The unlikely pair set off and followed the blue line to what Cave Johnson had called 'Repulsion Gel Testing'. Whatever that meant.

A rickety old elevator door opened up for the two, and they shared a worried glance. Neither wanted to touch the ancient contraption... as it was nothing but a metal skeleton and a single rusty button.

"After you, lunatic. You're the test subject here, so test the thing," Glados poked Chell in the side, evoking a death-glare from her. Chell stepped into the elevator and jumped experimentally, testing the rusted metal grating. Seemingly satisfied that they wouldn't plunge into oblivion, she yanked Glados' arm in and the two catapulted upward as the elevator activated.

"I didn't mean with me in it..." hissed Glados, dizzily trying to regain her balance. They stumbled out of the capsule and walked through a doorway sporting a number '1' in white paint. The first test.

"Alright, let's get started. This first test involves something the lab boys call 'Repulsion Gel'," Cave Johnson's booming voice spoke up, startling the two women. "You're not part of the control group, by the way, so you get the gel. The last poor son of a gun got blue paint. Hahaha, all joking aside, that did happen. Broke every bone in his legs. Tragic. But informative, or so I'm told."

Glados rubbed her temples and complained quietly, "Ugh, not this buffoon again..."

Chell simply ignored her and began scrutinizing the place up and down, trying to make head and tails of the test. There weren't any portal surfaces here. It made sense, she supposed, as she had no idea how old portal technology was. She had been lucky to find portal-friendly surfaces below them, but it obviously wasn't going to be a regular occurrence. What a pity.

Cave Johnson continued, "The lab boys just informed me I should not have mentioned the control group and I should stop making these pre-recorded messages. That gave me an idea... make more pre-recorded messages! I pay the bills here, I do what I want!"

Glados stalked to a ledge where the floor dropped a dozen feet, looking longingly at the entrance. "I have an idea, let's not do these cavemen tests and let's find a way out of this place instead. We'll find a shortcut," she crossed her arms, looking up to the ceiling. No way out there.

Chell walked over to the single button in the room, already accepting their fate in the testing business. They would test through every one of these chambers if they had to, whether Glados liked it or not.

At the push of the button a large lead pipe started spilling out bright blue gel into the ledge, covering the floor entirely. Glados peeked over, intrigued.

So this is repulsion gel... she glanced upward to the other side of the ledge where the exit lay. How quaint.

Without thinking, Chell launched herself into the pit to land on the blue gel, and was thrilled when she was propelled back into the air. It was like jumping on a trampoline! Her dad used to play with her on one of those...

She landed on her feet where the exit lay and turned expectantly to Glados. Well, let's go! Her head nodded to the doorway.

Glados sighed and mimicked Chell's movements, launching herself over the edge and to the other side of the room. Her boot was holding up with all the movement, so that was a good sign.

The two left the chamber in silence and headed to the next metal elevator to take them to their next test.

"Oh, in case you got covered in that repulsion gel, here's some advice the lab boys gave me: Do NOT get covered in the repulsion gel. We haven't entirely nailed down what the element is yet, but it is a lively one and it does NOT like the human skeleton, let me tell you..." Cave spoke up, evoking immediate worry from the two in the elevator.

They examined themselves quickly, looking for traces of any blue repulsion gel. Satisfied that there wasn't any, they continued their ride upward.

"Barbaric testing..." Glados growled under her breath. "This isn't real science."

A few more tests involving bouncy repulsion gel later, the two women staggered into another chamber, both equally exhausted.

Chell placed her hands on her knees and motioned to Glados to sit. The girl complied without complaint and sat against the wall, waiting for Chell to do the same. The two sat in silence, mutually agreeing to take a break.

Cave Johnson spoke up again, interrupting the test subjects' break, "I'm telling them, keep your pants on. Okay, this next test may involve some trace amounts of time travel. So, word of advice: If you meet yourself on the testing track, don't make eye contact. Lab boys tell me that'll wipe out time. Entirely. Forward and backward! So do both of yourselves a favor and just let that handsome devil go about his business."

Chell glared at the offending megaphone in the corner, wishing she could portal it off the wall as she had Glados' security cameras.

Glancing warily at Glados, Chell shifted her body so that she was hugging the portal device protectively, and turned on her side to get some shut-eye.

Glados rolled her eyes, "I'm not going to take your precious portal device, lunatic. I could build the thing from scratch if I needed to." She crossed her arms, shivering slightly in the chilly underground breeze. She curled up a couple feet away from Chell and the two caught some much-needed rest.


Chell was awake again, her body wracked with pain. She looked up at the stark white ceiling in alarm.

Where am I...?

She convulsed, her head feeling like it was splitting in two.

Somebody help me... please...

"She's dying. Like all the others," an unseen voice spoke.

"She isn't going to die," another voice spoke authoritatively. It sounded familiar... if only her head wasn't pounding so. She felt tears fall from her eyes, unable to hold back the pain.

A man's face appeared over hers, the source of the second voice, and he plunged a needle into her neck. She barely felt it.

He lifted her up and his face sharpened into focus.

Daddy...?

"You aren't going to die, right?" He smiled kindly at her, holding her small body close to him.

"But the deviation..." the first man started to argue.

"This is going to work this time," her dad silenced the first man harshly. He turned his attention back to her, "I'm going to make sure you live a long and full life; is that a deal, love?" he asked.

Chell nodded weakly, her eyes drooping as she fell into unconsciousness.


Chell awoke startled, the agonizing pain in her head gone with the dream. She hugged herself tightly, shivering from the nightmare and the cold seeping into her coat. Glados was probably freezing in her sleeveless outfit, but her heart was so cold she probably didn't even notice the frozen wasteland that was old Aperture.

Chell sat up, unable to fall back to sleep, Glados waking soon after her.

"If you're hearing this, then that means you're taking quite a long time on the catwalks between test chambers. The lab boys say that might be a fear reaction. So let's hustle and solve this thing!" Cave Johnson announced exuberantly.

Glados stifled a yawn and shot a peeved look at the ceiling, directed towards the disembodied voice. Somehow Chell knew the feeling... "Well, I suppose we won't be getting much sleep right now. After you..." she invited Chell.

Cave continued, "Science isn't about WHY. It's about WHY NOT. Why is so much of our science dangerous? Why not marry safe science if you love it so much? In fact, why not invent a special safety door that won't hit you on the butt on the way out, because you are fired."

A beat.

"Not you, test subject. You're doing fine. Yes, you. Box. Your stuff. Parking lot. Car. Goodbye." A low grumbling was heard in the background.

Savage.

Glados smirked in amusement, "I'll give him something; he's got gumption."

That was one word for it, Chell supposed.

Two test chambers later and a lot of avoiding splashing repulsion gel, the two women found themselves exiting the testing facility and walked straight out of a reception area.

"Congratulations! The simple fact that you're standing here means that you've made a glorious contribution to science!" Cave Johnson announced and a clapping track was heard in the background.

Glados scoffed, "Well, I certainly wouldn't go that far, but-"

"Say goodbye, Caroline!"

"'Goodbye, Caroline'!" A woman's voice intruded cheerfully.

"She is a gem." Cave finished with a chuckle.

Glados stopped her muttering and stared into space, looking slightly haunted. Chell, not having noticed, bounded across the reception area and gazed at the various paintings on the wall.

One particularly large one was a portrait of none other than Cave Johnson himself. The man looked young, a glimmer in his eye... the look of a man and a dream. Chell didn't know how she felt about it, as the guy very clearly had had some kind of screw loose. She shrugged and pushed the revolving doors open to exit the facility, ready to leave.


Glados snapped out of her reverie and jogged, limping slightly, to catch up with the lunatic.

The man had irritated her, his constant ramblings were loud and full of arrogance. His dreams of scientific advancement got him nowhere. He didn't understand real science.

Then the woman had spoke up with those two little words... Goodbye, Caroline.

Something about it bothered her, and she didn't know why, which only bothered her more. She pulled herself from her thoughts and joined Chell outside, more paths lay ahead of them.

"Oh, let's see. We can either take the catwalk of despair or the catwalk of utter uncertainty. I'll let you choose, seeing as your survival skills have gotten you this far," she goaded Chell lightly.

Chell ignored her and chose a path, and the two walked in relative silence.

Another elevator was prepped for them and they rode it upward to whatever awaited them next.


"Oh, no. You are kidding me," Glados' voice dripped with disdain. Chell couldn't help but reluctantly agree with her.

The two women stood at the entrance to a newer-looking building, the new reception area waiting patiently for them.

Cave Johnson's voice piped up as soon as they set foot in the doors, "Greetings, friend. I'm Cave Johnson, CEO of Aperture Science - you might know us as a vital participant in the 1968 Senate Hearings on missing astronauts. And you've most likely used one of the many products we invented. But that other people have somehow managed to steal from us. Black Mesa can eat my bankrupt-" he cleared his throat.

"Right. Now, you might be asking yourself, 'Cave, just how difficult are these tests? What was in that phone book of a contract I signed? Am I in danger?'"

"Let me just answer that question with a question: How many of you would like to make sixty dollars? Cash."

Chell walked the new reception area slowly and found a new portrait of Cave Johnson. This one was from the 70's, Cave looking slightly older and serious. His sideburns grew out in classic 1970's style and he stared into her eyes with determination.

"So they built a new facility on top of the old one. What was wrong with these people...? Glados was disgusted, flicking at an old guest book at the receptionist's desk. She sneezed as a cloud of dust erupted from the book.

Chell turned her attention to the new Aperture logo displayed outside the window. It was similar, but this time spelled 'Aperture Science Innovators'. The round insignia was slightly updated as well, looking more like an atom than a circle.

"The testing area's just up ahead. The sooner you get through, the sooner you get your sixty bucks," Cave announced. The tape squealed at the end, making Chell instinctively flinch.

"No... no more primitive science..." Glados complained, throwing herself on a waiting couch in frustration.

Chell silently agreed and sat on the couch opposite her nemesis, watching her closely.

Glados sensed Chell's attention and her eyes flicked up to the ex-test subject, "What? You have a better idea?"

Their staring contest was interrupted by a sudden quaking of the building, and a light fixture above the reception desk dropped from the ceiling, shattering glass everywhere within a five-foot radius. The shaking stopped, and Chell let go of the armrest she had been gripping so tightly.

Glados didn't give any hint at being affected, only shooting Chell an accusing glare. You did this, lunatic, her eyes seemed to say. Chell was sick and tired of Glados' passive aggressive attitude, and laid on the couch, pointedly turned away from Glados. They'd be able to rest more easily here.

Glados seemed to get the hint and curled up on her own sofa in response, mumbling something about the incompetent idiot running her facility...


Savage. Some more Cave Johnson nonsense... Nothing you haven't heard before. ;) Sorry.