Love, Life, and Portals
Today was not like any other day. Something just screamed "abnormality" in her cluttered mind and rattled with an echo of distress and anxiety. Nothing bad, of course, as it involved her job, which was touchy, but compelling all at the same time. She was the envy of her employees. The star of her boss, Lenny Ginningser -tall, fat man in his fifties who wore a white golf shirt and gray tuxedo paints everyday to work- loved her dearly like a daughter. She had almost every field scientist wrapped around her little finger as she was more experienced and mature than most of what her co-workers called "nerds". But she respected their intelligence and responsibility in their projects. In fact, they might be really important to Chell today because a promotion could be walking on thin wire if she doesn't fulfill the right needs from the people in charge. Like Ken Johnson, who always tries to ask her on a date despite his liver-destroying alcohol consumption and his no-desire to even brush what teeth he actually has. But, he is still "in-charge", so she basically has to kiss the guy's feet to finally get somewhere in her job.
She picked up the keys on the glass coffee table so worriedly that she didn't even notice her cat right under her. One step could've broken a fragile leg, but since she was so attached to the tiny kitten tabby, she always made sure she could see the fluffy tail swing around her ankles. Originally, she never even thought of buying the animal in the first place, but a heart to deep as hers was just so open to the idea of having a pet in her house (that she worked so hard to pay for even though a salary like hers should make a girl quite comfortable, but money always seemed to be in short).He's grown up to be a pretty healthy 8-month kitten, which made her happy although she never thought she would have time to spend with him. His laziness makes it no problem, and good for him to take care of the house since he's the only male in her life right now. Frankly, she doesn't even want to talk to another person at her lab because, really, most people there are clones of "Ken", so no good could come out of a relationship with any of them. She doesn't need them. All she needs is a normal life with no commitments and live her years with her little Tubby (whom she named so fittingly after his chubby build and tendency to binge off of his food and a variety of dinner scraps).
Getting into the car was easy. Driving was unthinkable, yet irreversible at this point. Everything depends on how she plays out her day today. One wrong move could get her fired. One right move could consider her for a job as an engineer (nothing at Aperture was every really as good as anyone expected). As long as nobody got in her way, the position was practically hers.
After one full hour of painstaking turns and quick bursts of the brake, Chell was in the parking lot of somewhere so familiar to her after almost six years of service. She was ready for anything to come her way. The seatbelt un-buckled with a clack of a button. The coffee bounced off the steering wheel, nearly spilling all over her white loafers, as she swung it out of the car just as she jumped right out of the seat. The door banged sharply against the exterior of the driver's seat. The patter of her shoes on the worn pavement made a rhythmic tone that gave a spark to what little confidence she had. And, finally, the opening of the sliding glass leading down the hall to her office made a whooshing noise that she interpreted as "Good luck… if you have any". When something as big as she is getting into can lead many soaring through a world of insecurities and bottomless doubts. And, now, those doubts were seeping in as she walked on the broken tiles and through the stained walls.
"Hi, Dad," She said, with a heart beating fast, "I have your research on 'Nuclear Abnormalities and Radium Oxides' ready to be used for the experiment you said you had in mind." Each word she completed was accented with a shallow breath, even though it was practically leaving her with no knowledge of what she meant.
"Ummmm, thanks, Honey. I really… uh… appreciate it." He seemed to be writing a portfolio of some sort, not paying attention to her at all. She quick glanced at his paper only to see a title: Aperture Laboratories Portal Technology (beta). He peered up through the corner of his eyes to see her stretching over him to get a better look.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but this is really confidential at the moment because… this is something I have been working on for only a few moths now and I think it will really take off if I can somehow find a way to do some more testing on it before anything gets released." His exclusion only heightened her curiosity. She knew that if she pulled some strings, she could get the information she needed from some people she knew who worshipped her father. Being as old as he is, many look up to him for help when something too beyond them becomes a full-fledged project. Sadly, she was always jealous of her father's responsibility because no one ever asked her for her assistance or even a small opinion. But, if she got her hands on what he was working on, she could focus on finishing a project that she had worked on for eternity.
She plopped down on the squeaky chair and pressed the "on" button on her computer. A quick punch in her password with clammy hands and shaky arms and opened up a file she was working on (which she felt had a better future than her father's little "craft" that no one would ever lay eyes on). She typed fast and diligently. The words seemed to flow. She already knew so much about the topic that it became second nature to her. After two hours of drowning out her surroundings, she titled the paper "An Applicable Theory For the Gravitational Reactions Caused by Atoms Colliding in the Process to Fission Disturbance" and clicked save with sure finality. She sat back gently in her chair and took a small sip from her now lukewarm brew. She closed her eyes and dreamed of being in a new office with better-looking co-workers and less dangerous equipment and furniture. This lasted for seconds until it was smashed away by the crooked voice of George. Pallings. He ran over to her just as she dosed off and bumped into her computer, almost knocking it right on her. He didn't care. He seemed to have something important to say to her since he yelled "Wake up, Chell!" right at her face and kicked her in the ankle (which he later said was somehow an "accident unable to be forgiven", if that made sense to her) . She did wake up, and she almost swatted him right in the right on the cheek, but figured it would only destroy his life-less feelings and make the promotion farther in reach for her. She smiled faintly and looked at his eyes. Eyes that were gawking over her eyes. His breath was disgusting and kept entering her nostrils every time he gasped for breath (gasping is the best you can do when you have chronic congestion-yes, chronic, meaning in two hours, he'll magically filter the air threw his nasal passages without dying). She pushed him away from her quickly and sat up , rubbing her eyes and taking another sip from her cup. Noticing her blunt rudeness to him, she tapped the cup down and smiled to him, beginning a stationary conversation, "So, uh, George, what do you need?"
"Well, C, I figured I would show something that me and a few other people are currently working on. It's kinda sudden, I know, but with nothing new happening around here I have been lately bored and confused over what to really do. It's basic, but it's something we have never touched before. It's a new AI. I saw you, uh, napping over here and took the chance to ask you if you would like to check it out. In fact, we're almost done with it! " He stopped to compose himself and allow Chell time to digest what he said. Oh, she sure had something, but it wasn't anything he expected.
"First off, don't call me "C". Second, are you even permitted to be discussing this with those who aren't involved in this "AI". Third, why would you ask me in the first place?" She felt rude. And cranky. But, she was pleased when she looked up at him. Instead of anger, he seemed amused.
"Sorry, C- I mean… Chell, right? I just figured someone like you would be interested in something like that. I mean, you're a lot smarter than half the people here, so I knew you would understand. Plus, many of those people are higher than you, which says something. I hear you're eyein' a promo, huh? Good. You should get it. You definitely deserve it." He politely smirked. Chell, on the other hand, was blushing in a pool of pink and blue. The cold from the room mixed with the embarrassment was ambiguous to him. He didn't know if she would blow up again or show sincerity. But, she built up the courage to finally make a smile herself.
"Sure. Why not?." Those words came out rushed and unexpected. But, she knew they were worthy of being brought to life. Going with George would give her a chance to schmooze with a few of the executives up at the Chemical wing (and Lenny, if he was supervising there), which was where she belonged. Plus, she would be able to put her contribution into this "AI" and would be able to show her father what he could expect from her.
He made a stop at a small intersection near the lunch-room. He went in and came back with a powdered doughnut. She turned away when he offered. Then, the two walked down a few more halls until they came to door painted completely white with Aperture's infamous cyclonic blue logo. He punched in random keys and numbers and hit the "*" key and the "9" key at the same time. A click followed by a buzz unsecured the lock and with a quick turn, the door moved open with a gentle nudge.
"Well, here we are," he said, and motioned his hand toward a long desk with three computer piled next to each other separated by various coffee mugs, pencils, and pictures of over-happy kids. She walked through the frame and twisted her head around in all directions just to get a better look at the place. Her infatuation made George uncomfortable. He tapped her on the shoulder and made a short sigh while spitting out a fake grin. She got the idea fast, and made no hesitation to apologize.
"I'm really sorry. I just think your office is so… well… cool." He laughed and dropped his head to the floor.
"Well, thanks, Chell, but right now this isn't what I was meaning to show you. We have to move quickly to the testing room before anyone sees you up here." He pushed her towards another doorway and, again, repeated the complex process of unlocking it. He lead her down another two more hallways, but the last seemed more interesting than the other five thousand they treaded on. This was tunneled by glass segments set in fog and wires and metal bridges leading to higher levels of the underground building. Chell felt amazement overcome her again, but, this time, she snapped back and thought about keeping a serious composition for the rest of the day to prevent any unwanted impressions. The two reach another door; this one had a circular shape and was free of annoying keypads set for securing it. Chell decided to take this matter into her hands, so she punched the one red button etched with the Aperture logo in it and waited for the door to open. And when it did, it revealed a world of high-tech monitors, people in starched lab coats, and, the jewel of the scene, one monster of a machine, hanging gracefully from web-like wires and cloaked with identical spiral staircases reaching six-feet off the ground.