Chapter 2: Testing

Hello again! Welcome to chapter 2 of P:TNS! Thanks to everybody who is supporting me and this story! Also I don't own Portal or Valve, just getting that out of the way now. Also, i'll be able to put these author's notes in the correct places as soon as somebody fills me in on how to do it!

Chapter 2

There was no mistaking that emotionless, computerized voice, it was GLaDOS, the head computer here at Aperture Science. She ran everything, her responsibilities ranged from performing maintenence to processing data around the facility.

"Are you just going to stare at me Subject #7956137? I know you can speak."

For a moment I felt paralyzed, I couldn't tell why, I had nothing against the computer.

"He-He-Hello GLaDOS" The only statement I was able to choke out.

"Thats better, and you still have your memory, how..." The computer stopped for a moment and glared at me.

"Wonderful."

She didn't sound even a bit happy for me, unfortunately she had the situation all wrong.

"Actually...I...I don't remember anything really, only certain little things, like names, mine for example, yours...and this one name...Ugh!"

I clutched my head as I received a jolt that passed through my entire skull.

"AHHH!"

Then it hit me, I couldn't remember, I had lost more memories. Thats fantastic! At least I still knew my own name.

"OK, to sum things up, I remember next to nothing, do yo-"

"That is normal, Test subjects that have been in stasis as long as you have usually develop abnormal bodily conditions, just be glad that both your legs are working, and that your still alive."

The Computer seemed to know an awful lot about stasis, just how many times had she given that speech?

"Now that you are awake we can resume your testing with the Aperture Science Hand-Held Portal Device. You will be put through a series of tests that require you to think entirely outside the box."

"Portal Device? Testing? When did I agree to this?"

"It was not your choice, you were simply donated to the facility by your parents when you were an infant, an obvious statement would be, they didn't want you."

Ouch...that hurt a bit, this computer really had experience in everything except being polite.

"So what if I don't cooperate and decide not to test?" I asked boldly. Bad idea, the answer is never pretty here.

"Oh...well I will simply dispose of you in the Aperture Science Emergency Intelligence Incinerator."

At this point I decided a few tests wouldn't be that bad, I really didn't feel like getting thrown into an incinerator today, or tomorrow for that matter.

*DING!* A light began to blink on and off on GLaDOS's robotic body.

"Well your body shows no sign of any diseases or...serious ailments. You have a slight case of Brain damage that will keep you from accessing your memories, but thats good, now they will be easier to leave behind."

She really liked to hear herself talk didn't she?

"OK Subject #7956137, A portal will open in 3...2...1..."

A Blue portal had appeared just as she said, around its edges showed ripples of energy that cut through time and space. I got a strange feeling, why was I reacting like this to the portal's presence? Had I done this before? Unfortunately GLados once again broadcasted her voice into the room.

"Enter this portal now to start the test, I will be monitoring you so do your best and good luck...your going to need it."

Well that didn't sound threatening at all. With that I decided to step through the portal.

" I really hope I don't regret this!"

I hopped through the Blue portal and saw a bright flash of light and then I appeared outside of my glass room. From where I was now, I could see the that I was right, the room was even smaller then it appeared from the inside.

"Well...that was pretty awesome!"

I scurried away from the portal wondering where to go next when I saw an arrow on the wall pointing towards a door in the distance.

"I guess i'm supposed to head that way."

I walked towards the door, but then I noticed I was walking a bit funny, then they buckled and I fell to the floor.

"Ow! Wh-Whats wrong with my legs?"

"Just another effect of the 80 years you spent in stasis. I was wondering when some symptoms would kick in."

"80 years?" I sat horrified on the ground trying to process the information I had just been given. I had been asleep for 80 years, in a science facility run by a giant super computer. If I told anybody else that, i'm pretty sure they would have locked me up in the loony bin. Well, if I knew anybody else that is.

"Yes, 80 years, but it only felt like 50 to me because I had some...interesting things going on..."

There she goes again being all mysterious... I hoisted myself off the floor and I noticed some strange looking braces attached to both my legs. GLaDOS noticing my discovery, quickly added,

"Those are your Aperture Science High fall protection boots, if you were to fall from a high platform during a test, you would hit the ground...virtually unharmed."

Something about the way she said that made me uneasy. I decided to be extra careful when traversing at high altitudes.

I continued on towards the door and once I was in front of it, it opened up as if on command. I walked through and came face to face with and elevator. There were no other routes to take from here so, I jumped aboard the elevator and descended into the darkness. A few minutes later the elevator opened to reveal a dimly lit room with grey walls and small amounts of Vegetation growing out of the floors.

"Sorry about the mess...I'm still repairing the facility, before you woke up, there was a lot of...commotion..."

Upon closer inspection of the room I spied a moderately sized cube in the middle of the floor and next to it, a large red button.

"Welcome to test chamber #1, in this test you will learn how to use the Aperture Science weighted cube to weigh down the the Aperture Science pressure switch. Now don't disappoint me."

I carefully picked up the cube and deposited it on top of the button. A red X on the wall changed into a check mark and a line of circles coming from it that connected to the door at the other side of the room turned light blue and with that, the door opened up, no more action required.

"All right! That was too easy! I'll be done in no time!"

"Oh really? Which part was easy? The common sense of putting the weighted cube on the corresponding pressure plate? Or me giving you the answer?"

She really knew how to kill somebody's self confidence. Ignoring her comment, I pressed on through the door, but stopped in front of a strange blue force field. Reading my mind again GLaDOS explained.

"That is an Aperture Science Emancipation Grill, it will vaporize most Aperture equipment that passes through it. The Emancipation Grills are used to prevent the theft of Aperture products and property from the testing chambers."

Well that was a great idea, but I wasn't about to give her, of all people a compliment. Then my gut lurched. What would this grill do to a human being? Would I be vaporized as well? I was wearing an Aperture Science jump suit.

" What does this Grill do to humans?"

She hesitated before answering, that can't be good.

"You should be unaffected, now continue to the next chamber."

I braced myself for any pain that I was about to receive. Nothing, absolutely nothing, I should trust this computer more often. From the Grill I walked into the next room, and found another elevator and proceeded to deliver deeper into the belly of the facility.

As the light re-appeared, a sign on the wall caught my eye. Test chamber #2, Warning, from this chamber on, An Aperture Science Hand-Held Portal Device is required. Underneath the warning were small squares with pictures in them, there was only one box shaded in, which showed a Test subject placing a cube on a switch. OK, so there are cubes here, but what about the Portal Device warning? Had GLaDOS forgotten my own device? I walked into the main room of the chamber and found myself at the bottom of a pit with a single ledge at the top, which was extremely high above my head.

"What am I supposed to do now? I can't climb anything, or activate any switches..."

I was stuck, there was no way to progress, in an instance, GLaDOS's emotionless voice boomed out of the intercom.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Instead of simply completing these next few tests, I wanted to see how well you could work together with others, so I created two testing robots whose purpose is to follow orders, and cooperate with you. They will each be equipped with an early model of the portal device which only creates one portal. One has the blue portal, the other has the orange. You must work together with BLUE and ORANGE to complete these tests, and earn your own Portal Device."