Disclaimer: Portal is owned by Valve. As much as I would love to write for them, I do not.

Chapter Nine:

Because We Can

Chell stared at him. In horror, in shock, in confusion, in grief? She didn't really know. She just knew that he was still talking.

"They said it would be cruel to tell you. That keeping you here at least you wouldn't have to know. It was so stupid of me. But I couldn't bear to have to tell you, so I agreed not to say anything."

Her parents were dead. Of course they were. Of course.

Why would they be alive? If they were alive there would be some glimmer of hope left. Some hope that if she got out of this then there would be people to return to. A family, a house, parents who cared. Anything that would give her the idea that if she got out of here there would be something other than running and hiding for her.

It was so stupid.

"I know it's the worst thing I could tell you right now-"

Why was he still talking?

"And I understand if you hate-"

There was nothing left to say.

Dr. Hare looked at her defeated pose on the chair. Handcuffs keeping her attached. He took a deep breath.

"Maybe...maybe we should just do the examination now. We can talk more later."

Chell didn't say anything. Silence. That had served her best in the Centre. It had kept her sanity together even when GLaDOS mocked her mercilessly from above.

"And just move your arm out and-"

He undid her handcuffs and moved her arm out. She didn't say anything but just watched him quietly as he started to test her blood pressure. Then her temperature. Nodding blandly as he asked her questions about her general health.

What was he doing? He was helping them but had just told her how much he regretted keeping her here. Was that enough for him? A quick apology and then business as usual? She didn't know what to think.

The procedure of testing her general wellbeing didn't take very long and soon the doctor was folding everything up in his bag that he needed. Chell decided that it was time to speak up. There was something she needed to know.

"Are you going to leave me here?" Her voice was quiet but strong.

"I-"

He glanced over at the camera in the room and Chell had to resist the urge to make some biting comment. Instead she just continued to look at him, her uncle. Waiting to see what his response would be.

"No. ...I know my words probably don't mean much. But I'm not going to let them keep you here."

"How?"

The room went silent and even Aiden was looking at the doctor curiously.

"Yes Doctor. How?"

Chell glanced over at the camera, more startled that GLaDOS had taken that long to speak up then at hearing her voice. Aiden was staring in shock and Dr. Hare was looking at his hands.

"I'll think of something."

"Well if you want...I might have a plan."

Chell turned her head to look at the camera. "You had a plan to get out of here and you didn't tell me!"

"It was not the opportune moment. This plan is not just to assist you in escaping."

There was a pause as everyone in the room continued to stare at the place where the AI's voice was coming from. Dr. Hare had finally looked up from his hands, Chell was looking with something like a mix of anger and hope and Aiden was just incredibly lost. GLaDOS, if anything sounded smug.

"This is a plan to get rid of the Director."


Chell sighed as she sat in a class room. She was supposed to be finishing more questions. Logic problems this time, ones that did have right or wrong answers, unlike the ones from the day before. She was the only one in the group who was doing them too. She figured it was a punishment for not taking the knockout chocolate. Apparently they hadn't realized GLaDOS had told her. Which was weird but Chell really didn't know enough about computers to know if the AI was lying when she told her that she was able to edit the cameras footage.

"I didn't get any cake again, either." She said as she picked at her arm. She was still trying to come to grips with the fact that Stephanie hadn't actually passed her final test and left yesterday. She was dead, and they had given them cake as though to try and make up for it. Maybe it was a good thing she hadn't found any cake left.

"Why do they give us cake anyway?" She glanced over at the camera and waited to see if GLaDOS was going to reply.

"You do not like cake?"

"I do. But why are they giving it to us?"

"Here at the Aperture Science Enrichment Centre we believe a motivated test subject is a happy test subject."

Chell sighed; she hated it when the AI started to spout those lines out. "So we're being motivated by cake?"

"That is correct."

"Why cake?"

"Why not?"

She glared at the camera. "That's not a real answer GLaDOS."

"It is a satisfactory answer."

Chell just folded her arms.

"Why cake?"

"Because, cake is something that is easy to make and is festive. People like cake."

"I guess..." It was a better answer then the first one. "I still haven't gotten any yet though."

"Perhaps you are too slow."

"Maybe." Chell looked back to the papers on the desk. "Does it really matter if I get these right?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean." Chell slumped back down in the seat with a deep sigh. "I'm going to die here."


Aiden watched as Dr. Hare slumped down in his chair. His face was grey and he didn't look well at all. They had left separately, on their "lunch breaks" but that was the last thing either of them had wanted to do was eat. They ended up going to Dr. Hare's house and were sitting in the living room. Dr. Hare looked particularly wretched.

"I shouldn't have told her." He finally spoke up and Aiden glanced over, knowing immediately what he was talking about.

"She would have been angrier at you if you didn't tell her." He couldn't help but sigh though.

He'd seen her expression, even if he had been trying to look away and give them some privacy, when he heard about her parents he'd looked up. And he'd seen her expression. It was like watching someone get slapped in the face. Any trace of hope that might have been there had been killed off with that one sentence.

"I should have found a better way...this is all my fault in the first place."

He had nothing to say to that.

Dr. Hare shook his head. "And now ...the AI wants to get rid of the Director."

"Um...is that the voice you guys were talking to?" Aiden finally asked the question he'd been waiting to ask all morning. He'd heard the voice before, around the building but had just assumed it was some security system. It was apparently more than that.

"Yes, that would be GLaDOS. Genetic Lifeform and Disc Operating System. It runs most of the facility ...normally I should say."

"And it's alive?"

"In a way, I suppose you could say that. It seems to have developed its own personality." He shook his head. "And she seems to have a grudge against the Director for some reason...wants to get rid of her..."

"Well that's good right?" Aiden glanced over. "I mean, we're going to need help if we're going to get Chell out of there."

He noted the doctor's surprised look, one that shifted into a sad expression.

"I don't know how we're going to pull this off... There is always a risk that this could end...very badly."

Aiden nodded. He'd been well aware of that as the AI went over the basis of her plan.

"But it shouldn't be that hard right? All we have to do is show the inspectors what's going on. You said yourself that the Director doesn't have the connections anymore."

"Yes..." He shook his head. "You don't understand the Director though. I've worked with this woman for years.She is ruthless."

"I'm still helping." Aiden replied with a shake of his head. "It's not right that she's been stuck up there, running those tests for them."

Dr. Hare put his face in his hands. "I know..." Oh God, he knew it was horrible. Why he hadn't seen it soon enough was beyond him. And that itself was something that kept him from sleeping soundly at night. It had taken his family's death to snap him out of whatever daze he was in. The daze that prevented him from realizing that they were experimenting on little girls and using them as human lab rats.

"Good." Aiden folded his arms and looked over. "Because I don't think I could live with myself if I didn't help now."


How do you explain to your best friend that the people who are supposed to be looking after you don't care if you die? Chell wasn't sure so she kept putting it off and tried to act as though she didn't know what really happened to the girls who left and continued to leave.

Weeks and then months went past at the Center and things pretty much continued as normal.

There were a few important changes though. Chell had continued to have conversations with the AI. The tests were changing to a more individual testing atmosphere and that was when the AI would talk to her. GLaDOS never explained why she'd just randomly started to talk to her and Chell wasn't sure why either. All she knew was that no one else seemed to notice their conversations. She hadn't mentioned them to Kelly yet because that would bring up the topic she'd been avoiding, the fact that they were going to die here. And certainly none of the other girls said anything.

That was another thing. Everyone was becoming withdrawn from each other. At most the girls and women seemed to split into groups of two or just stay by themselves. It might have had something to do with the tests becoming more and more individual, Chell didn't know. But they weren't the connected group they had been recently. They were a fragmented group of individuals who, in some cases, seemed to be losing the will to do anything.

"And you said that you received cake at these celebrations?" GLaDOS asked as Chell pilled another cube to climb up a ledge.

"Yes. It was a birthday party." Chell wiped her forehead and slumped down on the edge. She was getting used to GLaDOS talking to her all the time now. The AI seemed to be quite interested in Chell's former life outside the Center and was always asking questions. For whatever reason, she seemed to fixate on the idea of cake as something good. She assumed it had something to do with the person who programmed her.

However she was starting to wonder about this. GLaDOS sometimes seemed more human than the people who tested them. She appeared to have strong opinions about things and was always interested in hearing what Chell had to say. Maybe it was all fake but Chell was starting to forget at time that this was not a real person she was talking to.

"And then what?"

"And then you'd eat it." Chell shrugged, not sure what else there was to say. She glanced over at the tinted windows and stood up with a sigh. She didn't want to draw attention to herself.

"Where did the cake come from?"

Chell blinked. She wasn't sure why GLaDOS asked questions she already knew the answers to. Maybe it was a test of some sorts but a test about cakes...

"Well you can buy one or make on."

"Have you ever made a cake before?"

"Yeah, sure. I've made a couple for my parents...friends." She was little then but they'd been decent cakes. "I liked baking, it was fun."

"Would you still enjoy baking?"

The time Chell paused as she reached another ledge. "I don't know, why?"

"Oh no reason. Now then, it seems you have forgotten your cube. Perhaps you should go and retrieve it. Otherwise you will not be able to continue."

Chell glanced up and realized that yes this ledge was too high to reach. Glancing down a few ledges she noted the cube. She sighed.

"Oh right, I'd forgotten about that thing."

"Most people seem to. Perhaps it would be best if there was something to separate it from the others."

Chell shrugged as she continued down to get the cube. "Yeah, who knows, paint a heart on it or something. That might keep our attention." She managed to get down and then pull the cube up after her. Stupid things weren't as heavy as the normal ones but they were still hard to drag around. She'd mentioned that a few times to GLaDOS who seemed quite pleased with the information. For some reason.


Kelly yawned as she stretched against the bed. They were sitting in the dorm room at the moment a few other girls were still running tests and the room had only five other people in it. Counting them Chell got a sick feeling in her stomach. She did every time she looked at the other girls. She should tell them...but she had no proof and even if they did believe her, what would they do then? Escape from this place? To who? Their families had apparently abandoned them.

Chell bit her lip at the thought. She'd liked her new parents, loved them even and then...

"Chell!" Kelly snapped her fingers in front of the thoughtful girl and Chell blinked in surprise.

"Yes?"

"You're getting all quiet again. I thought you said you wanted to tell me something?" Chell frowned briefly for a second, thinking back to try and remembered if she'd made up her mind to tell Kelly about the AI then she nodded as she remembered.

"On a sheet outside the medical room." She replied. "We're both going to go for some overnight tests."

"Really?" Kelly looked astonished. "I thought it was Judy and Tina that were going."

"Guess not."

"Great." Kelly rubbed her arm as she frowned. "I hate overnighters."

Chell shrugged. She didn't think they were particularly worse than any of the other physical tests.

"But I guess it gives us a better chance to actually finish. Kelly smiled, suddenly remembering something and Chell glanced over at her.

"What?"

"Well you know people complete their tests faster after going to overnight stuff. I think it's supposed to help them. I bet we'll be finished in no time." She seemed cheered up now.

Chell on the other hand had stopped breathing and was staring at the wall in shock.

"Chell? Chell? Are you alright?"

She finally sucked in a breath. "Yeah...I just..."

"I know you're worried." Kelly smiled and patted her hand. "But don't worry. We're going to get out of this soon. Then we'll go find your parents and my aunt. We'll be able to go outside and-"

She sighed and leaned back on the bed as Kelly continued to talk about what they would do when they finished. Chell however was just looking forward in dread.

They were going to die in here.


Aiden sighed as he stood in front of a door. He was waiting for the rest of the bigwigs to get here before he could sit down. He wasn't really sure what he was doing here. It was a few days after he'd helped Chell meet with Dr. Hare and at the moment he really wasn't sure what he was doing. Being a security guard in this place meant you didn't know what you were guarding half the time. At first he thought it would be nice to know what he was guarding. At this point he wondered if it would make him feel even guiltier.

"Thank you." A man nodded to him as he opened the door.

"That will be all." The Director was in the room as well and as the man walked in she looked over at Aiden.

"I want you to stay here and make sure that no one disturbs our meeting. Do I make myself clear?"

Aiden nodded. Glad there was at least a chair he could sit in.

"Good." The Director nodded and closed the door firmly behind her. Aiden walked to the right and sat down. This was going to be a long-

He wasn't even finished sighing when a man ran up the hallway. He looked like he was going to the door so Aiden quickly stood in front of it.

"What are you doing? Let me in!" The man was trying to organize the papers in his arms and make a grab for the door at the same time. It wasn't working well.

"I'm sorry sir. I've been instructed not to let anyone disturb the meeting."

"You don't understand. I need to be in here."

"I'm sorry but you can't-"He was cut off as the door suddenly opened, almost hitting him as he moved out of the way.

"Then go and find- Oh." The Director was frowning, you didn't have to be looking at her to know that. "Mr. Baker. We were looking for you."

"This man wouldn't let me into the room." The frustrated man finally got a hold of his papers and Aiden tried not to wince. Great, he was going to get fired.

However the Director just nodded. "Good work Hall."

The man looked astonished.

"I told him I did not want anyone to disturb us. Now would you please come in so we can begin this meeting?"

The man quickly did as he was told and Aiden closed the door behind him and sat down.

He left the door slightly open a crack and listened in. Now this. This might get him fired, even if he didn't let anyone else in. Still it might be worth it.

.

He was leaning against the wall. An hour had gone past and unless he was going to get any real information from the meeting he was going to consider just closing the door.

However he paused as he heard the word...AI. AI...he knew that word now...

.

"And you're positive the AI can't hear us." A tall man looked around. "You know what it did in the old facility..."

"Well if we'd listened to my suggestion and had this meeting somewhere else..." The Director glared over at Mr. Baker. He didn't seem as phased as last time though.

"I told you. We can't afford to take these plans outside of the building. Besides, we've made sure that it can't hear us. The entire hallway is a giant blind spot for it and there are no camera's anywhere near here."

"You had better be right about this. Might I remind you what happened the last time our company underestimated that machine?"

"That's what we need to have this meeting about then. I trust you have made all the accommodations' in the new facility."

"Yes."

"Good. Then we just have to perform the memory wipes and we'll be able to move them into the new facility."

"And that will be finished when? I'm growing tired of your excuses you know. We need to get this centre back up and running."

"A few weeks. Three at the most. We're almost finished the major repairs it's just the smaller details that we need to work on now."

"Good." The Director seemed pleased for once. "We should be able to plan our re-opening and the day the inspectors come for that date then. That's good; it should tie in with the festivities well."

"Festivities?" A man in glasses spoke up, looking a little bit confused. The Director smiled at him.

"You're new here Simmons so I don't expect you've heard of it. We haven't had one in a while but I think it's time we started up again. Aperture Science Bring Your Daughter to Work Day,"

No one noticed the door close with a small click as Aiden leaned against the wall. This was not good.