Wheatley sat straight up, his heart beating faster than he felt safe. That... that wasn't a normal dream. Not that I know what a normal dream is like, but still...

He jumped up out of his bed and grabbed some paper and a pen. The dream was already fading from his memory, and he couldn't allow himself forget such vital information. His hand violently shaking, he began to write:

It was August when it happened. I was working, like always. Things were going fine. My lab (Yes, my own lab!) was cluttered with papers, which were scattered all over the desk and floor. I finished writing my lab report when someone knocked at the door. I told them to come in.

Michael Anderson, a good friend of mine, entered. "Hey, Steve! You busy?"

I adjusted my glasses in my signature fashion; pushing them up with my knuckles. Micheal was always a quiet man, only really speaking to Caroline and myself. Well, I guess it was just me now. I personally never dared to approach her after her... transformation. She'd changed so much, and not for the better. I shoved the thoughts out of my head and cracked my neck. "Just finished. You on break?"

"Yeah." I'd noticed quite some time ago how different Michael had been lately, but, for whatever reason, it only began to make sense now.

"You miss her, don't you?" I asked.

Michael nodded. "It's been hard, you know? I- I loved her. And she left me with her daughter. I've never had a kid before. What if I screw up? And it's not like she's going to be satisfied having one guardian who isn't even her real father. She's going to ask about her birth parents eventually. I'm just not sure I'll be able to handle talking about her." He sat down in a chair in the corner.

I walked over to him and placed a supporting hand on his shoulder. "Listen, mate. I know what you're going through. Well, I don't actually. The closest I ever came to a girlfriend was a high school crush. Oh, you know what I mean. And if you ever need anyone to talk to, you know where to find me. Most of the time. Unless I'm, you know, somewhere else."

Michael laughed. "You are such a moron."

"I am not a moron." All of the negative feelings were gone until GLaDOS made her announcement.

"Hello, Aperture Science employees. At this time, it should be known that deadly neurotoxin will be released in 3... 2... 1." Neither of us said a word as a loud hissing sound began just outside my door. "I hope you've said your goodbyes. You will be [missed]." She gave a creepy mechanical snicker. "Kidding."

I ran over to the back wall and turned on the air vent. "Stay here!" I ordered Michael.

"Where the hell do you think you're going? Are you stupid?" He yelled just as I put my hand on the door. He stood up and hurried over to me, but I pushed him away.

"Get back! The only air movement in this room is fresh air coming in through the vent. It's air-tight. You should be fine in here. I'll be back. I hope."

Despite his protests, he finally let me go on. The poison hit me hard the moment I opened the door, but I couldn't hesitate and let it into Micheal's safe chamber. My head started to pound between the stress and the neurotoxin. I have to hurry. I thought. Even if it means me dying faster. Just so long as I save someone. I just have to hack the system. I was coughing by the time I got to the main chamber. I stupidly froze as I looked up at the huge supercomputer that hung from the ceiling.

"Oh. It's you. Don't think you can stop me. You'll just end up like him." She lurched to the left, and the sight made me realize just how real my situation was. Another worker was laying on the floor, and I watched the life drain out of his face. This isn't happening.

I managed to keep from taking a deep breath and raced over to the hidden control panel on the wall, only feet from where my cohort fell victim to the crazy robot. My eyesight was beginning to go foggy. I looked at the number pad and pulled out a screwdriver from my lab coat pocket, GLaDOS taunting me the whole time. I just need to turn off the neurotoxin and shut her down. Dammit, if only I knew the password! That'd make this so much easier! I unscrewed the panel, revealing the wires underneath. Every second that went by added strain on my lungs, and I could feel myself getting weaker and weaker. I worked quickly, but I knew that one wrong move could mean disaster. There's not much time left. I just... need to connect... these last two...

My falling to the floor seemed to be in slow motion. Did I... did I do it...? I'm dying...

Seventeen people died that day, but luckily, Michael and I were not among them. I woke up in the infirmary a few hours later. GLaDOS was still shut down, and would be until a solution could be agreed on.

I was approached the next week. "Dr. Wheatley," I stopped and turned around to see my supervisor. "We're going to need your help. We have a plan to suppress GLaDOS, and you're a vital part of it."

Not knowing what I was getting into, I felt honored and smiled. "Alright! When do we begin?"

I don't remember anything after that, except for the fact that I was installed onto her, and eventually was replaced with the morality core, which obviously didn't work. I also don't know why I was replaced, but that certainly was better for me.

Wheatley reviewed his work, surprising himself with just how formal his wording was. Were these really memories? Or could they be nothing more than a dream? Despite his longing for knowledge, he almost hoped that it was no more than a fabrication. Seventeen people dead. "But I saved a lot of people. Even if I almost died myself. And Michael... did he die when the morality core failed? Of course he did, idiot. No. Not a moron anymore. Still. No one survived that."

He didn't hear the faint laughter behind the wall.