TESTING: Like It's In Your Blood

"Very nice to see that you made it up here," GLaDOS said with cool familiarity, "Very nice indeed."

Her bizarre comment ended in maniacal laughter, and worrisome thoughts floated into my mind. I wondered what would be my first 'real' test. I stepped out of the elevator and it creaked as I got off. It traveled up halfway to the next floor and got caught.

"Oh no. You seem to have broken the elevator." GLaDOS retorted, "Maybe it's all the muscle mass." GLaDOS spat the two words, and I wondered if robotic operating systems could hold a grudge.

"Could very well be, Miss GLaDOS." I said in a polite and charming voice, "Now could you direct me to one of your very wonderful tests please." It was better to 'Kill with Kindness'.

"Sorry… I couldn't hear you. I was administrating a test to some adorable little puppies. Maybe at the end of this next test I will let you pet one."

I blew off GLaDOS's comment. Ididdn't need to pet any dogs, mostly because I had two of my own at home. I also just assumed the testing chamber would be down the hall right in front of me. I walked down the corridor and again saw a bright white sign holding a number 2. I brushed some hanging vines off of the sign so I could read it. A picture of a person with a cube hitting their head and falling in pain was amongst many other cautionary signs. Maybe GLaDOS should take a look at these. I chuckled as I walked over to the automatic door. It slid open with ease and I could tell right of the bat that this room was better kept then the last room. Only a couple stray vines hung lazily down from the ceiling and the tiles where only stained light yellow instead of rusty brown. A somewhat clean-looking cube tube looked geared up to spit another diabolical cube on my head. On the other side a door stood that I assumed would only open if I performed a various task. In the middle of the room stood a weird looking gun on a pedestal and when it shot one of those beautifully strange glowing portals sprung fort.

It spun ninety degrees and shot another portal and the other disappeared. I walked over to it and picked it up. My hand ran down the shiny white material. It looked a lot like plastic but it had the strength of metal. The gun sported a logo for Aperture Science Laboratories on one side and it looked a bit scratched up. Other then that, the gun was in perfect condition. My fingers found the trigger and I raised the gun to the white surface just on the other side of me. As I pulled, a certain kind of adrenaline flowed into my veins. How had I lived without this? A huge smile perked up my face and I forgot my current situation. I went to go check out what was inside this portal.

On the other side there was a room with a huge red button and a platform with a small standing button and near the top stood an out-look to whatever was on the other side. I needed to see closer so I shot a portal up to it and turned around. There seemed to be a small plaque next to the button that looked like a cube falling. I pushed the button and heard a small clunk near the out look and I figured that this out-look was to let me place a portal to the room that previously held the portal gun. I popped a portal on the wall and jumped down to where the big red button was. Once through that portal I could tell that it was going to be a long drop and was glad for my boots. I braced myself and jumped.

When I hit the ground the Accidental Decent boots dug uncomfortable into my skin, but I was otherwise unharmed. A new addition to the room was placed underneath the cube drop, and as I approached the portal gun vibrated gently. When I went to pick up Mr. Cube, the portal gun put out some sort of gravitational field and the cube weighed almost nothing. I used one arm to carry the cube and the other to shot another portal to see the big red button. I placed the cube on there, not even needing to go through the portal.

These portals were easy to figure out; it was almost like it was in my blood. Not to mention it was strangely amusing. I think I could deal with this testing stuff until I found some real person or a way out. It held an allure, but I suppose it could be the almost toxic adrenaline rush I got when I pulled the trigger of the portal gun. The door slid open and GLaDOS's mechanical voice welcomed me.

"Remember those little puppies I told you about, Good news and bad news: Bad news: They are not immune to Neurotoxin. Good news: We have a lovely new puppy cemetery." She chimed.

I almost dropped the portal device. She… killed them. What kind of sicko kills puppies? Obviously, her…

"What kind of twisted person kills puppies?" I yelled to her.

"Oh, so you have a love for animals. See I have nothing written in your file except for how you look so I need something to go on." Great, now she was going to slaughter innocent puppies in front of me. I sighed and headed for the elevator that I hoped would be on the other side of the door.

"Yeah, sort of… But most everybody does." I answered.

"Okay. Now what exactly is your name?" She probed.

"Gladis Chell Seinlynn," I replied as I climbed into the elevator.

"Chell… that's a famili… I mean strange name." GLaDOS stated.

"Yeah, well. It's my mother's name. So I don't want any dirt rubbed on it or I will find you and pour soda on your motherboard."

"Well, that's very interesting… I… I'm going to…Kill some more puppies." She said and everything was silent.

I heard the almost silent strain of the elevator ropes pull me upwards. Why hadn't GLaDOS replied with something wittier? She seemed to be programmed for such insults. The elevator slowed to a stop but we were nowhere near a place to get off.

"ELEVATOR SYTEM OFFLINE." Came an unfamiliar mechanical voice.

"Yeah… Sorry. I'll fix that in a bit. When I'm done…doing this. Why don't you get some sleep, now? Humans usually enjoy that." GLaDOS spoke in an echoey far away voice.

The adrenaline seemed to be wearing off and I did feel rather sleepy. Turns out all that testing can really knock you out. I leaned against the wall and slid myself down to a sitting position. The elevator was big enough for me to stretch all the way out, but I felt safer this way. My consciousness started slipping from my usually strong grasp and I drifted into sleep. I didn't dream though. My dreams were as black as the night sky I wished I could see. I had a feeling that wasn't going to be for a while.