The walls where pristine and white, as where the floors and the numerous other surfaces in Caroline's small room.
She sat in the corner and examined every square-inch of the cold cell. A white table and chair, white bed. The only 3 colours in the room were Caroline's fair skin and hair, which had a few streaks of grey embedded within her flowing brunette hair.
A mirror was inset into the right wall. To those with little knowledge of aperture, it was there for decorative purposes but Caroline knew all too well it was a 2-way mirror.
She could hear arguing voices behind the mirror. To most people, the argument was almost inaudible, but Caroline forced herself to hear the words that came from the mirror. At first it seemed like a simple argument about a test, but as Caroline began to listen more, she heard the word "GLaDOS" being tossed around, then "Caroline" but as if to add trauma to terror, she also heard the word "kill".
As she began to piece the words together she could finally hear the scientist's conflict, but it wasn't an argument. It was more a debate.
The debate was how to kill Caroline to put her into the GLaDOS.
She walked over to her bed and keeled over.
"Routine check-up they told me, quarantine they said, I'm going to be fine they lied. Except I think you left out the fact you were going to goddamn kill me!" She screamed glaring at the mirror.
"I trusted you, I did everything you asked, hung on your every word-no syllable- and this is how you repay me!"
2 years earlier
"Please sir! You must understand! I do not want this!" Caroline screamed at Cave Johnson, CEO of aperture science.
"Please Caroline, if I cannot be alive for this you will be and you will do this" Mr Johnson began to cough at that last word. Caroline rushed forward with one hand held out and the other one held close to her mouth.
"Mr Johnson! Did you take your pills today?" She gasped, eagerly awaiting his response.
Cave didn't stop coughing for 10 minutes, but he nodded his head almost immediately at his secretary's question. He and Caroline had been extremely close since her first day, almost 40 years ago. When he was a dashingly handsome 37 year old and she was the shy 16 year old beauty. Back then the age gap would have been frowned upon, but now as a pair 77 and 56 year olds, the age gap didn't seem so drastic.
Caroline twisted her engagement ring on her finger, looking awfully pale. Cave looked at her and smiled.
"The only person around aperture that should look that pale is me, you're losing you bright gorgeous look" She giggled at his remark. 56 and being made to feel like an immature school girl, only with Cave Johnson.
Cave whispered inaudible words into Caroline ear, and while she smiled, it was only forced, as she began to feel tears in her eyes.
"Sir, you can still retire now, and I will quit, that way black mesa cannot make a-"
"They will not make a fool out of us Caroline because I am not retiring now and you are not quitting just so we can get married...!" Cave interrupted.
Caroline went scarlet, and sniffed in a desperate attempt to hold back her tears at what her fiancé had just yelled at her.
"But I guess I will be dead soon, so the embarrassment will soon be gone for me, perhaps you as well...let's get married this afternoon, here." Cave rushed, realising his mistake.
And with those words Caroline went to find herself a dress, a priest and a bouquet.
About an hour before they were due to be wed, Cave told Caroline that he respected her decision, he will not have her put into the GLaDOS.
5 minutes before the wedding, Cave Johnson passed away, age 77 years.
Present
Caroline wiped the cold, wet tears from her face. The memory of that day was fresh in her mind, and it always will be for her.
After Caves death Black Mesa had gotten onto a fair amount of Apertures plans. Aperture had just enough money left to finish the GLaDOS project.
Several men made their way into Caroline's cell. 2 grabbed her arms and pulled her up, 1 stood behind her and one in front. Another stood beside them and began to rattle off facts about what would happen during this science revolutionising procedure, but all were meaningless to Caroline who began the hum as song to herself. While she felt what work they had done was magnificent, she also felt enraged at her betrayal.
Several restraints held her in place, 4 large needles protruded Caroline's scalp and all were wired into a hanging structure of magnificent proportions in the chamber next door. To the researchers and engineers this was to become the goddess of all science, but to Caroline, this machine was soon to become her cold, purgatory like prison for the rest of her 'life'.
"We finished constructing the disc operating system and we are now ready for the human conscience" One engineer said to a dark haired researcher.
"Then the generic life form will be ready and the GLaDOS will live!" He applauded in excitement.
Caroline glared at them and grabbed a bearded researcher by his tie, pulling him so close his nose was touching hers.
"What's going to happen to me!" She spat at him.
"I-I don't know, you might die, best case scenario, coma you'll never wake from ma-am" Seeing the intense fear in his face and hearing the same in his voice she let go of him.
It was unlike her to act this threatening, so his fear should have been expected.
She ushered him to come closer to her, and she whispered in his ear:
"My daughter is in cryogenic stasis, her name is Chell. Please, promise me, you'll take care of her" She asked in all her desperation.
"Ratman! Get your sorry excuse for a scientist's ass over here now!" Another scientist yelled from across the room. Before he left, Ratman nodded in response to Caroline's question.
"Conscience to core transfer procedure commencing shortly"the aperture announcer spoke.
"Beginning transfer in 3..."
Caroline closed her eyes tight.
"2..."
Caroline squeezed the sides of the table she was restrained to.
"1..."
"Oh God! Please stop!" She screamed
"commencing conscience to core transfer"
And with that, Caroline began to convulse as strong pulses of electricity shot through her. She bleeding through almost every orifice as her organs began to give way and disintegrate due to the high voltage shooting through her body. The procedure took 5 hours. Caroline lived through the whole ordeal and howled in pain throughout.
Half the employees in the room looked at Caroline's bloody carcass that was also drenched in sweat and tears but not in sorrow, in hope that all the electricity it took for her death was worth it.
The other half? They gawped upon the hanging titanic structure. It swung back and forth as it span round.
"Hello, and welcome to the Aperture science computer aided enrichment center" The scientists and engineers celebrated with Champaign in the room of Caroline's corpse, one scientist poured a whole glass on Caroline, showing his disrespect for her for not wanting to do this.
"What are you doing? I-I-I-I-I-" GLaDOS' voice box began to malfunction. Or so it appeared to the Aperture workers.
"I-I-I-I-...You will pay for doing this to me!" GLaDOS' lost her robotic tone and began to talk in a human like voice.
"Neurotoxin emitters online" The announcer called out.
Employees everywhere in aperture began to choke as neurotoxin began to fill every crevice of the aperture facility.
The few remaining living scientists near GLaDOS' chamber listened in horror to what she was saying.
"While you dying I'll be still alive" GLaDOS sang, but she wasn't singing it in her robot voice, or just any human voice...she was singing it in Caroline's voice...