Chell had been listening to Cave Johnson's prerecorded messages while progressing through the old chambers that GLaDOS had made her test through time and time again. When the last message ended, she found herself in test chamber 17/19. This was the chamber where she thought that her faithful Companion Cube had died. But GLaDOS made an error; "All Aperture technologies remain safely operational up to 4000 degrees Kelvin." Her Cube was saved by the low temperature of the fire in the Incinerator.

Chell stepped into the test chamber and saw a scruffy looking man sitting by a Companion Cube murmuring to it, "Any time now, any time. She'll be here soon. Don't you worry one bit. She's just around the corner, I swear. Oh look, there she is."

The man turned to Chell and addressed her directly, "I'm so glad you're here. It was almost better when she was gunning for us, wasn't it? Now it's just silent. Even my Cube is getting quieter. Does yours talk to you anymore?"

Chell shook her head to indicate her lack of speech. She gestured to her Companion Cube and shook her head again. The man stood up. He was hunched over from years of crawling through tunnels and carrying his Cube around on his back. He came over to her and put his hand on her shoulder and said, "I've been watching you. Each time you triumphed over her was amazing. I would never have dreamed that you would beat her so soundly every time you tried. I knew that when I saw your file and it said 'stubborn' that I had made the right choice. I couldn't have chosen a better revolutionary."

The man awkwardly embraced her and stood back, looking at her. He smiled and started talking again, "It was just so amazing the first time she exploded. You have done such a great job. Now she isn't out to kill me anymore, living in her is almost peaceful, but however far away I was from the test chamber in use by the robots, I could still hear the explosions every time they failed."

Chell and the scruffy man stood looking at each other awkwardly for a moment, when the man smacked himself in the forehead and said, "Where are my manors? I'm Doug Rattmann, nice to meet you. My Companion Cube says hello too. I see you have one of your own."

Chell smiled at him and then nodded to the Cube. She pointed to the door that was jammed open and then pointed to him. Rattmann looked confused for a minute, but then laughed and smacked himself again. "I forgot! Brain damage! I'm very sorry dear, but putting the Intelligence Dampening Sphere in charge of all of you was a stupid idea."

Chell rolled her eyes and nodded. She pointed to the door again, but Rattmann shook his head. "No, Chell. Go ahead and leave. I think I prefer to stay inside." She look at him and shrugged. Chell gestured to her Cube and back to Rattmann, to show that she was giving it to him. He smiled, "Go on. I'll take good care of her." Chell smiled and walked through the door to the elevator shaft.