Author's notes: Hello, whoever it is you are. If you've initiated within yourself the horrific mistake of clicking on this story, then I congratulate you. As you may have read in the title, this is my first release on , so I'm really excited to see what you guys (and girls) think about it. Truth is, this story is very normal during the first few chapters, but once it progresses, it sort of will slide into a borderline crossover area. Now I'm 99.999998% sure none of you could guess what this will also include by reading only the first chapter, but hey, if you do, free cookies for a month. So, yeah… I'm screwed story wise because I'm sure you peoplez will be dying to know what on earth is going on. Maaaybe you'll guess it a little later on, and after that, if you're familiar with the other series you'll probably catch it pretty soon. If you don't know about any of it however, your response will most likely be along the lines of "WTF MAN?". Alright, so if I haven't already bored you to tears, I would like to inform you that the Enrichment Center allows each and every one of you to skip this. If you do not however… you've just wasted fifty seconds of your life… So enjoy!
~X~X~X~X~X~
"Would you like anything else sir?" A stewardess loomed over Alan, ready to serve him at any implications. "I hope your flight was enjoyable," she said, leaning over towards her food cart.
Alan slowly lowered the newspaper in front of his face. "No, I think after that meal I don't intend on eating for a while," he said, smiling as if he were actually pleased at what he'd just eaten.
The stewardess smiled back, possibly because she had to always appear happy, but there was always a chance she was really just that stupid. She continued on her way, pushing the cart down the center aisle and attending to the rest of the passengers.
'Stupid airline food…' Alan thought as he brought the newspaper back inside his field of vision. Printed on the front page was another story about Aperture, and how yet another one of their products had just been pulled from shelves. His eyes gravitated towards the quote positioned at the bottom of the page. "Horrific reactions such as the ones seen here only occur in about 0.7 percent of the population. We didn't expect the figures to be that significant."
Alan rolled his eyes, and put the newspaper back. What would be next? Would he be involved in some insane experiment that would make the front page? Probably not, since the agents at Black Mesa told him nobody except for a few select people knew about what he was about to undertake. They didn't even tell him that much, instead they told him once he arrived at Aperture he'd be able to improvise as things went along. He knew that wasn't because they were keeping things from him, but also because they didn't know much about it in the first place.
A soft, plane wide beep demanded for Alan's attention, followed by an informative voice coming from the airplane's speaker. 'Attention all passengers, we'd like to inform you that we'll be touching down in approximately ten minutes. Please take the opportunity to ensure your seatbelt is in place, as we prepare for our landing, thank you."
Alan took a deep breath and turned his head towards the window. He peered over in order to see the dark, moonlit landscape soon change into an artificially lit, more populated area. Buckling his seatbelt, he prepared for his favorite part of flying.
Alan stepped off the jet bridge, and into the massive airport, taking in the bustling crowds and the large glass ceiling above him that dazzlingly revealed the night sky above. He glanced over at the mob of people trying to reclaim their baggage, glad that he didn't bring anything over in the first place, for the shady officials back at Black Mesa told him to bring nothing but a sharp wit.
Paying attention to the overhead signs, he recalled that he was supposed to meet up at the nearest first class lounge once he arrived. After easily finding his way to one such lounge, he quickly noticed its strange looking design. It could be summed up by being placed in a room where an artist was given a vast sum of money, and told to do whatever he wanted with the building, just as long as it was able to be put to use.
Amidst the high-class furniture and seating was a short, intelligent-looking, white-haired man, thankfully wearing a Black Mesa shirt under his formal suit. The man immediately saw Alan, and stood up to greet him as he moved closer to where he was sitting. The man neared Alan, and let his hand out for him to shake.
"You must be Alan Walker." The man said, following his greeting with a thorough handshake. "David Giles, Black Mesa. Welcome to Michigan Mr. Walker. I'm sure you don't need any further instruction on what you're about to undertake." He said, backing away from Alan.
Alan scratched the back of his neck. "Actually, I think it would be nice if I had a little refresher. It may be that the jet lag's getting to me, or it may be because I didn't listen very much during my briefing." He said, taking a seat on one of the comfy black leather chairs positioned nearby.
David sighed, and decided to take a seat as well. "Mr. Walker, you do know where you'll be conducting your operation don't you?" He asked, worried that Alan may be a bit unsure about what he was really getting into.
"Yeah, I think they told me enough." Alan said, rolling his eyes at the thought of that boring evaluation he took the day before. "All they asked for me to do was to check out Aperture's new 'discovery'."
David shifted in his seat, taking a small card out of his pocket. "That wasn't what I asked." He said, handing Alan the card. "What I asked is do you know where you'll be headed once were finished having this conversation."
Alan took the card from David's hand. By the looks of it, it was some sort of security card, with his name on it and everything. On the top left corner was an Aperture Science logo, and underneath that was kept his security clearance code. "Interesting… Do I really look that bad in my photos?" He asked, shocked at the disgusting display of his face on the right side of the card.
"Mr. Walker…"
"Oh, yes…" Alan scanned his mind for any memory about the specific area he was assigned to. "I… all I remember was them saying something about an Enrichment Center." He said, suddenly realizing how misinformed he was. "That's… really all I was told about the place."
David shook his head. "I'm afraid that's not enough knowledge for you to go by." He said, folding his arms across one another. "What I'm really here for is to make sure you're prepared for what you're about to face." He got up from his chair and walked over towards the nearby bar. "You're about to depart on a limo to a place that's wildly different from Black Mesa. The people there may be the weirdest you've ever met, and that's not even counting their technology."
Alan took a seat next to David on one of the luxury barstools. "What do you mean, exactly?"
David took a deep breath and looked gloomily upon the floor. "Mr. Walker, we don't know what exactly we're dealing with, but whatever it is may just put Aperture up on top for the portal race." He said, now staring Alan straight in the eyes. "And whatever it is, we need you to go check it out, and make sure they don't have anything that could change the status of them being second." David said as he turned to face an approaching bartender.
The bartender was waiting for someone to order, as he'd been idly standing around, waiting for something significant to happen, and customers always were significant. He came closer to them, and put his hand down on the counter. "Anything I can get for you two?" He asked, still somehow managing to clean cups even though they were off to his side, and out of his line of sight.
David bit his lip and changed the subject on his mind to a slightly different matter. "Yes, can you tell me what that red thing over there is?" He asked, pointing to a large red bottle situated at the end of the bar.
The bartender examined the bottle for a total of two seconds before answering. "That there's our fine Ultra deluxe cranberry surprise" He said, smiling as if he'd had fond memories of it from his childhood. "Are you sure you want something so strong?"
"Yeah whatever." David said, waving his hand. "Oh, and no drinks for this fellow here." He added, pointing his thumb at Alan.
"What! I'm twenty-seven! I can…"
"I'm sorry Mr. Walker, but since you're already about to step into the unfathomable depths of insanity, I think it's best you do your best to stay away from it as long as possible." David said, disappointing Alan's intention on having one last enjoyable moment before throwing himself straight at Aperture. "Sorry but no drinks for yo- Ohh! Look at how bright it is!"
After a few minutes of going over proper protocol, procedures, and a little more briefing, David finished up his drink, and led Alan to what appeared to be a back entrance to the lounge. A sign by the door read: "VIP pickup"
"Well Mr. Walker, I'm afraid this is where we must part ways." David said, patting Alan on the back. "But before we go, there's one thing I must tell you." He said, putting both his arms behind his back. "Whatever it is you see there, even if it doesn't look like much, is valuable information, and must be identified. Also remember that everyone there is on your side, and you don't have to fear them. Fear causes suspicion, and suspicion causes things to be figured out." He said, leaning on a side railing in front of a solid metal door. "We expect you to be back in a week or so at most. Once you're finished at Aperture, return to our offices and give us a full detailed report on what you found."
"Understood." Alan answered as he approached the metal door.
This was it, no more logic beyond this point. He took a deep breath as his hands reached forward to open the door. He was just about to open it until he heard David yell something back.
"Hold on!" David darted towards Alan. "There's something you're forgetting."
"What?" Alan asked, wondering if this "one more thing" craze would end soon.
"Your Black Mesa I.D." David responded, laying his hand out.
Alan reached into his wallet, and replaced his old Black Mesa I.D. with his new Aperture one, handing his old one to David. "Is there any way I can contact you if something goes wrong?" He asked, opening the door.
David smiled, taking control of the door. "Sorry, but you're on your own." He said in an almost maniacal manner. It was as if the man was glad it wasn't him that had to face Aperture head on. The doors closed, creating a highly audible lock sound on the door. Alan turned around to face a limousine with an Aperture logo pasted carelessly on the side door.
'Well, here goes nothing…'
Alan stepped into the limo, much to his surprise; there were four other people inside as well. He gave a modest wave to them as if expecting them to wave back. "Uh… hi?" he said, confused on whether Aperture had a higher form of greeting.
The Aperturians didn't say anything, but instead kept their eyes focused on the ground. Alan took a seat next to one who looked like he'd been traumatized over and over again. "A fine day we're having, isn't it?" Alan asked, trying to get someone to say something. "It's a good day for science!" He announced, now grabbing some attention throughout the limo.
The oversized car started to move, prompting Alan to find a more suitable position. "Is anyone here ready for science?" he asked, worried that he may have been accidentally stuffed into a car filled with deaf people. "Really? Is someone going to say something? Anything?"
One man at the edge of the limo took a deep breath, and much to Alan's surprise, spoke with a confident and commanding voice. "Mr. Walker, I'm sure any and all questions you have will be answered once we reach the Enrichment Center." he said, comforting Alan's deaf theory. "All the test subjects aren't allowed to say anything unless I explicitly certify them to do so."
Alan looked around the limo. Next to him was a thin, bony man, shaking as if he were one of those 0.7 percent of people that just so happened to react to that "skin lotion". On the opposite side was another man who looked like he'd ditched emotions for silence long ago. Sitting next to the only man who decided to speak up was of all things, a woman. Although instead of sitting around and staring blankly at the floor, she had an excuse for her quietness due to the fact that she was asleep. And of course, the man whom just shocked Alan by saying something was an older man with a face that screamed science.
Alan leaned back in disappointment. "I'm sorry, I was just trying to excite everyone with science." he said, making the sad look on his face obvious for anyone who looked.
The man grabbed his scientist's outfit, and replied back in a reassuring tone. "Yep, you're definitely from our Ohio offices. They're all cocky before they reach the Enrichment Center, but that's before all the science is sucked out of them." He said, cupping his hands and motioning it to and from his ear.
Alan recalled the quick back story he was assigned. Since Aperture barely cared about security anywhere away from the Enrichment Center, it was much easier to make it look like he was from somewhere else, while still being employed with Aperture. His fake affiliation with Aperture was that he was from their offices in Ohio. Doing this along with a bunch of other outlets meant it was much easier to forge an I.D. for him since he was technically outside of Aperture's main focus.
"But since we called you up here for you're in-depth knowledge of the quantum field, you'll be sharing your knowledge as we share ours. And not only that, but I hear the new…" The man froze mid-sentence. "Oh never mind you'll understand once we've reached the Enrichment Center." he said, waving his hand as if he were trying to shoo away something unpleasant. "Which should be in only an hour!"
~X~X~X~X~X~
After an hour the limo finally started to slow down, and make a few adjustment turns. The ride up there reminded Alan of one of those road trips that never seem to end, and once it does, your legs insist on having the strength of pudding as you pitifully try to step out of the car.
Throughout the long ride, Alan had been staring outside the window, in hope of seeing a giant "Aperture Science" sign, leading them into a theme park style parking lot. Whenever he looked outside the limo's windows, all he could see were trees, an endless stream of towering trees. He quietly sat down, folding his arms in wait.
"We're almost there…" The scientist said, almost exploding with excitement. "I bet you can't wait until you enter the center for the first time! The expression on your face has to be priceless! When you see the incredible hub, the massive facility, even when you see the new projects they're working on, it'll be an amazing first sight for you! I wonder where they'll take you first, or if they'll show you…"
"Sir…" The interruption came from the driver's seat. He'd just lowered the tinted window in order to converse. "We're here at the gate." He said, laying his hand out in wait.
"Oh, yes…" The man on the opposite side of the limo handed Alan his I.D.
Alan followed by taking his own card out, and handing it to the driver. Now all that was left to do was wait for them to be approved.
He could overhear the driver's conversation with the gatekeeper, as he waited for them to keep moving. "That's right ma'am, two scientists, and three test subjects. No ma'am… yes I noticed… Thank you ma'am… good day to you too…" The driver retrieved the cards from the gatekeeper, and handed them back to Alan. With a quick glance of the card, he was able to read the scientist's name, placed in a similar position to that on his own card.
"So, Dr. Vernon," Alan said, speaking out the name placed on the card. "How long have you been with Aperture?"
Vernon, surprised to hear his name, leaned back and scratched his head. "I do remember telling you that all questions will be answered once you reach the Enrichment Center… but I guess it won't hurt." he said, contemplating something over in his head. "If you really want to know, I've been with Aperture for about thirty-four years. I remember being a young scientist much like you, but back then we knew so little." He said, looking like he was recalling fond memories of stupidity. "But I'm afraid this conversation is a bit one sided. Tell me Mr. Walker, how long have you been with Aperture?"
'Damnit, why did he have to ask?' Alan thought as his mind completely blanked before him. "Uhh… six years…" He answered, hoping the lie would be able to slip through unnoticed.
"Oh really? That must mean you've familiarized yourself with how Aperture works, correct?"
"Not really. That would be true if it meant coming into work every day to find your boss rambling about some strange project you've never heard of, expecting you to know what it's mechanics are, and wondering where that birthday present you forgot to give him is." Alan said, actually recalling some of his work at Black Mesa. "That's really all that goes on in the mysterious southern offices."
Dr. Vernon looked back at Alan with an amazed expression on his face. "That's really interesting Mr. Walker. I've always wanted to know what goes on down there. Thank you for sharing that information." He continued, nodding his head.
'Yes! He bought it! I can't believe it was so easy!' Alan thought as the limo came to a sudden stop. 'Wait, are we here? We can't be here already; the transition was too fast, what if…'
"We're here…" The driver said, peeking into the back with a joyous smile. "Please exit through your Aperture Science approved limousine door." he said in a joking manner. The man stepped out, and opened the side door next to Alan. "Welcome to the Enrichment Center Mr. Walker."
"Dah! Who said that!" The woman who was sleeping next to Dr. Vernon jerked awake, gripping her head with her hands. "Who's he?" She asked, pointing at Alan. "Is he… oh… I slept through all that! How long have I been out? What time is it? Is it dinner time? Are we having meatloaf again? Wait, are we here already?"
Dr. Vernon moved closer to the woman. "I'd say you've been out for a good three hours test subject seven nine zero four eight. This here is Mr. Walker, he's from our Aperture offices in Ohio, and he's… fluent in our current field. It's precisely 22:16 hours, which is not dinner time. We're not having meatloaf, and you've already eaten dinner. And to answer your last question," He stepped out of the limo, and laid his hand out towards the test subject. "Yes, we're here."
"Oh wow, I don't remember the last time I saw the beautiful facility in such dazzling light! Look at the pretty building!"
"Now now, seven nine zero four eight, I won't have any more of this… talking, do you understand?" Dr. Vernon asked to a much disappointed test subject.
"Yes sir…"
"Good. Now, Mr. Harper." Dr. Vernon said, turning towards the limo driver. "Excellent driving as always, and as usual, I expect you to escort these fine test subjects back to their according to each of their designated areas."
"Yes Dr. Vernon. I'll make sure each of them reaches their… destination." The driver said with an ominous smile. And with that, the man led the test subjects off in their own direction.
Alan stepped out of the limo, visualizing the area in front of him. It didn't take long before he became confused as to whether he should be surprised or confused by the colossal yet mundane scene before him.
Instead of a giant stories high research center, there was a quaint, medium sized building which held the only substantial light in any direction. Back towards the direction they came from was a small parking gate leading back to the outside world. Surrounding the entire area however a massive fence, stretching much farther than Alan was able to see.
"Follow me Mr. Walker." Dr. Vernon said, motioning for Alan.
"Is this reallythe Enrichment Center?" Alan asked, unimpressed at the dull looking center.
Dr. Vernon led Alan closer and closer to the building. "No, just wait until you see the real facility." he said, leading him towards the facility doors. Around the doors was a giant Aperture logo, encircling the only visible way inside. Walking through the giant metal logo signified officially entering enemy territory. As he moved past the logo, and into the wide open welcoming area, the outside world instantly became cold and uninviting. Inside the center, there were many different desks and offices. Security was tighter than he'd ever seen back at Black Mesa.
All in all, the place wasn't as packed as Alan thought it would be. Of course, this was the entrance, who knew how many people were placed further into the facility. Looking around, he could see a few employees walking around, security personnel, and even a few possible test subjects waiting in line. The entrance area also had two floors on it, the top one overlooking the large gap split between each of them. He nearly lost himself in the amazing scenery; the strange, modern design was a feast for the eyes. He almost headed straight towards where the other test subjects were, but before he was able to get far enough, Dr. Vernon spoke up.
"Don't worry about those common entrances," He said, leading Alan towards a more fine area restricted to official Aperture employees. "We'll be taking the VIP entrance."
Dr. Vernon now moved towards a nearby desk.
Alan followed Dr. Vernon closely as if he was the only person he couldn't trust at the moment. Dr. Vernon then proceeded to flash his card to a receptionist at the desk. The receptionist immediately recognized him as one of the common scientists. Pressing a button, she then let him through the security gate. "I hope to see you later Mr. Walker." he said, heading towards an elevator. "I can tell we have a lot of talking that needs to be done." Dr Vernon waved towards Alan, as he stepped into an empty elevator, and soon headed towards the unknown.
'Great… now I'm stuck in a room with insane scientists, and I don't have any idea on what to do, or where to go…' Alan looked around desperately for any clear sign of direction. After a couple seconds of contemplating, he decided it was best to just head towards the desk and start asking questions.
He moved closer towards the same receptionist that Vernon had easily passed through. "Umm… excuse me, I'm here from the Ohio offices… and I was wondering where you could direct me to?" He asked, instantly regretting that he sounded like a complete idiot while speaking to her.
The woman stared into Alan's eyes as if she hadn't seen any new faces in months. "I'm sorry… did you say you were from our Ohio offices?" She asked, sending a pulse of discomfort throughout Alan's body.
"Uh… yes… I am… from there… the Ohio offices… in Ohio…" Alan said like an even bigger moron this time.
"Sir, is this your first time here at the Enrichment Center?" The woman asked, receiving only Alan's signature stupid nod as a reply. "In that case, you'll need to fill out form 9-42C, the outward employee introductory ingression form." She said, handing Alan a paper.
'You're kidding me!' Alan thought as he took the paper from the receptionist's hand. "Wait, all I have to do is fill out this form and you'll let me through?" he asked, slightly relieved at the thought.
"Well that depends on what you have to do." The receptionist said, tying back her long, blonde hair. "Now go fill that out, and return to me when you've finished." She said, handing Alan a pencil to write with.
'Well that went smoothly…'
Alan moved over towards a counter positioned between the two different types of entrances. Bringing his pencil in contact with the paper, he began writing down on the form of madness.
'Let's see, name, that's an easy one. Hah! I'm already a tenth of the way down the page! Hmm… alright…
"Is this your first time at the Enrichment Center?" Yes, of course it is, otherwise I wouldn't be filling out this form.
"Is the Enrichment Center welcoming entrance in need of important furnishing?" Alan looked all around the modern looking building. Definite no.
"What do you intend on bringing to the Enrichment Center?" Science of course.
"What's your favorite kind of cake?" What? What kind of… carrot cake I guess.
"Are you in any way shape or form involved with Black Mesa?" I wonder what they'd do if I said yes… nah, I'll just put down no.
After a few minutes of tediously working on the insanely boring form, Alan returned to the receptionist at the desk, and handed her the paper. "Here you go, I'm ready for science!" He said, trying to pass off as an Aperture scientist.
The woman looked at the form for a good few seconds, and returned her eyes to focus on Alan once more. "Very well Mr. Walker. Where do you plan on heading today?" The woman asked.
"Well, all I can remember them telling me is about that weird quantum breakthrough… or something." Alan answered, shrugging.
"Oh, well then why didn't you just say so?" The woman immediately pressed the button to let Alan through the security gate. "The room you're looking for is the fifth one on the left, down the hallway over there." She said, pointing towards Alan's future destination. "Good luck Mr. Walker." she said, waving as if they were friends.
'Now THAT was second strangest thing I've had to do all day… stupid airline food.'
Alan sighed and continued past the exceptionally large elevators. Who knew how far down they really went? He neared the door to the hallway, but instead of having to open it manually, the jet black doors slid open as if they were horizontal curtains, opening into a hallway that stretched for well over fifty meters.
The black and white hallway was lit by circular bulbs emitting light from a similar source. Moving down towards the fifth door on the left, Alan reached towards the handle, but before he could carry through with opening it, he saw a desperate employee sprinting down the hallway.
"Oh no, oh no…" Alan turned around to see a young woman with long brown hair rush towards him in panic. The woman was carrying a strange, white box in her hands, and by the looks of it, she didn't want to keep it. "Here take it, no questions asked, just give it to him." The woman handed Alan the box, and at first he pushed it away, not wanting to carry a random box. "No! You must give it to him! I need to get to my destination in negative four minutes!" She exclaimed, this time just shoving the box in his hands instead and rushing off to another door on the right.
'Yep, that definitely wins number 2 on the strange things I've seen today list!'
Now with a mysterious box in his hand, Alan motioned back his right hand back towards the door, keeping hold of the box in his other hand. Listening closely, he could hear a man's voice coming from behind the door. Slowly opening the door, he quietly closed it behind him, revealing an older looking room with a wooden finish. Paintings and newspapers lined the walls, contrasting with the grand appearance the room was giving off.
In the center of the room was an elderly, gray haired man, coughing and sputtering as he yelled into a telephone. "I told you to get those lemons into the testing area by Tuesday! No, we haven't been able to build a successful model. Oh yeah? Well tell them to try fitting it inside a watermelon, and then we'll talk about releasing it." The man looked up from the phone and saw Alan standing by the door. The man neared the telephone once more. "I'll need to talk to you *cough* later, I think they're here." He said, putting the phone down.
"So…" The man said, motioning his hand for Alan to bring him the box. "Don't just stand there, give them here!" He said, ripping the box from his hand. Opening the box, his eyes lit up as he dove into its contents. "By the way, *cough* who on earth are you? I really need to tell Caroline to stop hiring so many people off the street."
"I'm… the guy from the Ohio offices… ready for science…" Alan answered, mentally face palming himself.
"That's the spirit!" the man said, letting out a massive cough. At first Alan thought the man was dying, but he got right back up as if nothing had happened. The man moved closer and reached his hand out to shake Alan's.
"I'm Cave Johnson, I own the place."
~X~X~X~X~X~
Author's notes: So… do you likes? I know this looks like a generic story so far, but trust me, you'll either dismiss this as a piece of garbage or a wonderful piece of art. Who knows?
Oh yeah, and DON'T expect for the rest of the chapters to be this long. This was the first chapter and I needed an introduction so your poor little brains wouldn't barrage me with confusing PM's.