So this is the first chapter for a while, but whatever, I had exams. Enjoy..

Smoke and Mirrors

Chell continued in this way for the next few days. Sometimes she was shown around by her mother, and sometimes she wandered on her own. The Black Mesa staff were kind enough to her, even if they didn't seem to want to involve with her much. They smiled at her, and greeted her if she passed. If she decided to stay and watch them, they would go about their business jerkily, like somebody being tested. Chell felt fairly comfortable. Safe. She was inside the Black Mesa Facility, and nobody was trying to kill her. The one thing that bothered her was the insistence of everybody around her to address her as 'Miss Johnson'. She was not Miss Johnson, she was Chell.

Chell stuck by what she had been told constantly, for most of her life. She had been adopted, her parents had not loved her, they had abandoned her at birth. She had recently been told – by her mother, no less – that this was not true. Chell, however, was determined not to give in so easily. She would not be manipulated by the emotions they were inspiring within her. Of course, they had told her she was not a prisoner nor less a test subject. Chell had knowledge that they wanted, though. She was certain that they had a team of psychologists dedicated to working her into submission. Chell was not going to be pushed around.

During her wanderings, Chell often saw official looking people in sharp suits and notepads. They wore small, mirrored shades that concealed their eyes. Chell had assumed that they were looking over the other Black Mesa employees, ensuring that everybody was doing as they should. But she saw them, every day. They were everywhere, always talking to the workers, even the assistants that just seemed to make drinks. Surely they did not need to keep such a strict hand over the Facility? Unfortunately, Chell had no reference point, but for the blurry memories of childhood. In running around her father's workplace.. the man who must have been Doug Rattman, she had never seen anybody constantly interviewing the workers.

Something was up, in the Black Mesa Facility. Chell started to put together the few things that had seemed strange so far.

All of the walls in the Facility had been treated against her Portal Gun.

Apparently, the world outside was too dangerous to step outside even for a walk, yet she was perfectly healthy having spent over a day exposed to the radiation that had killed her father.

The whole of the Facility she had seen seemed to be under close surveillance.

Something did not seem right to Chell. She put down her pencil – drawing was something she'd found herself spending a lot of time on since arriving in the Facility. She spent a lot of time recreating as best as she could, the psychotic murals she had found all over the Aperture Facility, in her attempts to find unthought-of ways out of the Facility. The one that had stuck in her mind the most was one of the largest. It was an image of herself, seemingly asleep, perhaps whilst she was in stasis. Chell had also drawn some pieces herself. Her own works most often showed abstract scenarios involving GLaDOS, turrets, and even Caroline.

She needed a break. A walk would clear her head a bit. She opened her door, then turned and locked it with the key she had been given only the day before – an attempt to give her some control. It didn't make much difference, as there was a window in the door to deny her absolute privacy, unless she locked herself into the bathroom. Chell knew her way around quite a large section of the Facility, but today she decided she didn't want to be watched by all the same eyes, to stand and watch the ComBot testing. She knew it was only a matter of time before she was politely required to start working here herself. What would happen if she didn't? She expected her stay would become rather unpleasant, quite quickly.

Suddenly, Chell came to a long corridor that she did not recognise. There were a few empty offices on each side, but none of them showed any signs of having been used. Coming to a T split, in the corridor, she looked left. A solid steel door had a cross of yellow and black tape across it, signifying that it was not to be used. Walking up to it, she tried the handle, but had no luck. Turning, she preceded to a door at the opposite end of the corridor she had turned into. This door had a glass window in it, but it was covered by a white page. This door too, was locked.

Chell could just make out the printed words on the page.

WARNING: OLoMII Project

Secure Area, Do NOT Enter.

Perhaps this meant nothing; but perhaps – just maybe, the Facility as she knew it was not what it seemed.

Thanks!

~daT.