Reconstructing Humanity

Living Space

Mission Log: Day Two

Subject Wheatley made it through the wheat field and seems to have made a friend. A child named Angela, but called "Angie" for short. Sadly, the child seems smarter than Subject Wheatley at the moment. Before his encounter with the child, Subject Wheatley had to relearn [subject matter redacted] in order to continue with his mission. Though he was told to go at his own leisure, Subject Wheatley is going slower than is desirable. He was quick to make friends with the child, which is unsurprising, as they both have the same intellect level. She could be useful, as well as her sister, Lillian or "Lil" for short. She appears to be about the same age as Subject Wheatley's human body, and by monitoring her, it was noted that her body heat increased slightly upon meeting Subject Wheatley. Further notes may be needed.

Subjects "Angie" and "Lil" seem familiar; may be distant relatives of one of the test subjects. It would be in best interests to keep close eye on Subjects "Lil" and "Angie".

GLaDOS closed her note files and looked around the A.I. chamber. It was oddly quiet and absent was the innocent chattering of her two robot assistants. "Now, where did those two run off to?" GLaDOS asked herself, twirling about her chamber. She wasn't overly concerned with their well-being at this point. They were robots; whatever trouble they got themselves into (which was a lot, apparently), they could be destroyed and reassembled back in front of her. She didn't like doing it, as she felt it was a waste of resources.

Deep under the main complex, ATLAS and P-Body were in one of the old test subject dormitories, enjoying their favorite hobby outside of helping GLaDOS: going through old human stuff. The dormitories were shut off years ago in lieu of relaxation chambers, which were more cost effective. P-Body opened a cabinet and pulled out a radio. She had seen one before, but it didn't work properly. She shook the radio and pressed the button on the top of it. It started playing music, which startled her, causing her to drop it. ATLAS rushed over to see what was wrong. The radio screeched horrible static a bit and eventually powered down. P-Body made a sad chirping sound.

"BLUE! ORANGE! UP TO THE CENTRAL A.I. CHAMBER NOW!" shouted GLaDOS, which they heard through the communicators in their bodies. Not wanting to anger GLaDOS, P-Body picked up the broken radio and followed ATLAS to the broken transport tubes they used to get to different parts of the compound. Zooming through the massive compound, they eventually found their way to the Central A.I. chamber and made their way to GLaDOS, who just stared at them.

"Test Subject 156-D or 'Mark' as he keeps yelling at the cameras whenever I address him, seems to be missing a vital limb and needs medical attention. Send the party escort bot to fetch him and see what you can do to help. Whatever can't be sewn back on just throw into the incinerator." The two robots nodded their acknowledgement and wandered off. P-Body set her broken radio on a step in the back of the chamber and decided to deal with it later. GLaDOS waited until they were gone to continue watching the monitor Wheatley was on.

"Now, where was I…?"

In the city…

Eventually, Lil's Jeep reached their building. Everything Angie said about the shopping district was true. It was pretty clean and flowers grew around the trees in the sidewalk. Next to the bookstore was a café that Angie talked about for the last ten minutes. Wheatley wasn't sure was a biscotti was, but from the way Angie described it, it sounded better than apples.

"Well, here we are. Home sweet home." said Lil, putting the car in park. After helping Wheatley out of the car, Lil walked to a wooden door on the far side of the building and unlocked it. "This door leads up to our home. I had to close the store early to find Angie, but I'll show you that later." Lil opened the wooden door and revealed a staircase. She led Wheatley and Angie up the staircase to another door. She unlocked it and revealed a big apartment. Angie ran in and threw her school bag on the chair near the door. Wheatley did the same as soon as Lil told him it was okay.

Lil's home was standard (at least that's how she described it on the way there). "Well, let me give you the grand tour. My room is over there. Please don't go in there without permission." She said, pointing to a green door on the other side of the living area. "The spare bedroom and Angie's room is down that hallway. You'll have to share a bathroom with her, so be careful not to step on any bath toys." She continued, pointing to a small hallway just off from the living area.

Wheatley's eye's gleamed at the apartment. "So this is how humans live…looks more comfortable than the cryo-rooms." He murmured, as he looked around. Lil watched as Wheatley looked around like a cat getting used to a new home. He meandered over to the living area and poked the couch a few times with his index finger. "This is an odd looking bed. Who sleeps here?" he asked, as Lil and Angie walked over.

Angie giggled. "No one sleeps there, it's a couch!" she giggled. "Though, sometimes I find Lil asleep on it with the television on." Lil stared down at her sister, who plopped herself on the farthest end of the couch. She patted the cushion next to her and Wheatley sat down. He hopped up and down on the cushion a few times with a big smile on his face. Angie bounced with him, giggling as she went up and down along with Wheatley. "Mr. Wheatley, did you watch TV in your old place?" she asked, picking the remote off the coffee table.

Wheatley shook his head and stared at the blank television. "No, I don't think so, at least. Though most of the tellies where in the special human designated areas." He said, watching as Angie scooted closer. He could see himself in the reflection of the screen. Seeing his own reflection still somewhat confused Wheatley, but he didn't want to alert his new friends.

Lil sighed and walked to the kitchen. "Don't get too comfortable Angie. Your room needs to the cleaned before dinner!" shouted Lil. Lil started taking out a few pots and pans from under the counter, softly placing one on the stove and a big casserole dish on the counter. Wheatley could hear the sound of water filling the steel pot from his spot on the couch. It was a relaxing sound.

With a soft huff, Angie sulked into the couch. "Lil's not much of a cook, so come to my room after dinner and I'll share my candy stash with you." Angie whispered as she turned on the television. The big flat screen television sat mounted to the wall just above the entertainment center, which contained several boxes that were unfamiliar to Wheatley. The television itself reminded Wheatley of the monitors back at the facility, except without random pictures going across it with the occasional "motivational announcement" interrupting it every so often. "It's almost five, which means it's time for my favorite show!"

Wheatley watched in amazement as Angie flew through the channels. Lightning fast, Wheatley watched over one hundred channels go by in a single button push. "Man alive, that was impressive!" he shouted, as he sat on the edge of the couch. For the next half hour, Wheatley became engrossed with the adventures of a screechy voiced yellow sponge and his odd group of friends under the ocean. "Wow! This is amazing! I wonder when the yellow square and the rodent in the space suit are going to get together." He asked, with Angie nodding with a smile.

"Do you not find it odd that your body is that of an adult but you have the mindset of an easily amused six-year-old?" asked GLaDOS, through the implant in his head. Wheatley didn't seem to be listening. "Hey, Moron! Listen to me, now! It might help the mission…"

Angie watched Wheatley smack the back of his head a few times. She held back her laughter.

"Be quiet! It's hard to follow this show with you talking!" Wheatley whispered, though loud enough for Angie to hear.

As Wheatley and Angie preoccupied themselves, Lil decided to investigate Wheatley's backpack a little. She wanted to respect his privacy, though nothing was really private when it came to Wheatley. All he did on the way to their home was talk, talk, talk. Though, not once did he mention his backpack. She made sure neither Wheatley nor Angie were looking and silently walked over to the chair the two backpacks were on. The black backpack definitely stood out compared to the Angie's pink sparkly backpack with the ponies on it. She slowly picked up Wheatley's and examined the logo on the front outer pocket. She remembered seeing this logo in a few places, mostly history and conspiracy books, as well as a few sci-fi books she sold in her bookstore.

There was no doubt in Lil's mind this was the Aperture Science logo, but she wasn't sure why he would have a backpack from a company that's been out of business for many, many years. She decided to put forth a few questions to towards Angie's new friend. She placed the backpack down and walked to the living room. "Angie, your show is over. Go clean your room." Lil instructed. Angie obeyed and turned the television off. "We can watch more during dinner." said Angie, as she scampered off. Lil sat beside Wheatley, who started to become very nervous.

Lil smiled and crossed her legs with her hands in her lap. "So, Mr. Wheatley…that is your name, right?" she asked. Wheatley nodded. "Before this little arrangement begins, I think I have the right to ask you a few questions." Lil watched Wheatley fidget around uncomfortably. "Where do you come from, and don't tell me the wheat field. Angie may believe that because she's six, but I'm twenty-years-old, I like to think I'm a little smarter than that." She stared at Wheatley, waiting for a response.

"Miss Lil, I understand if you don't believe me, as insane as my story sounded when I told it to you earlier in the car…" Wheatley rubbed the back of his head. "…I promise you, everything I told you is true. I have no reason to lie to the people who took me into their home when they could have left me where they found me." He reasoned, just staring at Lil. Lil nodded, he did have a point. "But I promise you, Miss Lil, if there is anything you need or want to know, I am an open book. I've read plenty of books, I rather like Machiavelli, but I'm not that kind of open book." Wheatley's odd rambling made Lil giggle.

"I'm not sure why, Mr. Wheatley…but I trust you. Something in my head is telling me you're a good person, whether you know it or not." She giggled, softly. "Your backpack has the Aperture Science logo on it. Where did you get that backpack?" she asked.

"GLaDOS, the one who gives me instructions, gave it to me." He answered simply. Lil just blinked.

"It might be best if you don't tell her you have a voice in your head. I'm sure she already thinks you're crazy." mentioned GLaDOS as Wheatley watched Lil turn her head.

Lil had a somewhat disapproving look about her at this moment. She looked Wheatley over a few times, her eyes darting along his long legs to his nervous big toothed grin and continuing to his equally nervous eyes that tried not to look Lil in the eyes. "I ask because Aperture Science has been out of business for years. At least, that's what the public is told." Lil looked at Wheatley again.

"Something tells me she knows more about Aperture than she is willing to let on. Ask her how long Aperture has been out of the public eye." commanded GLaDOS. Wheatley cleared his throat.

"How long has Aperture been out of business, Miss Lil?" Wheatley asked. "Ten...twenty…?"

"Try a little over one hundred years." Lil said, plainly.

Though the news didn't shock GLaDOS (who was aware that she had been "dead" for quite some time before being accidently awakened), Wheatley looked stunned. "Did you say over one hundred years, Miss Lil?" asked Wheatley.

Lil nodded. "Yep, very much over hundred or so years, actually. No one is sure what happened. They used to be one of the biggest names in science, along with a company called Black Mesa. I read that they were huge competitors. One day, Aperture just shut down and the people working there were never heard from again. Of course, most people believe they were wiped out during the Black Mesa Incident, though personally I'm not sure how that is possible."

GLaDOS seemed happy to know that Black Mesa was out of business, but to her, it was a hollow victory because she didn't witness it first-hand. "Black Mesa incident?" Wheatley asked innocently. Lil cocked and eyebrow at him.

"Yes, the Black Mesa Incident. It's one of the first things you learn in history classes nowadays. It brought on the Combine invasion." Lil watched as Wheatley just stared at her. "It was a huge war that lasted for years and pushed science and industry back a few years because of it. Mankind was driven underground and resistances formed all over the world."

Wheatley just shook his head. Lil sighed and continued. "Well, it's probably for the best that you don't really know all this. This city was hit pretty hard by it from what I learned. The ruins of that part of the city were closed off and now serve as some kind of memorial. Personally, I just think the city was too cheap to clean it up, so they just rebuilt around it. The world was recovered almost all the way from it, though. Some parts will never recover…"

Wheatley could hear GLaDOS cackling in the back of his head. "So, Black Mesa nearly wiped out humanity. That's sad…but informative. For years, the public accused Aperture of horrible things and yet it is our main competitor that ends up almost destroying the world. Oh, I will have to make a note of this." She murmured with a sick sense of pride.

Lil looked at Wheatley. To her, he was a rare innocent who looked upon the world with a fresh outlook. Nothing bad had happened to him (at least that she knew of). "What weirds me out the most is that your backpack looks brand new, despite everything I just told you." Lil leaned towards Wheatley. "There were and still are rumors that Aperture had a secret compound deep underground where it did all it's real dealings. I never did believe rumors, but upon seeing you, part of me thinks it's all true. Are you some kind of failed experiment?"

Wheatley tried to ignore the sounds of GLaDOS laughing through his implant. "Well, no, not a failed experiment. I think I turned out pretty okay, if you can get passed having to relearn how to chew and other unpleasant things I shouldn't mention in good company." Wheatley scratched the back of his head.

Lil smiled and got up. She didn't look satisfied with the answers, but she decided not to pry anymore. "Well, you can tell me more over dinner, if you like. It will be ready soon. I hope you like vegetarian cuisine, because I made pasta with penne noodles in a meatless sauce. The sauce came in a jar and the noodles came in a box, but I made the rest myself." Lil walked out of the living area, a little less enlightened than she had hoped to be.

"She's a vegetarian. Well, I guess you really don't need protein, not that your brain can suffer any more than it already has watching that asinine children's program." said GLaDOS. "I would hate to note this as a failure. Your already terrible communication skills don't change with the opposite sex. I suggest you get to know her better. Maybe find out about her parents. Her familiarity is disturbing."

Wheatley had a feeling that GLaDOS wasn't thinking about the mission anymore. Or maybe she was, but he couldn't tell. He felt an urging to get up. "Go help her in the kitchen. I'm sure you can't screw up bad enough to make her kick you out. Communication is vital to the mission. And trust me; the sooner you pay your debt to me, the sooner we can both be rid of each other's presence."

Hoping that would come sooner rather than later, Wheatley silently agreed. Wheatley stood up slowly and walked toward the kitchen, which was probably no more than a few feet from the living area. The kitchen proper was small, with a stove against the wall and a counter across from it. On the far end was a door, slightly situated in the corner. He watched Lil go over to the door and open it. The pantry was big enough to house a few shelves of food and some brooms in its small corner.

The sounds of vegetables chopping sent a familiar wave through his mind. He stopped just short of the kitchen doorway and backed up.

"What are you doing? Go into that kitchen and talk to her." shouted GLaDOS. Wheatley felt a bit dizzy and leaned against a nearby table.

Lil heard him and left the kitchen to find him holding his head. "Mr. Wheatley, are you alright?" she asked.

Propping himself upright, Wheatley nodded and rubbed his head. He shook the dizzy feeling away and just stared at Lil. "I felt a bit dizzy." He murmured simply.

"You're probably hungry." Lil chuckled, placing the chopped vegetables into a big wooden bowl. "Sometimes when people don't get enough food in them, they get dizzy. Dinner will be ready soon. Why don't you go ahead and get settled into the spare room? It's right across from Angie's room. It won't be hard to tell the difference."

Wheatley gathered his backpack and walked toward the small hallway just off from the main living area. The hallway was quite small, with only three doors (the one at the end of the hallway was a linen closet). On the left was a plain white door and on the right was a white door covered in childish artwork. After much debate (and GLaDOS threatening to shock him again), he chose the plain white door.

Opening the door to the spare bedroom, Wheatley didn't expect much. It was a regular bedroom with a dresser, a bed, and a nightstand. Wheatley didn't need much, as he didn't have much. "Not really one for decorating is she?" asked GLaDOS, as Wheatley looked around the room. "Well, my scans indicate the room is clean, so it is safe to dwell here."

Wheatley unzipped his backpack and took out his few belongings. He took out the box he carried everything in until he started using the backpack, the hairbrush he tried to eat, a change of clothes the robots gave him (where they got the clothes is a question GLaDOS needed to put forth) and an Aperture Science radio. Wheatley wasn't sure why this was in there, but he just shrugged and placed the radio on the nightstand.

His curiosity peaking, Wheatley unzipped the outer pocket of the backpack and took out an old ratty wallet. Something about this torn up leather wallet seemed familiar. "It's called a wallet. Humans use it to keep money and identification in. The robots found it deep within the complex. Apparently, you had a locker in one of the enrichment center break rooms. Not unusual, scientists and engineers alike had lockers to keep their personal effects in. Though, this was all they found in yours. How odd. You must have been a very dull person." Wheatley ignored GLaDOS's remark and opened the wallet

Inside the old wallet was a driver's license with his name and picture on it. He took the driver's license out and stared at the picture. He wanted to remember, and felt like the memory of acquiring this license was on the tip of his brain, but nothing but a blank came up. The person staring back at him was gangly, cracked a cheesy smile and desperately needed a haircut for his shaggy mane of light brown hair. While the name on the license said Wheatley Prescott Pendleton, birthplace Bristol, England, neither the name nor the location rang a bell to him. The date of birth said he was twenty-three, but if well over a hundred years had passed since this license was made…what did that mean?

At that moment, Lil called Angie and Wheatley to dinner. Wheatley left his room just as Angie was leaving hers. He followed Angie to the small dining table just outside the kitchen. He pulled out his chair and sat down. Lil was taking something out of the oven with two oven mits on. Wheatley looked over at Angie, who was having trouble scooting in her chair. Wheatley helped her and she nodded her thanks. "Lil isn't the best cook, but she tries. Mom used to cook great food. On Fridays, she'd make cake for dessert." whispered Angie, as she licked her lips.

Wheatley had spent years hearing about cake, but had never known what the big deal was. He was hoping during his surface mission, he'd find out what the big deal was about cake. He had seen pictures of cake in some of the Test Subject areas over the years, but never found it that appealing. Wheatley didn't see why humans fawned over paper images of cake. He reasoned that paper couldn't taste that good.

The table was set with three plates, instead of two like usual. Though Lil and Angie normally ate on the couch while watching television, Lil decided to see if Wheatley was telling the truth about his origins. "I made pasta with penne noodles tonight, so help yourselves." said Lil, as she poured their drinks. She made her way back to the kitchen and picked up a few small bowls and a big wooden bowl full of the vegetables she was chopping earlier. After that was set on the table, she went back and picked up the big green glass dish with the oven mits again, bringing it over to the table.

Wheatley stared at his empty plate and the utensils beside it. Before Lil could serve dinner, Wheatley examined the plate. It was a plain white plate, ceramic with some cute little blue flowers painted on it. He sniffed it and then bit into it. He bit hard enough to hurt his teeth, but not break the plate.

Lil just stared at him, her big spoon halfway into the dish she had brought out containing their dinner. Angie giggled. "Mr. Wheatley, why are you eating that plate?" she laughed.

Somewhat embarrassed, Wheatley put the plate down. "Here, try eating this instead." said Lil, pouring some of the pasta on the plate with the big spoon. She eventually sat down in her spot after putting some pasta on Angie's plate and some on her own.

Wheatley watched Angie and Lil as they picked up their utensils and started eating. He picked up his fork and tried to pick up some noodles. "You make this look so easy…" he said, practically scrapping his plate. Angie stopped him, turned his fork around, and helped him make a dipping motion with his utensil. Wheatley nodded his thank you and tried again, grabbing a few noodles with the fork.

As Angie made faces while eating, Wheatley had never tasted anything so good. He thought the apples from before were good, but whatever this concoction was made him really happy. He kept eating, faster and faster, scarfing down his food like a starving animal. Lil smiled and sipped her drink. "Wow, no one has ever eaten my food that fast before! Slow down or you won't have room for your salad!" giggled Lil. Angie rolled her eyes and ate slowly.

"This is delicious! Better than apples! I should know, since I ate a whole bunch of them the other day!" Wheatley finished his plate and licked his lips. Lil asked if he'd like seconds and he happily agreed. He held out his plate anxiously as Lil have him another big helping. The two girls watched in amazement as Wheatley scarfed down the pasta and began licking the plate.

"Slow down on the eating. You don't want to give yourself another stomach ache." warned GLaDOS. Of course, that is exactly what happened.

After Wheatley's stomach settled, he watched the girls go about their evening routine. Angie excused herself to get ready for bed almost the instant she was done. Wheatley looked out the window, noting the sun was just now going down. "I know it's early, but she's always been an early riser. I'm not sure what she thinks she'll miss if she doesn't wake up early. Tomorrow is Saturday, so it can't be school." Lil laughed, taking up the plates. Wheatley stared at the table for a good while and then got up when he heard the sink again.

Something compelled him to go help Lil with the dishes. He felt it was something he had done before, but where, he didn't know. He didn't so much help, as he did watch. "So, Mr. Wheatley…" Lil started, as she scrubbed a pot. "What else can you tell me about Aperture Science?" The question seemed to come out of right field. Wheatley could tell her just about anything, though it was probably a better question as to whether or not GLaDOS would let him say anything. "You did say you were an open book, though not Machiavelli." Lil laughed at her own lame joke.

"Only tell her the basics. If you so much as mentioned me, I will shock you into dust." warned GLaDOS. Wheatley cleared his throat (he thought the notion of clearing ones throat was odd).

"Well, there isn't much else to tell you, Miss Lil." said Wheatley, somewhat nervous.

"Fair enough; I guess I can't grill you anymore than I have been today." said Lil as she put the dishes away.

"This is your chance. Ask her about her family background." said GLaDOS. Wheatley nodded and waited until Lil was done.

"Miss Lil, earlier, your sister said your parents died a few years ago…would you mind telling me about them?" he asked, trying not to sound offensive.

Lil sighed and put the last dish away slowly. "Well, I guess I owe you some explanation since you were nice enough to tell me about you. If you must know, my parents were pretty ordinary. My mom was a quiet little homemaker and my dad was a field researcher and professor of anthropology at the local college. That's how they met, while he was on assignment. They were good parents. I was about fourteen when Angie was born and four years later, both of my parents died within a few months of each other. It's been just me and Angie ever since."

Wheatley nodded and after the two shared an awkward silence, Lil left the kitchen. "There, that wasn't so hard, now was it?" asked GLaDOS, as Wheatley watched Lil walk to the living room. Wheatley didn't want to offend his new friends, so he made a mental note not to bring up that subject again, no matter how much GLaDOS threatened to shock him. "It is probably getting late by human standards. By the looks of this Lil person, she's probably going to sit up and eat cookies while watching a romance movie. She looks like the type."

Wheatley rolled his eyes and decided to call it a night. Around late evening, Wheatley found himself in his new bedroom conversing with GLaDOS over the day's events. He appreciated the new room, even if the bed was too small for him and the room had only a small window to look out of. Granted, it wasn't as fancy as the extended relaxation rooms, but it was still nice.

He was interrupted by a knock at the door. Wheatley opened the door and found Lil holding a big box. "I doubt you have a change of clothes in that backpack, so I brought you some of my dad's old clothes. He was about your height, maybe a little shorter and pretty muscular compared to you, Mr. Wheatley, but I'm sure they'll still fit." Wheatley smiled as Lil handed him the box. It smelt better than the outfit he was wearing. "I don't believe in giving too many hand-outs, so starting tomorrow, you're going to be working with me at my bookstore downstairs. Think of it as a way of earning your keep."

"That sounds reasonable." said Wheatley, placing the box down. "Miss Lil, I wish to apologize if I struck a nerve asking about your parents. Don't want to offend you, or anything. I mean, the last thing I want to do is anger the woman who is letting me stay with her out of the kindness of her heart. You're a nice woman, and I appreciate it…just want to let you know that…that I appreciate you…"

Lil smiled and blushed softly. "You're alright, Mr. Wheatley. I'll wake you up bright and early so get a good night's sleep." Lil waved to Wheatley and he watched her walk to her room.

Wheatley closed his bedroom door and rustled through the box of clothes. He found a pair of pajamas and looked at them curiously. "What odd patterns. Do people actually wear this in public?" he asked, looking over the bright orange stripes of the shirt. He heard GLaDOS sigh.

"Sorry to disappoint you, idiot, but those are night clothes. Humans wear different clothes during the night. They probably breathe better than regular clothes. I must say, I'm actually more impressed than I thought I'd be. Your little social faux pas didn't get you slapped. Though, I still have no idea why she seems familiar. Oh well, a mission for another day, I suppose. I hate to say it, but congratulations, moron. You did well today. You somehow managed to acquire two new friends, a place to stay, and a job without having to do really anything. Not many people are that lucky, I assume." GLaDOS sounded genuinely impressed. That didn't sit too well with Wheatley, as usually bad things happened when she was overly happy. He shrugged and decided to put on the pajamas.

Something about the feel of the pajamas was familiar. Slipping each arm slowly into the sleeves felt relaxing to him. The bed in the spare bedroom was a lot more comfortable than the bed in the abandoned farm house, if not a little short for tall Wheatley. The mattress was nice and soft, as was the pillow. The sheets and comforter smelled like they could use a nice wash, but Wheatley wasn't one to complain (not at the moment, since GLaDOS would likely shock him for doing so). Wheatley whispered his good night to GLaDOS as he laid his head on the pillow.

In her bedroom, Lil slipped on her night shirt and snuggled into her big bed, all alone. She looked over at her nightstand and picked up the picture of her parents. "Hey, Mom, hey Dad…" she started, as she held the picture close to her chest. "You'll be happy to know I found a use for that spare bedroom. A guy named Wheatley is staying in there, now. And before you ask Mom, no, I'm not dating him. Why not? Well, we just met today. We met while I was searching for Angie…yes, she ran off again. We had another fight this morning. I know I promised you guys I'd take care of her, but it's hard…all we do is fight sometimes and it gets unbearable. But I do love her and maybe having this Wheatley guy around will keep her occupied. I was planning on getting her a pet anyway, and this guy seems to have the mentality of a housecat…"

Lil put the picture back on the nightstand and turned away from it. "He'll be working with me at the bookstore tomorrow. He seems kind of aloof, but I'm sure even he can't mess up something as simple as a clerk job. I do it every day since I had to fire Armin…yes, my ex-boyfriend, Mother…I guess business and pleasure can't go together. Especially when you find out the pleasure part was stealing from the business." Lil yawned softly and pulled the covers close. "Well, that's my daily report. Night Mom, night Dad…"

Late night welcomed the chirping of crickets and another restless night to Wheatley. He tossed and turned every few seconds. "No…too many variables…" he kept whimpering as he hugged his pillow close. "It's too…" He turned on his side, a contorted look on his face.

Wheatley ran into the building, flashed his I.D. badge at the door, and rushed toward the break room, and to his locker to get his lab coat. The scientist in charge of instructing the interns had low patience for him, especially when he was late. This time it couldn't be helped. Traffic became backed up after he left the gas station and he nearly died getting to work. He put his things in his locker and rushed to the other interns. "Please don't yell at me, traffic was backed up for miles…" Wheatley stopped to catch his breath.

One of the other interns (Smith) walked to him and smiled. "Calm down, Pendleton. Our instructor is late, so you're good." He laughed, along with the other interns.

With a happy sigh, Wheatley followed the other interns to the instruction room. He sat at his designated desk and waited with the other interns. "I wonder what's keeping him today." asked the only female intern (McIntyre).

"Traffic along the highway was terrible this morning. He must be stuck out there. Horrible, horrible mess, traffic was. It went for miles. Some guy on a motorcycle almost impaled himself on my car. Poor sod." said Wheatley, straightening up his desk.

The interns laughed amongst themselves at a joke Wheatley wasn't paying attention to. His only goal for today was getting home and spending time with Pam…

…Pam…

"So, Pendleton, how's Pam doing?" asked one of the interns (Harvey). Harvey was a heavyset, but by no means fat, young man with a neatly trimmed beard and glasses (mostly for reading). He was pretty friendly and probably the only one there who didn't think of Wheatley as "the Limey Exchange Student." He held onto his Styrofoam coffee cup as if it was the last cup of coffee on Earth.

"She's doing better. The doctors say she can leave the house now, but she's still too sick to go back to work. They think the stress will overload her medication, or whatever." Wheatley answered.

Wheatley tried to focus on other things. Pam's illness had left her bedridden for weeks, and now thanks to the new medication, she could get up and walk around again. To celebrate, Wheatley had something special planned for their one year anniversary. "How did a guy like you get a girl like her?" asked another intern (Jacobson), jokingly. "Pam is sweet, she's pretty, and somehow you off all people get her. No offense, Pendleton, but you're kind of clumsy." He laughed, softly.

"And you're not much of a looker, either. Maybe she fell in love with your British charms." laughed the last intern (Darzi). Wheatley ignored their light-hearted teasing and went back to his thinking. He was into much of a good mood, despite the morning's events. His and Pam's one year anniversary was that coming Saturday. Wheatley and the other interns were always off on weekends, so he didn't have to worry about begging the instructor for the day off. He didn't know what he did to deserve a woman like Pam, but he wanted their special night to be memorable.

Wheatley took out his wallet and took out a picture with him and Pam in it. She was shorter than him (of course, most people were) and she had shoulder length dirty blonde hair. The picture was taken before she had gotten sick, but sick or not, she was always beautiful to him.

He quickly put the picture away when they heard the door to the instruction room open. "Bad news, Interns." said the instructor as he power-walked into the lecture room. "Lessons are still on, so take your seats. We have a lot to cover today before we get to the labs."

As the instructor started gathering his things from his briefcase, Wheatley shuffled his desk around and found his anniversary gift to Pam. If he hid it at home, she'd find it, so he decided to keep it at his desk at work until their anniversary. He looked up as the Instructor starting going over something that he never knew would change his life. "Our top scientists are working on one of the world's first super A.I.'s, and if all goes well, you all will be a big part of it."

Wheatley woke up from his dream and sat up. "Pam…was that the girl's name?" he whispered to himself. In his dreams, everything seemed as clear as day. He knew exactly what was going on, but whenever he woke up, it was like he was watching a really confusing movie. He rubbed his head and sat on the edge of his bed. He figured GLaDOS would tune in soon, but was actually surprised by the silence. It was nice to be alone with his thoughts.

"To be human…what does it mean, really?" he asked himself. "One minute I'm a happy little sphere looking after all the humans in cryo-sleep. The next thing, I'm in control of a giant facility, and then I'm drifting through space. Then I'm hurling toward the Earth at hundreds of miles per hour and eventually wake up to find myself a human. My life is pretty odd." He said to himself, as he laid back down.

"Don't forget you have a voice in your head that tells you to do things." GLaDOS chimed in.

"And I have a…oh, hello, I was wondering when you'd chime in. Were you asleep? I didn't wake the giant scary A.I., did I?" he asked, not really masking his sarcasm.

"I have no need for sleep. You should be sleeping, though. Worry about those visions some other time. You need to stay on task." GLaDOS scolded.

Wheatley sighed and covered himself again. He was losing patience with GLaDOS, and he was sure the feeling was mutual. Tomorrow, he would begin work and "earn his keep" as Lil put it. He stared at the ceiling for a little while and pondered the dream. He decided not to think too hard about it and he would have drifted back to sleep if not for GLaDOS.

"Your dreams are more interesting than you are. That's kind of sad, really."

N'cha, you guys!

Well, I hope I answered at least a few questions for you guys. I know, still more to be answered, but in due time, my friends.

I'd like to state first and foremost that I haven't played the Half-Life series in a while, so I apologize if I got any info from that game wrong. Additionally, they really don't give a set number of years between the first and second game, so I just improvised. If you don't like it…well, sorry, that's the way it goes, I guess.

To answer another question, yes, Chell will be making an appearance, but it won't be for another few chapters. I wanted to focus on Wheatley and his attempts to reintegrate himself back into human life, despite not remembering how to live it. But I promise you, I got some good stuff planned. You'll love it…to death…love it, until you die…

Well, as always, thank you for your support and reviews, I am honored more and more each time.

Review and be merry my friends. Keep the insanity going!

GLaDOS and Wheatley belong to Valve.