Reconstructing Humanity

by Luna Peachie

After being put back in a human body, Wheatley is thrust into an unknown world to pay back his apparent debt to GLaDOS. He finds himself in quite a conundrum as he struggles with his returning memories and the weird feelings he has for another human.

26. Wheatley Come Home

Reconstructing Humanity

Wheatley Come Home

Their footsteps echoed against the walls as the little group reentered the Core Garden. It was a long walk, but well worth it to be back together finally. Soon, everything would be as it should be. Or at least they would be as soon as everything was patched up.

ATLAS carried his fallen companion close, not slowing down for anything (not that he needed to). He was a bit banged up and his face was cracked, not to mention some of the casing on his arms had come off in the fight with "Robo-Wheatley", as Angie dubbed it, but ATLAS was no worse for wear. P-Body, on the other hand, was almost in pieces. Angie commented earlier that P-Body looked a broken doll more than anything. She had a giant hole through her chest from Robo-Wheatley's impact and the fall caused some of her limbs to come loose, her right arm hanging by a few wires, for example.

But of all the things ATLAS couldn't stand to look at, it had to be her eyes. Usually a yellow-ish orange color, now they were grey as a storm cloud. Whenever he was sure Wheatley and Angie weren't looking, ATLAS cuddled P-Body close, as if comforting her.

Looking back every so often, Wheatley sighed softly, wishing there was more he could do. There probably was, but ATLAS yelled at him every time Wheatley tried to examine P-Body.

Wheatley kept Angie close, her little hand in his. In her other hand, she dragged her construct as they hurried along. He felt a little uneasy looking at "himself" so to speak, but he didn't say a word about it. Angie kept the sphere close while they walked along the broken tiled floor and watched as it slowly turned into a dirt path among the remnants of the old offices deep below the facility. The evolution of this particular area was pretty evident, and gave Wheatley a sense of life.

He remembered once watching a nature program with Lil and it played in his head. Something Lil remarked stayed with him: "The world will continue, even when we are gone…"

He wasn't sure why, but this echoed in his mind for a long time, as if he had heard it before. At the time, he tried not to let it bother him, and like everything else he didn't understand, he pushed it to the back of his mind and decided to deal with it another day. But as he evolved as a person and began to understand the things the girls taught him, Wheatley's interested in the statement waned and he eventually forgot about it…until now.

"Where…did you get that?" Wheatley asked softly, pointing to the construct. Angie lifted it up and smiled her big wide smile. She was dirty from running with the Androids and her hair was a mess, like it hadn't been out of those pigtails in days (they haven't). He knew Lil would have her bathe when they got back. Wheatley wondered if Dr. Rattmann had a bathing area or if he just used the makeshift stream.

"This is Mr. Metal Ball!" Angie shouted happily. "Miss Pee-Bee gave him to me before I left to go find Lil! She fixed him up real good but then Grandma fixed him up for me more." Wheatley got a little uneasy every time Angie referred to GLaDOS as "Grandma". That's all she talked about since he found her and the Androids. "He's special because Grandpa said you used to live in him. Was it cramped?" Angie's question made Wheatley chuckle, though he didn't really want to.

As they neared the garden, the sounds of the cores on the management rails started to bother Wheatley. He avoided the cores as much as possible, as being around them made his head hurt. The cores often looked at him and never stopped, as if they had a sense of familiarity with him. Not surprising, he used to be a core. But that was years ago, and now he was a human.

While he wanted to feel superior to the little metal spheres gliding all around them, Wheatley often looked upon them as equals. The Cores were blissfully happy with their preprogramed functions and nothing seemed to bother them. Wheatley envied them in that regard. He remembered being a core and though he had time to think about it now, Wheatley often felt that there was a good deal he was being forced to forget while he was one.

Feeling a little tug on his pant leg, Wheatley moved forward with Angie. ATLAS growled at Wheatley to move faster, clutching lifeless P-Body in his arms. P-Body had stopped sparking and twitching, but ATLAS didn't see that as a good sign. He saw it as time lost and angrily urged Wheatley forward.

When they finally reached the garden, they found cores waiting for them, as if they had been tipped off ahead of time. Lil sat with Dr. Rattmann, waiting with her arms crossed, as if she hadn't moved since Wheatley left. She probably hadn't, except when Dr. Rattmann insisted she have the Medic Core look at her again when she felt nauseous. She tirelessly explained to the doctor that she used to get nervous spells as a child and the gravity of the situation probably brought them back.

At least, she hoped that was it…

Angie looked forward and the first thing she saw was Lil stand up, her hands over her mouth. A smile emerged from Angie's filthy face as she threw down her construct toy and ran ahead to Lil. "Lil!" Angie shouted with happy tears in her eyes. Lil ran up to Angie and held her arms out. Angie jumped into her sister's arms and they cried happy tears together. Lil held Angie tightly, her own tears pouring down her cheeks like a waterfall as she kept her little sister close.

"Oh, Angie! I'm so glad to see you. You have no idea…" Lil whispered. Wheatley walked up and unknowingly stopped at the construct Angie threw down. He watched the sisters embrace and cry together. He had a feeling they had plenty of times like this and smiled. He looked up and noted the garden was dark again and lit by the cores. He didn't think they had been gone that long, but walking to one area of the facility often took a while, so he tried not to be surprised.

"You're not mad at me?" Angie whimpered as Lil cuddled her.

"Why would I be mad at you? I'm just glad you're okay. Don't ever do anything like that again, do you hear me? I don't know what I'd do if I lost you…" Lil kissed the top of Angie's head and stood up, her sister still in her arms. Lil ran up to Wheatley and kissed his cheek. "Thank you…" she whispered.

"Don't thank me, it was the Androids that saved her…at a great cost, it seems…" Wheatley pointed to ATLAS, who carried P-Body's lifeless body. Lil gasped loudly as ATLAS ran past them and looked around frantically. He shouted something and ran in the direction of the stream, where Dr. Rattmann sat, meditating.

ATLAS shook him out of his trance and looked at him, panicked. Dr. Rattmann watched ATLAS shout at him, holding up P-Body up and shaking her about. Dr. Rattmann didn't make any kind of facial expression and only nodded as ATLAS begged (in his mechanical language) to please help her. Dr. Rattmann guessed if he could, ATLAS would have tears flowing down his face. Calmly standing, Dr. Rattmann cleared his throat and instructed ATLAS to bring P-Body over to the exact center of the garden.

"What happened?" Lil whispered. Wheatley was too busy staring at the construct he held in his hands to answer. Lil felt Angie tug on her shirt. Lil looked down and forgot for a moment that she was holding Angie.

Angie looked like she had been crying a great deal, her cheeks still somewhat moist and dirty. Angie took a deep breath and started telling the simplified version of the occurrence, only very fast. "Miss Pee-Bee is hurt real bad, Lil. She's not smiling anymore and her eyes are all dark. Mr. ATLAS was fighting a fake Mr. Wheatley and he kept saying such mean things about you and the real Mr. Wheatley and he had a really creepy smile like that old guy you told me not to talk to in the park that one time and Miss Pee-Bee kept me safe while Mr. ATLAS was fighting fake Mr. Wheatley and…"

Lil shushed Angie's fast paced prattling. "Slow down, Kiddo…" Lil laughed, placing Angie on the ground. "Take a deep breath and start from the beginning. How did P-Body get hurt?" Lil asked. Angie took another deep breath and tried to keep from crying again. Lil looked up for a moment, noting that Wheatley wasn't paying attention to anything. Lil looked at her sister again and nodded, not really paying attention herself.

Dr. Rattmann cleared his throat and examined P-Body carefully. ATLAS watched anxiously as Dr. Rattmann glanced over each part of her, as if she were a human patient. Sitting on his knees, Dr. Rattmann patted his thighs and gave ATLAS a crooked smile. Lil and Angie soon joined him.

"Grandpa, can you fix her?" Angie asked anxiously. Dr. Rattmann looked at the little girl like a deer in headlights. He stared at Angie's big eyes as they formed little tears standing over P-Body's lifeless form. "Grandpa, please fix Miss Pee-Bee! You have to fix her! She got hurt really bad and now she won't wake up!" Angie shook Dr. Rattmann's arm, her bottom lip quivering as she begged for his help. Dr. Rattmann smiled softly and rubbed Angie's head.

Coughing softly away from Angie, Dr. Rattmann stood clumsily with his walking stick. "She's in bad shape, but I think I can fix her. She is offline, so she's basically trapped within herself. Without her original designs, it will be difficult and it might take longer, but I'll do what I can. Her being offline will make this easier, though not by much. But if I can yank a bullet out of a former construct's shoulder without killing him, I'm sure I can repair a sophisticated Android." Dr. Rattmann chuckled softly, which then turned into a light cough.

Expecting a rebuttal from Wheatley, Dr. Rattmann found he got no such satisfaction, as Wheatley was nowhere near them. Dr. Rattmann, with his walking stick, wandered over to Wheatley. Wheatley stared up at the management rails, watching the cores slowly go by. It filled him with a horrible nostalgia that he couldn't shake since waking up in the Core Garden. Beside his leg sat Angie's beloved construct, not moving. Dr. Rattmann bent down; despite the pain it caused him, and picked it up.

"Nostalgia can be a curse…" he muttered, handing the construct to Wheatley. Wheatley just stared deeply into the once blue eye of the construct. Without thinking about it, he pressed the eye softly. He was sent somewhat aback when music started playing. The eye lit up as the music played softly. "…but it can also be the one thing that keeps you from regrets. Keeps us on our toes…one of the most basic things a human can do is remember good times and bad…"

Dr. Rattmann meandered back towards the others to fetch his tools to repair P-Body. Wheatley looked up at the cores as they lit up and zoomed around on the rails. To Wheatley, it was like they were doing a little dance; a ritual of sorts to appease whatever deity would help Dr. Rattmann repair the broken doll that lay before them. Like fireflies, almost, as they lit up. All of a sudden, the song of the constructs stopped and soon started playing another song.

A pre-programed song, it seems. He held up his former self and closed his eyes as the other constructs started to sing along. Below, the cores sang as Dr. Rattmann got to work. Angie held onto Lil tightly while ATLAS looked on anxiously. Dr. Rattmann hooked up different cords from his console to P-Body, keeping an eye on her systems to make sure nothing malfunctioned as he worked.

The cores above tinged and tanged their little tune as a few started to sing. Wheatley recognized the song. Soon, nostalgia hit him like a train. He kept his eyes closed and let the familiarity take him back. He felt his mind melt into the tune of the cores. Wheatley felt his body become fuzzy…he felt himself become lost in the little song the cores sang…

As the memory swept over him, Wheatley felt a wave of emotions flow through his body. But the feeling he couldn't ignore out of all others…

…Wheatley felt…at home…

---

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

With a groan and a stretch, Wheatley reached over and after a few unsuccessful tries, finally smashed his hand against the alarm clock button. He blinked softly and rose from his bed. Smacking his lips a few times, Wheatley looked around at the almost empty bedroom. It had been months, but he found he was finally starting to feel his life return to some kind of normality. Wheatley reached for his glasses and looked around the bedroom. He fought the urge to look at the right side of the bed, like he had become used to.

With a heavy sigh, Wheatley placed his hand on the cold pillow next to his own and stroked it softly. He sat there for a moment, trying to regain his composure. This had become Wheatley's routine. Wake up, make sure he wasn't dreaming, become disappointed that he wasn't, and talk himself out of bed.

"Alright, Wheatley, old boy, you can do this. It's been three months. You can do this." He muttered to himself every morning. Wheatley slowly got up, scratched his lower back (like usual) and finally forced himself to stand up on both of his long, twiggy legs. He turned his head for a moment when he thought he heard a soft giggle come from the right side of the bed.

Nothing.

Sighing again, Wheatley made his way to the bathroom to take his shower. Her shampoo was still in there, along with that fancy scented soap her mother sent her for her birthday. Wheatley never did get the point of scented soaps, but he liked the way it made Pam smell. This particular green soap with the seashell imprint made Pam smell like cucumbers. He liked the smell of cucumbers and it complimented Pam well.

Well, it used to, anyway. Wheatley stared at the ceiling of the shower as the water hit him hard. He usually detested starting his mornings with a shower, preferring the take one at night after work, but Wheatley just felt the need to shower this morning. It felt like he was washing the sadness away. Without realizing it, Wheatley picked up the green bar of soap and stared at it before he could do anything. He smiled softly and sniffed it. A whirlwind of memories in just one sniff.

He could almost hear Pam yell at him to save her some hot water or that she knew he was using her shampoo. Wheatley placed the bar of soap down and sighed. He fought back the tears when he thought he heard Pam yelling at him that breakfast was ready. "I'll be out in…" he stopped himself from yelling the rest of that statement and turned the water off. "I'll be out in a minute, love…" he whispered as the water twirled down the drain. Wheatley reached for his towel, which hung on the rack outside the shower.

After drying off and getting dressed, Wheatley sat down to his bowl of cereal at the kitchen counter. He read the paper as he ate. Nothing new in the news; a robbery here, car accident there, government destroying the economy and stocks going every which way, as per usual. Crunching softly, Wheatley put the paper down and looked over at the edge of the counter. There sat the picture of him and Pam. He wasn't sure why, but it seemed to face itself back up each time Wheatley put it face down.

"Don't look at me like that…" he murmured, getting up with his bowl. "I'm not in the mood. I know what you're going to say, and I can't smile right now. I just…" Wheatley walked to the other side of the counter to the sink and put his bowl in. He looked away. "…I need to get over you, but it's hard with you staring at me all the damn time!"

Wheatley grabbed the picture frame and glared at it. "…I…how could you be so selfish?" he muttered, fighting back the tears. "…all I did for you and you had to leave me…" Wheatley clutched the picture tightly and held it high, aiming for the kitchen trash can. "I…Pam…" he muttered, clenching the picture and bringing his arm down. This wasn't the first time he had attempted to "Throw Pam Away", but he vowed it would be the last.

He hugged the picture tightly. "I'm sorry, Love…it's hard for me. I know it's been months, but it feels like yesterday that I woke up with you in my arms. Sometimes, it's the stupid things about what we had that I miss the most. Do you remember when we first moved in together and you kept waking me up because I kept sprawling out on the bed and almost knocking you off? It felt weird getting used to having someone next to me, but I got used to it. Just like you got used to my loud chewing…you'd imitate me to get me to stop. You knew I couldn't stand it." He chuckled as he held the picture tightly. "I miss you…everything about you…"

Wheatley smiled softly and placed the picture face down. "But…just for a little while longer…please, forgive me but I can't look at you…"

Luckily for Wheatley, Aperture was pretty dress casual. Lucky because Wheatley hadn't done his laundry in over a week and the only clean shirt he had was a short sleeve dress button up. His black slacks (unbeknownst to everyone at Aperture, his only pair) were still relatively clean. He dusted them off a few times and felt his hand hit something in the pocket. Reaching in, he found the ring box he had been keeping at his desk. If by instinct or curiosity, Wheatley opened the box to see the ring.

Yep, it was still inside. The ring he had spent every penny he had on just to sit in the box, mocking him. He closed the box tightly and clenched his hand around it. Fighting back the urge to cry, Wheatley went to the junk drawer in the kitchen and tossed the box in it. Behind the kitchen scissors, miscellaneous utensils, old ketchup packets, and numerous take-out menus, the little green box sat all alone as Wheatley closed the drawer.

Bachelor living didn't suit Wheatley anymore. Before Pam, Wheatley would have gone much longer without doing laundry and the apartment would have been a wreck, just like his old hole-in-the-wall apartment from before he and Pam moved in together. Wheatley had gotten used to having someone yell at him for leaving his socks on the bedroom floor or not rinsing off his dish off before putting it in the dishwasher. He was used to someone greeting him at the door when he got home from work and dinner being just about ready when he got out of his work clothes. It already seemed like he and Pam were already married. All that was missing was the wedding and all the other unimportant details.

When told by his other bachelor friends (namely Harvey) to make the best of it, Wheatley tried to "live the free life" but whatever plans he'd make often fell short due to lack of interest or whatever excuse he'd make up to not leave the apartment. He often found himself just sitting in front of the TV watching old sitcoms or playing video games or cleaning up just to keep himself occupied.

When it came down to it, Wheatley found it hard to function without Pam. But like Harvey told him numerous times: "Make the best of it."

Make the best of it… Wheatley believed that to be the worst advice anyone could ever give a grieving man.

Sometime later, Wheatley finally put on his shoes and reached for his work bag. "I'll be home around five…" he announced to the empty apartment. He felt he might as well not hold it back anymore. "You don't have to wait up if you don't want to…" Wheatley pulled the strap to his work bag over his shoulder and grabbed his keys. "…I love you…"

Shutting and locking the door, Wheatley trotted down the steps and toward his car. "Mr. Pendleton!" shouted one of the neighbor kids. He looked over at the group of children running around the bottom floor toward the bus stop. He smile softly and waved to the kids as he trotted down. "Mr. Pendleton, my Aunt Lacy is in town and she's looking for a date!" giggled the neighbor girl again.

Wheatley chuckled softly as he made his way to his car. "No, thank you!" Wheatley fake laughed as he got into his car. Placing his work bag on the passenger seat, Wheatley watched in his rearview mirror at the neighbor kids, making sure no one was behind him. Amazingly, he drove better in the states than he ever did in England, though he wasn't sure why. As he drove down the road, he passed by the front office, where the landlord was checking his mail. He waved to Wheatley, and Wheatley waved back with a soft smile.

Wheatley drove down the same roads, toward the same highway, towards the same place of employment as he always did. Wheatley never assumed anything about this day would be like any other. Except for one thing: he finally decided to go into Caroline's office (willingly, without the need to report another accident he caused) and have a nice long talk. He smiled sadly, but felt a glimmer of hope.

The parking lot was unusually light this morning, as opposed to the usual crammed feel. Wheatley smiled; maybe today wouldn't be so bad after all. He usually left a little early to allot himself some time to find a parking space, but today he might actually be on time.

The moment he got to his desk and set his bag down, the mailroom kid sat a stack of letters on his desk. Wheatley didn't care too much for the mailroom kid. Usually he got Wheatley's letters wrong and was always trying to flirt with the front desk girl (and often got scolded by Caroline). As he sat down and sorted through his mail, a conversation in the back of the offices caught his attention. It didn't sound like anything too interesting, but something about it made Wheatley pay extra attention.

"…so, is it true what I heard about Miss Caroline…" whispered one of the other office drones.

"Yeah, just a few nights ago, I believe. The legal department finally found her and they went over everything with her. She seemed oddly alright with it." The Front Desk girl sighed and looked around to make sure no one was listening. Wheatley had gotten used to blending into the background. "The guys in legal said Mr. Johnson's will was very specific about what he wants, from her and the company. I didn't hear much, except the words 'iron clad' and 'no way out of it' and 'it's your duty to science' were mentioned numerous times. It also stated that he wanted the GLaDOS project up and running before the end of the year. And you know Miss Caroline…" The front office girl held her files close. "Mr. Johnson was right to put her in charge of this place. Miss Caroline is a shining example to us all." The front office girl looked like she was about to cry as she walked away to finish her work. She walked right past Wheatley, which he found off as lately she would stop to flirt with him.

Wheatley swallowed hard and started stacking the mail in two piles (his and someone else's). He looked at one envelope and saw he wasn't addressed. It only had Wheatley's name written in red ink in the most beautiful cursive he had ever seen. Wheatley started to open it when he heard a familiar voice call his name (or, his last name, rather). "Pendleton!"

Turning around, Wheatley smiled as Harvey walked up to him with a big smile. Out of all the people he missed from his internship, Harvey was the one he missed the most. Harvey had gotten a position in the robotics department and from what his phone calls mentioned, they were working on some "pretty gnarly stuff" according to Harvey. Wheatley liked the way Harvey talked. Harvey spoke typical American lingo (to Wheatley at least) with an accent not from the region, though Wheatley couldn't pinpoint where exactly. He decided to ask Harvey over lunch where he was from.

"Hey, Pendleton! You're early for once!" Harvey laughed as he walked up to Wheatley's desk. Wheatley laughed and put his opened letter down. "You want to come down to the labs and see what we're working on before Smith arrives?"

Wheatley knew Harvey and Smith worked in the same department now, but they rarely crossed paths. For that, Harvey (and Wheatley) was thankful. But ever since the incident between Wheatley and Smith, Harvey hadn't seen much of his friend. Not that he was banned from the labs or anything. Wheatley was a pivotal part of the GLaDOS project. Whenever Smith wasn't around, they'd bring Wheatley down to the labs to have him go over forms and new coding for the program to look over. When asked where Smith was, the lab techs would only state that he had been given other work to do. Wheatley often saw Smith stalking around the hallways, so he knew that he hadn't been "transferred" or "quit".

"That sounds fun, Mate. I'll meet you down there. I just have to go see Miss Caroline real quick." Wheatley stood up and straightened himself out a bit.

"Miss Caroline isn't here." Harvey mentioned as Wheatley made sure his shirt was buttoned right and his name tag was on correctly. "I just got here and I didn't see her car in its usual spot. But I usually get here before she does anyway, so don't sweat it." Harvey seemed very excited about whatever it was he was doing down in the labs. "I need a little input on the program that we're using for a repair job I'm doing."

Wheatley chuckled a bit. "I knew there was a catch."

Harvey chuckled softly and looked over at his friend. "Hey, it's your program that we're using; you should know that you're more important to the GLaDOS project than anyone." Harvey looked at Wheatley and smiled softly. "You should give yourself more credit."

Wheatley nodded, noting that Pam would have said the same thing. "How's that coming along, anyway?" he asked as Harvey led him to the elevator. "No one lose an arm in anything yet, have they?" Wheatley chuckled as he and Harvey left the offices and walked down the hallway to the elevator.

"…not the whole arm…" Harvey chuckled nervously. Wheatley was praying to whatever deity watched over him that Harvey was joking. Harvey pressed the button for the elevator and stood on his heels. "You know, you're still something of a celebrity down in the labs." Harvey mentioned off-handedly as the elevator doors opened. Wheatley sighed softly as they boarded. It had been a little while and Wheatley was surprised that everyone was still talking about the incident.

The elevator rides always terrified Wheatley. "I don't want to talk about it." Wheatley sighed as he watched the numbers count down over him. Harvey nodded and the uncomfortable elevator ride continued. "I don't like how people are still treating me like some kind of hero. I'm not a hero. I bloodied the man up and I should be punished, but for some reason I'm being treated like a saint. It's not right." Wheatley murmured as the numbers kept going down. Harvey sighed and nodded.

Reaching their floor, Harvey disembarked from the elevator first. Wheatley followed behind closely, never liking the labs much. Everything about the labs gave him the creeps. Harvey handed Wheatley a lab coat and told him to stay close, advice Wheatley didn't need to be told twice. Everything looked business as usual in the labs, which was odd considering.

"Remember the Personality Constructs?" Harvey finally asked, as he swapped his I.D. card into a scanner. Wheatley nodded as the door beeped and let the two into a specific lab. "Well, they got me working on them." Harvey revealed as he showed Wheatley to his desk. Wheatley gulped softly and loosened his tie. "Don't worry, Pendleton, I didn't bring you down here for that. They don't have me working on the 'messy' parts, thankfully. When they told me I'd be working on them, I prayed harder than I ever have before to not get that job. I couldn't drink enough to tolerate that job."

Harvey pushed a few buttons on his keyboard and the screen started up. "They got me working on the mechanical stuff. You know, auto/body stuff, so to speak. I'm here to make sure your program fits well with their initial hardware. I also keep tabs on them, to see if they need anything. If any of them break down, they are sent to me."

Wheatley smiled softly. "So, whenever one needs an oil change, they bring it to you?" Wheatley chuckled softly. Harvey chuckled too and nodded as he started typing again. Harvey typed rapidly and then stopped, taking a cord and hooking it up to the construct on his desk and then to his computer. With the gracefulness of a dragonfly on water, Harvey loaded the program on his screen into the little metal sphere. After a minute or so, the computer dinged, letting him know the upload was complete.

"Their designations are what they are programed for initially, but we can program them to do other functions, as well. So they can be put to use when not hooked up to the Super A.I. Take this one, for instance." Harvey patted the sphere softly. "We keep having problems with this one. We call him 'Rick'; he's the adventure sphere, but he keeps breaking down. We put him in charge of helping around the company daycare; to entertain the children, but he normally ends up scaring them. He likes to jump off his management rail whenever no one is around." Harvey unhooked the construct from the cable and reached inside, flipping a switch. "Good morning, Rick! Your handler brought you back to me to fix you again."

The green optic of the "Adventure Sphere" blinked a few times and then focused on Harvey and Wheatley. "Oh no, not you again!" it shouted. Wheatley was somewhat taken aback. He didn't think the Personality Constructs would be so active. "Why do they keep sending me to you?"

"You hopped off your rail again, Rick. We keep telling you not to do that. I don't care what you think, but you don't have a parachute installed in you. I should know, I helped build you." Harvey sighed as he picked up Rick, turning him around to make sure he wasn't too badly damaged. "…and each time you do it, it's from a higher point and it's becoming too expensive to keep fixing you."

"Rick" chuckled and spun his optic around. "Well, you obviously don't have the spirit of adventure in you, Nerd Boy!" he shouted as Harvey stood up. "I was built to take chances! One of these days this place is going to depend on my zombie hunting, alien fighting skills and I'll be waiting patiently for you personally to come begging for my help. And I'll be like 'No way! You didn't believe in me! Now, leave me alone, I have to go save that cute girl over there from that pack of wolves…on fire!' Yeah, wolves on fire…"

As "Rick" rambled on, Harvey shook his head and handed him to Wheatley. "Do me a favor and hook him up to the management rail outside. I think his handler will be happy to see him…or sad that his break from keeping Rick out of trouble is over. Either way, he needs to go back. Don't worry; I programed the arm on the rail to go straight to his handler's office."

Wheatley nodded and held "Rick" close, leaving Harvey's office and looking up. "Adventure Sphere…ain't that something…" Wheatley murmured. "You should be more responsible. I don't know how many more times Harvey will fix you before he can do no more. Life is very unpredictable. You might have people who love you that would miss you if…" Wheatley stopped himself and sighed, looking down at the Sphere cradled in his arms. The Adventure Sphere didn't seem to be paying attention.

"You look familiar, Poindexter." The Adventure Sphere said as Wheatley turned him around to face his optic. "Rick" squinted his optic a bit and then it widened somewhat, as if surprised. "You know, Rick kind of remembers being in a room and then a bunch of static happened…but I think I saw your picture among a bunch of others on a table. I don't know, probably having a bet to see who's less manly than me." Rick laughed, self-assuredly. Wheatley shook his head and held Rick up. Rick magnetically attached himself to the rail and looked down on Wheatley. "Wow, you're a tall feller, ain't ya? I could use a guy like you as my side-kick. Yeah, picture it, Nerdy, me and you: Rick, the Super Awesome Adventure Sphere and his side-kick…Tall, Skinny Glasses Boy…that Talks Funny!"

Wheatley waved to "Rick" as he zoomed off in another direction. "His handler must have his arms full with that one." Wheatley muttered as he reentered Harvey's office. "Which reminds me; how come there have been so many of those things around, lately? I know they're trying to phase out human testing down in the Enrichment Center, but human workers, too?"

Harvey shook his head. "No, it's for the Super A.I., remember?" Harvey turned off his computer screen and reached into his desk, pulling out a small stack of papers. "As per Mr. Johnson's last requests, he wants the Super A.I. to be perfect. So, they are having us make the Constructs ahead of time. The Constructs are also Corrupted Cores; kind of like the core of the A.I., except…well, corrupted. In case the A.I. decides to go rogue, we can attach a construct or 'core' onto it to distract it while we figure out the problem. Think of them as a conscience." Harvey answered, simply. "They can hook into the Super A.I. from their ports on their backs. If we ever need to work on it, we can hook these cores onto it to distract it or to lull it should it get overexcited."

Wheatley wasn't sure what all the fuss was about. To him, every time anyone mentioned the "Super A.I.", he just thought about a giant computer. "But they also have functions around the facility. Might as well get our money's worth for building them. When not in use, they can do a number of other things."

"Bloody brilliant." Wheatley muttered, crossing his arms.

Nodding, Wheatley watched as Harvey put a pen and the forms in front of him. "They dropped this off this morning. I assume it's the basic 'See Spot Run' that you've read a bunch of times on the other forms. You know the drill; glance at it and then sign it."

As Wheatley slowly clicked the pen top, He couldn't help but notice Harvey eying him down a bit. It made Wheatley very uncomfortable. He didn't know why Harvey would have a form for Wheatley to sign, but it didn't matter too much to Wheatley. The last few months saw him signing plenty of forms. Harvey looked like he wanted to stop Wheatley, but retracted his hand as Wheatley signed his signature on the bottom line.

Harvey hastily took the forms away and rolled them up, putting them in a clear cylinder container. "Alright…I'll have this filed away. Honestly, this whole Super A.I. business has me getting bad vibes. I'm proud of you for getting the program accepted, but at the same time…" Harvey said softly. Harvey looked like he didn't want to talk about the papers Wheatley just signed. "Hey, you know we got that 'Bring Your Daughter to Work Day' thing coming up." Harvey murmured, trying his hardest to change the subject.

"Yeah, kids running around the labs…sounds like another field trip day to me." Wheatley murmured, not looking forward to having children climbing all over him again.

Harvey sighed and reclined in his chair. "Yeah, those suck. But they say it will boost morale. You've noticed the place has been lacking in the morale department since Mr. Johnson bit the big one, you know? Well, they plan to have the Super A.I. up and running on that day. Practically, that might be impossible. The Super A.I. is still a few months off, so luckily the 'Bring Your Daughter' day will be too. But they got me and some of the other engineers working on a special treat for the kids when they come in."

Harvey typed at his computer and clicked on a file. "This is the latest file all the constructs are getting. After the Super A.I. is activated for the kids, they are going to go into the labs and be treated to a little concert featuring the cores!" Harvey smiled wide and directed his mouse cursor over a file and clicked it. "They have so much fun stuff planned for those kids, but I've been working on this personally. Well, they told me to do it, but it's still a personal project. Each of the constructs will have the preprogramed melody in them. After all the cute little activities the higher ups have planned, the constructs are going to sing to them. Right now, I only have a lullaby programed, but I hope to have more in the future. What do you think?"

Though Harvey looked happily hopeful as the music box like music started playing from his computer speakers, Wheatley wasn't so sure. He had seen only a few of the constructs around the facility and they gave him the creeps. "Well, children will find anything entertaining, mate. Give them a bit of string and a flashlight and they're distracted for hours…sounds kind of fun, now that I think about it." Wheatley chuckled. Harvey couldn't help but nod in agreement. "Well, either way, I'm glad they're keeping us both busy. Lately I've just had this overwhelming sense of…doom." Wheatley murmured. "I keep hearing things. People quitting, people not coming back from testing…it's getting quite scary, if I'm honest."

The two men stared at each other for a bit, as if reading each other's thoughts. "Hell, it might only be a matter of time before…I don't want to think about such things. Maybe its best left for a night out at the pub, wouldn't you say?" Wheatley smiled and winked.

"You, come out drinking? Wow, is this a whole new Wheatley Pendleton?" Harvey laughed.

"Pam didn't like it when I went out drinking, but I know she wouldn't want me cooped up in the apartment all night playing video games and eating take-out when I could be out at least attempting to have a life. She'd yell at me if I didn't go out with my best friend. What do you say, mate, first round's on me?" Wheatley smiled and Harvey nodded with a laugh.

Harvey looked like he was feeling guilty and forced another smile. "I'll hold you to it, Pendleton. Now, I think we should both get back to work before those pre-recorded messages catch us." Harvey laughed as Wheatley took off his lab coat.

Wheatley nodded his good-bye and left his friend in his office. Harvey stewed there for a moment, unsure of what to do. He didn't want to do this. He hated the Super A.I. project more than anything. He hated that Wheatley was a big part of it. But most of all, he hated the knowledge he had just uncovered a few minutes before Wheatley entered the labs. Harvey knew it was already too late. He figured it'd only be a matter of time before they came for him as well. When he knew Wheatley wasn't looking, Harvey took the forms out of the tube and clenched them tightly.

"…and with one pen stroke…" he murmured softly as he looked at Wheatley's signature. "…our fate is sealed…"

Later That Evening

It was pretty late. He didn't mean to stay so late, but it couldn't be helped. Wheatley was given so much to do. It was like they needed him to do all of it before he went on vacation or something. Wheatley didn't understand why everyone was treating him like he had signed his resignation and sent it in. He wasn't going anywhere. At least, he hoped he wasn't. Maybe he was being fired soon and the office grapevine caught wind of it before he did.

Deep down, Wheatley hoped he was being fired. He didn't have the courage to face Caroline and tell her he wanted to quit. He often played around with the thought of quitting, even before Pam's unfortunate passing; probably as early as his internship. Something in his mind was telling him this was a mistake. This whole place was a mistake. Hell, he and the other former interns were still in the computers as interns, for crying out loud! He figured it was a ploy to keep from paying them regular salaries until the legal department caught on.

It didn't matter to Wheatley. He was just happy to have something to do to keep his mind off…well, it didn't matter.

As Wheatley packed his work bag, he couldn't help but get the sense that he was being watched. Every time he turned around, no one would be there. The feeling got stronger when he started making his way to his car. He felt the need to walk faster and when he finally made it to his car, the feeling of being watched left him. Wheatley locked his doors and put his work bag beside him on the passenger side seat. Wheatley carefully turned on his way and left the parking lot.

As he left, he noted that Caroline's car wasn't in its parking spot. He had tried all day to get into Caroline's office, but he kept getting stopped by one thing or another. To make things creepier, every time he went near the labs, the scientists would stop and stare at him. He thought he heard one of them whisper "dead man walkin'" as Wheatley passed by. He ignored it, of course, but it still gave him a bad feeling.

Lately, all he had been feeling at work was the sensation of impending doom. Something wasn't right, but he couldn't think about that now. He had to meet Harvey for a few drinks and Harvey often started without him. After making sure he was clear, Wheatley left the Aperture Science parking lot and zoomed down the road.

Getting used to driving in the States took Wheatley some time, but he found it quite enjoyable. His car, a nice Honda Civic he had bought off an old lady for cheap to teach her wandering husband a lesson, got him anywhere he needed to be. What he enjoyed most about this car (besides paying well below the blue book value for it) was that it was blue. That was a big selling point for Wheatley. He always enjoyed the color blue. Pam often told him the color blue suited him well.

Pam…

Wheatley slowed down as soon as he came to the gas station on the edge of the city and parked. He didn't want to do this tonight. Wheatley didn't want to sit in his car, miss time with his best friend, and sulk. Not wanting to look crazy, Wheatley bought some gas (though he didn't really need any, he just put about five dollars in anyway) and left the service station.

Deciding to go home and change real quick, Wheatley slowly walked up the steps to his apartment and then stopped midway through. There was that weird feeling again. Someone was watching him, this time he was sure of it as he whipped his head around. Nothing. What was going on? Was all the stress of work finally getting to him? He hoped not. He wanted to at least attempt to enjoy his evening.

Pam would have wanted him to enjoy his night out with Harvey. Maybe not drinking, but she would have wanted him to get out of the apartment. Wheatley opened his apartment door and locked it behind him, throwing his work bag on the couch and walking to the bedroom. After getting dressed, he decided to make himself a snack. Eating before drinking usually made it so Wheatley didn't get completely plastered. He ignored his game system and made himself a sandwich.

"Sorry, imaginary citizens of the lost kingdom…" Wheatley chuckled as he finished his sandwich. Grabbing his keys again, Wheatley made his way to the door. The game system sat under his television, like a puppy who wanted attention. Wheatley had actually fiddled with the idea of getting a dog, but he didn't want to pay the pet deposit. "Get someone else to fight those dragons. I have my own demons to slay." He murmured as he left.

There was that feeling again. Even as he drove down Cobblestone Drive and left the apartment complex, Wheatley could swear someone was following him. He wasn't sure what to make of it. Who would want to follow him around? Wheatley's life was pretty dull outside of Aperture. If he wasn't at work, he was at home, playing video games or watching television waiting to go back to work. Was the company concerned that Wheatley wasn't a good worker? All he did lately was work.

Wheatley stopped at a stop light and looked in his rearview mirror. Only a few cars were behind him, but nothing suspicious or anything to make note of. He continued to drive and turned on the radio, hoping it would take his mind off of it. "Imagine" by John Lennon was playing. Wheatley always liked this song.

As soon as the feeling had left, Wheatley found himself driving more peacefully. Wheatley always liked this song, but he loved it more when he had found out Pam liked this song too. It played on their first official date and when she mentioned she liked the song, he knew they'd share something special. He felt the song described Pam very well. She could be practical, but she loved peace. She was such a peaceful person. It's why he loved her so much…it's why he missed her.

Wheatley stopped his car at the bar he agreed to meet Harvey at and sat back in his seat. "Why did I agree to do this?" he murmured softly. "I shouldn't be here. I should be at home…" he muttered softly as he leaned his head back. It took everything he could muster, but he finally got out of his car. The bar didn't look too full tonight, which was good. The plan (in his head) was to have a few beers with Harvey and then go home to his game, which was waiting for him to slay a cursed dragon god (or whatever the plot of that game was, he wasn't sure).

The moment he walked in, he saw Harvey at the bar. Harvey looked up and waved him over. Wheatley smiled and made his way over. Sitting down, Wheatley ordered a beer and started taking out his wallet. "No, I got it tonight, Pendleton…" said Harvey, who sounded kind of sad. Even though Wheatley promised to pay, Harvey was strangely insistent. Harvey looked like he was about to say good-bye to someone leaving and never coming back and it scared Wheatley a bit.

Trying to lighten the mood, Wheatley happily opened his beer and took a swig. "So, as it turns out, those tips you gave me really worked! You were right; once you figure out how to play, that game is really good. I'm glad you recommended it to me. Hey, that reminds me, I haven't seen you on LIVE in a while. I thought we were going to play a round of Nazi Zombies the other night." Harvey chuckled at Wheatley's prattling. "You know what it feels like to feel you've been stood up for an online killing spree? Reminds me of the time I was stood up in high school, except not as humiliating…"

"Pendleton…I want you to know something…" Harvey muttered. Harvey looked like he had already been drinking quite a bit before Wheatley had gotten there. He didn't sound drunk, though. "I want you to know that you're the best friend I've had in years. You're the one person at that Aperture dump that I can talk to and not feel like I'm going to be reported to the higher ups. You are an honest to goodness guy and you don't deserve any of…well, you're a great guy. You deserve to live a happy life with a home, a family, and all that other nice gooey crap you like to go on about…"

Wheatley looked at Harvey strangely and took another swig of his beer. Harvey looked like he was fighting back tears. "If there is anything you can do for me…please, Pendleton…don't go into work tomorrow."

"Are you crazy, mate! I used up all my sick days at the hospital with Pam, I can't afford to…"

"PLEASE, Pendleton…" Harvey muttered loudly. "If you do insist on coming in…then avoid the labs at all costs. I'm asking you as my friend…"

Wheatley had never seen Harvey this upset. What was going on? Wheatley played with his bottle and sighed. "What's this about, Harvey? Is Smith still after me?" Wheatley asked angrily. Harvey looked like he was chuckling as he shook his head and took a swig again.

"Smith will be the least of your worries. But he doesn't know…he made me do it and now look what's about to happen! He doesn't know he's on the list too…" Harvey took another swig and asked for another beer. The bartender looked like she was starting to lose patience with Harvey, but she kept the beer coming. "He thinks he's some kind of special, but no one is exempt when they put you on the lists! Permission or not, they'll find you, and make you give your consent! That's how they keep the next of kin from suing if anything goes wrong or from poking their noses where they don't belong! But Smith…he doesn't know he's on the list too!" Harvey laughed drunkenly, slamming his fist on the bar.

Before Wheatley could say anything, Harvey faced him and shook his head. "It's a secret…but you'll find out." He muttered drunkenly.

Though he usually loved his time with Harvey, Wheatley decided to keep it short tonight. Something wasn't right. It was like there was a huge secret that no one would let him in on. Wheatley didn't like being out of the loop, considering the secret was about him. Wheatley patted Harvey on the back and slowly got up. "I'm going to call it a night, Harvey. Will you be alright?" he muttered as he got up from his bar stool.

Harvey sighed and took another long swig from his beer. "Wheatley, I want you to know I value your friendship above everything. If it weren't for you, I don't think I'd be able to get up in the mornings. I was happy that you had a girl like Pam. Actually, I was jealous." Wheatley watched as Harvey laughed softly. He was starting to get a little creeped out. "Everyone was jealous, but for different reasons. It won't matter soon, so let me give it to you straight…"

Wheatley sat back down. "Jacobson is gone. He didn't make it past the third test chamber. McIntyre is probably testing right now, if the roster I found on my computer is correct. I don't know when they'll come for Darzi, but seeing as his name wasn't on today's testing roster, it doesn't look good. I'm not on it because I signed a deal with the devil himself. But I didn't know the conditions! I didn't read it and neither did you!" Harvey grabbed Wheatley's collar and shook him a bit. "Nothing matters, anymore! You either work there or you die there or both! No gray area. None…we signed our lives away the moment we were hired. I didn't think it was that bad, but when I saw the roster for…"

Not bothering to make sure Harvey was going to be alright, Wheatley left the bar and his friend rambling drunkenly. While he didn't want to leave the poor bartender to the sobbing mess that was his friend, Wheatley felt it would be best if he just left all together. The moment he left the bar, the feeling of being watched came back. Wheatley tried not to think about Harvey's wild rambling and just summed it up to the ramblings of a very drunk and depressed man.

While driving, Wheatley kept thinking about what Harvey had told him. About Jacobson and the other interns he had served with. "Mandatory Volunteerism" is what they called it when you received a letter in your mail at work "requesting" that you come down to the Enrichment Center for testing. Those who had survived it didn't like to talk about it. Wheatley didn't think Aperture was short on subjects. He always assumed people would need money and seeing as the company had a history of gathering random people off the streets and buying out the rights to use prisoners and mental care patients in certain tests, Wheatley didn't see the need for the company to start plucking people from their desks.

Of course, as the instructor once told him and his fellow interns: "You're the Red Shirts of Aperture. You're expendable. As interns, your importance is only slightly above that of the test subjects in the Enrichment Center."

Wheatley always assumed he said that to make them work harder. It certainly worked for Wheatley, who wouldn't even have this job if it weren't for the project he had worked on. Everyone was so proud of him, but he was starting to get sick of it. Everything was happening because of him, so why did he feel like someone punched him in the stomach?

Pam refused to let him think that way. If she were sitting beside him, she'd yell at him for letting the words of the Instructor, who obviously hated his job, get to him. But Wheatley remembered that Pam was gone and the passenger side seat was bare. He gripped the steering wheel tightly.

Wheatley turned down the opposite road at the stop light where he usually turned left. He kept driving until he reached the park. Something in his subconscious told Wheatley to come here tonight. He stepped out of his car and onto the pavement. It was a crisp night, so he didn't need a jacket but he still felt the need to wear one anyway.

The park was an important place to Wheatley. It was where he'd spend his days before his internship, entertaining passersby with a little strumming. It was where he met Pam, when she shyly walked up to him and asked him to play "Moon River" again. Wheatley plopped himself on one of the swings along the path and watched as couples passed by, enjoying the cool air and the lights. It had rained recently and the lights reflected off the droplets on the chain of his swing.

Ignoring his wet hind quarters from sitting on the wet swing, Wheatley slowly starting moving the swing with his legs and continued to watch as people passed by. Wheatley envied each passing couple. He could have sworn he heard Pam giggle as the swing next to him moved with the soft, cold wind. Wheatley sighed softly and looked up at the moon behind the retreating rain clouds.

"Push me, Wheatley!"

With a jolt, Wheatley swung his head around and stared at the swing next to him. It swung softly but remained vacant. This place was special to Wheatley. He spent time here when he waited for employment. He had met the woman he loved in this very park. Wheatley tried to keep himself from crying, but it was no use. His eyes watered up as the wind blew colder. Phantoms of himself walking with Pam down the path toward the pond played out in front of him. Wheatley missed having Pam on his arm.

Forcing himself off the swing, Wheatley slowly walked toward the pond. The lights of the city reflected in the pond and brought back more memories. He stood still in one specific spot and sighed. It was the spot where he sat when he met Pam and on this spot, he had planned to propose to her. Wiping his eyes and readjusting his glasses, Wheatley regretted not bringing the ring. He wanted more than anything to toss it into the pond. It may not be worth emptying out his savings for, but the temporary feeling of letting go would have been.

"Oh Pam…why did you leave me?" Wheatley whimpered as the wind blew ripples on the pond. "I don't know if you knew…but I planned on asking you to marry me in the same spot we met at. Remember? I was playing the guitar and you asked me to keep playing that song? Then we went and got some pasta at that cheap Italian restaurant down the road. Their food was good and I could overlook that their breadsticks were stiff enough to kill a man, but just being with you…oh, Pam, I can't do this without you…"

Wheatley sat on a nearby bench (cold and wet, of course) and sobbed softly. "People keep telling me to get over it, but I can't just get over you. People act like you were just some kind of hobby that can be put away on a shelf when I get bored. But you weren't…you were the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. You were the only woman who would give me the time of day and now you're gone. I'll never find another woman like you and honestly…if I'm honest…I don't think I want to."

Standing up again, Wheatley walked to the edge of the pond. "…but if I do one day find someone who makes me feel as great…as hopeful…as human as you made me feel, I won't forget you, Pam. I promise you, Pamela, that I will keep you in my heart for all time. I love you, Pam…"

Wheatley started sobbing, unable to control the tears flowing down his face. "I love you, Pamela Jameson, for all time."

As Wheatley watched the ripples on the pond, he could have sworn he felt a kiss on his cheek. Wheatley left the park not long after that. He drove home and fought the urge to turn on his game system to see if Harvey was online. He walked to the bedroom and lay on his side of the bed. Wheatley stared at the ceiling for a good while until he finally drifted off to sleep, alone in his bed.

Wheatley…come home, Wheatley…

Though it sounded like an alarm clock, Wheatley was awakened by his phone ringing. He let the phone ring, hoping whoever was calling this early would give up. After about five rings (how long he usually gave someone to answer), it still rang. He only knew of one person who wouldn't hang up until they got an answer or the answering machine. And even then, would call back. Wheatley reached for his glasses and put them on while reaching or the phone with his other hand.

"Hello? Oh, hi, Mum…" Wheatley sighed softly, trying to hold back his yawn. "What…oh, that's nice. It's been twenty years coming, Dad getting a promotion...what? No, I didn't get your letter yet…you what? Mum, I told you guys to stop sending me money! I'm doing fine! Just because Pam isn't here anymore doesn't mean I'm completely helpless!"

Wheatley listened to his mother for a bit and sighed. Something she mentioned (and had mentioned many times before) struck a chord with him. "What? A little time away to sort things out does sound like a good idea, actually. Well…alright, Mum, you've made your point. I didn't use up any vacation days, so I guess I can come home for a while. I do miss you guys a lot…yes, Mum, I'll see if I can get some time cleared and I'll come home for a bit. It might do me some good." After a long winded conversation, Wheatley finally hung up. For the first time in a long time, Wheatley actually enjoyed talking to his mother. "Sometimes, a man just needs to talk to his mother." He whispered as he sat up in bed.

With a big yawn, Wheatley got up. He decided today was going to be different. No more lying around feeling sorry for himself. After Wheatley finished his routine, He decided nothing will keep him from visiting Caroline today and getting his head straight. He didn't care what anyone said. Wheatley had a future he needed to think about, and whether it was with Aperture or anywhere else (or with anyone else), he had to take life by the horns and get out of his funk before he sank too low.

"Today is my day!" he shouted as he stood up from his chair. "In fact, I might even let Harvey fix me up with that office girl he's always going on about or even ask the front desk girl to dinner! Pam wouldn't want me to be miserable forever. She'd want me to move on and get on with my life! I'll live for both of us!"

With a skip in his step and new found confidence, Wheatley got ready for work. He looked over on the counter and smiled. He picked up the picture of him and Pam and smiled. "I'll live for both of us, love. I won't let your memory go to waste." Wheatley sat the picture down softly, not facing it down like he usually did. "I can't wait for today. I…I feel so alive…and I don't know why."

Laughing heartily, Wheatley gathered up his things and made his way to the door. He decided to wear blue today. He had spent the last few months wearing black, but today he decided to wear blue. People often told Wheatley that he looked good in blue. He needed a happier outlook and today he was going to march right into Caroline's office and have a nice long sit down with her. Of all the people he believed needed to hear that he felt better, she was the first on his list. Who would have thought the prospect of a trip home could have made one person feel so much better?

As he reached for the door, something in the back of his head told him to take a good look around. This apartment represented everything he worked so hard for. He didn't want to disappoint the memory of the girl he worked so hard for. Everything was as it should be. "Today is the first day of a newer, happier, and better dressed Wheatley Pendleton!" he shouted excitedly as he left his apartment.

He waved happily to the neighbors as they went about their routines and made his way to his car. Everything was going to be okay, and Wheatley started to believe it after so long of thinking the world might end if he even stepped off the sidewalk. Things were going to go his way from now on. He could feel it in his bones.

The office seemed more somber than usual. Wheatley hadn't seen this many depressed faces since Mr. Johnson died. Something didn't seem right, but he decided to deal with it right after he finished his talk with Caroline. He knew if he dallied, he would forget. Wheatley put his work bag on his desk and marched out of the offices, toward the Executive hallway. As he started strolling down, he felt something grab his shirt. Looking over, Wheatley saw the Front Desk Girl staring at him.

"Where are you going?" she demanded.

"I'm going to have a talk with Miss Caroline." Wheatley answered simply, pointing down the hallway.

"Miss Caroline…" the Front Desk Girl looked like she was about to cry. "…Miss Caroline isn't seeing anyone today…or again for a long, long, time. Go back to your desk."

Wheatley had never known the Front Desk Girl to get defensive. Something wasn't right. "Look, it won't take long; I just need to see her real quick so I can get some vacation time approved. If you can just let me by so I can see her, I'll get this over with as fast and painless as possible!"

The Front Desk Girl just stared at him. She shook her head and went back her to desk. "Miss Caroline isn't in her office. Just go back to your desk." The Front Desk Girl snapped as she pretended to file papers away.

Something was definitely off. Wheatley decided he didn't want to start his new lease on life this way. This was supposed to be a whole new Wheatley Pendleton. He cleared his throat and straightened himself out. "Alright, fair enough, I will leave the subject alone. But before I go back to my desk, may I inquire as to where Miss Caroline is at this moment?" Wheatley leaned against the Front Desk Girl's desk raising an eyebrow. She just glared at him and went back to what she was doing. "Alright…then may I ask you something?"

"What is it?" the Girl asked.

"I've decided to try something new. After the whole…girlfriend dying…thing…" Wheatley looked like he needed to hold back his own tears but just cleared his throat. "…what I'm trying to say is…I think I'm ready to get back into the dating thing and I would like it…very, VERY, much, if you let me…umm…take you to dinner? Say, tonight around eight?" Wheatley cracked his cheesiest smile. The Front Desk Girl just stared at him.

Inside his head, Wheatley was shouting STUPID, STUPID, STUPID over and over again. He had been out of the dating scene so long, it was hilariously obvious. He might as well have been standing there with his fly down.

The Front Desk Girl sighed softly and picked up a folder. "I don't think we'll see each other much after today, so it might not be a good idea to get too attached." She muttered, walking away. Wheatley didn't like how cryptic people were being lately.

Wheatley just decided to go back to his desk. No one seemed to be making eye contact with him and it was starting to get frustrating. He tried to focus on his work, which was surprisingly light today compared to the mountains of work he had been receiving lately.

He heard the click-clack of the front desk girl's high heels coming his way. He was hoping (thought fruitlessly) that she had reconsidered his offer. Wheatley heard her stop a few times and then start toward him again. She seemed nervous about something. "Mr. Pendleton…" she murmured, tapping him on the shoulder. Wheatley turned around in his chair as she handed him a piece of paper. "I…forgot to give you this memo. You're needed in the labs today…" she then turned sharply and walked away without making eye contact again.

Harvey must need my assistance again he thought as he got up. If Wheatley had been paying attention, he would have seen the Front Desk Girl hold her hand over her mouth, trying not to cry. He also would have seen the Mailroom Clerk keeping people from going through his desk.

The elevator ride was just as unpleasant as it always had been. The elevator was silent, like it was actually giving him an opportunity to think about what was going to happen while he was in the labs and it opened its doors as if it were frustrated that Wheatley had wasted his time in it digging in his ears with his glasses. Wheatley disembarked from the elevator and made his way to Harvey's office. Harvey's office door was wide open, which was odd. Maybe the scanner is broken Wheatley thought, poking his head in with a smile. He was surprised to see that his friend wasn't in. If Harvey hadn't called for him, then who did?

Thinking maybe Harvey had stepped out for a moment, Wheatley considered waiting for him. He soon became bored and decided to go look for his friend. Wheatley generally didn't like the labs. Everything was meticulously cleaned and sterilized. The lights were much brighter than the office lights and everything smelled like bleach. There weren't many people or constructs about in the hallways today. Wheatley thought this was a good thing, as he didn't like the feelings the constructs gave him or the looks the scientists gave him. He was actually starting to wonder where everyone was.

Each office seemed empty but the doors leading down to the Enrichment Center testing areas were unlocked. He opened them slowly but noticed the hallways were blank as well. Usually, they'd have scientists going from one observation room to another. "Well, they must not be doing testing today…" he murmured. Wheatley looked up and thought he saw a construct zooming by in another hallway. He followed the management rail, hoping to see the construct, but didn't see anything. He kept walking, thinking he heard voices murmuring. Everyone seemed to be corralled in a big room overlooking a giant chamber.

The sign on the door read "Master Control Room". Wheatley approached cautiously. He could make out a few familiar faces (Harvey, Dr. Rattmann, and Smith) but everyone else just seemed to be random scientists. Harvey looked like he was about to vomit while Dr. Rattmann only shook his head as he left. He was probably the only one to notice Wheatley standing just outside the doorway. Wheatley could hear Dr. Rattmann murmuring something about it being time for his medication and then, as he passed Wheatley, he murmured something that stuck with Wheatley.

"…don't let them take away your humanity…"

Dr. Rattmann didn't even look at Wheatley as he passed by, making Wheatley wonder if he was speaking to him. Wheatley silently stood behind the scientists; none of them seemed to know he was there. "Well, the initial transfer was a success, but not without its problems. Though she was willing, there was resistance. We'll need to keep an eye on that, make sure it doesn't sink into the rest of the program. It could cause problems later on down the line. The transfer, for the most part, was a complete success."

Wheatley looked around and noticed the man speaking was Smith. "Unfortunately, it is with regret that I say that her physical body didn't make it. When transferring into a normal core, it takes less effort on the human's part, physically and mentally, but on an A.I. such as this…well, it took longer and much more out of her than we anticipated. We've only started her up once, and though she seems aware, she doesn't remember who she is. It's like the process automatically erases any and all memories. Her mind, her thoughts, everything are in the magnificent machine you see before you. However…Miss Caroline…"

His eyes widening, Wheatley tried to get a better look around the scientists and down in the massive chamber below. Down in the chamber, two orderlies covered Caroline's body with a white sheet and wheeled the gurney out through an automatic door. Miss…Caroline? Wheatley thought, trying not to panic.

"With regular Personality Constructs, or 'Cores', whichever you prefer, the physical body can be preserved after transfer. In a sense, the body is in a state of 'living death', should we feel the need to use the body for anything else the company needs. Very much alive, but without assistance, it would die. So, we usually put the subjects into cryogenic stasis until they can be used again. Miss Caroline, however, was the one exception. She, sadly, didn't survive the process." Smith's faked sincerity may have fooled everyone else, but it didn't fool Wheatley. He swallowed hard and tried to back out of the room slowly.

"The initial program was made by our very own Wheatley Pendleton…" Smith, with a grin that oozed evil, turned around and pointed to Wheatley, who was now standing in the doorway. Everyone turned around in unison and stared at Wheatley. Harvey looked horrified. "Of course, the program had to be worked on constantly from its raw form to get it to where it is today. Without Pendleton, the constructs you see zooming around wouldn't be possible. We'd still be making messes and we'd have more bodies for the orderlies to clean up. Why, he's the reason the entire GLaDOS project is possible."

Everyone attempted to clap, except Harvey, who looked like he was mouthing RUN! to Wheatley over and over. "…and, being quite the generous 'bloke', as he would say, he's actually volunteered to become a very vital piece of the GLaDOS family and immortalize himself within these walls forever." Smith held his hand out to Wheatley and grinned evilly. "Oh, the sacrifices one makes…in the name of science. Care to say a few words to your adoring fans, Pendleton?"

Everyone stood there, their blank expressions condemning Wheatley for his part in this horrific experiment. "No…" he murmured. "…I won't let you do this!" Wheatley shouted as he ran off.

Smith shook his head and reached for the emergency phone by the computer console. He pressed one button and waited a few seconds. "We have another runner…" he murmured before putting the phone down.

Wheatley ran from the Enrichment Center, toward the labs, and toward Harvey's office. He locked the door behind him and ran to the computer console. He searched for a blank compact disc and once he found one, he popped it in. Feeling they would lock him out of the system, Wheatley typed in Caroline's name and password into the Aperture Science systems. He remembered it from the time Caroline had him work on her personal computer in her office. Once he found what he was looking for, he uploaded all of it onto the disc and deleted it from the systems.

He had proof for the most part. Wheatley thought if anything, he could use it as a bartering tool. Aperture Science could go up in a mushroom cloud for all he cared. He just wanted to leave and never come back.

"Hello?" sang a little voice from under a sheet. Wheatley lifted up the sheet sitting next to Harvey's console and saw a very old model construct staring at him. He didn't see many of the first generation models zooming around, so he assumed this was one of the last ones. "Who are you? What's that in your hand?" It asked softly. Knowing he didn't have time, Wheatley ignored the construct and ran from Harvey's office. "Why are you leaving in such a rush? You're tall, why are you tall?" it kept asking.

When Wheatley tried to get the elevator to come down, he heard something in the hallway. He figured it was a mob of scientists looking for him. He didn't have time to wait for the elevator. Wheatley decided to take a chance and run for it. He hid within another lab that was open and only looked out the window facing the hallway a few times. He didn't see an angry, pitchfork wielding mob.

As soon as he felt the coast was clear, Wheatley made a break for it. He ran down one hallway and had to stop when he heard voices. He glanced around the corner slowly and saw the security team talking with one of the other scientists. He didn't hear much, only a few mutterings about the program not being in the Aperture systems and to find Wheatley at any cost. Wheatley swallowed hard as he heard the stern clumping of the security guard's boots.

"Find him!" he heard a familiar voice shout. "He downloaded the program out of the systems!"

Wheatley didn't think any of the people passing by him as he darted around the labs knew what was happening; otherwise they would have attempted to stop him. "Stop!" he heard the security guards shout. Wheatley kept going, darting around another corner. He stopped to catch his breath, only to look up in horror at the security camera staring down at him. Wherever he went, they would know and they would be waiting for him. He had to figure out what to do now. He slipped into a janitor's closet and kept the door cracked to keep a look out.

"For a guy so scrawny, he can sure run fast on those chicken legs." murmured one security guard, as they passed by. Wheatley would have felt insulted if he wasn't trying to hold back the urge to wet himself. "Do you think he went toward the maintenance areas?"

"I hope not. There aren't any cameras in the maintenance or factory areas. We won't be able to get him." said the security guard's partner. Something dinged inside Wheatley's head. The maintenance areas, of course! It was a long shot, but Wheatley knew if he could slip out through there, he'd lose them. The maintenance areas within the inner workings of the facility were like a rat maze. If he could slip out through there and get out of the facility, he'd be home free.

Home… Wheatley thought tenderly as he watched the guards walk by. Wheatley shook himself out of it. If he didn't hurry, he'd never see his little apartment again, or the stately family home where he spent his childhood in England. The thought of seeing his parents again made him count to three before bursting out of the janitor's closet like a madman and start running. The security guards watched him fumble over a mop and shake a bucket off his foot as he started running.

The Head Security guard stopped his partner from calling in the location. "Tell them it's time to test the new escort bot…" he murmured.

Wheatley ran until he hit the end of the hallway, near another intersection. He could have sworn there was a door here last time he was down this way. "Oh no, now isn't the time to get lost…" he murmured. If he didn't find a way into the inner workings of the facility, he'd have to climb through the air ducts or double back toward the Enrichment Center. That wasn't an option. He tried to gather his thoughts but felt something grab his shirt.

"Please assume the party escort position." announced the wiry looking robot. Wheatley looked on in horror. Wheatley yanked himself free and ran down the right hallway, toward the other departments. He nearly tripped when he felt the bot grab his leg.

"No, leave me alone!" shouted Wheatley, as the escort bot grabbed his leg. "You can't make me! I won't do it!" Wheatley kicked the bot's core and disabled it temporarily. He started running again. He didn't care about exposing Aperture for the monsters they were. He just wanted to go home. Wheatley decided the moment he was home, he was booking an immediate flight back to England. Aperture may have been relentless in their pursuits, but not even they would travel across the world for a wayward employee.

The alarms were going crazy at this point now. Red lights flashing and the security breach alarms sounding off like the fourth of July, Wheatley knocked over anyone who wasn't wise to what he was doing and just kept running.

"Please assume the party escort position." said the broken escort bot.

"Of all the things Aperture could make properly, it WOULD be a capture bot." Wheatley mused as he dashed through another department door. Once he was sure he lost it, he stopped to have a breather. He reached into his lab coat pocket and pulled out the disk. It contained the program that secured him a job but at high cost.

"Miss Caroline…" he sighed, trying to hold back the tears. "I didn't know they were going to do this to you. Please forgive me, wherever you are. I promise I won't let them do this to anyone again." As soon as he heard people shouting, he left the room he was in and started running again. He remembered hearing one of the scientists talking about how the maintenance areas being the only places in the entire facility where the bots couldn't get to. Whether or not this was true he doubted, but it was the only option he had left.

Climbing on some boxes and yanking the cover off, Wheatley started squeezing himself into the duct. People often criticized Wheatley's skinny frame. At the moment, he was glade he had it. The long legs were proving to be a bit of a problem. As Wheatley started climbing into an air duct, he felt something tug on his leg. He felt something pull him out of the air duct. Wheatley practically dug his nails into the sides of the vent and tried his hardest to resist. He finally yanked his leg free and started crawling through the air ducts.

"Please assume the party escort position. Do not resist. Your superiors have granted permission to use force." The emotionless bot sounded off as Wheatley crawled through the ducts. He knew he had to get to the innards of the facility if he even stood a chance of survival.

After crawling through the air ducts for a short while, Wheatley found himself overlooking a maintenance area. After his awkward climb down out of the duct, Wheatley ran into the maintenance area as fast as he could. He didn't know where he was running to, but he had to figure it out fast. He only glanced behind himself momentarily to see the bot appear around the corner. Knowing full well there was no way the bot could have found him that fast; Wheatley assumed they released more than one.

"Why do they want me so badly?" he whispered, as he slinked his body around a corner and onto a catwalk. He then bolted, his large feet making his stealthy escape impossible. The bot focused on Wheatley's body heat and started heading in that direction. It eventually caught up to him, grabbing his shirt. Wheatley yanked himself free and kept running.

Wheatley tried to lose the bot in the factory foreman's office, which was suspiciously empty. He glanced at the map of the facility's innards (mostly unreliable, as the maze like factory and maintenance areas seemed to change daily). He traced his finger along the route he needed to take. Wheatley had almost memorized it when he heard the bot come clunking his way. "Please assume the Party Escort position." Once Wheatley heard that phrase, he bolted out of the office and ran, barely missing the bot's grasp by mere inches.

"NO! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Wheatley shouted as he rounded another corner in the maintenance area. Just a little further and he'd be home free. He knew there was an emergency exit somewhere nearby, but didn't have time to look at the map in the factory foreman's office before the escort bot had caught up with him. It didn't take him long to get lost. At least he knew the bot was lost too, so that bought him some time.

Wheatley decided to take a break for a moment and looked for a place to hide. He didn't know how the escort bot knew where he was, but decided not to give it the satisfaction of catching him here. Wheatley felt the walls nearby and kicked one in. One thing he had to acknowledge was that Aperture was cheap and the wall panels made it easy for people to sneak around when the higher ups were around (or to just generally cause trouble, as he learned in his intern days helping the others play pranks).

He placed the wall panel back in place and held his breath. He heard the clicking of the bot's joints and watched through the small crack in the wall as the escort bot scanned the area. Wheatley held himself as close to the wall as the escort bot's scanner beam scanned the wall Wheatley was hiding in. It literally stopped an inch from Wheatley's shoe and turned its beam off. Wheatley waited until the bot was gone and slid down the wall of his hiding spot.

Exhaling after a long silence, Wheatley reached into his pocket and pulled out the disk. "Miss Caroline…" he muttered softly. "I'm sorry. I'll make this right. I just have to…"

Wheatley was interrupted by the wall coming down and a robotic arm grabbing him by the neck. "Test Subject, Do not resist. Your failure to assume the Party Escort position has been noted and will be reported in any and all upcoming evaluations. Drastic action has been approved by your superiors should you resist the Escort Bot. Do not resist."

Wheatley wrestled with the Escort Bot, finding it both irritating and sad that he was losing a fight it. Obviously exhausted, Wheatley tried his hardest to keep the fight up, but the Escort Bot tightened its grip on Wheatley's neck. Wheatley kicked the escort bot a few times, making it drop him on the ground. Wheatley was starting to feel a weird since of accomplishment when the metal bot coiled its metal fingers into what one would call a fist and proceeded to punch Wheatley in the face, breaking his glasses and knocking him unconscious.

"Thank you for assuming the Party Escort position." The bot announced as it proceeded to drag Wheatley's lifeless body along the catwalk.

Wheatley! Wake up, silly, you'll be late…

Wheatley squinted a few times before being greeted by a bright light. "Wake up, you limey, crumpet eating, tea sucker!" hissed a very familiar voice. Wheatley realized his glasses were gone, but he could make out vaguely who was standing around him. He vaguely made out Smith, who was standing over Wheatley like the Grim Reaper. "You gave our bots quite a chase, Pendleton. I bet it must have been invigorating. Too bad it's the last exercise you'll ever get."

Smith, though resembling an angry white blob in a tie due to Wheatley's bad eyesight, seemed oddly delighted with the situation. Wheatley said nothing. He could barely make out some other figures on the other side of what looked like an observation glass. Part of him knew where he was, but the other part was in denial.

"You gave us quite a scare, downloading the entire GLaDOS program and running off with it. It's a good thing we caught you when we did. We need you, Pendleton." Wheatley noticed he wasn't strapped down to anything. He slowly got up and looked around. Smith started typing. "Make yourself comfortable. We'll begin shortly."

"Begin what?" Wheatley murmured.

Smith chuckled and continued to type. "Why, the procedure, of course! Congrats Pendleton, today is a red letter day for you!" Smith took out a portfolio and smiled. "Today you get to become a part of the Aperture Family permanently, because you've been personally selected to become…"

Not looking up from his console, Smith reached over and pulled a white sheet from over a brand new, shiny personality construct. "You get to become the Intelligence Dampening Sphere!" Smith laughed, patting the sphere softly, as if it were a cat. "You've been selected as the perfect candidate. She needs to be slowed down. Her thinking is irrational and she's already tried to kill everyone in here a few times. She's acting more like a spoiled child than a ground-breaking super computer, so…your idiotic ramblings about nothing will be the perfect thing to keep her occupied while we fix the problem."

"How…how long have I been out?" Wheatley murmured, trying not to let Smith know he was getting off the table. He didn't like how oddly friendly Smith was being.

"Oh, that Escort Bot hit clocked you pretty hard. You've been out for a good three days. We would have started the procedure then, but in order for the transfer to properly work, the subject has to be completely aware and conscious during. Sadly, it's a very unpleasant process, but you'll pull through…as the Intelligence Dampening Sphere!"

Smith looked up when he heard the footsteps of someone running. He shook his head with a smile and reached across the table, picking up a hypodermic needle. He slowly started leaving the room when he heard the scuffle outside the lab and started walking slowly toward the hallway. "They always try to escape." He murmured with a tsk. When Smith arrived outside, he found a group of security guards holding Wheatley by the arms as he struggled against them.

"No! Please, don't do this!" Wheatley shouted as he scrambled to regain his footing. "I can't let you do this!" Wheatley reached for the programing disk as the security guards yanked him up. "Let me go! I won't become one of those things! I am a human being, not some test rat!" he shouted as he struggled to get away.

A little ways away, Smith walked up with a group of doctors. He bent down and picked up the disk with a deviant smile. "Be a team player, Pendleton…what are you willing to sacrifice for Aperture?" asked Smith as he handed the disk to a nearby scientist. The scientist smiled and walked away.

Wheatley didn't notice one of the doctors taking out a syringe and a phial of odd glowing green liquid. "Please don't do this! I don't care what you do to me, but don't harm anyone else with this thing! It was a mistake!"

Wheatley felt a sharp pain in his neck and looked at his arms. His veins turned a horrible green color and he started to scream. Wheatley found his vision blurring and tried to keep himself straight but found himself losing his grip on consciousness. "Take him to the detention area. He needs to be prepped for…" was all Wheatley heard one of the scientists say before he finally blacked out.

This is it, isn't it, Pam? Wheatley thought when he finally awoke, covered in only a sheet from the waist down and strapped to a table. Because of me, science can move forward. It's my fault what's happening. It's my fault Miss Caroline is dead and her conscious is floating around in that…thing. Maybe this won't be so bad…life as a core. I won't have to worry about those bloody glasses getting in the way anymore, for one. Maybe best of all, I won't have to force myself not to miss you so much.

Wheatley chuckled softly as he felt himself being lifted and another bright light shined hard in his eyes. I remember once Harvey told me I was lucky to have a woman like you egging me on about silly little things, and I guess he was right. No, I know he was right. Wheatley couldn't see very well, or else he would have been the scientists hooking him up to the device and hooking the Intelligence Dampening Sphere up to the computer. You know, the program isn't perfect. I made it that way. Really, anything could happen. It wasn't designed to accommodate the power of the Super A.I. but they'll probably find a way around that. I didn't tell them because I was afraid they'd fire me. In retrospect, that would have been a better option, I guess. Oh, Mum and Dad are going to be so disappointed that I can't make it home for Christmas again...or ever again, for that matter.

Squinting, Wheatley could see someone banging on the window of the Observation room. The device had already started up, so he couldn't hear what the figure was yelling. Well, this is it, eh, Pam? I'll either be a metal ball for eternity or die a horrifying death at the hands of Smith and Aperture. Either way, I think it might be best. The world doesn't need to know I had a hand in this madness. I think I'll be much happier not knowing I had a hand in it. Promise me one thing, Pam, love: If I do die and we meet on the other side, that you'll be waiting for me with open arms, like you used to.

"Is the subject ready?" asked one of the scientists.

"As ready as he'll ever be…" Smith grinned and put his hands in his lab coat pockets.

With the okay signal given, the switch was thrown and the room lit up brighter than the brightest star. Harvey stood on the other side of the observation window, but Wheatley didn't hear him screaming for them to stop and pounding his fists against the glass. Despite the unimaginable pain coursing through him, Wheatley still smiled as his veins lit up and his body went lifeless.

Everything went dark. All he heard was static…

Vilify…don't even try…

"Intelligence Dampening Core, can you hear me?" asked someone in a white coat through all the static. The little core blinked softly and looked around. Where was he? What was he? Who was he? The Sphere looked around and blinked a few more times.

The Core's blue optic finally lit up all the way as he glanced around the world. "Welcome to the world, Intelligence Dampening Sphere." shouted one of the people in the white coats. The core just glanced around. He squinted his little metal eye guards to look like he was attempting to smile. Though, for some reason he felt this place was familiar. But whatever it was, it was blocked. He attempted to scroll through his memory banks but nothing came up. "We have to make sure you're happy and ready for your big day coming up! How do you feel?" asked the white coated man again.

Waving his handles around, the Core attempted to hop about. "Oh, 'ello there!" he shouted, happily.

He watched as other white coated people hooked a man's body up to another machine and wheeled him out of the room, some muttering about "Put him in cryo with the others."

"Oh, dear, what happened to that bloke? Did he have a fall? Poor guy. I wouldn't want to be him right now. Of course, having legs would be fun." The core muttered softly as someone picked him up. "Are we going with him? Shouldn't we let him sleep? I don't think he looked comfortable all naked on that table with nothing but a sheet, but to each their own, as they say…I think they say, anyway. Haven't a clue, honestly. I was born literally four minutes ago according to my internal clock."

One of the white coated men handed the Core to a heavyset man with a trimmed beard. His nametag read Harvey, Jonathan and he had an unsure look on his face. "Here you go. You love him so much, you get to look after him from now on. You're his handler. Keep him out of trouble."

The man then left the core and his handler standing alone in the room. The heavyset man hugged the core tightly and sniffled softly. "Hey, you might have a cold, Mister! You should probably have a doctor look at that! I know I wouldn't want to get sick. Can I get sick, I wonder…?"

"I'll look after you, Wheatley. I promise I won't let them hurt you anymore. I owe you that much." The man muttered through his angry tears. The core, apparently named Wheatley, didn't know what was going on or what he was talking about, but he felt a twinge of happiness go through his systems. He liked it a lot. It made him feel warm and happy.

Wheatley squinted his little metal handles, as if attempting to hug him back.

It's time to go home, now…

"You're getting the hang of it, Wheatley!" said Mr. Harvey, from below. Wheatley hadn't been activated for more than a week and he was just now getting the hang of the management rail. Wheatley liked his rail, though he was pretty restricted to just the labs at the moment. His "handler", Mr. Harvey, was a friendly man who had a lot of patience with him. The other technicians, however, did not. So, most of the time, it was just Mr. Harvey and Wheatley, though Wheatley didn't seem to mind.

"Hey, hey Mr. Harvey! Look at this! I can do it all by myself!" Wheatley shouted happily as he zoomed all over the lab. Wheatley stopped for a moment and looked down at Mr. Harvey, who smiled a bittersweet smile. "Hey, why so glum? Today is a happy day, Mr. Harvey!" Wheatley shouted happily. "Look at this! I can spin around, too!" Wheatley rotated happily in his stationary position. "Don't be sad, Mr. Harvey! Look, now we can walk around together, except you'll be doing the walking and I'll be doing the…umm…gliding across on the rail. Maybe one day we can leave the labs together! Doesn't that sound livid?"

Mr. Harvey laughed and folded his arms. "Wheatley, we've been over this, 'livid' doesn't mean good. It means angry." He chuckled softly and reached up to grab Wheatley. Wheatley was told by the technicians to never disengage from the management rail without their assistance or he would die. Wheatley didn't know what death was, but by the horrified looks on their faces, he didn't want to find out. So, most of Wheatley's time was spent zooming around on the management rail or with his "handler", Mr. Harvey.

"But one of the engineers keeps saying that I make him livid! It must mean happy or good, because you told me yourself I make you happy." Wheatley's prattling always did put a smile on Mr. Harvey's face, though at the moment it seemed Mr. Harvey was fighting back the urge to cry. "Mr. Harvey, why are you sad? You have no reason to be sad! Today is a happy day! You taught me how to use the rail by myself! You should be happy!"

Mr. Harvey sighed softly, placing Wheatley on the table. "Oh, you just…" Mr. Harvey looked like he wanted to say something, but fought back the words he wanted to say. Mr. Harvey often chose his words carefully. Too much of the truth would overload Wheatley. Literally. Of course, just about anything could overload little Wheatley. "I recently lost my best friend and I'm a bit sad…"

Mr. Harvey took out a few tools and took the back panel off Wheatley. He connected a few cords to Wheatley's innards and sat at a computer console. Mr. Harvey sighed heavily as he started typing. "…but let's not worry about that, huh? You have a big day coming up soon and the company wants you to be good and ready." Mr. Harvey forced a cheery tone as he typed.

"Hey, Mr. Harvey?" Wheatley's optic glanced at Mr. Harvey. Wheatley's handles widened and made it look like he was smiling. "I don't think I've ever had a best friend. But if I did, I'd want him to be like you. You're so much nicer than the other people that come in and work on me. Hey, I got a livid idea!"

"You're still using that word wrong, but what idea do you have?" asked Mr. Harvey.

"How about I be your new best friend? I mean, that other bloke must have been mad to leave you without a best friend. You're so nice and you're a snappy dresser to boot! If I had a body, I'd want a fancy white coat like yours. So, how's about it, Best Friend?" asked Wheatley, who looked like he was attempting to smile.

Mr. Harvey stopped typing for a moment and looked at Wheatley with a big smile. "I'd like that, Wheatley…" said Mr. Harvey, fighting back tears. He placed his hand softly on top of Wheatley, as if he was putting his hand on the shoulder of a friend and slowly rubbed the Construct. "I'd like that more than you know…"

"Enough to make you livid?" asked Wheatley narrowing his optic as if to wink.

Mr. Harvey chuckled softly and continued his work. "Sure, Wheatley…"

---

Wheatley stood there, staring at his hands as the cores surrounded him, tingling their little song. He looked down and watched from where he was standing at Dr. Rattmann beginning the procedure on P-Body. She looked as lifeless as ever and seeing P-Body without her smile or her eyes lit up made Wheatley sad.

Dr. Rattmann worked tirelessly, reconnected cords and refastening nuts and bolts. ATLAS held P-Body's lifeless hand as Dr. Rattmann continued. Working as his assistant, Angie ran to and fro fetching items for Dr. Rattmann upon each request. Lil stood off to the side, her hands cusped over her heart, almost praying. The cores lit up the garden and kept Dr. Rattmann focused. He wiped the sweat from his brow as he reconnected P-Body's arm and though he had trouble at first, Dr. Rattmann was able to repair the hole in her stomach and fashion new casing for it out of old plastic computer casings.

Dr. Rattmann yanked out one of P-Body's eyes, causing ATLAS to shout at him. Dr. Rattmann quelled ATLAS's rage by stating he needed to make sure everything was still connected. Once making sure her eyes still worked and everything was connected again, Dr. Rattmann told everyone to stand back.

Angie ran to Lil and hugged her leg tightly. Dr. Rattmann made his way to his computer console and threw the switch. P-Body lit up beautifully as the room sparked and the cores flickered softly. Wheatley felt his heart jump a bit and then smiled as P-Body's fingers twitched. ATLAS shouted happily as P-Body's eyes lit up again. Bright yellow-orange, like her hair.

P-Body sat up and looked around. She rubbed her head and smiled as ATLAS ran to her, hugging her tightly. She hugged him back and smiled softly. Angie ran up to P-Body and hugged her too. Lil didn't go to P-Body; she walked up to Wheatley and laid her head on his chest, snuggling softly in his arms.

Lil didn't know what Wheatley was thinking about. She could sense he was in pain, but that the worst was over. All she could do at the moment was be there for him when he needed her. Wheatley took Lil's hand and held it tightly. "I don't know what you're going through, Wheaters, but just know that you have people who love you. You don't have to go through it alone." She murmured, as Wheatley kissed the top of her head. Wheatley looked up at the singing cores and smiled softly. He knew what had to be done, but he decided to stand there with Lil a bit longer. Wheatley smiled at the celebration going on nearby.

A little later, with Lil resting in his arms and Angie leaning against him, Wheatley sat and watched the cores go by above him. Angie pointed to two figures in the distance, ATLAS and P-Body, as they walked hand in hand around the core garden. Lil chuckled softly and Wheatley only smiled. "Literally made for each other…how about that…" he muttered as Lil cuddled closer.

Wheatley smiled softly and closed his eyes as the cores above passed by happily. He felt his heart twinge just a little more as one in particular flew by, not even acknowledging the resting humans below. Something about it felt familiar, but Wheatley put it in the back of his head. He smiled, with a lone tear going down his cheeks. Wheatley blinked softly and smiled again. He brought Lil and Angie closer to him and watched the cores zoom around in the darkness of the garden. He knew the moment he got up, Dr. Rattmann would tell him it's time to get things underway.

So, Wheatley decided to just sit there with the girls for a little while longer. He didn't want anything to upset how perfect this moment was.

Miles Above, Within the Abandoned Offices

Far above, within the broken remains of a desk, a barely opened envelope sat lonesome among the memories of glory days long passed. Obvious signs of age dotted the now yellow envelope and some of the writing had long since faded from its top side. The last of the lightly licked adhesive finally giving way, the little letter within unfolded and left its home. Upon the stationary, among the faded Aperture Science logo and borders, sat a loving writ of encouragement hidden within the urgings of a warning that came too late. The faded passage never read, but worded lovingly, to someone who needed to hear it the most.

Dearest Mr. Pendleton,

If you are reading this, than it is too late for me, but they didn't come for you yet and there is still time.

I don't have much longer before they put me into…that thing, as per Mr. Johnson's orders. It was not my decision, but it is my duty to the people of this company, to science…and to Cave…

Before they take me, I want you to know that I did NOT approve what is going to happen to you if you stay here. Remember that, at least.

But more importantly, remember that you are a wonderful man with a bright future ahead of you. You are not to blame for what is about to happen to me. I want you to know that first and foremost. You had no idea what they were doing with your program and you shouldn't blame yourself. My "death" is not your fault and neither was Pam's. I know for a fact that she loved you more than anything. She told me each time she had to come here for whatever reason that she couldn't imagine herself with anyone but you.

You're a lucky man, Mr. Pendleton. I know you blame yourself for her death, and you will probably blame yourself for mine, but it isn't your fault. None of this was your fault. Always remember that.

Now, as I write this final good-bye, I hope that you leave this place and never come back. You don't deserve what would have happened to you, no matter what Mr. Smith or anyone else tells you. You are smarter than you give yourself credit for and there are many companies out there who would be honored to have you among them.

Remember that "Quick Fix" program I had you working on not too long ago? I need you to mail it to Dr. Douglas Rattmann's office. He'll know what to do when and if the time comes. I hope it never does. If I am correct, what is about to happen to me won't end well.

Don't worry about anything anymore, Mr. Pendleton. Everything will be fine. I hope you leave and never come back to this awful place. I spent my life here in the name of science and though I am fulfilling my dream, it comes at a horrible cost.

Take care of yourself, Wheatley Pendleton. And know that you are loved no matter where you go.

With Love,

~Caroline

---

N'cha, everyone! I'm not dead! Haha!

But, I guess I do have some explaining to so for the lateness. Well, recently, my boyfriend of almost a year broke up with me pretty unceremoniously and I've been dealing with that. It literally came out of nowhere and knocked me off my feet. I couldn't really do anything for a while except cry and think unhappy thoughts. I found myself staring at the chapter in progress and though my fingers were on the keys, nothing came out of it. I would just stare at my screen, trying my hardest to work and not cry.

I cried more than I typed, sadly.

But a friend of mine told me to take that sadness and make it work in the story. So, I did. All in all, I believe I'm happy with the outcome. Still sad about my boyfriend dumping me, though. Reading past reviews of my story really got me through a lot of the tough times and it definitely helped me this time. So, I'm dedicating this chapter to all the people who reviewed and faved this story. You guys are wonderful and I don't think I would have gotten through this tough time without rereading all the wonderful words.

Thank you, all. I appreciate all your reviews and favs. Please, accept my fullest apologies for this taking so long. *bows* I don't think I could have gotten through without you guys.

So, only a few chapters left, am I right? Well, this was a pretty long chapter, so I don't think I'll be uploading it to dA for quite a while. What with the STASH writing thingy only being able to hold so much and I really don't want to edit it down. So, it might be a good little while before I post it to deviantArt. When? I have no clue. It'll happen when it happens.

In the meantime, I'll probably be working on a few side projects in between this and the next chapter. The next chapter…well, forgive my language, but as my friends would say; "Shit's about to get real!"

As always, your reviews are greatly appreciated so don't be shy about telling me how I'm doing. So, review and be merry, my lovelies!

GLaDOS, Wheatley, ATLAS, P-Body, and Dr. Rattmann belong to Valve.