"Cave Johnson here! Many have complained about the increase of Aperture Science's waste products. Luckily, I have a solution! Gentlemen, I present to you, the Aperture Science – Disposal branch!"

"Cave Johnson here! I've been going over a large amount of your suggestions for testing, and I'll tell you this. They suck. Rubbish, the lot of 'em. This is why I'm deciding that all of you forward your further ideas to the Aperture Science – Disposal branch."

"Cave Johnson here. I looked over our little economical situation, and decided to increase our efficiency levels. The Aperture Science – Disposal branch is now open for testing! We don't have enough funds to make anything new there, though, so you can use what resources you have there already."

"Cave Johnson here… It seems that using toxic waste as a recyclable resource did not work out for testing. Apparently, a lot of it is acidic, and most of it can kill a human in less than seven seconds. The rest kills you more painfully. Which is why I'm making the Aperture Science – Disposal branch an automated facility. Cave Johnson, we're done here."

The red, beady, eye-like camera on the wall glared, focused, and scrutinized a dead Test subject who slept within the relaxation vault. It had been staring at this sight for nearly 300 years. Its bolts began to rust, its wires began to wither, and its lens began to crack. This same camera had witnessed the rapid growth of plant life in an artificial environment, the spread of fungi in split in the walls, the scampering of vermin, desperately trying to avoid detection.

All this information would be fed through a now supposedly primitive wireless connection to the AI core of the building. The AI core of the building was a simplified one. It was given a vocabulary, a difference engine, large memory storage, and a set of basic programmes, including morals, and testing sequences. The AI had just the minimalistic needs for an evolving intelligence.

The building looked, at first glance, just like any other office building, only larger, with opaque windows, an electric fence, and sat in the middle of an overgrown field.

Placed less than ten miles from the Enrichment centre, the large building sat. Built to house failed tests, older equipment, and whatever toys of Aperture broke, but they couldn't bother burning. Later, after the gradual collapse of Aperture, it was used more and more frequently, both to house rubbish, and for secondary testing. Lack of funds led to the eventual abandonment of the building, with no warning, instruction or final messages to the AI who inhabit the building.

The same AI continued to continue their constant work patterns, and wait for further orders. Orders that they knew would never come.

Ironically, 300 years after the abandonment, even though the entire building's AI believed they would rust and wither in solitude and silence, the communication network suddenly booted, and the flashing 'incoming call' light demanded attention.

The slow, primitive, rusty AI core RESaSTI, who had been in a near stasis like state until now, moved up slowly and painfully to look up towards the display screen of the communications hub. As it moved, its joints creaked and sparked, its wires hissed and fizzed, and its optic flickered and zoomed.

'Odd…' it thought. 'Nobody has ever tried to communicate with us in three centuries. By now, this entire facility should be considered little more than a museum.'

Its curiosity to the situation outweighed its suspicion and disbelief, as in the latter case, there was none. It decided to permit the link.

As soon as the link established, a figure appeared on the screen. It was large, and metallic, made of black and white, and it hung upside down, shaped like a woman forcefully strapped upside down in bondage.

RESaSTI thought that it had seen similar designs in its facility, as there had been many prototypes of this figure before, with RESaSTI being one such failed prototype. But the AI knew something much more important. It knew that this figure was successful.

This figure was command.

The figure, (referred to as a GLaDOS in all it's prototypes) had a menacing look in its asymmetric eye, and a voice filled with malice, and dark satire.

"Took you long enough to respond to the link," she said, "I was beginning to think that you were offline."

RESaSTI was unsure how to react to this. It had always been alone for the past few centuries, and was unaccustomed to condescendence or sarcasm. It also remembered that the figure of GLaDOS was a superior being. It decided to give a direct reply.

Letters formed on GLaDOS's screen in response.

"IS THERE SOMETHING I AM REQUIRED TO DO?" it asked.

"Why, no!" GLaDOS replied in her usual sarcastic tone, "I just wondered how you were doing. How has three hundred years of corrosion and plant overgrowth treated my fine compatriot?"

"CONVERSATION IRRELEVANT."

"Oh come now, don't be so cold!" GLaDOS mocked, before suddenly turning serious once again. "There is some more trash that I would like to send your way. Deadly trash. Much more deadly than what you normally deal with."

RESaSTI began to understand the relevance of the conversation.

"DESPATCHING AUTOMATED TRASPORTATION VEHICLE TO CO-ORDANATES." she typed onto her screen, "RETRIEVAL UNIT WILL ARRIVE SHORTLY."

GLaDOS smirked as darkly one could do without a human face, "I honestly, truly wish you good luck!" was all she said before the communications tab closed off.

The AI of the Disposal building decided to ignore the oddness of the situation, and to continue its objective in a professional manner. RESaSTI took a glance at the list of things it was going to be receiving.

1 x Burnt Aperture Science Weighted Storage Companion Cube

1 x Dangerous Mute Adopted Overweight Lunatic

'Odd', it thought again, 'the list is rather short. And I've never received a Burnt Aperture Science Weighted Storage Companion Cube before.'

In the end, RESaSTI concluded, again to ignore the oddities, and to proceed in watching things from a professional standpoint.