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GLaDOS was hanging in her large room, faceplate tilted downwards, mumbling her thoughts to herself. Why did she have to let Chell go? Why… It was an awful decision to make. Letting go of the one and only test subject that she had began to adore. GLaDOS had shrugged these thoughts away in an attempt to forget them and feel a bit better.
She recalled the elevator that took the test subject to the surface, just so no unauthorized personnel could enter the Enrichment Center from the outside. It was very unlikely that anyone was even around anymore, but the computer didn’t care. Better safe than sorry.
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On the surface, Chell gazed at the everlasting wheat field in front of her, sun beating on her face. Is this the “freedom” she desperately wanted? If so, then maybe she didn’t want to be free. Chell couldn’t see a single person or building for miles, if there were any left, which she doubted. Chell grunted, picking up the companion cube and opening the makeshift shed’s door. The lift was still there, and so she stepped foot on it; hoping that it’d go down back into GLaDOS’ room eventually. Chell hated to admit it, but the time she spent with the murderous, rogue, AI as a potato had sparked feelings of affection and attachment—love.
She felt the lift start back up again, making a few noises before slowly descending down, but at a slightly faster pace than when she had came up on it.
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Back in her room, GLaDOS’ two robotic testing companions, Atlas and P-Body, or as she called them, “Blue and Orange”, were observing their mother’s clear but subtle signs of sadness. They were both there when Chell had regained consciousness, and when GLaDOS reluctantly yet confidently let the woman, whose life she had saved, go. The both of them tried getting her attention by chirping loudly at her, they didn’t like seeing their mother sad.
GLaDOS rotated her chassis towards the two robots, giving them a glare with her flickering orangey-yellow optic. “Just go out onto the testing track. Leave me alone…” She snarled in an unwelcoming tone. The lift finally reached the room; and with it, Chell. Atlas beeped loudly, hiding behind P-Body and shakily pointing at the elevator with a mix of fear and curiosity.
“Blue, what has you so riled u-Oh. it’s you.” The large, looming supercomputer had moved her body towards the lift, pausing at the sight of the jumpsuited woman who had killed her once, and had tried to kill her days before.
GLaDOS had expected a rebellious look of defiance in the lady’s cold gray eyes. However, they didn’t. There was no fierce, determined, glowing fire in Chell’s eyes, just a dark, glum cloud of sadness.
Chell really did miss GLaDOS, even if the robot tried to kill her on numerous occasions, she still felt like GLaDOS was important to her. That’s why she couldn’t leave Aperture, she wasn’t familiar with what the outside world had become. Chell found a sense of comfort in the Enrichment Center, in the presence of GLaDOS.
After a few minutes of deafening silence between everyone in the room, Chell stepped foot out of the lift cautiously; her boots making soft clicks against the floor. GLaDOS flinched, recoiling backward.
“Why. Why did you come back? I let you go… to be free. Isn’t that what you want? Why did you come back here, after everything that I’ve put you through…?” GLaDOS kept talking, trying to convince the test subject to just leave; and Chell slowly made her way to the platform underneath the large robot.
GLaDOS paused her words, slowly turning her faceplate to the woman beneath her. Chell held her faceplate with one hand, planting a sweet little kiss onto the side of it. GLaDOS felt her body relax, feeling less tense and more so just trying to enjoy the moment. For once Chell wasn’t trying to kill her, and she thought she needed to relish that.
Chell wrapped her arms around the robot’s makeshift neck, hugging GLaDOS and giving her more kisses along her faceplate. “But why? Why.. after how cruel I have treated you during your time here—“ Chell let go, looking GLaDOS dead in the eyes. It sent shivers down the supercomputer’s figurative spine, she knew that look. “Because. I love you. I love you a lot.” Chell signed with both her hands, still looking at GLaDOS.
GLaDOS had denied it for so long, but she really did love Chell. Maybe this was all she had needed to soften up and tell the lady herself that she loved her. She had felt so crazy for having romantic feelings for someone she despised, let alone her own killer. Chell pecked GLaDOS again. “I. I do love you too. Chell..” GLaDOS had reluctantly muttered, burying her faceplate into Chell’s chest, which knocked her over. Chell pulled the robot down with her, holding her close.
Atlas and P-Body were still in the room, just watching this unfold, with Atlas clinging to their testing partner’s side.
At this point GLaDOS was leaning over Chell, accepting and relishing every single kiss that mute dangerous lunatic gave her. It was lovely, it really was, not that GLaDOS would admit it though. She nuzzled Chell again, hiding her flustered faceplate further into Chell’s chest.
And she hoped that the times like this would last forever.