Hello and welcome to yet another portal fic. Everyone has their own ideas on how Caroline became GLaDOS. And this, this is mine. My Caroline, the one i rp as on other sites, is much different than what others think, so yea..
Caroline sat in the uncomfortable hospital chair. Her head in her hands as she listened to the continuous sound of the heart rate monitor. Not the individual little sounds, but the single, long, deafening one. Her eyes covered by her hands as tears fell from her face. Her employer, no, lover was gone, and she was about to refuse his dying wish. That was something that she couldn't do.
The woman that told him to "Hide the bodies". That "No one will miss a few astronauts". That woman, cold, cynical, and determined to do anything for science, yet loyal and cheery, could not deny any dying wish.
She spent a good hour sitting there. Crying and trying to muster up the strength to stop. Finally, she got up and left. She'd have to drown out her sorrows for the night.
The woman sighed, wiping the tears from her face and deciding her make up was unsalvageable. After getting that off she got in her car and went back to Aperture. Hoping, praying, that doing something related to science would clear her mind of the recent loss.
Of course, her legs moved her straight to the area she didn't want to go. That luxurious office with a leather chair. It looked fit for a king. Caroline knew Cave hated anyone sitting in it other than himself, but she didn't care right now. She sat down, sinking into the cool black leather and sighing.
Knowing every inch of Aperture was both a blessing and a curse. Especially since she kicked open a small panel under his desk to find the small cooler he kept for especially bad days.
Now, Caroline didn't normally drink. Not for fun, not to unwind, not even for trying to forget. But right now, as she lifted the cooler from the spot under the floor, she needed to drown out her pain.
"Well, sir...I can't do without you. So this is the next best thing"
She could still hear him. That soothing voice, having calmed down after years of yelling. She could still hear his confidence in whatever idea he had. That idea at the moment being the Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System.
As she raised a bottle to her paled lips, she could hear his concern. The concern she's heard time and time again when he saw her distressed.
"Caroline? Are you ok? Do you need to talk about something?"
Yes, it was uncharacteristic of him to worry about anyone but himself, but those times he saw his gem close to tears or breaking down in an abandoned testing track, those were the times he worried about her.
"No, sir. Just know, I'm doing as you asked. I'm taking over. I'll be put into a computer. As long as that's what you want..."
Caroline sighed softly after finding herself having downed a bottle of...whatever this was. Cave always loved it. Said he could only get it imported from a friend out of the country. That's why it didn't have a lable.
She leaned back in the chair, almost feeling the warmth of a hug around her chest. Her chocolatey eyes closed. All the things they never did ran through her head. She was waiting for the right time, but she was going to adopt a child and raise it with him. That idea went on hold when the company went bankrupt and Cave was wracking his brain to get some money.
Sure, she was in her late 40s by now, but she still didn't look a day over 25. No grey hairs, barely any wrinkles, just beautiful. It would still be possible to adopt a child and not seem like a grandmother wanting to try again, but without her partner, what was the use?
Caroline only curled her knees to her chest, taking off a diamond ring and placing it on the desk. A gold band being pulled from her purse and being set next to it. With that, she curled up in the chair and started to drift off to sleep.
When morning came, the woman pulled herself off the chair and went to clean herself up in the bathroom. No one saw her the day before. She wasn't really sure if anyone should see her today, but as she walked into her own office, she saw papers. The ones on top saying something about the Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System and how it was almost ready. All it needed was a volunteer, and everyone knew that was supposed to be Caroline. But only a select few knew she was having second thoughts about it.
She walked to the room that project was being worked on in. Her tired eyes scanning the room. A few scientists that have been there since the beginning. Not many though. There were only four or five in the whole facility that have been with Aperture as long as Caroline has, and those were the ones she trusted.
"Dr. Rattman. Have you run through the possibilities?"
"Yes, well. Most of them. The biggest issue is that you'll have most of your memories hidden. The processors just aren't strong enough to keep those..."
"...That'll be for the best"
Doug. She's helped him calm down when he's had his moments. She convinced Cave that he'd be a valuable asset to Aperture and not to fire him. She understood his issue. She had a very minor case of schizophrenia herself, so when he forgot to take his pills, she'd offer a few of her own.
"Are there any other risks?"
"We've gone through countless scenarios, and in each one, there is a different issue. Not often do the issues repeat, so there's no way to tell what one will happen..."
"Name a few"
"There's the possibility of it not working. We will have wasted a lot of money and you'd lose your life. There's one where you could go insane and be immoral, losing all respect for humans in general. And there's the glitches. If the system doesn't take well to your intelligence, it might have a hard time keeping you and itself separate"
He looked to the woman. She was calm, although she could hear screaming. She nodded and sighed.
"When will it be ready for the transfer?"
"Tomorrow at the latest. I'll come get you if it's ready sooner"
Caroline nodded and walked out. Going back to the two offices she stayed around the most. Her mind debating on what one to go in.
She figured she'd have complete control of everything once she's...well. So she decided to go into the bigger one. Her eyes closing as she sat down again. Once more, sinking into the chair and grabbing a bottle.
Hours pass. Her hands messing with the rings on the desk as she waited. There wasn't much for her to do anymore.
She looked at the clock in the room. Three. She looked at the computer screen. Three AM. She kinda just laid her head on the desk and passed out.
Morning came once more, but this time she was awoken by a hesitant hand and shakey voice. The voice wasn't directed at her, but instead it was just little mumbles.
"What is it Doug?"
Her own voice being irritated and low. She was just waking up, so it was bound to be that way.
"It's ready for you"
Caroline sat in a chair. Her eyes closed and her mind trying to wander. But she wouldn't let it. She had to stay focused for this to work.
There were wires that were stabbed into her skin. Metal poking at her brain and blood runing down her neck from where it was inserted. There wasn't much she could do, but she was panicking. She changed her mind! Get her out of there! No matter how much she wanted to say that, her mouth just wouldn't open.
"Are you ready?"
Caroline looked to the thin man. Giving an unsure thumbs up, having been told not to move her head.And he pushed a button.
As the machines whirred to life she could hear his voice. The words she never wanted to hear in this kind of situation.
"Say goodbye, Caroline"
"...Goodbye, Caroline..."