"Come in." Cave responded to the light knock at the door, anxious. Breanna entered silently, her black hair falling to the middle of her back, a look of fearful recognition in her bright blue eyes. "I never wanted to have this conversation again. Never thought I'd have to. Is it really happening? Are you really...?"
Breanna nodded somberly. "From the accident. It's been three years since I got my body back. Why is it only showing up now?" Her thumb ran over the scar on her hand.
Cave shook his head. "It must've only been a temporary fix. Caroline said they improved the stasis pods just before I was put in, which is why I'm not dead by now. Yours, though..." He looked up sadly at her.
This was his fault. He'd been the one in charge when the accident had happened. The one who had ignored Doug's warnings about letting Michael Anderson watch the child who was still so vulnerable to all of life's dangers. The one who hadn't requested tests on any of the negative effects repulsion gel could have on a human being. He'd been the one to cause all of this.
She bit her lip slightly in worry. But she didn't cry. She refused to cry. She couldn't show weakness. She'd been through too much for that. Far too much. "So this is it, then."
"Not necessarily." Her eyes moved up to his face again. "There is one thing we could do." When she asked what it was, his face remained in the same pitying expression. "You know what it is."
All the colour left her face at once. "No. I- I won't do it. Not again."
Cave leaned forward on his desk so his face was only about a foot away from hers. "Would you rather die?" Their eyes locked onto one another, it felt as if the world around them had stopped.
"No, I just..." Her eyes squeezed shut as each let a tear escape. "I don't want to forget again!"
He took her hand. "We'll talk to Caroline about it. Maybe she has something that will keep that from happening. Sound good?"
As she thought it over, Breanna was silent until she made a decision. "My father can't know."
"No!" Cave almost shouted. "No, Breanna, listen to me. You don't understand. When you first powered on, you don't remember it well since it wasn't technically you yet. You didn't see it. When he found your body, when he first saw what you'd become, I swear, I saw him die a little that day. I never want to see him like that again. If we're going to do this, we have to tell him. Otherwise, there's no telling what might happen."
She hadn't even thought of that. All these years, and she hadn't thought of that. If he'd reacted as badly as her uncle said, how would he take it now that he'd been through so much trauma? "You're right." That was all she could say.
Cave nodded. "Let's go, then."
She was frightened. The last thing she wanted was to see the massive AI looming over her again. She wanted more than anything to run away, but she knew doing so would do nothing but cause more unbearable pain in her chest. So she stood at the chamber doors beside her great uncle, fearing the worst.
When the doors opened, her attention was caught first by the woman sitting in the corner, wires coming out of her back. The name came instantly to her mind. Caroline... Of course, after a moment's observation, she knew it was an android. The woman she'd known was long dead.
"Well, would you look at this." The chassis turned to face them. If she could, GLaDOS would have been giving her a menacing grin. "If it isn't the Ratling. It's always such a pleasure. Of course, it certainly has been a long time. Come to cause more disturbances?"
"Caroline, please." Cave put a hand on GLaDOS' faceplate. "We need your help."
"With what?" The mechanical voice was quieter now, more compassionate. For a moment, Breanna could have sworn she'd heard her uncle's assistant.
Cave explained that the results of the repulsion gel accident were quickly reappearing, and that Breanna had only a few more months, which was news even to her. Then he stated their plan. "You need to build an AI we can upload her consciousness into while we find a way to heal her body."
"Is that so?" The golden optic turned to the girl. "I always had such high hopes for you. Pretty, open minded, incredibly intelligent; It's a shame all of it will be going to waste." Her voice turned cold. "I want you to think back. I want you to think back to every time your father tried to kill me, and when he finally found someone who could. Think of all the trouble he's put me though. I want you to think about that and give me one good reason why I should do anything that might make his short, sad life any less pathetic and meaningless than it already is."
So that was it. She'd cheated death once already. Now it was time to make up for it. She looked at the scar on her hand, recalling the pain of the knife as it penetrated her flesh. It was no match for the agony she felt as she imagined her father's face when he would find her one morning, having died in her sleep.
"Please," Said Cave when he saw the hopeless expression on the girl's face. "I'm begging you, Caroline. Just please do it. For me."
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Please?"
"My answer is no." GLaDOS snapped. "I will not, nor will I ever even consider doing anything that requires me to see Douglas Rattmann for the rest of my life. Which, as you both know, is a very long time."
"...Please?"