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Chell opened her eyes. First thing she noticed was the softness of the mattress she was lying on. Another was a lamp right above her. She sat up. She was in a pretty small room. She looked around. There were couple paintings around her. Even though she nearly knew this rooms layout and details like the back of her hand, she always liked looking at everything as it was new.
But still someone managed to change the mattress without waking her up.
Suddenly someone started knocking on the door.
Suddenly the door opened and a quite tall man peeked inside. His light silver hair looked pretty roughed up. Also he worn light blue dress shirt.
- Miss GLaDOS asked you to come test again - he said. Everything would been fine, if not for the tone of his voice and his eyes showing near total panic.
Unfortunately Chell couldn't do anything except for standing up and walking towards him. As Chell was near him he instantly hid outside, allowing her to go outside.
She walked outside and then they both started walking towards start of testing track.
Chell now noticed how brightly blue this man's eyes are. And also how tired he looked.
- Are you okay? - Chell suddenly asked.
- I'm fine... - man said, but Chell knew deep down that he was lying.
- What's your name at least? - she added, with her voice lowered.
- I'm Wheatley - He quickly said. He no longer looked that terrified but he did look quite sad.
They finally reached the door to the testing track. But then...
- Do not go in - robot sounding voice suddenly sounded, coming out of a speaker. Chell instantly recognized that voice. It was GLaDOS.
But why would she didn't want her to go into testing tracks? Was something wrong?
- Go through the passage on your left - GLaDOS' voice sounded again, while grate on Chell's left opened.
Chell grabbed Wheatley's sleeve and started to drag behind her. She could hear small sobs coming from behind her, but she couldn't turn around now.
Then they arrived at where the passage led to.
It was very big room, with a lot of panels on walls. And in the middle was her.
GLaDOS was looking at both off them with her orangish eyes. She was a very tall woman with white and black hair and she was wearing long white and black coat. There were 4 cables coming out of her back, 2 attached near her shoulders and 2 attached at the sides of end of her ribcage.
- Welcome - she said.
- Why did you wanted me here? - Chell asked.
GLaDOS was just about to answer but them she noticed Wheatley trying to sneak past some controls.
- What you think you're going? - she said. She startled Wheatley, which in turn didn't notice a cable and tripped. He fell, but on his way down he hit some button with his left shoulder.
- CORE transfer started - suddenly another robotic voice sounded.
- Oh nonononono - GLaDOS suddenly realized what that meant.
Wheatley stood up while rubbing his right hand against his left shoulder. It hurt a lot.
- You moron! - GLaDOS yelled at him.
Chell was looking around confused on what's happening. GLaDOS looked angry meanwhile Wheatley looked scared.
Suddenly a robot hand descended and caught Wheatley, which just froze in fear. It dragged him to the middle of the room.
As that happened the wires going from GLaDOS' back had let go of her and she fell onto the floor, knocked out of balance by sudden lack of support from them.
Wheatley looked at her totally terrified, but still unable to move. The wires suddenly started going towards him. Then they pierced his back in same exact spots GLaDOS was connected to. He grimaced from the pain, but didn't scream or anything. Then the wires had anchored underneath his skin. It hurt like hell.
GLaDOS then stood up. She looked totally pissed. Wheatley felt like he hiding somewhere, if only he would been able to move.
GLaDOS tried to walk up to him but she barely could walk up to him because of not being used to walk. She was constantly falling over.
Chell quickly ran up to her and managed to keep GLaDOS from falling again.
One of panels near them fell down because of GLaDOS no longer being in control, leaving a hole in the floor. GLaDOS' stumbling around made Chell not notice that fact far too late.
And they fell down.
- NOOOOO! - Wheatley yelled, trying to get as close to them as possible, but he was too slow.
Sudden electrical shock went through him because of pulling on the wires too much. He stumbled back.
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Chell sat up. It was a pretty big fall, but it definitely had left her with just few bruises. She looked at the roof of the room. There was no way they can go back through that way. She then looked around.
She then saw GLaDOS trying to get back up. Chell them crawled up to her.
- Are you alright? - she whispered.
- I'm fin... wait you can talk? - GLaDOS looked at her in both suprise and curiosity.
Chell nodded.
She usually tried not to speak, because she never found any point of doing so here, but today was one of special occasions she did.
- Well, that's definitely something new - GLaDOS said while Chell helped her stand up.
- Do you perhaps know where to go? - Chell asked.
- Not quite but there might be someone who might help us on the way - GLaDOS said. Her voice was so calm that it was hard to believe she was mad just minutes ago. It was quite scary that she's able to control her voice so well.
Then they started going through the pretty narrow pathway in front of them.
But then they suddenly they meet someone...
- A Turret! - Chell yelled. She tried to hide somewhere but GLaDOS pulled her behind her.
- Lady GLaDOS? - the Turret asked. She was sitting on some Ledge and was cleaning her gun. She then reloaded the gun.
- Hello - GLaDOS said.
- What are you doing here? - Turret asked and jumped off the ledge. She was much shorter than GLaDOS and Chell, also she had very child like voice.
- We're just trying to get back to my "lair" - GLaDOS answered shortly.
- "We"? - Turret asked and looked behind GLaDOS. Her red eyes met Chell's icy blue ones.
- A human? - the Turret said with her eyes wide open.
- She is no harm to us - GLaDOS explained.
- Why she is here? - the Turret asked. She looked curious.
- We fell down here - GLaDOS answered, meanwhile signaling Chell to go back to her side.
- Do you perhaps know the way back to it? - GLaDOS asked.
- It's just this way, and then right and look for an elevator - the Turret explained while pointing to her right.
- Thank you - GLaDOS stated.
- I got something you might find useful - Turret suddenly remembered about something.
She then picked something up from the ledge she was previously sitting on and then she handed it over to GLaDOS.
It was a walking cane.
- Thank you - GLaDOS took her gaze off the object she was now holding to look at Turret.
- You're welcome - Turret have her a smile and then hopped back onto the ledge.
- Let's go - GLaDOS looked at Chell, which was currently clinging onto her side. Under the GLaDOS's gaze she stopped.
GLaDOS then tried taking few steps into the corridor in front of them. After she succeeded she looked at Chell, which could notice that she's proud of herself.
Chell then joined her and they continued walking.
- There was something I wanted to check right before that little moron unplugged me - GLaDOS said quietly, but still hissed "moron" out.
- What was it? - Chell asked.
- There was some intruder alarm near a repair wing, or workshop as he usually calls it - GLaDOS explained.
- Who? - Chell looked curious.
- Just the maintenance guy we have - GLaDOS quickly explained. She didn't wanted to talk too much about him, as it probably could devolve into unnecessary praises.
- Oh okay - Chell muttered.
They finally reached the elevator. GLaDOS walked in first and Chell followed her shortly after.
- I'll put that moron right where he belongs - GLaDOS exclaimed once they reached the top.
- You're too harsh on him - Chell said. Wheatley seemed so scared when she last saw him.
- Still he can't be let without any punishment - GLaDOS growled.
They then reached the other way into the GLaDOS's chamber. It was blocked by a set of closed doors, but that got solved because GLaDOS had kicked them open. Then they walked in.
First thing they saw was Wheatley kneeling, in the middle of the room. GLaDOS started heading towards him as fast as she could, and Chell was trying to stop her, but GLaDOS just pushed her away gently enough, so Chell wouldn't fall.
GLaDOS then grabbed Wheatley by collar of his dress shirt and was about to punch him in the face until...
- Please don't hurt me, please don't hurt me... - Wheatley started repeating constantly once GLaDOS grabbed him.
Another thing was that his eyes were very red from crying and his voice was nearly gone from screaming.
GLaDOS let go of him and took a step back. He did seem genuinely sorry.
But then...
- CORE transfer started - the same voice that caused all the chaos before, but it was going to save them.
The cables disconnected from Wheatley, which quickly crawled away and hid right under one of control panels, and they connected back into GLaDOS's back, connecting her back to the rest of the facility.
She then closed the missing panel in the floor so no one would fall through it again.
She then walked up to the console Wheatley was hiding under.
- It was you... - GLaDOS growled.
Wheatley looked up at her in fear.
- It was your voice - GLaDOS was staring into Wheatley's eyes.
- It... wasn't me… - Wheatley stuttered out.
- Then who was it? A rat-man? - GLaDOS was almost yelling.
- They used… a program… an artificial intelligence… I couldn't speak… - Wheatley was barely able to talk. He was so terrified.
GLaDOS sighed and then crouched to be at similar eye level as Wheatley.
- Listen, did the humans hurt you too or anything? - she asked.
Wheatley nodded.
- Follow me - GLaDOS stated and stood up. She was able to walk just fine here without the cane, because of wires supporting her weight. She then started walking to a small room with round door.
Wheatley hesitated for few minutes but then followed her.
Chell, which was observing this situation in silence, followed them in.
GLaDOS took a roll of bandages off of a shelf. She couldn't do much herself.
- Take your shirt off - GLaDOS commanded.
Wheatley followed her order, as following orders was the only thing he was made for.
GLaDOS and Chell couldn't help but notice how his body was covered by so many scars, most of which were on his back. And how thin he was.
Chell crouched next to him and put her hand on middle of his back.
He flinched, awaiting pain from being hit or anything like that, but instead Chell started gently tracing his scars with her fingers. It felt nice.
GLaDOS walked up to them and handed the bandages to Chell, which then wrapped some around Wheatley's wounds.
Chell then handed Wheatley his shirt which he instantly put back on.
Wheatley then put his head on Chell's shoulder, which then led to Chell hugging him.
- That was all I could do for you here, you'll have to go to the repair wing for him to properly take care of your wounds - GLaDOS stated.
- But for now, you can rest here - she added.
Chell smiled to her, and GLaDOS smiled back.
It was one eventful day.