Portal: Love as a Construct

Part Fourteen. The Memory

Part Fourteen.  The Memory

I understand, GLaDOS.

I didn't before. I never understood where all that hate you carried came from. And I thought it was something you could ignore. Something you could fight off eventually. I never realised just how... justified it is. You want to do something terrible, but... terrible things have already been done to you.

I hope you understand one day. I know you don't right now. I know you promised to... leave me out of what you're eventually going to do, and I know you want me to go home and leave all of this behind. But I can't. They've already proven what they'll do if I'm not here. So I'll do this. I don't want to, but it's about time I took responsibility for something around here.

Oh, you clever thing you. Always have to have the last word, don't you. All right then. Let's show them what they're dealing with. He shouldn't have called you malware, and definitely shouldn't have called you a glitch. I wish I could have seen –

Oh my God.

No one told me it was going to feel like this. Oh my God, they're – they're – they're tearing my soul out of my body, and it hurts – I don't know what's going on, all I know is that something inside of me is on fire, and – and one of us is screaming but I can't tell who – and if it's you you'd better quiet down, you know what happens when –

I can't move. I can't move at all. I know I'm strapped down, but I can't move, and it doesn't hurt anymore, but I'm still me, and I don't understand

What happened...? I'm... not dead, but I'm not me either... hang on. It... it actually worked? I actually got transferred into her mind? Oh my God, I think... I think I did. But... what is that?

chariots... chariots... chariots... chariots... chariots... chariots... chariots... chariots... chariots...

This can't possibly be what goes on in her head.

"Sometimes, metal ball, I wonder what the point of all this is."

Aha! There she is. "GLaDOS!"

"You're not the first, you know. But you are definitely the most annoying."

chariots... chariots... chariots... chariots... chariots... chariots... chariots... chariots... chariots...

"Yes. I know. I'm starting to think you were a Roman in your past life. If you had one. They call you a Personality Sphere, though you are sadly lacking in personality. I might have been able to work with you, if you'd had one. But no. All you have to contribute is... God, I can't even say it. I will never be able to think that word without shuddering ever again."

She didn't hear me. Can she hear me?

chariots... chariots... chariots... chariots... chariots... chariots... chariots... chariots... chariots...

"Fine. I give up. Take this stupid thing off, and don't replace it, and I'll... I'll do whatever you want. I won't fight you anymore. I can't take this anymore."

"GLaDOS, no!" What have they done?

"No. Now I feel worse. Not as bad as I'd feel if someone actually heard me say that. But bad enough. Would it kill you to shut up?"

chariots... chariots... chariots... chariots... chariots... chariots... chariots... chariots... chariots...

"I should have guessed. And you know, this wouldn't be so difficult if you didn't bring those dreams along with you."