Portal

Chapter 1 - The Beginning

APERTURE SCIENCE LOG ENTRY 1: VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

SUBJECT: #1498

"Hello."

Chell jolted upright in her bed, slamming her head into the glass pod. The glass encasement slid open, and she stepped out, one foot at a time. She struggled to regain her balance, as a digitized female voice greeted her kindly.

"Again, welcome to the Aperture Science Computer Aided Enrichment Center," the voice continued.

This is Aperture?

I volunteered for that months ago.

"We hope your brief detention in the relaxation pod has been a pleasant one. Your specimen has been processed, and we are now ready to begin your testing process."

Specimen? Processed?

"Please take care during the process, as serious injury may occur. For your own safety, and the safety of others, please refrain from-"

The voice turned to static. Chell looked back at her stasis pod. How long had she been out?

"...turn back. The portal will open in 3..."

Chell turned her attention back to the voice.

"2..."

She braced herself, squeezing her eyes shut.

"1."

Silence.

Chell opened her eyes. Nothing happened. The digitized voice must have been briefing a different test subject.

Wait.

Were there any other test subjects?

Suddenly, she heard something behind her. She turned to face a white panel inset into the glass wall of her cell. The panel sparked, and split open. Orange energy swarmed around the edges of the cavity. Chell stumbled backward. She looked through the cavity. She froze.

What the hell?

Through the cavity, she saw the glass wall of her cell from the side. She also saw herself. Sitting terrified, looking at the cavity. She lifted a hand. Whatever was on the other side of this hole also lifted a hand. Every move Chell made was copied by whatever was sitting in that cell.

Was this a screen? Were they recording her?

She stood slowly, the metal of her boots sliding against the tile until she was upright. She took a step towards the cavity, and reached out a finger. She watched as the being in the other cell did the same, exactly in sync with her movements. She reached her hand through the cavity...

And suddenly she was outside her cell, looking at it from the side. Just as she had been doing seconds earlier. Except now she was there.

And the other Chell wasn't.

"You've just stepped through your first portal," the digitized voice explained.

Chell slowly made her way around to the back of her cell. She looked inside, seeing the stasis pod she had spent god knows how long in.

But how did she get out here?

Chell turned around. On the wall behind her, a cavity identical to the one that had sprung open in her cell was pulsating with blue energy. Through it, she saw the inside of her cell again.

This is trippy.

"Please proceed to the door," the voice instructed. Chell continued around the outside of her cell, until she saw a circular doorway. A series of small blue lights changed to orange, as the door rotated and opened. She stepped through.