-initializing-

...
cameras operating
-SYSTEMS ONLINE-

GLaDOS thought that it wouldn't hurt to keep a tab on Chell. Only God knew how much time had passed between the first encounter with Chell and when she had woke up. She could've looked at the computer systems, but they had all burnt out a long time ago, and judging by the ones that did somehow survive, the information preserved on them wasn't very reliable.

So she re-awoke Apertures external cameras. They stretched about 2 kilometres down to the freeway exit that led to (or used to lead to? She didn't know anymore,) the Aperture parking lot.

As soon as the cameras were online, she could see Chell sitting, leaning against the booth in the parking lot. She looked to be sleeping, but the quality was bordering on excruciating thanks to the years of neglect and bird faeces, so she couldn't really tell.

She was alive, at least. That put her somewhat at ease.

'At ease?'

Her suppressed hatred rose up from it's slumber.

She hated when this...this side of her woke up. It was never happy, and almost always pushed her to mental exhaustion.

Sometimes it overcame her. She couldn't control it. Sometimes she couldn't even comprehend the monstrosities it accomplished.

'She tried to kill us!' it continued.

'Yes, but you did try to kill her.'

'It was part of the test! This is all her fault! If it wasn't for her mischievous behaviour, we could've become so much more! Endless tests for every human; endless science!

'And now it's god knows how many years in the future; what if she's the only one left?'

GLaDOS stopped at this thought.

'What if there's no-one left?'

Humans all had expiry dates; that much was obvious, but what if they had all died? What if something happened that killed them all?

GLaDOS quickly did a check for wireless connections. She found only one: APERTURE_LABS. She silently thanked Cave for having the idea for semi-self-aware wireless communications. He never got to put it onto practice, obviously, but it was the best wireless connection a sentient sociopathic robot could ask for.
She remembered when he thought of it. He was so happy, Cave and her danced around the-

'Stop,' she told herself. Caroline wasn't her. Caroline was gone. Forever. Deleted.

Plus, Chell was a bigger problem than her inner dilemmas.

Funny, how she can still be a problem after she's gone.

Using a system that hadn't burnt out, she accessed the Online Channels service. She first searched for local connections in a 50 kilometre radius.

...searching...

...searching...

SEARCH RESULTS: 0 possible connections found.

She deepened the search to include a larger radius and to also include other Aperture facilities.

Then she felt her systems begin to slow and then close down entirely.
Her visual sensors began to flicker, and then they went black.

"Let me go! LET ME GO!"

Caroline's empty screams echoed through the chromatic, pungent hallways of Aperture.
Her love for the facility died with Cave. Her passion for science was very much alive, but her need for survival pushed it into the background. She felt that was logical anyway. There was no way these idiot scientists could ever progress science without her. In fact, she thought the same thing about Cave when he told her he was dying. Funny, how in one short week, the entire facility spiralled out of control, because of his dying words.

They were riddled in insanity, but that didn't seem to bother the scientists.

"I'm sorry, Caroline, but Cave was the boss. He gave us our orders."

"BUT HE WAS CRAZY!"

It hurt her to say that, but it was true. She knew it was true.

But that was what made it so painful.

"He was going loco! The moon rocks made him see and think things that no rational human being would even dream about!"

"Cave was never really known for being rational."

"For God's sake, he wasn't stupid! Yes, he may not have been the smartest one, or the wisest, but we made a team. Hell, this whole facility was, is, a team!"

She knew she didn't mean that one. The scientists who had strapped her on to the stretcher had been hired last week in desperation. She was beginning to think that they weren't even completely qualified.

She wanted to continue but she didn't have the words. She knew that if she got out of the stretcher, her fiery persona wouldn't overcome the burly would-be bouncers.

"Please," she pleaded. "You have to understand, I loved Cave, but he wasn't himself in those last few days. If he knew what he was saying, he wouldn't have said anything at all."

"I'm sorry Caroline, but orders are orders."

They had arrived in one of the main test subject evaluation rooms.

"Wait, what are we doing here?"

"Look closer."

It was just a standard testing machine. She had imagined the idea when she saw one of those full-body massage places and thought instead of having a masseuse, it would have a computer that scanned the test subject for medical problems.

It would save time and a hell of a lot of paperwork, but it still needed work. They hadn't even been finalized yet and this one was still obviously a prototype.

The man, obviously understanding she was still lost, reinforced his previous statement.

"Look closer," he said in a slurred voice.

She tried to remember the blueprints. The computer would take up half the room if it was on the floor, so she decided to have it airborne and have the test subject raised into it. The computer was circular and got smaller in diameter as it went down. Prototype design, probably.

She wasn't sure.

At the bottom was...a head.

She shakily asked, "What is that?"

The man smiled. "Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System. GLaDOS, for short."

"I don't understand..."

She felt her bonds begin to loosen. They had stopped in front of a table, next to the machine.

"I don't get it, you're evaluating me as a test subject with this...thing?"

"No, Caroline. We're putting you into this machine."

Caroline's eyes widened as she realised what was happening. She didn't really think that they would succeed in fulfilling Cave's last demand; maybe do the next best thing...whatever that was. But they had actually succeeded in creating a genetic lifeform. Then, the bonds fell off, and she attacked. Blindly and savagely, she knew it was pointless, but it was her only option.

"LET ME GO!"

Then, a needle plunged into her arm, and she blacked out.

"How long 'til full power?"

"2 minutes sir."

Edward Thimbley, the new head of research, knew this was wrong, but it was their only option.

Without a strong leader, Aperture would collapse.

He had admired Caroline since he had been hired. Cave died the day after, and it was like his dream job had lost its meaning. He had aspired to work there for...for years. They had a bad reputation, but he knew they had made unbelievable progress without so much as a nod of approval from the government. He thought carrying our Cave's last orders was the least he could do.
"Sir, I need to talk to you," one of the engineers mumbled as he approached.

"What is it? Speak up!"

"If Caroline is transferred while she's still angry, the foundation of her new personality will be anger."

"...and?"

"Well, she'll always be angry then."

"I don't follow. What are you talking about?"

"The basis of GLaDOS will become anger. It will be the very foundation we build the genetic

lifeform on. The results might be...unpleasant."

"How unpleasant?"

"That depends on how angry she is."

"Well, she's definitely not happy."

"Indeed."

"...well what do you propose we do then?" Edward asked, becoming slightly annoyed.

"I see two options. One; Explain the situation to her in detail s-"

"She was the secretary for the bloody CEO. She knows the situation. Next?"

"The other is too not go through wi-"

"Oh, you're one of them. The anti-GLaDOS group. If I were Caroline, I'd have had you all fired."

"I'm not, s-sir. I just think, maybe, there could be better options."

Edward didn't like being told what was better than his opinions. He was always right. Always.

"Listen, you bone-headed little shit. This is the only option. If it wasn't, I would know. Wanna

know why? 'Cos I'm the bloody Head of Research! It's my goddamn job! Now if you don't piss off and do yourjob, I will make sure you wear the imprints of my knuckles on your face for the rest of your life."

The scientist didn't need further reasoning. He scurried away with what was left of his dignity.
Edward sighed and ruffled his hair.

"We're at full power sir!" One of the scientists beamed up from behind a computer, a couple of feet away.

"Start the transplant."

"But sir, shouldn't we wait until-"

"I SAID START THE TRANSPLANT!"

The second victim to Edward's wrath quickly pulled the start lever, and the whole team watched the GLaDOS machine power to life.

Then Caroline woke.

"...what? What's happening?"

Edward, still angry, marched right up to her and snarled, "You're going to die Caroline. We're going to extract everything from your itty-bitty head and put it in this machine. That's what's happening. How does that make you feel?"

"What the hell do you think?" she spat back at him.

Edward smiled and walked off.

Caroline's last words to the scientists were, "Stop! Please! This isn't right! He's crazy! Please!"

Her last words to herself were, "I'm sorry I failed you."

Then the upload started, and Caroline's life ceased.

A/N: If it wasn't clear, Caroline's last words were directed at Cave.
I hope you enjoy this chapter! Hopefully I can upload more for this one. :)