After All These Years

Chapter 1

Alive... Is this what it feels like?

She was sitting up in a bed, looking around. She was in this gown and had an iv in her arm. The room that she was being held in had a desk, some drawers holding multiple different files, shelves, and two cryo tubes. At the desk was a scientist named Nick Paller.

He had brown hair with dark green eyes. He was wearing a lab coat along with a name tag.

He heard the sound of shuffling over on one of the beds and looked up with curiosity and concern in his eyes. He got up and made his way over, sitting at the end of the bed and speaking softly. A kind voice that would be used towards a child. "Hello little one... Are you okay? It seems like your sister is still asleep over there."

It took her a moment to respond. She knows how to; she had been awake before, but never this long. She doesn't remember those other times. This is the one time she knows that she is going to stay awake for a very long time. "Yeah I'm fine. I have a sister?..."

She looked over to the side to see her asleep on the other bed. She looked just like her with her light brown hair. Twins...

"Do I have a name?..."

Nick thought a moment, seeming hesitant. "Glados... Your name is Glados..." He looked down at his hands, ashamed... He knows the project she was made for... He wished he could stop it... He wished that all of this didn't happen in the first place...

He was being forced by the other workers to do this; it wasn't his choice. So now, he is going to try to keep Glados and her twin safe... As much as he is able to at least.

"Glados..." She said quietly to herself, "What's my sister's name? Does she have one?" Glados kept asking questions.

"Well, what would you think would be a good name?"

"One like mine? With a 'G' at the beginning so we can match?"

"Would Gia work?"

Glados went silent a bit before nodding.

"Now, there is one thing I have to mention to you. There will be other scientists in here as well at times. They won't call you by your names, but by numbers. They will probably call you 'subject five' and your sister 'subject six'. But I want you to remember that you do have names. You are human. Don't let them convince you otherwise okay?.." He paused a minute. "This is also important. If anyone in the genetics labs asks your name, only say you are 'subject five' or simply just 'five'. Your's and your sister's names are a secret."

Glados seemed really confused. "Okay..." She looked over to the door at the other side of the room, curious. "Can I go out there?"

Nick looked off in the direction she was looking to. "Maybe another time okay? It's getting late now and the place is about to close for the night... I don't think you'll be able to leave this room for a few months..."

"Alright... will you stay here?"

"I'm not going to be able to stay... I'm sorry... I wish I could..."

"...Okay..." she said silently.

Nick sighed softly as he stood, walking back to his desk to sit down, putting a hand on his head.

It was silent for quite a while until an announcement rang over the speakers saying that all employees had to leave for the night.

Nick got up and took off his lab coat, hanging it up on a hook on the wall and putting on a regular coat. He looked back to Glados, "Will you be alright?..."

"Why wouldn't I be?..."

"I'm just making sure... I don't want you to be feeling upset..."

He plugged in a nightlight into the wall so they at least have some light. "Now, you should probably rest; It's late. But if you prefer to stay awake, that's fine too."

Glados nodded in response.

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow okay?" He said before shutting the light off and walking out the door, locking it.

Glados just stared at the closed door, unsure of what to do.

Silence... That's all there was now... Until she heard some other people talking.

They sounded like other kids, but a bit older. Glados and her twin were only five years old... the youngest ones.

Carefully, she removed her iv, walking over to the rectangular window in the door. There, she saw the other kids standing at their windows.

There were others like her?...

Two of them had bright blue eyes, two others with green, and one with orange. Glados' and her twin's eyes were bright yellow...

It wasn't long till the other kids caught on to the newest one.

"Hey, there's a new face." Number three said.

"Another one?..." Number one sounded worried. "I thought they were going to stop with this. It's getting out of hand- we're only kids... She probably has no idea what is going on..."

"What's going on? What's happening?" Glados said, speaking up so they can hear her.

"Nothing much. Just some experiments for some scientists."

"Two!!" One shouted.

"What? We can't ignore the truth anyways!" Number two said.

One let out an annoyed sigh. "What's your number sweetie?" She asked softly.

"Five..."

"Huh... so there are five of us now..."

"No, there are six. I have a twin." Glados stated.

"A twin? First time that's happened..."

"No fair. That means she gets a roommate." Number four spoke up.

"It probably wasn't intentional you know... they can't control how this stuff works." One said back. "It's probably good that she has a twin... She might find happiness with them... someone she can relate to."

"Fair enough." Four replied.

"Who are you guys?" Glados asked them.

"We're like you. We are subjects here and we have to stay here at night as well." One said.

"Like me? I thought me and my twin were the only ones at first..."

"Yep. Like you. Except we don't have twins."

"Huh... Well, It's... nice to meet you guys?... I should probably go back to bed-"

"Right now?" Two tilted their head in confusion.

"Hey, she's new... she probably needs the rest..." One said calmly, "Just let her sleep. We'll see her again another time."

Glados returned to the bed, sitting down and just... thinking... Everything feels so new to her... Maybe tomorrow will show her more about how things work around here... Maybe she will learn more about what the others have said...

For now, she let her mind rest, laying down and covering herself with the blankets, drifting off to sleep...