"Hey Moron." The queen of AI's voice boomed around the young woman and the young android.
"Yes?" The skinny robotic man replied, timidly.
"Escort her up and then we'll discuss your punishment. Don't you dare step out of the 'd never survive out there anyway."
The elevator ride was painfully quiet. The android felt water in his eyes. I'd forgotten, they'd enabled my tear ducts. The door slid open and the young woman was taken aback by what she saw. A grassy field, with the sun just peeking out through grey clouds indicating rain was coming. For the first time in years and years, she breathed in real air.
She stepped out of the elevator and felt the grass with her feet. Free. I knew I'd get here some day, the words replayed in her mind several times before she processed them.
The android, however, had something else on his mind. "I... I'm sorry." he said to her, stepping out of the elevator, despite his mistress's harsh warning, looking at his shoes through tears.
She nodded stiffly and considered whether or not to comfort him. "It's all my fault. I did that, didn't I. I tried t-... to hurt you. To kill you. Please- I understand if you hate me. I'm so sorry." He looked up to meet her eyes through cracked glasses and heavy tears. He sniffed loudly and balled his fists. "Moron." He murmured. "She was right." He began to shiver barely as he wiped his tears forcefully away. "Go." He said, with his hands folded behind his back, scanning the open, endless, grassy field around him, and the overcast skies that he'd not seen since... That he'd not seen. "You're out. You're free. No one to watch you. No one to help you." He knew this was his inevitable ending. He had known somewhere in his artificial heart that he would find himself here eventually. A spasm of heat and anger erupted somewhere in the back of his head and he went for himself, tearing at his hair and face.
Chell watched Wheatley in utter sadness for only half a second before she grabbed his shoulders and slid her grip to his wrists, then brought his thin and shaking arms to his sides. She stepped back and tilted her head, keeping an intense stare on his quivering face, now pink where his nails had scratched. His eyes were blue. Intensely blue. His hair was a golden strawberry blond. This face she'd seen so many times was melting her emotions now. Her eyes heated up. Tears? She thought. So they feel like this.I'd long forgotten.
Wheatley turned around and started walking back to the elevator, to his imminent death. GLaDOS was waiting down below, like a sick executioner waiting at the gates of hell.
Chell, for the first time, felt something weird- something warm in her chest. The companion cube told me this would happen. Against her better judgment, she grabbed his collar and spun him around to face her. He stumbled and nearly fell backwards. His tears abruptly stopped as Chell smiled at him sympathetically, with her eyes just about to give in and pour out the years she'd wasted. But her dam of modesty held the ocean of hurt back, and she took Wheatley's hand. She motioned to the galaxy of everything she'd ever wanted that surrounded them. Freedom. He looked followed her gaze and held tight on her hand. "Well, we are out now..." Chell nodded and smiled. "Can we forget all that happened in the facility?" He asked doubtfully. Chell nodded and pointed to her head, but shook her head as she placed her free hand on her heart. "I know." he
sighed.
