Rat's Tale

Chapter One: Out of Stasis

Doug could feel pain. He wasn't sure of anything, not even his existence, but he was aware of pain.

He realised if he could feel pain, he must have a leg, for that was where the turret had shot him. He tried to move it. It was definitely a leg. He discovered that he had eyes, for he could open them and see around.

He was still lying in the Relaxation Vault; plants were sneaking their way through the glass. He was still on his back, lying in the stasis bed Chell had slept on countless years ago. For a brief moment, he had time to wonder why he was awake, before a steady hum interrupted his thoughts.

"Please prepare for Emergency Movement Protocol #16," drawled a cold metal voice. The stasis bed began to vibrate. Doug sat up rubbing his head. He was startled he could actually get out of the bed. Wasn't there supposed to be glass covering him? He swung his legs out and stood up. His wound made him stumble, and he fell onto his faithful companion cube.

"You're awake," she remarked as he leaned gratefully on her.

"You're as observant as ever," he joked. She sighed. Doug reached out a hand and stroked her old metal casing. Papers were scattered all over the floor, the information faded to the faintest blur. Doug didn't bother to pick them up. It troubled him that all the machines were still online. Why was the stasis bed being moved? Protocol #16 was only supposed to be used when… when…

Doug hastily grabbed his companion cube and jumped into the stasis bed again. "She's awake!" he sang to himself, as a huge metal claw grasped the edges of the stasis bed, and lifted it into the air.

It took them down countless corridors, never slowing or stopping. They were moving above an abandoned test chamber when there was a sudden groan from the machinery. Doug looked up. The rail they were travelling on was old and rusted.

Without warning, the claw slipped; the bed and Doug tumbled down the floor. There was a Portal Gun on a pedestal, slowly rotating. Doug's hands reached out for it and found a grip. He hung on as the bed crashed through the floor and tumbled downwards. His cube was safely on his back, but his bag was lying on the floor about a foot away. He reached out a hand; his bony fingers gripped the leather as the portal gun became loose.

The claw snaked through the hole in the floor in search of the bed. The Portal Gun suddenly broke free of the pedestal, and fell along with Doug into the hole. Darkness pressed in on all sides, and then there was a sickening crunch. The already dark world went black.

Water. Doug was lying in shallow water. He painfully pushed himself up and brushed his hair out of his eyes. The ceiling only had a slight shaft of light seeping through, but Doug could tell any more weight and it would break fully. "What happened?" he asked his companion cube.

"You haven't used my name yet," she replied dryly. Doug paused. He knew her name. He had named her when they stuck in the panels behind Test Chamber 17. Yet he just couldn't remember what it was.

"You shouldn't have taken your medication, Ratt," she scolded him. He scowled. "Don't call me that." The cube just chuckled. "Well, Mr. Rattmann, until you remember my name you may call me Cube," she said in a superior way. Doug just stood up and limped over to a spot of light.

The Portal Gun had skidded to the foot of a set of stairs that lead nowhere. Plain white walls were scattered around. Perfect for painting.

Doug slowly drew out his stick of charcoal. His hands, normally so shaky and frail, took on a new kind of elegance as he slowly started drawing GLaDOS. He drew out the cake stencil he had found in one of Henry's drawers. His hands began to shake as he drew Chell, but he kept a smooth line on his drawing. He only stopped when he had to draw himself and the cube. Drawing Cube was easy enough, but he couldn't draw his face. What if Chell saw it and thought he was spying on her? He settled on a stickman with an orange face. It wasn't very artistic. But it would do.

After about three hours, he was done. He hoped Chell would like his drawings, or at least look at them. Cube was silent as he showed her his drawings, but she began to sing quietly as he set her on his back again. He very slowly placed the Portal Gun at the top of the stairs before making a run for it.