One Last Time (Wattys 2015)

The reunion

After a while, with some not so gentle encouragement, Wheatley managed to half learn to walk. Well it was more of a waddle than anything. Not the most elegant way of travelling but it did its job at getting him safely to the lift.

He saw the light for the very first time. All he could do was stand and take it all in. He could feel the gentle glow of the sun on his skin. He saw the golden wheat that surrounded him and the clear blue sky. It was beautiful. He could see why Chell had wanted this so badly.

Now to try and find her. He thought it would be an impossible task. There were over eight billion people in the world. He had to find just one and she could be anywhere.

As it turned out Chell had never strayed very far. Why would she? It wasn't luxury but to her anything was better than Aperture. She had her freedom. She had her companion cube, the only friend she could rely on not to hurt her. There was nothing more she could possibly want.

This was his big chance. He could make up for everything. Then it became clear he didn't really know what he was supposed to say. He had been planning it in his head but it didn't feel like enough now. There was something very different about actually doing it instead of thinking about it.

A simple sorry wasn't going to make everything better. He knew that. Was there some sort of guide he could use? Even he didn't understand why he had hurt her the way he did so how could she?

"Just do what you were told. You'll have plenty of time to explain once everyone is safe"

He stopped a few paces away. He wasn't confident enough to go all the way up to her yet. Besides he didn't want to scare her.

He cleared his throat to make himself known coursing Chell to jump. She wasn't used to other people being around.

The first thing she noticed was the uniform. An Aperture uniform. She thought she was the only one left from there. It was clear she knew this man. She racked her brain. It was important. There was something she definitely recognised. It was those eyes. Deep blue eyes. The eyes of a friend. A guide. A...

Backstabber. Liar. Cheat.

WHEATLEY

She had hoped never to see him again. Even though she had felt terrible about letting him go it had meant he was far away. She was safe from him.

A sudden surge of emotions hit her like a truck. There was no way for her to react. She had been so happy to finally move on. Why did the past always follow her? She wanted him to pay for everything he had done. To understand the pain he had coursed. She wanted to kick and scream and punch. But she couldn't. Instead she did the one thing she could do. The thing she thought she could never do under any circumstances. Barely thinking she picked up her companion cube.

And ran

"No. Please wait" He ran after her determined not to trip over again. This wasn't even close to the reaction he had been hoping for. Yet deep down inside he knew it was the reaction he deserved.

How could he do this to her? Why couldn't he leave her in peace?

"Chell please stop" She didn't. She couldn't. Aperture was something she had refused to think about. Those memories hurt to much. Facing him would force her into facing them.

The two of them ran for miles. Wheatley didn't give up. He had to make it right. Plus there was no way he could go back without her and he wouldn't last a week outside alone.

Eventually Chell ran out of breath. Although she tried to find a way to keep going it was clear that there wasn't one. She had no choice but to give in. She knew she couldn't run forever. Defeated she turned to face him.

"Good. Thank you" he panted "hang on a sec. T-that was way harder than I thought it would be. Okay. Chell you have to come with me" She quickly shook her head. "No you don't understand. If you don't we'll have a major nuclear explosion on our hands"

There was no way she could go back. Not again. Never again. She had barely survived the other two times. She couldn't risk a third.

But a nuclear explosion was a bigger threat to her than she or anything else down there was. Something as big as that wouldn't just put her in danger but others to. If she could stop a disaster like that then surely it was her duty to try.

One last time. And this would be the last time. She could take it.

She didn't say anything or make any kind of signal. She just started walking. The way was still clear in her memory. She could cope. Just one last time.