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The drone that sounded from the elevator as it rattled up its shaft had begun to grate on Chell. The constant grinding and scraping scratched away at what little patience the woman had left. Then again, was it the elevator that was setting her off? No, that couldn’t be it. A minor annoyance, certainly, but nothing she couldn’t handle. Perhaps it was the rambling madman above. Numerous pointless experiments, lives lost, all played off in a jovial tone. No, no - that was bad, but certainly not the worst dialogue she heard during her stay at Aperture Science. The potato battery, however...
“Caroline, Caroline, WHY do I know this woman?! Did I kill her? Or...” GLaDOS trailed off. “Oh my God.”
Chell, for the first time in a while, looked at her. Her small, starchy form -- far different than the towering behemoth she used to be. Karma, Chell decided. For all the horrible acts she had committed, if nothing more, she deserved this.
“Listen, you’re - you’re doing a great job. Can you handle things for yourself for a while? I need to think.”
With that, the AI was quiet again. A part of Chell knew she was being the slightest bit childish. Yet, another knew that being furious at someone who attempted to murder you numerous times was more than fair. This temporary alliance was only that - temporary. Just focus on the task at hand, she told herself. And focus she did. Firing a portal on a far off, slanted panel, she shot another at the opposing wall. She ran towards it, her boots sliding easily across the orange gel that laid before it. With a huge bang, she landed on a perfectly placed catwalk - thankful that the old structure didn’t give out under the force of her landing. As she walked up the staircase and into the room, the voice of Cave Johnson came overhead.
“Welcome to the enrichment center.” He coughs loudly.
He goes on to ramble about how changes made to testing have resulted in employee retention being less than optimal. As a result, human testing would be phased out, in an attempt to keep the company up and running. Chell cast a glance down at GLaDOS, whose silence was more than telling.
“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” Another cough erupts from him. “Let's all stay positive and do some science.”
Chell walked among a maze-like office space. Paper laid scattered across the floor, crumpled, torn, useless. Rooms long abandoned, barren. Chell found a lone, red button and pressed it. It clicked and opened another passage just up ahead, out of the maze. Walking out of the room, Chell noticed a portrait on the wall. It was of the founder, Cave Johnson. He looked much older, a solemn yet troubled expression plastered on his face. For reasons she couldn’t fathom, she felt a hint of pity for him. Chell looked away and tried to realign her focus.
She found herself in an enormous room. Pipes carrying gels twisting and turning every which way, looking more similar to a jungle gym for giants than a functional pipe system. Trying to get her bearings, Chell got down from the catwalk and started to look around. She kept her gaze high, looking for portalable surfaces. As she was searching, something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. On the far wall was a panel that jutted out from the rest of the surface. In the past, whenever there was an imperfection like that, it usually meant there was some sort of hidden area. Immediately interested, Chell walked over.
If there was one thing she enjoyed about all this, it was finding these remnants of the past. Chell couldn’t help but wonder just how far in the past, though. One time, she ran her fingers along a mural she found, and noticed that the paint was still a little wet. The mere idea that she wasn’t alone both relieved and terrified her. Could there be other people down here? If there were, would they be friend or foe? Chell didn’t know, but nevertheless, she was curious.
Pushing the panel aside, she squeezed through the open gap and into a cramped, but decently lit room. Inside, she found the usual brand of strangeness she’d become somewhat accustomed to. On the ground, empty cans of beans and other such foods. On the far side of the room, a desk with a broken computer on it, a toppled over chair. Stashed away objects from tests, such as cubes and other such machinery. Chell turned her attention to the walls. The usual ‘the cake is a lie’ line was written numerous times in one corner. Tally marks, a calendar. Drawings depicted GLaDOS, and... something... far different than normal. Chell squinted.
There was a cluster of companion cubes. That alone wasn’t out of the norm for the artist - or artists, Chell corrected herself. Every cube sported its usual pinkish-red color, save for one. One cube was yellow instead.
Weird.
Nearby the previous drawing, there was another, larger one. Multicolored rectangles surrounded the figure of a man. The shapes fold in towards him, overwhelming and overtaking. The figure almost appeared to be cowering, afraid. Long curved lines jut out from his head, his back, neck, and seem to be connected to the colorful shapes. Alongside this drawing are the words, “it takes your mind”.
“Again,” Chell finishes the sentence.
Weirder.
For a moment, she couldn’t remember where she heard the phrase. She thought back, quickly remembering the radio she found in a previous hidden area. The radio was clearly not in the best state, its days were numbered, but the meaning of the song that played could still be heard loud and clear. She absentmindedly hummed the tune to herself.
Sighing, Chell decided it was time to leave. After all, there was still the whole situation with Wheatley that needed to be resolved... somehow. The mere thought of him and what he did made her heart sink. Once friend now foe, Chell knew that whatever happened, it wouldn’t end well. Before she can start to think too much on it, feeling tears begin to well, she shakes her head and turns towards the exit. Just before she can leave, though, something else catches her eye.
Another panel. Were these even worth exploring at this point? Especially considering the amount of junk covering it up. Cubes, a desk... oh, who was she kidding? If Chell was going to try to enjoy herself at any point, now would be the time to do it. She made quick work of most of the pile with the portal gun, using it to carry numerous cubes and other miscellaneous objects from the wall. However, as it got to some of the heavier bits, such as pieces of the ceiling, Chell knew she would have to take care of that herself. She placed the portal gun on a nearby desk and, after cracking her knuckles, moved the rest of the debris, as well as the panel itself. After wiping sweat from her brow, she re-equipped her portal gun and hesitantly looked into the small space. Initially, it looked to be just another den. Dimly lit, odd murals covering the walls, other such debris. She took a step in and --
CRACK!
That couldn’t be good.
The floor below her gave way, plummeting the pair into the darkness below.
- - -
As the world slowly faded back in, all Chell could process was how badly her head ached. She groaned, rubbing her head as she sat back up. Her spine added its two cents in too,
“Oh hi,” GLaDOS greeted. “I was beginning to wonder if you would ever wake up from your little nap.”
Taking in a deep breath, Chell kept in whatever witty remark she thought up in, not wanting to feed into the AI’s taunts. She couldn’t hold back another groan though, feeling faint, her head spun. After taking a moment to collect herself, Chell got to her feet. Finally opening her eyes, she realized just how dark the room was. It was practically pitch black, save for a long, thin line of colored light at the far end of wherever this was.
“I wonder how far we fell,” GLaDOS pondered. “Another decade back, or two?”
In addition to the lack of light in the room, Chell noticed the lack of noise as well. It was eerily quiet, save for her own breathing and GLaDOS’ ridiculous comments. While the pair were still up in the 1950s-70s era Aperture, at least she could hear its ever-present hum, the facility’s inhale and exhale. It almost felt as though it were a living creature. In some respects, Chell thought, it was. Even this far down, she could feel the familiar slow, rhythmic breeze against her bare skin. Of course, the distant rumble of Wheatley’s scientific blunders could be heard amongst the noise. Down here, though? She heard none of that. Felt none of that. Somehow, this part of the facility felt different. Disconnected.
It was a silly thought, Chell had to admit. Letting her fear and paranoia consume her, especially down here, would not do her any favors. Especially side by side with an enemy - not a good look for her. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Chell took a hesitant step towards the hint of light. Debris from their entrance crushed under her boot broke with a would-be satisfying crunch. Briefly, she wondered if the floor would again give out under her, forcing her to freeze in place.
Impatient, GLaDOS interrupted her panicked train of thought with a, “you’re wasting time.” Her words weren’t entirely out of malice. GLaDOS, though just as frightened, was bound by curiosity.
Gritting her teeth, Chell struggled, but managed to force herself calm. She took a hesitant step forward. This time, she appeared to step off the pile of debris and onto the flat, tile flooring. She took another step. Another. Then another. Her boots clicked on the surface. With each passing step, her breath began to slow, eventually returning to normal. This happened just about the time she reached the door. Standing in front of it now, she could hear a very faint noise on the other side of the door. A fan? Whatever it was, it hummed with electricity, and in a place like this, Chell didn’t know if she was comforted by this fact or threatened by it. To find out, she would need to open the door and look inside. That was, if she could get her hand to move from her side. Anxiety gripped her heart.
“Chell.”
She opened her eyes. The dim, yellow glow of GLaDOS’ eye seemed to be staring at her. In that moment, she was comforted by the familiarity of it -- nothing more, nothing less.
Without responding, Chell placed her hand on the doorknob. It was cold to the touch, icy in her grip. Turning it slowly, she jumped when it clicked, reaching its end. She pushed it open ever so slowly, eyes closed, not wanting to look at whatever lay behind it.
The air inside the room was stale, as though nothing had occupied the space in quite a number of years. Chell took a hesitant look into the near pitch black room. It appeared to be somewhat large. Two rooms connected by an open doorway with a wall of glass. The door that had been there had apparently fall off its hinges at some point, now laying on the floor inside. Further ahead, Chell could make out where the mysterious glow had some from. Computer monitors.
Making her way into the first room, she cast a glance to the side. Clipboards with varying quality of taken notes, papers unevenly placed, and various pens and pencils lined one desk. On another sat an old computer, keyboard, and switched off monitor. Sticky notes were attached to the sides of the screen, likely displaying passwords and other such nonsense Chell didn’t have time or will to care for.
Reaching the end of the small, messy room, Chell looked forward towards the only light in the room. The persistent, bright green-yellow glow of a monitor. The light wasn’t enough to illuminate the whole room, naturally, but what she could make out were numerous papers covering the floor. Old machinery and wiring, broken beyond repair. Every chair and table had been knocked over, broken, order disrupted in someway, save for one. One chair still stood upright. In this chair, Chell could hardly make out the form of a sitting figure, slouched over in its seat.
Chell’s heart jumps to her throat and she immediately feels lightheaded. In all her time spent here in Aperture Science, not once has she seen a body. Neither alive nor dead. Given the story of GLaDOS killing off the facility’s staff via neurotoxin, that seemed particularly odd. The facility was barren, long abandoned, but no sign of any wrongdoing. In some ways, Chell found herself fortunate for that. If nothing else, the sight of a corpse wouldn’t be good for morale.
In the dim light, Chell could make it what seemed to be wires snaking from the figure’s head. They were experimenting on humans -- that thought alone didn’t surprise her, but even so, actually seeing it was gruesome. Every part of her wanted to turn around now, leave before she saw too much. However, there was still a burning curiosity that would never be quenched unless she took just a peak. That’s all she needed. A quick look and then she could hop right out and try to find a way back up. Without further hesitation, Chell found herself walking forward, slow, cautious.
As she’s just about halfway there, the figure jerks, twitching violently. Having practically jumped out of her skin, Chell takes a few steps back, ready to bolt at a moment’s notice. Swallowing, she does something she knew she would regret.
“H.. Hello?”
She called out to it. With that, the figure properly jolts to life, its spine cracking, wires cascading aside, as it sits up. Along with it, the room breathes its first, stuttered, breath, a series of other monitors flickering to life with their alien glow. A few overhead halogens give off their own dim light, casting the room in an eerie blue. Chell’s heart raced. Spinning to face the now horrified woman, a strangely familiar face greets her.
“Greetings, friend! Name’s Cave Johnson, founder and CEO of Aperture Science.”
The voice strikes her first, then the name, then the face. It’s him. The man from the pre-recordings she heard upstairs in the testing area. There was no way it could be the same man, especially not after this long. Especially considering the moon rock incident. He should be dead -- long dead by now. However, for what should be a corpse, he is surprisingly animated.
Understandably taken aback, Chell doesn’t respond. Cave continues.
“Yes, it really is me!” He said, as if reading her mind. “Alone. In an abandoned room. At the bottom of a pit. Cheerful.” Even after all this time, he still has it in himself to crack jokes.
Chell was nowhere near coming to terms with what she was hearing, but she attempted to respond nevertheless. “Wh-wh- how are you... alive?”
“Oh that? Simple.” Cave Johnson crosses his legs and folds his hands, readying himself to tell the tale. As he does this, Chell notices the state of his hands. His fingers had been replaced with that of metal, red drawing the line between skin and not. The sight sickens her.
“I’m not! Technically speaking. Rather, I shouldn’t be.” As he blinks, his eye color glitches, then changes. What would normally be brown becomes green -- then pink. Both, then. They glow with inhumanity, more resembling those of a personality core than a human.
“Really, I should’ve kicked the bucket a good few decades ago. And if memory serves, I did. Lunar poison is ruthless.” As he talks, he plays with a cable running down from the side of his jaw. “But, seems the lab boys had a few tricks up their sleeves. Who knew Greg was a necromancer?” He laughs, shaking his head, his chuckle metallic and broken. “Half man, half machine -- a monster in the eyes of God.”
“Come on, we don’t have time for this.”
Chell was about to take GLaDOS’ advice and leave, but Cave perked up. His eyes widened and their odd hues give the woman chills down her spine.
“Hold it, hold it -- Caroline, is that... is that you?” He smiles.
“Yes SIR, Mr. Johnson! I’ll have those reports on your desk by 4:30 -- bzzt.” GLaDOS paused, horrified by her own words.. “What... was that?”
“Yes, it IS you!” He seemed elated then. “You were my assistant - my most beloved one, at that. The heart and soul of Aperture Science. Don’t you remember?”
“No, Mr. Johnson, I don’t,” insists the AI, fear in her voice. “I refuse to accept this.”
“Ohhhhh, Carrie, that’s partially my fault,” Cave tilts his head, hands clasped together. Quickly, he jerks back to his previous sitting position. “Sorry, sorry. Alright, let me explain.”
“The lab boys had developed a computer body for me to house my consciousness in. But y’know, as we’d never touched on artificial intelligence before, it sounded risky, sooo, I uh - volunteered you to go first.” As he finishes his sentence, he trailed off, guilty. He cracks a smile. “Like a taste-tester, but with your soul and mortal form!” Cave can’t help but laugh. “I’d say it turned out well, but it appears you’ve been turned into -- what is that, a potato battery?”
“The experiment turned out very well, actually.” GLaDOS taunts. “What with the murder of hundreds of your scientists, test subjects --”
“And me, apparently” Cave interrupts. “I swear, I remember some of the guys down here discussing your rampage before I underwent surgery, but as you can imagine, s’a little fuzzy. But enough about that. Anything interesting gone on since I’ve been down here?”
Before GLaDOS has a chance to gloat about whatever advancements she made since Cave Johnson’s fall, Chell pipes up.
“Yes, actually,” she started. “I made the mistake of trusting a robot, putting him in charge, and the building's probably going to explode if we don’t... do anything about that.”
“... Right,” GLaDOS relented.
“So,” Chell continued, “we need to be on our way.”
“Alright, alright, I won’t keep you much longer.” Cave waved his hands. “I just have one tiny, itty bitty request.”
“Make it fast,” GLaDOS responds before Chell can.
“As you can imagine, my life is torture. Ceaseless torture. Being a cyborg isn’t as fun as it’s cracked up to be, y’know. As such, I need you two to do me a HUGE favor.”
Chell speaks first this time, “What’s that?”
“Kill me.”
The finality and sheer ridiculousness of the request caught both of them off guard.
“Now, before you say no, I want you to remember that I've lived a full life.” He continues. “Also, if this helps seal the deal, livin' in a computer this long's made me crazy.” He sticks out his thumbs and points them towards himself, smiling widely. “That's right: I am insane.”
Appalled, Chell can only respond with stutters. “N-no, I can’t--” Cave Johnson continues to ramble.
“HOLD IT. I suppose tellin' you I'm not in my right mind could sway you to not unplugging me. Fair enough, good on ya. Let me round back on the important parts: soulless hybrid. Constant pain and misery Nothing left to live for. So why don't you get on over here and unplug ol' Cave.”
“If you don’t unplug him, I will.” GLaDOS said, a hint of terror still in her voice.
“You and what arms?” Snarks the founder.
“Alright, alright, both of you shut up!” Chell exclaims. When the bickering pair was silent, she continued. “I’ll do it. Just... where do I start?”
Pleased by her response, Cave Johnson’s smile grows wider, and he sits up properly in his chair. If Chell knew she could get him to shut up just by telling him she’ll kill him, she would’ve said so sooner. Probably. Then again, the thought still makes her sick.
“Oh, anywhere! I’d start picking jacks at random. Heck, feel free to pick your favorite color and go to town.”
Rolling her eyes at his remark, Chell looked him over briefly. There were a fair few wires running down the sides of his head. She decided to start with a yellow colored one. After she unplugged it, one of Cave’s eyes flickered out. With no response from the man, she continues. Glancing over, there’s another bunch of multicolored jacks at the back of his neck. She unplugs a few of those. As her hands brush up against his skin, she can feel how warm it is to the touch. Now being this close to him, she swore she could hear a faint hum coming from inside of him. He wasn’t kidding, she supposed. Half man, half machine. An abomination -- she bit her tongue.
“Is there a reason,” Chell pauses, struggling momentarily with a certain cord, “you couldn’t do this yourself?”
“Believe me, if I thought I could’ve ended this waking nightmare sooner, I would’ve.” The jovial tone Chell had become accustomed to seemed to disappear. He displays his hands then, stretching his fingers. “I can’t touch the jacks without getting a mighty shock. - If I ever find out who implemented that feature, I’ll --”
As Chell unplugs a red colored jack, Cave’s jaw goes stiff and he goes silent. His functional eye blinks, looking directly at the woman. Partially unnerved and partially not wanting to miss out of the rest of his rant, she plugs the jack back in.
“-- and shove it up h--!” For a brief moment, his voice sounds completely and utterly robotic. “Ooh. Room’s getting dark. Darker, I should say. Keep goin’, uh -- what’s your name again?”
She hesitates, but relents. “My name is Chell.”
Cave had been absentmindedly fidgeting, seemingly unable to control his own movements. However, when she relayed her name, he stopped dead. He blinks, seemingly lost in thought as he brought a hand to his temple and scratches at his head.
“Chell, Chell, Chell, wheeeere have I heard that name before? It sounds oddly familiar.” He slouches, chin resting on his hand, face screwed up in concentration. “This is gonna kill me WAY quicker than you can.”
Though she’s somewhat annoyed by his comment, it doesn’t stop her. Another couple jacks were separated from his neck before he spoke up again.
“Nooo. You weren’t the kid who brought the potato batteries, were you? For that ‘Bring Your Daughter To Work Day’?”
Perplexed by his statement, Chell stopped working. That couldn’t be possible. She thought back, trying to remember that day -- truth be told, she could vaguely remember her childhood. Given her extended rest, that was unfortunately to be expected. He could’ve been right. She thought back later, thinking perhaps her teen years could provide some insight. Nothing came to mind. White walls, hospital-like in nature. Later still, the same testing facility. The same Aperture Science. Swallowing, Chell brought her hands back to the cascade of cables. Certainly she couldn’t have been here the entire time. She was being paranoid now -- it was impossible.
Even as she panicked, Cave seemed uncaring that she stopped. He was preoccupied by thought, trying to remember just as she did.
“Can’t remember who brought you - GAH it’s right on the tip of my tongue!” He exclaims then pauses, cracking a grin. “Er, whatever’s left of it.” Satisfied with his poor joke, he continues his original thought. ”Starts with a, uh - a D, that first initial.”
“Could his last initial be an ‘R’?” Asks GLaDOS, a certain smugness in her tone.
Cave perks up. “Oddly specific, Caroline. Do you remember?”
“Of course I do. His name i--”
“Y’know, I’ve been perfectly content not knowing whether or not I’m an orphan.” Chell was quick to interrupt. ”Could you both just let me have this?”
In unison, the two respond with a negative and proceeded to laugh about it. Chell was getting increasingly aggravated and was about to argue when Cave spoke up again.
“C’mon Caroline!” He dragged out her name, childishly whining. “You were never this cruel before.”
“Perhaps you shouldn’t have stuck me in a computer against my will,” she responds sternly. “Maybe then I would be more caring towards your feelings.”
Cave appeared to accept defeat, giving up the argument with a grumble. With that situation settled, she decided to go back to unplugging jacks. As her hands once again met skin, she couldn’t help but notice the inhuman coldness of it -- a stark contrast to what she felt earlier. Cave leans forward, allowing her to easily reach some vital components.
“Oho! I can feel myself shutting down,” he practically cheered. “Man, this is excitin’.”
His willingness to die is chilling to Chell, yet given all that she went through, somewhat relatable. Her life primarily comprised of testing -- deadly obstacle courses, constant movement, little to no rest in between. In some ways, she envied him. In other ways, Chell was still determined to escape, despite the growing list of complications.
She only had a handful of wires left. As her hand reached for one, though, Cave perked up, throwing her off.
“RATTMANN!” His voice sounds considerably less human now. “Thaaat’s right. That artist guy, helped design a bunch of our robots. Wonder whatever happened to ‘em, guy had some talent.”
“He was likely killed by my neurotoxin.” If GLaDOS could smile, Chell knew she would’ve right then.
Cave chuckled again, “You raise a good yet unfortunate point.”
An artist? As they went back and forth, Chell couldn’t help but wonder, thinking back to all the murals she had seen around Aperture Science. Could they have been created by her father? At least a portion of them? It would be a longshot, but perhaps he could still be alive somewhere, somehow --
“ANYWAYS, could you hurry it up a little, Chell?” Cave ruins her train of thought. “Kinda prolonging my suffering here.”
She resigned, telling herself she’d think more on her father later. The man’s movements vastly slower, Chell took it upon herself to shove him back against the chair. He grunted, surprised by the suddenness of it. Guilt pierced her heart, but resisted the urge to apologize. Chell walks around him, finding an easier position to work in. Wire after wire, Cave continues to ramble, much to everyone’s dismay.
“Seems I can’t move anymore,” he said, eye darting across his limp body. “That’s a good sign, right? Right. Absolutely."
She tried not to focus too hard on his words.
“I’m comin’ for you, Caroline!”
However, it was getting difficult. As much as Chell despised Aperture Science, the last thing she wanted to do was hurt anyone -- kill anyone involved with the company.
“Mr. Johnson?” GLaDOS started.
Cave’s eye focused on the potato battery. “Yes, Caroline?”
“Stop it.” She finished.
“Ten-four, ma’am!”
Given how he treated her, Chell couldn’t blame GLaDOS for being so blunt with him. In the end, both of the women were victims of science.
One more wire. Chell swallows, gripping it between her fingers. Finally, she yanked it out of its port. Her heart sank, watching the man’s back arch, crack -- before he finally went limp in his seat. Even so, he wouldn’t stop talking.
“Here I go! The great beyond! Valhalla, home of Hercules!” His voice was distorted, growing worse by the minute. “I can hear them winged chariots thunderin' over now!”
Only then does he finally go quiet. Chell feels an odd sort of emptiness in her chest. Her breath catches, falling short. The realization of what she had just done hit her like a brick wall. She just killed a man. The concept echoed throughout her mind. Should she have trusted the word of a clearly suicidal man? She should’ve thought more carefully about her actions -- she should’ve tried to help. She promises herself she won’t cry, even though she can feel a familiar pinprick at her eye. She brings a hand to her mouth, muffling herself.
“Goodbye, sir. May whatever tests await you on the other side either support or disprove your hypotheses.”
Even GLaDOS seemed somewhat distraught, if still mostly reserved.
“Thank you, Caroline.”
The voice of Cave Johnson surprises them both. Somehow, despite everything she had done, he was still alive. Chell briefly considers running away, the coward in her horrified by the turn of events.
“Alright! Too much jawin’, not enough dyin’,” he finally states. His remaining eye finally flickered off. “Here I go! Ah.”
When he didn’t speak again after a few minutes, Chell found herself slightly relieved. Her chest still ached with regret, but what’s done was done. She realized there was likely nothing she could’ve done for him beyond... that. With that thought in mind, she finally turned away from him, heading back the way she came in. As she opens the door, GLaDOS speaks up.
“I'd... appreciate it... if we never... EVER talked about that... ever again.”
Chell nodded, sighing.
“Don’t have to ask me twice.”