Alice in Itexerture

Alice in Itexerture

Alice POV, Aperture Technologies Enrichment Center

I awoke on an operating table, not an unusual situation for me. Instead of surgeons however, there were only hundreds of robotic arms.

"Oh, Alice," GLaDOS (Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System, the computer controlling Aperture) said. "You're finally awake. We'll be doing some operating today."

"I can see that." I retorted, gritting my teeth for the pain. "I'm not an idiot."

"We won't be using anesthetic for this operation." GLaDOS informed me.

"What's anesthetic?" I asked. Anesthetic…I'd never heard the word before.

She (was GLaDOS reallyfemale?) ignored me. "We'll be fusing you with foreign DNA and electronics, including the Aperture Technologies Handheld Portal Device (note, this can be called ATHPD). We'll start with the hardware."

"Gee. Sounds fun." I told her sarcastically.

As usual, GLaDOS restrained me, and I fought for a little bit, and then gave up.

The robotic arms first focused on my legs. They began to screw in the heel springs I usually wore into my knees (they come around from behind and rest where my heels would), which, put lightly, hurt.

Then they focused on my right arm. With a quick laser slice, my hand was off, and the arms began to fuse a smaller version of the ATHPD to my nerve-endings. I screamed my head off as they did this.

GLaDOS didn't have time to let me rest. "Alright," she said. "Time for the DNA exchange portion of the operation. Approximately 2 percent of your existing DNA will be swapped with avian DNA. The donor is a healthy female golden eagle."

Come on. I thought. Don't I have enough problems? I'm on an operating table with a portal gun where my hand should be, wishing you hadn't killed my mother, Chell.

Yes, folks. This is what my entire 11 year life has been like. To me, Outside is a myth, told to me by my mother to help me sleep at night. I've always stared at that Aperture logo, and the awful slogan beneath it: "We do what we must, because we can."

Before I knew it, I was submerged in a clear tank full of blue translucent fluid, a lot of wires and needles attached. There was no noise, but I felt the pumps begin to push liquid through my body. One by one, every cell in my body began to scream like it was on fire. Lava poured through my lungs and heart. Parts of my lungs felt like they broke and leaked the magma slowly downward. Two spots on my back started to burn, and then, like liquid fire, I felt new tissue form all the way down my back. I did my best to scream, but nothing came out. I felt trapped. So this is how it ends Alice. I said bitterly to myself. Inside a tank, muffled by the goo that surrounds me. I felt myself scream one more time, and then I blacked out.