One
It was the year 1970 in Southern Michigan. The car sped along an old road, which seemed to have not been paved in years. Beyond the road lay a field of corn stocks and plantations, for Michigan was known for its agriculture-as well as potatoes. I looked at my father, who sat in the front seat, with his hands firmly on the white steering wheel. Through the mirror that hung upon the front window, I saw excitement in his blue eyes. He was taking me to his business, Aperture Science, which he had established many years before. In the year 1935, about two weeks after his college graduation, he decided that he would want to have a career in science, which was what he had majored in. He struggled for about three years, unable to enlist as an employee at any of the major science facilities. Having no success, he came to the conclusion that he shall create a science facility that included all branches of science, from robotics to health. In late 1950, my father bought 20 acres of land in Southern Michigan in the middle of a dense, humid forest. He hired contractors to start constructing his dream in the summer of 1957. Then finally, 10 long years later in 1967, Aperture Laboratories opened. However, when it opened, they signed a contract with a company by the name of Eisenhower administrationto manufacture shower curtains, which eventually made my father a billionaire. However, Aperture had continued on the studies of science, along with the shower curtain production. It had held the record as biggest Science Center in the world with the latest technology, until a new Facility emerged upon the horizon, Black Mesa, in the year of 1969. Ever since the grand opening of this Facility merely one year ago, my father rivaled with them, trying to come up with greater inventions than Black Mesa. The public initially preferred Aperture and continued claiming it hold the most advanced technology.
I sighed and rested my head along the white leather car seat as we steered off the main highway to a road that led into a forest, rich with trees. My father switched on the radio to a jazz ensemble, which tends to make me groggy. The car gradually slowed down and came to a complete stop in front of an octagonal stop sign before steering to the right. I turned my head to find a tall sign that stood at the edge of the road, stating, Aperture Laboratories: ½ mile. We were close to our destination. Again, I looked through the mirror upon the front window to try to glimpse at my father's expression, assuming he was still excited. His eyes quickly fixed on me through the mirror. I quickly looked away. I need to impress him; I need to show him I can be a good scientist, just like him! The car turned yet again to a road that led to a broad parking area. At the entrance of the parking area stood a small kiosk, which contained a guard with a blue jacket on which read the words security. I looked past the guard to find that the parking area was filled with cars, with only a few vacant spots. The sky overhead was gloomy, and it seemed as though it would rain anytime soon.
We passed the kiosk, where my father greeted the guard, and headed through the parking area. There were many lamp posts at the end of every five parking spaces. On the poles of the lamps stood signs that read Soon to be run by artificial life! I looked at the signs, puzzled, for I had thought that artificial life could only currently exist in science fiction movies. I did not ask my father, however what the concept of it was, for I wanted to appear intelligent to impress my father, and I thought asking questions would cause him to think I did not know much about science. I sighed yet again as the car pulled up to a deserted parking spot and came to a complete stop.
"Now," my father said to me, peeking out from his back seat, "a few rules before we go in. Don't touch anything, and please, use your inside voice. Oh, and make sure you stay by me at all times! Oh! Most importantly, do not tell anyone the inventions that you will see! Most of them are top secret, and highly advance, and we aren't even planning on releasing most of our inventions until 2001. Until then, we will only be known for selling shower curtains. Ok?" I glanced at my father and nodded solemnly. He smiled and unstrapped his seatbelt that lay across his chest, as I straightened my black, long hair, which stuck out everywhere on my head, for I had slept a portion of the way there. It had now begun to rain. They made light thumps upon the roof of the car as the tiny rain droplets raced down the windows, preventing anything to be seen through. I unstrapped my seatbelt and headed out the car door, using my hand to prevent my hair from becoming wet. I went around the back of the car to find my father rummaging through the back trunk. Finally, he brought up his hand, which held a black umbrella. He put his hands along the handle and pushed upwards, decompressing the umbrella until it could no longer go up. I ran up to him as we both huddled underneath the umbrella in an attempt to shield ourselves from the rain. A light fog began to creep into the parking area, making it slightly difficult to see. We walked forward in unison under the umbrella, dodging deep puddles that formed in the black asphalt.
Eventually, a tall, white building came into view with high glass roofs that arched overhead, along greenhouses contained on the inside. Ahead, I saw a vast sign that proudly said, Aperture Laboratories, which casted a dim light through the dense fog. I mouthed the words as I read the sign, looking at the immeasurable building in front of me in awe, trying to make a mental picture of every detail of the building. We headed up a short flight of concrete stairs that led to soaring arched glass doors. The doors automatically opened as we neared the building, creating a squeaking noise. Once we passed the glass doors, I found myself in a large, white modern room. At my right lay three white, square couches that stood in front of a glass coffee table, in which a small, crescent-shaped radio was placed upon. The radio played a mariachi band playing an extremely catchy tune. I started to crack a smile, for it did not seem like the correct place to be playing mariachi band music in. Ahead I spotted two large escalators, one against the wall on my left, and one on my right, both leading to the second story of the building. The one on my left was going downwards, as the one on my right was going upwards. Between the two escalators stood a tall waterfall that jetted out of the ceiling and crashed into a small pool on the white, tile floor. Beyond the small pool between the two escalators lay a wide food court beneath the second story of the facility, where many of Aperture's employees sat for their breaks. To my left the wall caved in, where a long, skinny check-in table lay. Behind it I caught three flat-screen televisions mounted on the wall that projected a yellow screen, stating: we do what we must because we can! I looked at them, puzzled, for I had not known colored televisions existed, nor flat screens. My father caught me staring at the televisions in awe.
"Oh, that's Aperture's latest invention, colored flat-screen televisions. Look, they don't even need antennae to get a signal! We won't expect to sell that invention anytime soon." He exclaimed. At the check-in table sat a middle-aged woman with long, brown hair that fell upon her shoulders. A pair of square spectacles lay in front of her brown eyes that sat on the rim of her nose. My father quickly closed the black umbrella and shook the droplets that clung to the fabric away. The lady looked up at the sound of my father doing so, as a smile instantly appeared on her face. My father looked back at her with the same expression as we walked toward the figure. My father shook hands with the lady once we approached the table. Once they had stopped shaking, I noticed the lady was holding her hand out to me. I quickly shook it, cracking a smile.
"Cave Johnson, it's so good to see you!" she exclaimed. My father chuckled as I caught a glimpse of affection in his eyes. Instantly, he took my shoulders between his two hands as he placed me in front of him.
"This is my daughter, Chell," he stated, letting go of my shoulders. "Chell, this is Caroline, the manager of Aperture."
"Oh, so this is the famous Chell you've been telling me so much about!" Caroline exclaimed. What kind of things has father been telling her? I instantly shuddered at all the possibilities that came to my mind. Like how ignorant I am! I looked away, uncomfortable with the fact that she could possibly think that I am ignorant. I looked back at her to try to find a look of disgust behind her smile, but all I saw was a sweet, innocent face.
"Yes, I brought her to show her where I work," my father replied. "She was looking forward to it for a long time." No I wasn't! "She's been bugging me about it, so I decided just to let her come with me today." No, I never bugged to you about anything! Stop making me look bad in front of Caroline! I looked away, too embarrassed to look at her.I instantly felt a warm, gentle hand upon my shoulder. I turned around to find Caroline smiling at me, reaching over the table.
"Don't listen to him," she said. "He picks on everyone, especially me." I smiled and looked up at my father, who happened to be chuckling.
"Yes, I know," I declared. Caroline sat back in her chair, sighing, as if she knew my point.
"Well," my father said with a discontent expression, "I was wondering if you could give Chell a tour of the facility. I've got some things I need to take care of." I flinched. I looked up at Caroline, hoping with all my heart that she would disagree. The last thing I wanted was to be left alone with a lady I barely knew all day long.
"Oh, come on," she responded. "Your daughter probably wants to be with you." I sighed with relief. My father grunted and looked up at Caroline with weary eyes. "How about this? You will give the tour to Chell, and I'll come with you, just in case you have to leave, so I can watch over her. Ok?" My father sighed and nodded as she went through a red door behind the table. She appeared through another door just outside of the table's boundaries. She led us up the slow escalator to the right up to the second story of the building. The waterfall that divided the escalators splashed and gurgled before me as we slowly went upwards. Above, I noticed that the ceiling was nothing but glass, allowing you to see the greenhouses contained in the roofs. It was then that I was instantly struck with an epiphany. My father created this wonder, he did. For a brief second, I felt as if I was in a dream, for that building made me feel as if I was in a wonderland filled with unimaginable things. I continued repeating in my head, over and over, that my father created this wonderland, and had been grateful enough to show me it. My father created this wonder, he did. Soon, we stepped off the escalator which met a large hall filled with a countless amount doors, each labeled by a letter, followed by a number. "Come here," Caroline stated. She then led us to a large, white metal door, which was labeled: A4. She casually turned the silver door handle that rested on the surface of the cold metal as she pushed it open, revealing a rather large education room. A rectangular table made of bright, smooth wood that had swirls of brown imbedded in it could be seen at the head of the classroom. I studied the numerous contents that were placed on the surface of the table, only to find a small, rectangular lamp that currently shined no light, which was placed at the far corner of the table. Beside the lamp rested a thin pencil, as sharp as a metal sewing needle, which lay on a spiral notebook. At the front of the desk sat a leather chair, as black as the depths of the ocean. It did not appear as if anyone had sat in it recently, for it had no wear marks. I then noticed that the table faced an abundant amount of wood chairs, all in an array of neat rows. A small glass table was connected to each chair by a long, thick metal piece.
"Here is where the scientists of Aperture are regularly trained," my father explained.
"Why must they be trained?" I asked.
"Well," he started, "we need them to remember everything they had learned by re-teaching them their studies. We also inform them on new discoveries Aperture has made, and what inventions and experiments must be done based on them."
"Yes, even I have to be trained," Caroline informed me, sighing.