robots run through robot-operated tests. All controlled variables. She needed a hobby. Badly.
GLaDOS ignored the itch to test as she sifted through old files, surprised to find an email waiting in an old inbox. Caroline Cohen's inbox. There was no subject, message, or sender. Just an attachment. A program file.
GLaDOS downloaded the file.
System updated. The System must restart.
GLaDOS's world went black.
Hello, and welcome to the Aperture Science Enrichment Center.
The automatic voice of Cave Johnson flooded GLaDOS's ears. She reached out, trying to restart the camera optics that made up her vision. She couldn't locate them.
You have been in hypersleep for nine-nine-nine-nine-nine….
Wait- that wasn't right. The voice wasn't coming from a private emergency message that played automatically like it normally did. It was coming from speakers, outside GLaDOS.
The master computer gave up her search for cameras, and opened her center optic- wait, why were there two? Why was there color?
"What the hell?"