Inflessibile

by Emerald-Em

Life throws at you the entirely unexpected; you just have to endure the scrapes and bruises the best you can. Those who do will eventually be rewarded, no matter how long it takes. However, the path one must take to receive that award is not easily found.

4. Metempirical Procession

~~~~infLEssibiLE~~~~

The lack of sight of the building they had been formerly using as navigation was confusing to Chell, the woman scrunching up her face and scanning the labeled wall with cognition. Glancing about gave her no glimpses of the earlier unknown structure; on her left was a regular old wall, and on the right was an intact chain link fence. The wall rose above her height, towering over her head, advertising the fact that it had been vertically blessed. Rationally, it had been appointed there to herd whoever wandered through these passages before their deconstruction to the opposite direction; why else would there be a perfectly see-through fence that way, an ancient lock hooked to the gate's clasp? Looking through the webbing, Chell could spot conspicuous sheets of metal tumbled over, laying a few feet from the fence. They leaned on a vertical ledge, and above that ledge, Chell could see fire.

With a gentle pat to the gun, Chell set it down, pushing it away with her toe so there wouldn't be any 'unfortunate accidents'. It produced a scraping sound, the hard rock of the ground clashing with the glossy plastic of the device. Apprehensive at being essentially kicked to the side, GlaDOS loudly inquired:

"What do you think you are doing, exactly?"

Forcing her hands into the space between chain links, the test subject tightened her grip, giving a small tug. It rattled, shook earnestly. She hadn't pulled it hard enough, the woman figured. Being cautious of her left leg, she turned so the entire left side of her body was against the fence, setting the weight and pressure of herself on the fence as she used it for support. It groaned. Chell rolled her shoulders, and yanked. The metal rocked in its bearings, straining as it resisted her efforts with insufferable rancor. She was able to pull it towards her, the webbing stretching in the power her pulls offered. The rust hadn't eaten away at all of the structure of the rickety fence though, it would appear. Although Chell gave a valiant fight, the iron digging into her flesh with every tug would not budge, shift, collapse, or combust out of its position.

Prying her fingers off the offending barrier, the woman turned and leaned down, head still rightward, glare locked on the spider-webbing metal. She gathered the ASHPD in her arms, returning it to its post on her right arm, situating it soundly with her left. Inhuman snickers interrupted her refining, highly tonal and computerized. Finishing the last few adjustments, the woman took her gaze to potato-GLaDOS, giving her a detached look.

"The oh-so mighty test subject..impeded by an obstruction used to contain baseball players."

Oh yeah? How's about you give me a baseball bat, and we'll see what impedes who.

Breaking her attention away, instead focusing on the numbers printed back near the exit of the pipe, she resorted to musing. It truly seemed as if the computer responded to stress by firing biting insults at her unsuspecting(not really) test participant. It was a familiar prospect; didn't people resort to verbal and sometimes physical abuse in cases of supreme insecurity? GlaDOS was modeled after humans. All robots were, as their creators saw the greatest perfection in themselves. Not to mention, she had human-like tendencies that proved themselves apparent over and over again. Therefore, it was reasonable to rationalize that GlaDOS would respond to various situations much in the manner a human would in her dilemma.

That was quite a logical explanation for the crazed computer's behavior in this underground wasteland, though it still did not give a terribly legitimate reason why the AI had more or less the same behavior when she'd been in total control, lording over the Enrichment Center in sadistic glory.

She hates you.

However, an understanding came quick, a coaster on the wind that floated into her ears like a hushed whisper. Emotions squirming, the woman accepted the statement, no doubt staining her mind. Vivid memories of the murder of Aperture's artificial intelligence flashed through her mind, the unwanted reminders causing an uneasy change of posture, Chell now pressing a good deal of weight on her wounded leg. She didn't notice though; her conscious was elsewhere, woven into the transgressions of the past. She was being swallowed by remains of the past, being killed by none other than her own traitorous mind. Her soul's coffin was crafted of smooth metal, salvaged from the mangled form of GlaDOS herself, who had lay sprawled across a nauseatingly ordinary parking lot. Now the metal enclosed the woman, insulating incredible heat, suffocating temperatures that sent Chell into a frenzy. No matter how roughly, how fiercely, she clawed at the roof of her eternal container, she could not escape being buried alive.

Tragically, she had actually been 'buried alive', hadn't she? Stasis: a condition where all her body functions were at a constant pace, equal. Her lungs rose and fell, her blood traveled through its subways, the same as it had done for years. Her heart had beat, pumping constant allowances of life chivalrously as Chell slept. Everything was sustained, everything was mutual. There was no room for fault or error, Aperture had made sure of that. Her brain, though, had remained dormant, suspended in a never-ending slumber that prohibited anything other than the minimum signals controlling a human's essential organs. In a sense, being in stasis was being brain dead. Her heart was alive, but her soul was not, trapped within her exiled conscious mind.

With her mind's banishment, came Chell's own. It was her everlasting punishment, remaining alive, yet existing so little that she'd better be described as dead. The test subject had destroyed the flask housing the poison, and would be caught in an endless paradox of life and death until someone, anyone, cracked open the box and discovered her either dozing or gone.

Inhaling then exhaling through her teeth in frustration, Chell cleared her considering stupor with a step back, then another, turning away from the source of her original irritation: The Fence. Irritation was increasingly leading to deep contemplation, a feat she had no time, nor need, for. She was going to need to find some way past the chain link if they were to continue about their wild goose chase, but there weren't several options. Could she jump it? Further investigation said: No; it was at least seven feet tall, Chell's left leg wouldn't be too delighted, and the surfaces on the other side of the fence were lopsided, even a section of ceiling having fallen onto the ground. It was propped up against a wall, inclining at an angle to create a lousy sheltered area from the elements, the crackling fire from earlier blazing its life away underneath it. The strength of this fire was brawnier than the strength of the few isolated fires she'd encountered previously, the white ceiling panel shielding it from the water running through cracks in plaster, dripping into puddles collected by the woman's feet.

Wait! Just a second...

Eyes widening, Chell hopped a step, growling when her left leg capitulated to its injury and she had to scramble to correct her uneven parity. She brought it up above her knee again, ignoring the snort from the AI. Wasn't it so easy to kick an injured test subject while she was down? Figuratively, of course. A familiar chirrup drew her to her pocket, where she tapped the bird on the head once with her pointer finger that she then pulled to her lips, already passing her scrutiny over to the ceiling panel again. The white surface was toned lightly orange from the fire it homed, the silhouette of the springing flames skirting across it.

Swinging her left hand over, the test subject gripped the barrel of the ASHPD firmly, palm pressed against the clear glass currently unlit from the absence of fired portals, fingertips wrapped around the edges of the white plating encasing the front of the gun. She then amended the position of the device, lifting it above the top of the fence and leveling the imaginary scope with the middle of the ceiling panel. Instinctively tensing, Chell's body was forced backward at the fire, but having gotten used to the kick of the gun from before, the feeling passed, Chell still on her feet. The blue trail followed its course to the panel, reaching its target with a 'pop' and fizzle of particles. There wasn't a moment's hesitation when the alternate dimension came into existence, opaque without its orange counterpart. Swirling, the portal's free-roaming atoms alerted the subject to its slothful state.

Turning around, Chell swiveled her gaze about, eyes darting over dented metal walls, old pipes, and finally settling on a peeling wall constructed of portal-able properties just beside the 09 label. She had seen it before, though it hadn't held any importance until now. With perhaps a smidgen more of satisfaction than was healthy, she strode to the wall, putting superlative reduction of pressure on her left appendage to compensate for her earlier blunder, awarding the right with the responsibility instead. She shot the orange portal, nearly fainting when it failed to grab hold, hissing out of existence.

Oh no, no...

Hastily she jammed her finger to the trigger again, felt it sink effortlessly down, activating the orange portal once more. Apparently she'd jerked the ASHPD off target previously, for this time it opened without a hitch, the orange ring burning strongly. Through this one, she could see a flame. Glancing towards the fence, Chell took a gander at the blue portal, narrowing her eyes to peer into the oval shape. She saw herself. Heart catching in her ribcage, she tentatively spanned her arm into the portal, look darting from orange to blue. Spotting a hand dangling from the panel, she moved her own in a wave, as a final manifestation. The one out of the blue portal mimicked the action, waving to Chell.

Smiling widely, Chell reclaimed her hand, running it along the front of the ASHPD and clasping the barrel. Lifting her right leg, the woman took one step out of the portal, remembering to place her unoccupied hand on a support to counterbalance the uneven balance provided by her legs. Blindly she latched onto something, a prickly feeling tickling up her skin after she did. In a moment of brightness, Chell curled her right leg, hooking it around the portal it was hanging out of, the toe bumping into the ceiling panel. With that, she'd be less likely to plunge through it and end up an awkward heap in the dirt.

She craned her neck, leaning back to see what she'd touched with her hand. Startlingly, she noticed that she'd grabbed onto the edges of the orange wormhole, fingers gripping amongst the frolicking flares. Their rough apparent adverted their dangerous inclinations, however the flames felt like breezes lapping against her skin, nothing more, nothing less. The portal's sides were also sturdy, solid.

That will certainly come in handy. I can't believe I'm saying this, but thank you Aperture Science for having the tact to make the portals grippable.

The test subject paused, gaze wandering off into the distance, drifting over scaffolding and assorted formations.

Or maybe thank you Science. I guess it depends on the mechanics of everything.

She followed the curve of the portal, smoothing it with a hand before giving a shrug, wrapping her grip around the edge once more. Scoping the exit through the portal again, Chell took the precaution of assuring that she had a safe, clear path without obstacles. Frowning, she saw that the fire took up a third of the place she would be landing at, its large size and the limited space provided by the ceiling panel keeping it fixed; Chell could not move the portal, so she'd just have to avoid the fire, unless she wanted burns along her legs. She hesitated, slowly uncurling her leg, pushing her face out of the orange portal, but never leaping entirely into it.

GlaDOS optic faded, the flicker associated with her speaking of her words mild in its glow.

"Go on, it's alright. Just angle yourself to the side as you jump through; the movement will be conserved through the portals, and the fire will be utterly unimpressive as far as danger goes."

In surprise at the helpfulness, the woman's mouth went slack, her look focusing on the potato attached to the gun. It seemed she had said all she had to say, though. She was completely silent. Not exactly certain how to respond, Chell just tipped her head in a nod, passing her gaze back to the portal. For a second longer, she stared into it, mind blank.

With a firm expression, she swung herself backward, then forward, releasing her grip on the portal's edge and tossing herself through the gateway. Chell flew through the intro-dimensional gate, emerging out of the orange portal's counter-part, legs splayed, ready for impact. Thankfully, the panel was low to the ground, and the woman didn't really even fall; just popped on out of the blue, winced a bit at the sliver of pain the bump to the ground caused, and that was that.

She rubbed her leg, soothing the muscles. In the next moment she pressed it gently to the ground, though it was no cinch. But she would have to deal with it; hobbling around with a sole functioning leg was just asking for that bad karma she had been avoiding for so long to show its ugly face. Chell snuck her fingers into her left pocket, brushing her fingertips over her partner's head, pushing him or her back into its little refuge. It had peeked its head out after the short journey through the portals, excited by the rapid change of surroundings. At her contact, it peeped stubbornly, shoving its body into her hand. With a chuckle, she gave it a firm push back inside, patting the fervid animal withheld in the pocket. Having that issue solved, Chell straightened, rising to her full height.

And then abruptly struck the ceiling panel with the back of her head, which led it to move up somewhat. Giving a yelp, she ducked low, further squatting when the panel fell back into place with a slam. Chell rose again, although this time not high enough that she'd hit the panel again, and slapped her palm onto her head, caressing her skull while glowering at its attacker. Slightly embarrassed, the test subject decided to blame it on her assumed brain damage.

Turning to the side, Chell took a look at the place where they had just came from, a sly smirk playing along her lips at the sight of the fence, now conquered. The fence had blocked off a small area consisting of a floor, another wall, and a flickering lamp.

Whoa, how long has that been here? Must be quite the high-quality bulb.

She thought, blinking uncomfortably at the strident light it provided.

GlaDOS hadn't commented, likely observing the situation and weighing the possible actions they could take, and which one would be the most likely to succeed. Every option's percentage of success was probably being compared to others, down to the very. Last. Decimal point. Not that Chell was complaining. No, having the absolute finest strategy would just be a plus to their cause.

That strategy came into open when GlaDOS snapped back into action, directing Chell around the corner past the panel to an open space between two short black walls. Expectantly, the woman waited for the remainder of her instructions, opening and closing her hand inside the portal gun to prevent it from cramping. The creaking of dying buildings echoed in the vast, the only sound apart from the woman's soft breathing.

"...Hey. Are you listening?"

Nodding, Chell fixed her gaze on the potato attached to her weapon, pointing to the two walls and the passage they created.

"Yes, that's exactly right: Go that way. How relieving that you haven't gone deaf, or lost the concept of words completely."

Arching an eyebrow in silent questioning, Chell dropped her other arm back to her side, swinging it freely. Eager to get going, but not with the full layout of their intentions, she took a step, then looked down at GlaDOS, clicking her tongue. The computer groaned, her annoyance obvious in the strict stress she put on her words.

"Do tell what you are doing. Nodding, pointing, and using the gross muscle contained in your mouth to make sounds doesn't count as escaping. Though..if you do all three at once maybe it'd be enough of a spectacle to hail a taxi out of this asylum."

The woman giggled at the vision this brought, smacking her palm over her mouth to try and muffle the already nearly-silent noises. Startled at her own reaction, she swiftly regained her composure, the joyed light in her eyes fading into the normal, bored mien. She jabbed a finger at GlaDOS, then glided her thumb against her pointer finger in a demanding gesture. At first, the AI was at a loss. Then she sighed, her voice lowering from its usual monotone.

"That's the procedure for now; I haven't thought of anything more than that. Let's just wing this, and see where it takes us."

She sounded...disgruntled, disappointed in the lack of formulating she had done, or was able to do. It was a tad unexpected, looking back at the elaborate traps she had laid for the test subject, not to mention her former scientists, as if she had suspected their every move, her calculating golden gaze cracking the code of their vitality and the resulting outcomes. Chell stared at her, then shrugged indifferently, replacing her left hand around the barrel of the gun. Using the gun to indicate the space from before, the woman began walking there, giving a section of plastic near GlaDOS a pat.

Winging it is just about the only option at this point. It's not like either of us know the maze of this labyrinth anyway.

Still not comforted completely, but sullen mood just hardly allayed, the AI took up commenting on the state of their current site. Chell slowly made her way to the gap, listening half-hardheartedly with her steps.

"This underground hell truly is remarkable in the degree of its atrophy; it's absolutely deteriorated. Seriously, look at the number of collapsed scaffolds and catwalks. It's disgraceful."

Chell stopped her advance, running her look along the ground. Indeed, there was a fair amount of rubble; corroded iron littered around her feet, and the path they'd taken through the worn pipe was riddled with metallic corpses. However, above her head exhaustive catwalks linked the ominous buildings together, dozens and dozens of the metal structures side by side. They must have been constructed of sturdier material, for they appeared unaffected by the elements, the only sign of age being their bland shade of gray. If she ever had the chance, she planned on following one of them; they obviously led somewhere. But as it were, they were too far up. A pity, maybe she'd find a way up to their level eventually.

In response to the vegetable, she delicately hooked a boot underneath a bent piece of scaffolding, lightly tossing it away with a flick of her foot and commenced walking forward again. The AI took this as agreement, and quieted contently, processors producing modest, automated murmurs. Chell passed between the two walls, and was greeted with a freezing draft that wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her in close. Involuntary shivering, she squeezed in on herself, rubbing her right arm rapidly to warm it up.

God..I hope it doesn't stay this chilly. Otherwise I'll have to put my jumpsuit top back on.

Her eyes narrowed in antipathy, body loosening. The prospect of having the restricting clothing covering her upper torso was not even mildly appealing, so Chell devised to resort to wearing it only under extreme conditions. She had grown accustomed to the feeling of exposed skin, loving the lavish feeling of freedom she got by simply tearing some part of Aperture away from her body. It was her personal broadcast of independence. GlaDOS hadn't picked up on it, but it was clandestine, hidden by the overall abstractness of the idea, so that wasn't astonishing.

Shuddering, Chell inched into the passage, steadily adapting to the change in temperature, much to her relief. To the left was another lamp, also flickering in its struggle for life, the lamp holding on to the wall by mere wires. The sight set her mind to work. The test subject excelled at finding concealed patterns; she was a test subject, after all, and memorizing the multiple aspects of testing was vital. So far, these lamps had been positioned at locations of importance. The first light was below the ledge, behind the chain-linked fence she'd just left behind. That had been the correct path, and though obscured, she'd worked around the hindrances and fundamentally ended up progressing. Thus, she concluded that wherever these lamps were stationed, if you followed past them, you'd climb another rung in the metaphorical ladder.

She treaded in that direction, wet 'squish' noises accompanying her advances. The walls were covered in a slimy film, slick to the touch. Chell found this out when she skipped her hand along the surface, snatching it away at the nasty texture. She discovered herself establishing the very same opinion of the place that GlaDOS had. After all, it was hard to defend the rotting and tarnished appearance, to maintain respect of a drained landscape.

Smearing the film onto her pants, the woman rid herself of the disgusting filth, assuring that her fingers were indeed clean before clinging onto the ASHPD once more, resolving not to poke, prod, or jab anything else aside from her own 'possessions', she glanced at GlaDOS and the gun and the bird, unless it appeared decently sanitary. A large pipe blocked her way, and she ducked underneath it, wary of another hit to the skull. Once past it, she picked up her pace, trotting with difficulty. She came to another section of white wall, habitually shooting a blue portal onto it then turning to the right, following the natural curve of the passage.

What she saw had her gait faltering and anger escalating. Yet again, standing directly in her path, was a fence. Was this some sort of joke? However, Chell remembered her previous victory over the metal chain-links, and squinted into the distance behind it, searching. There were several more fires past this fence, their crackles nearly deafening. Embers drifted in the air, smoke wafted into her nose. She coughed, shielding her nose with her left arm. While it blocked the smoke from burning her nostrils, it also made it arduous to breathe. She had to take gulps of air from her mouth, coughing hoarsely when she did. This all combined to make seeing rather complicated. Her eyes stung and watered, tainting her sight. What she could make out was a massive collaboration of construction, cranes, catwalks, incomplete buildings above. There were also pipes, though they were thinner and sound compared to those which she had seen earlier.

Chell wheezed, taking a couple steps back. GlaDOS piped up, telling the woman to get as close to the fence as possible, that she required the best view available in order to properly assist. Affronted that the AI thought her in need of help, Chell flushed, biting her tongue but obeying anyway, coming to a stop in front of the fence. The creaking of buildings reached a crescendo here, as well as the amount of smoke; she couldn't see a foot ahead of her. GlaDOS though, apparently, could.

"To your left, there's a section of walling that has a platform attached to it. Try and aim left."

Reluctantly, Chell took a deep breath and removed her arm from her face, holding the ASHPD by its barrel once more. The computer directed her with 'Too far!'s and 'No, your other left's until she had the portal device in the correct position. At least, according to GlaDOS. Heart rate increasing, Chell realized that this would be their first test of trust. Her role? To believe her murderous overlord. The murderous overlord's role? Not to shepard Chell into a pit of fiery death. Cautious, the woman locked eyes with GlaDOS' optic, internal battles raging. Having no further option...she accepted this test.

"Alright, now pull your arm up higher, unless you want to ram into the railings. You don't, by the way."

The computer ended with a grunt. Rolling her eyes, Chell did lift her arm a couple inches, then pressed the appropriate trigger on the gun. Lungs about to burst, Chell forced them to hold on longer, frozen in vaccinating between anticipation and depreciation.

POCK.

The portal connected, opening and allowing its light to spread across its surroundings. Through the cloudy haze, Chell could spot its orange glow, dynamic in its color. Part one of assessment: Complete. Rounding back to the wall in the rear, she approached it hesitantly, leaning forward on her left toe. Giving GlaDOS a sideways glance, she poked her face on through. Below lay quite a few fires, rubble, sharp shards of metal, and fallen beams. These ruins extended into the haze, beyond where Chell could see. There was no sign of the supposed platform. A flash of anger blighted her, the sharp stabs of betrayal being felt all over again. Yanking the gun through the portal to her, she glared venomously at the AI, rage causing her temperature to skyrocket, her hand nearing the vegetable with nails ready to rip and tear-

"Look down."

Look down? Why, is there anything else yo- Oh.

There, a foot from the bottom of the portal, sat the platform, its metal surface coated in ash. Just as GlaDOS had said, placing the intro-dimensional gate above the railings had prevented her colliding with them, as well as the possibility of bruises. However, it had also prevented her from seeing the platform immediately. The overwhelming anxiety had naturally increased at this, then promptly altered into hostile ambiguity. Shaking her head as to clear it, Chell hopped out of the portal, unable to cloak a hiss when her leg hit the platform. She lugged it along as she walked to the edge of the platform, where she leaned over the railing. By squinting and looking carefully, she could distinguish a broad building, integrated with doors.

Alright! Looks like we've found the goose of this wild-goose chase.

Chell eased up from the railing, acknowledging GlaDOS with a gratified ghost of a smile. As long as they kept their alliance tight and focused, they truly did stand a chance. The computer didn't respond, simply sighing softly. Shaking her head in exasperation, Chell supposed that some things would just never change. Mood risen, the woman moved about the platform, stopping mid-step when she came to what had once been an extension into the midst of the ruins below, but had since broken off, leaving a twisted railing and scratched metal in its absence. Creeping to the crooked brink of the platform, Chell peered below, scrunching up her nose when she caught sight of the ruins. It wouldn't be that terrible if it wasn't a fifteen foot drop to the ground, where she'd likely land on one of the gigantic fallen beams.

She tapped her right boot as she thought, removing her left hand to rub her chin. There was no way she was making that leap, not unless her leg decided to make a miraculous on-the-dime recovery. Bouncing it against the metal, getting short shocks of pain each time, she outweighed that option. With a pondering hum, Chell began to dig through her pocket, gently taking out the bird once she got her fingers wrapped around its thin frame. All fluffed up, it peeped in dissent, blinking its eyes open. She'd woken it from its nap, and it demanded an explanation, its chest puffed out, feathers ruffled. Chell used a nail to scratch the space between its shoulder blades, and it forgot the performance abruptly, instead opting to coo blissfully.

Face relaxing in affection, Chell cupped her hand, keeping her partner firmly situated in her palm. It didn't seem to mind, head jerking around, nosy. Chell joined in, sweeping her gaze among the ruins as she yearned for a ramp, or similarly. Suddenly, the bird cried out wildly, flapping its wings in a desperate fit. Taken aback, the woman jumped at the outburst, accidentally allowing the animal to fall out of her hand and begin a rapid descent.

No!

Shoving her own safety to the side, Chell hastily stuffed the portal device into her make-shift holster, freeing her hand. She dove with her arms, throwing her shoulders forward in just enough time to catch the bird in both hands, letting out a shaky and relieved breath. She had managed to save it when it was sheer inches from slamming into the platform, a feat that would have surely injured the creature further if it didn't kill it.

She shifted it back to a single hand, and shook a strict finger of the other at the bird, lips pressed tightly together, a stern scowl. It cocked its head, then walked forward, nuzzling against her finger endearingly. The look it gave Chell was akin to the 'puppy dog face', and if it could speak, surely it would have said:

'I'm oh so sorry and thank you so very dearly much for saving my life, dearest Chell.'

Young ones were such suck-ups. Smiling despite her disrupted nerves, she stood up again, petting the bird on its back, tracing designs in its feathers with the green light the splotches released.

"What a simpleton, pursuing suicide when it's obvious that you won't put the poor thing out of its misery. Its misery being that it's stuck with that appalling face, and grotesque structure. It needs to realize that it's going to be living with itself for a long, long time, though the chances of it coming to understanding those terms are a million to one. So, I guess you'd say it is...a bird brain."

GlaDOS had returned to her original monotonous voice, her routine of finishing her dialogue with insults accounted for.

Chell scoffed, moving the animal to one hand covering the bird's ears with another. It was silly, but that didn't stop her. The bird wouldn't be 'offended' at anything the AI had to say, though Chell would take offense for it if she was even slightly skeptical that it had heard the snappy commentary that spawned out of no where. Come to think of it, had GlaDOS just insulted a bird?

"Covering its ears won't do anything. Watch. LALALALALALA."

Insolent and shrill, the loud incantation of 'La' had the test subject's ears ringing and the bird squawking in ire. Shoving the bird to her chest and holding it there as it thrashed, Chell snatched the gun out from her jumpsuit, shaking it roughly while she attempted to calm her bird. GlaDOS' sounds changed into warbles, the potato skewered on the spike starting to spill nonsense that only inflated with each additional shake. Chell halted, dangling the gun by its grip in the trigger chamber with two fingers. The warbling lingered for all of four seconds longer, then was superseded with a nauseated moan. The woman raised her eyebrows, cocked her head. The computer was dizzy?

A laugh rose out of her, though it was silent.

So, Aperture's prized computer is dizzy? While normally I would shake my head and call that absurd, today I do believe that I'll use this..to my advantage.

Chell righted her head, pretending that she hadn't noticed GlaDOS' condition. Her bird had somewhat relaxed, though it was puffed up in distress. Following a solacing stroke of the animal's side, the test subject had the bird staring up at her with wide eyes. It looked terrified, shudders shaking its small body. The frequency of the AI's blurts had pained its already delicate and sensitive ears.

Wishing to cast a look of resentment towards the computer, but instead lifting the bird up higher to her face, Chell brightened her own expression, allowing herself to smile loosely. She watched her bird with a motherly gaze, listening as its breathing rate decreased to a healthy rate.

That's the spirit!

Beaming, Chell curled her fingers around her feathered friend, pulling it under her chin and tucking it into her neck. She held it in the embrace for a couple moments, eventually slipping it into her pocket when the noises of GlaDOS had lessened to soft grumbles. After it had been restored to its rightful throne, the bird peeked its head out, glancing about but not attempting to hop out. Resigning to letting it be, the woman tapped its head with a finger approvingly.

That's a good...

She stopped her patting, eyebrows creasing and observing the bird in a dubious display. The overall drama associated with their current predicament had slashed her weedy thoughts into shape, preventing them from growing wildly in all directions. Instead, they had been cut into a clear path, one she was expected to follow. Now, however, a thought snuck past the blades, shooting into height: The bird didn't have a name. GlaDOS, Chell, Wheatley, they'd all been bestowed alias, though they were rarely spoken aloud. In fact, none of the aforementioned had referred to the other by name at all. Regardless, having a name presented a dedication to that individual.

No matter, I'll just have to give you a name, then.

Youthful glee spread through Chell, her body shivering. Excited at being able to decide something as crucial and symbolic as a name, the test subject raked into her brain for a word, a summary of the personality curled in her jumpsuit. She was able to come up with several words, though they were all related to the same place, the same entity. Turrent. Pellet. Metal. Blood. Cubes. Cameras. Elevators.

Chell uncovered her limited vocabulary, as well as her utter paucity of acceptable names as she thought, the excitement quickly sparking into disappointment.

Frowning, she rested her hand on her hip, twirling the ASPHD with her fingers.

"'Heey! Stooop that, I've had enough of the rapid movements today."

GlaDOS complained, voice still teetering on disorientation. Chell didn't stop twirling the gun, staring at the potato, peeved. GlaDOS' optic flashed rapidly, its perception altered by the movement of the portal device. Ignoring the angry, and rather savage at that, growls of the computer, she jerked her gaze back to her pocket, bring her fingers to skirt around the opening, goading the animal into pecking at them.

Nimbly dodging the creature's beak, Chell ex cogitated about her own name, repeating it in her head and finding that each time her body answered by becoming more alert, her attitude lifting to one of abnormal accost. Strange, infinite years of not hearing 'Chell', of not being referred to anything other than 'you', yet she still knew herself; her name persisted as a true significance.

Finally halting her twisting of the ASHPD, the test subject affixed her grip onto the clear tunnel on the top of the gun. She then nudged her upper jumpsuit outfit away from her waist with the bottom of the device, freeing up space between the woman's side and the tight fabric tied around her hips. Slipping the gun through the space, jamming it into a strict hold, she got in her the holster again. Turning a bit, she made sure that it was secured before completely relinquishing her hold on it, its safety attested. The top of the gun now pointed upwards, though sideways so the side of the portal gun wouldn't be leaning against her. Having the spikes bordering the operational end tilted so they wouldn't jab her seemed to be a sapient move. GlaDOS didn't enjoy the new found closeness to Chell, which she showed with a set of biting discourtesies.

"Just when I thought I couldn't possibly get even more uncomfortable, you feel the need to consistently bring me closer to you."

The woman tilted her head, watching the potato bemusedly. She continued skipping her fingers around her bird, playfully grabbing its beak when she could, holding it closed for a split second before snatching her hand away and resuming the game. She honestly knew where the conversation was going to flow, and honestly she didn't remotely care. Holding superiority in her mind was the need to give her feathered friend an alias, and soon. Whatever GlaDOS said, she wouldn't take it into deep consideration. No, she'd much prefer reviewing her memories for anything that would shed light on her darkened conception.

"Your clothing is distasteful."

Ceasing her game with Avian Friend, Chell pointed to the Aperture Logo adorning her tank top, smack dab in the center. The logo branded there asserted that the tank had been manufactured there, by the same minds that had constructed and programmed GlaDOS herself. So calling it 'distasteful' was the same as calling your home a foreign wilderness. And although some might find the orange and white combination of cloth ugly, the test subject did not. Orange and blue were the only bright colors she'd seen since, well, ever. Wearing one of those colors made her feel as if she stood out in the monochrome environment of the Enrichment Center, made her a splash of red on the greyscale canvas. She was a harsh contrast to both the walls of the test chambers, and the multifarious souls who had fought their way through them. Orange clashed with white. Chell's tenacity countered their skepticism.

"Not the fabric itself, you simpleton. I'm referring to the morbid amount of refuse adorning it. It will soon be adorning me as well, being plastered against your sweaty abdomen."

She continued blankly staring at GlaDOS, crossing her arms across her body, a flat grin crossing her features. Slowly, she twisted and turned herself. The ASHPD bumped her side at awkward angles, but that was the purpose: To make the AI as perplexed as humanly possible. Perplexed indeed, the computer complained in protest.

"Stop that! You look undeniably stupid tossing your body this way and that. Do you have an iodine deficiency?"

...What?

Chell had no clue what an 'iodine deficiency' even was, let alone if she owned one. It was most likely something insulting though, so she gradually shook her head side to side, maintaining her dull expression. The computer snickered in studious competence, which changed into a cocky 'hmph' when the woman finally stopped moving her abdomen in a screw. However, Chell hadn't stopped for GlaDOS' sake. No, she had stopped because she had experienced a moment of enlightenment.

Iodine, that word, had a captivating ring to it. She ran it over in her brain, liking the way its every letter was included in its pronunciation. Looking down at her pocket, she visualized her bird. Iodine. Chell broke into a wide smile, eyes nearly squeezing shut. But after a couple seconds, it fell back into a frown. If her enemy had used it as an insult, it could have a negative connotation. However, perhaps she could alter it, make the word her own. After all, there was not way 'Chell' was an actual word, right? Someone had mixed the letters and sounds from another to form her name.

Perhaps a rhyme..that should be simple enough.

Thinking deeply, Chell paid no heed to either of her two companions, instead allowing her gaze to drift over the rubble below her feet. What would rhyme with 'iodine'? Having no sense of true words, she decided to just let her imagination roam and conjure things of pure fantasy.

Ranhine, Ginine, Mine, Sanhibine.

Nothing she came up with struck a chord in her heart, something she acknowledged with a silent whine.

Chell decided to take every letter of the alphabet and plop them in from of the 'dine' from Iodine.

...Keldine, Ladine, Mildine, Nadine...

Chell froze as she felt her heart jolt at that last one, her eyes brightening with emotion. Nadine, it had a graceful undertone, yet there felt as if there was a hidden meaning concealed within the letters. Gently, Chell slid her hand into her pocket, scooped out her bird, and held it in the palms of her hands. It stared up at her, golden eyes searching in her own crystal. Eyes lowering into content slits, the woman raised the animal up to her face, pressing her forehead to its own carefully. It startled, but then relented to nuzzle her twice before hopping backwards in her hands.

Fondly grinning, Chell smoothed her hand over its back, already moving it back to its pocket.

Little Nadine made her way back into Chell's jumpsuit with a clumsy stumble head-first into the pocket, benefiting a chuckle from the test subject. Confirming that Nadine was snugly settled, the woman reached back for the ASHPD, peering out of the corner of her eye at the weapon. GlaDOS' 'eye' was narrowed. Well, not literally narrowed. In the middle the glowing yellow was shaped in the shape of a crack, like a cat's eye would be formed. The sides bordering that crack were a humdrum brown, unsavory in appearance. Chell wasn't the only one who was discovering ways to communicate with her partners.

Uneasy, Chell fully set her gaze on the potato, shrugging questionably. Unexpectedly, GlaDOS made no attempt to cover up the fact that she'd been essentially glaring, made not a single attempt to smack on a facade. Instead she merely responded in a growl.

"Nothing."

Her tone was harsh, and immediately afterward her optic's shape merged so that it appeared to glance away, off to the right.

..Wow. Someone's temperamental.

Rolling her eyes and deciding not to remove the device from its holster, Chell joined her in looking to the side, biting her tongue as she surveyed the massive fall that would result from jumping off the platform. Under normal circumstances she could handle that no problem, but with her injury, even with the long fall boots, she'd likely end up a heap on the ground. Spotting the rubble and sharp edges of metal sprawled across the expanse of the area in front of her, the woman did not desire that outcome.

Having a suspicion, she backed up a couple steps, and began walking to where GlaDOS had been staring. The computer instantly swerved her look elsewhere. Faltering just slightly in her step, Chell soon shrugged it off and went ahead. When she came to the railing, she gripped the bars firmly, raising her left foot to rest on one of the bottom bars. Cautiously she leaned over the bar precariously, mentally praying that she wouldn't lose her footing.

Gripping on tightly, she bent even farther down, looking to her left and right. The platform was supported by strong metal supports, nearly a foot in width. Chell shuffled closer to the left, stretching to touch her fingertips to the support, pushing it experimentally. It didn't as much as sway a centimeter.

So they're sturdy, enough for my weight, anyway.

She just about snorted as she considered the insults GlaDOS would've thrown her way if she could read her thoughts. Taking a deep breath, she leaned back on her haunches, wincing at the discomfort, then swung her body above the railing, hastily thrusting out her arms towards the support beam. The rest of her body followed after her, but at the last second the toes of her boots caught the railing, preventing her from tumbling off the platform. She got her arms on either side of the support, and locked her fingers together so her arms were now wrapped around the width of the beam. Tensing, she clung on, boots already beginning to slip.

"Are you crazy? You're going to loose your minimal footing, hit your head, die, and then where will we be?"

Chell grunted as an answer, hurriedly working on adjusting herself in order to preclude that scenario. She straightened her upper abdomen as well as she could, pulling up higher onto the beam. Finally, just as her toes were about to glide that one last bit, she yanked her legs free and pivoted them towards the support. Pulling them apart so they wouldn't slam into the metal, she also got one leg on each side, crossed them at the ankles, and clutched onto the support as best as she was able.

She was now effectively embracing the thick pillar, a frightened child stubbornly refusing to release their mother's leg. However, Chell didn't think she would mind getting reintroduced to the reliable ground again. Glaring down, the test subject found several feet standing in their reunion.

"Oh, I believe I see what you're attempting to do. You're going to shimmy down as to not further debilitate yourself?"

Nodding with severe difficulty, Chell inched downwards, constricting the metal as she shimmied earthwards. Among a couple instances she almost slid, but she prevailed, gradually lowering down until finally her long fall boot heels tapped the ground with a soft click. Letting out a breath she hadn't noticed she'd been holding, Chell relinquished her grip on the support, prying her hands off and squeezing her right hand with her left to hopefully ease the pain. Feeling liquid sticking to her hand, she pulled them apart in surprise. The scratches, likely opened when she'd climbed the pole, were now bleeding. Though no substantial amount, the sight of the red unnerved her.

I can't go around with a bleeding hand, who knows what diseases I might pick up?

She remembered her earlier project of bandaging it, and suddenly was struck by an idea. Unveiling the white wrap she'd been wearing for joint support from her wrist, she tied it around her hand, securing it firmly into place with a tight knot. Shaking it slackly, Chell looked to GlaDOS again, smug grin present and accounted for. The computer's optic expanded completely, then dulled brown in an expression of true disinterest.

Slightly annoyed, but nonetheless satisfied with her accomplishments so far, the woman stared forward into the rubble, stepping up onto a collapsed plank from the ceiling and lingering a few steps into the debris. Out in the distance, she could locate a number of cranes stretching out to another structure farther ahead of the building with the doors. This place had been abandoned in its time of construction. Why would Aperture do that? Surely one of the highest technologically-advanced facilities wouldn't let something of this monolithic scale rot and waste.

Unless there was an exigent reason for it.

Shaking her head to clear it, Chell grasped the barrel of the portal gun, shaking it out of its holster. Minding the spikes and subsequently the potato attached to them, she fastened the ASHPD to her arm, slapping her left hand to the barrel and grasping the grip with purpose. Suddenly recalling Nadine, she swung her hips to the left, smiling in repose when the bird peeped softly. It hadn't fallen again, or been hurt whilst in the middle of her descent-by-pole.

Resuming her action of walking along the fallen beam, the test subject observed the rubble around them, eying the several fires warily. Embers dotted the air, their faint orange glow swirling around and around. The smoke was harsh to her lungs, its stench being one of rot and aged chemicals. The test subject didn't appreciate the clogging in her lungs, and she'd had..quite traumatic experiences with fire in her life time. She would not be getting too close to any of the piles of burning flame. Accompanying the fires were random sheets of metal, as well as the ancient dirt of this underground delve.

GlaDOS was swiveling her ocular about too, manipulating its form to see with more accuracy than she originally would've. Chell turned to the left when she arrived at the end of the beam, greeted with the disfigured remains of yet another ample pipe. Like the other she'd went through, this one was also open, and offered a course to the building she'd been trying to get to.

Picking up her pace, she stepped up onto a different beam which had fallen on top of another. These were thinner than the ones she'd been walking on before, so she had to harmonize her motions or take the chance of tumbling off. This was extremely challenging with her left leg. To make matters worse, even with her subtle use of the appendage, it throbbed and ached in arrant scourge. There wasn't much else for her to do, though, so she stomached the pain and kept progressing onward.

Staked on both sides were faintly-printed signs, carelessly hammered into the ground at awkward angles. They were extremely hard to decipher, the paint vibrant but stained so horribly that the letters were unrecognizable, although Chell could read a single word on the newest sign she'd encountered:

'Out.'

Wiping away some of the dust and dirt with her left hand, she was able to clean the sign enough so she got its frank message; it said in bold letters 'Stay Out'. Chell contemplated for all of a hair of a second before traipsing ahead once more.

GlaDOS had been observing, and offered her input.

"It seems likely that we're going the right way."

Definitely.

Hobbling off the beams when she finally reached the end, Chell patted her thigh tenderly, at the same time looking ahead at the surface of the building. It was made of classic brick, the red and brown hues contrasting with the rest of the atmosphere. This time with no hesitation what so ever she limped over to the building, stopping when she had the ability to actually place a hand upon the bricks. The plaster between each brick had been partially eroded, though not too greatly. Scraping a finger nail against the plaster, the woman found that it crumbled off at her touch, but otherwise was holding up well.

Drawing her gaze upwards, she caught sight of yellow lettering above her head. Backing up, she put distance between herself and the bricked walls, then looked back at the letters to read them. What they said caused her to squeeze the barrel of her gun in disbelieved rage.

'Condemned Testing Area'.

Why was it that she was forever cursed to slam into the inhumane, mind-numbing physical activity known as 'testing'? No matter where she turned, its presence was always there, everlasting. Eyes narrowing, she stepped to the side foot over foot, "circling" the building. GlaDOS wisely remained silent, inconspicuously focusing her optic in on the structure as well. Squares were stuck to the walls, peeling at their corners. Scrawled writing filled those squares, and Chell slunk back to the building, holding one of the corners to the wall so she could read the writing. She identified it as a poster. A warning one, at that.

The text read: 'Cosmic Ray Spillation'.

Blinking, she released the corner and the poster crumbled over itself, hanging on only by its old glue. Interest caught elsewhere, Chell moved further to the right, stopping at the next poster. Its text was much more clear and reverberant, the paper having been laminated unlike its companions. This one read 'Condemned Vitrification Order: 6/15/1961'.

Staring with wide eyes and an agape mouth at the year, the woman was struck by the sheer age of the Enrichment Center. When had modern Aperture seen the last of its days following GlaDOS god-like promotion? Early 2000's? Late 1900's? Or was 1961 "modern"?

Her memory failed at this strain, not able to comprehend hundreds of years after being frozen for roughly that amount of time in semi-never-ending sleep. However, GlaDOS managed to clarify for her.

"That year is approximately 20 years preceding the earliest records I have of my facility. That means this testing track was sealed perhaps due to severe lack of scientific success, granted its dated release."

So, you have absolutely no clue what lies in here, then? Other than ancient and worthless tests?

Picking at the corners of this poster, Chell idly tried to pry it off the wall, straining to make out the fine print located at the bottom of the sheet. She hadn't noticed it earlier, but wasn't that the purpose of fine print?

'Do not look at, touch, ingest, or engage in conversation with any substances beyond this point'.

Just what kind of twisted humor did Aperture Science have? Shaking her head, the test subject gave a final tug that tore the poster off the brick building with a loud 'shhhhrriiikuh!'. Holding it out in front of her with a single hand, she scanned it again, running her thumb along the bottom and stopping it beneath an Aperture logo. This one differed from the one on her jumpsuit though; it was still the ringed aperture that gave Aperture Science its namesake, but in the center of that aperture was an atom. Symbolically, that would symbolize the company's eye for science, that it only saw what could contribute to the growth of Science.

There was a label under the logo, but she couldn't read it. It was just too tiny and faded. As she was preparing to toss the poster to the side, she detected GlaDOS' stare, directed at it. Mischievously she turned around towards the pipe and hurled it as hard as she was able out into the rubble, watching in satisfaction as it tumbled over the metal pieces and out of view. A millisecond of stunned silence. Then the computer groaned dramatically, shaking on the spike of the portal gun.

"Now come on, was that truly necessary?"

Smirking at the potato before backing up a single foot, once more facing the Condemned Testing Area, she felt a sharp taste of reprisal work its way up her throat, coating her tongue and spiking her breath. It tasted bitter, yet sweet. While she didn't like the bitterness, the sweet flavor shoved that to the side, and thus she felt preeminent, rather fulfilled.

Medicine tastes twice as vile when you're swallowing it, doesn't it?

Returning her expression to that of a blank slate, Chell stared at a gray door directly in front of her. Pasted onto it in a collage of slants were 'Keep Out' signs of all varieties. Naturally she walked up to it, taking the handle in her free hand and yanking downwards. There was a harsh click, and the handle stopped halfway through its rotation that would open the door. Locked. She tried pushing harder, shoving against the door since the majority of everything she'd bumped into had been fragile and easily broken. But the door held, once again.

Undeterred, the test subject stepped to the right, tracing the wall of the building until she came to a low metal grate fastened over an open gap in the bricks. Looking through it, she could see intact concrete flooring, pipes snaking into a hole in the earth, and a 'Keep Out' sign of an intense massive scale.

Not bothering to furthermore dirty her palms, Chell rested her left elbow on the wall, setting that foot on the ground with a flinch. She then forcefully kicked the grate with her right foot, quickly stomping it back down when her other leg cried out in pain.

The grate rattled violently, and before it could cease that action Chell rammed her boot into it again with even more strength, doing so a final time after hearing a snap! At the last kick the grate gave in, falling to the ground with a metallic whine. Having surmounted that obstacle, the woman pulled her jumpsuit away from her waist, storing her quantum device and computer-tormenter in the holster.

"I rest my case, however, that does not mean I approve of it. Stop putting me against your body. It's excruciatingly worse than having automatic responses encrypted into your system!"

God...this is worse than dealing with a child.

Twisting the ASHPD so that the spike holding GlaDOS was outwards, away from her side, the woman brought her hand up to her temples and massaged them with a silent sigh. If the AI couldn't stop the insults, couldn't drop the past and work towards the present, she was going to develop a lethal headache. Also, it would only increase the potato's chances of getting discarded during their jaunt.

Deciding to relay this message via body language, Chell snapped her eyes open in a narrow slit, blowing air out of her nose in a slow, but dynamic, exhale. GlaDOS' optic mimicked her own pupils, but gradually expanded, lighting up in a cheerful yellow.

Oh no. She's come up with something, and my gut tells me it won't be an apology.

"Why so sensitive? Surely you haven't forgotten what I told you back in the ridiculously tall elevator shaft, have you? In case you have, here, let me get it for you."

There was the sound of tapes rewinding at a sprinting pace. The test subject found herself stumped on how she could store information, operate at a decent caliber, and insult her while stuck in a form that left her nearly powerless.

"Aah, here we go."

GlaDOS piped contently. She clicked, optic darkening before the recording rolled out of either hidden speakers or the potato's raw skin.

"Your lack of a reaction indicates that you are uncertain. I assure you, no tricks. All Aperture Personality Constructs can operate at as low as 1.1 volts. This potato generates 1.1 volts. My functions are limited to the bare minimum in order to preserve power; I literally do not have the energy to lie to you."

Chell pressed her lips. Of course she hadn't forgotten that! It was only what had convinced her to take the computer along for the ride at all. What did that statement even have to do with the current situation, anyway?

"Now to tie that into the present situation; you assume that I continually insult you, correct?"

Nodding, the woman confirmed the inquiry. If GlaDOS knew she was taking what she said as an insult, that was probably the reason she was bothering to speak at all. Chell would have to stop reacting to her, then. It was a simple solution.

"Well, anything I say is the cold hard truth, at least down here. So instead of thinking of them as insults, think of them as stone-hard facts. Which is what they are."

Indignation hurtling against her chest, pressuring her to retaliate, she swallowed it with effort, easing the muscles in her arm. Instead, she offered GlaDOS a lovely view of the side of her head as she turned her attention back to the metal grate, bending down on one knee to get to its level.

Coming to lay on her stomach, she grabbed the sides of the gap and pulled herself in as far as possible, then twisted her body to squeeze through. Her skin touched rough concrete, nothing at all like the smooth tile she'd been walking on her entire testing experience. After getting herself clear of the grate, she pushed herself up on her elbows, pushing herself back into a standing position with her right foot. She felt accomplished that she hadn't needed a wall for support this time.

Adjusting her weight and then facing away from where she'd just came, Chell located a platform that was led up to by a set of stairs. She brushed the hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. She wrapped her hand around the front of the ASHPD, pulling it out of the jumpsuit. As she was settling it, she began heading towards the platform. Nadine had poked her head out of the pocket some time during all the commotion, and Chell realized with a start that she could have squished the poor thing when crawling through the grate.

Once she'd fixed the gun, she dropped her hand and ran a finger over its head, smiling softly. Chirping happily it nuzzled her finger before jerking its head away again, taking in its new surroundings. Bringing her head side to side as she walked, Chell found that the backside of the brick building serving as the gate into this area was identical to the front. Did that mean they were trying to keep people in who wanted to get out?

Suspicious, but not wanting to waste time evaluating the possible quagmires of Aperture's antecedents, she merely resumed headway. There was a pipe to her left side that groaned every few seconds. Given its rusty state, it looked ready to burst at any moment. Chell mostly stayed to her right.

The test subject and her partners reached the platform in less than a minute; the distance between it and the wall was miniscule. Raising up to the first stair, Chell climbed them, pulling herself up steadily. The rail was ice cold, but she needed whatever small assistance it had to offer.

Climbing the three stairs proved to be a rather easy task. Soon Chell stood atop the platform, peering out into the gash slashed into the hardened dirt wall. The looming darkness created a tablecloth over the passage, covering what was underneath. To compensate, the woman moved down the platform, closer to the gap.

It was a path, over-hanged by emancipated remains of giant pipes and fallen beams. Dozens of 'Keep Out' signs were jammed into the ground, all within six inches of each other; the passage was utterly off-limits. So, therefore, it was their path of travel. However, there was another lofty drop to it.

With a groan Chell back away from the drop, giving herself a mental scolding for getting injured. It didn't matter that she hadn't had any control over anything once she'd been knocked under; she had survived worse and now one small mistake was ruining her abilities she'd spent countless hours perfecting.

"What are you waiting for? We should go that way, as the objects of most divine interest are usually protected by the intent to divert and lead awry those who seek them."

How true. Chell glanced over to GlaDOS, frowning, touching the side of her thigh with the palm of her hand. The computer manipulated her optic to focus in on where the test subject was resting her hand, further narrowing it when she saw just where. Swinging her optic back to Chell, the AI actually presented her with eye contact as she spoke to her.

"You really did hurt yourself, didn't you. Contrary to usual belief, I'm not all that pleased by occurrence at all."

Staring at her quizzically, Chell subconsciously set her injured leg down on its foot, purpose being to hide any weaknesses from predators yearning to make the woman their prey. Strangely, the instinctively behavior was rather accurate given the circumstances. There was a harsh intervention courtesy of GlaDOS following this.

"Stop putting that much weight on it! Pick it up again. Now."

Chell blinked confusedly until she realized that she'd been leaning precariously on the leg. The pain convinced her to abide by the computer's orders, and she obeyed, picking up her leg and resting the knee on a section of the thin wire fence enclosing the platform, save for the open spot leading into the passage. The fence didn't pop out of place, and Chell was grateful for that small fortune. The AI sighed, her yellow light flickering on and off.

"You can't keep setting substantial amounts of weight on it. Judging by the way you carry it, it's broken in some place or another. Do you know what that means?"

Well, first off, she knew that it meant hell in a basket, as far as how this trip was going to be. Scouring through an underground maze with a broken leg? Not going to be pretty.

"It means that if you aren't very careful, it could give out, snap in two, or even puncture through your skin if the bone moves out of its original position enough. It's common knowledge that you wouldn't want any of those possibilities to occur."

Swallowing thickly in discomfort, the woman visualized these scenarios, giving a shudder in thought of her bone jutting out through her skin. She shook her head in agreement, putting her left hand under her chin and watching GlaDOS with a disheartened look; things were beginning to look bleak for them.

"Don't give me that look. If you've proven anything, it's that for every hindrance thrown at you, you can work your way around it."

She huffed, spinning her gaze up and over to the path beyond.

"...Those long-fall boots. They were designed with a number of things in mind."

Chell dropped her stare to the boots, running her look along their surface.

"The thick exterior is to reduce shock to the bones. An elevated heel: to compensate for the lengthy velocity challenge brace. As for that brace itself, it is constructed in such a manner that when the test subject plummets from great heights, both their weight and the force of the fall is distributed evenly to certain sections of the footwear. It also effortlessly corrects unbalance."

Taking it in slowly, the woman was surprised that she actually understood the majority of what GlaDOS had elaborated. Basically, she had explained how the long-fall boot was of assistance to her in testing. However, they still required a pair of legs in order to work properly.

"Each boot is properly coordinated for the foot it is worn on. That way, the test subject will not land off balance and hurtle face-first into a pond of corrosive acid."

That's considerate. Though..does that mean my feet were studied in order to fit them with these boots?

A bit disturbed at the thought of having her feet examined while she was unconscious, Chell shifted somewhat, leaning harder on the fence. The computer chuckled, fastening her own look to Chell's boots.

"No, that does not mean the Aperture Science Test Subject Apparel Monitor meticulously checks each and every test subject for their foot dimensions. There's common differences between the left and right postures of the appendages in individuals; they're designed based on those."

I suppose that makes sense.

"Anyway, relating back, if the boots are specifically made for the foot they're on, and you've been landing on two feet as per normal human behavior, what else do you think the boots have the capacity for?"

Musing, the woman rose up on her right heel, raising her height and then sinking back with a sigh. Then she understood. Chell tapped the side of the ASHPD, quickly pointing to her standing foot and giving a petite hop. The yellow optic lit up in approval.

"Yes. As long as you land on a properly-structured leg, the boot will function accordingly; the landing will be the same as if you still had a set of fully-functioning legs."

Allowing a grin to slip loose, Chell pushed off the fence, delicately pressing her injured foot to the ground and limping over to the drop.

"Now, this doesn't mean that you should rush into anything. Take it slow an-!"

The test subject had leaped off the platform before GlaDOS could finish, her sole leg braced for impact as she fell, arms taut at her sides. The sensation of free-falling left her fear-stricken, for not so long ago had a fall crushed something vitally important to her. She sealed her eyes shut, hoping with every emotion she possessed.

Her boot smacked into the earth, the spring squealing at the sudden impact. She lurched forward, but she was yanked back a moment later by the long-fall boot. It swayed sideways ever so slightly, then halted completely, evenly proportionate and supportive. Peeling her eyes open, Chell stood utterly still, blinking in dazed alleviation.

"You hear an sixth of what I say, don't you?"

GlaDOS sighed, the tones softening as the sound ended. Her optic was appointed to the north, farther down the path Chell had just jumped into.

Regarding the computer then hurriedly hobbling forward, Chell started traveling amongst the foreboding signs, feeling increasingly less and less troubled by them as she headed farther. Repetition didn't breed contempt; it bred indifference.

Her attention jarred when a bright lamp came into view, illuminating both the signs around it beyond. Chell turned to the left, a winding pipe on ground level becoming rather obvious on a lower ground level. As she went on, using the pipe as a visual aid as to where to go, she approached another drop.

Confidence having been built up with the newly-discovered abilities of her boots, the woman hurtled over the ledge, gasping in fright when darkness engulfed her without regret.

Though she was tempted to flail, Chell forced herself to remain stable with her healthy leg outstretched, braving through like a brain-damaged test subject such as herself was expected to do. She was rewarded with another safe landing, one that she ended in a shudder.

She walked briskly, keeping more to the left as to follow the pipe as closely as possible. There weren't any additional signs here; perhaps they'd reached where they were forbidden to access? Chell couldn't tell; it was pitch black aside from a faint glow from behind. In fact, she gradually had to resort to running her hand along the pipe as a sort of guide. Sheets of cardboard flipped over her shoes, and the groaning of pipes could be heard in the distance.

Eventually a greater source of light came into play, highlighting a raised platform, similar to the one she'd jumped off of before. Picking up her pace, Chell limped up the stairs, stepping onto the platform with small clicks from the boots.

Looking from the red switch and the locked gate with yellow and black orange plastic wrapped around the front of its frame, the test subject put two and two together, and grasped the switch, yanking it until it popped out of its locked stance. It shrieked, spitting sparks on her arms. The gate slammed open, the doors rocking lightly.

Chell snatched her hand away, holding it close to her chest. The sparks were falling in a shower above her head as she slipped through the open gate, hopping down the stairs rather than shuffling in order to speed up their progress. As soon as she hit the last stair, strong floodlights snapped on, showing their location in full debut.

"Woah."

Woah is right...

In the center of the wall in front of the trio, there was a tremendous monster of a hatch, wires dangling from the ceiling connecting to the top of it. There was nothing else in the room, aside from catwalks leading up to the hatch, and two buildings supported by thin metal beams attached to the walls that had 00 lit in neon red on their front surfaces.

Hesitantly resuming walking forward, the human reached inside her pocket, scooping out Nadine and bringing her to her chest, where she held her (Nadine had a feminine sound to it; she figured she might as well label the bird a female) and stroked her head anxiously. The bird chirped quietly, staying still in the test subject's hand.

Slowly they made their way to the stairs leading up to the catwalk, Chell haggardly stepping up the old stairs, walking along the dented metal when she got onto the actual catwalk. Above her head was a higher platform, leading up to the hatch itself. Assuming there was a stairway up to the higher platform, she continued on. It was a dead-end, a plain white wall. Although, it appeared as if there had once been a door or something of the like there, judging by the marks on the surface.

And above that, was some rather ominous text.

'Abandonment Hatch to Test Shaft 09 Zulubensen. DO NOT ENTER. Sealed 6/15/1961'

Test Shaft...09?

Chell now knew why she'd seen the label 09 previously; she'd been making her way to this 'Test Shaft', which was a 'Condemned Testing Area', sealed June 15th 1961. It was also forbidden to entrance...but where else did she have to go?

Chell bit her lip, darting her eyes up to the hatch. The catwalk leading to the top portion had been broken; where it would've normally met up with the building resembling a lookout with the neon numbers, it was snapped quite a few feet away.

That makes me wonder, though. Could these buildings have any importance?

Squinting through the open doorway, she could make out equipment and more posters. Chell put her bird back into her pocket, giving it an apologetic smile at its protesting complaint. Swinging the ASHPD back into her grip, she fired a portal onto the wall in front of her, then spun on her right heel and shot its corresponding partner onto a wall inside the interior of the building. She slunk through the portals, carefully avoiding the edge so she wouldn't trip.

Once inside, the computer attached to her gun sprang to life, nearly shocking the woman into falling backwards out of her portal.

"I don't believe you should be in here. Let's try to find another way inside that shaft, perhaps you could use your hard head to ram through the walls?"

Staring at her incredulously, Chell lifted the portal device closer to her face, scrunching up her nose in a disapproving scowl. Didn't she want her to investigate, to discover a way back up to the facility so they could all 'live happily ever after'? She was reminded of when GlaDOS had commented that life wasn't a fairytale, and subsequently her mood worsened.

"Seriously, let's just go back the way we came. Don't turn around."

Raising an eyebrow, the woman did what came instinctively, and turned around. There, settled in the middle of a strange piece of equipment, was a large red button. Eying it with interest, Chell got closer, stretching out her arm to press it. There was a growl, mechanized.

"Don't touch it. The last time you touched a button you ruined everything."

Halting immediately, Chell snapped her stare back to GlaDOS, feeling stabbing feelings of guilt pierce her soul. There hadn't been a choice then, however, and the same applied here. If she didn't try something they'd be stuck, and also defeated. The woman wasn't willing to let that happen. Shooting the AI a reassuring half-grin, she slammed her hand down on the button.

"YOU IDIO- wait, nothing's happening."

Forcing air through her teeth, the test subject 'sssh!'ed the computer quickly, listening intently to the ticks clicking through the air. Each one had a second of space between it and the next click, and the timed sounds stopped after three in succession. Above her, there was also a count-down clock, the same neon-red as the signs outside. It had been counting down from three.

Sidestepping the equipment, Chell sauntered to the wide glass windows of the lookout, examining the corresponding building she had a perfect view of from her current location. Reaching back, she pressed the button again, tilting her head in thought when the numbers on that neon sign commenced countdown as well.

This is obviously a time-limit for something, and these two lookouts work in a pair. Thus, there should be another button in the other building!

Turning and trotting back out the door, Chell pushed up on her toes carefully, spotting a free section of walling on the catwalk connected to the other lookout. She leveled the ASHPD, shooting the blue portal. The one she'd shot in the previous building evaporated with a 'pop'. Spinning the gun around her finger, getting a defiant 'Hey!' from GlaDOS, the test subject fired the orange portal back inside, stepping through it and out onto the farther catwalk, where she walked into the lookout.

She did a double-take, seeing as this room was utterly the same as the other, but sure enough, as soon as she had the blue portal behind her in this room, the button from the previous building was visible through it. In front of her was another button, though a crumbled piece of paper lay face-down on top of it.

Picking it up between two fingers, Chell flipped it over, opening it gently as to not rip the worn material. When she got it unfolded, she uncreased it on her side, then set to reading it.

'Hatch Override'.

Scrunching the label in her hand and tossing it over her shoulder, Chell strode up to the button, placing her palm completely around it, glancing over her shoulder, determined expression planted on her visage once again. She felt shuffling in her pocket and she tensed, backing her left foot back a half of a step. At Nadine's baffled peep she slammed on the button, tossing herself through the blue portal in a leap to catch that button as well, barely managing to depress it with the pads of her fingers before the clock struck '1'.

Her ears were bombarded by a deafening roar of beeps and sirens, the lights in the main room darting around in a warning fashion. The sharp noises flew into her ears like shrapnel, eradicating a sense from her five senses. Unable to cover her ears, still aware enough not to drop the ASHPD and GlaDOS, the woman hunched her shoulders forward and squeezed in on herself as tightly as possible, eyes clamped shut and twitching as she strained to conceal her sight to an even greater extent in a vain attempt at shutting off out the bellowing.

The blares were overshadowed by the metallic screams of machinery venting their frustration at their awakening, mechanical parts slamming into each other as they conducted their usual routine after years of dormant stillness. The test subject scrambled for her orange portal, carelessly throwing herself out it and ramming into the device enclosing the now-labeled-as-cursed red button.

Forced to stop her fleeing, Chell gripped onto the side of the equipment, jerking when the room quieted down as suddenly as it had erupted into chaos. Snapping her head up, she stared, astonished, out the glass window of the lookout structure. The great hatch had been risen, hung high above its old post. What the hatch had been concealing was again concealed, in black, the color filling the space easily.

"What a complicated method of opening a conduit gate. I doubt the flamboyant display was entirely necessary."

The woman flickered her eyes to the AI, tightening and then loosening her jaw in cautious correspondence. The woman's distracted behavior must not have convinced the computer, for she began enacting a different tactic to get Chell's entire attention.

"Can you hear me? Hellooooooo~"

She instantly reacted, bunching herself into a defensive crouch, her grip on the portal device strong and adept. The high-pitched 'hello' mimicked the call of those dreaded turrents, beings that Chell hadn't forgotten and likely never would. However, she realized that it was GlaDOS would had said the pleasantry, judging by the slight hint of smooth superiority lingering in the tone.

Relaxing and standing back into an upright position, the woman clicked her nails on the front end of the gun, pointed a finger to her chest, then lifted up a thumb in a thumbs up.

Yes, I heard you. You collaboration of depravity, apathy, and sadism.

Degrading herself for getting irritated, jumpy, the test subject banished her emotions, not counting the soft sigh following a stroke of her avian friend. The AI's optic narrowed and expanded rapidly as she looked from Nadine to Chell, finally settling on Chell.

"Aah, so your poor eardrums haven't busted yet. Next time you are confronted with an unpleasant situation such as this, just compare your pain to what you imagine mine to be. Mental pain, of course, considering I'm stuck with your IQ levels."

Chell, shaking her head to silence the ringing behind her ears, slunk out of the doorway partly, peeking her head out and placing a single foot onto the catwalk. The lights from above made it far more visible on the metal walkways, and within seconds she knew exactly where she'd have to go to make it up to the opened hole in the wall.

Making her way down and around a corner, Chell came to another set of stairs.

"Seems that Aperture's old construction engineers could sense the future; they put in all these stairs for you to conquer, and thus both lose weight and gain the skill of moving about various impediments while under your own."

The test subject wasn't sure to take that offensively or complimentary, so she let the forces even out into a neutral standpoint and just ignored it. Clambering up the last step and coming to a closed gate at the top of the stairs, she took her hand and pushed it, almost stumbling backwards when the gate swung open merely at her touch, blinding light leaving her swaying at first, but then providing a scintillating field of vision that enclosed the once-blackened hidden area sealed behind the Abandonment Hatch to Test Shaft 09.

Almost in comical disbelief, Chell hurried into the alcove, stopping in front of a chair and table, face twisted into an expression of befuddlement. The table was resting on its side, dented and scratched. The chair though sat upright, generally untouched aside from its yellowed cushion. The odd pair sat by a door, its door helpfully labeled with a demonstration on how to open it: take your hands, apply them to the door bar, and push forward. All this was illustrated with a hand and an arrow pointing up. It was maybe the most useful diagram she'd ever seen.

Doing just what the label entailed, she shoved the door open, going into a cold, damp, stone hallway that had another door on the far ahead. Wires, fuse boxes, that was all that adorned the unripened hall. Considering that the walls were pressing against her body, literally, and no where else would yield much results, Chell squeezed her way to that door, having to apply greater strength to get it to open.

It skidded along the ground, leaving a dark rust stain in its wake. Grunting as she leaned against it harder, Chell tumbled forward when it abruptly swung all the way in, the door hitting the wall with a disconsolate clamor. The woman found herself pancaked to the door, nose aching from where it had hit the metal.

Why can't I go five minutes...five minutes...

Pulling herself off the door and rubbing at her face, Chell slowed, finger tips resting on her cheek. There were the sounds of creaking metal and water flowing, clinking against whatever lay in their way. A look to the left told her the source of those noises. The door had opened to a walkway that lay on open water, that seemed to stretch for miles endlessly where it didn't end at mangled underground earth. She fully entered, snapping her head behind herself when the door slammed shut behind her, locks clicking into place with several snaps.

Crap. No going back now.

"Thank god. Now you can no longer linger around places of no interest. Onward, Tooma!"

Staring at GlaDOS in a purely clueless and disturbed fashion, Chell raised her eyebrows. Nadine even had her head sticking out of the pocket, eying the potato with an unblinking stare. Though that could have just been because she was hungry. Nonetheless, Chell figured it added to the scene.

"Oh. That's an acronym. T.O.O.M.A. It applies to you. Don't ask me what it stands for however; it's for me to know and for you to never, ever, ever...find out."

Towards the end of her sentence the computer darkened her tone, constructing her articulations out of malevolence itself. Awkwardly shifting, the test subject grimaced, then made her way forward, not favoring her bestowed nickname. The AI was happily gazing in the direction that Chell was walking, content for now.

You're seriously a real quean , sometimes, GlaDOS. I hope you know that. But then again, you 'know everything', so you have to already know.

There was a sign that warned of the dangers of the water; Chell decided to consider it the same as the acid GlaDOS had implemented in several of her test chambers. Luckily, rails kept her relatively safe from the corrosive liquid, and the passage appeared to have been designed for people strolling through this underground labyrinth, if the sign and smoothly-crafted tile flooring were any indication.

Chell came to another set of three steps, though the bottom step was partially underwater, in the acid water. Taking a risk and stretching her left leg out to set on the second step, she grasped the railing of this stairway and pulled herself up to the catwalk above, yelping at the harsh flare of pain that jumped up her muscles, racking her nerves. She was able to catch her footing before her leg gave, and thus she stood at the top, holding onto the heel of her left boot with a hand.

"Idiot. I told you not to do that anymore."

How else would have I gotten up? Either way I was going to have to put pressure on it, or, Option B: Willingly walk into corrosive water. Do the math.

She let her foot down gently, guiding it onto the catwalk completely before releasing it. Testing it, finding the leg gingerly spasming, Chell let out a resigned sigh, pulling it up to her knee as she'd done priory in this undertaking.

As she was still looking at her feet, the woman was able to see the water lazily flowing underneath her feet through the catwalk, thick and sizzling with fatality. Chell was a fly dancing on the teeth of a Venus Fly Trap, and she was fully aware of that. Getting onto a solid support was a priority.

Her spring of her boot clicked dully when she hopped forward, holding a deep gratification that the boot corrected any semblance of the negligible instances of instability. Along the walk were 'intersections' that broke off into an observation platform, presumably for gazing out into the dense fog in the horizon.

Tremors shook the flimsy catwalk, nearly knocking the test subject lopsided on more than a few occasions.

"Those oscillating trembles come from the above facility; my facility. Although the Enrichment is uncongenial powerful as far as its power turbines go, they shouldn't rattle the earth to the core."

Stopping, the test subject tilted the ASHPD to the side, cocking her head to the side as well at the computer.

"What I'm implying is that something has gone wrong. Horribly, sincerely, audaciously wrong."

There was a minute of thoughtful silence, though it was cracked by the groaning of the earth-woven walls, flowing of acid water, electric zaps, and the sleeping breath of the bird resting in Chell's jumpsuit pocket.

So. Cute.

Chell was seriously considering melting, but that consideration was scared out of her following GlaDOS sharp rendition.

"It's that moron! He's probably tearing the threads of fragile data to shreds, infecting the simplest of processes with his idiocy! Even the weighted storage cubes will weep to make less the grief."

Wincing at the forcefulness of 'moron', Chell pressed a digit to her lips, shushing air out through her teeth in a soft whisper. Indignified, GlaDOS' optic expanded, sharpened, and shone a much heftier yellow.

"Are you shushing me? Just because you cannot form a single word doesn't require that I stoop to your level. You'd be damn pissed if someone strolled into your domain and took the reins, wouldn't you? Reins that were specifically created for you, and that had been controlled by you for as long as you'd existed. How would you like for those to be snatched from you by a petty press of a button? Hrm?"

Chell was flinching uncomfortably, guilt slowly working its way back into her soul and digging a winter burrow. The computer was radically enraged, her normal monotone vanished as emotions began boiling over in a stream of words.

"Why did you even follow that imbecile anyway? Did you not pick up on the sheer amounts of ignorance he houses just by being within five hundred feet of his gross sphere body?"

"I'm not sure who I'm angrier at: You, for ruining my life twice, or myself for being generous enough to keep you around after the first time you did so."

"There's only two types of beings in the world. Those that observe and those that demolish."

"This entire fiasco would have never happened if you'd simply died in the first four test chambers like all the others. But no, you had to be the despicable, troubling outlier that I only kept around to contribute to science, and you ruined it. You have ruined science, do you know how difficult that is to do? It's an entire subject, an entire career, an entire classification of study! And you've utterly eliminated it with your gross, overweight carc-"

The AI abruptly sparked, her aperture shrinking in fear before a 'bzzzt' entered the air, and her optic cut off cold. At first, Chell felt as if time was churning in slow motion behind her eyes. Then her mouth fell open and she was holding the portal gun close to her body, tapping her nails on the gun with an anxious gasp.

She could no longer hear the whirring of processors, the familiar yellow optic was absent, and it was eerily silent. Feeling waves of fright and worry slam into her the woman fumbled with the ASHPD, trying to awaken the dead.

GlaDOS persisted to be unresponsive, all evidence that she was animated at all gone.

No. You've died twice; you can't actually die now over nothing. You're always coming back like a weed; prove it again.

Still nothing. Narrowing her eyes in determination, Chell grabbed the spike accommodating the computer, and gave it a twist, roughly bending it out of its true position. Someone up there had mercy, for the AI's optic blared to life, and the computer herself coughed, her processors coming online once more. The woman let go of the spike, but kept the ASHPD near herself, watching GlaDOS in concern.

"Ergh..wha-..what happened? How long was I out? It felt like I blew a PSU."

Shakily letting out a sigh of relief, Chell took the gun back to its proper setting, offering GlaDOS a small, and slightly apologetic, grin. The AI had trouble focusing, but she noticed Chell, shown by the irritated huff she directed her way.

Heh, that's right. Come back kicking, weed.

"Okay, enough emotional rampages. We'll deal with that all later. For now, let's just continue navigating this wasteland. Move Tooma."

Stop ordering me around..Dandelion.

Casting her a warning gaze, Chell tapped her arm, converting her face to a smug expression.

"Fine. Please advance so we won't become artifacts of the past."

Accepting that, she resumed heading ahead, taking caution not to provoke anything within the AI again, even though she'd forbidden any outbursts of emotion. You could never tell with sadistic supercomputers, after all. Huge floating spheres dotted the surface of the water, their almost diamond-like pattern peeking out from the light waves. They were as large as an average building, yet they had been conquered by the rust and algae that now clambered all over them.

The one she was focusing on was severely damaged, most of its covering plating ripped from it, its constructing beams visible through the gaps. It appeared to be hollow, though filled with water given its present predicament. She wondered what kept it floating.

There were wires dangling from the ceiling, disappearing into the deep of the liquid. However, when she came to the second of these strange spheres, the top was visible. Connected to that top were wires, straining as they were stretched past their limits in order to stay connected to the object.

Those require electrical power? What on earth could they be?

Her stare, still locked on the orbs, ended up drifting far into the distance, thorough the hazy fog. As if her eyes had commanded it, the fog suddenly lifted, flying away in doleful wisps of gray. Clarification came to her field of vision, the edges of material bodies redefining at the exit of the smog. A tall structure was able to be seen, the catwalk she'd been walking on wrapping around it and continuing upward all around the building in a 360. It served as a core, and a target as well.

Mechanical grinds and groans of protest from the aging metal under her feet begged her not to pursue her target, but the test subject did, shoulders straightening and chin lifting high. She passed underneath a higher catwalk before reaching more stairs, which she climbed with relative ease despite their increased number. Her injured leg still throbbed though, so she let it continue to hover, if only for a brief break.

The catwalk leading to the structure was broken, par for the course, Chell figured out when she'd turned at the top. Jagged and irregular, the edges that remained of the broken edge of the walk told a story of austere removal, sour annihilation. However the view above spoke another tale, a diamond-speckled sphere suspended above the 'core', powerful supports clinging to the orb and keeping it in place. Its wires were placated in their nonrestrictive formations, having the option to swing in their fittings.

Above that orb, the woman could see the shadow of another. Were they connected? How did the ones sunken in filthy water meet their fate without knocking the others to their end as well?

"Those spheres are extending high-wards. Let's get to them. That structure they're hovering above would be an old elevator shaft. My guess is that it will take us up to the spheres, considering it's still operational."

But how to get there?

Taking the road that was able to be traveled by, she turned left, winding around a corner and then following the walk in the opposite direction that she was previously going. It wasn't professing outcome, but it was an alternative solution that had possibility. GlaDOS realized that too. She didn't complain. Nadine, however, did. Chirping pout-fully, the bird nuzzled roughly against Chell's side, impatient with being inside the jumpsuit. Her feathers tickled through the fabric, inciting the woman to concede.

She fished the animal out, cupping her in her palm. Golden eyes shining in joy, Nadine hopped onto the woman's arm, crawling up it down to her elbow. Unable to stop the giggles that resulted from the ticklish sensation, Chell arched her arm, and her bird scrambled up her upper arm, stopping once she'd attained a view while situated on the test subject's shoulder.

Chell turned her head to look at her, blowing a small puff of air softly into her face. Nadine shook herself in response, green blotches illuminating briefly, then fading. Affectionately grinning then bringing up her hand to pet her, Chell resumed her walking slightly hindered by her distraction of her bird, but not giving anything of semblance to a care. Nadine's feathers were smooth, it felt warm with all the lights enlightening the walkway, and there was a door she was progressing towards. There really couldn't be anything in this direction and she wouldn't mind at-Wait, there was a door!

Dropping her hand, the woman attempted a trot, minorly succeeding as her pace increased and she came to the door. It had caved in, tattered debris spilling out onto the catwalk, its complex system of locks broken. She was able to fit the firing end into the gap provided and stick a portal onto a wall inside, smirking when she heard it pop into being. Just like in testing, everything was falling into place by her, a line of dominoes arranged into an extravagant mosaic of black and white.

Chell was startled when there was a peep in her ear, literally in her ear, and she was surprised to see that she'd forgotten to put her partner back into her pocket. She hadn't slipped off her shoulder however, reminding the test subject of the bird's assertive grip on her finger. Maybe it would be okay just to allow her to sit there instead of cramming her into a pocket? It wasn't like she could fly away, and although that made Chell feel bad, she also felt relieved that Nadine couldn't leave her, selfishly so. The animal had allayed her internal need for a living emotional tie to the world, and Chell had no motivation to sever the tie.

"Put that thing back. It's going to attempt suicide once more when you aren't watching it closely with a pair of lovey-dovey eyes."

'Lovey-Dovey' eyes? Does that bother you, miss potato?

In spite she made that exact pair of eyes at Nadine, almost bursting into laughter when the bird actually tried to copy her. They certainly were a pair of love birds, pun intended! Immediately afterward she limped ahead, taking notice and enjoying the irritated grumbles of the machine.

She'd been preparing to fire a portal onto the wall and pass into the hallway of the collapsed door, but in her content merriment Chell had went too far, and instead had met up with another door. This one was locked. It also had a sign that read 'Vitrified, Caution: Contaminated Area'.

Roughly, she distanced herself and the door, blinking hard at the label to the left of the door.

To Test Chambers 1-200

Two hundred test chambers at such an early year for scientific study of this scale. Aperture was an overachiever even in its prehistory. All of them were contaminated, too? What had occurred here in this desolate underground science facility? For some reason, the test subject had a sense she didn't want to find out.

---

This took forever. Do you know how hard it is to write when unmotivated? Extremely hard, that is what it is. That's why this chapter is so late...but! Look at the word count on this. Over double the original chapter, and 30 pages on OpenOffice. Hopefully this chapter's length will make up for its lack of promptness. I was considering making it longer, but I didn't want it to drag on and on. So I have a basis for the next chapter, which means it could potentially come out earlier than I anticipated. Woo~

Now to address something that some of you may pick up on.

Nadine actually does not rhyme with Iodine, if you pronounce it right. It's a french word, so it is said as Na-DEEN.. However, if Chell can barely get English words correct, she's not going to know anything dealing with French. She doesn't even know it's a true word; to her it's a creation of her imagination. Thus, she says it as Na-dine, like fine dining.

Mmm, another thing. If you can figure out what T.O.O.M.A. stands for, I'll laugh so hard. And perhaps write an extra thousand words on the next chapter.

Anyway, sorry for the lateness again! Review if you'd be so kind, I love reading them!