Wheatley's Story: Part B
Chapter Sixteen

I was able to deduce that the test subject had jumped down a hole in the floor in the hall leading to the restricted sectors of the facility. Using my belt-buckle grappling cable, I dropped down into the hole, barely staying out of her sight as she walked under me.

I saw her head towards a hallway, and she disappeared when the floor opened up beneath her. The floor closed up on top of her before I could reach it, so I just peered between the gaps in the pistons that comprised the floor.

I could see turrets appearing in the room under me, and they fell over and deactivated as they were revealed to the test subject. She disappeared before too long, and I entered a door in the hallway the test subject had failed to reach.

As I navigated to the room on the other side, She continued Her talk on the PA.

"You're not a good person. You know that, right? Good people don't end up here. Can you hear me?"

I reached another room, and opened the door on a scene of bewilderment.

I retreated when the test subject portaled into the room, leaving the door open a crack, and called Her to report the discovery.

"Hey, erm... I think there's something you should see."

There was a slight pause, followed by a response of surprise. "What is that?"

"Well, I can't get a good look right now, since the test subject is there, but it looks like one of the turrets emptied all of her bullets out on her compatriots."

"Hm. This is a strange development. I will notify the Adventure Core and have him investigate when the test subject is gone. In the meantime, keep tracking the test subject until she assumes the Party Escort Submission position."

"Or at the very least stops moving?"

"Yes. Let me know when further developments arise."

"Roger." I raced off to the Research Laboratory.

When I got there, I went to the office I had used for my downtime and started looking over the notes I had written the last time I was there. I had been developing an alternative piece of apparatus to the ankle braces the test subjects had been issued, seeing that walking barefoot didn't seem all that sensible. I had been brainstorming ideas of proper footwear to go along with the braces that wouldn't compromise the braces' effectiveness at safely stopping long falls.

I didn't have time to pick up where I had left off before She started talking.

"This is your fault; it didn't have to be like this."

I raced out of the office and headed into the corridor to figure out where the test subject was.

"I'm not kidding now; turn back, or I will kill you."

I headed toward the noise, and through a door, I could hear someone pressing a button.

"I'm going to kill you. And all the cake is gone. You don't even care, do you? This is your last chance."

I heard a Rocket Sentry start up followed by an explosion. I assumed the test subject had been killed or would soon be killed, and so felt no need to follow her any further.

Instead, I got on the Management Rail and rode up to Her chamber.

On the way there, I ran into Rick, who was carrying a turret with him.

"Whoa there, Wheaters!"

"Sorry, sorry! Didn't see you there."

"Heading down to the boss's chamber?"

"Yep."

"Alright, take care now."

I continued onward until I made it to Her chamber.

She was quick to notice my presence. "Yes? Something you need?"

"Yeah, I've got a piece of internal structural framework to pick with you."

A small smile reached Her plate. "And what might that be?"

"I'm here to get an explanation for your statement in the Research Laboratory."

"Which announcement would that be?"

"About you saying you were going to kill the test subject."

"She's not submitting to being collected for the party, and if she's going to refuse medical help for that bodily wound, she may as well die."

"That tears it. I'm going to do something about this if it kills me."

"And it very well just might."

I was confused until I saw a Rocket Sentry appear from the floor, at which point I hightailed it out of there.