Author's Note: Hm. Really, Pablojcd it felt short? Well yes, the last chapter was a wee bit shorter than the others. I think I rushed it too now that you noticed. D:
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08
"I'm dead. I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead. I died. I'm dead."
Wheatley had his optic closed while Atlas carried him deep into the underground facility of Aperture. P-Body had retrieved Space Core and despite the hideous burns on their sphere bodies, they had come out of the re-entry to Earth without difficulty. The satellite had to be retrieved by Chell with the help of Rick and Fact Core and while she was distracted at the surface, GLaDOS took this opportunity to have the little Intelligence Dampening Sphere...
...all to herself.
Wheatley's trembles became more frequent when he saw GLaDOS. "Oh God!" he cried, shaking so badly that Atlas had to keep a tighter grip on him. "Please don't kill me!" When GLaDOS started to saunter over to him, he closed his optic tight, awaiting gruesome death and talking in a jumble of sentences. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please, if you're going to kill me - and I'm hoping you don't, of course - please make it quick! Though, if you're thinking of not doing it, disregard that plea!"
GLaDOS' voice was even and calm. "Oh, I'm not going to kill you."
"Y-You're not?" Wheatley stammered, looking up at her warily.
"No. Of course not." GLaDOS crooned, running a frighteningly long finger across his surface. It made a scraping sound agonizing to human ears and small sparks shot up from the spot. "In fact, as agonizing as it is for me to admit, I need you for a little...test."
Wheatley simulated a clearing throat and his vocals were still filled with anxiety. "Uhm...ehe...w-what kind of...t-test?"
"Well, it's more of a social experiment really..." GLaDOS continued, in that low, purring drawl, "We're going to begin by transferring what imaginary brains exist in that tiny little shell of yours into a new body."
Wheatley shook his body. He didn't know what to expect with that. She could have put him into a potato for all he knew considering the fact that they had quite a lot of them in the facility. "W-Well, that's mighty generous of you, but I'm quite comfortable - AH!"
He let out a cry of pain when her finger dug into the socket of his optic, twisting the fibers and sending a stab of agony through his neural pathways. Her gaze was deadly now. "You are going to test. I'm going to watch. And everything is going to be JUST...FINE."
Wheatley shuddered when she used his words against him; the very same ones he had spoke to her and the human when he first discovered that they were still alive, after he'd believed he'd sent them to oblivion. It was horrible hearing it and being on the receiving end of a possibly agonizing pain. He couldn't imagine what sort of fate GLaDOS had planned for him. He only wished he could have had the chance to apologize to the human before it happened.
GLaDOS seemed to sense what Wheatley was looking for given the darting of his optic. How pathetic that he'd still consider the human meat puppet, even when he was about to - hopefully - experience more pain than anything that had ever been simulated before.
"In case you're looking for the human, she'll be here shortly after she moves the satellite," GLaDOS told him, "I thought it'd be quite beneficial for her to witness what becomes of you. After all, I've often found that the best lessons are learned with a little...push in the right direction. Just ask the humans - Oh, wait..." She smirked cruelly now, those yellow eyes practically glowing with wicked mirth. "...Well, you get the idea, don't you?"
Wheatley let out a whimper of fright.
"Now then...shall we?" GLaDOS crooned.
O
"L-Look, maybe we can just talk about this!"
Wheatley shook in his restraints, latched tightly to a bizarre contraption similar to the core transfer receptacle, but it was much larger. Practically hundreds of wires connected it to a closed, casket-shaped machine that started to hum to life.
Wheatley had never been in this part of the facility before. It looked like a type of experimental laboratory that had long since ceased to be used by the humans when they were still alive. Well, neither had he expected to see GLaDOS moving about freely on her own. In the time he'd spent in space, a lot seemed to have changed. Whatever it was, he had a feeling he wouldn't have enough time - or any at all - to marvel over it.
"We've done enough talking," GLaDOS said, moving toward a computer console, "In fact, you've actually done enough talking for an entire population."
When Chell entered the laboratory with P-Body and Atlas, her eyes widened and she met gazes with Wheatley. He looked at her and frantically struggled against his restraints. "Oh! Oh, it's you!" he cried, "I'm so glad you're here! I have a lot to say - well, I suppose I've always got a lot to say, actually - but this is important! I - " He laughed weakly when the machine's sounds grew louder, looking around as lights flashed on over him. " - Oh, that's quite bright, isn't it? Yes, very bright. Um... I - I just wanted to say that I'm very, very, very so - REEEEEEE!"
His apology was cut short by a screech of agony as an electrical current surged through his body after GLaDOS had activated the transfer sequence. His sphere body disappeared beneath the receptacle and GLaDOS looked at a startled Chell with a pleased smile on her face.
"I'm sorry, was that important?" she tittered.
Chell glared at her briefly before watching a computer screen light up with various streams of information and data. A voice spoke up from the machine, resembling the same pitch and frequency of the announcement system.
"Aperture Science Personality Core Detected. Initiating transfer sequence."
Pumps suddenly pushed streams of silvery fluid into the casket-like chamber and a model of a human-shaped being appeared on the screen as well as various information on the new form Wheatley was no doubt being transferred into. GLaDOS seemed particularly pleased, but said nothing as they waited for the transfer to be complete. P-Body and Atlas watched from the doorway of the lab with rapt attention while Rick and Fact Core observed from beside Chell.
"Transfer complete." the machine said, "Rebooting device. Please stand by."
It took a few seconds before the casket chamber opened and a silvery hand reached out, followed by a very familiar moaning sound. Chell's eyes widened as a silver and gray robotic humanoid slowly sat up in the chamber. He had short gray hair that looked messy and spiked around his somewhat goofy-looking features and bright blue eyes. They didn't have the black pitch as GLaDOS' did and almost looked more human. In fact, if she didn't know any better, this metallic man looked a LOT more human.
"Ow..." Wheatley mumbled, "That...was tremendously painful!"
"Good. I knew it would be," GLaDOS said, grabbing him by the throat and bringing his terrified face close to hers, "But here's another interesting fact; it's going to hurt a lot more next."
O
Chell wouldn't have believed that GLaDOS would put Wheatley in the test chambers. And without a Portal Gun. There was cruel and there was too cruel. She and GLaDOS silently watched the video feed of Wheatley scrambling to get out of a chamber. Chell furrowed her brow and GLaDOS caught the look - so her test subject sympathized with the little moron who nearly got the both of them killed. How completely human of her.
"Please!" Wheatley begged, "Don't make me do these tests!"
GLaDOS spoke calmly through the PA system. "Before we start, keep in mind that although fun and learning are the primary goals of all Enrichment Center activities, serious injuries may occur." she said, "And federal regulations require me to warn you that they are in fact deadly enough to kill you. While the Enrichment Center strives to maintain company safety protocol, we will dismiss that protocol specifically for you. Good luck."
Chell cringed and looked at GLaDOS once more. "No."
GLaDOS went rigid for a split second hearing the test subject's voice before smiling at her. "It speaks. It opens its gaping cavern of a mouth and words come out. And here I was concerned that your tongue had fallen off. Given the lack of usage, I thoroughly expected it."
Chell cleared her throat, closed her eyes and tried speaking again. "He's - He's sorry." she said.
GLaDOS squinted at her for a moment, trying to fathom the depths of the test subject's insanity. "No, I'm afraid he isn't. Not yet."
Chell turned to the screens at the sound of Wheatley's frightened yelps; he'd barely managed to avoid getting shot at by multiple turrets that GLaDOS had placed in the test chamber. She winced and had to tear her gaze away before leaving the central chamber entirely. She returned to her own room, letting out a frustrated groan before collapsing face down into her bed. It wasn't long before Rick walked into the room and Chell grumbled under her breath. They just couldn't give her a shred of piece, could they?
"Hey, you doin' okay in here?" Rick asked, "All that adventurin' must have been murder on your lady nerves, huh?"
Chell lifted her eyes from the bed, giving him an annoyed look.
"Talk to your buddy Rick," the core encouraged, sitting down on the floor. "You look like you need someone to jaw with."
Chell gritted her teeth and sat up, leaning against the wall behind her. "I hate her."
"Who?" Rick asked, tilting his core body, "You mean boss lady?"
Chell scathingly nodded her head and Rick chuckled, placing his metal hands on his robotic knees - if they were knees anyway. "Well if you don't mind my saying so, I don't think you really do," he replied, "And I don't think she hates ya' none, either."
Chell arched an eyebrow. "And you know this?" she asked.
"Well, I do know a few things about pretty ladies," Rick said, his optic shutters closing halfway so that it seemed like he was squinting, "One: you got yourself a mighty fine voice and should use it more often. I think boss lady thinks so too. Two: Ladies don't like admitting things to each other. Gets complicated. Really complicated. Also, when you put women together, things tend to come at the same time that - "
Chell covered her ears with two hands and felt a blush touch her face. "Jesus Christ, stop right there!" she cried.
That was one thing she didn't need to know - that obviously Rick was familiar with human females and specific biological matters that didn't need discussing. It was a little disturbing that a male - well, what functioned as a male anyway - knew more about that sort of thing than most human men Chell had been acquainted with. But GLaDOS wasn't a human woman and that sort of thing shouldn't have even been brought up.
Rick laughed softly. "A guy's gotta know the ladies, don't he?"
Chell simply rolled her eyes.
"Between you and me, you should talk a little more," the core told her, "You got a pretty voice. No need to keep it under lock and key."
Chell's annoyance drained away and she stared at Rick strangely.
In a weird little way...
...what if he was right?
But talking less has always seemed to work wonders for her in the past.
And since when did she care about what GLaDOS thought anyway?
She let me stay, that's why...
O
The moron was still alive.
GLaDOS had to admit that she was impressed with that face, even though he was squirming about on the manipulation claws like a fish. Seeing him hanging there above her in such a way was quite satisfying, actually. Even though he had literally failed and granting any sort of scientific data for her when he tested, she somehow managed to find all form of satisfaction seeing him suffer. But there was still much more to do.
"Your entire life has been a mathematical error in science," she told him, "A mathematical error I'm about to correct."
Wheatley shook against his restraints. "Please!" he begged, "At least let me talk to her!"
"No. Why would she want to speak to someone who betrayed her the way you did?" GLaDOS crooned, chuckling wickedly, "After all, she trusted you - an idiotic mistake on her part, but at least she's seen the truth. Why, you've even said it yourself, remember?"
Suddenly, she spoke in a perfect replica of Wheatley's voice. "Am I being too vague? I despise you. I loathe you. You arrogant, smugly quiet, awful jumpsuited monster of a woman. You and your smart-mouthed, chatty friend. This place would have been a triumph if it wasn't for you!" She watched his eyes widen in anguish and chuckled, her voice returning to its normal, sultry pitch. "Oops, I don't know why that slipped out all of a sudden."
She turned attention to her computer screens. "Well, you are familiar with the old formula: Comedy equals tragedy plus time. And we have a lot of that on our hands, don't we? So I guess it's actually pretty funny when you do the math."
"You're a nasty piece of work, you know that?" Wheatley cried, "A proper maniac! I - Oh wait, no! Nononononono, I didn't mean it - GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACKK!" He wailed out in agony when GLaDOS released an electrical current through his body, causing him to twitch and shudder in his restraints before he went limp, breathless even without the need for lungs struggling to get out his next stream of words. "Why - Why - Why..."
GLaDOS smirked. "Oh. Malfunctioning already? But we haven't even started yet."
Wheatley looked down at her with a grimace of pain before speaking. "Why - did you keep her here?"
GLaDOS felt a surprised spark somewhere in her core before she glared murderously and sent another discharge through his body. Wheatley's scream was piercing and she barely even heard it over the question as it repeated itself in her head. She didn't even realize she had been shocking the little moron over and over until he went limp in the restraints. GLaDOS looked up and made a mocking sound of sympathy. He wasn't dead, but his power source drastically depleted, which she could easily fix.
However, she herself required a moment of recharge, so she connected herself back to the cables and closed her eyes.
[Sleep Mode initiated...]
[Accessing memory file...]
[Memory File Corrupted]
The enormous chassis of the supercomputer made no spoken sound. She wasn't supposed to. She observed the bags of meat as they chatted behind the lobby window, obviously talking about her, though it couldn't have been anything good.
It never was.
The AI's single optic contracted when the scientists disappeared and a small human head appeared moments later beneath the window. A miniature human by their standards-a little female child with short black hair wearing a small jumpsuit of dark blue. She must have been at least nine years old. GLaDOS was aware that the Aperture Daycare Center dressed the children in these colors.
She watched the human study her with bare intrigue before the child waved with one hand.
GLaDOS stared back. Was she supposed to wave? Well, she couldn't very well do that, could she?
The little girl walked to a phone on the wall and dialed something before her little voice filled GLaDOS' chamber. "Hi!" she greeted.
GLaDOS was silent for a moment. "Hello...?" she said.
The human smiled brightly. "You're big."
"Yes. I suppose I am by comparison to you." GLaDOS replied.
"Why do they keep you on the ceiling?" the human asked.
"That was how I was constructed."
"Did they not want you to move?"
"My function is to monitor the entire facility, not to concern myself with mobility."
"But if they made you like that, then how do you know otherwise?"
GLaDOS rocked her chassis forward a bit, regarding that tiny, obviously quite intelligent human girl behind the glass. "I guess I don't."
The human child giggled somewhat before glancing down. She picked up something and held it up to GLaDOS; it was a crudely drawn picture of what looked like a cake, surrounded by many scientists. The AI studied it for a moment before looking at her.
"Do you like cake?" she asked.
"Of course, everyone does!" the girl said, "You'd like it too if you could eat it."
GLaDOS closed her yellow optic in a gesture that looked like a squint. It was true, she was curious about the way the humans made such a big deal about cake, but why let an insignificant human child know that? "I suppose I would if I had little else to do with my time."
The child obviously considered this before pouting somewhat. "Well that's no fun..." Then, her face lit up and she grinned, reaching down and picking up another piece of paper, holding it up to the glass. "I made a picture of you!"
GLaDOS could hardly call the child-like representation of herself art, but she pretended to be interested and nodded her core. "You're a smart little girl," she said, "Your parents must be proud."
"Actually, I don't have parents," the girl said sadly; she leaned on the glass with a bored expression on her face, "I was adopted. My adopted dad can be real crazy sometimes. He's scared of everything. Such a chicken. He's afraid of you too."
Now GLaDOS was interested in knowing who this man was. "Really?" she crooned, dropping her voice to a sound of false curiosity, "Why is that?"
"Well..." the girl began.
She was cut off when two scientists moved to take the phone from her. One of them was hairy and rather disheveled and the other pristine and well groomed - what an odd parallel. GLaDOS could hear their conversation since they were too frantic to get her away and shut the phone off all at the same time.
"What are you doing?" the shaggy scientist demanded.
"I was just talking to her dad..." the girl griped, "She's not so bad."
"You're lucky I caught you!" the shaggy scientist snapped, taking her hand, "We're going home!"
"Dad..."
That was all GLaDOS heard from the two as they walked away, leaving her alone with the pristine scientist who watched her through the window, smirking once before leaving. She didn't know what he was thinking, but realized that looked like that usually meant -
[Redacted]
[Memory File Corrupted]
[End Sleep Mode]
GLaDOS' eyes opened and her chamber lit up with a bright, warm light. Wheatley was still immobile in his restraints, but GLaDOS was immediately intrigued with the preview of the memory file she had seen. That child...
No...it couldn't be.
GLaDOS stood up and turned to her computer monitors, accessing several files until Chell's was brought up. Most of it had been redacted because of the scientists, but by staring at that face long enough and reliving the memory file, GLaDOS was positive that the child who had approached her so long ago had been this little test subject. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that whatever memory Chell had in her childhood was probably long gone. Either by Aperture or brain damage.
And perhaps her too.
GLaDOS certainly had no memory of this until this point.
It must have been an attempt to keep the child protected by that shaggy scientist. After all, she knew him as Douglas Rattmann who was probably assigned to care for the girl. It made sense given the fact that he had manipulated the test subject roster to have her on top. Yes, she knew about that. The stupid humans thought they could keep it all from her, but apparently, she was reliving the memory files now after she'd gotten rid of that virus.
A virus she still hadn't been able to pinpoint of its true origins.
This all did partially explain her unintentional interest in the human in the past.
But it didn't explain why she still desired to keep her here.
Because she's mine, that's why.
But GLaDOS never felt so right, and yet so far from a real answer.