After about 6 hours, we finally woke up. Chell didn't say anything to me because Wheatley was still here, but I could see the gratefulness on her face. I just gave her a smile to reassure her, then I pulled her up so we could continue. Now, what I found out thanks to this experience is two things. Firstly, it's just how god-awful my legs feel after staying that way for a few hours. I will never admit this out loud, but GLaDOS may be onto something. Chell is abnormally heavy despite her relatively thin and small frame. The other, more relevant finding, thanks to the data downloaded from the turret maintenance and production servers, is that I have a pretty good idea on how to modify the turrets to make them so much more effective and even mobile. During my sleep, I went into the Vault, and with the help of some of the remaining Engineers, Transmuters, and Builders, I started to make some modifications. Firstly, I made a pair of new Artillery units and one Harvester, but I made them mostly braindead and barely even sentient. I felt bad about it, but their bodies were the perfect starting place for this. For the first change, I managed to convince Sparky that if she went along with the procedure, she would be better than any other turrets that were made before her. Granted, I didn't know if this was even remotely true or if she would even make it through the operation. I secretly also made one Anomaly to be on standby in case something went wrong and I needed to slow them down for a while. I didn't get the full information on how they made the robots' Artificial Intelligence, only how to replicate the code, but the little information on its creation was sketchy, to say the least.
The file was really short on it, but it revealed that it was not Aperture who made the base of these machines; it was a company called JCJenson. The date of its creation was not present, but the file put a really big emphasis on the proper disposal of these machines that were made with their tech. Fortunately, from what I have seen, Aperture is very keen on keeping up these guidelines, and that says a lot about how bad this thing can actually be. Other than these basic guidelines and construction plans, I also got the base model of what every other robot is based upon.
They were called Worker Drones, but from the comments attached to these particular files, they were not that useful and too expensive in the long run, so Aperture took their concepts and made them into something else. This was the origin of the turrets and the cores like Wheatley. Thanks to all of this, I began to make a plan. First, I will remove the brain of the lobotomized puppets, then starting with Sparky, I will remodel them a bit so they could function as the bodies of the turrets. I am basing the new turrets' body designs heavily on the original Worker Drone structure that was present in the files. Hopefully, the advanced biomechanical body will help to mediate a large portion of the problem.
I planned to start with Sparky and the Harvester in order to minimize the damage in case something went horribly wrong, since they both lack the knowledge and the capability to use long-range attacks. Firstly, with Sparky's permission, I booted her offline, then, with the help of the engineers, I very carefully took her apart, making sure that nothing was really disconnected or damaged. I moved on to the Harvester next. I removed her head in order to modify it to fit the new operating modules into it. The torso was the next thing that I took apart a bit. I fitted into it Sparky's main control and processing module, as well as the original power source that serves as the core of the whole machine. It was honestly a bit disgusting since it was a mix between a normal human heart and some mechanical core. It serves not just as a power source but as the black box of the machine as well, since I no longer needed the head to be kept intact to protect the brain of the machine. I installed the turret model's original sensor eye with a few modifications on its chest, so in case of an emergency where the head is destroyed or non-functional, the drone could keep operating without much problem. However, this is a last resort, and it only turns active in these specific scenarios, since it would lack the high processing power needed to run the more complex commands or directives in most situations.
This is where the modified head comes in. I installed a new artificial neurological network in place of the now-removed brain. This will grant them the necessary processing power to run their new bodies to maximum capability. The head's original mechanical sensors, which were in place of actual eyes, were replaced with a high-powered LED display screen. I shamelessly stole these designs from the Worker Drone plans, since I don't need to spend any money making them. Thanks to these plans as well, I added a mouth to them as it could be used as a little chemical processing lab for biological analysis.
When I was finally satisfied with the finished android, I turned her on. Sparky was not hostile towards me, luckily. She was mostly just fascinated with her new capabilities. She was really happy about finally being able to move around, and thanks to the relatively lighter frame of her body, due to some of the removed parts that were needed to keep the original brain alive, she was even capable of flying very quickly for a prolonged time at low altitude. Snappy was a bit jealous of her sister and wanted to immediately start her own change. Her changes took a lot less time to implement, since they were mostly the same. I only really changed the Artillery model's arms in order to make them more efficient and streamlined. Since it wasn't controlled by a human brain, I removed everything that was needed for the biological functions of the original brain. I also made it so the hands could now split apart in order for the kinetic guns to come out and become active. I changed the function of the plasma cannon since it took too much energy away from the main systems. I replaced its original function with the high-powered laser that Aperture uses to conserve energy. Now the new models can use the laser for a short while for both utility and self-defense when their palms are closed and use long-range attacks when they open up. When we were done with her, I unfortunately couldn't modify Blinky since she was outside of the Vault with the whole camera system attached to her, but I did order the others to prepare the last remaining Artillery puppet for the transfer operation.
I also made notes on how we could replicate these two new designs to make the Loader military force more powerful. To avoid always having to rely on using the puppets as a base, I streamlined the most important parts of their bodies, like the general makeup and weapon systems. However, I removed anything that might be too hard to replicate by itself with no modifications, so I didn't include the mechanical wings or even the palm laser in their models, only the kinetic machine guns that would come out if they split their arms. Their head was also a lot more reminiscent of the original turret design since I needed it to serve as the only central processing unit, so it was the only part of their body filled with sensors and their black box. This was due to the now actual need for real ammunition stored inside the body of the unit, since they now didn't possess a quirk that would make it inside them without the need to refill.
Anyway, when we both were finally done reminiscing about the past, we went on our merry way toward the Neurotoxin Generator to finally shut it down as well. Wheatley was now getting really fed up with us not really caring about the time we were taking to do anything, especially after our sudden nap. We didn't really care about his opinion, and I was getting more and more paranoid about him ever since the ominous warning about the AI's origin, but we needed him for now, so I didn't say anything against him to Chell.
We all finally arrived at the processing plant after Wheatley accidentally almost led us in the wrong direction, but after a little while, he spoke up: "Hah, I knew we were going the right way. This is the Neurotoxin Generator, a lot bigger than I expected. We can't just push it over like I originally planned, so we have to be clever about it." In front of us was a giant mechanical contraption with all sorts of giant pipes connected to it. "The control room is at the top, so we should go investigate." We went through the final destination of the 'defective' turrets, where they would be destroyed and then discarded. I honestly felt a bit bad about it, not just because I think it's our fault that now they are here, but also knowing that they are more or less sentient.
I tried not to think about it too much and turned away, since I can't really do anything for them even if I wanted to. When we went up using a lift that was on our way, we ran into a new problem—the door was locked. Wheatley said he couldn't hack it, so I started to walk around to see if there was any way for me to open it. However, just when I was thinking about using the giant laser to melt through the door with some mirror reflection trickery, I suddenly heard a shout: "What are you doing?! We don't know what that button does! Ah, the door is open."
It seems that Chell found our way in. I just laughed and pointed toward the laser, indicating what I wanted to do. She looked rather amused by my idea but didn't say anything, as usual. As we went in after Wheatley, once again, we ran into a wall since he didn't have a concrete way to shut down the machine. He went into a nearby room to try to hack it. I was thinking of something as well when suddenly I saw Chell running out of the room. She returned with an excited expression, and before I could ask what she was doing, she shot a portal at a moving platform behind me. From the open portal, the large laser emerged, and that's when I understood what she was planning. I saw the laser cut through the giant pipes one by one, and just like that, Wheatley reported that the machine had begun to destabilize. Quickly, she did the same thing on the other side, and just like that, we heard an automated announcement: "Warning, neurotoxin pressure has reached dangerously unlethal levels!" After that, the whole machine imploded on itself.
We quickly ran to where Wheatley was currently being sucked up into a broken transport pipe. He pointed out that we could get to GLaDOS directly, so we stopped pulling Wheatley back and let ourselves get dragged into it by the suction force. On our way, we got accidentally separated from each other. It was first Wheatley and me who got pushed in the wrong direction, and then it was me once again who got rerouted to a different path.
I don't know how much time I spent unconscious, as I landed somewhere down in a bunch of rubble. From what I could see, this was a long-abandoned and closed-down part of the facility, but it doesn't matter now. All I know is that I had to get out of here to help Chell and Wheatley with GLaDOS. I quickly brought out Sparky and Snappy to help me in the search—normally I wouldn't do this, but currently, I don't have enough time. I reattached the camera to Sparky for now so I could send Blinky into the vault for the reconstruction operation. She agreed immediately after I told her the benefits, with the two results standing next to me.
Suddenly, it was Thrawn who signaled to me from the stream. It seems he wants me to snoop around a little bit for any kind of map, information, or items that could help us in the long run. Initially, I didn't agree since I wanted to hurry, but he pointed out that I had no idea where I was, so this was for the best. We started going around this place looking for clues. Sparky and I grabbed onto Snappy's hand so we could drag her around while we were flying. We didn't really find anything interesting at first—just long-abandoned test sites, really corrosive acid pooling around the base of this place, and some voice messages from a guy called Cave Johnson. He was talking about some really out-of-pocket stuff, like turning us into mantis-human hybrids, swapping our blood with gasoline, and other crazy things.
If what he's saying is true, then this guy was the founder and CEO of Aperture Science. No wonder this place has gone to ruin—if even half of the stuff he's talking about was true, the lawsuits must have bombarded this place almost daily. Eventually, we just decided to head in a certain direction where we saw the lights were still on. When we arrived, the automated announcer system turned on once again:
"Greetings, friend. I'm Cave Johnson, CEO of Aperture Science—you might know us as a vital participant in the 1968 Senate Hearings on missing astronauts. And you've most likely used one of the many products we invented, but that other people have somehow managed to steal from us. Black Mesa can eat my bankrupt-. Sir, the testing? Right. Now, you might be asking yourself, 'Cave, just how difficult are these tests? What was in that phone book of a contract I signed? Am I in danger?' Let me answer those questions with a question: Who wants to make sixty dollars? Cash. You can also feel free to relax for up to 20 minutes in the waiting room, which is a damn sight more comfortable than the park benches most of you were sleeping on when we found you. So, welcome to Aperture. You're here because we want the best, and you're it. Nope, couldn't keep a straight face. Anyway, don't smudge up the glass down there. In fact, why don't you just go ahead and not touch anything unless it's test-related."
As the message ended, I had a massive sweat drop from the fact that he indirectly confirmed my suspicions. Hell, from what I could see, even Thrawn was burying his face in his hands from secondhand embarrassment. I turned around to ask the former turrets about this whole thing, but they were just looking down in embarrassment, with an expression similar to someone who bit into a lemon. I also didn't miss the fact that they had covered up the Aperture insignia on their frames in shame.
I didn't want to embarrass them any further, so I just ignored them and went around the place, looking for some kind of console. Since this was supposed to be a control room for the test subjects, I thought it might house some useful information. After looking around, I did notice a large date painted on the wall—it said 1971. Must have been around the time this place was built, with that message about the bankruptcy. First, I wanted to check out the top office, which had an overview of the area, in case it had any useful information, as it was fully lit, unlike the office building below.
Inside, there weren't many interesting things, and the computers were nonfunctional—at least, until I accidentally placed my hand on a covered-up door. Behind it was a hallway with three closed blast doors. Pre-recorded messages were also present, so I pressed the first one in case it was an explanation or something about this hidden place:
"If you're allergic to peanuts, you might want to tell somebody now, because this next test may turn your blood into peanut water for a few minutes. On the bright side, if we can make this happen, they're gonna have to invent a new type of Nobel Prize to give us, so hang in there."
Instead, I just heard Cave Johnson going on again about his insane tests. However, when I reached the end of the corridor, I noticed that a fourth blast door was broken and lying on the ground. Behind it was a large, empty dock for what I assumed was a large cargo ship. Its name was most likely Borealis, based on the lifebuoy left behind here. I took it inside my vault, in case it would come up again somewhere else.
Afterward, I got curious about what could be behind all these locked doors, so with the help of the Tool Gun, I placed some explosives on them to at least weaken the old frames or completely bust them down. It worked somewhat, and I managed to get inside. However, what I found was a bit surprising. Behind these doors were now unlit rooms filled with stations that were supposed to house protective suits. From a still-legible clipboard, I found out that these suits were made in cooperation between Aperture and Black Mesa. They were called HEV suits, or by their longer name, Hazardous EnVironmental suits. Much to my disappointment, however, almost all of them were missing. Out of the thirty capsules made for them, only five remained. I quickly stashed them away, since they seemed important—especially in case some of the hazards Cave's logs mentioned are still present.
After I left that place with my newly acquired loot, I went to check out the mostly dark office building next. However, what I found inside shocked me on a level so deep that I didn't even know it existed.
"Hi, you are the murderer's companion, right? That means you should know some of her ways. Say, could you murder this bird for me? Ow~ Ouch~" I was about to walk away, completely in denial of what just happened, but that thing called out to me once again: "Hey, wait, don't go! Just kill this thing and we will call it even between me and the murder orphan." After processing what it just asked me, I went over and shooed the bird away.
"Oh, thanks, I felt my life slipping away." As I went over and took a closer look at the potato thingy, I had a realization. "This voice, this kind of eye... You are GLaDOS, aren't you?" Her one robotic eye focused on me, and she spoke again, almost offended: "Of course it's me, who else could it be?"
I just massaged my forehead a bit: "Look, you are a potato, and I was literally going toward you with Chell and Wheatley to stop you and finally get out of here. Sorry if I am having trouble recognizing you, okay? For all intents and purposes, just give me one good reason not to squash you and throw you into the acid for all you've done." I was getting a bit worked up about her, especially after remembering Chell's episode at the science fair.
"Wait, wait! Don't do anything rash, you need me!"
"Why would I need you? You being down here could only mean that Wheatley and Chell obviously defeated you, no?"
"No, you got it wrong! At least partly... she did defeat me by replacing my core with that moron's, but it didn't end well for either of us. You see, in his jealousy and infinite stupidity, he double-crossed her when she wanted to search for you."
"Why in the hell would Wheatley do this?!"
"He has a massive inferiority and simultaneous superiority complex. When he got power over the facility, it went to his head. But look, that's not the important part. What is important, however, is that we need to stop him. After he pushed me and the girl down the elevator shaft, he started doing things to this facility. Didn't you feel the quakes that sometimes happen around here? He is a moron—a moron that the greatest minds of their generation made specifically to be one. He was originally supposed to slow me down and make me an idiot. I can't even imagine what he will do to this place if he is not stopped in time."
"Alright, alright, I get it. You've bought yourself some time. Don't try anything funny or you'll regret it, I promise you. So do not test me or my patience."
"Okay, I understand. So what is your plan, and why are you even talking to me? Didn't you want to ignore me like the last few days?"
"I don't have a logical reason to ignore you anymore. Even if I accidentally reveal something about myself or my capabilities, you can't really do anything against me or Chell anymore."
"Fair enough, although I didn't take you for such a strategic person. I put you more in the same class as the mute and the moron—just a simpleminded brute who likes to annoy me."
"Don't get it wrong, I do like to just simply annoy you, but I am far from a simple brute. And a suggestion for the future—don't underestimate Chell. She is far more competent and smarter than you give her credit for. At least you can admit that she did get one over you more than once."
Sigh "I guess you do make a good point. Alright, I will not cause you any trouble for the foreseeable future."
"Okay, for now we will wait for Chell to get here, since I can only imagine that the distant noises and the booting-up machines are her doing. Until then, I will show you some things I developed during my time here when I had a bit of free time." I picked her up, then with the help of the Tool Gun, fixed her to my clothes.
"Alright, but I don't think you could have made anything worthwhile for me to see. Don't take it the wrong way, but I have done and seen countless things in this lab, so there is no way that somebody who is not even in the personnel registry could make something useful." She was obviously uninterested in my approach to be a little friendlier with her.
"Well, that may be true, but I am proud of my creations. Sparky, Snappy, you guys can come out now, it's clear." After I made my call out to them, they jumped up to us almost immediately from the waiting rooms below.
"So, how do you like them? I used the turrets and some other things as a base for them. Now they are fully capable of complex movements and directives." I was beaming with pride, showing off my creations to the supposed smartest thing in this whole facility.
"What?! How did you manage... oh, I see! Fascinating, to think that you managed to make significantly better versions of our top-of-the-line android models. It's almost unbelievable. Tell me, what are their capabilities?" It looked like I had managed to get her undivided attention with this revelation, and since we were still waiting for Chell, I started explaining some things to her.
"You see, these two are currently the advanced versions of my new models of the base turret design. One is much more agile, though a bit lacking in sheer offensive capabilities, while the other is much slower but has far more combat effectiveness." After that, we just stayed at the drop from the second floor, talking with and about the new turrets.