I don't own Portal. It would be pretty cool though.
I seriously hope this isn't boring you guys too much.
~o0o~
TEST 17 –17/19
VITAL APPARATUS VENT PRESENT
MIND THE APERTURE SCIENCE WEIGHTED STORAGE CUBE
APERTURE SCIENCE HIGH-ENERGY PELLET DEVICES PRESENT
MIND HIGH-ENERGY PELLETS –INSTANT DEATH
There were times when Chell could not believe the wealth and worth of the portal gun. Such as right now as she was walking down a black metal corridor, in the beginnings of the 17th test. Nothing could enhance a portal in this section which just straight up bothered the woman. She took note of the vital apparatus vent above her head and then read the test screen, unhappy to see high-energy pellets were back in action.
"The Vital Apparatus Vent will deliver a Weighted Companion Cube in three…two…one…"
Mind the Storage Cube, the screen said and had said many times previously. Chell rubbed the top of her head, feeling shame and embarrassment colour her cheeks. She made a promise to never make such a fool of herself again. Standing underneath the vent and forgetting about it: what an idiot. Chell went to glare at the Storage Cube but blinked in surprise at the small changes to this particular one.
It had a love heart. A soft baby-pink love heart had replaced the Aperture Science ring logo. The same pink boarded the cube like hugging arms. It almost gave the cube a soft squishy appearance. Chell couldn't help but forgive it for bruising her. A Weighted Companion Cube the voice called it. The woman picked up the cube, rolling it with her fingers like a skewer. "This Weighted Companion Cube will accompany you through the test chamber. Please take care of it."
It became apparent early on that the Companion Cube was to be a vital aspect of the test. There were ledges too tall for even Chell which required her to leverage herself up with the help of the cube. It felt strange in an odd way to get help from an inanimate object. Next she had to navigate down two long corridors. Both had a delivery machine at the end. Chell used the Companion Cube to shield herself from the pellets. Before going down the second one (which would have her walking backwards to face the machine), the voice added more information.
"The symptoms most commonly produced by Enrichment Centre testing are superstition, perceiving inanimate objects as alive, and hallucinations." Chell thought back to those befuddling 'artworks' in Test Chamber 16. "The Enrichment Centre reminds you that the Weighted Companion Cube will never threaten to stab you and, in fact, cannot speak."
When Chell made it to the main testing area, she squished the Companion Cube underneath her armpit to keep it close and reviewed the place, examining every tiny detail. There were three lowered platforms that needed to be raised via active catcher machines. Once raised the platforms should lead Chell to the finish. Chell found the first two catchers. One was behind two sealed doors that needed weight on super-buttons to open (Chell patted her cube) and the other required an angled portal and bouncing the pellet. So Chell did that first. Then she set up a portal at the end of the closest corridor. Enhancing the cube's protective nature, Chell had to carefully position herself so she could create another portal for the second delivery machine. She placed the Companion Cube and herself on the Super Buttons, watched the pellet go through and succeeded that mini mission.
"The Enrichment Centre reminds you that the Weighted Companion Cube cannot speak. In the event that the Weighted Companion Cube does speak, the Enrichment Centre urges you to disregard its advice."
Before Chell went to power up the third catcher, she saw another opened wall. Chell tried to crawl her way inside. But the space was too small to get in without the handy portal gun. Inside, Chell felt her heart cool, as well as her grip tighten on the Cube before releasing it. It clattered loudly on the ground. Chell memorised every image on the wall. The test subject had gone mental inside, drawing the Companion Cube over and over again, then encircling them with love hearts. There were pictures of men and women on ads and calendars with pictures of the Companion Cube taped over their heads. Love hearts littered the wall, over the repeated scrawl, "The cake is a lie. The cake is a lie. The cake is a lie." Lastly there was the surveillance camera, a pretty common sight in all test chambers. "She's always watching. Stop watching me!"
Chell breaths quivered. She picked up the cube. Her hold around the cube strengthened as she held it close to her chest. She rested her chin on the cube's surface. It felt like she was being hugged by a close friend. With no way out other than in, Chell activated the last catcher by using the cube to hit a pellet its way. Jumping across the platforms, Chell nearly fell off and most likely kill herself trying to save the Companion Cube from meeting the same fate. Another button beckoned the Cube. A pang of jealous hit. It was like the button was some prettier girl stealing her closest companion.
"You did it! The Weighted Companion Cube certainly brought you good luck." Chell grinned at the cube, proud of their success. "However, it cannot accompany you for the rest of the tests and, unfortunately, must be euthanized. Please escort your Companion Cube to the Aperture Science Emergency Intelligence Incinerator."
Chell saw that the button powered up a door to a switch. She pressed it and saw a large round machine open up. It was like an enlarged trash bin…if trash bins had incredibly high temperature radiating from inside and possible flames licking the walls, as though starving. Chell's stomach quenched as she stared at the cube. She couldn't, could she? It was a Companion Cube after all. It was her friend, the only thing in this lonely, blank, cruel place. But it was an animate object…well, you can't say for sure, right?
Then Chell remembered the drawings. Feeling conflicted yet frightful of the cube, Chell picked it up and brought it over to the incinerator. She gulped, muttered an apology and let it go. Once her Companion Cube was gone, Chell swore at herself for actually apologising.
"You euthanized your faithful Companion Cube more quickly than any test subject on record. Congratulations."
Chell left the test chamber feeling like a traitor.
~o0o~
TEST 18 –18/19
VITAL APPARATUS VENT PRESENT
MIND THE APERTURE SCIENCE WEIGHTED STORAGE CUBE
APERTURE SCIENCE HIGH-ENERGY PELLET DEVICES PRESENT
MIND HIGH-ENERGY PELLETS –INSTANT DEATH
PREPARE TO JUMP FROM HIGH LEDGES
PREPARE TO PROPELL FROM HIGH LEDGES
DO NOT DRINK TEST CHAMBER LIQUID
MIND THE HAZARD LIQUID –INSTANT DEATH
MIND THE APERTURE SCIENCE SENTRY TURRETS
Chell could not believe what this science facility was thrusting upon her. Every single warning sign was prominent in this test…except, Chell's heart skipped a beat. The last sign depicted a slice of cake. She swallowed thickly, her eyes darting back and forth as she scanned the first chapter of test 18.
"The experiment is nearing its conclusion." That's right; Chell was up to 18 out of 19. Despite her disadvantage there was no way she was ruining this now. "The Enrichment Centre is required to remind you will be baked [bzzz] [garble] and then there will be cake."
Portal usage safely brought Chell to the other side. She felt superior to the hazard liquid protesting down below, upset that its favourite prey had escaped. But what really grabbed the woman's attention was another secret den. Instead of being hidden behind portal walls, black metal reflected the woman's figure in distorted shapes as she shuffled through on her belly. It was mostly empty with only a handful of cans but it was the stained white door at the end that had Chell's smiling. She ran to it, rightly predicting it to be locked. She kicked it, hard. It did not budge. The door was made from metal. Chell seethed, caressing her injured toes. Not broken luckily. Chell continued trying but after numerous minutes, she was forced to retreat and battle out the test.
As though an earthquake had rumbled past, the following platforms were high-raised and jumbled up, muddling up Chell's portal application slightly. She had to constantly create a portal above the platform and go through via the ground then ceiling. Her stomach swooped like a bird of prey every time she had to bend to gravity's will. The hazard liquid steaming below made the action all the more less challenging and strenuous. It was also especially frustrating when Chell found the locked exit –there was a part two to the test.
Flinging herself up to the last level Chell found the super button but had no cube. But at the press of a switch that moved a wall piece out and up, Chell was able to sneak under it and through. Chell only just missed being shot at by multiple turrets. She managed to position herself safely out of the five turret's eye sights. From her limited space, Chell examined the place.
Hazard liquid being its lovely poisonous self down below: check.
A wall piece that moved and had enough height to propel Chell to the other side: check.
A stationary scaffold only powered by high-energy pellets: check.
A delivery machine rotating and spitting out pellets: check.
And a catcher behind a grey door that needed the flirtation of a switch to blush and open: check.
All of that along with the turrets and the vital apparatus vent clearly visible on the other side, Chell realised this was the section of the test chamber that utilised every hazard. At least there was a bit of the ground free from the poisonous liquid. The 'other side' was two stories, the bottom one was only accessible through jumping off the stationary scaffold. The top was reachable through flinging. Chell opened up a portal where the first turret's eye beam of red light landed on the wall, then added the second portal where a pellet was heading towards. This had the pellets floating straight in the turret, pushing it on its high horse and into the hazard liquid.
"Noooooooooooo!"
Chell did this with the rest of the turret team.
"Why?"
"Oh no!"
"Heeeeeeeeelp!"
"Ahhhhh!"
Next, Chell had to act fast. She had to use the portals to reach the height of the switch to slide open the grey door. Then she quickly formed portals to collect a pellet and send it flying through the door during its short time limit. When it worked, Chell congratulated herself. Her latest achievement had shut off the deliverer so she was no longer in danger of getting vaporised great) and it powered up the scaffold (double great). Chell jumped onto it and leapt onto the bottom floor of the 'other side'. Another switch was there which made the wall piece Chell past to get into this place, push out and up –which could provide the leverage she needed to fling. Chell placed a blue portal at a side wall and then an orange next to the manipulated wall. She activated the switch, travelled over, and made a new portal, then dived down to that non-liquid-touching ground and flung over.
Chell tripped over the Storage Cube. She cursed and wished for the Companion Cube's return.
She took the scaffold back with extra company. Then had to redo the whole flinging action once again in order to open up the wall so she and the cube could exit the place. Chell slammed the cube down onto the super button, gladly watching the exit door reveal itself in its most beautiful form: unlocked. Chell's mood, however, was crushed, spat on and suffocated within an inch of its life when the young woman stepped through into another section of the test. It wasn't over yet.
Chell gave a loud groan. She groaned even louder when she saw that it was similar to the first section with multiple high-raised platforms, except they were much smaller and required constant flinging to make it through. Finding the massive dip Chell birthed a blue portal on the first small platform then accepted gravity's proposal and dropped down. She shot out of the blue portal and aimed a new orange portal at the next platform. Slipping through the two faces of the coin, Chell did this again and again, her stomach feeling worse and worse like someone was fisting it, along with her state of consciousness losing control. She was getting dizzy and struggling to keep sane. At last, Chell made it to the exit. Her brain felt like it was roller-skating in her skull. Chell remained flat on her back, just allowing her body to get back to normal. "Well done! Be advised that the next test requires exposure to uninsulated electrical parts that may be dangerous under certain conditions. For more information please attend an Enrichment Centre Electrical Safety seminar."
~o0o~
TEST 19 –19/19
APERTURE SCIENCE HIGH-ENERGY PELLET DEVICES PRESENT
MIND HIGH-ENERGY PELLETS –INSTANT DEATH
DO NOT DRINK TEST CHAMBER LIQUID
MIND THE HAZARD LIQUID –INSTANT DEATH
CAKE PROVIDED
Chell's heart was dancing. A grin had spread across her olive face. This was it. One last round and her days of testing would finally lay to rest. She could get out of this joint and discover her life. Forget solving tests, Chell had memories to recover. Her moment of rejoice halted when she noticed the final 'warning.' So, the cake was making its appearance. Quite frankly, Chell was looking forward to it. It better be vanilla flavoured, her favourite.
"Welcome to the final test. When you are done, you will drop the Device in the equipment recovery annex. Enrichment Centre regulations require both hands to be empty before getting any cake can be served [bzzz] [garble]."
Practically ignoring the voice's words, Chell directed a pellet from a deliverer to a catcher through portal use and the angled floor. That didn't take long. There had been lots of practise after all. The pellet triggered scaffold movement. As the young woman skipped onto it, she inspected the narrow corridor it was leading her down. Limited space plus hazardous liquid underneath. A grey door was the first bump in the road. There was a wing to Chell's left with a switch. She jumped to it, hit the button and saw that it barely kept the grey door open. She opened a blue portal beyond the door then an orange portal. When the scaffold came by, emerging from under the grey door, Chell got back on board.
Her second issue: a pellet. It was bouncing crazily back and forth between a delivery machine and the other side of the corridor. Too bad, it was a narrow thin corridor. So there was no way Chell could duck or wait for enough time and space to safely cross. So Chell opened a portal and animated another further away. Once the pellet was somewhere else, Chell put the blue portal far away behind her so it would further its tennis match away from her. Success!
Third problem strolled on by. Or, rather, it wouldn't move. It was a wall blocking her path. Chell knew the answer straight away: an orange portal beyond it and a blue portal on that wall. The only worrying issue was nearly falling off the platform so she could get onto it beyond the blocking wall. It was all so confusing. Chell smirked when, at the end of the corridor, surrounded by black metal, was a picture of cake slice. She had done it. Chell saw another wing with a slot to place the portal gun, just as the voice had instructed. Chell saw the surveillance camera looking. Scoffing, the woman disconnected the camera with her portal. The voice prattled about it. Chell was, in no way, going to give up this portal gun. She might land in a situation requiring her to threaten someone with it. So, better have a weapon. Chell got back onto the scaffold, towards her victory.
Chell had completed all the tests! Now to get some cake.
"Congratulations. The test is now over. All Aperture Technologies remain safely operational up to 4000 degrees Kelvin."
Just as Chell was about to ponder such a statement, the scaffold turned a corner and Chell's smile crumbled into an expression of blank horror. The scaffold was leading her straight to an incinerator. Tall viscous flames crackled at the air, hungrily stretching out for whatever it can consume. Its intense heat bristled at Chell's skin. The young woman was frozen stiff, gob-smacked at what she was seeing and at what she was moving towards. What was going on!?
"Rest assured that there is absolutely no chance of dangerous equipment malfunction prior to your victory candescence."
"N-no…" words stammered pathetically from Chell's mouth, "W-wait!" Panicking she fretfully shot portals at every direction. Because of the material of the walls, no portals were formed. "No! No!"
"Thank you for participating in this Aperture Science computer-aided enrichment activity. Goodbye."
"G-goodbye!?" Chell yelled. "No! Don't do this! Don't!"
Chell scrambled uselessly on the scaffold. There was nothing she could do! Every second she drew closer and closer to death by flames. "Don't! NO!"
It was amazing that in her desperate state Chell's keen eyesight was able to see a balcony up ahead. There were portal-usable walls! She spotted more walls of that nature at the lower end of the incinerator, close to the flames. Taking the risk, she created her bridge and dived for it. Her body smacked the safe floor. She cried out as a flame bit her bare feet but Chell was able to retreat from it. She scrambled away, breathing hysterically at her near-death and in shock over this Enrichment Centre's attempt at murder.
"What are you doing!?" the voice blurted out, ruining her professional mask. "Stop! I-I-I-I-Iiiiiii…" the voice's electronic voice sped up and transformed into static as though there was some sort of malfunction. Chell sat up, her body was still trembling.
Suddenly, the voice cleaned up its mess and said, after a long pause, "...we are pleased that you made it through the final challenge where we pretended we were going to murder you."
All this did was offend Chell. Did the voice honestly believe that Chell was that gullible? Chell was supposed to have abandoned the portal gun back before the incinerator. She was never meant to have the Device in her hands upon falling into the flame's clutches. It also didn't help that the voice sounded as though it was making things off the top of her head. She had obviously not expected Chell to play out the way she did.
Chell spotted a door at the back. She slammed her body against it once she found out it was locked. "We are very, very happy for your success…we are…throwing a party in honour of your tremendous success. Place the Device on the ground then lie on your stomach with your arms at your sides. A party associate will arrive shortly to collect you for your party."
The young woman was not falling for it. Giving up on the door, Chell searched for any other means of escape. "Make no further attempts to leave the testing area. Assume the party escort mission or you will miss the party." At the top of the room, above where the scaffolds emerged from test chamber 19, Chell saw the innards of the building. The outer shell, the walls, was removed, as though torn. Instead of obeying the voice's advice, Chell flung herself over.
Chell grunted when she bashed into a pipe. Rust chewed her fingers. She observed her surroundings and saw, to her greatest relief, that there were ways out. It was not just one spot like in past chambers. Passing through a corridor, Chell attempted to climb up some stairs to get to the second floor however the stairs collapsed. She just used the portal gun. But best of all, when Chell made it to the top, there was a door and it opened.
~o0o~
ESCAPE!
Her heart was beginning to take notice of the situation. It proceeded to pump faster and louder. The door led Chell to another room, built the exact same way as the last. The door in this one was locked terrifying the woman for a second, before she realised how handy the portal gun was when it could shoot through an iron gate and create a portal beyond it. After that, Chell was introduced to a large hall with a giant fan too busy in motion to take notice of her (or, it wasn't sort of alive like the turrets, the woman reconsidered). A blue portal crossed the fan and Chell stepped through it. She quite liked the breeze it made, rustling her hair and cooling her down.
"Hello?"
She couldn't help it. Chell actually released a short cry in shock.
"Where are you?"
There was, at least, something or someone on Chell's side. The voice had yet to land her location.
"I know you're there. I can feel you here."
Chell halted. How could someone feel someone's presence? Was the voice –the person –here? Chell whirled around, her portal gun poised, as she searched for another human being. Her search ended fruitless. "Hello?"
She refused to answer back.
Her feet were so close to touching hazardous liquid that Chell had to stop her process for a moment and recollect herself. Transporting herself to a catwalk thanks to her portals, Chell invaded a few office rooms, aiming to find out of the truth behind Aperture Science. She filtered through their files, understanding little of what they were on about and especially wondering how sane they all were. In the name of Science, they proclaimed. So, in the name of Science, they were willing to perform tests on people –physically, psychologically and emotionally? Chell read a gruesome report on how human bodies reacted to certain elements of the periodic table such as nitrogen, aluminium, gold, etc. Chell even found a report on slicing up people under the knife and replacing certain organs with machines, just to see how the body reacted. What was most striking was a name that showed up consistently in the files: Cave Johnson. And, on the odd occasion, Caroline and Doug Rattmann. This Doug Rattmann felt especially important to her.
Once Chell had completed her scavenging she continued her impromptu escape. In another room the woman was pleased but perplexed over instructions provided, shining light on paths of escape. She recognised the style and handwriting of the drawings. Perhaps the drawer hadn't been that insane after all. The instructor informed her with an arrow and 'EXIT!' that there was another path on the top floor only obtainable through portals.
"What are you doing? You haven't escaped, you know."
Small doses of fear crept coldly into Chell's confidence. Her legs kept moving however.
"You're not even going the right way."
Chell elevated herself up another floor. She pushed out the voice's words.
"Hello? Is anyone there?"
She couldn't believe her failing luck. It had shone so brightly, as strong as a star, guiding her safely (as safe as possible) through the innards of this Enrichment Centre. But, like all stars, it reached its peak before dulling. Chell cursed the locked door, exploding over the uselessness of a door's inclusion when they were not even accessible. She leaned her forehead against the wall before glancing up with her stomach dipping.
The cake is a lie.The cake is a lie.The cake is a lie.The cake is a lie.The cake is a lie.
She was not going to go insane. The cake may be a lie but her freedom was not.