Also play Porta 2 Co-op. This storyline becomes relevant too... Not in this chapter! But soon... :) Thank you!
Darkness caressed the atmosphere around me. I was protected by the gloom by the light of the small fire in front of me. I sat stiffly on my companion cube; it was leeching the warmth from under me. I remained there, despite how uncomfortable it's rough surface was.
"Cara mia, cara Mia..." I sang quietly. It was the triumphant song of the turrets. The beauty of the song still reverberated in my ears. I still held onto that little gift after all this time. That and my cube. I stroked it's smooth surface and shivered at its intense smoothness and it's low temperature.
I poked the smoldering grasses of my fire with a stick sending a flurry of sparks into the sky, disappearing soon after. My eyes lingered in the black above me. The overcast sky of the early twilight melted away bringing a clear night. Each star was visible, including a large pale streak across the abyss.
Movement in the sky caught my eye. At first I thought they were falling stars. But, four descending objects became visible. They gradually became bigger as they neared earth. A familiar scream split the air as they landed a few miles behind the Aperture Shack.
"SPAAAAAAAAAAACE!"
I sprang to my feet. It couldn't have been. My heart accelerated in my chest. Without thinking I sprinted toward the object's crash site, leaving behind a dying fire and my companion cube.
Out of breath, I skidded to a halt. I rested my hands on my knees and looked behind me. The shack was far behind. I knew I was nearing where they crashed. I caught my breath then lightly jogged along, aware of the now rising sun. The cool morning air gave my tired body relief. Jogging soon evolved into walking as I perused my quest to discover what landed out here.
I soon walked up upon a large ditch that had been camouflaged by the flat land and tall grasses. Staring down into it, it appeared to be a twenty foot drop. In the center of the pit was what looked like a city. The diameter of the pit itself I estimated to be several miles.
I slid down the loose soil slope until I reached the bottom of the pit. Weak looking white structures were scattered about in the large valley. I rested my hand on one of the white surfaces. The familiar chalky panel rested beneath my fingertips. The configuration of the structures seemed to be shelters some sort. They seemed to be damaged by the elements, walls toppled over, mold and moss crawling up the side of the walls.
I began slowly walking throughout the maze of white walls. Something about this place had a ghostly familiarity. To the left of me, drilled into the wall of the pit, was a tunnel. It was blocked off by a chain fence and barbed wire. Inside were more white panels. The destination looked far off.
I stopped at the sight of a seven foot tall panel propped up against one of the small structures. At the top of the large plank were the dreaded words 'Aperture Science' printed in bold black letters. My heart raced. In shock I backed up a few paces from the towering board.
"Hey there Gorgeous, long time no see," a voice from behind me made me jump. Rick walked up to me and put a hand on my shoulder wearing the same devilish smirk he had before.
"Oh," my throat felt suddenly dry. "Hi, Rick," I remembered he was one of the three corrupted cores I used to take down Wheatley. "Where," I looked up to the sky "Did you come from?"
"Well, my adventure started in deep space, the others were scared out of their processors..."
"Wait," I interrupted, "'The others?'" I echoed.
"Yea, The Space guy, Smarty-pants, and Wheatley." Rick clarified. "We all crash landed around here somewhere..." He looked around.
"Where are they?" I asked, my adrenaline surging.
"They couldn't have gone far," he said quietly. "You know those morons aren't really worth looking for," I ignored him. I have been alone for long enough. I began to search for the other three cores in the strange Aperture ruins.
(:]-(o)-[:)
"Argg," I managed to slowly open my eyes. I had landed on my back from the crash last night. Entering the earth's atmosphere was a rough ride. I didn't know how the others fared though, they were nowhere near me. The head of a black crow blocked my view of the blue sky. "Ahh! Bird! Bird!" It was perched on my forehead. I stood to my feet and managed to shoo her away the process. "Lovely," a small white blot stained my shoulder.
"Space? Why are you so far away? I miss you! Come back! Space!" I heard the familiar rant of the Space Core. The sound of shifting debris echoed from where his voice came from around the corner. "Hey! Hey lady! Take me back to space!" puzzled, I followed his voice and ran into my small party around the corner. Rick, the Space Core and... Chell!
"See, there's the blue moron," Rick walked to the right of her. The Space core lay on the ground, staring into the sky. When Chell's eyes finally found me, they're gaze filled with a mixture of fear and anger. I knew our old relationship we had when I woke her up would never last, it was all my fault.
"Hey there," I said uncomfortably. "It's been awhile, eh partner? You look fit, well, thinner than before anyways," I scratched the back of my neck. She continued to stare a while longer before she spoke to me for the first time.
"I'll never forget what you did, Wheatley," I was taken aback by her words. But, I knew if I ever saw her again, this would be her reaction. I just didn't expect it to be so sudden.
"About that, I wanted to say that I am truly, sincerely sorry about what happened. For everything. I'm sorry I was bossy, and monstrous. And, I'm... Just sorry." I closed my eyes as I waited for her response. The sound of footsteps came toward me, breaking the awkward silence. I opened my eyes a tiny slit to see her standing looking up at me, eyes blazing with anger.. "So um, what do you say? Forgive me and pick me up, just like old times?" I held out my hand. Her expression remained unchanged.
I glanced at the other two. They merely shrugged. My old partner, I knew she would never forgive me. Chell suddenly raised her hand and placed it into mine and gave it a brisk shake. "So, you forgive me?" I tried to keep my stuttering voice under control. She released her hand and replied with a punch in my side. "Agggh! What was that for?"
"For everything," Chell said dryly. She turned and began to walk off. "I'm going to look for the last one," her voice was determined. "Stay here,"
"No problem, sweetheart," Rick said sarcastically as he took a seat, shielding the sun with his hat. Chell ran off looking for the remaining core, and left the three of us alone.