02_Curious Conspiracy
...
Chell stared at the endless fields rolling out before her, the harsh, blinding sun beating down on her. Grounding her feet on the hard dirt, she lifted the battered companion cube and walked. It was strange not having long fall boots and Chell caught herself habitually walking on her toes.
She made her way slowly, trying to find somewhere, anywhere where she would be able to get on with a normal life. She would have to learn what was normal first, all she can remember is trying to survive – was that normal?
Chell ploughed on regardless, focusing on her feet and just walking to put as much distance between her and that place.
It was a few hours until Chell stopped in surprise; the ground surface had changed. Instead of dirt there was hot asphalt. She looked up and down the road; a sign of civilization. Picking the way that led further from the lab, she walked in the dirt at the side of the road so she wouldn't scorch her feet.
Thankfully, it wasn't long before a vehicle came up from behind; a red pickup truck carrying scraps of metal in its tray. Not sure of how to gain their attention, Chell stood a little back from the road and looked expectantly at the car.
The car slowed and then pulled alongside her.
Feeling slightly apprehensive, Chell nervously watched as the window rolled down and a woman leant out of the window, her blonde hair curling around the sunglasses reflecting the dirty and bruised Chell.
'You alright, luv? Bit hot for a walk.'
Chell bit her lip, wishing for her voice back. She pointed to herself and then the car.
'You want a ride? Where to?'
Chell stood dumbly and shrugged.
The lady, however was staring at the companion cube. 'Is that...? Aper...? You're from... oh my goodness, what have they done to you?' She quickly climbed out of the car. 'Quick, I'll take you to the Western Recovery Centre, put that in the back and get in.'
Unwillingly, Chell placed the cube in the back tray between the metal before awkwardly getting into the passenger seat.
'You can't speak?' The lady asked.
Chell shook her head.
'Well in any case my name is Monique. I used to be mute, but a suspended time in liquidated exphosiasion-plasm and then a very long time after speech therapy, I can assure you that in no time you'll have no trouble talking at all, but of course, one step at a time.'
A long pause fell between them before Monique spoke up again. 'You'll have to excuse me if I fall into lapses of silence. I used to have such a talkative companion, but now... I don't know where he is. Oh, here we are, welcome to Proton West.'
After driving through what seemed like miles and miles of fields, they arraived at was a little town. The buildings hardly represented houses, more like square prison blocks, although people were walking the streets, shopping in hand as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
Chell began to feel her heart race as the people stared at the truck curiously as it went passed and slunk further down in her chair to avoid their probing stares. Thankfully Monique drove straight up to what was the 'Western Recovery Centre'.
Climbing out she encouraged Chell to follow. 'Yes, bring your cube.' She said warmly, 'We'll help you clean that up if you like...?'
But Chell wasn't listening, her attention was diverted to a man that had emerged from the building and was striding towards them.
'Mon!' he called, not noticing Chell whose knuckles had turned white as she gripped the cube. 'Did you find any more cores...?' He trailed off as he looked at Chell curiously and his eyes fell to the cube. 'That's not a core...' he reached for it.
Chell promptly backed into the truck.
'Travis. This is a companion cube. And this is... uh, well we can find her name on the database, can't we?'
'Which database?'
'Aperture test subjects.'
Travis became suddenly very interested in Chell, staring at her with wide eyes. 'Are you sure she's a test subject?'
'She's got the suit, aperture equipment, what's to say she's not a test subject?'
'She's alive.'
...
Chell followed Mon inside and they showed her to a room and presented her with new clothes and explained how the building worked and where she was allowed to go.
Chell barely paid attention, for the moment they had stepped inside Monique had removed her sunglasses and her eyes were strange, yet familiar shade of purple. Chell searched this persons eyes, trying to work out whether purple was a normal colour for eyes or not.
Travis seemed amused by Chell's staring as her eyes sometimes flicked to his, checking to see his eyes; a plain brown and offered her a tour.
...
Chell's room was open, as was the door, she was free to wander and yet Chell stayed in her room. The shower was wonderful, she would stand under it for hours. The rushing of hot water cleansed her, washed all the chemicals and even just the thought of that place. But she preferred the feeling of cold, clean water on her skin made her senses sharper, her thoughts clearer.
Monique brought her new information each day and it gave her things to think about. Her name was Chell. That was absolutely confirmed now for which she was glad. She didn't like relying on an inkling she had picked up from the clues she had found at Aperture.
She wished she could say it. She practised the lip movement in the mirror, when she could bear to look at herself in the mirror. She was pale, the dark circles framed her unsettled eyes. She wasn't fat, like she had previously claimed, just curvy. Of course the clean clothes she had been given were a lot more flattering than the jumpsuit. Still there were some days where she couldn't look at herself, opting instead to go for a walk and watch others around the facility.
Chell liked her room and liked investigating things she hadn't seen or remembered from before. She liked the flowers; pretty, but unnecessary. She liked the books they had laid out for her, although she never spent too long reading them as her mind was coming up with more unanswered questions.
For the moment Chell sat cross-legged on her newly cleaned companion cube and looked around the room for a distraction from the swell of questions in her mind. The bed was comfortable enough, the covers with a floral design which matched the curtains and the towels. In fact, there seemed to be a flower theme to the whole area, cream-coloured flowers on a relaxing green colour.
Chell realised with a jolt, that it was deliberate, that there was a healing feeling in this room alone. Soft colours, not the sharp white clinical that was Aperture. Perhaps the only thing in this room that reminded her of that place was the companion cube that she had brought in with her. Her fingers traced the heart of the cube on which she sat. A reminder of the memories of the place. But, not all the memories were bad.
Chell closed her eyes and leant against the wall. Her hand absentmindedly caressed her only true friend, (the only one that hadn't threatened to stab her) and ran through her good memories. The adrenaline rush while being flung through the air, the relief and triumph when a test was over. Breaking GlaDos had been good, stress relieving even. Of course, having gone from that to waking up once again in a controlled housing entrapment, it had felt so good when the door had opened and Whea...
Chell sat up sharply, gritting her teeth, torn between anger and a great sadness. She felt frustrated with herself for so easily letting him into her thoughts. Chell, frustrated at the voice in her head echoing 'I am not a moron!' and even more of feeling her heart ache, walked out of her room and down the corridor to a common room.
Normally Chell avoided human contact, but she needed distraction and even a cold shower wouldn't have rid the thoughts of him. The common room had several or so people, all recovering from different types of accidents and incidents. Chell helped herself to a glass of water, sat back and watched.
Half of the people there knew that this was what she did and maybe gave her a brief smile before turning back to their own discussions.
A new patient, an intelligent looking youth with bright, almost orange eyes, briefly hesitated before making her way over and sat with Chell. 'Hi.' She said shortly, studying her. 'What's your name?'
Chell looked back at her, she seemed harmless enough, but her voice seemed to be slightly stressed, if not overly cheerful and for some reason reminded her of GLaDOS.
Trying not to shudder, Chell managed a half smile back before signing her name, something Monique had taught her.
'Oh, can't you speak?'
Chell pursed her lips and shook her head, wondering if she would be deterred. Apparently not.
'At least you know your name,' the youth frowned slightly before weakly laughing. 'Though they call me Kizzy. Kizzy – Quiz-y.' Kizzy laughed weakly again, 'Apparently I ask too many questions. You don't mind? I like finding out about everyone here.'
Chell shook her head, she liked finding out things to, but by listening. Perhaps Kizzy could be a valuable companion and provide her with information.
Kizzy looked almost nervous before blurting. 'Did you come from an android?'
Chell looked at Kizzy, confused.
'No?' Kizzy's shoulders sagged, 'Oh, well you must have come from somewhere. Everyone comes from somewhere, or so I'm told. I wonder where GLaDOS... oh never mind.'
Chell suddenly felt like she had been doused in cold water and looked at Kizzy in alarm.
'Sorry, am I ambushing you with too many questions?'
There was another question. Chell was torn between nodding and shaking her head; how did Kizzy know of GLaDOS? What did she mean by coming from an android?
Kizzy read the jerky head movement as a yes. 'Sorry.' She apologised with a sigh. 'Ever since... well I don't like to talk about it, but it's a side effect when your personality traits have been tampered with. But I suppose I've always been a little curious.'
Chell looked at her new friend in alarm. That voice... Curiosity core. But HOW? She needed Monique, she'd know.
'Where are we going? Where are you taking me? Hey, lady...!'
Chell barely noticed the questions and running like she had GLaDOS on her tail she dragged Kizzy to her room, gathered the cube and then ran the full length of the room.
'Is that a companion cube? Hey, you're the lady from the test! I haven't seen you in an age! Did you beat GLaDOS?'
The word GLaDOS echoed around the room they had stopped in; Monique's office. The name startled Monique who stood as Chell dropped the companion cube in the middle of the floor before pushing Kizzy further into the room.
'Explain.' She signed and pointed to Kizzy who had bent to inspect the cube.
'It is a companion cube!' She said delightfully. 'Wherever did you find it?'
Monique ignored her instead answering Chell's question 'Kizzy's personality was imprinted into what was known as the Curiosity Core...' She trailed off and stared at Kizzy who was flat out staring at Chell.
'It was you! You're the one who put me in the incinerator! Put us in the incinerator!'
Chell stared wide eyed at Kizzy before she turned to look at Monique whose expression suddenly took on the emotion of recognition, before narrowing in hurt. Monique's purple eyes... Purple optic, quiet, caring, Morality core.
Confused and feeling somewhat threatened under such an intensive stare, Chell did the only thing she knew how to do; grabbing the cube, she ran.
Not quite sure of where she was going, but just with a sense of needing to escape, Chell ran through the corridors. They would expect her to head for the front exit, so she ran further into the building, diving into the elevator at the end and she jabbed blindly at the button, perhaps she could escape from the roof.
The doors closed and then with a feeling of a sinking stomach, the light dimmed and the elevator dropped.
Chell only had the cube. She didn't have long fall boots, she didn't even have a portal gun. This survival was not as she knew it and she dreaded the opening of the lift. She had to remind herself, this was not a test at Aperture, she was a long way away from Aperture, wasn't she?
Chell was jerked out of her thoughts as the elevator's doors opened to reveal a dark warehouse, lit by hundreds and hundreds of tubes. Feeling uncertain, Chell edged out of the elevator looking around the weary room. Instantly she could pick several points for a portal – but without the gun she was grounded.
Curiously Chell approached one of the lights, senses on alert: those were no lights. The tubes held people (who looked rather dead), suspended in liquid by a cable attached to their necks, and the emblem on the front of each container had the Aperture Science logo.
Suddenly a voice broke through the silence, coming from nowhere and yet everywhere, causing Chell to freeze in horror.
'You have been chosen as part of the CORE replacement program.' GLaDOS' smooth voice cut through Chell like ice, 'You are now being scanned. Please relax, and breathe, it will be over shortly.'
Chell turned for the elevator to get out of there, but it had gone.
...
AN: Special shout out to msfcatlover! Thank you for your encouragement! This update is for you!
Speaking of updating, I'm not that familiar with the Half Life Universe beyond Portal, so what you get is what is in my brains x] omnom
Portal and its characters belong to Steam, not me :(
