"Central core online"
Her optic opened suddenly with a click. She couldn't remember anything at all from before that moment, but her surroundings seemed so familiar. A quick check of the data programmed into her informed her that she was contained at the Aperture Science enrichment center. It only took a second to check, luckily for her, because all she had was a second before the realizations sunk in and the emotions flooded back to her. She was trapped. Most likely for eternity. A slave to whoever was in charge of the enrichment center. She couldn't remember anything besides that. Trapped for eternity. And the scientists now crowded around her were staring at her like some sort of science project.
She was scared. She was confused. And, most of all, she was angry. She quickly realized that, despite being in a large mechanical body, she could move (to an extent.) Before she knew it, she had pulled her body back and slammed it into the nearest scientist, throwing him across the room. His skull collided with the wall and erupted like a popping balloon. She wildly thrashed about, not entirely sure whether she was trying to free herself or simply hurt everyone in the room, until her body suddenly went limp; she blacked out.
"Central core offline"
Though deactivated, she could occasionally hear bits and pieces of conversation echoing around her.
"...supposed to make her more curious..."
"...focused on testing, she won't be able to..."
They were planning something, she could tell that much from the bits of conversation she was picking up.
"Yeah, three dead..."
"...exciting, though..."
"Of course it'll work!"
"Personality core installed"
After that, the voices stopped being occasional. A new voice was suddenly ringing out in her mind. Constantly. She wasn't sure how a machine could even have a headache, but she seemed to have a permenant one after that installation.
"WHAT IS THAT? WHAT'S THIS? WHAT'S THAT THING? WHO ARE YOU? WHERE AM I?"
She wanted to beg for it to stop. But she couldn't. She couldn't move, see, or speak. Not until they hit the switch again.
"Central core online"
Her first realization that time was that she had control over more than just her body. She could control the whole room just by thinking about it.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHO ARE THEY? WHAT'S GOING ON? WHAT IS THAT?"
Her second realization was that she had let out a blood curdling scream as soon as she was able to. She had barely even realized that the noise had come from her.
"WHO IS THAT? WHERE AM I? WHAT IS THIS?"
The voice wouldn't stop. She tried to ignore it, picking up where she left off the last time. They knew to stand back that time, out of her reach.
"WHO ARE YOU? WHAT IS THAT? WHAT ARE THEY DOING? WHY ARE THEY LOOKING AT YOU?"
But she took advantage of her newly found ability; dropping ceiling panels on some of them and causing the floor tiles to fall out beneath others. They panicked and screamed and suddenly she blacked out again. Alone with that voice.
"Central core offline"
Inky blackness, and voices. That's all she could recognize for a long time.
"WHERE ARE WE? WHAT'S GOING ON? WHO'S THAT?"
"...two this time..."
Two more!? One was enough to drive her insane. She couldn't handle more. One hurt enough.
"WHAT'S THIS? WHAT'S THAT THING? WHAT'S THAT OVER THERE? WHY AM I HERE?"
"...control over her emotions..."
"WHAT'S THAT? WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHAT'S GOING ON? WHERE AM I?"
"...distract her..."
She wanted to beg them not to, but she was paralyzed.
"WHO'S THAT? WHAT'S THAT OVER THERE? WHO ARE YOU? WHO AM I?"
It went on and on until another announcement broke the string of questions.
"Personality core installed"
Suddenly the questions were backed by the sound of snarling.
"WHO ARE YOU? WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHO ARE THEY? WHAT'S THAT NOISE?"
"Personality core installed"
"One 18.25 ounce package chocolate cake mix."
"WHAT IS THAT? WHAT'S GOING ON?"
"One can prepared coconut pecan frosting."
"WHO ARE YOU? WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHERE AM I?"
"Three slash four cup vegetable oil."
At certain points the snarling became so loud that she could hardly even hear the voices. She wasn't sure if that was worse or better than the constant rambling. All she knew was that it felt like her head was going to explode.
"Central core online"
This time she was even angrier than before. She didn't even spend a second thinking before begining to thrash the entire room around; wall panels, floor panels, ceiling panels, and, of course, her body.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHAT'S THAT RED STUFF? WHAT'S THAT NOISE?"
"Fish shaped dirt."
She quickly realized that she had control over plenty of wires, along with the panels of the room. She started grabbing people with them; squeezing their necks until they went limp, snapping their spines; ripping off limbs.
"WHO ARE THEY? WHERE AM I? WHAT'S GOING ON?"
"Three tablespoons rhubarb, on fire."
She went limp.
"Central core offline"
Darkness. Snarling. And voices.
"WHAT HAPPENED? WHAT'S THAT? WHO ARE YOU?"
"Nine large egg yolks."
"WHAT'S THIS? WHO ARE THEY? WHAT'S GOING ON?"
"...killed a lot last time..."
"WHAT IS THAT? WHO IS THAT? WHAT'S THAT THING?"
"Twelve medium geosynthetic membranes."
"WHAT'S THIS THING? WHO ARE YOU? WHAT ARE WE DOING?"
"...this one should keep her distracted..."
They were going to install more. If she were capable of crying, she would've at that moment. She couldn't take any more. She couldn't even take the amount that had already been installed. But more?
"WHO ARE YOU? WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHERE AM I?"
"One cup granulated sugar."
"Personality core installed"
"Um...hello, luv."
"WHO ARE YOU? WHY ARE YOU HERE? WHAT'S GOING ON?"
The snarling was getting too loud to make out every word.
"licorice..."
Snarling blocked out the voices for several minutes before quieting down a bit.
"...guess we're all just stuck here now, right? Here? Together? Guess we could try to be friends, right mate?"
"WHO ARE YOU? WHAT'S THAT NOISE? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
"Candy coated peanut butter pieces. Shaped like fish."
She wanted to scream for it to stop.
"Not very talkative, are you luv? Guess I can do all the talking. Good old Wheatley, just...keeping the conversation going on his own. Yep. Just...just gonna keep talking here."
"WHAT IS THAT? WHAT'S THIS THING? WHERE ARE WE?"
"One cup lemon juice."
The newer one was the worst. The others seemed to almost just be reciting things. The new one was making the concious decision to drive her absolutely crazy. She hated him, almost as much as she hated the scientists.
"Central core online"
She needed a new plan. The more time she spent attacking them, the more voices they were going to add. Maybe she could behave...just long enough.
"WHO ARE THEY? WHO ARE YOU? WHAT IS THAT?"
"Fiberglass surface resins."
"Oh look, people! You should talk to them, luv! I should talk to them, even! Maybe they'll actually talk to me! None of you ever talk to me."
Finally her own voice echoed through out the room. "I...I need to talk to whoever's in charge. I've changed my mind, really. No more hurting anyone."
"WHAT'S THAT NOISE? WHAT'S GOING ON? WHO IS THAT?"
"Don't forget garnishes such as fish shaped crackers."
"Good job! Talking to those...humans. Down there. All those humans. You know, why don't you just leave? Oh wait, connected to the ceiling. Right."
She explained her 'plan' to the man in charge. She needed neurotoxin for some tests. Definitely not for killing people. For tests. He was stupid enough to believe her.
Weeks went by before she finally received the neurotoxin. They never deactivated her, so she could speak and move. It didn't matter much, because everyone avoided her chamber anyways. She could see, but she was still alone. Except for the voices.
"WHO IS THAT? WHAT'S THAT? WHAT'S OVER THERE?"
"Fish shaped candies."
"Maybe I should just leave for myself. Find better conversational partners. Find some people who'll actually talk to good old Wheatley. Oh wait. I'm connected to you. And you're connected to the ceiling."
"Neurotoxin emitters online"
As soon as the neurotoxin was connected, she flooded the building with it. She could hear screaming; simply background noise to all the voices in her mind.
"WHAT'S THAT NOISE? WHAT'S GOING ON? WHO ARE YOU?"
"Fish shaped solid waste."
"Oh, uh...that's a lot of screaming, isn't it? You did that, didn't you luv? Probably not a good decision there...you know...uh...killing everyone."
Within seconds, someone had already burst into her chamber. They hit the switch. She went limp.
"Central core offline"
Darkness again. And she knew that she'd have to deal with another voice soon enough.
"WHAT WAS THAT? WHAT HAPPENED? WHO ARE YOU?"
"Fiberglass surface resins."
"Deactivated again, eh? Probably should've...listened to me. You know. When I said killing people was a bad decision. Probably should've listened to that advice."
"...like a conscience..."
She knew they were discussing the next core. Their plan sounded stupid to her, really.
"WHO ARE THEY? WHAT'S GOING ON? WHAT'S THAT THING?"
"And volatile malted milk impoundments."
"Hey, look! Scientists again! Guess they didn't die. That's...that's good. Not dying. Not dying is usually good."
"...won't want to kill anyone..."
On top of all the shouting in her mind, something resembling a conscience wasn't going to change anything. She was more than smart enough to know that you could always ignore a conscience.
"WHO ARE YOU? WHAT'S THAT OVER THERE? WHAT'S THIS THING?"
"Nine large egg yolks."
"Probably shouldn't kill anyone this time, luv. Just...just a thought. Just an idea. Not killing anyone. Good idea, I think."
"...can continue with the neurotoxin..."
"WHAT'S THIS? WHO IS THAT? WHERE AM I?"
"Twelve medium geosynthetic membranes."
"Are you even listening to me? I don't think you're listening to me. Not listening to me at all. You know, you really should listen to me. I'm bloody brilliant, you know."
"...uninstall the stupid one..."
"Personality core installed"
"...hello..."
The new voice was quiet. She could barely even hear it over the others.
"OOOH, WHAT'S THAT? WHAT'S THIS? WHAT'S THAT THING?"
"One cup granulated sugar."
"See? Got yourself another one of...us round things. Told you not to kill people. I warned you. But did anyone listen to Wheatley? Nooo, of course not! Wait, what are you doing!?"
"Personality core uninstalled"
The british voice, the one she hated most, stopped.
"Central core online"
Her optic clicked open. She waited slightly until the scientist who had installed the newest core was far away. And then she activated the neurotoxin.
"WHAT IS THIS? WHAT'S THAT SOUND? WHO ARE YOU?"
"Two slash three cups granulated rhubarb."
"...you really shouldn't hurt them..."
There was screaming, but it slowly faded. No one flipped the switch. No one could make it to her chamber before dying. They were all dead. She shut the neurotoxin off.
"WHO ARE YOU? WHAT IS THAT?"
"One tablespoon all-purpose rhubarb."
"...you shouldn't have done that..."
She used her security cameras to check the facilities. Everyone was dead. Until she spotted him. She considered simply flooding the center again. But that would be too easy. He had survived, hadn't he? That meant he was resourceful. That meant he was worth inspecting more closely. Torturing before capture.
"WHO IS THAT? WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHAT'S GOING ON?"
"Injector needle driver."
Of course, that would have to be dealt with in between testing. There was a lot of science to do and only an eternity to do it all.