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“Beginning next test chamber.”
As soon as the elevator doors slid open, he was off and running. He remembered one of the previous chamber that shot a plasma ball towards the elevator and if he hadn't realized it was coming straight for him and ducked out of the way it would have burned it's way straight through his head unhindered. Ever since, he made sure to evaluate where a safe spot was before he even made it past the energy field.
Michael Jones, Test Subject #119, or so he was told. To be honest, he didn't trust the soft voice of GLaDOS any more then he had to. But because of the amnesia that kept him from knowing of anything but these chambers, Michael Jones was the only thing he could cling to and hope it was truly his.
“This will be your companion cube for the next few test chambers. Please take care of him.” GlaDOS offered peacefully, shutting the door behind him.
A companion cube? What the hell was that? Sure, he'd heard rumors of the strange things, whispers between the turrets before he killed them or...or sent them into sleep mode, or whatever they did. But they rarely ever spoke outside of their programming in fear She would hear, so he never quite picked up on what the companion cube was.
His questions were answered as a strange humanoid figure tumbled to the ground right next to him. It startled Michael and he accidentally shot a portal under him, dumping the cube on the other side of the room.
“Oh shit! Sorry about that.” He hurried over to help him up, noticing that he seemed to have a hard time controlling his limbs.
“Thanks,” the cube said, blinking up at him.
Wait, cube? Human? Combination of both? What the fuck.
Swallowing down his questions, Michael instead forced out the most important one, “and who are you?”
“#Cube R4Y.” Michael could almost hear the fact it was just a repeatment of a title. He sighed.
“I'll just call you Ray. That good?”
Ray beamed. “Perfect. My names' Ray, and I'll be your companion cube for the rest of this little adventure.”
-
They zipped through the chambers like mad after that. Michael said that they were going through them like lightning, but Ray refused to acknowledge it existed and kept referring to it as 'static electricity'. He had to admit, the quirk was kinda cute.
He never really figured out how Ray worked, but he didn't need to. They made it through the chambers without a scratch and came out better friends each time. For once, he had a....companion. A friend.
And every time Ray said 'we finished that one like static electricity!' on his way into the elevator with that sparkle in his eye, maybe more then that.
But Michael couldn't afford to think like that. He was a robot, and probably couldn't feel it anyway. (What was he thinking? Ray wasn't like that.) And he couldn't help doubt and think that he was just clinging for any attention he could get.
So they stayed the way they were, happy with each other and hoping to someday get of there and explore. Through the ridiculous gaps in his memory, Michael could remember an animal called a cat. He promised to show Ray a cat, since it was only artificial lifeforms down here and before Michael he'd never seen flesh that wasn't his own.
(That was also the time Michael learned he was a special type of companion cube and Ray nearly had a breakdown over remembering his isolation.)
And GlaDOS droned ever on and on, with no end in sight. But she promised cake at the end and Ray was absolutely ecstatic to try cake so Michael stayed optimistic for him. Even when he screamed himself hoarse in anger over a chamber they couldn't beat.
They never thought there would be an end. There couldn't be an end.
-
“No.” Michael croaked, the beginning of tears welling up in his eyes. “No, I won't do it.”
Ray was staring with wide and panicked eyes at the incineration chamber, darting between the flames and Michael's face.
“You have to do it.” He was clenching and unclenching his hands, ready to run like a startled deer. He was enforced by GlaDOS's calm 'please insert the companion cube into the incineration chamber.' It made him wince. Even now, he was just an object to be used. To be 'inserted'. He couldn't walk himself to his death and have at least a modicum of decency left, could he?
“I'm not going to fucking do it. I WON'T KILL MY FRIEND!” He shrieked, throwing punches at the wall.
“Please insert the companion cube into the incineration chamber.”
“FUCK YOU!”
“Please insert the companion cube into the incineration chamber.”
“I won't do it you fucking bitch. I'm going to get out of here and tear you WIRE FROM WIRE for this hell you've put through us all!”
“Please insert the companion cube into the incineration chamber.”
Michael was just screaming expletives and threats at that point. The flames continued to lick somewhere Ray couldn't exactly see, he naturally flinched away.
As Ray stood there quietly, the world fuzzed away, and he sees for the first time. This entire place isn't worth it. It's fake. He remembers.
“Michael.” He finally spoke, and that shut the brunett up fast.
“Yeah, Ray?” Michael choked out, leaning heavily on the wall and slowly sliding down it to curl up at the base.
Ray padded over and sat down next to him, leaning his head on his shoulder. “I won't feel it anyway.”
“Don't fucking say that.” Michael sounded dark and pissed off, but his voice was breaking from the screaming. “You're my friend, you're not just a robot to be used and thrown away!”
Ray's smile was bittersweet. That's exactly what he is. He won't push the subject.
“Look, I remember something.” He said quietly. “I was a test subject before you.” Michael seemed curious.
“And I remember why I failed. I wouldn't listen to her. I wouldn't incinerate my companion cube.” His laughter was hoarse and slightly hysterical. Michael was laughing too, maybe, but he didn't know.
“His name was Michael.”
Michael startles, glancing up at him. Ray grabbed his hand and traced his finger over the veins. He wished he could have veins.
“Please wait well I warm up the neurotoxin.” GlaDOS chimes in far too cheerfully. Her voice modulator must be stuck again.
The last thing he heard was the clatter of the portal gun against steel as Michael dropped it and the sound of him struggling to breathe.
The last thing he felt was Michael letting go of his hand as he thrashed in panic, and the movements growing weaker as he lost oxygen to his brain. Ray is crying.
The last thing he realizes is the neurotoxin won't do anything to him and now Michael's dead and he's alone but for some reason he's getting dizzy and maybe he's relieved because Michael is dead how could he let this happen someone help him he wants to have veins he wants to pet a cat he wants to have michael he wants to be ray please god is there a god I dont know-
-
GlaDOS wished the glitches would stop.
-
And then Michael was somewhere else.
Cramped into a small glass cage, with the words of GlaDOS echoing in his ears. “Time to do your part and help a test subject, #Cube M1CH437.”
His first word was “Fuck!” when the ground startled him by vanishing and he hit the cold steel floor with a thump.
“Maybe the fucking will come later.” A voice chimed in, followed by familiar laughter. Michael looked up and took the hand offered.
As the man helped him to his feet, still laughing quietly, he smiled. His laughter was infectious. “I'm M1CH437.” He said, and the guy shook his head.
“No that won't work. Michael. Your name is Michael.” There's no response, because he's stunned about actually having a name.
“Well Michael, I'm Ray Narvaez Jr. I assume you're going to be my companion cube for the rest of this little adventure.”
-
If GlaDOS could smile coldly, she would.
“Artificial intelligence is really quite convenient.”
-
Congratulations, Ray Narvaez Jr! You've incinerated your companion cube faster then any test subject on record.
Please proceed to the elevator.