Chell's second playthrough

The Core Transfer

''Bring Your Daughter To Work Day. That did not end well.'' A banner hang above the doorway, halfway ripped from the wall and the black letters on the material had faded away over time. The room they entered was filled with little booths made out of carton boxes, the descriptions of the projects written over it in coloured pencils. Chell looked at one of them that said something about electricity from a potato and the wizened vegetable one the table.

"And... forty potato batteries. Embarrassing. I realize they're children. Still: low hanging fruit. Barely science, really."

Chell snorted. Children? There had been children in Aperture? Her stomach twitched a little, she didn't want to think about what might have happened to them. She walked around looking at a few others but all of them had the same project. Potato batteries.

Except for one.

"Baking Soda Volcano. Well, at least it's not a potato battery, I'll give it that. Not terrifically original, though, know what I mean? Not exactly primary research, even within the child sciences."

Chell stopped in front of one of the little booths, with a gigantic plant that grew up in all sorts of directions. What had happened here? She focused on the disorderly writings in curiosity. Gell from daddy's lab. Well that must have caused the overgrowth of the vegetable. "Look at that, it's growing right up into the ceiling. The whole place is probably overrun with potatoes at this point. At least you won't starve, though."

Wheatley glanced around the room when his optic fell on a staircase that let downwards. ''Oi, this must be the way to go. Come on.'' And he left the room.

The test subject wanted to follow him but suddenly froze in place. She heard the sound of a heartbeat, kinda. It was somewhat electronic. She turned on the ball of her foot, looking for what caused the sound. It almost looked like it came from the big potato plant. She carefully walked towards it, feeling her own heartbeat throb together with the mechanical sound. With a frown, she looked at the simple project. There was just something about it. The girl reached out to push some of the soft parts of the plant out of the way when she noticed a very small writing in the corner of the description.

Chell

It was her name. Right there. Written in black marker on an abandoned child's project. Her name. It was the only thing she knew. The only thing she ever remembered since she had been woken up. Her head got filled with sounds and images she didn't understand. Alarms ringed into her ears, muffled footsteps, screams. The familiar smell of a green substance filled her nostrils. Chell!

She panicked and ran.

It was just in time for Wheatley, who came back once he noticed she hadn't followed him, to see the test subject rush into one of the offices. Her carefully came after her. Once he entered the office he saw the human leaning onto a desk, with her back towards him, breathing rather heavily. The core dared to approach her a little closer before calling out to her. ''Oi, luv. Are you alright?''

Chell turned around and stared at him with shocked eyes. He was a little taken back by that expression. He had never quite seen her like that, with fear written in her eyes. She rubbed them with her fists, trying to get rid of these horrible things she was seeing. But it only made her feel dizzy when little black specks started to dance in her vision. She pushed herself against the desk before slowly sliding down with her hands pressed against her ears in a pathetic attempt to block out the voices and sounds, until she sat on the floor in a crouch.

Wheatley watched as the test subject began to shiver and taking quick, stuttering breaths. He didn't know what was happening, or what he should do. So he just did what he was best at. Talking. ''You okay there? You don't look too good. Not that you don't look good but, well I don't really understand what's happening. To be honest. You, are you, are you dying? Because, I don't hope you are, I rather not have that happening. No idea what I should do if that were the case'' He paused. '' That .... isn't actually the case, is it?''