The woman was unhinged.
Wheatley treaded along the catwalk, the long-fall boots echoing dully against the metal structure.
Clack. Clack. Clack.
He wondered if these were the type of sounds his metal robotic body had made. He had never thought about it before. The squeaking of his handles, the whirr as his circuitry shifted when he blinked. Why had he ever been programmed to blink? Going off of that, what had been the purpose of designing robots capable of pain in the first place?
Humans were sick creatures, he concluded.
He looked up at the cavernous ceiling and breathed deeply. Being human wasn't really so bad though. It wasn't the best thing in the world; being bossed around, forced to carry heavy companion cubes, hair getting snagged on terrifying bird creatures, not being able to see without these ridiculous glasses on his face. But...
...It wasn't the worst thing in the world either.
GLaDOS seemed to be having a much harder time of it. The woman was hearing voices now and shouting at them. He and Chell would have heard her angry screams miles away. Surely, all of lower Aperture had. It was bizarre behavior, even for her.
He was annoyed that he felt this way, but he was worried it was his fault. The coffee mug couldn't have done that much damage, could it? How fragile were human beings anyway?
Did he honestly care?
Wheatley shrugged it off and kicked off the boots as he flung himself onto the ancient red sofa in the office. He burst into a coughing fit as he inhaled layers of dust on impact.
He traced the grooves of the carpet where the sofa had likely been resting for centuries before he had moved it. He wondered if Chell would consider letting him tag along with her after this was all over. GLaDOS would never let him stay. It's unlikely she'd even let him live.
Chell would be more likely to show him mercy.
Like you had shown mercy to her?
He closed his eyes.
Maybe not.
Chell was becoming concerned. GLaDOS had displayed slightly unhinged behavior by attempting to destroy a broken loudspeaker that she insisted was projecting Cave Johnson's voice with a swivel chair of all things. But this... This was something else.
GLaDOS was quiet, and she was never quiet. The former AI loved to hear the sound of her own voice, but now the silence was deafening.
Chell wasn't stupid. She did realize that being stuck in human bodies had affected both cores in more ways than just their outward appearance. It couldn't have been an easy transition.
Chell looked back to confirm that Wheatley had gone, not wanting him to set GLaDOS off any more. She tossed the scissors aside and readied herself.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
GLaDOS remained silent, trembling and staring straight ahead at the wall. She didn't look at Chell or the damaged portrait on the floor. One of her hands bled onto the tattered canvas where she had clearly gripped the blades of the scissors. It didn't seem to bother her.
Chell sighed. The last time the two had been down here, she had been able to piece together how GLaDOS had come to be through the ramblings of Cave Johnson. What had happened to Caroline was... well, rather horrific. Chell couldn't imagine what was going on in the former Central core's head, and as much as she still resented GLaDOS, she was empathetic.
But she wasn't an artificial intelligence therapist either.
She laid her hand on the other woman's shoulder and prodded her, "Come on, let's go back and get some sleep. We need to wrap your hand too."
GLaDOS glanced at the cuts on her hand unaffectedly, "Doesn't matter. I'll be back in my own body soon."
"If something happens to your hand, Wheatley will have to take over using the portal gun," Chell pointed out.
"Whatever."
Whatever?
GLaDOS made no move to get up, and Chell frowned, patience running out. "Let's go. I'm exhausted, and I'd like to bet you are too. You'll be able to function more like a human being after some rest."
"I'm not a human being," GLaDOS said.
"Maybe not," Chell retorted, "But Caroline certainly was."
No answer.
Chell huffed; she was hoping to get a rise out of the AI. The resigned attitude was just unlike her. Chell got back to her feet and picked up the portal gun GLaDOS had left to the side. At least it was undamaged.
She left the office and returned a few minutes later with water, fabric, and a roll of tape she had scrounged from some desks. She wordlessly cleaned GLaDOS's hand and wrapped it up, the woman unmoving the whole time. She didn't look at Chell even once.
When she was finished she finally got GLaDOS to her feet, and the two went back to the office where Wheatley slept. GLaDOS collapsed in the corner and promptly fell asleep while Chell took some old office chairs and made them into a makeshift bed. Might as well be somewhat comfortable.
She put her arms behind her head and eventually joined the others in slumber.
AEGIS felt frustrated. It was a new feeling for him, but he knew it to be the correct one. Frustrated.
The three personality cores had finished downloading into human bodies and had spent nearly sixteen hours getting used to their new vessels. He decided that giving the cores more time to grow used to the human bodies might help relieve some of the issues the last cores had dealt with. But these three didn't seem any more sane than the previous cores.
He had been watching them all day, and his patience was running out. The itch so strong. He had to test them and test them soon.
"Space! How am I gonna get back to space?!" the small, red-haired one was rocking back and forth, hugging his knees tightly. He had a grin on his face, but his voice was filled with agony.
The other, the Fact Core, was lying on his back staring at the ceiling. He had been muttering nonsensical things to himself all day, practically ignoring the existence of the other two cores.
The Adventure Core, or Rick, as he declared himself to be called, was energetic, running around the room and whooping with joy as he exercised his newfound mobility. "It's just the darndest thing!" he laughed, hands on his hips, "You know how many dreams I've had about havin' legs to run on? I just had one last night. Like a premonition!"
The Fact Core lifted his head and glared at Rick through his long, dark bangs, "You are an idiot. It is a fact that cores do not dream."
"Psht, you just got yer panties in a bind that you ain't as handsome as me," Rick waved him off. He flexed his arms, "If the ladies didn't adore me before, they're certainly gonna love me now!"
AEGIS watched their interactions with growing irritation. Aside from the Adventure Core, the others were wasting time not practicing using their new bodies. He had to test them now.
"It is enough," AEGIS announced, noting with slight pleasure that the three new humans looked up at the camera as he spoke. "We are through waiting. You will begin testing procedures immediately."
Atlas and P-Body entered the room and escorted the former cores out.
AEGIS could hardly wait.