Chapter 10 "Re-entry"
>>>Warning:Orbital Decay detected....
>>>Sending SOS...
>>>Sending SOS...
>>>Please stand by for retrieval...
>>>Sending SOS...
>>>Sending SOS....
So long.....Floating in a dark and endless void for months ...
All Wheatley could see in all directions were stars,his internal UI providing the only flavor to a tasteless mistake.
Space Core was still babbling about nearby...which was rather unfortunate given he was broadcasting on an open radio channel...Though its the only voice he had ever heard since coming to this infinite,dark hell.
The last thing he remembered was being plugged into the mainframe,and it ALL going dark for several hours.
Then pain.....A horrible pain..Like being torn from his main body forcibly...
Then he woke to a blast of cold air...the sound of the mainframe still trying to fix things
Then he was free,the first words of full concision being "GRAB ME!!!"
And as the memories of what the Mainframe had done came back...all he could feel was inconceivable guilt..
Wheatley never kept his promise...
And floating here he had time to think about and regret his decisions..even though they were directly unconscious.
>>SOS Intercepted<<
>>EST. Rescue Time:.....1:24:45:56<<
>>APTR ID:G.DOS v2H-A
And never had he thought he wanted to change his mind so soon about going back to Earth...
Without propulsion,he would have to hope the re-entry into Eath's atmosphere kills him first.
He activates Sleep Mode for now...
(Sleeping.....)
(Sleeping...)
(Sleeping.....)
//WARNING:Facility AI vacant! ALL personnel are not allowed sleep mode until return!\\
Wheatley grunts as he wakes by the sudden flash of code. Earth had grown closer,and he could now see most of America,though the planet's green color has grown more vibrant,though it still looked sick in some areas..
Space core was trying to "swim" back to space,though Earth's pull prevented much progress.
Wheatley looks around,seeing that they were slowly starting to pass by the Moon.
He sighs softly...
He forced himself into sleep mode again..
>>Sleeping....
>>Sleeping....
//WARNING:Facility AI vacant! ALL personnel are not allowed sleep mode until return!\\
//WARNING:Orbital Decay detected! Brace for immediate landfall.\\
--Meanwhile in the Hawaiian Peninsula--
Grayson sighs softly,as he was relaxing on the roof with the satellite equipment. Glados was currently below beck,preparing emergency rescue drones to retrieve a white hot personality core.
"Glados! We have a reading!" Grayson calls out.
Glados quickly comes up,"Where's that moron landing anyway?" She asked.
"Thankfully not far, we'll have to arrange the Drone bay toward the landing site." Grayson said
"Good idea. Bring the boat around and wait for my signal." She said.
Grayson heads to the helm to arrange the boat to deploy the drones.
As the boat began moving,Glados was occupied finishing up the Drone's programming.
//Back In Orbit...\\
As Wheatley started to fall faster,it began getting awfully warm...
And it was slowly becoming more and more hot as Wheatley continues.
Space Core was still trying to swim back toward space,fruitlessly. "Wanna go back....Back to space. Leaving too soon. wanna go back... to SPACE!" The orange eyed core jabbered crazily.
"Ugh....Cant you give it a rest...? I have a bloody migraine...And its getting hot..." Wheatley complained,opening his eye some to cast a glare.
Space Core seemed to have ignored Wheatley as his jabbering continues.
//WARNING:Core Temperature at 98.3 F°. Slow Descent or request a Rescue Drone soon.//
//WARNING:SP4C3-V2 Experiencing synaptic decay from High Temperature exposure.//
Wheatley grunts as the warnings invaded his vision. All of these warnings..and he had zero power to prevent his demise.
It was growing hotter....
A strong pull began to bend and slowly break his maintenance handles.
It was becoming overwhealming,forcing Wheatley to close his eyes and start screaming in pain,as heat quickly turned to fire,beginning to sear his innermost components.
"Glados,we might wanna hurry,Wheatley is about to break sub-orbit,and he's already starting to come in hot!" Grayson calls down,keeping track of the radio and text feed.
"He will be fine. Most Aperture Autonomous Personnel can survive the terminal velocity and atmospheric entry,its the impact we should be concerned about. If we don't catch him right,we will be pulling scrap out of the water,or we'll be scooping out molten metal from the drone's claws." Glados explains
An explosion sounds loudly in the sky.
"That must be Wheatley. The monitor is reading out that he's broken sub-orbit." Grayson said.
"Here comes the tricky part." Glados said.
"And what would that be?" Grayson asked.
"This.-"
All of a sudden a feed fills Grayson's vision;
//REMOTE UPLINK ENGAGED\\
//Scanning for Device(s)\\
//(2) Found;MKII Rescue Drone\\
The Visual feed turns on.
"Sorry,White. I need an operator in these drones and we dont have the time to install the navigational programs. Just act naturally and the drone should operate on it's own." Glados said.
The drones deploy,flying with the speed of an F-10 Warthog to rescue the Moron from burning up into the atmosphere.
Wheatley was now about as round as his frame would let him be,the fireball of his terminal velocity growing bigger and bigger.
--Prepare for immediate rescue in 1:30.01--
The pain would soon be over,as over the roar of the fall two Ovaloid drones could be heard.
They latch onto the shells of the falling cores,slowing their descent as the blaze slowly disappears.
Before the drones began returning,both cores were dunked into the cold ocean with a loud hiss.
The drones return to the boat,with Wheatley screaming at the top of his lungs. The chilling sound went on for a few moments before Glados shoves her hand into the core,pulling a speaker free.
Other than Whatley,a quiet black husk of a core was seen,it's optic seemingly punched in by the air pressure.
Silence falls on the boat,and Glados helps Grayson out of the Drone operation screen.
Grayson groans,"That's definitely a first..." He said,stumbling slightly. "I promise this wont be a common request." Glados assures as she looks at Wheatley,who still seemed to be screaming still.
"Soo...Mission complete.....what now..?" Grayson asked.
Glados sheds a sly smile,"If you wish,its time for a vacation."
"You read my mind." Grayson chuckles.