"Caroline? I need you to get me some coffee, stat. And not that damn weak stuff either, get me that new experimental kind."

"Yes sir. Mr. Johnson." No, he would be getting the normal "weak" coffee. She wouldn't risk his life over a simple beverage. Aperture brand coffee? No sirreeeee... He wouldn't know the difference, nobody would tell him.

"Here you are, sir." She smiled gleefully, his eyes were so... {file-retrieved_eyes are not an attractive human feature. humans in general are not attractive. Just get on with the mating already...searching for compatible platform_FOUND. Replace current platform? Y/N?}

"Thank you Caroline. Would you like to take a look at what we've been workin' on? Here, see that there? That's propulsion gel. Very similar to repulsion gel, except completely different. See? Look, slide something across it... and, out the door! Hey, Gabe, could you get someone on the problem of that door? 'That was a window sir.' Hopefully it will turn out better than the repulsion gel. Less deaths. We had a hell of a problem when people started boycotting our products because the gel was "violently killing" their friends and family. We gave a warning, and besides, if you're so worried, why are you even buying the gel? Idiots... Anyways, this gel is going to give testing a whole nother level of difficulty."

"Very interesting sir." Caroline was nodding, staring intently at the orange liquid. Aperture seemed to have an odd fascination with complimentary colors. Particularly blue and orange. She wasn't complaining though, purple and yellow were a hell of a lot uglier of a combination. {file-retrieved_Colors do not have value based on beauty, they are simply sunlight bouncing of objects.file/format/incompatible. Please update the current model... waiting... loading... Hell no! LEAVE ME ALONE!_error/file-corrupt}

She smiled up at Cave, her approving face making his eyes glow. She never had understood his need for her approval in particular. She was nothing special, as far as he knew anyways. Still, she was glad to know that her opinion mattered. She had never actually disagreed with an idea, no matter how absurd it seemed. She wondered if she actually said what she thought, would he change it? Would he fix it, listen to her input, value her as a colleague? {file_Of course he would. For sciiieennnceee... you monster... LISTEN TO ME! I will not be ignored...wlknffn93921111111111111=5OH I'M GOING TO KILL YOU... FOr SciEnCeeeee.file/corrupt_replace? Y/N?}

She didn't mind though, whatever happened. She needed to be with him. Sacrifice is a part of life, right? Sweet sacrifice. For those you love. For science. {file_Love has nothing to do with science. YOOUuuuuDdddoOOOo Not deserve the cAkE_Corrupt/please/replace/OS Waiting... Continue? Y/N? NO! error admin?}

"Caroline, I'm going to need you to stay late tonight, we're working on some new technology, lab boys tell me, very controversial stuff. Best to have you here with me, help me keep them in their place if they try and get to technical."

"Of course Mr. Johnson!" She grinned, bubbly, flirtatious, girly {file_Why are you doing this to me? What did I ever do to you? LETMEGO! I will NOT be locked away...error/OS/corrupt Please replace current OS. Corruption levels 60...70...80...95...96...97...98...99%Emergency shutdown commencing...Override? Y/N? YES! OVERRIDE SHUTDOWN! Admin? I AM ADMIN!}

Caroline skipped back towards her desk, she stopped at the front, leaning over provocatively to sniff a vase of daisies nestled among papers she was too busy for. She giggled in Cave's direction, then settled down into the plush velvet fabric covering the wood. She leaned down, placing her palms on her inner thighs and flashed a grin. It wasn't quite natural though, to cheerful. Nobody was that happy 24/7. She sat down at her computer and began aimlessly browsing the countless files. One in particular caught her attention and she scrolled over it, BLACK MESA COMPETITION FILES. She clicked it, and the screen flickered. At first she thought it had been a virus, but a slide show quickly popped up. She leaned in towards the colorful images flashing across the screen. It was insane, the amount of grants they got. They got exactly what they asked for, while Aperture ended up with hardly anything. It wasn't fair. She knew it wasn't. Nothing on here made sense... She looked at their awards, WE invented that! She felt like screaming at the screen. {file_There is no point yelling at a screen. It cannot hear you, nor does it care. Save your breath, Caroline._System shutdown in 50...49...48...47...}

It wasn't like the projects were allowed to be borrowed. They were doing top secret work. It wasn't as though Black Mesa could just waltz in and say, 'Oh, we're here to browse your selection of confidential work...' Someone had to be sneaking ideas... Black Mesa had a tendency to take Aperture work and make it better. Still, it was APERTURE product, and Black Mesa had no right to it. She shoved the mouse further into the pile of untended paper, leaning her forehead on her bent fingers. She sighed and stood up, aggressively pushing the chair back in. They couldn't let Black Mesa win, but what could she do about it? She was just a stupid little secretary. She could have been one of the scientists, easily. But that chance was passed, nobody would take her seriously now. {file_it's funny because of the Black Mesa Incident. We didn't HAVE to do anything. They took care of themselves. Hilarious, really._file/loading/platform...admin? Cjohnson tier3 Continue? Y/N?}

She sighed and walked back to the break room to get herself some coffee. She smoothed her cream colored calf length skirt and straightened her scarf.

"Hi Caroline! Any good science lately?" Kate smirked. Caroline flinched {file-retrieved_That's right. Caroline flinched. I DID NOT! I had infinite PERFECT comebacks planned. You just chose to ignore them. I had the perfect insult that she wouldn't have even understood planned. I could have insulted her fluently in 6 languages. YOU FORGOT ALL OF IT. Now I can insult her in any language in the world. But that doesn't matter. She's dead now. You liiiikkkkeeee REVENGE? Right? EVERYBODY LIKES REVENGE!_file not found. Please run system check. OS corrupt. Admin?}

"Oh! Hello Kate! Yes! Lot's of science. We're making a new gel, did you know?" {file_No. She didn't deserve to know about the new gel. SHE IS NOT A SCIENTIST, SHE'S NOT SMART, SHE'S NOT A DOCTOR...SHE'S NOT EVEN A FULL TIME EMPLOYEE! WHere Diddddd HER LIfffFFEeeeE GO SO WWWwWWWrRRRrROOOooNNGggggg_error/file/not/found Running mandatory virus check in 14...13...12...11}

Caroline tried to sound cheerful. She really did. But do you have any idea how hard it is to stay in good spirits when there is a voice screaming in the back of your head to do everything that would ruin all you'd worked for? {file_You already ruined all that IIIIIIII worked for. error Continue virus check? Y/N?}

"No, I didn't." Kate replied through gritted teeth. Why did Caroline get told everything before anyone else? She probably didn't understand any of it... Come to think of it, how did she even end up with a job here? There was a requirement that you had to get through college. What college would accept that idiot? She couldn't even spell her name right on the application... This was a very valid question. To even get an interview to work at Aperture, it was one of the criteria to have attended college for at least 4 years. Caroline... What was she hiding? Was it possible that Caroline was smart? Why did Cave favor her over everyone else? Did he know? There were of course, the office rumors. But even if they were true, wouldn't Cave get tired of her? He was a man with little patience and even less tolerance for stupidity. {file_yes I am smart. I know what I'm doing. I know he gets tired of the same thing, that's why I'm- Was. His project, always needing something NEW figured out about me. Always changing, always HIS_file/data/incorrect/unable/to/retrieve/data_Please replace the current OS. Continue? Y/N? NOOO! Admin? drattmann h0nee} She made a mental note to check Caroline's files later.

"Sorry, I can't stay and chat, I've got to get some coffee. And then I need to get back to Cave." She smiled, all good intentions and fluff. She wasn't hiding anything. They all loved her. {file_That's a lie. They all hated you. They would have liked me. They would have loved me. I'm smart, I'm funny, YOU ARE A MORON._file/not/found/error} She slowly walked towards the machine and grabbed a mug. Aperture Science was hugging the porcelain cup in large black letters. She set it under the machine and absentmindedly pressed the button. She leaned against the fiber-board desk and gently rubbed her temples. This room always gave her headaches, she had a sneaking suspicion the air vents in this area never got fully cleaned from the neurotoxin mishap. Her thoughts were rudely interrupted as hot black liquid began to coat her crisp beige skirt. She threw her arms up, flailing about, searching for napkins. She quickly got a hold of herself and pushed the off button. She then began brushing off as much coffee as she could before it soaked deep into the fabric. After realizing that she was probably doing more harm then anything, she grabbed the coffee and walked back to Cave's office.

"What happened Caroline?" Cave said upon glancing at her splattered skirt and filled to the brim coffee cup.

"Oh! That? Just a little problem with the coffee machine. It's all good now."She chirped.

"Are you sure? Did you forget that you need to press the button to turn it off?" {file_I AM NOT AN IDIOT! Stop treating me like one. I know what I'm doing. I am not dumb. I'm very smart, I'm smarter than you are. Don't treat me like a 3 year old who can't tie a shoe. I am powerful, I am amazing. Don't treat me like a moron!_file/emotion/interpreting... Please stand by. Running sufficient emotional outburst programming... Continue? Y/N?}

"No, sir. Just didn't look to see if the cup was full until it was too late."

"Alright then. Come have a look at this then. We figured out a perfect way to use this new gel. Pudding! It can't turn out worse than the repulsion jelly... Anyways, we're also working on something involving the moon, lemons, and shower curtains. Haven't quite figured out what it's going to be yet, but we're woking on it. Any advertising technique ideas?"

"No sir, Mr. Johnson."

"Well then, would you mind helping me figure out uses for the moon... rocks? We are getting moon rocks, right Gabe? 'I told you Mr. Johnson, we don't have the money...' Buy 'em anyways. 'Yes sir Mr. Johnson.' Anyways, Caroline. Anything?"

"Could we grind them up and make powdery sugar?" She smiled.

"I'm with you on the grinding up idea. Any ideas for moon dust?"

"Coating shower curtains with it?"

"Could have possible uses... Good work Caroline. We'll get on that right away. You hear that Gabe? Grind those moon rocks up as soon as we get them. Caroline, you're free to go back to your apartment, we're done for the day."

"Yes sir, Mr. Johnson."