Portal: What Cara Mia Means

Part 6: What Happened To Aperture?

Chell couldn't believe what she was seeing. The reality of the situation almost didn't settle in her mind. GLaDOS was dying and this time it wasn't Chells fault. How could this be? She opened her mouth to talk multiple times but couldn't form the words. 

"Well I suppose I shouldn't be expecting you to talk," she said, turning away from Chell, "You are mute. I'm sorry about that. Now please leave. I don't need to know the reason you've returned. Just leave plea-" her metal head twitched and sparked again. "Excuse me." She paused as if she were trying to take a breath. "I see that you were too damn stubborn to turn back when my elevator stopped or I locked the door. Or even when you cut yourself on the glass."

A smile spread across her face as GLaDOS giggled a little, jerking her body in awkward ways. Even in pain, GLaDOS could still give her sass. She was enjoying the small satisfaction she got from hearing her moronic banter. 

"If I were you, I wouldn't be sassing the girl who killed you twice!" Chell yelled. There was a subtle laugh in her words as she spoke. 

"Chell? You can speak? Since when?" GLaDOS questioned. 

Chell nodded again, "Yes. I always could. I decided not to when I was in here before. I wasn't about to give you that satisfaction."

"You clever, stubborn, child." She shook her metal head. "Good job. But if you can speak, I demand an answer. Why are you here?"

"I know what cara mia means." She noticed GLaDOS's new look of concern. "And now I want to know why. I demand answers now. Why would you say that about me? It's too nice. And what happened here? What happened to you?" 

"Good question. Well I suppose I owe you an explanation. I'm broken now. I couldn't recover after what that little moron did. Systems had already shut down. They were broken and over time, I broke. I didn't realize they were as important as they were. One day everything just seemed to... stop. Now I'm running off of a back up generator. "

Chell nodded, urging her to continue. She had to pause and process what she had been told.

"I'm not entirely sure you wish to know why I said what I did."

"I do. I came here for that GLaDOS. I need to know. I'm not leaving until you tell me."

GLaDOS nodded, considering her options. She couldn't force her to leave. Not with the little strength she had left. All of the power she had to control the facility was used up to stop the elevator and close and lock the door, and Chell using the elevator to begin with certainly didn't help. 

"I will tell you then. But prepare yourself. You will not enjoy what I'm about to tell you," she waited to see if Chell had changed her mind. When she didn't protest, GLaDOS carried on. "Chell... I am your mother. Or at least, Caroline was."