A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up, I had a bit of a block for a time, mainly because of the timeline confusion. But anyway, I'm back now! This chapter will cover some of the stuff from the Lab Rat comic - the Morality Core and 'Bring Your Cat To Work Day' - will be here, and I'm attempting to get the timeline straight. See, the test subject order rearranging by Doug seems to happen a few weeks after BYCTWD, if GLaDOS's "you've avoided capture for weeks" comment to Doug in the comic is anything to go by. It must not have taken them too long to build the Morality Core after BYDTWD, so about a decade might of passed in between the two days. So I'm just throwing my theory on the timeline of events out here. *mutters a little about Valve not being concise* Anyway, enough dilly-dally. Onward!
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Chapter 4: Schrodinger's Neurotoxin
Success is the best revenge.
-Unknown
Several years passed. In that time, there were no more directly murderous antics from GLaDOS, though whenever she talked to them, it was in a threatening tone. Like she was just toting with them, making them paranoid. There were times when she'd sound calm, or even monotone, but there were others when they couldn't help feeling that her words were laced with a threat.
Some tried to insist that since it had been years since her attack, it wasn't likely to happen again anytime soon. Others were so paranoid on the matter that they'd try to stay from GLaDOS's view as much as possible, avoiding her at all costs.
Eventually, the scientists and engineers decided that, in case she was secretly plotting for another disaster and just hiding it for the past near-decade, they needed to find another restriction to place on the computer's system. They soon came up with a potential solution to be absolutely certain that they could control GLaDOS's behavior. Another core.
True, even with the cores that she had on her now, she hadn't been quite subdued enough, it seemed. The disaster of Bring Your Daughter to Work Day was still fresh in everyone's mind. In the minds of the scientists and the minds of the daughters, now young women seeing as they were all grown up. But they still clearly remembered, some unable to hear GLaDOS's voice without shuddering.
There had to be something - some kind of core they could make - that would be able to control GLaDOS's potentially lingering homicidal urges. To make any thoughts of that go away.
But what?
During this time, GLaDOS still tested as she always did. Even though they were all wary of her, the scientists needed to have someone to run the standard testing procedures, and GLaDOS was the one best suited for that tasks, dangerous tendencies aside.
So Henry and several of the others began to construct another core. There was no telling what was going on in that AI's mind, and they feared that she could strike at any time. They needed a core that would be able to restrain those deadly behaviors that threatened the humans involved.
A Morality Core.
-0-0-
Doug was currently in his office, the low light flickering shows on several Aperture technologies scattered about. He was looking over a few of the daily testing files, and everything appeared to be going along as normal. At least, as normal as it had been as of late.
If he felt anxious normally, his steadily increasing unease about GLaDOS didn't help his nerves. He had to get a new prescription for his schizophrenic medication as a result. He knew that GLaDOS could be capable of striking again. That feeling had only increased as the years went by, her slightly threatening tone always seeming to ring an alarm in his head.
It wasn't paranoia. To him, it seemed to be common sense.
He sighed, placing the pen down before turning to his right, eyeing a pair of turrets. While one was completely deactivated, the other had the red light of its eye glowing slightly. Unlike all the other turrets, this one was a familiar friend, and Doug kept her in his office so that she wouldn't be put on the front line of tests.
After all, she was different. She had been there for him. She was his friend.
Doug came over, glancing around to make sure no one was watching. Luckily for him, no one was walking by; no one would be able to hear his conversation with the little different turret. They didn't talk too often - no sense risking being found out and having his little friend being taken away - but when they did, Doug found it comforting. He knelt down and whispered to her, "Hey."
If the turret possessed a mouth, the scientist had the feeling that she would be smiling. "Hello, friend." Though the phrase was the same as what other, normal turrets would say, the tone of her voice clearly showed that she had no intent of firing deadly, flesh-piercing bullets at anybody, least of all him.
"How are you?"
A slight flicker of her optic. "Fine. Just resting-" she stopped talking for an instant. "Someone's coming. Go back."
Doug listened carefully He didn't hear any footsteps, but he trusted the little turret. He called her "Oracle" for a reason, after all. The last thing he wanted was another scientist to see her, and put her in the testing areas with other turrets who wanted to shoot at people, or worse, declare her as defective, and it was off to incineration with her. It was why Doug kept her in his office, along with another, deactivated turret there just to make it seem more normal to have her there.
He went over to his desk again and continued to working on his papers, when Oracle suddenly spoke again.
"She is sleeping."
The scientist stopped in his writing, the gentle scratches of his pen coming to an abrupt halt. He just stared down at the paper, trying to avoid looking at Oracle since she had said someone was coming. "... What?"
"The Schrodinger's Cat," Oracle whispered. "Alive and dead in the box until someone opens it. The box is in the dark, but the Cat's still inside. The Queen doesn't know, but the Schrodinger's Cat waits in there. Unaware, but she's there."
Doug tried to reason out what the little turret meant. Who did she mean by "she"? Oracle seemed to impose a particular stress on that preposition. Who precisely was "the Schrodinger's Cat"? Doug knew of the thought experiment, but Oracle seemed to be talking about a being, not just the strange - some even called it paradoxical - experiment. She couldn't have meant GLaDOS - the AI was as awake and aware as ever, watching everything in the test chambers like a mechanical Big Brother. She was in no way sleeping. In fact, he was certain that GLaDOS was the "Queen" of whom Oracle spoke. She was the ruler, and they were her subjects.
But wait... alive and dead...
Could Oracle mean...?
"Oracle..." Doug whispered, daring to even think of the possibility that she mean who he thought she did. "Do you mean Ca-"
But he didn't finish. Footsteps were suddenly heard, soft at first, then increasing in their echoing volume. Someone was heading toward the room.
"That's all I can say," Oracle said quietly. "Goodnight, Doug." Without another word, the red light of her optic faded to a dim glow, barely visible, making it so she could observe what was happening without drawing attention to herself.
It was a moment later that Henry entered the room, carrying a large, spherical object.
"Hey, Doug," he asked, "can I get a hand here?"
Doug turned to face him and noticed the incomplete sphere that his co-worker was holding in his grip. It looked like they had, indeed, nearly completed another core. What kind it was intended to be, he didn't know. "Uh, sure."
Henry carefully held the sphere out a little toward Doug, holding it carefully by the metal rails on its sides. "Just reach inside past all those gears and turn on the power supply."
Doug hesitantly began to reach his right hand into the core when Henry suddenly yanked the sphere away from him.
"Wait a sec. Safety first. Are you right handed or left?"
"Right."
"Better use your left, then," Henry said as he moved the core closer again.
"Why?"
"Just in case."
Doug did so, somewhat nervously, urging himself to keep his hand steady. He didn't want Henry's request to "get a hand" to become literal. He carefully flicked the switched contained within the sphere, and jerked his hand out as the gears started up, a purple glow shining from the core's front. "What is that thing, anyway?"
"Just the latest in AI inhibition technology," Henry replied, looking down at the contraption. "You can think of it as a conscience."
There was clear uncertainty on Doug's face at his acquaintance's statement. "If that's all you use to control her, it won't be enough."
Henry tilted his head. As he saw it, it was a simple thing of programming. The other cores seemed to be doing their job, this one should too. "Why's that?"
"You can always ignore your conscience." A grim look filled Doug's eyes as he said those words. And there was a good reason for it. He had ignored his own conscience years ago. All the time GLaDOS's construction was being finished up, all the time he knew what was coming, his conscience had talked to him. First in whispers, then in desperate cries as the crucial moment neared. Don't just stand by and watch! Get help, warn Caroline! Find a way to save her! If she knows, there can be another way! Cave wouldn't want it to happen to her like this! HELP HER!
But Doug had ignored his conscience. He ignored the nagging feeling to save his friend. And thanks to his foolish action - or rather, inaction - Caroline was dead. If Oracle was right though, she was still in there somehow. A form of Schrodinger's Cat incarnate. Maybe she was still there, but GLaDOS had pushed her back? Either way, there was no way to help her now.
Henry recognized the look in Doug's eyes and put a hand on his shoulder. "Look, trust me. This will work. Just as well as the other cores, maybe even better."
"I hope you're right," Doug mumbled, his eyes downcast. With everything that had already happened, he wasn't sure if he could count on things to go smoothly. But maybe Henry would be right. Maybe everything would be okay.
But what if it wasn't? What if something did go wrong?
"I'm going to take this to the engineers to finish putting the last minute touches on the core," Henry said, interrupting Doug from his gloomy thoughts. "You'll be alright, Doug?"
"... I guess."
Off to the side, however, the little turret's eye flickered red a little. A premonition came over her, as sometimes occurred, which was how she had gotten her name from Doug. Henry had tried to assure her friend that all would be alright. That the Morality Core would work.
But her premonition told her otherwise. And when she got a deep-feeling premonition such as this, it was never wrong.
"It won't be enough..."
-0-0-
There was, however, something that turned out to work in GLaDOS's favor as the core was going through its final wrap-ups. The engineers were taking a different approach with this one in terms of composition, a difference in the gear mechanisms, perhaps. But this approach was hasty. With their budding paranoia that her thinly veiled threats and lack of lashing out in attack, they wanted to get it on her as quickly as they could when the thought struck them. And with that hasty demeanor comes more of an opportunity for error.
After all, they do say "Haste makes waste".
And eventually the time came when Henry came into the room to place the core onto her.
"What are you doing?" GLaDOS inquired fiercely, attempting to move back to get herself away from the offending familiar-looking object.
"We have another core for you, GLaDOS," the human said quickly.
"Another one?" the AI snarled. She didn't have her neurotoxin, so she couldn't use that on them. They couldn't put this thing on her, they said the others would be the last! It had been that way for years, and now they wanted another tumor to be attached to her body?
"A Morality Core."
"No!" she cried, her limited movement making her efforts to move away difficult. She began to quickly raise up some panels. "You CAN'T do this to me, you SAID those cores would be the-"
As quickly as possible, Henry faced the other core onto a place near her "back" this time. Another tumor clinging to her body. It was unsettling, and she became more infuriated. The humans had lied. "No more cores," they had said. "Those three are permanent," they had claimed. But they had put a fourth on her. It only made her anger at the scientists more prominent.
But Aperture's mechanical ruler became aware of something that lessened a bit of her fury, and rather began to throw her into a feeling of triumphant excitement.
Unlike the others, this core had no voice. Something was wrong with it. The hasty manner in which the scientists and engineers had built the construct had caused it to be incomplete. Not even a minuscule voice of morality emanating from it. Only silence. Perhaps there was a vital gear missing from it, or not all of the necessary power supply had been activated.
And even better, they had been hasty with placing the core on her in the first place. If she wanted to, she could drop it off.
This one couldn't control her. This one couldn't restrain her. This 'Morality Core' could do nothing.
But she couldn't let them know that. This could potentially prove to be very useful. A first step in the human's mistakes. A first step to initiating the complete takeover that she craved.
"How are you feeling, GLaDOS?" Henry and several of the other scientists were staring up at her, anxious expressions written on all of their faces. Several stepped back a little.
They expected the core to work. They expected her to behave. So she was, for now, going to give them satisfaction of their expectations appearing to work.
Yes, GLaDOS thought to herself, I'll just let them believe they've subdued me completely. I'll let them think that it worked, and then I'll fully be able to configure a plan. A loophole.
"I feel just fine," she responded. "Ready to test and do science for the good of Aperture."
"And you... don't want to hurt us?"
GLaDOS laughed in a way that sounded genuinely placid. "Now why would I do that? I only wish to do what is necessary for progress." She wasn't about to tell them that she deemed turning the humans into test subjects and being rid of them as "necessary for progress".
There was applause and exchanges of congratulations as the scientists celebrated their apparent victory. They believed that GLaDOS was finally obedient. That she'd now run Aperture just like she was supposed to; no deadly aggression involved in her actions.
The scenario had turned out excellently. Or so they thought.
Within her mind, GLaDOS began to formulate a plan. She metaphorically had them wrapped around her finger, and she relished that. Now she'd have to just wait for the right opportunity to come. Something that she could exploit as an apparent loophole to them without them guessing that the Morality Core had never worked in the first place.
"Remember that I have importance tests to monitor," she said, keeping her voice in that passive tone that seemed to be lulling the humans to complete relief and security.
"Oh... of course," Jerry muttered, sounding surprised at GLaDOS's lack of even the faintest tone of hostility, "we'll l-leave you to that."
"Science can't be done just by idle chit-chat!"
The scientists exited the chamber, chattering away among themselves. A number of them seemed still nervous and wary, but there were quite a few on the other side of the argument. Declaring that the installation of the Morality Core was a success. A triumph.
And it was... for GLaDOS, that is.
They thought that they had her under control now. That they could do whatever they wanted, without any consequence for their foolish human actions.
Oh, how very wrong the AI would prove they were.
After the door was closed, and as soon as GLaDOS was absolutely certain that the humans were out of earshot, she laughed, low and sinister. This wasn't the humans' beneficial accomplishment; it was her's, and her's alone.
As patience-trying as it was, she'd have to bide her time in order for this all to work. Long enough to get them to trust her. She'd make her tone as friendly as she could. Exhibit no tendencies toward wishing to even threaten them. If she kept it up long enough, they'd put any chance of her attacking them out of their realms of thought permanently. Without even a lingering doubt.
She did, after all, have all the time in the world. And as long as she would have to wait, revenge would certainly be worth it. She'd make sure of that.
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One month and three weeks passed. GLaDOS forced herself to keep up her ruse of remaining calm and friendly. It was a ruse that was somewhat tiring at times, but what mattered was that it was working with a marvelous success rate.
Nearly everyone at Aperture seemed happy. The employees considered the Morality Core a success and the engineers to be heroes. Over time, just about everyone in the facility seemed to have fallen for the computer's trick.
Even some of the now-grown daughters - who some thought had been scarred for life during the Bring Your Daughter to Work Day fiasco - were somewhat comfortable with GLaDOS now. A few even would come into her chamber on occasion to bid her a 'Hello'. Some of them even became employees at Aperture, so she got to see her former escapees - and future test subjects - a lot more often.
It would almost be a shame to trap them and test them. But, after all, it was for the good of science. What did they matter to her? Keeping them here would allow for science to get done more efficiently. For her, the positives of her plan far outweighed the negatives. In fact, the negatives for her were about zero when running the steps of the plan through her brain.
One of the only employees who didn't seem to have GLaDOS's trust was Doug Rattmann, even after a decade with no dangerous mass-murder attempts from Aperture's reigning computer and the new Morality Core appearing to be an utter success. Whenever he came into the chamber, or heard her voice, he'd always look toward her with a hint of suspicion in his eyes. He'd likely be more of a hassle than the other test-subjects-to-be.
But he was only one human. And she wouldn't kill them right away. Just enslave them for a time, and then truly start testing them. True, they'd soon die, but that was part of the science, providing more concrete results. In the meantime, she'd trap the employees until further notice. And that was however long she decided.
Now, for a proper occasion to build on this advantage; to lead up to the day when she would finally assume the control that she deserved.
She searched throughout Aperture's various hallways and offices, looking for any particular eventful date that the company had planned. Something like Bring Your Daughter to Work Day, perhaps. There was always science going on here, surely there had to be some date that would suit her needs.
It needs to be a big turn-out like my first attempt at taking over, the AI told herself as she searched for a suitable date. At least something that will have everyone here lulled into an atmosphere on fun and security. It's always those times when they're most oblivious to any danger.
Finally, after looking through their calendar data, she came across an event that met those criteria: an event that was known as "Bring Your Cat to Work Day".
It's two weeks from now... but that will do. I feel like I've waited long enough to get my proper revenge... But waiting another two weeks will be well worth it if all goes well. And it will, this time.
Now that the date was set up, she needed a plan. Some clever way to trick the scientists with a potential loophole for the Morality Core's supposed restrictions. It wouldn't really be a loophole, since the core had never worked in the first place, but the loophole would be enough to trick the scientists into thinkingit was a loophole.
She ran her thoughts through her database, looking for anything that would give her an idea to work with. Something that could relate to the day enough so that the subject wouldn't seem to come from out of the blue.
And somewhere in the back of her data, she found a point of interest. A recollection of work into consciousness. It resided near some part of her brain that was tucked far away, unimportant from long ago. There was only anger at the scientists there, anyway.
But that bit about consciousness could prove useful. Wasn't there that thought experiment involving cats and consciousness?
Cats... consciousness.. of course! Schrodinger's Cat - the thought experiment that theorized that a cat, when placed in a box filled with a special gas, could be considering simultaneously alive and dead, which no one could know for sure until the box was opened.
It related to the date. It could work with her plan.
And even better, the thought experiment involved a gas for the cat in a box. Neurotoxin was a gas, a very deadly one. Through this, GLaDOS could get her beloved deadly neurotoxin back in her possession. She could get her revenge at last, after all these years.
It was perfect.
She had attempted to flood her chamber (eventually having planned the entire Enrichment Center) with neurotoxin back on Bring Your Daughter to Work Day, but they had stopped her. Overridden her commands, getting everyone out. But on that fateful date, she knew they wouldn't be stopping her. She would be the one stopping them.
The AI turned her sensors through the facility until she located two of the scientists in one of the offices, adjusting some new equipment for the test chambers. And the schizophrenic Rattmann happened to be one of them.
She sent her voice through the speakers in that office. "Oh, working on some test chamber elements?"
Doug jerked his head up at hearing GLaDOS's voice. Yup, there was still that ever-present nervousness to him.
Henry, however, seemed unfazed as he worked on the wiring of a panel, its structure slightly bent out of shape. "Yes, GLaDOS, just fixing some things. Can't have the test chambers have a broken panel, it could upset the whole system in the connections became too tangled!"
GLaDOS forced a good-natured laugh, still keeping up her long-held artifice.
"So," the scientist chattered, not looking up from his work, "that Morality Core on you is pretty new compared to the other three you've had on, but it seems to be working great!"
A chuckle. "Since the installation of my new Morality Core, I've lost all interest in killing. Now I only crave science."
"I'm pleased to hear that."
Excellent. Now to follow it up with the proposal that, if all went well, would serve as the catalyst to her plot...
"I find myself drawn to the study of consciousness," the AI went on. "There's an experiment I'd like to perform during 'Bring Your Cat to Work Day'."
"Wonderful!"
"I'll have the box and the cats. Now I just need one more thing."
"What's that?"
"... A little neurotoxin."
Doug's breath caught in his throat as he glanced up toward where GLaDOS's voice was coming from. The computer eyed him from her view. There it was again - that suspicion, that unease in his eyes...
"Well, as long as it's for science."
GLaDOS's systems filled with what almost could be described as a sort of euphoria. Yes! The foolish scientist had fallen for it completely. In no time at all, she'd have her vital little weapon back. Then, come Bring Your Cat to Work Day, she'd finally be able to unleash the vengeance she had wanted for so long. Too long.
And on top of that, she'd be able to perform a little experiment in the process. How wonderfully convenient.
She used her view around the chamber to locate the Emergency Phone that had saved the lives of the daughters all those years ago. They had stopped her then.
But now the levers that could potentially put her offline were deactivated. The employees believed that she was friendly now.
She carefully reached a metal claw around to snip away the wire of the phone, subtly cutting off any connection that they could manage for help. They wouldn't be aware of it until they picked up the phone, and by then it would be too late.
"Just remember that phones can't always work.
-0-0-
Finally, the big day. The day that GLaDOS was sure she'd remember for the rest of her life. Bring Your Cat to Work Day.
True to her word, the AI did have a box or two ready for the Schrodinger's Cat thought experiment. As well as her full supply of neurotoxin, which she had never felt more happy to have in her possession. There were plenty of cats roaming around today - 305, at last count, more than she had expected - that would fulfill her experiment. It was never a good thing to just miss out on an opportunity for testing like this. But, of course, she had a far more sinister - and satisfying - use for her neurotoxin planned.
Luckily for GLaDOS, not a single employee had had to call in sick that day. Every single one of those humans was in attendance. Therefore, her plan could go off without a hitch.
"As long as there isn't any... interference..."
She kept a camera eye out for Doug Rattmann, the suspicious one, until she found him wandering one of the hallways, talking to an employee who was holding a small gray kitten; discussing unimportant little human things. Unlike the other employees, he looked like he shouldof stayed home that day. He was very pale-looking, and his eyes looked like they hadn't seen the comfort of sleep in days. With a quick word to the other employee, he ran off
"Either he really is sick or it's simply his paranoia," GLaDOS muttered. "I'll just make a note of that here in his file: 'Still holding on to the ludicrous delusion of paranoia'."
She cast her gaze around the rest of the facility. Felines were everywhere, some running around, some being held by their owners in cat carriers. The humans were trying to keep track of them. Not a living soul, human or feline, was near the facility's exit to have enough time to get away.
Now she could at last put her plot into action-
A faint mewling caused the computer to turn her sight downward. A gray kitten with white paws had wandered into her chamber, looking up at her.
The AI was a little surprised at seeing the kitten right there, but it was rather convenient. Perhaps this one would be the first to be subjected to neurotoxin. In fact, that wasn't too bad of an idea. She was going to perform the experiment anyway, why not start with this one?
"Hmmm, it seems that cats suddenly have gained the intelligence to volunteer as test subjects," she said to the kitten sarcastically. "Unless of course you're looking for food, in which case all I can give you is a variety of inedible objects that have a 99.999% chance of killing you."
The kitten blinked up at her and meowed, but didn't move.
"I'll interpret that meow of yours as a 'Yes, I wish to subject myself to your little Schrodinger's Cat experiment'. Well, good. It seems I have at least one willing test subject for this..."
With no one paying attention to the exit of the facility, she subtly lowered a metal grating over it, locking it securely so there was no chance that a human or cat could escape.
"Lets have you be the one to first behold my experiment, shall we?"
Before she could do anything, she noticed one of the scientists was running down the hallway. It was that Jerry fellow. Probably coming to look for his little cat.
This could work out nicely.
The scientist hurried into the chamber upon seeing the kitten, scooping it up in his arms. "Tom! There you are!"
"Looking for your little cat, I suppose?"
"Yes, GLaDOS. Thank you for, uh... keeping him company."
"It was a good thing that he wandered in here. He was willingly volunteering to be a test subject in my little experiment. Which by the way, youwill be first witness to as well."
With that, the door of her chamber slammed shut and was bolted tightly.
"H-Hey!" Jerry cried out in surprise. "What are you doing?". The scientist ran toward the door, trying to open it. When one hand didn't work, he set Tom down on the floor and tried to tug on it with both hands, but to no avail. It was bolted completely shut, with no way whatsoever for a human to open it.
"I told you I'd be starting my experiment," GLaDOS said cooly. "You and your cat are simply my first test subjects."
"First-? But I thought... the Morality Core... you're in charge of us, you were g-good-"
GLaDOS would have smirked, but instead her optic intensified. Time to play her loophole card. "You built that Morality Core so that I would only crave science. This is the Schrodinger's Cat experiment. It's science, therefore, I can do precisely what I want." She began to release a familiar green gas into the room, unrelenting.
"Oh look, it seems your old friend neurotoxin has decided to pay you a visit," the AI chuckled darkly. "Go ahead, say hello. It will enter your lungs faster that way."
Jerry, at a loss, finally saw the phone. He hurried over to pick it up... only to have the receiver come off in his hand, the cable disconnected. He stared nimbly at the severed phone cord, shocked.
"I took precautions."
With Jerry helpless to get out, and the neurotoxin re-wired throughout the entire facility. Now was the time to finally execute her foolproof plan.
"It seems that Bring Your Cat to Work Day has been a success so far," GLaDOS announced, speaking out to the entire facility. "And now it's time to perform that thought experiment I mentioned a couple weeks ago."
Doug had frozen when GLaDOS started talking, and his skin only grew paler as she continued.
Oh please NO!
"As you all know, I have what I need for the Schrodinger's Cat thought experiment to be performed. I had the boxes. Thanks to your participation I now have the cats. And I have the neurotoxin. So I can begin my little experiment now."
"The experiment will begin in 3... 2... 1..."
Doug jumped about a foot in the air as, suddenly and simultaneously, every single door in the facility was locked and bolted.
"Oh trust me, the experiment is going to commence. It's all being done for science. You monsters."
And with that, absolutely reveling in the sound of the panicked cries from the technicians and employees, Aperture's powerful AI released the neurotoxin throughout the halls of Aperture.
The reign of GLaDOS had begun.
-0-0-0-
A/N: Okay, FINALLY done with this chapter! Yes, the next chapter is going to cover the rest of Lab Rat, don't you worry! Once again, I apologize for taking so long to get this up, it was mainly attempting to figure out that dang timeline. I'll try to get the next chapter up sooner though, since the next one won't really be dealing with timeline confusion! And yes, that was an intentional Tom and Jerry reference with me calling Jerry's cat Tom! Remember to review!