Chapter 9:To the Surface?
Over the last few weeks Grayson rested in somewhat critical damage,and the repairs were remarkably slow.
Glados questioned his sudden ability to talk,but assumed it may have been the new software he intergrated. Grayson didn't talk much,and still resorted to sign language. 'You know i can get up if I wanted to.' Grayson signs annoyedly. "Well I'm not taking any chances. Not after the beating you've taken." She said,operating on his battery. Glados grunts in frustration,"And yet i wonder why i couldn't kill you much less fix you." She said.
'What can I say? Im invincible.' He signs with a chuckle.
"Don't push it. The last test subject who was a daredevil ended up flying into an incinerator." Glados said,lacing a semi-sinister tone into her voice.
Grayson shivers slightly.
"Fuck-" Was all Grayson heard as he suddenly shut down.
[Init. Blackbox Mode.....5/26/----]
//WARNING;AUX. Battery Nonfunctional/Not Installedl//
//Checking for other sources....
>>DATAPORT 1;N/A
>>DATAPORT 2;N\A
>>DATAPORT 3;[1] Unregistered Powerfeed
>>DATAPORT 4;(MkIII Life Support Uplink)
[Establishing Temporary Link]
//Diagnosing Shutdown...
.... ....[1] Issue Found in [Upper] Torso
//Diagnosis Resolution Summary;
Loss of power caused by sudden disconnection of Consciousness Power Support Wire from the receiver and/or removal of the Core Power Supply. Symptoms involve forced shutdown(s) and minor migraines after Recovery.
Please be warned unauthorized tampering can void the Aperture Manufacturing Warranty.
[End Of Feed 5/27/----]
>>Please stand By...?<<
.
[Startup Initiated....]
[𝙰𝙿𝙴𝚁𝚃𝚄𝚁𝙴 𝙻𝙰𝙱𝙾𝚁𝙰𝚃𝙾𝚁𝙸𝙴𝚂]
(𝘉𝘪𝘰𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘛𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘚𝘶𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘝.4)
//WAIT FOR ACTION\\
>>System State....STANDBY
>>Scanning for Valid Power Source
>>Power Source found
>>Scanning for software.....
>>Validating Battery Core ID.....
>>Restoring Energized Synaptic Link...
>>Scanning Database for Changes....
>>All Systems Nominal. Preparing to Activate ...
The next time Grayson woke,the infirmary was dark,mostly to avoid disturbing his rest. Off to his left Glados had found herself situated at a desk in rest mode,her neat hair somewhat displaced as she slept covering her head some.
Many crumpled papers and discarded notes surrounded her,signing how hard she had been working to return him to full functionality.
Grayson rubs his head,and yawns softly. He leans up,blinking groggily. Slowly he checked himself,finding that both of his arms and a good portion of his torso were now replaced with newer Aperture material,appealing to the company's use of sterile white.
Grayson grabs the wires that were connected to the back of his neck,pulling them out carefully and getting up
As he moved his augments clicked softly as they start up. He twists with a soft crackle from his back,and gets up. He groggily walks to his room and settles in for more sleep in a comfortable bed.
Glados eventually walks in,and sighs softly. She covers him with a blanket,and heads to her own chambers to rest herself. Given the scare she had a day or so ago,Glados hoped that he would be okay.
The next day,Grayson came in bright eyed and bushy tailed,and was greeted by an unusually warm smile from Glados. 'What's got you in a good mood?' He signs. "Your survival is a good sign. Now,do you remember that idiot you helped?"
'Yeah i do. What about him?' Grayson signs with a slight pang of toxicity. "He's in a decaying orbit with Earth. He'll be landing in three days,so time is of the essence." She said. Grayson looks at her,questioning her intent.
"I know it seems like a deranged thing to do,but that idiot still has punishment to sit out " Glados said.
'Okay,so where is he landing?' Grayson signs
"If my trajectories are correct,he'll be landing near Hawaii,approximately 10 miles off the coast." Glados said
'I've always wanted to see the ocean.' Grayson signs,looking at the map that displayed the shared details.
"We'll be leaving soon,so pack what you need." Glados said. Grayson nods,and heads to his room to pack a bag or two,mostly some changes of clothing,1 pair of Aperture brand swim trunks,and about 7 days worth of food,mostly in bean form,and various other supplies. After getting something to help move the luggage around,he heads back to the main chamber. "That was fast,even for you." Glados comments as he pushes his luggage close to the rest of the survival gear.
'Im all packed.' Grayson said.
"Even the marijuana kit?" Glados asked. Grayson nods. "Good. Please wait for further instructions." She said,going through a few more screens before closing out everything. "I'm all set to go." She said,calling down the surface elevator.
Grayson steps in with Glados,as the door closes. "Being honest with you,I've never set foot on the surface." Glados said. 'Never?' Grayson signs questioningly.
"The closest I've been to the surface is research and speculation. Even I don't know what's up there now." Glados answers. 'Talk about something to worry about...' He signs as they stop in a small shed. Grayson grabs the door's wheel and turns it with much effort. With a deep groaning rumble the door opens,casting bright sunlight into Grayson and Glados's eyes. Dispite the bright glare of seeing the sun for the first time,their vision adjusted,unveiling a field of golden wheat,that ran in seemingly all directions for indefinite lengths.
Glados's eyes began filling with an almost childlike curiosity as she strode out,allowing the wheat to tickle the bottom of her hands. "I can see why you would fight to get here..."
"The warmth of the sun...the feeling of the wheat.." She said.
Grayson shrugs slightly as they walk a small distance from the shed. "Its almost magical." She said.
'Almost?' Grayson signs. Glados pauses for moment,followed by the sound of hangar doors opening. Part of the wheat field began lowering,and opening as a vehicle started to appear from under the wheat. It was a sterile white civil military APC,which resembled a Striker without it's cannon. Glados opens the back,allowing Grayson to set the luggage inside.
'Going in a bit heavy aren't we?" Grayson signs. "We dont know what that Idiot might be carrying with him,and for all we know he might be leading Aliens to us." She said.
'You believe in aliens?' Grayson signs with a whispery chuckle. "When you're as smart as I am,you should. We cannot be living in this universe alone." She said as she walks around to the driver side,"If we are alone in this giant place,Well,i dont want to spoil the surprise." She said with a slightly amused purr. Grayson gets in,and Glados starts the large vehicle.
They travel for a few awkwardly quiet hours. Along the way they passed cities that had monolithic,dark towers,overgrown with various shades of deep moss green.
They occasionally passed trilegged machines that stood,long dead. Their heads hung by exposed wires and bones. Glados eventually stops the truck and gets out, to look at one of the towering husks.
"Intriguing ....Its cybernetics are astonishingly intact!" Glados said. 'Not to be a stickler,but if that thing is technically fully functional,I'd rather not wake it up..' Grayson signs nervously.
"Stop being so afraid. This machine is clearly inactive." Glados said,putting her hand on it.
The slight push caused metallic creaks and groans to cut through the silence. The cadaver began to lose its balance and fall over,colliding against a building with a loud crash.
Glados quickly returns to the truck. Grayson was snickering slightly. "Why are you laughing? Is something funny?" Glados asked.
'Im sorry,it's just that what just happened was so amusing to me.' Grayson signs. 'Positively Smashing.' He signs with a slight laugh.
"Please,no more puns..." She said with a soft chuckle herself. They soon were back on the road,sharing an awkward silence once more.
She parks,and gets out,jogging over to a certain spot,and marking it with a flag. "You might want to stand back." Glados said. Grayson pulls out and lights a dewbie,puffing on it a couple of times while he waits. Eventually a pod crashes onto the sand,and opens,quickly assembling a boat and dock. "Ah,that'd be why." Grayson said softly,a greyish white puff emitting from his mouth as he spoke.
"You should stop smoking so much." She said.
'Whats the point? You can just make more.' Grayson signs. "It is also not easy to reproduce." Glados said as she walks along the newly assembled dock. Grayson follows her out to the boat,"Grayson,could you fetch our equipment?" Glados asked. Grayson nods and heads to fetch his weed kit and the various levels of equipment that Glados had packed away in the truck. He sets the luggage on the boat,'Looks like you've been preparing for a while.' Grayson signs.
"Well,Wheatley wont be happy for the reason why ive been patiently waiting." She said sinisterly. 'Im surprised and relieved that im not apart of that.' Grayson signs.
"Didn't we discuss this already?" Glados asked as she starts the boat. 'We've had a similar topic of conversation,yes.' Grayson signs.
"Then how about you just sit and wait to be useful. We have a long boat ride ahead." Glados said.
Grayson settles in on a seat and relaxes for the moment,puffing on the dewbie and occasionally blowing it in Glados's general direction,which failed with a faceful of smoke.
Glados hums as the boat slowly comes to a stop. "We're here. Ill get the anchor down while you set up the antenna." Glados said.
Grayson nods and grabs a duffel pack labelled "Antenna". After climbing up onto the Boat's roof,he began to set up the surprisingly complex tool. After a few hours he gets the satellite's mobile dish in place,and he sits down to let the computer do the rest.
It grew dark,the boat eventually being the only light on the quiet water. The satellite beeped softly,occasionally adjusting its position.
"Grayson."
Grayson hangs from the roof,'Yeah Glados?' He signs. "Has there been a detection yet?" Glados asked,as she perused "Moby Dick" while they waited. 'Surprisingly no. You said Wheatly would be here in how long?'
"Three Days." She said.
'Why such a long wait?' Grayson signs as he hops down from the roof. "As you can probably see,we do not have space travel." Glados said. 'Didnt i use the portal Gun on the moon?' Grayson signs.
"That's not space travel." Glados said
'It counts.' Grayson signs.
"You must've lost your senses for physics,and you very well could've stripped the atmosphere from the inside out. But I have to admit,What you did was a stroke of idiotic genius." She said,as she turns a page of her book.
'Because youre still alive?' Grayson signs with a curious look.
"Because Both of us know very well that at the time even off of my mainframe that idiot would've been an immediate threat to both of us."
'How? The idiot was sweeter than honey before he set foot in your mainframe.' Grayson signs. "It takes a few hours for the effects of my mainframe to reside. The Mainframe seems to force some sort of Contact based malware into the Cybercortex of Autonomous or Augmented employees." Glados said.
'So why aren't you crazy? Er,Crazier?' Grayson signs
"Because I'm the assigned Facility AI,I possess a line of code that provides me with protection from the Malware's effects,those who dont have it will experience the same effects that I have currently." She said.
'So it tries to make a copy of you?' Grayson signs,seeming surprised by the malware.
"A copy is a bit strong. It's actually overwriting certain parts of unprepared Autonomous personnel. Due to the size of the databases,Only I can operate my mainframe to full capacity. And also due to several personally installed integral security measures,Androids,cores, and other types of Aperture Personnel cannot operate my mainframe without vocal consent."
A beeping cut their conversation short. Grayson rushed to the roof,to look at the laptop. Glados followed him up,and froze alongside Grayson at the screen's display.
There was a huge reading. An ominous feeling lingered between them. 'Glados..? What's this laptop reading on..?'
"Satellite..."
A ship of indistinct origin flew over their head in a very windy and omniscient way. It hovered just over the comparatively smaller boat Gladys and Grayson had.
They stared at the ship with awe,as it looked like it was changing direction,before flying away with wave producing power. Their boat was thrown around a bit,but otherwise unscathed,much to their relief.
"So....." Glados said.
'Yes. I believe in aliens.' Grayson signs.
After the event,the three days that passed were remarkably slow and uneventful.