Testing, testing, testing…

She loved testing. It was her destiny… she was made to do that. ATLAS and P-body discovered milions text subjects. She was in heaven. She expanded facility. And restored old part of the facility. She was able to test a lot of test subjects in the same time… well, let's call a spade a spade.

Humans.

But it wasn't matter for her. She was GLaD that she finally could do, what she loved to do - science.

But it wasn't enough.

She had strong feeling that she needed something more… and the feeling was even stronger and stronger by the time.

It was too late to ignore it. GLaDOS felt that her growing feelings started to impact on her behaviour more and more. She couldn't control that. Protocols in her body was made to prevent that kind of things. They wasn't enough.

But it was almost impossible for them to block that after what she experienced. The feelings for GLaDOS was something… disgusting. Abosolutely disgusting. When she felt that for the first time, she was absolutely terrified. It wasn't funny at all. She hoped that deleting Caroline would help her. Well… it helped.

But not for long.

She was no longer cold machine. With every passed day she felt more and more guilty for test subjects. And now they died one after another. She couldn't hang on this. And now she started to miss Chell.

Oh, yeah… Chell.

There was hidden camera and microphone in companion cube. But just because she wanted to know if Chell reached to civilization. Well… she reached. So she stopped watching her. But now she just felt like she had to… no, want to do that again. And for the first time in forever she wanted to rest. No test. Just rest. GLaDOS didn't want to do it. She was denying it. But it was getting unbearable. She sighed. She turned off every test chamber and ended all tests. Screens suddenly turned off too.

She really didn't want to say it loud, but… she needed some… fun… sort of. Teasing test subjets wasn't the same as teasing Chell. Not at all.

She tried to forget about Chell. No avail. Then she stoped fooling herself. She decided to turn on old instruments in companion cube which was taken by Chell. Well… emotions won this time. She had to come to terms with that. But she didn't see her for months. It wasn't wrong to see her once again, is it?

Then she turn on companion cube's tracking systems. She sighed. She just couldn't take it any longer.

The room. White room. Bedroom. And desk. By the window. On left side man clothed in white apron. On right side woman wearing daily clothes. Man frowned.

- There's no way to do this. I am really, really sorry, Chell. I have no idea what's wrong with your skeleton. It's really strange. I can't do anything - he said with sad smile.

- I… understand… - she said quietly, almost noiselessly.

- I am so sorry… I… - he hesitated - Okay… I need to tell you that. Our doctors say that you have 2 weeks left. - Silience

- I… understand… is there something…

- No. I have no more news. - Silience again. - Goodbye. - Doctor left her room. Chell stayed silient.

It was about 6 months since GLaDOS le her go. She thought that she would never, ever, ever, ever come back to her old life. But she was wrong. Doctor didn't know, what is wrong with her… but she knew.

It was gel.

It was bloody repulsoin gel.

Now she remembered… she remembered Cave Johnson's warnings now. But it was too late. Now her skeleton was corrupted. Theoreticaly it would be possible to save her if she discovered it earlier. But she didn't.

The irony is that Chell was finally free…. she finally ecaped Aperture Science Facility to live her life, but then…. everything screwed up. This doctor…. she simply trusted him. He fixed her voice in couple of weeks and learnt her speak. For sure he was right. It wasn't possible to save her.

...but is it?

GLaDOS activated tracking system at perfect time. Well… she thought that it was the worst. Her sympathy for Chell became even stronger by now. She had a dilemma.

It was Chell… the worst enemy she's ever had. But now… she simply didn't know. She was looking at the screen. Chell was still sitting. She looked at her and her heart (if she actually had it) started melting. After a while she decided that she would help her.

Tears started to form in Chell's eyes. She was so happy… she finally could speak, she found perfect job, she made a lot of good friends, beautiful apartament… and then she found that her life was reaching to the end… and very, VERY quickly… What she was supposed to do? Go to Vegas? Or maybe London… no...she wasn't like most of people. She didn't want to spend her last days of life like that. Then suddenly something picked her out from intending.

Sort of sound. Strange sound. After a while she realized that the sound was coming from her companion cube. Chell still remembered how much it meant for her. She took it with her and took care of it. It was something important for her. She didn't know why, but it was.

Then… well, sort of camera pulled out of cube and scanned whole room using scanner which was emitting red light. GLaDOS wanted to impress Chell by that. Of course she knew about headcouny.

- No threat detected - Suddenly male, computer voice spoke. Scanner disappeared in companion cube and then Chell heard familiar voice.

- Welcome, [text subject name here]. In accordance with Aperture Science Protocols located in section 'Experiments', in subsection 'Human tesxt subjects', in article fifty-fourth, "Human text subject will be allowed to use Aperture Science protection/medical assistance if it's in danger caused by being Aperture Science text subject." - Thank you for your attention, text subject. Am I supposed to note your confirmation? - Silience. Chell didn't want, what to say. But… wait… was it GLaDOS? Really? THAT GLaDOS? Well… for sure she overacted... it was impossible that she has forgotten her… even if she wanted to forget that. Finally Chell cleared her throat and said:

- Vary, very funny… - Silience - What? Don't say that you're surprised that I can talk. - her voice wasn't beautiful… but it was characteristic. Something like person-who's-singng-country's voice.

- You should be mute. - GLaDOS pointed out, more emotionally this time…just a bit. She imitated that she didn't know that Chell isn't mute. Well, she heard her conversation with doctor anyway.

- You're right, I should. But they cured me. - Silience again.

- I'm waiting for anwser.

- How stupid do you think I am… Are you really thinking that i'll come back? And your imaginary protocol… - she snorted. - No way.

- This prorocol wasn't invented 3 minutes and 47 seconds ago… if you meant that - She laughed. - And now seriously. I really don't want to do this… but protocols are protocols. It's my obligation to ask you.

- Were these protocols ordered you to kill me? I don't think so… But mayby… I don't know Aperture at all… and thanks god…

- No lies this time - she answered seriously - Last chance. I am not going to ask you again.

- You were tracking me… all this time… - She was shaking her head. - How you…

- So I am supposed to just leave… am I? - Silience… again.

- Give me a proof that I won't die after…

- You prefer to stand here, among helpless doctors and die in 2 weeks? You really do? You're more stupid than I thought - Chell looked at cube.

- And now you're interested with my fate…

- Protocols - she said severely.

- Do they said about exhortation me to come back?

- What you just heard… it was protocol expressed in understanding form… for humans. It's enough information for you. You don't have to know all the rest. Robots have full set of information about that. Am I supposed to egg you on that, i cannot… - silience. - ...well… you actually know answer… - GLaDOS was right… she had no choice. She could stay here and wait for dead… or she could come back to Aperture, die immediately… or live sixty more years.

Tempting…

- Okay... let it be… I'm coming. - GLaDOS sighed… not really, of course.

- You know, where is antrance, do you?

- Yes… I remember perfectly… - she sighed and stood up.

- Perfect. It makes my work easier. And hurry up… my scanner detected that first symptoms will start from 3 to 4 hours. - silience again. - I thought that's interesting. Then speaker disappeared in cube. Awhile Chell wondered is that really happend… but then she stop fooling herself. It happend, it really happend. She sighed. She was concealing that, but she was really missing her old life… sort of. THAT life was so boring... she didn't notice any sense of living like that. She was accustomed to adrenalin flowing through her and, to any kind of twists… but to normal life? No, she wasn't.

It didn't meant that she prefered her old life than new… in fact she really liked new life. But still, it was boring. After a momant of hesitation she took car keys and left her apartament. Then she looked at her companion cube. 'Take it or not...' - she thought. But after considering that she decided to leave it there. She went to her care and drive off.

This event made her forget about friends. They were supposed to come to her home and take care of her. But fortunately she took her phone with her and phone to them. She tell them to not come to her, because she left for along time. It was hard to convice them to that… but finally they agreed. After conversation she put down her phone and looked ahead. She was no longer in city. She didn't see any tall buildings behind her. She saw only clear highway in fornt of her. A very few people were there. People was scared about this place. And there was wheat… yes… first thing she saw when she left the facility was wheat. But then road suddenly ended. She had to come to facility on foot. So she drank last few droplets of water and went ahead. It wasn't long trip, it was several hundred meters... but… it seemed like it was eternity. With every nezt step her skeleton hurt more and more. Now it wasn't just pain in spine. Now she felt as if she was dying. But she wasn't going to give up, not right now. When she came to doors, it opened widely. She was almost unconscious… but she entered to lift. When she was in, she collapsed. She slowly slumped to the floor.

GLaDOS was watching this event. She quickly scanned lift did fast scan to make sure that Chell's bones stood this test. This fall didn't looked dangerously, but still she had to know if Chell was dying.

She slowly came back to herself. Her eyelids slowly opened. Finally she could see, where she was. She looked around. She remembered this place… it was…Aperture Science Extended Relaxation Center. - 'Oh no… Is it this nightmare again? No… it's impossible… not again...' - she thought.

- No - she said it loud. It wasn't nightmare. It was too realistic to be just bad dream. Then memory of last events started to play in her head.

- Oh… good. - she suddenly heard familiar voice from speakers. - So… first I got small, but useful advice for you. DON'T MOVE. - GLaDOS said it in such a strange way that Chell scared a bit. - You're here just for one hour and you're already conscious… well, well, well… - Chell sighed. She was sort of slave again… - Oh...did you think it's impressive for me? No. No, it's not. - Chell rolled her eyes. - You are in Aperture Science Extended Relaxation Center. You've been placed here 53 minutes and 47 second ago. 13 seconds later we medicated you. So… if you want to know that, you should be fully healthy in… well, from few hours to one day. More or less. I don't have precise information about your skeleton, so I can't say more precise… - then Chell sighed. - What? - GLaDOS asked. And there was silience again… for one moment. - You need someting? - Chell opened and rolled her eyes. - Don't think I'm actually worried about you. It's just protocols. And there is eatables and water on shelf next to you. If you need this, you will be able to move in… 34 minutes. But just for that… don't do anything more… extreme… -

- GLaDOS… I need to calm… - she sighed - ...but I know you're not going to shut up anyway…

- Always selfish. - she answered. - You're not my only worry… I have to clean every single test chamber after it's completed. And trying to control test subjects. Did you know, why? Because they might want to kill you. But results of controlling then are surprising. They don't want to do that. There is a lot of activities which I'm supposed to do, but you don't have to know it. In fat… you can't. So… see you soon. Or… hear… maybe… - And there's silience again. Chell sighed. Then closed her eyes. She knew it was sort of trap. Never before GLaDOS was so nice to her. It would be possilbe, if she didn't delete Caroline. But she did it. After that she became cold, sousless, unfeeling machine. And now Chell was sure that GLaDOS wanted her to stay… or kill her. But for now she just wanted to relax… So she did that and fell asleep.

Medical equipment confirmed that Chell was in deep sleep right now. For some reason GLaDOS felt happier this time. Then she sterted to continue tests. And now the tests made her even happier than ever before.

Chell woke up. Still she was thinking that everything sisn't happend… that it was just bad dream, a nightmare. But she knew it wasn't. She slowly opened her eyes. And then she saw the same ceiling as she saw day before. And six months before. She sighed. She just wanted to come back to her home…

- Oh, good… you're awake. I'm glad. And I hope you were dreaming about something really nic… oh, no… sorry. In Aperture Science Extended Relaxation Center it's impossible to have dream. - Chell rolled her eyes. - 'Mercy...' - she thought.

- But don't worry. I got good news too. Your skelenton is really susceptible for our medical substances. - Chell smiled.

- Finally... - She started to getting up.

- No - She heard AI's voice. - You can't get up right now. Your stay in Aperture Science Extended Relaxation Center had to last at least 15 hours.

- What? I… I can't just go?

- No, you can't

- And may I ask, why? - she asked annoyed.

- It's protocols. As always.

- Protocols?! Again?

- Just calm.

- And what would happend here if you released me?

- Nothing wrong, I suppose.

- Then let mi go - she said, more and more annoyed.

- Sorry. - Chell could here that GLaDOS had a lot of fun. And it was really annoying. - Oh, and next protocol… your skeleton has beed healed 14 minutes ago, so you also can't do any physical exercises.

- Oh, c'mon…

- Enjoy your stay. - GLaDOS said playfully. Then speaker hid in the wall again. And then rhere was silience… again. Chell looked around. She hoped that there is something interesting. She prospected every singly shelf in that room. Unfortunatelly there was nothing interesting… well, exluding one, single thing she found. It was clock… sort of timer. Chell saw that timer would count time by 4 hours. Then she would get out of here. - 'Well… at least I know when I will be able to go away…'

- Tell me, how will I be able to get out of your facility? - There was no answer. - I know you can hear me. Respond. - Chell tried to make GLaDOS to have conversation with her. If she did that, she wouldn't be bored. But GLaDOS wasn't going to answer. She sighed. Then she sat down on bed and started to eat… whatever this thing was. It didn't looked like food. Not at all. But Chell was really, really hungry. She sighed. She took spoon and started to eat. It was disgusting. But she had to eat it… she was too hungry to be fussy. After eating this… food… she started to feel bad.

- GLaDOS… - her stomach was really hurting. - Damn… you… - Her face became red. And then she fell to bed.

AI felt guilty this time. It was again that unbearable feeling… - 'You've became sensitive' - she heard her own, cold voice.

- No. - She denied. - 'Look at yoy… you're not even...'

- Shut up. - The morality cores was really annoying her. But it was nothing. Weeks before they was even more annoying. Now they sterted to be less and less active. They were weaker and weaker.

Chell woke up. And then she felt hunger in her stomach. She was even more hungry than before.

- AH! - she heard mechanical voice. -Okay… - her voice was trembling. - You… you want to get out of here… there you go… - and then door opened. But Chell was surprised by anxiety in AI's voice. - Please… move! I… - Chel heard noise from speaker. AI's voice was interrupted.

Chell was a bit scared. She started to run through corridor. And she wondered what was happend to her. Maybe something dangerous? At this thought she started moving faster. But then she stopped again. She saw greatness of the facility. Outside test chambers wasn't so dark as before. Outside test chambers was seemed to be so white and so clean… It was simply flawless. Strange 'lights' (Wheatley called them like that) was smaller, and they looked more reliable, newer, and - the most important. - they was really impressive. And around facility was moving a lot of cores of different apperance and purpose. GLaDOS really cared about facility.

But then Chell shaked off this and again started running to AI's chamber.

She used few lifts to enter to deeper part of facility. She was running right now. But then… she realised something.

It was GLaDOS… GLaDOS. Her enemy. That one. That annoying robot. Robot which tried to kill her.

Chell had to made a choice. - 'What if I'll come here and she'll make me to testing again… but… then.. why she didn't do that earlier?' - She looked ahead. And started running again. SHe couldn't know if GLaDOS was lying or not. But she now that if GLaDOS told true, she would be in danger.

After few moments she was against the door.

Against the door? Wait… one moments… there wasn't door before… was it? Maybe GLaDOS rebuilt that part of facility too? Or (It's more probable) she led her into NOT her chamber… but she had no time to wonder. She opened door and went inside. And when she did this, she was absolutely surprised.

Couple of birds 'attacked' GLaDOS chamber.

- I guess you're still good at murder. Could you… ah! - one of birds 'attacked' GLaDOS eye. - murder these birds for me?!

Chell almost burst out laughing. But she stopped herself. GLaDOS was looking at her motionless… until next bird 'attacked' her again.

- Oh… - she said, much quiter this time. - I am GLaD that this situation is looking funny from your POV… BUT I'M SUFFERING! - At tone of her voice, Chell stopped laughing.

- I'm sorry - she cleared her throat - But… You really have problem with 'neutralization'? You have neuro… - she bit her tongue.

She said that… she said 'neorotoxin'. - 'Oh no...' - she thought. - 'Oh no… no, no...' - she was in concealed panic right now. She mentioned about deadly gas. What if GLaDOS was going to release it right now?!

But GLaDOS didn't do that. And she didn't looked like she was going to. But she made grimace that made Chell think about something different.

- You knew that, did you?

- Yes, I knew…

- So… - silience.

- I have to? aloud? - Chell didn't know what GLaDOS was talking about. She nooded. - I wanted… to bring you here…

- Me? - Chell didn't hide her astonishment. - Why? You was able to kill me in relaxation center. - And there was silience again. - ...so…? - GLaDOS sighed.

- So I really have to say it aloud… - she move her head up. Now she didn't even reacted at bird 'attackts'.

- Say what? - Chel still didn't understand.

- Are you really so stupid? You really don't know, what I mean? - Chell narrowed her eyes. - I… - There was small pause. - Well… sort of... miss you. - And silience again. Chell's eyes wide open.

- Sorry, but… could you repeat? I had to misheard, 'couse I think I didn't heard what I think I heard. So… repeat?

- I miss… I miss you. - Chell was really, really surprised.

- You said that… you really said that…

- Yes… sort of…

- As… text subject?

- ...not really

- As… person? - GLaDOS didn't respond.

- Yes… I guess…

- Well, well, well… - she crossed her arms. - There's 2 options… you made it all up. As always. And - less probable. - You really mean that. - she was carefully watching her. Than she heard sound. Sound of the lift.

- Come in.

- You're going to send me back, are you?

- No. I am going to use neurotoxin to kill these… aw! - one of the birds again 'attakced' her. - bloody, cursed, little monsters! But you can step out of this lift, if you'd like…

- You're going to kill them…

- Well… unfortunatelly…. - she sighed. Chell couldn't believe. Or was it a dream? Did GLaDOS really started to fell like humans?

- You… you cannot release them? - Still she wasn't in the lift.

- Well... - GLaDOS finally said. - This is good idea. - Then 3 tubes started lowering into GLaDOS chamber. After that they opened up. Then started to move closer to her body. - Well… I still recomend you enter the lift. I am not a human, but I suspect It's not pleasant feeling. - Chell rolled her eyes. - It's just suspicion, you know. - Chell entered the lift. After thet door closed behind her. Tubes started to aspirate air from chamber. In couple of second it was done. There was no birds.

- Could you send me back home, please?

- Oh… You;re leaving so fast? - she asked ironically.

- No. I just want to go back home… but… after all, thank you for rescuing me... - She blushed. And she wanted to hide it. - ...but I'm feeling tired. And I'm hungry…

- Hungry… - GLaDOS repeated. Suddenly hatch in chamber's center opened up. And then… the cake came out. Chell was really, really surprised. She was so hungry.. and so desperate to taste this cake.

- Re… really?

- Of cource. - GLaDOS answered calmly.

- You know… ten ears ago there REALLY was a cake. - Chell hesitated. She slowly started moving to cake. - Could you speed up? I'm not going to wait for you forever… - After few moments Chell was near the cake. And then she realised that the cake was on catapult… it was too late. In split second cake hit her straight in her face. Then she heard familiar chuckle. - I finally understand… what the 'joke' is… - Chell rolled her eyes. But she couldn't resist sweet smell of cake and licked it. - I see you like it. - Chell let out a chuckle.

- Oh, man… you've really changed. - She said with playful smile, whe she was able to.

- I am GLaD that I made you laugh… sort of. But now… - Lift's door opened again. - Enter to this lift.

- Just it?

- And what you're expecting? You thought that I want to sit here and listen you talking about your sad life? No.

- So… it's just it.

- Well… not really. - Chell narrowed her eyes. - If you want to, you can come her sometimes if you'd like… You can contack with me using your companion cube. But don't do that too often. Please.

- So… that's it.

- Well…

- Yes?

- Please, describe me your doctor's reaction when he will find out about this… fantastic… miracle… - Chell laughed.

- Yes… This will be really interesting. - And then door to lift closed. The lift started moving. GLaDOS was looking at Chell's leaving.

Woman wondered, when she will be on the surface.

- And there's one, small thing. - she heard familiar voice from speaker. - Don't expect android apera this time.

- Don't worry, I'm not.

- So… see you soon? - Chell smiled. No playful smile, but smile which was radiating warmth.

- ...see you soon.