Chapter 39, everybody! In which we have a bit more Cave Johnson and play with propulsion gel….And be honest—how many of us did just what Willow did with the repulsion gel?
Don't Starve © 2013 Klei Entertainment
Portal © 2007 Valve
Okay, repulsion gel had to be the absolute best thing she had ever encountered. Full stop.
She knew time was of the essence. She knew that she had to hurry and rescue Wilson. She knew she couldn't stay down here for long without it catching up with her and her dying of fatigue or starvation.
That did absolutely nothing to stop her from coating a room in repulsion gel and bouncing around in it until she could hardly move. She hadn't had that much fun in ages, and it felt good to goof off for a bit.
So when she passed through a transitory section and saw a switch marked propulsion gel, she wasted no time in flipping it. If it was anything like the repulsion gel, she was going to have a ball.
"Hello there!" Will chimed, sounding much more relaxed this time around. "And thank you for coming to test the propulsion gel. My name is Max—"
Max? Didn't that other guy call him Will?
"And joining me today is my lovely assistant, Charlie. Say hello, Charlie!"
"'Hello, Charlie!'" a female voice chimed.
The pause was understandable, if Will-Max-whathisface felt anything like Willow did at that statement. "What a character," he managed finally, before clearing his throat. "So…some of these tests involve trace amounts of…time travel…." Another long pause, and this time Willow pictured Charlie (what a weird name for a girl!) making encouraging motions. "Right. So we don't have any paradoxes on our hands—that'll wipe out all time, according to this little note here—don't interact with y—ah….Look. If you notice someone who looks vaguely like who you encounter in the mirror every morning, don't bother with him. Just let that handsome fellow go about his business, you go about yours, and we can avoid worrying about somehow wiping out all humanity. Sound good?"
"I'm all in favor of it."
"Well, that's two votes."
Willow smirked a bit at that, this time paying attention to the pictures as she passed through the waiting-room thing. Well, so that's what Cave Johnson looked like! Who else?
She finally found a plaque that sounded about right—William Maxwell Carter and Charlize Cameron Carter—and looked at the corresponding picture. Ha! She was right about the glasses. And wow, Charlie was pretty. Pity she couldn't see much detail from the mold.
She tapped on the glass lightly, looking at Will—or Max, rather, since he seemed to prefer it.
"I feel sorry for you," she said. "Having that name. But I like you better than that other Maxwell I know."
And with that, she stood up and continued on her way.
"There, was that better?"
Max was smiling as he adjusted his glasses—yes, that was much better. Once again, Charlie had done her thing and banished his stage fright.
How had he ever got along without her?
Of course, he might have to figure out how to do so judging by the expressions on the recording guys' faces as they left the room—
"Excellent!"
Max started at the booming voice of Cave Johnson—oh great, he had thought the guy had gone back to Michigan. Of course he couldn't be that lucky, he decided as he was slapped soundly on the back, winding him once again.
"I like your style," Cave continued. "You make up your own rules—just like me. The lab boys'll deny it, but we need more scientifically-oriented women in the field. Isn't that right, Caroline?" he asked, turning to a woman standing behind and to his left.
"Yes sir, Mr. Johnson," she said, smiling.
"There we go—scientific fact. Nice to meet you," Cave said, shaking Charlie's hand. "And more of that you-two-bouncing-off-each-other—I liked that. Puts the test subject at ease and reduces stress—that stuff ruins more experiments than I can shake a stick at. You! Yes, you," he said, pointing at one of the recording guys. "I want her on the payroll. Now. No buts."
Charlie, who had seemed rather bemused by Cave's lack of both an indoor voice and concern for other's opinions, started laughing breathlessly at the news.
"Perfect!" Cave continued, now that that was settled. "Now, you two—lunch. Then get back in there and give me some more of what you just did. And they thought I shouldn't hire some guy off the street," Cave scoffed at Caroline.
Max shrugged at Charlie as they left for the cafeteria.
But they left with a spring in their step.
Propulsion gel sped a person along, apparently.
"Propulsion gel increases your speed," Max said as Willow stepped onto the orange gel. "So watch your step—"
Willow went speeding into a wall before she could recover.
"—And your landing," Max continued, unmindful of her issue.
"Right," Willow muttered, peeling herself off the wall. "Got it."
And within a few moments, she did—and propulsion gel was officially her new favorite thing.
"Using the propulsion gel in conjunction with portal testing allows you to preserve your speed between portals."
"Speedy thing goes in, speedy thing goes out, right?" Charlie asked.
"Exactly. Just make sure you check where you're going to end up—it wouldn't do for you to fall off the track!"
Willow was pretty sure he wasn't discussing the dilapidated way the structure was now.
Was he?
"Hello?" she decided to try. "Max? Charlie? Can you hear me?"
Nothing.
She scolded herself for feeling disappointed—she had grown attached to these people, silly as it was, but they were only recordings from a bygone era. They probably weren't even alive anymore.
Somehow, that thought made it worse.
"Say, I know you might be having fun down there, but keep in mind there are other tests to run—you don't want to hold things up for the next guy, do you?"
She took a deep breath and continued on.
Because that's what she had to do.
Move on.