GLaDOS's Story: Part A
Chapter Twelve


As soon as the elevator door opened, Mr. Johnson pushed himself out and nearly tumbled down the stairs. He recovered himself and got onto his bullhorn.

"If you're interested in an additional $60, flag down a test associate and let them know. You could walk out of here with $120 weighing down your bindle if you let us take you apart, put some science stuff in you, then put you back together good as new."

Nobody volunteered for the offer; in fact, none of the testers appeared to have even heard Mr. Johnson at all. Rick led the testers through the chamber while Mr. Johnson and I walked over to the exit to wait for the testers there.

We entered the gate, locking it behind us, and I leaned on one of the railings before letting off a long sigh.

Mr. Johnson stood behind me. "What's on your mind, Caroline?"

"I think we have a difference of opinion on how this place should operate."

"Yeah, we do. Not to mention a huge difference in age."

"What do you mean? I'm only five years younger than you, sir."

"That's still a pretty big difference, Caroline."

"What are you getting at, Mr. Johnson?"

"What I'm saying is if you think this place could be run better, maybe you should take up running the place after me."

"Why me?"

"Who else would be able to hold up to this kind of job?"

"Well, you don't seem to be able to, Mr. Johnson."

"Come on, Caroline; I'm capable of operating this business."

"Then why are we enlisting vagabonds to do clandestine experiments, even though we had once used high society people for clandestine experiments?"

"Caroline, if I wasn't capable of running this company, it would completely fall apart."

"You mean it hasn't already?"

"We're standing inside a giant sphere made of asbestos; I'd say it hasn't collapsed."

"The company had already filed for bankruptcy, and it doesn't look like we'll ever recover."

"Black Mesa's been stealing our inventions; that's why we haven't been moving forward."

"We haven't been moving forward because our research conflicts with the law."

"This company will get back to success, even if it kills me."

"I'm sure if the effort killed you, the company would die with you, sir."

"Not if I have a successor, Caroline."

"Who's going to operate Aperture when you're gone? Rick?"

Before he could answer, Rick came flying in and landed right behind me. He somersaulted into the elevator, but got back out to catch the rest of the testers coming in.

After everyone made it into the elevator, Mr. Johnson got out his bullhorn. "In case you're interested, there's still some positions available for that bonus opportunity I mentioned earlier. Again, all you gotta do is let us disassemble you. We're not banging rocks together over here; we know how to put a man back together. So, that's a complete reassembly; new vitals, spit-shine on the old ones, plus we're scooping out tumors. (Frankly, you ought to be paying us.)"

Again, there was no response from any of the testers. Mr. Johnson and I boarded the elevator and started it heading up and out.