Chell was sitting cross-legged on her floor, digging around in her hand-made toolbox for the correct instrument.
Ah, there!
She lifted a tiny micro-laser from the tools, dropping down on her knees to bend closer to the little robot she was working on.
It's orange optic snapped open, gazing into her eyes soulfully.
Chell giggled, "Hello, there!"
She turned to the other finished robot sitting idly, the two noticing each other for the first time and interracting in their own little robot language.
Blue was twitching excitedly, thrilled at his new orange partner.
The two were nothing more than balls of metal with an advanced A.I. core. Chell had invented them herself...
Hadn't she?
Chell felt slightly confused... something about this was off.
The feeling melted when the robots tittered at her cheerfully, and she pulled them into a hug, their cold metal bodies freezing her exposed thin arms. But she didn't care... she had created something extraordinary! Her!
Professor C- her dad...? The Professor would be so pleased with her.
Maybe they'd finally let her work in the labs with them. She could only dream of the highly-advanced systems and instruments that were available there. It made her shiver in excitement.
She had worked on these robots in secret for ages, waiting to unveil the surprise. The scientists had long been working on creating artificial intelligence, with little or no success.
And she, Chell, had done it!
Hadn't she...?
Someone opened her door, coming in unannounced.
She shifted the two cores behind her, staring wide-eyed at Henry Cadwin, startled by the intrusion.
Her dad looked so much younger... his hair less thinned and gray than she had known.
"I was about to go and talk to you... Pr-professor!" She stammered, barely holding back her excitement.
The Professor- her dad? Watched her, his face an unreadable mask.
She continued, "Actually, I wanted to polish them up a little bit first... but I did it! I made the first working A.I.s in the history of Aperture Science. Granted, they're still a bit crude, but I'll polish them up with time. Do you want to see them?" She held up her first one, Blue, with pride.
"This is Atlas, he's uh..." her presentation fizzled out as she registered Cadwin's grave expression. He didn't seem very pleased with her at all. That wasn't in the calculations...
Her dad- Henry stepped forward, and in one movement yanked Blue out of her hands and hurled him against the wall, the optic shattering explosively.
Chell jumped in alarm, shock written on her small face. Her emotions started to cloud her usually logical demeanor and she gaped at the professor, "What... what are you doing?"
He reached over and plucked Orange out from behind her, holding it far away from her grasp. "No... what are you doing?" he asked. His face was dark. Angry at her.
Why...?
"No, wait!" she reached out desperately as Cadwin turned, pulling out Chell's tools and started hammering at the little robot. The robot cried out to her and was silenced with a bang in the optic. The orange light flickered out, and he was tossed next to Blue's shell on the ground.
Chell's mouth quivered, not understanding what he was doing... "Please... I thought..."
"You 'thought'?" Cadwin was furious, whirling to look at her, his face too close to her own.
Daddy.
His rage looked so unnatural...
"Do you know how closely we have to watch you... do you know just what kind of dangerous technology you are meddling with, child?" his voice was low, fury bubbling underneath.
"I just wanted to help..."
"You can help by working on what I told you to work on. You owe me, remember, little girl?"
Little girl...?
"Yes, I know. But those experiments are for children-"
"YOU ARE A CHILD. A DANGEROUS CHILD!" His voice rose abruptly, and she pulled back in fear, shaking.
'Dangerous?'
"But-"
Chell was knocked onto her back by a brutal blow to the face.
She lay stunned, her mouth opening and closing, her brain not knowing how to respond.
He had backhanded her.
Her daddy never hit her.
What was happening?
WHAT IS THIS
Chell used her weak limbs to lift herself, staring into his eyes with deep betrayal. Tears gathered and dripped down her cheeks out of her control.
"Don't you dare cry," he warned her, his face unforgiving.
What do you mean 'don't cry'? How DARE-
She whimpered out loud as he lifted his hand to strike her again, and she backed up in fear, cowering.
"I said stop crying!"
He grabbed her arms roughly, shaking her, "I saved your pathetic little life, and I told you never to cry. You're better than that! I made you better than that!"
She desperately tried holding back her tears, but they fell, unbidden.
"What did I say? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU-"
"HENRY!" Another voice shouted from the doorway.
Professor Cadwin dropped Chell to the ground and turned away, reigning in his loss of control.
He picked up Atlas and P-Body and turned to shut her door, looking her in the eyes, "I'm going to need to make some adjustments. Now go do the research assigned to you." And he left without another word.
Chell lost all essence of control and sobbed on the floor...
What was wrong with her?
Why wasn't she good enough?
Her daddy would never-
Her daddy would never lay a hand on her.
She loved him.
Chell's eyes shot open and she sat up quickly, taking ragged breaths.
What in the world was that...?
Her dreams were haunting her... why did she keep dreaming of her father?
She gathered her head in her hands, trying to reign in her anxious thoughts... pulling herself back to reality.
Glados sat up, apparently awake, and looking as well rested as Chell felt. They sat in silence, blinking in the dim lights of the reception area.
"I don't think I'll be getting rest any time soon," Glados grumbled, mostly to herself.
Chell rubbed her forehead, trying to ease her newfound headache, Tell me about it.
Glados' head snapped up, staring intently at Chell.
"What did you say?"
What...? She's already taking shots at-
"'Shots'?" Glados repeated Chell's personal dialogue.
This time Chell's head shot up, apprehension written on her features.
"Did you say something?" Glados' inquired again.
Chell shook her head fiercely. Is she losing her mind?
Glados' mouth dropped open, "Excuse me?"
Chell only sat, stunned. What was happening?
"Wait a second, wait a second," Glados sat forward with newfound energy, "Do you mean to tell me that this entire time you were..." she didn't have to finish the sentence.
Telepathic...?
Was Chell still dreaming?
"And you're just now deciding to grace me with your voice? I have to admit, I imagined your voice to be more nasally and childish-"
'Sort of like yours?' Chell tried thinking directly, testing this confusing new discovery. It wasn't entirely registering yet.
Glados' nose wrinkled, "I do not sound nasally."
'No, you just sound like a petulant child. Omygoshicantbelieveicantalkwhatishappeningwhat-' Chell's thoughts went out of control, not quite understanding this new situation.
Glados grimaced and closed her eyes, "Look, don't think so loudly at me. I never said I actually wanted to hear your thoughts." She glanced at Chell thoughtfully, "Wait a minute, does that mean you can hear my thoughts too?" She looked guarded, eyeing Chell mistrustfully.
Chell pondered that and listened intently for Glados' voice. Nothing.
She shrugged, 'Maybe... I don't hear anything. But I have no desire to dig around in your head.' She shivered involuntarily.
Glados rolled her eyes, "That's a relief. Keep to yourself, nosy lunatic."
Her eyes lit up, "But I can't believe you do have a deviation! In the test chambers you never exhibited one... and there was no way they put a test subject in the system without a deviation. Mind you..." she continued, getting lost in her personal excitement over the science behind it.
"What might have caused it to flare up suddenly? Maybe the adrenaline from all the testing? Being in close proximity to my own genius, perhaps?" Glados mused. Chell wondered if she was kidding or not. It was difficult to tell. "I would love to take a look inside that head of yours." No thanks.
She was telepathic.
She could communicate.
For the first time in her life, Chell could completely interact with another human being, and it had to be Glados.
Glados seemed to sense her disappointment and glanced at Chell, "Well...? Aren't you curious?"
'Maybe it was exposure to the repulsion gel,' Chell shrugged.
Glados frowned, "I need to get a sample of that, now that you've reminded me."
Her face darkened, "I can study it after I kill the moron."
Chell's mind snapped back to the present, the thrill of the moment fading away, 'Quit that. I'm not letting you kill anyone.' Chell was irritated, tired of Glados' insanity.
Glados looked slightly irked, "I liked you better when you were the silent, broody type."
'Well I never liked you at all...' Chell countered. She was responding without thinking, having no control over what she thought. Her negative feelings towards Glados had been bottled up and finally had somewhere to go. Her thoughts increased rapidly with growing anger.
"You should calm down. That newfound ability of yours is going to overload your primordial brain if you keep-"
'You murdered him.' She said it.
"...What?" Glados frowned, confusion written on her face.
'You...' Chell was trembling with anger, unable to control her frustration. 'You're a cold-blooded murderer. I know what you did... I was there.'
"'There...'?" Glados repeated softly. What Chell was saying registered.
'And I can finally say it. I was visiting my daddy and you killed him. I'll never, ever, forgive you for that.' She shook, her head aching with effort. She didn't know what to say to Glados, she only sent over waves of anger and frustrated sentences. Flashes of her father's face and memories of the day intruded into Glados' own confused thoughts. It was liberating as well as terrifying.
Glados sat on the couch, a wide-eyed stare plastered on her face.
"You were never a test subject..." her voice was quiet.
'NO! I'm not! I don't know what kind of sick game you-'
"You're his daughter," Glados interrupted, her voice sounding raw. Chell's emotional bombardment was physically hurting her head...
'Don't you dare get angry with me. That's my job. My right,' Chell continued. What was wrong with her...? This wasn't how Chell was supposed to communicate with a person.
It wasn't how she had ever pictured it at all.
And she couldn't get herself to stop.
Glados looked visibly upset, "You..."
'Shut up! Just stop talking! No wonder Wheatley lost his mind, trying to talk sense into you. You only destroy everyone you touch! What is wrong with you?' Chell practically screamed in Glados' head.
Glados flinched and held her head gingerly in her hands. She looked up at Chell, pain in her eyes. She whispered,
"I hated him..."
Chell fell silent, looking away from Glados. She got up and ran out of the building, eager for some fresh air, or whatever you called the air down there. She couldn't stand to look at the pale woman anymore.
And Glados sat on her couch, hugging herself bitterly.
Chell was Henry Cadwin's daughter. Typical.
She was just like him.
Yay, you get two chapters this time! I'm sorry about all the angst... there will be some angsty moments, but I promise it'll get better. I can't wait to introduce everyone else into the story. :)
