A/N:
Me: Yep, chapter 8.
Kate: and this chapter has a special guest!
Me: Um, who?
Kate: ME!
Me: Hold on… no.
Kate: DUDE, YOU'RE SO MEAN!
Me: Anyway, the answer for the pop quiz in chapter 7 was *drum roll* 10!
Kate: in base 4! I'M FINE!
Me: the winner is 7-dark-dreams! Your prize is…LEMONS!
An awkward silence filled Aperture Science. It had been that way for two days and had no signs of lifting. 14-year-old Amy was sitting in an observation room above a test chamber just watching Atlas and P-body test. Two days ago marked the 10-year anniversary of the day Chell had died. It was such a bittersweet day, heavy on the bitter. Amy sighed and got up. She couldn't let that drag her down forever, so she went outside to see if she had any shipments.
She went outside often now. The delivery service where she got her clothes dropped the shipments right outside the wheat field now, and she would go out and get it. It had been this way for the past 2 years or so. Amy had never seen anybody, and she loved it that way. She had a strong case of anthrophobia, fear of humans, from being away from them for so long. Amy didn't mind though, she loved the *little* hole in the ground in which she lived.
She walked on the path she had forged for herself. It was hot today and she really wished she had just stayed inside. She made it to the curb and looked to see if anything was there.
Nada.
Amy sighed and walked back to her house. It wasn't to terribly far, but it wasn't just a block away either.
Amy got back in and went to her room. She sat on her bed and tried to think of what to do next. She had been to the end of the Internet and back, and seen everything this place had to offer, so she was really at a loss. She got back up and walked around some more. She always paced when she was bored. She came up to a chamber where Atlas and P-body were testing. She stopped and looked at them for a while.
"That looks like so much fun." Amy thought. She had always thought that about testing, but she knew better than to go ask GLaDOS if she could test. As she was walking away, she couldn't stop thinking about testing.
"What does it hurt to ask?" She had wanted to do testing ever since she had heard about it. Even though she knew that GLaDOS was probably going to say no, she went to her chamber to ask anyway.
"Hey, um, can I talk to you?" Amy asked when she made it to GLaDOS' chamber.
"Ok, what's wrong?" GLaDOS said, turning to face Amy.
"No, I mean, I need to ask you something really important. So I need your full attention." Amy said.
GLaDOS sighed and closed testing for a moment. "Ok, you've got 10 minutes. What's your oh-so important question?" GLaDOS asked.
"Ok," Amy said, trying to act as professionally as she could. " I have lived here for 10 years. Now, as you know, that is a very long time. In my time here I have picked up a few things."
"Go on…" GLaDOS prompted.
"I know every safety protocol, I know every risk, I know every rule," Amy said.
"Where are you going with this?" GLaDOS asked.
"Aunt GLaDOS," Amy said matter-of-factly, "I want to test."
"Oh." GLaDOS said, taken back. "Do you mean you want to help me test the robots or,"
"No. I want to be a test subject." Amy said smiling.
"No." GLaDOS said, turning back to the monitors.
"You're not even going to think about it?" Amy asked, wondering why she was so hasty with her answer.
"No. You're too young." GLaDOS said.
"When will I be old enough?" Amy said, though she really didn't want to wait.
"Never." GLaDOS said.
"Aunt GLaDOS!" Amy said, walking between GLaDOS and the monitors.
"Amy, it just isn't a good idea." GLaDOS said. "You just don't understand."
"But I do understand!" Amy yelled, "I know it's not safe! I'll be extra careful."
"It's not that." GLaDOS said.
"Then what is it?" Amy asked.
"Well, if you go into a chamber you can't come out until you finish the test. No matter what, I can't get you out." GLaDOs pointed out to Amy.
"Then I won't go into a chamber if I'm even a little tired and I'll go to the bathroom before each one." Amy said, making good points.
"Even if you get hurt, I still can't get you out!" GLaDOS said.
"I won't get hurt! Please let me test!" Amy pleaded.
"That gun probably carries 40 different diseases." GLaDOS told her.
"I'll be fine! This is Aperture Science! There's got to be a cure for each of those diseases somewhere in here!" Amy said. And she was right, there was.
"Amy, I'm sorry, but no. You just can't. " GLaDOS said, lifting Amy by her shirt and placing her by the door.
"Is this because of mom?" Amy asked. Silence filled the room again as Amy realized she might have taken it a bit too far.
"Don't you have homework to do?" GLaDOS asked. Amy quietly started walking out of the room.
"Holy cow." Caroline said.
"What?" GLaDOS asked.
"You said no…to testing!" Caroline said, astonished.
"It's Amy, why would I say yes?" GLaDOS asked.
"I just can't believe it! You went against everything in your programming!" Caroline said, still dumbfounded.
"Yes, yes, we all know that. Thank you." GLaDOS said sarcastically.
"I mean, wow GLaDOS, you really have become more human!" Caroine said happily.
"Human?" GLaDOS said, extremely insulted. "What do you mean by that?"
"I mean you have become more of a mother than a scientist! It's amazing!" Caroline said.
"Excuse me?" GLaDOS yelled at her. How dare she say that GLaDOS was less of a scientist!
GLaDOS was furious. She tried to think of a comeback but she thought of a better idea.
"Oh Amy!" GLaDOS said out loud. Amy walked back into the chamber.
"What's up?" Amy asked.
"What do you think you're doing?" Caroline asked.
"Amy, do you REALLY want to do testing?" GLaDOS asked.
"Yes!" Amy said, getting excited.
"Think about this, Do you really-" GLaDOS started to say.
"Yes!"
"Are you sure-"
"Yes!"
"But are you positive that-"
"YES!" Amy yelled.
"Be here, 5:30 a.m. SHARP! One second later and the deal's off!" GLaDOS said.
Amy was so excited. "THANK YOU SO MUCH!" She yelled as she ran out of the chamber and back to her room.
"There. What do you have to say about that?" GLaDOS said to Caroline.
"I really need to learn to chose my words more wisely." Caroline said. The two fell silent for the rest of the day.
The next morning, at about 5:15, GLaDOS was in a panic. What was she thinking? Did she really tell Amy she could test? GLaDOS was praying that Amy would wake up late and miss her time. She was even planning something Amy could do instead. But, much to GLaDOS' dismay, at 5:30 there was a redheaded, wide-eyed teenager standing in the entrance.
"I'm ready!" She said as peppy as she could.
"Don't take this lightly!" GLaDOS snapped. "This is very serious!"
"Right! Serious!" Amy said smiling.
GLaDOS sighed. "Alright, the clothes you have to wear are in the corner."
"This room is round, there are no corners." Amy said.
"Amy…" GLaDOS growled.
"Ok, ok. Lighten up." Amy said as she was walking over to the pile of clothing.
Amy proceeded to get dressed. She hit a snag when she realized that the jumpsuit fit around her legs, but it didn't fit her upper body.
"uh, Aunt GLaDOS…" Amy said.
"What is it?" GlaDOS said.
"It doesn't fit." Amy replied. GLaDOS looked at her for a moment before replying.
"Why don't you just tie the sleeves around your waist." Amy did so and then smiled at her.
"It worked. Thanks Aunt GLaDOS." Amy said. She proceeded to pull her hair up in a ponytail and was having a hard time containing her excitement.
"So what about shoes?" Amy asked. GLaDOS made a table next to Amy pop up with a pair of long fall boots on it. Amy took them and put them on. She had a little trouble getting them on, but managed to get into them.
"So, how do I look? Amy asked. GLaDOS swore that in the 10 years she had known Amy, she had never looked more like her mother then she did right now. She was beautiful.
"Fine. You look fine." GLaDOS said.
"Sweet! So, when do I get my portal gun?" Amy asked excitedly.
"Not so fast. First you have to do some simple tests before you get the gun." GLaDOS said, "Now go to the elevator and we'll get started." Amy ran out of the room as fast as she could, though she was still getting used to the boots and kept tripping. She got in the elevator and it dropped her at a small hallway leading to chamber #1. Amy got out of the elevator and started walking towards the chamber. She almost got in when GLaDOS stopped her with some panels.
"Aunt GLaDOS…" Amy said impatiently.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" GLaDOS asked.
"I'm positive." Amy said back.
"I can't give you any special treatment. You will be treated like every other test subject. Also, I can't talk to you all that much." GLaDOS said.
"I got it! Now let me through!" Amy said. GLaDOS sighed and let Amy pass. When Amy got in the chamber the door locked behind her. She breathed happily and got the cube from the vent and put it on the button. She started to walk out when GLaDOS stopped her again with panels.
"Well, that was fun. Why don't you come back and we can talk about the results." GLaDOS prompted.
"We haven't even been at this 5 minutes!" Amy yelled. "Are you going to do this ALL day?"
"Yes. Will you come back now?" GLaDOS asked.
"No." Amy said as she crawled over the panels. " 'Like every other test subject' she says." Amy said under her breath.
"Did you say something?" GLaDOS asked.
"Oh, nothing!" Amy said as she went into the next chamber.
Amy solved this chamber in 30 seconds flat. When she got to the one after that, she got the portal device.
"Very good. You are now in possession of the Aperture Science Hand-held Portal device. With it, you can create your own portals." GLaDOS said.
"Why are you telling me what I already know?" Amy asked.
"Protocol." GLaDOS said flatly, since she could not talk to Amy that much.
Amy rolled her eyes and examined the Gun. It was just like she had thought it would feel like. She faced it towards a wall, took a deep breath, and shot. It knocked her back a little, but when she looked up she loved what she saw.
"I did it!" She exclaimed, "I made a portal! After 14 years, I, Amy Caroline Murphy, made a portal!"
She walked up timidly to the portal. She stuck her hand in before walking all the way through, and after she did she walked to the elevator.
"Did you see that?" Amy exclaimed.
"Yes, I saw. And we are all very impressed with your portal making ability's. Now are you done?" GLaDOS said impatiently.
"Are you kidding? I could do this all day!" Amy yelled.
"All day? Wonderful." GLaDOS said to herself sarcastically.
It wasn't much longer until Amy got the dual portal device and went to town with it. She was putting a portal on every portal- able (Yes, it's a word!) wall she could find. Whenever she found a corner with portal walls, she would shoot one on each side and use it as a mirror to fix her ponytail.
GLaDOS, on the other hand, Kept having a short-circuit whenever she heard a turret say, 'I see you'. They never hurt Amy because she was fast, and killed them faster you can say 'No hard feelings'.
After about 3 hours of testing, Amy yawned while she was solving a test. When she got out of the chamber, GLaDOS stopped her before she made it to the elevator.
"What gives?" Amy asked.
"I think you've done enough for today." GLaDOS told her.
"But I'm fine." Amy protested.
"You yawned in the last chamber. You're getting tired." GLaDOS said.
"I don't feel tired." Amy said.
"I don't want you to collapse in the next chamber. This elevator will take you back to the level we are on." GLaDOS said.
Amy didn't want to protest so she just got in the elevator. When she got in she realized how bad her legs hurt, and where the gun had rubbed her wrist raw. It was a long ride back to her floor, so she sat down and pulled her boots off. She rubbed her legs because they too were red.
"Note to self: Next time, wear something to protect legs." Amy said.
When the elevator stopped, she got out walked towards GLaDOS' chamber with her boots in one hand and her portal gun in the other. With every step she took, she felt like the ground was caving under her heels. "Maybe I wore the boots a little too long." She thought.
Amy walked into GLaDOS' chamber and collapsed on the floor jokingly.
"That," Amy started, "was the most fun I have ever had in my entire life!"
"Glad you liked it." GLaDOS said.
"And think about it, I didn't even do any of the gels today! How fun will that be?" Amy exclaimed.
"Why don't we wait a while before we work with the poisonous gels, alright?" GLaDOS said, hoping Amy wouldn't remember that she wanted to use the gels.
"Ok. So what were my results?" Amy said excitedly.
"They are coming in right now." GLaDOS said.
"So, what do they say?" Amy asked.
"You are a horrible person." GLaDOS said. Amy looked at her with a 'really?' look. "That's what it says, a horrible person."
"Aunt GLaDOS…" Amy said smiling.
"Alright, I couldn't resist." GLaDOS said. Amy laughed before she continued. "Your accuracy was 4.2, your speed was 4.7, your logic was 5.0, and your overall athletic rate was a 4.3."
"I don't understand! Why are my scores so low?" Amy asked disappointed.
"Amy, the scale is 1-5. Your scores were really quite good." GLaDOS said. She had never been more proud of Amy then she was right now.
"Really?" Amy said.
"Yes, really." GLaDOS said dryly. "Now please put you Aperture Science Hand-held Portal Device on the podium."
"You mean the portal gun?" Amy asked.
"Sure, whatever you want to call it." GLaDOS said. Amy walked over to the podium, put the gun down, and waved good-bye as she left the room. As she waked, her boots kept hitting her ankles. All that she could think about was throwing on some sweat-pants and a huge T-shirt and crawling back into bed to take a nice long Saturday-afternoon nap.
When she got to her room, she put her boots right inside her door, and shut the door behind her. She walked over to her bed when she saw something that stopped her cold. There was something on her bed. It was a ball, not huge but not small, and it looked just like some of the cores she had seen. She could tell that it was looking at her, and the two of them just stood there for a while before the ball said "Hello!" in a very peppy, and very heavy, British accent.
A/N:
Me: Sooo….If any of you were wondering what would happen if you gave me a portal gun…..go look at Amy's reaction. That would be me.
Kate: So Amy finally has a name, huh?
Me: Yeah, I thought you would like it.
Kate: …
Me: hehehe
Kate: Just….shut up…
Me: Ok every one; I would like to say something really quick before the POP QUIZ. I LOVE that you guys like the pop quizzes, and I will keep doing them, but if you guys wouldn't mind putting the answer to the pop quiz AND an input on what you think of the story that would be awesome. I'm not saying that if you don't I'll stop doing the quizzes, but if you wouldn't mind saying something about the story too, that would be great.
Kate: blah blah blah blah
Me: SHUT UP! Anyway, POP QUIZ! In what level in portal 1 do you get the portal device (not the duel portal device, just the one)? Ok, see you next time!
Kate: I wonder who that guy was…
