Albina, Chelsea, and Terry continued flying through Aperture as fast as they could in order to find the others. However the two girls soon found themselves to be unbearably hungry and decided to stop in order to find some food. Fortunately for the two of them, they found potatoes growing on the wall. The three travelers then sat on rafters that were connecting two platforms and ate quietly as Terry watched in amazement.
"What is it, Terry?" Chelsea asked noticing Terry's fascinated expression on his face.
"What are you doing?" Terry asked in amazement.
"We are eating, dude," Chelsea said with a smile. "It is how organic organisms replenish their energy."
"Woah," Terry responded. "Humans are really interesting!"
"Alpha used to be entertained by the same thing," Albina said sadly as she stopped eating her potato for a minute and let it rest in her hands.
Chelsea then turned to her in an understanding smile and continued eating.
"I would have avenged his death like I avenged my mother's," Albina said after a moment of silence.
"You killed the Combines out of revenge?" Chelsea asked.
"I did," Albina admitted.
"I thought you did it out of self-defense."
"I did…partially. I was trying to protect myself and Hugo but I also felt myself become possessed by anger. I became a monster."
"You did what you had to…"
"For the wrong reason, Chelsea," Albina said sadly. "Vengeance is supposed to be left to God, because if we take it upon ourselves, it just poisons us. It was wrong when I did it back then and is wrong now. I would have killed Violet and that guilt would have haunted me for the rest of my life. I have asked God to forgive me already but I will ask the same of you. I'm sorry about making you chase me down here."
"Albina, it's okay," Chelsea said as she put her right hand on her shoulder. "I've done stupid things out of anger, too. I've also felt stupid things."
"Felt stupid things?" Albina asked curiously. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing you feel can be stupid," Terry said. "You're perfect."
"Thanks for the compliment, Terry," Chelsea began. "But I'm not perfect. I'm really not."
"What do you mean?" Terry asked in confusion.
Chelsea put both of her hands behind her to support her as her legs dangled over the side and she stared down into the abyss.
"What I feel is stupid and selfish," Chelsea said as she hung her head down. "I've been scared about stopping the Combines, not because I'm afraid of fighting the aliens, but because I'm afraid of what the world will become once they're gone."
"Do you care to elaborate?" Albina asked.
Chelsea sighed deeply and said, "Have you ever heard of Unit 731?"
"What is that?"
"During World War II, there was a research lab in Japan called Unit 731. At that research lab, they performed human medical experiments and killed all of their test subjects. I know that because GLaDOS showed me the photos and films of the experiments they did when she had me straightjacketed in a chair…"
"Chelsea…"
"The reason that GLaDOS had the footage was because the American Government was able to take all the research in exchange for the pardon of all the scientists involved in this despicable project," Chelsea said as angry tears started to fall. "That research in turn was given to Aperture Science for their use in their own research instead of being used as evidence to convict the people responsible. Those bastards got away with it, Albina. The victims were never given justice and the Japanese Government is afraid of acknowledging this crime to this day. GLaDOS showed me all that to make a point to me. Albina, that is what the world is like. It really, really sucks because people are godless and are allowed to get away with it. Instead of following the statutes of Christ they follow their own way and destroy the world. Even though we are young, we have experienced it, too. You were nearly killed by prejudice, and I have had to take care of many suffering hearts and get tortured by a psychotic AI. The life we have known in the hotel has been amazing. We have never faced any prejudice because of who we are or endured much evil from anyone. However if we kill all the Combines and let all those people out of the slave camps, will the world revert back to being that kind of evil? What is going to happen? I don't know. It might be alright, but it might get a lot worse. We might have to endure prejudice as mutants and endure crap from people who don't understand our psychological scars. We probably will also be misunderstood for our faith and struggle to earn enough money to live off of. You and Hugo and Sylvie might even be deported since you are not legally US citizens. I don't know what will happen and part of me never wants to know. I know it's selfish but I don't want to ruin the world again."
"Chelsea, we're not getting deported," Albina said calmly. "Working with the military is a good way for us to earn citizenship. We will make that deal so that that does not happen and even if it did, that would in no way end our friendship. You would just have to come visit us. As for everything else you said, you are right but you don't need to worry. That robot should not be listened to. She was just trying to brainwash you after all. However, I understand your concerns. I'm afraid of what will happen if the world changes, too. Nonetheless, I still want to do it, no matter what the consequences might be."
"Why?" Chelsea asked in confusion.
"I just trust God with the future," Albina said with a smile. "That is the best course of action that I can follow. I know it from experience. There is risk to face with all change that comes and security is never a guarantee. I was terrified when my mother told me that our new family was going to flee to Canada. Of course, I lost her and my new step-father, but I gained more family in addition to the one I already had and I never have regretted the trip. The world will always have bad in it but there will always be good in it, too. We just will have to fight to keep the good stuff in it and let God do his work until Christ returns."
"I just don't know if I can handle it," Chelsea said as she laid her head on Albina's lap.
"We have no choice," Albina said sadly as she looked down into her eyes and grabbed onto Chelsea's right hand. "God did not promise an easy life, Chelsea. Trials and persecutions are going to be part of every Christian's existence. However, he has promised to give us the ability to endure those trials or take us home so we don't suffer anymore. We also do not have to suffer alone. We can suffer together. We are siblings for all eternity after all."
"I've had my fill of suffering for a while."
"I know how you feel. We are just like Elijah. We have seen the power of God first hand but we are weary from being pursued by our enemies. We need to be refreshed by God's angels. Then we need to go to the mountain so that we can be refreshed by his still, small voice. That rest will come, Chelsea. We just have to take care of one more trial before we can go home."
"That's just it, Albina," Chelsea said sadly. "I don't know if I can kill GLaDOS either."
"What?" Albina asked in surprise. "After all she has done?"
Chelsea sat up and continued as Albina let go of her hand, "She is a monstrous bitch who deserves nothing but hell yet she has endured hell herself. I know that killing her is the only way to stop her, but I wish that there was something else we could do. I want her to be stopped but I don't want her to go to hell."
"Considering what she has put you through, that is very admirable, Chelsea," Albina said. "However, there are some people who just cannot be saved. It's not because you don't want to save them, but it is because they don't want to be saved. There is nothing you can do about it, and you just need to do what you have to do. God is not going to hold it against you because it is not a sin."
Chelsea sighed and said, "I suppose you're right. I'm not sure exactly how confronting her will go down. If she kills anyone else though, I'm going to kill her. I just hope Sylvie is able to get Violet back."
Albina looked down in mixed emotion.
"What will you do when you confront Violet?" Chelsea asked.
"I don't know," Albina said honestly. "I'll pray for the strength to forgive her, but like you said for GLaDOS, if she tries to kill anyone else she dies."
"Unfortunately, I agree," Chelsea said.
"Will you two really kill her?" Terry asked in concern.
"We will have no choice, little one," Albina said. "We have to stop her from hurting anyone else if necessary. It is what's biblical after all."
"How are you so freaking perfect?" Chelsea said randomly to Albina.
"What?"
"You always know what to say about everything. It drives me crazy. I'm not nearly as well-spoken as you. Whenever I speak, it comes out like a mess. I wish I could always speak well like you do."
"Tact takes practice, dear. I have just had to learn to talk in hard circumstances. However, don't be too hard on yourself. You are better at talking than you think you are and you know how to speak up when it's necessary. Even when you mess up, at least, you're honest. I have trouble being honest with people about how I feel. I have noticed that a lot lately…"
"How do you mean, Albi?" Chelsea asked as she munched into her potato.
"Alpha comforted me when I was upset about my nightmare," Albina said sadly. "From talking to him, I have realized that I have to open my heart up to others besides you, so for him, that is what I resolve to do."
Chelsea finished eating her potato and said, "Well, we both have been making excellent progress. Thank you God for that! Now, we just have to kill a psychotic AI. Great!"
"I believe in you," Terry said. "You and your friends can do anything. You defied her and managed to escape from her after all. Very few humans have ever been able to accomplish that. You've got something special."
"Your confidence means a lot to me, Terry," Chelsea said as she looked at him with a weary smile. "Thank you!"
Chelsea continued to pay attention to Terry while Albina finished her potato.
When Albina had finished, Chelsea said, "I'm really thirsty, Albina. Do you think that you could pull any water from this air? It seems to be humid enough."
"Of course," Albina said with a smile. "There is enough water in this air to get water for both of us."
On top of having all the powers of winter, Albina also had the power of hydrokinesis. That meant that she could control water and pull water out of the air if the air was humid enough.
Albina flew off the railing and spun her hands around in circles to pull the water molecules out of the air. Within a minute, the water particles in the air were forming into water droplets. In another minute, there were enough water droplets formed together to allow the two of them to each have the equivalent of 12 ounces of water.
Albina smiled with satisfaction, turned around, and said, "I've got it. Open wide, Chelsea."
Chelsea opened her mouth and gulped down about a third of the water that Albina had given her. Before she could finish however, she panicked and closed her mouth in fear while shaking her head vigorously.
Albina pulled 8 remaining ounces of water away from Chelsea's face and asked, "Chelsea, what is the matter?"
"Are you okay?" Terry asked. "Why are you scared? What happened?"
"I'm sorry," Chelsea said while breathing hard. "It's just that the last time one of the robots gave me water it was spiked with ADHD medication. However I could not refuse to drink it, she made me drink all of it. I had no choice and it was scary. For some reason, I guess that you giving me water just reminded me of that. I'm sorry."
"Do not apologize, Chelsea," Albina said in a mix of pity and anger towards GLaDOS as she pulled the water to Chelsea's mouth again. "It is not you. It's her. She has scarred your mind."
Chelsea gulped down the rest of the water and then said, "She has. I wonder if her being gone will make it any better."
Albina finished gulping down her water and said, "It does not, but the pain becomes easier to bear with time."
Chelsea then looked down and said, "I wonder how Jesus does it. People hurt him back then and they hurt him all the time now, but he never lets it destroy him. I know he's God and all, but how can you deal with that much pain?"
"He endured it because he knew that the end was worth all of it, Chelsea," Albina said with a sad smile. "He endured the pain for us out of love. It was because of that love that he died and rose to redeem the whole world. Now, we must serve him in love by doing something similar. We will let him use us to redeem this place."
"He must have wanted all the turrets to be free like me," Terry said.
Chelsea looked at him and smiled, "Yes, he did. You're right, Albina. We will let God use us to redeem this place and the nightmare will end forever."
"Yes, I think that accomplishing this will in a sense make the pain worthwhile," Albina said.
"Thank you, Albina," Chelsea said with a smile. "I feel a lot better now. I know that we can face this and get through this together. Now, let us go end this nightmare."
"Yeah, end the nightmare!" Terry said.
Chelsea then placed a disk under Terry and the three of them flew away.
