The Fox Test Subject (OC X Portal)

Part 3: Fun With Science

Nora solved the simple test, and moved onward to the next test.  She excelled through the basic tests, making her way to the much more advanced tests, clearing through the tests with ease, figuring out what goes where and how to open the doors to the elevators, which led to the next test. Although the tests were easy for her to figure out, she was draining her energy, tiring herself out faster than she could solve the tests. 

Nora kept going, panting, almost drained of the energy she needed to push onward, solving test after test after test. Nonstop testing, burning through body's fuel, pushing her short body to it's limits and beyond. Upon entering the fifteenth test, Nora collapsed to the floor from exhaustion, her body pushed past it's limits, quickly burning through whatever energy she had left just to stay awake.

GLaDOS- "Well done, you have completed fourteen out of one hundred and fifty tests that I have planned for 'her'."

Nora laid on the floor, completely exhausted. Starved and dehydrated, she came close to passing out, she needed food and water to move on. Her eyelids became heavy as her vision blurred. She felt a prick in her arm and a rush of energy flushed through her. She shot back up, somehow energized enough to keep going.

GLaDOS- "What I just injected you with is an Aperture Science Energy Restoration Formula. The scientists used to use it to keep awake without the usage of coffee or food, I like to use it for subjects that need refueling. In this case, you are the test subject that needed energy."

Nora stood up, feeling slightly dizzy and a little unsafe, given GLaDOS had just injected her with an energy drug. She shook her head, her vision slowly clearing. She picked up her portal gun and examined the test layout. The door was placed above a high ledge with no portal surface near it, a button on a separate platform with a portal surface on the roof above it, with an emancipation grill blocking off the button, another button on the floor, and a button near a tube that'll drop what Nora assumed would be a block.

GLaDOS- "This test utilizes the Aperture Science Material Emancipation Grill. It will any unauthorized material that passes through it, including but not limited to, weighted storage cubes, weighted companion cubes, and turrets. However, people may pass through it freely, although it will deactivate your quantum tunneling device and close your portals. "

Nora got up and walked over to the tube, she pressed the button and a cube fell from the top, landing at her feet. She used the portal gun to lift it and she walked over to the emancipation grill button. She placed it on the button and the emancipation grill turned off. She shot her blue portal above the button, and her orange onto a white wall panel. She walked through and landed on the door button, opening the exit. She stepped off the button and the door closed. 

She looked around, seeing a much higher platform with white walls all around it, and beneath it was a large square of white floor. Nora hopped off the platform and went to press the cube button again. Nothing came out.

GLaDOS: "Oh, I forgot to mention, you only have one cube."

Nora looked around, noticing a portal surface beside the emancipation grill button. She picked up the block and stood on the button, feeling the surface she stood on sink into the ground, turning off the grill once more. Nora placed a blue portal on the white ground surface. She dropped the cube through the portal, landing on the door button and opening the exit. Nora looked up to the platform she noticed earlier. 

She Shot a blue portal up above it and her orange portal beneath her, falling though and stepping onto the platform. She looked down, seeing the fall she would have to take. She felt her body stiffen, fearful of missing the orange portal and dying. Nora drew a deep breath before she jumped off the edge and through the orange portal, coming out the blue portal at a high speed, landing on the door platform.

GLaDOS: "Excellent work, although I initially theorized you wouldn't make that jump given your, lets just say, above average weight for someone your size."

Nora- "Are you calling me fat?"

GLaDOS- "So you will speak to me. Yes, I am saying that, you little marshmallow."

Nora felt a rush of emotional feelings surge through her head and chest. GLaDOS's insult had sent sadness rushing though her heart and mind, causing a tear to trickle down her cheek.

Nora- "I'm not fat!"

GLaDOS- "Well, your not the first person to say that to me. Continue testing."

Nora walked through the door and into the next test. She solved tests as fast as she could, trying to prove to GLaDOS that she is in fact fit and healthy. At this point in testing, Nora had passed almost twenty tests. 

Upon entering the twenty first test, she saw a young woman already working on it. The woman was about two inches taller than Nora, with dark brown hair, wearing a sleeveless Aperture Science shirt over a blue tank top, with an orange jumpsuit tied around her waist that went down past her knees, from her shins down was a pair of long fall boots. In the woman's hands was a portal gun, carrying a cube. 

Nora ran to the woman to greet her. She stood by the woman and stared up to her, her eyes shining in the light.

Nora- "Hai! I'm Nora."

The woman looked down at Nora. She smiled.

Chell- "Hey, Nora. I'm Chell. It's nice to meet you."

Nora- "What are you doing down here? Are you one of the scientists!?"

Chell- "No, I'm just trying to get out, and my friend and I accidentally awoke GLaDOS."

GLaDOS- "Oh, please. That little moron had no idea what he was doing. Now will you two fatties get back to testing. It looks like this has become  cooperative testing. I'll modify the tests."

Nora's cheerful look changed to a sad one, as her eyes started to water. She walked to the small hallway that led to the closed exit door. She shot a blue portal behind her and an orange one in front. Nora began to inspect her body from behind, looking down at her hind quarters. Chell walked to her and placed her free hand on Nora's shoulder.

Chell- "Don't listen to what GLaDOS says. I think you look perfect."

Nora- "Really?"

Chell- "Really. GLaDOS is just like that."

Nora's frown turned to a smile. A passage opened by the wall and a British man's voice called out.

???- "Hey! Over here! Come on, let's get going."

Chell- "Yes, he did it!"

Chell ran to the open passage way. She looked back and saw Nora standing there alone. Chell thought for a minute.

Does she have anyone else? She though. GLaDOS did kill everyone, and on bring your daughter to work day too! She must be all alone! I can't leave her alone, she won't last long here, especially with that kind of emotional turmoil. Chell looked back at Nora. She smiled and spoke.

Chell- "Hey, Nora, you wanna come with us?"

Nora beamed brightly at Chell.

Nora- "Really!?"

Chell- "Yeah."

Nora- "Yes! Please take me with you!"

Chell- "Then come on, we got a long way to go!"

Nora ran to Chell and followed her through the passage way. Nora had lost everything, although she didn't know it. Nora thought that when she got out she would go find Caroline, maybe Cave Johnson too, and go home to the mother who found her in the parking lot of Aperture Science. But Nora had no idea about what happened to the home she knew.