Chapter 8:The Present Hurts More

As Grayson ran through Cave's inanely dangerous tests,Glados did her best to hold out in Cave's attempts to wake Caroline.

"Let's try this the easy way." He said as he pulls out a black hard drive with silver writing. "Hold still." Cave purrs darkly. He would poke and prod at where the hard drive could be put in,but Glados refused him access. In frustration he grabs a screwdriver,and tries prying open the cover,making Glados yell out in slight pain.

Grayson growls slightly as he was trying to pry a trapdoor of the testing sphere's emergency exit open. As soon as he managed to get it open and get outside of the tests,he finds a pipe that would take him back to the main building,but it was a long walk,and possible climb.

After 15 minutes of prying and tool use,the port had become too damaged to use,and now bled slightly. Cave's face had drawn into an irritated glare,as Glados smiles some. "You aren't going to just access me,Not without damaging me first." She said.

"You keep saying that.." He said.

Glados chuckles softly,"YOU keep saying that. It wont happen." She said. "Shut up." Cave said in a retrained tone. By now,Glados was starting to drive Cave insane with her constant retorting,starting to blur his reason for mercy. This may have seemed crazy,but Glados had to distract Cave from Grayson. She only LOOKED like Caroline,but she certainly acted different,and it made Cave fume in anger.

Grayson was now sneaking through the main building,slipping past mechanical monstrosities. A turret poked it's head up over the table he was under. It jumps up onto the table,featuring four legs instead of three,alongsode an arm pilfered from the growing mass of Atlas and P-body scrap that gets disposed of after tests. It hopped with terrifying agility from table to table,casting it's laser around in search of a target,grunting softly. Grayson manages to get into a vent,and starts trying to look for Glados.

During his search he came to a vent overlooking a hall. Grayson heard heavy footsteps,and froze,spotting who he had shot. It was a missile turret,but it was wedged into Wheatley's old body. It's blue laser scans the halls,as it patrolled. Grayson saw that it's weakness was fortunately the large battery that now clung to it's back. He was about to move when the machine paused....

'Oh fuck....It stopped....' Grayson thought.

The atmosphere was now intense and heavy,as the machine's suspicion started to explore the area. It was producing a soft,steady beep. It's laser aimed up into the vent,turning yellow in interest. Grayson slinks back further,his breathing had almost entirely ceased. The machine studied the vent,not realizing how close it was to it's previous assignment. It turns and walks away,as the roar of Cave's anger boomed through the vents.

"MISSING?! FIND HIM!! KILL THAT TEST SUBJECT!! NOW!!" He roars. The large machine soom thunders past again,producing a loud sound distinct to an alarm signal. Grayson picked up the pace,and reaches an isolated room. He enters it,to find a workshop.

He approached a work bench,and picks up a file,and opening it.

//EXERPT #990446

//Subject;"Regarding the Aperture Personal Weapon Synthesizer"

//Body 1;-In the case of Facility Endangerment-

To protect this from Cave,I hid the workshop where he couldn't find it,and worked as quietly as possible. He's become too unstable with his augmentations,and we fear he is suffering extreme delirium. Whomever is reading this must follow the device's instructions closely and without question. If Cave finds this device,it could endanger the entire upper facility,and possibly the surface.

The page was ripped after that,suggesting the other bodies were how to use it and where it was. Grayson began scouring the room,finding an attachment that fit perfectly in his left palm.

He passed out,his vision filling with a feed of some kind.

//Adapting for New User...//

//User ID:TS-10XT

//Acting Employment:Test Subject

//Area of Activation:--(Redacted via Sattelite Interception)--

//(WARNING;Use of saved Armaments against Facility AI will result in forced shutdown via direct link to this Unit's Life Support Battery. Augmented assailants with this modification will perish instantly.)//

[Sys.UI]>>Accept and install AUG.Armament-Generator-MKI?

>Yes

///Installing....Done

(Aug.)Thank you for installing the Aperture Science Personal Weapon Generator. This augment enables the User to "Summon" weapons. While you will only have Two weapons,these weapons can be almost any size,as long as you can carry it.

(Aug.)To summon a weapon,send power to the holoscreen on the chip,and select whatever you have stored.

(Aug.)System Scans indicate [2] Blueprints in your database. Would you like to use them?

>Yes

(Aug.)Installing.....Done

(Aug.)Registering materials...Done

[Sys.UI]>>WARNING<< Proximity Sensors have been triggered. Initializing Emergency Startup....

Grayson gasps awake,looking around. Nothing was around,but he didn't waste time getting back up into the vent. Cave was now really angry,guiding Grayson to the room Glados was held. Thankfully she was mostly unscathed,and was her usual chatty self.

[SYSCOM MESSAGE RECIVED]

G.Dos>>What took you?

TS.10XT>>Breaking about 13 Aperture Personnel Regulations is not easy when you're dealing with some other dude's minions all over the place.

G.Dos>>What did you do?

TS.10XT>>I'd rather show you. Can you get Cave Frankenstein out of the room?

G.Dos>>Will do.

"Hey,Ugly." Glados spat at Cave. "What now?" He asked. "I think I left my wedding ring in the upper facility. Could you try finding that? It could jigger a couple of memories." She suggested. Cave smirks and leaves the room. Quietly Grayson removed the vent grate,and slips into the room. Grayson opens the weapon generator and selects an aperture multitool. It generates into his hand,and he activates a cutter. He frees Glados,and signs up,toward the vent. She nods in understanding,and walks over to Grayson,Who boosts her up into the vents.

Glados offers her hand and Grayson jumps to grab it,with a soft clap. She pulls him up into the vent,and Grayson covers it again. 'Im guessing Cave is that stupid?' Grayson signs questioningly. 'No,but the fake promise of me remembering something was good enough bait.' She signs back.

'I admit it's a rather clever callback to Caroline being married to science.' Grayson signs with a small smile.

Glados just smiles pleasently,'Back to the danger at hand,White.' She signs. He nods softly,and starts guiding her out of the area. They reach the elevator hub,"Can you make more?" She asked.

"Only one way to find out." He said,handing her the current multitool,and generating another,'Apparently so.' Grayson signs. They nod to one another,and head back up to the labs they knew. Cave was now resorting to ransacking every room,and fortunately hasn't gotten terribly far.

Grayson fires at Cave,getting his attention as the bullet seemingly skipped off of the metal. He growls and starts charging after Grayson.

Grayson led Cave down the halls,narrowly avoiding grabs along the way. Grayson disappears around the corner,and into the main chamber,standing on a white tile among black ones. Cave storms in,smirking at Grayson wickedly. "Where's your partner hmm?" Cave asked. Grayson shrugs,as Cave steps closer. "Parhaps the battle is lost? Are you prepared to die like a dog?" Cave asked.

Grayson still stood his ground. Cave charges.

Glados has set this trap,and was going to trigger it when the rocket turret grabbed her,restraining her.

Grayson yells out as he was knocked aside. He coughs,and he gets up again,generating a portal gun. Cave launches at Grayson,only to make resounding contact with a wall. Cave growls,as he shook his head,"Fine. Let's do this the fun way." He said,really picking up his speed,and grabbing Grayson.

Grayson gasps and struggles as Cave held his neck tightly. Glados yells out,forcibly ramming the large being into a wall,breaking one of the battery connections. It drops her and starts grabbing at the loose wire like a human would when they lost oxygen in a vaccum. The turret falls over after

Meanwhile Grayson was getting pounded into the floor by a very similar mass of metal. Grayson manages to get thrown back over to the target.

Grayson's vision was damaged,many warning lights and emergency feed filled his vision. "Are you done? Finally?" Cave asked. Grayson props himself up,and puts his hand up into a profane gesture that Cave was all too familiar with.

Cave charges him,but his next step took him to a flaming demise,as he was dropped directly into a furnace. He yells out as his body rapidly turned red and started melting,"No!! No No!!" He screams.

Grayson gasps and coughs some,looking Cave in the eye,"Rest in pieces..."

Cave yells as his battery exploded,taking much of his left side. He gurgled softly,as he slowly sank,his hand reaching out as it started to slough off it's frame.

The hatch closes,as Grayson barely clung to life,turning over as he gasps. His suit was ripped and bloody,the extent of bodily injuries were extreme.

He gasps slightly,and Glados came to his aid. His vision and hearing began to fail,as everything became a distant echo and blur. The last thing he heard before everything faded to black,was Glados saying to stay with her.

Grayson found himself in a field of wheat,looking toward the night sky. The air was warm,complimented by a gentle cool breeze. As he looked around,he saw distant images that gave pangs of a warm nostalgia,or pangs of anger.

Others made his heart skip a beat,notably when he and Glados were able to share a moment.

He looked behind himself,and saw Cave,standing in an infinite sea of black. "Ya know kid,you're a fucking cockroach. Treat her right." He said,as he walked over. "What is this?" Grayson asked.

"I'm not sure. I can't tell you even if i wanted to." He said.

"The test is over.....For me at least. I gotta go back to my desk...." Cave said huskily

Suddenly he was back in the field,and the black sea was gone,along with cave,replaced by the surrounding scenery. A feeling of life sprung about,and the night slowly became day,the golden wheat and daylight becoming a blinding haze,and finally he gave a loud groan,mostly in sudden overwhelming pain. "Oh thank the very Scientific Practices you're okay!" Glados said,hugging him softly. "Ohh....Every...Thing...Hurts..." He whispers softly.

Glados chuckles softly,"You really can't be killed can you?" She asked. "How do you do it?" She asked.

He gave a slight chuckle,"If I Told ya,You'd...Laugh.." He said,smiling slightly,and coughing harshly. "Hey,take it easy. You've been out for a few hours. Just rest. " She said.

Grayson set his head back down,and gladly returned his deep rest,while Glados resumed repairs.