~~0~~
11
Chell didn't expect to see GLaDOS look as pleased the way she did, even though they had reclaimed the facility from the Black Mesa trespassers. But when she staggered into the central chamber, GLaDOS smiled brightly at her. She didn't even seem disgusted with Wheatley or the other cores when they followed behind Chell.
"Remember the scientists they brought in here?" she asked, "Well, let's just say they won't be living anymore. I've also learned that the human body doesn't possess the same flexible bone structure as a cat. Bring Your Cat to Work Day was quite the learning experience."
Chell gave her a weak smile, still holding her abdomen. GLaDOS' smile disappeared when she noticed her test subject began to look rather sick.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
Chell didn't answer and collapsed onto the floor.
The cores rushed at her side and GLaDOS followed. Chell felt herself losing consciousness, barely able to make out the sounds of chatter around her and the dimming sight of the cores looking down worriedly. GLaDOS' furious commands were the last thing she could hear before her world went black.
"Get her to the medical ward, now!"
She faded in and out of reality, feeling someone carrying her. Chell could see the lights of Aperture overhead, passing by.
Am I dying?
(It feels like it, doesn't it?)
{You might be.}
When Chell faded back into darkness, she could hear multitudes of voices around her. Most of them were unintelligible, but Olson's words hissed coldly through her mind. She tried to rebuke it, but something about what he said rooted deep in her mind like a sapling.
(They don't have feelings. They don't know how to love, sweetheart.)
Why does it matter to me? Why do I always think about it?
Then, she felt a contentment wash through her as she slowly regained consciousness to several faces staring down at her; Wheatley, Rick, Atlas and P-Body as well as GLaDOS. She was sitting in a medical bed, her head and abdomen patched up.
"Aww, look!" Wait, Space Core was there too? "It's cute space!"
"Don't touch, mate. Let her breathe." Wheatley scolded him. He grinned down at Chell. "You're still alive. You don't go down easily."
Chell smiled up at them, giggling somewhat. "You all look blurry."
GLaDOS sighed and gave the cores a funny look. "I can see the Aperture Science Pain Medications are working..." she muttered.
"How much did you give her?" Rick asked.
"Enough for a fatty." GLaDOS tittered with amusement.
"Whoa..." Chell gasped, staring up at the ceiling, "Look at the ceiling. It's so...white."
There were a few scattered laughs in the room, mostly synthesized. GLaDOS simply rolled her eyes and leaned over Chell to take a metallic tablet beside the table. "Okay, my drug-induced test subject, you need to rest and get better before I decide you're no further use to me."
Chell suddenly took her arm and the AI looked startled, almost defensive. She stared down at the gentle grip holding her for a moment before staring at Chell. The test subject smiled sweetly, goofy and the AI could swear she was drooling a little.
"GLaDOS," she said, stunning her by saying her name for once, "You look so pretty. Has anyone told you that?"
GLaDOS felt a sensation of vulnerability that she didn't particularly like, especially since the others were watching. She made a sound of her throat clearing and Rick got the hint, ushering the cores from the room. "Come on, get outta here!" he ordered, "Let's go. March!"
"Romantic situations call for - " Fact Core began.
"MOVE!" Rick barked, pushing him.
GLaDOS watched them go before starting to depart herself, but Chell's hold on her arm stopped her and she scowled down at the drooling idiot of a human. "[Subject Name here], need I remind you that unwanted holding of bodily limbs may result in dismemberment or other physical agony that I may inflict on you. So let go."
"Can you stay with me?" Chell asked, smiling.
"No, I most certainly cannot," GLaDOS snapped, feeling uncomfortable all of a sudden - she didn't like the way the little menace stared at her like that, even though she was heavily medicated and probably not going to remember this anyway, "There's science to be done. Those Black Mesa idiots have set me back. You need to rest that empty head of yours and let the grown-ups get back to work."
Chell finally released her and GLaDOS made a satisfied sound before turning to go.
"I meant what I said, you know," Chell said. "I don't hate you."
GLaDOS stared back at her strangely, but didn't answer and simply left the room. As soon as she stepped out, she was startled to find the cores standing right there, as if they had been waiting for something to happen between her and the test subject. She glared at them intensely and they quickly hurried off. The only one who lingered was Wheatley and he had a big grin on his face. It made him look much more stupid than usual, the AI reasoned and she wanted to kill him just for that.
"Explanation for your stupid grin demanded in 3...2..." she began.
Wheatley held up a finger. "You like the human, don't you?"
GLaDOS glared hatefully at him, though her voice didn't sound so convincing, even to herself. But why let the little moron get any satisfaction in that? "No! I do not. I HATE everything about her! I HATE how she nearly caused me my death - again. I HATE how she stares at me like she's going to eat me, but I guess that's how fatties are, aren't they? They look at everything like a meal. But there's no semblance of affection in my database that could EVER describe what I feel for that little human!"
She wasn't fooling anyone.
Especially the human who had heard her speech.
O
Chell was surprised when she awoke to GLaDOS bringing her in a tray that looked like food. She sat up and the AI moved around the bed to place the tray on the end table beside her.
"I've brought a few things that will hasten your recovery process," she said, in an even voice, "I certainly hope you appreciate the effort on my part."
Chell smiled up at her. "Thank you."
GLaDOS paused and turned halfway, frowning down at the human. That was a first time she'd ever heard that. "Yes..." she said, "Well, eat up or I'll have to force it down your throat. I can't say I WOULDN'T enjoy that, but it'll greatly waste my time."
Chell looked at the tray; there was something sitting on a plate that resembled a granola bar, a jar of something rather viscous-looking and a cup of something drinkable. It didn't look very pleasant and she stared up at the AI, who seemed to be waiting impatiently for her to try it.
"It tastes better than it looks, trust me," GLaDOS assured her. "Or so I've heard from other humans. I obviously can't taste, so you'll have to play that by your own instinct."
But that was obviously not what made Chell hesitate and the AI's lips pulled up into a smirk when she realized why Chell gave her an odd stare. "Oh. Did you think I'd poison your food? Please, do you take me for some common human?"
Chell furrowed her brow and gave GLaDOS a dirty look, but the AI simply plopped on the edge of the bed and picked up the tray, setting it into her lap.
"I would have thought that lunatics knew how to feed themselves, especially overweight ones like you," she tittered, "Now come on..." She picked up the granola-looking object and made her voice high, like she was talking to a baby. "Eat it up, my little tub-tub."
Chell pursed her lips and squinted at her, refusing to bite down on the food. She wasn't thrilled that the supercomputer was mocking her, especially after what she'd done to save this facility. Though GLaDOS continued to push. "The Enrichment Center would like to remind you that you are far worthless as a bag of decaying bones. Believe me, I've made an effort to put the bones in this facility to use and just couldn't find any further purpose than sod. So do yourself a favor and just eat it."
Finally, the sounds of a rumbling stomach betrayed her and Chell rolled her eyes at the AI's triumphant grin, taking the snack and biting into it with a loud crunch. Wow. GLaDOS was actually right for a change. This actually did taste pretty good. It remind her of the sweet taste of honey-flavored cereal she used to eat when she was a kid. She gave GLaDOS a funny look and the AI shook her head.
"I'm not leaving this room until you've eaten everything on this tray." she snapped, "It's not my fault you have to be watched like a child. I have to resume my torture of that idiot and - "
Chell shook her head frantically now and grabbed her wrist. "No. Don't hurt him anymore! He's sorry and I can watch him, I promise."
Unfortunately, she had spewed her crumbs all over the AI's face and GLaDOS had fortunately closed her eyes to avoid having them fly into her sockets. She glared at Chell and the human smiled weakly.
"Oops."
"I just added that to the list," GLaDOS snapped, "It's a list I made of all the things you've done. Well, it's a list that I AM making, because you're still doing things right now that tend to bring my 'I wish to kill [Subject Name Here]' levels a little higher each nanosecond."
Chell managed a small smile and rolled her eyes. "So you keep telling me."
For once, GLaDOS didn't offer a quip on that and just watched the test subject finish the bar before frowning. "What does that taste like?" she asked.
The question was odd and Chell looked at her strangely. "What?"
"That thing you just ate. What does it taste like?"
Chell shrugged her shoulders. She licked her lips, finishing off the remaining crumbs and attempted to describe the thing she had just eaten to the AI. "Um. Well, it's kinda sweet like honey. It's a little on the dry side, kind of like sand, but the sugar in it really keeps your mind from that." She paused when she noticed GLaDOS listening with rapt attentiveness and smiled somewhat. "Wait, you're an all-knowing computer and you don't know even what food tastes like?"
GLaDOS stared at her, affronted. "For obvious reasons."
Chell winced and realized that was a little more below the belt than necessary. "Sorry. I didn't mean it like that."
"I COULD analyze the chemical compounds within the food itself, but I'll never know what it's like to actually taste it," GLaDOS replied, as if it was no big deal now, "Humans always made such a stupid fuss over it. I was just curious."
"Was that a fine description though?"
"...It was."
Chell started digging into the other consumables on her tray. "Tell me about what it was like before we got ourselves in this whole thing."
GLaDOS arched an eyebrow at her.
Chell smiled and laughed. "Come on. It's just us talking. No tricks."
"Hm. Hearing that makes me suspect there might be fangs behind that sweet little smile of yours..."
Chell shrugged her shoulders. "You're just talking. No big deal."
GLaDOS made a sound that was the equivalent of a human groan, glaring down at the human with annoyance before finally starting to talk.
She wasn't aware of how much time she'd wasted talking to the human. She discussed some of the more gruesome sides of her history - the incident with Bring Your Daughter to Work Day, Bring Your Cat to Work Day, etc. Granted, most of her life had been simulated hell at the hands of the scientists and rarely had she had any happy memories except when she had killed them all. However, there were a few rare moments when she was free of her physical and emotional torment.
The test subject didn't interrupt, didn't remark on what GLaDOS said. She was actually quite silent and the AI decided that it was rather...nice to be able to talk about this sort of thing, especially when there was someone willing enough to listen.
"Do you understand why human lives are such a waste to me now?" she asked, glancing down at Chell.
GLaDOS was surprised to see her test subject asleep -
- with her fat head in her lap.
How in the name of science had THAT happened?
Her mind immediately made a command to move the fat little thing from her lap, but when she leaned down to give Chell an earful for her presumption, she paused and studied her somewhat. Hm. When she wasn't stuffing her face, giving those God-awful scowls or plotting some means of murder, the AI deduced that the test subject was pleasant to look at.
Still, she had work to do and no desire to sit here while Chell crushed her leg with her weight. So she slithered out from under her and left the room.
When she was gone, Chell simply smiled in her sleep, moving closer into the warmth where the AI had been.
O
[Sleep Mode initiated...]
[Memory File Corrupted]
[Accessing…]
GLaDOS sat alone in her chamber, monitoring the facility and all its necessary elements. Most of the scientists had gone to sleep or returned to their apartments for the night, leaving her, the sleepless Queen of Aperture to watch over the Enrichment Center. It was her first day upon activation and she was the very epitome of perfection in her work.
Something fluttered through her chamber from the ceiling.
GLaDOS' optic lifted and she noticed a small shape with wings fly from her rings and land on one of the monitors. Intrigued, she leaned forward, studying this species of animal as it preened its feathers. It was a chubby little thing with sharp talons, long beak and fluffy feathers. GLaDOS had never seen such a thing before. She didn't feel fear because there was no need to feel it. Why fear a possible new element of science? Was that what this thing was? Did they bring the creature into her chamber as a test?
She performed a scan of it simply out of curiosity and nothing more.
Species: Chestnut Sparrow
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Suborder: Passeri
Infraorder: Passerida
Superfamily: Passeroidea
Family: Passeridae
Genus: Passer
It was a sparrow.
The sparrow looked up, watching the enormous chassis. It didn't seem frightened, but rather curious instead and tilted its head several times in rapid movements. GLaDOS reached out with one of her manipulation claws from the floor and lightly touched the top of the bird's head. It chirped loudly and the supercomputer let out a soft "oh!" of amazement, retracting back a bit before returning. The sparrow watched the claw again and fluttered its wings when GLaDOS touched it once more. It hopped onto her claw and GLaDOS brought it close to her face.
"You have quite a chubby beak," she told the animal, "Chubby Beak. I'll call you that."
The sparrow fluttered up the arm until it was on the chassis. GLaDOS rotated her core a bit, watching as it chirped and explored this strange new thing. Its movements tickled her delicate circuitry and she felt a shudder rumble from her own body.
Laughter?
When had she learned to laugh?
[Redacted]
[Memory File Corrupted]
[End Sleep Mode]
O
The human recovered nicely from her wounds.
GLaDOS performed her tests with P-Body and Atlas as things eventually returned to normal in the Enrichment Center. Chell had managed to move around after a few weeks of recovery and went to work searching for more things in Old Aperture. GLaDOS spent most of the time avoiding her for reasons she didn't understand, but thought that the supercomputer just needed some time alone. After all, she'd had her facility invaded by the enemy - pretty much. She was working on improving means to kill anyone who dared try a repeat performance.
So long as it wasn't her, Chell was okay with this.
She continued playing the music in her room and studied the container before flipping it around, seeing the name that had been scratched out on it.
CAROLINE.
She smiled somewhat. So the collection of music belonged to Caroline - GLaDOS - whatever. Well, let it be said that at least the secretary had somewhat decent taste for that time period.
She felt a little stiff in her limbs, so she decided to stretch her legs a little bit and walked to GLaDOS' chamber. The AI didn't look up from her computers, but addressed her accordingly. "If you're here when I didn't call you, I can assume you need something."
Chell smiled. "Yeah, does Aperture have a gym or something?"
GLaDOS looked up and stared at her like she was insane - well, that wasn't entirely untrue. "You're kidding me."
"No. I thought there'd be a...well, like a pre-test area or something. You know, a gym or whatever you guys call it." Chell said, stretching a bit by pulling her arm behind her shoulder, "I've been working on Old Aperture stuff for a while and thought I'd stretch my wings a bit."
"You don't have wings of which to stretch," GLaDOS corrected her, "But if you must know, there is an exercise room on the floor below us."
Chell smiled and nodded. "Thanks!"
GLaDOS blinked several times, watching the test subject walk away. "You're going to agitate your wounds and then I will be ecstatic."
Chell just waved back at her in response. She heard GLaDOS angrily hiss at something.
"Orange. Don't make those gestures at your maker. I CAN have the reassembly machine have an unfortunate breakdown - Ohhhh. Another door malfunction. I'm going to take care of this once and for all!" the AI growled, obviously agitated by a few malfunctioning elements that still lingered in Aperture as well as her testing robots who seemed to enjoy acting more like humans than robots. It made Chell grin and raise her shoulders, hoping that GLaDOS didn't see.
She did find the exercise room that was filled with slightly dusty equipment that had obviously not been used in some time. It took her a moment to inspect them before starting on a treadmill. It was nice to exercise a bit in a manner that didn't involve testing. Of course, the cores had decided to come in the same room as she was because she could hear Rick and Fact Core arguing again.
"French diplomat Talleyrand has been credited with the saying 'Revenge is a dish best served with corn'," Fact Core said.
Rick snorted with disgust. "You know who found that interesting? Nobody. That didn't affect anybody's life in any way whatsoever. Life would be exactly the same if you hadn't said anything." he snapped. Then, he looked up at Chell. "Well looky here. Our girl's up and about. Good to see."
Wheatley was behind them and studied the device Chell was using. She arched her brows at him as she ran in place. "What?" she asked.
"What is this?" Wheatley asked, leaning down and watching her feet, "You're running but...you're staying there."
Chell grinned. "You don't know what a treadmill is?"
"It is incorrectly noted that Thomas Edison invented 'push-ups' in 1878," Fact Core said, studying a set of barbells on a rack in the corner, "Nikolai Tesla had in fact patented the activity three years earlier, under the name 'Tesla-cize.'"
Rick rolled his optic. "You ever notice how nobody stops what they're doing to listen? We don't care."
Chell chuckled at their quarrel. "Don't you two ever stop fighting?"
"I can't help it," Rick muttered, leaning his shoulder against the barbells, "Every time he talks, I feel like hitting him."
Unfortunately, he leaned back too much and the barbells fell from their rack, falling on top of him. He yelled out in pain and Wheatley laughed. Rick pushed them off and stood up, posing like a man with great muscle. "Tension and power. Just... I'm a muscle." He punched the air a few times with his metal fists. "No barbells can hold me down! I'm...like a big arm muscle, punching through a brick wall, and it's hitting the wall so hard the arm is catching on fire. Oh yeah."
Chell smiled and rolled her eyes. She watched Wheatley climb onto a treadmill beside her. He studied the buttons carefully with a thoughtful murmur. "Hmm, maybe I need to HACK this..." he mused. He smiled and raised a finger. "Oh! What's this one do?"
He pressed a button and the treadmill started moving ridiculously fast beneath his feet. He struggled to keep up with it, but it failed and he was thrown backwards with a resounding crash. Chell looked back and her eyes grew wide in shock; Wheatley was lying on his head in a manner equivalent to what a cartoon would if they'd attempted the same thing. His legs and arms were bent back and he didn't look to be in as much pain as she would have thought. Instead, he smiled weakly.
"No. That makes it go faster." he mumbled. He glared up at Chell. "Why do you humans have things that can hideously maim you anyway? It's pointless! Mad!"
Chell and Rick looked at each other before they burst out laughing.
O
You look so pretty...
Those words still bothered GLaDOS long after the test subject had said them. Of course, she realized just how empirically amazing she was. And brilliant. There was also that going for her. It wasn't even bragging, but an objective fact. She was the most massive collection of wisdom that had ever existed. She was plenty much aware of this, but not a single human had ever been brave enough to actually tell her that. Medicated or not, hearing someone say it felt...nice. Even if it was adorably awkward.
Why had she said that anyway? Why had she allowed herself to become closer to her enemy anyway? GLaDOS was curious about the recent bizarre behavior of her test subject, so she considered searching through her database. Including her search were recorded books she kept on file. Apparently, when a human thought another human was "pretty", it involved a sort of attraction that she found particularly disgusting, yet...intriguing all the same.
GLaDOS brought up Chell's room on her computer and watched the human attempting to teach the little moron something involving a plastic wheel on a string. Rick and Fact Core were talking together with Space Core obviously chattering on in the corner. For a moment, she was concerned with the possibility that they were all just scheming against her (could anyone really blame her for that?) and brought the volume up a bit so she could hear the conversation.
"Ah! So this is a yo-yo, correct?" Wheatley asked.
Chell laughed. "Yeah. You have to use your wrist like thi - yeah, there you go."
"This is bloody genius!" Wheatley exclaimed, "Humans! I love 'em! The things they come up with!"
Chell smiled and GLaDOS felt some relief. So at least they weren't planning on anything malicious. She started to shut off the camera when something Rick said stopped her.
"So what do you think?" he asked, glancing over at Chell, "I guess boss lady ain't so bad after all, huh?"
GLaDOS frowned with interest and leaned forward, watching Chell's distracted reaction as she started going through some boxes again. "We're still getting used to each other," the human answered, "But she did save my ass. I guess that counts for something."
GLaDOS' frown intensified and she nodded to herself. Yes, the little menace should be grateful.
"Hey Wheatley?" Chell asked, looking toward the moron who was busying himself with the yo-yo.
"Yeah?" Wheatley was not paying attention and just grinned down at the poor attempt of performing "Walking the Dog".
"Is there never a time when GLaDOS isn't pissed?"
The AI curled her nose at the choice of words and pursed her lips in a thin line of irritation. Just what was THAT supposed to mean anyway?
The cores immediately started laughing and they all looked at her, speaking at the same time.
"No."
Chell rolled her eyes and exhaled. "Geez. Sorry I asked."
"Tell me, sweetie," Rick said, tilting his whole core head, "You like boss lady?"
GLaDOS' brows went up with interest and she watched Chell distract herself more with the objects in her boxes, which suddenly looked interesting all of a sudden. "How do I feel about her..." she muttered, "She's bossy, rude, bitchy beyond all belief, but..." She smiled somewhat and paused. "I guess she's not all that bad when you think about it."
Bitchy?
Did she SERIOUSLY just refer to her host as..."bitchy?"
"She let me live, so I guess you're right," Wheatley agreed. Then, he grinned. "Maybe robot-god loves me."
GLaDOS just guffawed with disgust.
The rest of their conversation was a bit of a bore until Chell said something that GLaDOS had never heard before.
In anyone.
"Yeah, she like to constantly remind me of my own slights, but I think she's had more than her share of suffering too. We all just need to heal together."
GLaDOS felt that warmth return, the same as when she had rescued Chell from space. She didn't know if she liked it or not, but it was definitely better than what humans had made her feel in the past. So she decided to settle for it and actually felt a smile touch her lips. Not a tragic one. Not one that came when she delighted in the suffering of others.
Her little test subject was certainly full of surprises.
O
Author's Note: There is a connection to these memories, just wait and see. And that memory of the bird will not have a pleasant ending. Trust me.