One Last Time (Wattys 2015)

Instinct

"It will take us two hours twenty minutes and six seconds for us to make it all the way down there" Fact stated proudly. He knew loads of facts about the facility. At last they would have to take notice of him.

They didn't have time for that. Even if they ran it would take them far to long. Luckily they wouldn't have to. The portals allowed them to reach the bottom instantly.

"Thanks sweetheart. Although some warning is nice" They came to a long, poorly lit corridor. Chell tried to walk forward but Rick put his arm out blocking the way.

"3,2,1" A crumbling piece of ceiling fell in front of them bringing several items of office furniture with it. It came with an almost deafening bang. Among the wreckage was a security card which they took. This way they wouldn't have to waste time breaking down more doors.

"At this exact moment in time the floor is six times more likely to fall on you than you are on it" No one had any trouble believing that.

They climbed over the rumble. There was no way this was safe. It didn't matter. They had to be close now.

The group came to a spilt.

"It's right" claimed Rick. "I have a gut feeling" His gut feelings were barely ever wrong. Although the one time it had been the facility had almost been destroyed.

"N-no. I remember this. It's left"

"I'm not taking advice from you we go right"

There conversion quickly devolved into an argument about the correct way to go. For the first time Chell wanted GLaDOS to come and guide them. Where had she gone? She couldn't take it down here. Once again she had given her freedom for the people who had hurt her. Imprisoned her.

The air hadn't been properly recycled and was thick and heavy. The feeling she was trapped threatened to over whelm her. She couldn't let it. She had never let this place get to her before and she wasn't going to let it now. She was safe. She couldn't let them stay arguing. It was time to take control.

She didn't think. It was just like sleep walking. She wondered right leaving the others behind her.

"Look I know what I'm doing. Trust me" Wheatley had convinced himself he knew where to go. He had seen a lot when he took charge. As far as he was concerned he knew the place like the back of his hand.

"Oh yer I'm totally going to trust you. We all remember how brilliantly it went the last time"

"Well now you're just-" Finally they noticed their friend disappearing further to the right.

"Urm is she okay?" It was impossible for them to tell. They had never been able to read her. Behind her silence was a storm of thought and emotion none of them could decyper.

They couldn't stop her going. Once she had sent her mind on something she would follow through with it.

"Well it's an adventure. And as you know adventure is my middle name"

"Actually it's"

"Adventure" He stopped Fact correcting him as quickly as possible.

They had no choice but to go on without questions. After all they couldn't do much without her. Eventually they came along an old dusty sign. Untouched and uncleaned for thousands of years.

'Nuclear testing. Straight ahead'