It makes me sad to know the first chapter sucked so bad, and that may be why people chose not to continue, but really, I've got a lot more planned for this. But fine. Whatever. They can miss out and this can be our little secret.
This is going to be another short one, but the chapter after this will be long I promise. I'm doing my best to make sure their timelines are aligned well enough, and then later they will get really long.
The portal gun and Impala run on reviews :)
She is not certain for how long she walks, but she does.
She walks to the point where she can't walk anymore, where it becomes trudging, and then later she drags her feet.
If she wasn't stuck carrying the damn companion cube, she could be going so much faster, it's just that she can't bear to leave it behind.
So she is dragging it mile after mile after mile, towards the smokestacks in the far off horizon. She wonders to herself just what is beneath her feet as the crawls across this fox trail.
Do foxes even eat wheat?
She didn't know. She did, however, know that she only had about eight more hours until the last of the adrenal vapor left her body and she would be susceptible to hunger and thirst and heat and cold and all those other low-tech 'perks' that come with being human. Where ever she was going, she had to get to fast.
She hoisted up her jumpsuit, zipping it all the way up, and noticing just how restrictive it really was, but she then rested the warm portal gun on her shoulder and picked up the cube from behind. Now she could lug it around easier without burning herself! Chell chuckled to herself. Just too sarcastic to herself. No wonder she was no fit for testing.
But what was the whole point of carrying the companion cube? A weighted one, at that. It was slowing her down as she walked and trudged and crawled until she realized she was talking to herself in circles.
Gasping out a cackle, she immediately regretted it, as she went straight into another coughing fit that was worse than the last. Being alone for that long makes you forget how to act in public- err- wheat fields.
Was this the brain damage Wheatley spoke of? No, it couldn't be. Could it? Of all the carcinogens and asbestos she was exposed to, she loses her head because of fresh air? Probably not. Maybe her best hope is to just suck it up and take the plunge back into society, no matter what the people are like. Without the murderous AI coaxing her along, she has no hope of staying sane.
Like Rattmann.
He was alone, within Aperture, (the worst place to be alone) without any companionship at all.
The cube. The damn companion cube!
Chell was getting herself angry for no apparent reason.
What's with this mood swing? She stopped to calm herself a minute to collect her thoughts. She redid the math and assumed the adrenal vapors were leaving her body faster than expected. She was making herself go crazy, and would continue to do so until she likely got out of this damn wheat maze!
She fumed. Angry again. From what she remembered, mostly the testing, anger wasn't a readily available emotion. Frustration, okay that's fair, but she could never give the damn robot the response she so desired.
When the ration Chell swung back around, she decided to put all that frustration and pent up anger to a practical use. She began to run. It was a dream in her long fall boots, but still awkward with the companion cube hobbling behind her, held on only by the portal gun.
Was she ever glad she still had it!
Her only worldly possession WAS the most secret and prized advancement from Aperture Laboratories. As she learned from roaming about the ancient testing chambers, Aperture used to be the second most advanced research facility in the country. Surely people would be dying to own something like this!
She slowed to more of a trot as the burn in her legs appeared, that never has been there before. But she smiled as she saw the thinning of the wheat. She gasped in joy and hope thinking this could be it and sprinted the last bit of the way. When she burst forth from the wheat, she threw her companion in front of her and bent over to catch her breath, unsure if she was going to be sick or not.
As she stood, catching her breath, she saw a black figure speed up, and she pressed more into the wheat. Not caring at all what it was, or if it was friendly, she didn't bother to hide.
It blew past, and was only a car.
Cars are driven by people. The world isn't dead! There is still hope! Who cares what they are like, there is no such that as a total corruption. Someone would take pity on her, maybe help her.
But then the car screeched to a halt and swerved around. Her confidence suddenly gone, she freezes as she sees two men exit the car. They could be from Aperture, but it is highly doubtful. The first time she got out, most of the cars were gone, and none looked like that. Also, for as long as she was in there, why didn't she see another person?
Oh yeah. They're all dead. Meaning these men could mean nothing but harm.
But they just came from the direction of the Lab?
Not taking her chances, she melts into the field as the two tall men rush towards her, not wasting any time lugging the companion cube.
She uses all she has left, which isn't a lot, and runs as fast as the remaining adrenal vapors will allow.
This was supposed to be frantic and pleading, sort of desperate as she tried to get out of the wheat, so the repeating lines and low level thinking are supposed to be like that. I hope that was more noticeable than I thought so you guys don't think this is going to suck.
This was the last action-less wheat field chapter. Next one is Dean and Sam catch up with her and see the Cube and the gun. Thanks for reading!
Next chapter up tomorrow.