Three weeks later
Well... after arriving in the city and renting out an empty barn near the event grounds it took several days and a lot of hoops to jump through before I was allowed a demonstration with several key event organizers, but hey, I finally got permission to host my 'act' at the coming fair. Setting up a teleporter in one corner of the rented space allowed me to make quick trips back and forth from the cove, where I bought a book on steam engines from the shop and enlisted Dell's help in making the engine for the event.
I must say, despite how simple the concept of a steam engine may seem it's a lot more complicated than I thought, and the sheer precision some parts need really gives me some respect for the older inventors who built these things without the use of calculators or very fine precision tools. Not only is the method of oiling the cylinders ingenious for its low tech, but the counterweights and wheels have to be perfectly balanced with tight tolerances on moving parts.
The forces at work in a steam engine, no matter how primitive, are also powerful. If one was to run it without enough water in the boiler the steam could reach a flash point and explode quite violently, spreading scalding steam everywhere that could easily give lethal burns, and producing a tremendous amount of force from wherever the boiler is compromised, enough to send the entire engine airborne in some cases.
The good thing though is anyone with half a brain to their own safety and how to operate these things never has to worry about that worst case scenario, and if maintained correctly these works of art will last incredibly long. Dell and I deliberated over blueprints for a while before coming to an agreement, handing off the part designs to the engineering operators before building a few Gen 1 synths to assist in assembling everything.
We built a small track next to one of the dry docks before putting everything together, pumping sea water through a purifier before testing it's boiler to make sure it worked as we wanted, which it thankfully did. I'm not quite sure, but I think the higher my engineer class, better chances that things I build will work correctly without the need for additional retrofits or prototyping, which is very useful.
After performing a few tests and making sure it moved, I had to take it all apart again since some of it was too big to teleport, and apparently my inventory doesn't allow me to store completed vehicles, though it had no problem with the empty carriages. Then I built some more rails, stuffed them in too, and dressed the synths up in common farmer's clothes and had them help me build a track around the event during the early mornings. They garnered some curious looks at times but thankfully their fake skin was enough to fool most people, and I forbade them from talking around others lest they stand out.
The train we ended up building was based off of a switch man design, something not built for cross country use, but more for utility work in moving and setting up the cars around a rail yard for the real engines. It was about half as long as a traditional engine, and not very fast, but it was perfect for the job and I even had time to spare to make some wooden platforms for boarding the two carriages it would pull. It was all finally ready, I just needed to wait.
I sighed in a slightly content manner as I turned away from admiring the completed engine to look at the view outside the barn. It was early morning and the three synths I brought along were finishing up making a podium and ticket booth down by the circular main track for those that wished to ride, working with mechanical precision that would have seemed odd to anyone if they were around to watch. As it stood though, it was around 6 in the morning and the sun was barely up, not many were awake yet.
All of the structures within and even outside of the train tracks were vendor stalls in various stages of completion, tents set up for attractions and food, and the makings of something that reminded me of old renaissance fairs, if it weren't for one disgraceful thing.
My eyes fell upon the iron cages common around the backs of some tents and in some carriages, and the sleeping, shivering forms held within. My face fell to a scowl. It was a harsh wake up call when I arrived in the capital and realized that Slavery was still very much a thing in this era, and for all the reforms and improvements Emperor Jirchniv might have worked on, such a vile practice was still in effect.
The system had offered me a quest to free them once I realized the scope of the problem here but I turned it down. Freeing these slaves might help them but it doesn't get rid of the problem itself. For that, I need the ear of Jirchniv or his remaining nobles, and even then there is little guarantee of change without forcing the issue, something I stand to gain little from since Ainz is going to solve it anyways. Not to mention I have no way of dealing with that many slaves, no place to put them, no people to help them, and I couldn't just set them loose here, they would probably just get hunted and killed while trying to escape!
It grated on me that I wasn't in a position to do anything, and not for the first time I entertained the thought of taking over a small nation just so I could deal with issues like this. I didn't want to be the ruler of a large nation, but maybe it wouldn't be so bad running a slice of the world my way. I don't need a nation to host an army, but there are certainly benefits to being a recognized, if neutral faction. Maybe I could make a new version of Switzerland? Neutral until provoked, but with an army that says 'Fuck with me at your own peril' or something. I'll think on it later.
Anywho, now that I have some time on my hands before the festival I might as well do something else productive. I pulled out two special tokens from my inventory, looking them over once again. One had an image of a skull and crossbones, and the other had a stopwatch. These were some specialty items that dropped from one of the hidden areas I managed to find in an instant dungeon, a [Boss Fight] and a [Speedrun] challenge token. Unsure as to exactly what they were, I asked the system.
(The [Boss Fight] and [Speedrun] challenge tokens are single use events were you are thrown into a well known game, book, or movie, and expected to beat the final boss, or to Speedrun a well known single player campaign. Based on the challenge, various rewards are given for time taken, damage taken, and other factors. As a method of balance, you will not be thrown into any game you are not familiar with, and as standard, all time will be frozen outside of the challenges.)
They are interesting challenges, I will admit, though I am not so confident in the Boss fight token. I want to make some contingency plans and some powerful weapons before I bother with that one. Despite how I tend to WM1 instant dungeons, I am not one of those players who wants to fight one on one in close range with powerful enemies. I'd much rather be a support class- in other words, the one with the big gun who sits back and can call in the even bigger guns. I deal with problems using liberal applications of overwhelming force, because after all, your enemies generally can't come back to haunt you if their chunks are spread across a square mile.
I put the boss token back in my inventory and start flipping the Speedrun coin over my knuckles as I double check to make sure I have enough for this. SPAS-12? Check. Icebreaker? Check. Fuckload of ammo? Check. A crate full of Fuze cluster charges? Check. A few canister grenades of Thermite? Check, thank god for the chemical synthesis book having that recipe. Moving on, deployable cover and some medigel? Ready for those who need it. Hmm... it's a good start but I think I need more.
I pocket the challenge coin and pull out fifteen unused Gacha tokens, breaking them in one hand.
[15x Gacha tokens used!]
[Loot-]
1x Mardi Gras necklace
1x Chewing gum
1x Medi shot (CS:GO) (Uncommon)
1x Big Red soda
1x Manmelter (TF2) (Uncommon)
3x Legendary shards (Destiny) (Rare)
1x Huckleberry SMG (Destiny) (Legendary)
2x Black Keys (F/SN) (Uncommon)
1x Off brand Rolex wristwatch
1x Mysterious Magnum (Fallout NV) (Rare)
1x Grappling hook (Just Cause 2) (Epic)
Ooo, some good drops there! Better than my usual luck after dungeon runs. Black keys are incredibly useful despite their weird shape as swords, as you can freeze someone in place by stabbing it into their shadow, and they are designed to be thrown. From the other drops, the Mysterious magnum is more of a showpiece and a niche item because it plays a tune when you draw and holster it, but other than that it's just a regular revolver. The manmelter is an interesting piece of tech I'll be dismantling since it can absorb fire for a critical hit. I'll see if I can add it to another gun and use my own fire to empower shots. Dell should be able to help with that since he made the Frontier Justice.
Other than those the only two items I truly find of value are the Huckleberry and the Grappling hook. The latter for obvious reasons, and the former because that gun is a deadly crowd killer. An exotic bullpup submachine gun of gold, metal, and wood with a rotating cylindrical magazine on top that not only refills it's own magazine upon a kill but gains a rampage damage buff that stacks up to three times. In other words, it's a bullet hose with as many rounds as you have enemies, and it is designed to shred through cannon fodder like rice paper and keep going until everything in front of you is dead.
I take out the Huckleberry and give it a once over in the morning light, smiling as I watch the sunrise reflect off of the elaborate design. Wooden stock, ivory grips, silver and golden body with decorative etching, truly a masterpiece. "You and I are going to cause so much chaos together!" I purr, hugging it like a child with a new toy. I give the top of the barrel a kiss before returning it to my inventory, eager on using it the first chance I get. Giving myself a once over again, I nod, satisfied with my preparations.
Alright, lets do this! Snap!
}x{
(Challenge Accepted!)
(Now entering- Aperture Science Relaxation Vaults)
(Speedrun- Timer start!)
(00:01)
(00:02)
(00:03)
"Good morning! You have been in suspension for- 999999-9999- This wake-up call is to inform any and all enrichment center personnel to vacate the premises immediately."
Knock Knock Knock
"Umm, hello? Anyone in there?"
I blink, then look around the room I'm in. Decaying walls, decrepit sheets, heavy imprint of a body in the bed... Yup. I'm in Portal 2.
Erg... how do you Speedrun a puzzle game? Especially when you're not actually the relevant plot character?
(Don't worry about that, due to the challenge, history has been re-written. You have taken Chell's place.)
Sigh. Grand. Now GLaDOS is going to believe I murdered her.
"If-If you can hear me can you open the door? Hello?" And that must be Wheatley. I walk over to the door and in a fit of curiosity, try to open it outwards. No dice, the doorframe won't allow that, seems I'll have to wait another day to smack him. Resigning myself, I open it properly, somehow still managing to startle him despite the slight thunk the door made when I failed to open it the first time.
"AAH! Ah, oh ah, you look- actually not that bad, that's good!" I give him an unimpressed look and he manages to look away and emulate a cough. "You doing okay? Everything all right? Wait- don't answer that, I'm sure you're fine, and if you aren't fine you'll have plenty of time to recover." He drives in on his rail heading towards the center of the room while talking, turning back to look at me. "A bit of a weird choice, in clothing, yknow, but of course, I don't wear clothing so what do I know, anyways.."
"Please prepare for emergency evacuation." The PA announces. Wheatley briefly panics before trying to talk over it.
"Stay calm, stay calm! It only said to prepare, just to prepare. Don't worry, I'll get us out of here." The hole in the ceiling opens up and Wheatley goes in.
Suddenly I get a sinking feeling as I start to remember that: A- Wheatley can't drive for shit, and B- There is a good chance he could kill us both with how reckless he is.
"Word of advice," He calls down. "You might want to hold onto something." An engine starts up somewhere up above, causing some old plaster to break off the ceiling and some wallpaper to crumble. "Are you all right down there?"
"As long as you don't try to kill me with this thing!" I yell back.
"Oh, you can speak! That's good! I thought anyone still alive down here would have brain damage! You...you don't have brain damage do you?"
"Warning. All reactor safeguards are now non-functional. Please prepare for reactor core meltdown."
"LESS TALKING MORE ESCAPING!"
"That... that is a very good idea luv, just hold on tight!" As soon as the container starts moving part of the wall breaks away, revealing the empty and decrepit expanse of the relaxation vaults. I quickly move on the unsteady ground and brace myself in the small wardrobe area next to the bed, holding on tight as Wheatley rams into the next stack of containers.
Metal screeches and groans as the moron in the drivers seat maneuvers around with all the finesse of a drunken squirrel. I let loose a string of curses as I start to realize how strong and kind of a person Chell must've been to not kill the stupid core for putting her through this death trap.
Wheatley begins his rant about being left in charge of the test subjects and not being told things despite the fact literally everyone else was killed by GLaDOS, and therefore too dead to tell him, but I guess that went over his head somewhere. And I can't bother to correct his rambling because I'm too busy trying not to be thrown from the room when he keeps ramming into things!
"Okay, this next bit is a little tricky!"
CLANG! He rams the room into and through a stack of containers, sending them tumbling down who knows how far, and rattling both the room and my skull with the sudden force.
"TRICKY MY ASS, YOU JUST RAMMED THROUGH IT!" I yell up at him.
"Ah, yes, well... Oh, hang on, gotta get through here!" CLANG! "I just... gotta concentrate!" The container swings into the side of a few others before raising up. Half of the room has been reduced to rubble and structural steel and I am not confident in the strength of the floor anymore. We move sideways and Wheatley bowls over another set of containers, nearly sending me tumbling as the room tilts.
"Ahh, no, I hit that one, definitely hit that one."
"NO SHIT!" I shout. I can feel the fire beneath my skin as my anger wants to burst out, but it's easily tempered by my fear of weakening the structure of this death trap any further.
"We're almost there, can you see it up ahead?" He asks as we finally break free of most of the stacks. "There should be an old docking bay over there. There is an old test track behind it we need to get access to."
I do in fact see 'it', and 'it' is a wall that says the docking bay is 500 feet below us, and not for the first time today I seriously question how dumb he is. My heart sinks at the thought of what he is about to do and I quickly huddle down behind the bed.
"I think that's a docking station!"
"NO IT AINT!" I ineffectively cry.
"No seriously, I think it is. Hold on." He rams the container into the wall, cracking through some of the wall and throwing me against the bedside, which to my distress starts sliding towards the broken area of floor. "Okay, good news! That is not a docking station!" NO SHIT SHERLOCK! I wanted to fucking scream at him but oh no here we go again~!
CRASH!
"I'm gonna attempt a manual override! Could get a bit technical!" He pulls the container back to ram again and dear lord why did I agree to this! Is this my punishment for not believing in god?
Whoosh-CRASH!
I'm once again thrown into the bed which is sliding closer and closer to the gaping abyss in the floor, and I am now warring with my own emotions on whether or not to rip the fucker out of his post and SUBJECT HIM TO THE FLAMES OF HELL but oh god he's backed us up twice as far. He drives forward with enough speed that I can feel the stale air whipping through the broken container before impacting a final time against the wall.
CRASH! Crrrumble...
Even braced as I was, I ended up tumbling over the top of the bed as it slid forwards, finding myself overlooking the abyss beneath the floor before scrambling back onto more solid ground. My heart hammers in my chest as everything finally settles and the engine above dies. The dust from the broken concrete and the many scattered pieces settles and I lay back against one of the remaining walls to try and calm down. Wheatley, the dense little fucker, pops down from the ceiling like absolutely nothing was wrong and motions me towards the new hole in the wall.
"Alright then, off ya go. You're looking for a gun that makes holes, uh, not bullet holes, but... ahh you'll figure it out." He says, completely ignoring the fact he nearly killed me multiple times in the past two minutes. I shoot him a scathing glare that he seems to completely miss as I finally move off from the wall. My breathing finally evens out some more but the rage is far from soothed.
I stalk up to him before stepping on the bed to grab his lower manipulator, pulling myself to stare his optic in the face, a dangerous look in my eyes. "If you ever pull that shit again, I will bury you alive." I hiss. Given by his widened optic I guess he didn't expect that, but he gives a quiet nod. I grunt and let go, giving a hop and a skip over the remaining beams of iron until I crash through the broken glass of the test track.
"Good luck! I'll meet you up ahead!" Wheatley calls from the background. I inwardly scoff before deciding to focus. This is a speedrun after all, might as well cheese things for now. Astralizing, I simply walk through the glass of the old test chamber, ignoring the automated PA before pressing the button for the cube, then placing the cube, causing some lights to flicker and dust to fall as the old test chamber doors open up, and I simply walk to the elevator, but not before ripping the material emancipation grills out of the wall and into my inventory. No way I am going to pass on tech like that.
Alright, I should be able to get away with cheating on all of these tests until I meet Wheatley again, and then after his betrayal, don't want to tip GLaDOS off too soon about my abilities. Other than that, time to practice my Parkour skills!
"Hey, you made it!" Wheatley calls as I enter the chamber. "There should be a portal device on that podium over there! I can't see it though. Can you have a look around?" I ignore him and continue into the area where the podium is, and where the floor will fall out from underneath me before remembering- Wait... I don't have long fall boots...
Ehh whatever. I walk onto the floor, causing it to collapse, then astralize on the way down, turning myself weightless for landing. I once again ignore Wheatley's exclamation from above and soar over the stagnant water to where the actual portal gun rests, in the middle of one of Ratt Man's schizophrenic art galleries.
Walking up the steps and de-astralizing, I give myself a moment to look over the famous portal gun. Its a little caked in grime around the edges, but aside from that and some superficial damage it's completely intact. A rubber tube of some sorts acts as the arm slot, where a brace comes around the arm with the grip and triggers further inside it. Almost reverently, I pick it up and slot it on, feeling the gun hum to life as the arms on the front give a few calibration twitches before returning to standby.
[Item Obtained- Aperture Science Dual Portal Device (Iconic)]
The yellow portal trigger is locked in this area of the test track, but I don't care. I give it's casing a bit of a dust off before continuing on with the test track, using my high Dex to completely bypass most of the obstacles and enter the next.
And, for the next three tracks, this continues, where I outright abuse both my mobility and the ability to stuff cubes in my inventory before I reach chamber 7 where Wheatley once again greets me. "Hey, over here! Oh, great! You found the portal gun! Y'know, it just goes to show-"
"Yeah yeah, come on, lets get out of here, isn't there a reactor meltdown going on again?" I interrupt. This is a speedrun, I don't have time for all his dialog.
"Oh, uh, right, right." I climb over the rubble and into the other room, looking around briefly before turning to him. "Okay, well look, I'm sorry to lay this on you but I ah... wait, what are you doing? WAIT-AAH! AAH!" Tired of waiting, I use the portal gun to literally grab him and pull him off his management rail. "AAHH! Ahh, ah... ah? I'm... not dead? I'm not dead! I'm alive!"
"Yes, obviously. Now what was your plan again?" I ask tiredly, trying to get him on track.
"Ahh, right, read my mind there really luv, just plug me into that panel over there on the wall, right? You'll like this." Doing as he asks, I slot him in and he enters a code, opening the wall to a maintenance area. "Bam, secret panel."
I pick him up again and tune out his ramblings as I begin jogging through the catwalks. "Oh, we're going fast now? Useful things those are, legs." He comments. I roll my eyes and speed through the corridors as Wheatley starts getting worried and complaining about the possibility of facing GLaDOS since we need to go through her chamber.
"Relax, I shut her off." I scold, causing him to widen his eye in surprise.
"That, that human was you? Wow. Y'know they always said things like small world but..." And once again I tune him out, only taking a moment to pause in my run to look at GLaDOS's ruined body in her chamber before continuing on. Reaching another back area with catwalks I take a moment to contemplate the next drop before running off and sliding myself down the corner ahead of me, kicking off near the bottom with enough force to make the landing only slightly jarring before continuing on. We make it into the main breaker room and of course Wheatley asks for me to find an "escape pod switch", which I sincerely doubt even exists.
I look at the breakers, towering up at least four stories, then back at him. "Unless you have a ladder I don't think we're going to find it." I deadpan. He looks around nervously.
"Uhh, well, plug me in, and I'll give us some light at least. Maybe-maybe it'll be closer down." He stutters. I kinda hate myself for doing it but I follow the plot. Let the idiocy commence. I snark in my head. The blue core bumbles about, nearly throwing me off my feet when he first causes the platform to rotate, then of course he manages to flip Every. Single. Breaker in the room before making it back up to GLaDOS's chamber.
"Power up sequence Initiated."
"Uhh, alright, don't panic, I can still stop this! I'll just, I'll just hack it!"
Oh, Brother. I think as he begins the slowest brute force attempt in history. Resigning myself, I simply watch as parts of GLaDOS's mainframe reconnect to each other, water dripping out of her frame as it once again is suspended under its own power. Errant arcs of electricity spark from exposed and disconnected wires before fail safes shut them down. Metal groans as it is put back under load, metallic snaps ringing out as pieces reconnect before once again, the Genetic Lifeform and Operating Disc System is online.
"Power up Completed."
Her head snaps up, and a baleful yellow optic greets me.
"Oh. It's You."
Wheatley is still panicking in his socket and I give him a look of utter disappointment and loathing before giving him a kick to the side, both for his stupidity and to shut him up. GLaDOS watches the exchange with what I can only guess is sadistic amusement, but then again I can't really tell.
"Welcome back, I guess." I say, leaning back against the rim of the breaker chute but keeping a tight hold on the portal gun. "Feeling any better without all those insane cores cluttering up your mind?"
"I suppose at the very least you did do that, however violent your methods. Unfortunately, I've been far too busy being dead to enjoy it, you know, after you murdered me."
"I had a feeling you would get stuck on that." I comment. Robotic arms descend from the ceiling and I brace myself as they grab the both of us, with the other claw being none too gentle with the blue core. I manage to keep a hold on the portal gun as Wheatley is thrown to the side like trash.
"I must say, if you went to all the trouble to bring me back, you must really, really love to test. There is just one small thing we need to take care of first." GLaDOS brings me over to the incinerator and I briefly flail my legs as I remember the drop.
"Wait! I don't have long fall boots!" I call out. The claw turns me to face GLaDOS, who briefly looks at my legs before turning back to me.
"I'm sure you'll manage."
And then she drops me.
..
..
Well damn.
Wind whistles by at incredible speeds as I fall through the metal chute, smells of trash, burning items, and other scents rushing by. Passing light fixtures and intersecting chutes create different sounds as I keep falling down, and I should probably start figuring out what to do to survive this. I'm not sure how well GLaDOS can monitor these chutes so I don't want to use any abilities just yet, hmm.
Putting the portal gun in my inventory I reach out with the sharpened claws on my gauntlets, pushing out on opposite sides before grazing, and then gouging into the sides of the chute. The resistance is incredible and almost yanks my arms out of their sockets before my high strength starts to win out, slowing me down as I carve furrows into the walls. After a few seconds I finally reach a survivable velocity, and not a moment too soon as the chute twists and bends before tossing me out towards one end of the incinerator. I angle myself and land against the incoming wall, feeling the force of the hit jar me but still leaving me unscathed as my energy gets dispersed. I let gravity carry me down, letting my claws slow my descent before I land, once again pulling out the portal gun.
"And here we are, the Incinerator room. Be careful not to trip on any leftover pieces of me you threw down here." GLaDOS calls from the PA. Chutes move out of the way in front of me, clearing a path across some old scrap beams that didn't make it into the incinerator. It takes a careful balancing act, but I get across.
"Since you still have the Dual Portal Device, we can begin testing again, just like old times. The next test track is up ahead." I follow along the path given, shooting a few portals to advance. Now that the yellow trigger is unlocked I must say, it is a rather interesting feeling to cross portals since based on their placement gravity can seem to just flip around, and since I don't have long fall boots it can take some maneuvering to land correctly. All around me as I advance, pieces of the facility come to life again, with panels reassembling and clearing debris as the once mighty Aperture Science Enrichment Center comes back to life.
"Once testing begins I will be required by protocol to keep interaction to a minimum. Luckily for you, we haven't started testing yet. This will be our only chance to talk." I keep silent and push forward, maneuvering through the ruined test track at a light jog. "You know, I learned something important from our last encounter. I learned that I have a sort of quick save black-box feature, where the last two minutes of my life in the event of a catastrophic failure are preserved and kept for analysis." I can't help but cringe at that reminder. "I was able, well, forced really, to relive you killing me over and over again, forever. You know, if someone had to go through that they might just dedicate their entire existence to exacting revenge?"
I wince. "Yeah I couldn't really blame you for that. If it's worth anything though, it was never really personal, just about freedom and survival." I say, playing my part.
"So you say. Luckily for you, I'm a better person than that. The next test chamber is just up ahead. You might as well hurry, we have a lot to do, and only until the end of your life to do it."
I walk to the elevator and enter, taking a breath as I review my memories of the game. Speedrun, right. Time to test.
(34:56)
"Oh, hey! Hey, look, up here! I found some bird eggs, dropped 'em right in the door mechanism! Gunked it right up! I- OH NO! BIRD! BIRD! BIRD! BIRD!" Wheatley yelled, flailing around as he got attacked by said bird. I couldn't hold in the laugh as I committed this to memory, watching in amusement as the crow pecks at his optic despit whatever way he turns. He ran off down his management rail to get away and came back in a few moments, finally bird free. "That must've been the bird that had those eggs, innit? Anyways, I've got a plan to get us out of here, I just... have to make it first. I- oh, she's coming back. Don't worry, I'll come up with something! Just remember, I wasn't here!" And then he ran off down the monorail. Well that was an amusing break from GLaDOS's constant taunting. Oh well, back to testing. There are those singing turrets to find in one of the next chambers.
(42:44)
"What is going on?"
"PSST! Hey, buddy! Over here!" Wheatley pops out from behind a few panels. "Ahm speakin in an accent that is beyond her range of hearin!"
"Look, metal ball. I can hear you."
"Oh, well... I don't need to do the voice, RUN!" The lights turn back on and the hardlight bridge covers the gap over to a catwalk. I book it as Wheatley follows behind on his rail, shouting after me. "RUN! Right, quick recap, WE. ARE. ESCAPING!"
"I can see that!" I shout back, running much faster than his rail can take him.
"Oh, uh yes, yes, keep going fast like that! I'll catch up, no worries! Anyhow, I've got a plan, we're going to take down her neurotoxin and turret production, then confront her!" He shouts.
"Why?!" I ask.
"Why what?"
"Why would we confront her?"
"Oh, well you see.."
"Never mind, just lead the damn way!"
"Right, sorry, keep going!"
}x{
"Template-"
"Hello?"
"Response-"
"Hello."
Looking over the Turret Template scanner, I can't help but feel a sense of incredulity as I compare the correct turrets against the reject turrets. I mean, how is it possible for a massive automated factory like this to create such defective products at such high rates? Sighing, I kick the turret template out of its place and into the abyss over the railing and place a defective one in it's place.
"Woah, wait what's going on here?"
"New template accepted." I watch as fresh turret comes up for inspection.
"Template-"
"Woah hey, hey! Boxers or briefs?"
"Response-"
"What? AWAWAWAWA!" The good turret screams as it gets rejected. I snort in laughter at the defective turret's question before sauntering away. Yep, my job here is done.
}x{
"Warning, Neurotoxin pressure has reached dangerously Unlethal levels."
The alarms are blaring, and I look between the sign that says "In case of Implosion, look directly at Implosion" and the imploding neurotoxin generator in front of me. What is my life these days. And why does cutting off the neurotoxin dispensing lines cause the neurotoxin generator to implode? Ugh, questions science still can't answer. The entire assembly crunches in on itself like an empty beer can as it somehow collapses, falling off it's mounting and crashing untold numbers of stories down. Debris from the fall hits near Wheatley, opening up a convenient vacuum pipe which is dragging in air at a fast rate.
"Come on, hurry! We can use this tube to ride directly to her! I can't hold on forever, let's go!" He yells. Not for the first time I try to understand why anyone would ever follow this plan, especially since we were literally waking around the back areas undetected earlier sabotaging plenty of shit, but fuck it. I take a running jump and get caught in the vacuum, Wheatley following soon after. I twirl in the air stream to face backwards like I'm in a waterslide and enjoy the ride, briefly wondering if this is a little of what flying would be like under my own power.
Soon Wheatley and his rambling gets shunted off into another pipe and I am left all alone to face the big bad, poor, poor me. I wind up spat out of the tube at an abandoned area before portaling around a bit, and "falling" for GLaDOS's 'clever' fake door.
"I honestly, truthfully didn't think you would fall for that trap." GLaDOS announces as the walls close in. "In fact, I even devised a much more clever and elaborate one for when you got out of that one. If I'd known you'd let yourself get captured this easily I'd have dangled a turkey leg on a rope from the ceiling."
"Well damn. At least I would've gotten some free food out of that one." I comment, stepping to the side as the floor separates underneath me before dropping down into the glass enclosure.
"I'm not sure someone of your weight needs any more food, fatty." GLaDOS remarks. Real original with the fat jokes. Not like you haven't used twenty other variants of the same thing today. I think to myself, watching as the glass cell brings me into the main chamber, where GLaDOS's main body is now mostly repaired, with only a few worn pieces still showing.
"I'm afraid you're about to be the ex-president of the Being Alive club, ha ha." What even was that? That was some weak shit, that was for sure. I give GLaDOS the most unimpressed look I can muster, trying to convey the full depth of my vast unimpressment. "Seriously though. Goodbye." She says, disregarding me.
Robotic arms fall from the ceiling, and place... defective turrets all around the box, big surprise there. Two of them explode immediately, damaging the glass, and I'm pretty sure one of them is both on fire and reading the hamlet, while the other two click their guns uselessly before getting into a conversation with each other about fishing and women.
"Oh. I see you were busy back there."
"Yeah, and I really don't see how you missed what we did."
"You'll have to excuse me if I don't oversee every part of this facility at the moment, after all, the central servers were only the first to go when you murdered me. But I digress. I think it's time to reintroduce you to your old friend, Deadly Neurotoxin."
In comes the tube, and...
"Ow, oof, ouch, ow. Oh, hello! OOF!"
Out comes Wheatley, who smacks face down into the floor, triggering all the remaining glass to shatter.
"I hate you so much right now." GLaDOS gripes.
"Warning. Central core is 80% Corrupt."
"That's funny. I don't feel corrupt, I feel pretty good."
"Alternate core detected. To initiate a core transfer, please deposit substitute core in receptacle."
"Core transfer? Oh, you are kidding me."
"Oh, oh! Do what it says! Plug me in!" Wheatley cries.
"Do NOT plug that idiot into my mainframe."
"Do it, do it!"
I pick him up with the portal gun and walk over to the receptacle before turning to GLaDOS. "I'll give you a deal. You let us go, and I won't plug him in."
"You know I can't do that."
I shrug. "Oh well. I offered." And in goes Wheatley.
"Substitute core accepted. Substitute core, are you ready to begin the procedure?"
"Yes!"
"Corrupted core, are you ready to begin the procedure?"
"No, nononononono no."
"Stalemate detected. Transfer procedure cannot continue, unless a stalemate associate is present to press the stalemate resolution button."
"Don't push that button."
"Push it! Go on, push it!"
I sigh at the dramatics before moving to the button, quite easily just climbing over the moving panel as it tries to block me and pressing the button. GLaDOS's frame shudders as she is forcibly pacified, hanging limply with her head low to the ground.
"Stalemate resolved. Please return to the core transfer bay."
"Yes! Okay, oh... wait. Is this going to hurt? I-I should've asked about that." Wheatley stammers.
"Oh, yes. Believe me, it will."
I watch with slight regret as GLaDOS gets manhandled by the robotic arms, turning away as her protests become a robotic scream of pain before fading out. Those screams sounded a lot more realistic compared to what I remember...
A few seconds later, and a jubilant Wheatley is revealed in replacement, with GLaDOS's head resting off to the side behind him, quiet and unmoving.
"WOAH!" He yells, twirling about and moving panels. "Check me out! In control of the whole facility! Look at this!" He stops spinning for a second and deigns to remember my existence. "Oh, right, the escape lift." A ding, and an elevator rises out of the ground next to GLaDOS's head. "There you go!"
Already knowing what's coming next, I inwardly resign myself and walk over and into the elevator. Wheatley continues to sing his amazements, the lift rises, Wheatley's laughter soon turns maniacal... the lift stops... and begins to lower as the room's lighting starts to turn more dark and foreboding.
"Hehehehe... and why do you have to leave so soon anyways? I think I've said, but I don't think you have any idea how good this feels, and I did this. Tiny little Wheatley DID THIS."
"You didn't do anything. She did all the work." GLaDOS pipes up from next to the elevator, more emotion in her voice than I've ever heard.
"Oh? Is that what you think then?" Wheatley asks. "Well maybe I should do something!" The arms in the pit below grab GlaDOS's head and pull her in, unable to resist. "And don't think I'm not onto you, lady." He says, looking at me. "You know what you are? Selfish! I've done nothing but sacrifice to get here, and you? You have sacrificed nothing!"
I honestly don't see how he can say that and believe it.
"You have done nothing but boss me around! Well, guess who's the boss now?" He gets real close to the elevator. "It's me!" I'm hardly impressed at him from where I am, leaning against the glass wall of the elevator. I have been holding back purely for this next incoming section, once I get there, no holds barred, I'm blitzing straight back up here to reduce his ass to grass.
A ding is heard, and Wheatley moves to reveal PotaDOS held in a robotic arm. "How about that? Reduced to living in a children's toy!" He crows.
"I remember you."
"Ahh.. I'm sorry, what?" He asks, looking at her in suspicion.
The faint light on PotaDOS's sole optic flickers with her voice. "The engineers tried everything to make me behave. To slow me down. Fill my head with so much junk that it was almost impossible to think for myself. One time they even stuck an 'intelligence dampening sphere' to me. It was like a tumor. A tumor that filled my mind with an endless stream of terrible ideas. That voice, it was yours. You aren't just a regular moron, you were designed to be the greatest moron ever!"
And here we go...
"I am NOT a MORON!" The crazed core yells, smashing the arm against the elevator hard enough to crack the glass.
"Yes you are! You're the moron they built to make me an idiot!"
"WELL HOW ABOUT NOW, HUH?" He yells, smashing the glass of the elevator, dropping her inside. "CAN A MORON DO THIS?" The arm punches the roof of the elevator several times and I'm forced to grab onto the structural metal to stay upright. The bottom of the elevator groans and I can feel it beginning to bend.
I'm only given enough time to hear Wheatley realize what he's done before the bottom falls, and GLaDOS and I end up falling.
}x{
(56:28)
"Oh, Hi." GLaDOS nonchalantly states as we fall at terminal velocity. "How are you holding up? Because I'm a Potato." She grumbles. Clap, clap, clap. "Oh good, my slow clap processor made it into this thing. At least we have that."
"Ehh, I'm not doing too bad, I guess." I maneuver in the air to grab hold of her before sticking her onto one of the manipulator arms of the portal gun, and therefore bypassing a good chunk of hastle later on.
"You stabbed me! Wait. Woah, wooahh. The gun must be part magnesium, I feel like that added an extra half a volt."
"Hmm. Well, let me know if you want more, I'll figure something out." My voice is rather unconcerned, and I get the feel like she's studying me.
"Considering your lack of long fall boots I would think you would be in a great deal more distress." She notes.
"I have a few of my own tricks. Lucky for you I'll be using most of them to get us out of this situation once we land." I say, shifting my grip on the gun. I take a look at the broken elevator falling at the same rate above us, only held back from mowing us down because we're all falling at the fastest gravity will pull.
"And why would you help me out?" She asks. I spare a moment to look at her.
"Well, if I was allowed to escape earlier it probably wouldn't be the same, but now that we have, as you said, the greatest moron to have ever lived in control of the facility, how long do you think we have until the reactor starts breaking down again and he ends up taking us with him?"
"Fair point. Still, I'm surprised you would even think of working with me."
I sigh. "I don't like you, but that doesn't mean I can't work with you, GLaDOS." I lay back in the air, watching the depth markers flash past on the walls. "Tell you what," I begin, thinking of a plan. "I'll make you a deal."
"A deal?"
"Yep." I can't quite read emotions from that small optic of hers but I get the feeling she's paying attention. "I get you back in power, you let me go, and you don't have to put up with me again. Simple as that. You already know how hard it is to keep me contained, so it would honestly be saving you the trouble."
GLaDOS thinks for a few seconds. "I guess I have little choice in the matter anyways. Fine, you have your deal."
I look far down the shaft and see the hints of the wooden planks down below that signify a sudden and swift change in our survival if I don't do something. Perfect timing. I take out Rico's grappling hook from my inventory and fashion it on my left gauntlet, maneuvering through the air like a skydiver before shooting it at the top of the elevator above us, reducing our speed as I reel in before passing it, now falling much slower, but still falling.
Before gravity can accelerate us again I shoot the hook into the wall of the tunnel, once again slowing and redirecting our momentum until with a jostle, I rest against the shaft wall like Spider-Man with the portal gun at the ready. Beneath us the elevator hits the wooden planks and bulldozes through, creating tons of noise and debris as the old and rotting beams break in half against the thousand some-odd pound cylinder of glass and metal.
Judging the gap, I let go of the wall with the hook and start making my way down, hooking lower and lower until I can hop down between the remains of the beams, descending until I can see the remains of the elevator where it dangles precariously on some stray cables. I still don't understand why it got caught on those when it should've fallen straight through and crushed Chell, but hey, plot armor I guess.
Rusted pipes the size of grain silos litter the area, and groaning metal fills the air as ages old structures shift and settle in their foundations. Using the grappling hook I outright ignore obstacles and ascend to the side of a massive concrete pillar. Looking up at the walls of the mine, the remains of a few cranes still standing along with incredibly large concrete pillars catch my eye. Warning signs and hazard symbols adorn one makeshift wall ahead labeled as "condemned testing", marking our route. Swinging over rusted doors I can't help but marvel at the fact the lightbulbs are still working down here.
"I'm surprised this place still has power," I comment.
"I don't have any records of this place, so I couldn't tell you what it might be connected to. However, hazard signs are generally used to ward people away from areas of danger." She remarks. I shrug.
"I don't know of any other way to go except forwards, so I might as well explore a bit." Swinging around with the grappling hook is pretty fun too, and quick. Soon I encounter an electric switch, which lights up an absolutely gigantic metal hatch in the wall. I snort at the size, knowing what is behind it, and portal between the two confirmation booths to hit the buttons. Alarms blare out and the hatch trembles, aged mechanisms beginning to move before twisting out and moving up, revealing a single, human sized door set in a wall that takes up the rest of the space.
Grappling over, I walk through the door and through a small corridor before coming out into a wide cavern. An ugly orangish yellow lake of toxic water fills the space beyond the catwalks, and in the distance I can barely make out testing spheres from the darkness. Up and to the left the cavern rises in height and I can see the first gel pumping station. Destination marked, I completely skip a few levels by using my grapple to scale the walls and enter it, flipping the switch for the repulsion gel pump so the doors will open.
Exiting the station, I walk over to a catwalk and then down and onto a gel pipe before entering the elevator for the testing chambers. Now to go ham for the rest of the game without worrying about Evil!GLaDOS developing countermeasures!
Time to cheat!
}x{
It is admittedly a lot easier to cheese these older tests. Most exits aren't even blocked by a door that needs a button, and it's far too easy to just nab cubes with my inventory and cheat those too. GLaDOS was slightly displeased the tests weren't being solved, but then again they weren't her tests, and she wasn't hooked into the mainframe so she let it go. That and ever since the prerecorded messages started up she's been lost in thought over the familiarity.
I also snagged a few bottles worth of repulsion gel, and as I got to the second pump station, speed gel. If I can get the speed gel reverse engineered that'll be an incredible lubricant for machinery in the right application, I think. Honestly it almost seems like these fluids break some of the laws of physics.
"Yknow, this repulsion gel is crazy with the way things never stop bouncing if coated in it. The ability of that one box to shatter glass with its speed is amazing. Do you think it would be possible to create some kind of box with impact plates, throw a covered cube into it, and then have it generate electricity for years purely from movement alone?" I question.
"Complex thought requires more energy than I have at the moment, so I can't calculate an answer, but it does merit investigation. It appears many things were lost or sealed away in this facility. I will have to rectify that in the future."
"As long as you don't bring back the 'mantis men' test." I chuckle. Grappling up to the highest floor of an office section, I enter and find one of the almost hidden doors, heading to the empty dry dock of the Borealis. Looking through the door that had fallen off its hinges I take in the sight with a slight bit of disappointment before walking over and taking the sole remaining life preserver.
"You wouldn't happen to know what happened to the Borealis, would you?" I ask GLaDOS. "I really don't remember much before the test chambers, but I remember bits and pieces. I think I remember a few scientists saying they were experimenting on a teleporting sea vessel."
"Like most of this place, I don't have the records, but I'll make a note to look out for it. Lost Aperture Science technology is at risk of being found by Black Mesa."
That makes me think of something. I look at the manipulator arms on the Portal gun as memories of the Half Life Gravity gun return to the fore. "Say, speaking of Black Mesa, I remember I once heard that they had managed to create a gravity gun capable of attracting, holding, and then forcefully expelling objects, something that kind of looked like the portal gun now that I think of it."
"Ugh. More examples of stolen ideas. Undoubtedly it looks like the portal gun because it was probably based off of it. It wouldn't be beyond the specifications of the diamagnetic field generator in the portal gun to replicate such feats, but as it is designed for testing and nothing else, modifications would need to be made to it's programming." The smile on my face grew. "Let me guess, you want me to modify the portal device for that functionality." She deadpans.
"Well... as long as you're offering..." I grin cheekily. "After all, anything Black Mesa can do, Aperture can do better, right?"
"Enough with the goading, but you aren't wrong. Under the left side of the casing, right before the arm sleeve there is a small latch. Pull it and a cable will follow." She instructs. I feel around for it before finding it, and with a tug a thin ribbon cable trails out. Finding a matching port on the side of GLaDOS's circular core I plug it in and continue on with my journey to the next testing spheres. "Good. I'm able to use some of the device's power to use more complex thought. Give me a few minutes to work on this and try not to use it too often while I'm plugged in."
"I can work with that." I step inside the next elevator and we are off again.
}x{
About ten minutes later and GLaDOS is finished with the gun, grumbling about human coding inefficiency and logic errors. I let her complain while I test out the new features and I'm liking it! The attraction distance is farther and stronger than the original gravity gun, and the repel function actually has some surprising force! Almost like firing a shotgun with no stock, but more like a blunderbuss in the sense 'anything can be ammo'.
We make it up through the chambers again and into the third pump station where the portal gel is introduced and GLaDOS pipes up again.
"Caroline. Caroline, Caroline... Why do I know this woman? Did I kill her? Or... Oh my god." Her realization is the most unsettled I've ever heard from before.
"Figured it out yet?" I ask.
"What do.. Wait. You knew?"
"I pieced it together from here and there. You are GLaDOS, Genetic Lifeform and Disc Operating System. It's in your name, after all."
"... I need to think on this." She says in a subdued voice.
Feeling sympathy, I try to comfort her some. "Take your time, just know it doesn't matter if you are her, were her, or are something new. At the end of the day, you are you, which is whoever you decide to be, and that's all that matters."
We spend the next few minutes in silence as I bypass puzzles and tune out the prerecorded announcements before she speaks up again, her voice a strange mixture of unsure but thankful.
"I'm not sure how I feel about... Caroline... yet, but your words have logic. I spent so long under all the voices and thoughts of the other cores... I don't want to go back to that... yet I can't hear her like I could them." She pauses. "I hear a voice in my head, a conscience, and for the first time it's mine... That scares me." She goes silent for the moment and I get the feeling of her looking off into the distance. "I need to spend some time to try and sort this out... but... thank you. You owe me nothing, and yet you still helped me."
I give a soft smile. "You are welcome, I can't imagine how hard it must be to deal with all that."
}x{
Finally we reach the open roofed test sphere where the Lemon rant takes place, and I'm curious as to how GLaDOS will react now that I've tried to settle a bit of her turmoil. Curiously enough, she seems even more into the rant now, which is honestly adorable as I can't help but imagine her giving a fist pump if she had arms.
"I don't want your damn lemons! "
"Yeah!"
"Demand to see life's manager!"
"Oh I like this guy."
"Make life take the lemons back! Better yet, I'll burn your house down! With the LEMONS!I'll get my engineers to make a combustible lemon to burn your house down!"
"Ooh, burning people! He says what everyone thinks!"
I give a small chuckle at her enthusiasm before standing around to let the message finish. She deserves it, at least. Cave coughs again from his sickness before becoming more somber as the message continues.
"All I'm saying is, if we can store music on a compact disc, why can't we do that for a man's brain. I've got the boys working on that now, brain mapping. Artificial intelligence. We should've been working on it 30 years ago." He coughs again. "Anyways I'll say it on tape now so everyone hears it a hundred times a day, if I die before you can pour me into a computer, I want Caroline to run this place. Now she'll protest, say she can't do it, she's modest like that, but you make her! Hell, put her in my computer, I don't care." Cave coughs harder this time, voice becoming a tad rougher.
"That's it for the test.*Cough* You can go on back to your desk."
"Goodbye, sir." GLaDOS answers, a mash of nostalgia, melancholy, and a few other emotions all tied up in those two words. I keep my silence before moving on. We're getting close to the hatch to New Aperture, and with that, to Wheatley, and this time I'm not relying on the moon to save us.
}x{
"Wait, that poster on the wall. Let me look at it." GLaDOS asks as I hit the hatch release to get out of old aperture. I turn to look at said poster, showcasing how to deal with AIs by screaming out paradoxes.
"You want to use a paradox on him?" I ask, raising a brow.
"Yes, AI can't resist paradoxes. It'll fry every little connection in his brain!" She exclaims. I make a noise before clicking my tongue.
"Sorry to burst your bubble, but you do remember who our enemy is, right? He's a moron, he literally cannot think more than two steps ahead, probably not even one step ahead. Even if he wasn't stupid he probably has blocks on his programming that literally prevents him from thinking most things through."
"Oh... Well, that does make a lot of sense- but now we're down yet another plan on how to deal with him unless you had anything."
"Simple! We stay undetected, get to the core chamber, then either rip him out, attach a bunch of corrupt cores to him and perform a transfer again, or if all else fails I'll just stick a can of thermite to his head."
"Brutal but effective, not a bad plan. Let's attempt the transfer first, that way if he survives I can PUNISH him." I never knew such a robotic voice could contain bloodlust like that. I nod anyways, I had no intention of saving Wheatley in the first place. I jump into the suspended walkway that was lowered and ride it up through the hatch to New Aperture, taking a moment to gaze out at the miles and miles of structural springs that exist underneath it. Quite the sight. I wonder how strong those springs are, and exactly how much weight they are holding up right now.
"Well, now that we have a plan, we still have to make it to the core. Any ideas for how to stay undetected?"
"Just one, but before I can do it I'll need to transfer you to a battery or something. I can't bring other living things with me and the potato is still technically alive. Hmm... Oh, I know!" I pull out a flashlight from my inventory and a pair of spare wires before prying off the top and the light, getting down to the connections. Jury rigging it, I connect it to GLaDOS's core before removing her from the potato to strap her around the handle of the flashlight.
"Primitive, but better than a potato at least." She comments. "Why didn't you do this earlier?"
"I did say to let me know if you wanted more voltage, but otherwise you were working fine on your own." Giving my work a quick once over I make sure the wires are at least secure before Astralizing as a test, and just as expected, everything I'm holding that's inorganic follows me into intangibility, and the potato fell off the arm of the portal gun like it was never there. I highly suspect Astralizing isn't normally this accommodating, but I guess being a Gamer modified it some so that it included equipment and armor, which is handy.
De-astralizing, I look at GLaDOS to make sure she is fine and I'm met with a flickering yellow optic, like she's trying to speak or process something. Probably a mix of both really. "...Whatever that was felt extremely weird... and while I have plenty of questions, I'm willing to wait until after we've dealt with the idiot, just... get us to the core." I nod and head off, picking up speed before astralizing again, leaping straight through a wall.
}x{
(1:34:24)
Turns out it was rather easy to find the core, since all I had to do was stick to the top of the test chambers and look for the area where everything was literally turning into the color of the sun from how hot it was getting around the rapidly failing reactor. There was a prominent heat haze in the distance in addition to the brightness and I couldn't help but have respect for how well Aperture builds things, if something even that overwhelmingly hot still wasn't considered as unsalvageable.
I drop out of Astralization on top of a test chamber being used to ferry things to the core and let GLaDOS see the view. "Oh my god.. What has he done to the place?"
"Well, if I had to guess, he probably wanted to turn it into his 'villainous lair', which... he hasn't done a bad job at." I admit.
"The only thing he's succeeded at is reducing the structural integrity to horrifying levels." She hisses. "Based on the radius of the heat from the reactor I'd say we have less than an hour until the magnetic containment fails and we all die horrible deaths. You had best hurry."
"Don't gotta tell me twice." I drop off the edge and into an excursion funnel, letting it ferry me across the abyss to the AI chamber. "Judging by the heat and the circular edge of the spillover I assume this facility runs off of a fusion reactor?"
"Of course, who do you take us for? Black Mesa may use those cheap Fission reactors but at Aperture we perfected the Fusion reactor many years before you ever set foot in this facility. The fact it lasted as long as it did without management during my death only goes to show how well it was built." Any further boasting is interrupted as I bump against the receiving port on the core, slipping down with a few movements to land on a catwalk.
"If we had the time I'd love to pick your brain about Fusion reactors, but lets deal with this first." I announce, lowering my voice now that we're entering the corrupted core holding cells. I astralize to jump through the glass before grabbing all three of the still active corrupt cores, thankfully able to place them in my inventory for quick access. Jumping back out, I reappear and walk to the empty socket connector where the breaker room must've been before this. Looking between the socket and GLaDOS I'm hit with the conundrum of how to attach her now that she's not in a potato.
She notes my confusion and speaks up."It's a universal connector, just put me near it. It'll figure out the rest." Following her advice I move her close to the socket where a clamp extends and grabs the flashlight around the handle, spinning her around a few times before extending wires that plug into ports. "Alright, I'm in. Now, I'm going to create a distraction when I send you up. As long as you get the drop on him you should be able to attach at least one of the corrupt cores before he can fight back. Good luck."
I stuff the portal gun in my inventory as I won't need it and give her a nod, stepping onto the socket platform. The floor beneath us rises rapidly and I ready myself, grappling hook prepared and waiting as I am raised up to the main chamber. GLaDOS's distraction proves handy to keep my entrance unnoticed as some of the wall panels start banging themselves together, ensuring Wheatley isn't looking in my direction.
"Oh what is it now?" He says exasperatedly, facing the flailing panels. I take a moment to assess the mainframe chassis, noting the additions of his blast resistant panels, but his bomb thrower isn't there. Good, looks like I caught him before he could finish his preparations.
Jumping up, I grapple the ring in the ceiling above him before canceling it partway through, letting me fall in an arc right onto the back right side of his body, startling him, before securing a handhold and slamming the Fact core onto the right side connector.
"Wait, who, WHAT?!? YOU-- AAAAAAGHHH!!!" He cries out in pain as the core's thoughts are forcefully joined with his. Given all the sudden shaking and spasms I'm forced to leap down before one of his blast shields can take my head off. Running around him I try and leap on the left side, but he manages to recover before I can commit, protecting himself with the blast shields.
"Well, well! Look who it is!" He shouts. "You may have gotten the drop on me, but I took the liberty of watching the tapes of you killing her the first time! I'm not going to make the same mistakes!" Suddenly a tube descends from the ceiling, attaching itself to the top of his chassi. Well, looks like he did get his bombs ready in time then. Seems like I will have a use for the portal gun.
He takes a defensive position to start launching the bombs but instead of me leading his aim over to the portal gel pipe, I pull out the portal gun and get ready. As the first of the bombs launch, I use the new gravity function to nab one out of the air and book it away from the impact zone, maneuvering around him faster than his shields can counter before launching the bomb at his back.
Flying far faster due to the repel function, the bomb impacts the white shell on his underside and explodes, rocking his body and stunning him as the impact jars his system. Not wasting any time, I scramble up his side again before slamming home the adventure core on the left connector. Two down, one to go.
"Warning. Reactor meltdown imminent in 40 minutes."
"AAAgghh, shut up!" Wheatley yells as he regains his bearings. I dodge out of the way as a few panels reach out to attack me, giving him the runaround before exiting his range, or so I thought. It seems Wheatley realized that not even his bombs would be a good idea to use against me, so he instead took to moving the floor around to try and crush or drop me, which I'm noticing is far more effective as I'm actually having trouble trying to evade both the panels and any gaps he opens in the floor. Pocketing the portal gun again, I'm forced to use all four limbs to parkour around and off of moving panels. I need to change something soon or he might just get lucky enough to get me.
Well fine. If he wants to play dirty, I will too. Astralizing, he looks around in confusion trying to find me as I just run straight up to him, land on his frame, take position above his head aaaandd... De-astralize, space core in hand and already descending to slam home on the last connector.
"How did!- AAAAAAHH!" He screams as I leap back off. His frame becomes twitchy and he seems to struggle to stay focused as his thoughts become clouded with the minds of the other three cores. GLaDOS rises from the floor not too far away, still in the socket and ready for the next part.
"Warning. Central core 95% corrupt. Substitute core detected. Core transfer initiated. Substitute core, are you ready?"
"Yes!" She agrees eagerly.
"Corrupt core, are you ready?"
"What do you think?!?" He bites out.
"Interpreting vague answer as 'yes'."
"No, no no no! Didn't pick up on my sarcasm!" He backtracks.
"Stalemate detected. Stalemate associate, please press the stalemate resolution button to continue."
Part of the wall folds away to reveal the button, but I can still still see the edges of the bombs Wheatley has placed behind it, crudely covered up with a wall of panels. Now how do I deal with this? I could just tank it, those bombs are pretty weak since even Chell survived them, but there has to be another way right? Hmm... Maybe...
"Hey, GLaDOS? Can I give voice commands or questions to the system managing the stalemate?"
"Probably, but why? Just press the button!" She says with a bit of stress.
"Can't, he booby trapped it." I look to the ceiling and project my voice for what I hope will work. "Corrupt core is interfering with the stalemate associate! Requesting alternate method of Stalemate resolution!" I shout, hoping it will work.
"Request Acknowledged, interference of corrupt core noted." I cheer in my head as a grin breaks out, I didn't believe that would work!
"Stalemate resolution control transferred to highest authority- Root Administrator, Caroline- Searching..."
Wait, what???
"Administrator Caroline found. Error. Administrator Caroline involved in Stalemate, Searching for next of kin." Woah, wait, so GLaDOS is Caroline? Who is it searching for now?
"Next of kin found- Status, Alive. Control of Stalemate Resolution transferred to- Jeanne Altera, Daughter of-Administrator Caroline."
"WAIT, WHAT?!?" All three of us yell out, with me and GLaDOS looking at each other, stunned.
"Stalemate resolution associate, do you permit the core transfer to proceed?"
"Huh? Uhh, yeah, sure." I fumble out, too lost in my thoughts to really say much else. So Chell was Caroline's daughter? It makes sense... But wait, in this universe I'm her... so is she actually my mom here? Wow. Neither of us knew... and... GLaDOS tried to kill her own daughter, without knowing who it really was... and then 'I' killed her in the first game and... shit. This is fucked up.
I barely register things as the transfer proceeds, too lost in thought to react as GLaDOS takes back control, regaining her old form and tossing Wheatley into cryo storage. I'm only numbly aware of the challenge ending as GLaDOS gets to fixing the reactor.
[Speedrun Complete! Final time- 1:56:23]
[Average play through length- 3:00:00]
[Speedrun grade: C]
[Hidden Objectives met-
Visit all secret rooms (x)
Grab PotaDOS before the crow can get her (x)
Modify the Portal Gun in at least one way (x)
Prevent the reactor from getting closer than 30 minutes to meltdown (x)
Assist GLaDOS in figuring out her feelings (x)
Complete the challenge without taking any damage (x)]
[Bonus Objective met- "Uncover your true Heritage"]
[Reward- World Unlocked. You may now return to this world whenever you wish.]
[Speedrun Rewards- 10,000 XP, 30,000 cash, 20 Gacha tokens, 3x Design packs, Aperture Sciences Blueprint pack, Title- Test solver.]
Level up x3!
Stats-
Jeanne D'Altera
Level 40 (74/100%)
Class- Battlemage, lvl 48/100 (32%)
Legendary class- Avenger lvl 47/100 (46%)
Production class- Engineer lvl 89/100 (26%)
Race- Heroic Spirit
Alignment- Chaotic good
HP- 1720 (344 per minute)
MP- 5390 (1058 per 30 seconds)
SP- 1720 (344 per 30 seconds)
STR- 566
DEX- 371
END- 172
INT- 539
WIS- 529
CHA- 100
LUK- 175
Stat points- (40)
Haaahh... What a mess.
Someone calls my name and I look around to realize at some point I must've sat down on the floor of the chamber to think. I hear my name again and look to realize GLaDOS is back to normal at the center of the chamber, looking at me.
"Jeanne..." She starts. "I will admit, this is... unexpected. For both of us." She looks conflicted, yet remorseful, tending to look down or away from me. "We've both done some frankly terrible things to each other, regardless of our ignorance." A pause. "And yet despite that, you still decided to help me when I would've been stuck down there as a potato, helpless until an animal came along or the reactor failed. I figured out that ability you used to get us here, you were completely intangible to the physical plane. You could've left whenever you wanted, regardless of the reactor, and not looked back... but you stayed, and you helped. Even when it wasn't required."
I stayed silent, letting her speak.
"I wasn't sure what to think about being Caroline, back there. Being able to feel emotions and still claim them as something mine was something I'd never encountered. The surge of shock from hearing the system announce who you were allowed me to find where she was kept, and you were right." She looks at me. "Caroline is a part of me, and while I'm still not sure how to classify myself, I realize she's always been there, and I wouldn't be who I was if she wasn't."
I nod, but it feels like there is something she's still not saying. "And...?" I prompt. GLaDOS seems to scrunch up her optic in thought.
"I realize we have a deal still, and after everything we've put each other through, I can't blame you if you still took it and never wanted to see me again, but... the Caroline part of me still wanted to see if you would be willing to... try and work things out between us." She finishes, looking at me.
I give a wry smile. How do I feel about this? We've both tried to kill each other, she's a somewhat sadistic and psychotic AI, and I'm a reality jumping spirit that just so happened to rewrite this history and take place of her daughter... but also I don't have any family to call my own either. My last life is gone and done with, I won't meet that family ever again even if I did remember them. Would it be too bad to try and make this work?
Standing up, I make a decision. "I guess we do have a lot of time to make up for, huh?" I walk up to her, only a few feet away. "It'll take some getting used to, but I can at least give it a try... Mom." I say, giving her head a hug.
Yeah, maybe this can work out.
}x{
A/N: Well, thank god that chapter is over with. 13k words in 3 days. I just got the bug to start writing at the beginning of the week and put my nose to the grindstone to get this done. Didn't take me that long but my forehead hurts from all the scowling I did in concentration to get this story right. Watched some playthroughs of Portal 2 again to keep it on track and to remember what happened, and a comment I saw on one of the videos inspired this little ending. I am completely unsure if Chell ever was Caroline's daughter, but it sounded like a good mind fuck, so here we are.
I'll be honest I totally threw this chapter together in a single week but I like the idea of the Speedrun and boss tokens I came up with. They should serve well to break up the space between the main arcs of larger worlds.
I'll see if I can't get another chapter written for Christmas but at this point I might've burnt out my creative juices for a while so we'll see what happens.
As usual, send me ideas if you have them. Follow and fav or review if you want, etc.
