Want You Gone

[Chapter Two: Technical Difficulties]

"Hello, and again, welcome to the Aperture Science Enrichment Center." The announcer began to speak. I took my first few steps foreard and examined the room. I was in a small, glass box. My old relaxation chamber. I had once been awakened here to go about testing as normal. It was different this time...
     "We are currently experiencing technical difficulties due to circumstances of potentially apocalyptic significance beyond our control." I stared up at where the announcer's voice seemed to come from, horrible thoughts flooding my mind. Apocalyptic significance? Was I the last human on Earth? I tried my hardest to shake the thought and focus on getting out of the horrible place.
     "However, thanks to Emergency Testing Protocols, testing can continue. These pre-recorded messages will provide instructional and motivational support, so that science can still be done, even in the event of environmental, social, economic, or structural collapse." I sat on the old relaxation vault's desk, waiting for a familiar signal, telling me that a portal would open up to let me out of the vault, so that I could 'continue testing.' I didn't understand why testing like this would need to be done, considering there was no one left to analyze results and take notes, but I had to get through the test chambers for the sake of escaping.
     "The portal will open and emergency testing will begin in three. Two. One." The building trembled, and the lights on the wall flickered, and sure enough, an orange hole opened up in front of me. I could see through it, and I was looking right through the other wall into the glass vault, at myself. It was the first chance I had to see myself, and god, did I look terrible. My brown hair was back in a messy ponytail, and I looked paler than ever.
     I cautiously advanced through the portal, feeling an odd pressure on my body as I stepped through, out into the room outside of the glass vault. It was an odd sensation that I used to be so accustomed to, but it just felt... odd.. now. I began to walk, making my way around the glass vault, all the way to the other side of the room where a door had opened up for me, just as smoothly as it once did.
     I stepped into a familiar room. The first test I had ever faced, now broken down and being overtaken by plants from who knows where. "Cube- and button-based testing remains an important tool for science, even in a dire emergency." I didn't understand how any of this was important, but I was tired of the announcer constantly mentioning this 'dire emergency' that I was trying my hardest not to think of. "If cube- and button-based testing caused this emergency, don't worry. The odds of this happening twice are very slim." 
    In the corner of the room, was an Aperture Science Weighted Storage Cube, but to save myself the extra thought, I would just call it a cube. It was just what it sounded like, a large cube. It was heavy, as implied by the 'Weighted' in it's name. Picking the thing up was no sweat when I had the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device, more affectionately known as a portal gun. Aperture Science liked to give their products some oddly specific names.
     The gun had a sort of anti-gravitational grip on heavy objects, making testing apparatus such as the cubes a breeze to carry around. However, I didn't have it, so I had to do it the old fashioned way. I positioned myself behind the cube and crouched, using all of my strength to push it to the red button on the other side of the room. Eventually I pushed the cube just far enough to press the weighted button down, and a door behind me opened.
     The new door that opened, however, was not as functional as the other, and was caught in a cycle of half-open, half-closed. I went through the door and was faced with a blue field in front of me. "Please note the incandescent particle field across the exit. This Aperture Science Material Emancipation Grill will vaporize any unauthorized equipment that passes through it." The blue fields were meant to vaporize apparatus such as the cubes so that they could not be smuggled outside of their respective test chambers. I took a leap of faith and prayed that they were still properly functional, and walked through it. I looked down and breathed a sigh of relief,  as I carefully noted that none of my body parts were vaporized.
     As I walked into the next room, a small elevator awaited me. I stepped in as the doors closed, and off it carried me to the next chamber. I prayed that I would be out of the facility in no time. I also prayed that there would be somewhere for me to go if I did manage to get out. I stepped out of the elevator into a new test chamber, though it looked very familiar to me. It was a simple test, to introduce subjects to the portals and how you can use them. On the way to the next chamber, the announcer caught me off guard with a very peculiar message. 
     "Because of the technical difficulties we are currently experiencing, your test environment is unsupervised. Before re-entering a relaxation vault at the conclusion of testing, please take a moment to write down the results of your test. An Aperture Science Reintegration Associate will revive you for an interview when society has been rebuilt." I stared up at the speakers. When society has been.. rebuilt? What was really happening outside?
     Uneasily, I stepped into the next elevator-vault, and listened carefully to his messgaes. If he was anything like Wheatley, he would tell me what was happening if I just listened long enough. As the vault began lowering into the next chamber, his voice chimed in again. "If the Earth is currently governed by a manner of animal-king, sentient cloud, or other governing body that either refuses to or is incapable of listening to reason, th-" Near the end of the recording, his voice shorted out, and the message cut off. I continued walking cautiously, until I was met with a new chamber, broken down and dilapidated like the rest. This was the chamber that I was meant to recieve the portal gun... but it wasn't there.
     In it's place, was merely a sparking podium where it once was held, ready for a test subject to pick it up. I almost went to walk toward it, when I was scared out of my right mind by a voice blaring behind me. "Hey hey! You made it!" I spun around quickly and was faced with Wheatley, who was hanging on a rail within the broken down wall, peeking through at me. "There should be a portal device on that podium over there." I pointed at the podium, signalling to him that it wasn't there. "I can't see it though... Maybe it fell off. Do you want to go and have a quick look?" I rolled my eyes. You don't say.
      "It's alright. No, go on, just have a look about." The way he spoke to me sounded a bit suspicious. I gave him an unsure look, before slowly approaching the podium. "No, that's right. Over by the podium, yeah." He encouraged, nodding with his whole metal body. I glared, stopping halfway; the floor underneath the podium seemed unstable. "Just---if you just--okay, just stand by the podium and just look up." Wheatley stammered. He sounded more suspicious than ever, but I walked closer to the podium.
      All of a sudden, the floor caves right underneath me, and I feel myself falling. I open my mouth to scream, but all that escapes is silence. "Whoa!" Wheatley called in alarm, as if he didn't just see that coming. "Hello? Do you see the portal gun?" I sat up and found myself laying in a shallow pool of dark water. I made a noise in frustration and got up, wringing the muddy water out of my jumpsuit tied around my waist. "Also, are you alive? That's important, should have asked that first." Wheatley yelled.
     I looked up at the hole I fell into. It wasnt too far of a fall, but it was definitely too far to climb back up with nothing protruding for me to hold onto, and I found myself in a canal of sorts. "I'm--do you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to work on the assumption that you're still alive and I'm just going to wait for you up ahead. I'll wait--I'll wait one hour. Then I'll come back and, assuming I can locate your dead body, I'll bury you. Alright? Brilliant! Go team! See you in an hour! Hopefully! If you're not... dead." He called, before I heard the sound of metal moving along a rail, and he left the room. I huffed, unamused. It was going to be a long trip...
    I began walking in the only direction I could, trudging through the shin-deep water into a room. Wall panels laid in a way that looked as if it here almost arranged by a person, and the portal gun laid neatly on the top of it. On the panels that stood upright around the gun, were paintings.
    I ignored the gun for a moment and approached the paintings, before realizing... they were paintings of me. And her. Who made these? And when? I tried to shake it off, but there were new disturbing thoughts lingering in my head. I wandered to where the gun slept and leaned over, crouching in front of the old friend of mine. I picked it up and held it firmly, just as I always had. It felt strange, but it almost felt... normal.
     I saw an orange portal already opened up on a balcony, but no blue portal to connect it to anything. I carefully aimed the gun at one of the painted panels and shot a blue portal right through it, obstructing the painting on the panel. I stumbled back slightly due to the kick-back. I forgot how much force this thing has.
     Cautiously, I jumped down from the platform and went through the portal, stepping out onto the high ground that couldnt previously be reached. I smiled as a sense of nostalgia washed over me. I shook my head at myself. Focus, Chell. I started walking through the only way I could advance, through overgrown offices chock full of broken, shattered glass, and overgrown ivy. It was a sad sight to see, but it was almost serene. Peaceful.
     When I jumped down into the next chamber, the announcer came back on. "Some emergency testing may require prolonged interaction with lethal military androids. Rest assured that all lethal military androids have been taught to read and provided with one copy of the Laws of Robotics. To share." I began to wonder if these recordings were supposed to make me laugh, because I definitely felt like it. The things he said seemed so outlandish at times. I made my way through the chamber. An orange portal, once again, was already in place for me, so I could only navigate with the blue one, and until I upgraded the gun, it would be that way for a little bit. I quickly advanced to the door, to be congratulated once again.
     "Good. If you feel that a lethal military android has not respected your rights as detailed in the Laws of Robotics, please note it on your self-reporting form. A future Aperture Science Entitlement Associate will initiate the appropriate grievance-filing paperwork." I smiled, scoffing. I don't know what the announcer's intentions were, but I was enjoying his company. There weren't even any lethal military androids.
     I wanted to get out as soon as possible, so I rushed through to the next test. I was met once more by the announcer's voice. "This next test is very dangerous. To help you remain tranquil in the face of almost certain death, smooth jazz will be deployed in three. Two. One." After the countdown, sure enough, smooth jazz began playing through the speakers. Unable to vocally laugh, I put on a huge smile and slumped against the wall, shuddering. This guy can't be serious. My smile, however, faded when the music did. It was short-lived. With the smooth jazz out of the way, I advanced through the next chamber, solving it how I would any other.
     When I knocked that one out of the way, I advanced to the next, and the next, and the next. In each room, the announcer had something interesting to say to me. At one point, he chimed in with a statement that was oddly comforting, but made me think, in the form of a post-chamber pat on the back.
     "Well done! The Enrichment Center reminds you that although circumstances may appear bleak, you are not alone. All Aperture Science personality constructs will remain functional in apocalyptic, low power environments of as few as 1.1 volts." I tilted my head. So that's why Wheatley is still here after everything seemed to have been gone. If that was the case, how many more personality cores were there in the rubble of the facility?
      I continued on through a few more test chambers, flying in and out of portals, using momentum to my advantage, and throwing cubes onto buttons to make it through, and when I wandered into the next test chamber, I heard a familiar voice ahead. "Hey! Oi oi! I'm up here!"
     I look up to see Wheatley suspended on his management rail, in an area that I couldn't quite reach. He looked at me and took a quick glance at the gun. "Oh, brilliant. You DID find a portal gun! You know what? It just goes to show: people with brain damage are the real heroes in the end aren't they? At the end of the day. Brave." I gave him a pouty look. "Pop a portal on that wall behind me there, and I'll meet you on the other side of the room." He continued, completely ignoring the looks I gave him. I shot a portal on a panel behind him and jumped through an existing orange one, into his side of the room.
     "Okay, listen, let me lay something on you here. It's pretty heavy." Wheatley began, and I looked up attentively. "They told me NEVER NEVER EVER to disengage myself from my Management Rail. Or I would DIE. But we're out of options here. So... get ready to catch me, alright, on the off chance that I'm not dead the moment I pop off this thing." I winced, setting down the gun and walking over, standing directly underneath him. I hoped he didn't die when he disengaged from the rail, or I would have no one to help me out of the facility. I held up my arms and motioned at him, urging him to come down.
     He looked down nervously. "On three. Ready? One... Two..." I braced myself to catch him. There was no telling how heavy the metal ball would be. "THREE! That's high. It's TOO high, isn't it, really, that--" He chickened out and backed up. I glared at him and motioned eagerly, telling him to hurry it up. "Alright, going on three just gives you too much time to think about it. Let's, uh, go on one this time. Okay, ready?" I nodded, bracing myself once more, not completely listening to what he had said.
     "ONE! Catchmecatchmecatchmecatchmecatchme" I opened my mouth in shock, caught off guard as Wheatley came falling down, knocking me in the head and rolling a small distance away. I held my head with a hiss of pain. He opened his eye cautiously and looked at the floor. "OW. I. Am. Not. Dead! I'm not dead!" He began laughing. I wasn't ready! I mentally whined and looked at Wheatley bitterly.
     "I can't move, though. That's the problem now." Wheatley mumbled after his laughter died down. "Can you--can you pick me up, please?" I nudged the ball with my foot, sending him rolling across the floor. I crossed my arms and stood against the wall for a moment, sighing. I took a moment to take in the situation fully, as Wheatley rambled on about needing my help. Zoning out, I stopped listening. What seemed like a few seconds later, I snapped back to reality.
     "I spy with my little eye, something that starts with 'f'." Wheatley said cheerily. Is he playing I spy with himself now? "Do you give up? It was the floor. Lying down on the floor. Is where I am. Needing you to pick me up." I winced at him, realizing I had spaced out and left him there, helplessly on the floor. "What are you doing, are you just having a little five minutes to yourself? Fair enough. You've had a rough time. You've been asleep for who knows how long. You've got the massive brain damage. And you're having a little rest. But NOW. Get yourself up. And pick me up." I frowned and walked over to him after grabbing the portal gun, and wrapped my arms around his cold, metal body. "Oh! Brilliant, thank you, great."
      He wasn't as heavy as I had anticipated, a good 30 pounds or so. A panel opened up with something protruding from it. "Plug me into that stick on the wall over there. Yeah? And I'll show you something. You'll be impressed by this." I looked at him, confused, and he nodded at me. I did as he told me and plugged him into the wall. I watched expectantly for something impressive. "Ummmm. Yeah, I can't do it if you're watching." He gave a nervous chuckle. I rolled my eyes. Seriously?
     I crossed my arms and spun on my heel, facing the other way. I heard a few beeps, and another panel open up. "Alright, you can turn around now!" I turned back around to see a new opening in the wall. "BAM! Secret panel! That I opened. While your back was turned." I shook my head, gently facepalming. "Ohhh. Remember when you picked me up? Five seconds ago! Ohhh, that was amazing! Do it again, pick me up again!" I huffed, and grabbed the handles that were directly above and below his eye, pulling him off of the wall. "And off we go." Wheatley looked around, seeming to be amazed by the fact that he was off of his rail.
     "Look at this! No rail to tell us where to go! OH, this is brilliant. We can go where ever we want! Hold on, though, where are we going? Seriously. Hang on, let me just get my bearings. Hm. Just follow the rail, actually." I smiled at him as I walked along a catwalk. He didn't seem to know what to do now that he wasn't limited to a management rail telling him where to go.
     On the way through what looked like a manufacturing room, a small lazer crossed my path. I widened my eyes and looked around, hearing the familiar small voice of a turret. She didn't seem agressive. And was stuck on her side in a tube. "Hello?" She called softly to us. I looked at her sympathetically and considered stopping to help her. Wheatley seemed annoyed.
     "Oh no... Yes! Hello! No, we're not stopping!" He called to her. I frowned at him, and he glared up at me. "Don't make eye contact, whatever you do..." I pouted at him once more, but he persisted in denying the turret help. "No thanks! We're good! Appreciate it! Keep moving, keep moving..." he mumbled to me. I felt bad for leaving her behind, but I kept moving. I have my own things to do.
     As we stepped into a new, all too familiar looking hall, Wheatley dropped his annoyed tone, and looked up at me. "Probably ought to bring you up to speed on something right now. In order to escape, we're going to have to go through HER chamber." He said with uncertainty. No. Not her chamber... I looked back at him with the same amount of uncertainty. "And she will probably kill us if, um, she's awake." I nodded. I knew exactly how she was.
     "If you want to just call it quits, we could just sit here. Forever. That's an option. Option A: Sit here. Do nothing. Option B: Go through there, and if she's alive, she'll almost certainly kill us." I stared at the door to her chamber, the tilted hallway, along with the thought of confronting her again, making me dizzy. Without thinking, I took a few steps and placed mg hand on the door, watching it slide open.

_________________________________________

A/N]
"This next test applies the principles of momentum to movement through portals. If the laws of physics no longer apply in the future, God help you."

Heey!! Look at this! A longer chapter! I'm trying to move through the chambers as fast as I can to keep the story interesting. Tell me what you think, or if you think maybe the story should slow down a little bit! Sorry to leave you on a cliffhanger! Thanks for reading! As always,

DELEECIOUS!