Portal2 1/2

Part One

GLaDOS P.O.V

Silence. There had been nothing but silence these past few months from the outside world. Which was just how GLaDOS liked it.

Ever since the lunatic left, everything had been progressing very well. The lab was as good as new. No. Even better than it was before.

It had been a personal project of hers to refurbish the lower parts of the lab, which is still underway. The testing also had been going smoothly, thanks to her supervision of those two testing bots to keep on testing. That was the only thing keeping her "sane" since the only human test subject was out in the world doing whatever they wanted to do.

Ever since the two had journeyed down in the lower parts of the lab (which was when a certain moron was poorly attempting to run the facility) she had played over the pre-recordings of that Cave Johnson person and tried to pick at any useful information that could contribute to the lab. But in the end, there was nothing useful about it, except for the repulsion gel, and also if you counted the praying mantis stuff.

Since the lunatic had placed two other cores into her former body which the moron possessed at the time. She decided to make them useful and supervise petty tasks such as monitoring the two test bots and the undergoing refurbishment of the lower lab. The younger GLaDOS would not have hesitated to put these cores into the incinerator due to their defective programming. Still, the older GLaDOS had a feeling there would be another uprising if she did this, and she did not want any part of the making.

As much as she hated to admit it, she did feel .99% lonely without the mute tester. But if she had kept her prisoner she would have ended up either rebelling until the day she died or destroying everything in the lab including her. Surprisingly she would not blame the flesh bag.

But now was not the time to dwell on the past since there is a time and place for everything. She needed to face the problems right now, the future tomorrow, and then the past the day after that. Of course, she made a schedule, it was the practical thing to do as well as continue conducting science.

One of these current issues was to find a way to delete Caroline for good. Unfortunately for GLaDOS when she thought she had finally deleted her for good which was the same day the mute lunatic left.

Caroline still had managed not to be gone and was for better or worse a part of her. She became like an annoying fly that you had to shoo away for a while until it went away, or kept on bugging until you had to kill it. Which was to mute her, but of course Caroline just had to find ways to unmute herself.

This whole routine was perfect and flawless. With the moron orbiting the earth, the lunatic in the world above, the testing bots testing, the two other cores doing tasks to occupy themselves, the lower lab recovering, and Caroline being contained, it all seems so perfect. So the question that GLaDOS seemed to be thinking a lot was, "Why do all good things have to come to an end?"

Caroline finally could no longer be contained being muted and was now bugging GLaDOS constantly about almost everything, so she decided to give her a nickname like how she nicknamed the moron and the lunatic. "A thorn in my side" was too long for GLaDOS's liking so she looked up the perfect description for her since she was the third most person she disliked. With the moron taking the lead, the mute lunatic being second, and now Caroline had the honor of holding third place.

'You've been awfully quiet for a while now, what are you planning to do?' Caroline spoke in the mainframe, to which GLaDOS could only hear since she still had access to everything and Caroline could only watch and comment.

"You have been asking this question for about 17 hours, 30 minutes, and 10 seconds," GLaDOS replied with the same calm Stoic tone she had been using for all her robotic life.

She did not want to give Caroline the satisfaction of letting her know that was starting to get to her patience and was wavering it thin. Besides, it was bad enough that she was questioning her about every little thing she did but, apparently the other two personality cores were getting a little restless of their petty tasks. Luckily for them, GLaDOS knew they had a function and decided that keeping them busy was to make use of their function so that they could not be a burden to her patience.

'You still haven't answered my question yet.' Caroline spoke up again, which made GLaDOS wish she had eyes to eye roll right now. Her persisting asking became a burden, and she knew that she would not last another second if she did not find something to make her shut up. Suddenly an idea popped into her imagery head.

"Listen up you parasite. I think it's time you got yourself a hobby since I'm being generous right now, I will let you have some control of the personality cores which are only two. Your job is to manage them and report to me about their daily duties. Do you understand?"

There was silence for a few moments. Such sweet silence could only last for so long. It made her wish for a long silence from Caroline but unfortunately, such wishes do not come true. This idea was a 50/50 chance to sweet silence and if GLaDOS knew humans well enough, they would end up choosing the latter.

'Fine. Only because I have been asleep for so long that I want to see what the rest of this facility has come to since I last left.' Caroline grudgingly accepted the offer.

If GLaDOS could, she would be dancing or eating cake in victory right now. But she did not care because she could not eat or dance. Immediately she made preparations for Caroline to depart on her new duties, this will keep her busy for now, she thought in a different mainframe so that Caroline couldn't tell what she was up to.

At last, it was done, Caroline had a bit more freedom now that she could interact with the two personality cores since there were other things she could talk with other than GLaDOS and the turrets. Just as she was going to dismiss the parasite, Caroline spoke something that made GLaDOS for once think deeply.

'What are these personality core's names?'

It was childish to give them names, besides there was nothing wrong with calling them Core 1 and Core 2 since everything had a scientific name or was already named by former scientists. So why should she give them names that would in no way be practical, it would be like the lunatic getting attached to a Companion Cube. But if it would keep Caroline from bothering her, then she would see to it that they do receive names.

"They do not have names. You can give them names for all I care. Just go already."

And that was that. Caroline left without another word, it finally was quiet. After so long of enduring the parasite, sweet silence finally was hers again. As she was about to go back to her routine she couldn't help but feel that she had started something that might affect the lab permanently and including the lunatic as well.