Business as Usual

Chell took her time as she entered the next test chamber. She didn’t want to be caught off guard by another trick from GLaDOS. The test subject kept her fist tight, nails digging into her palm to prevent her from covering herself. She wanted to remain as stoic as she could, given the circumstances.

“Hello?” an electronic voice called out as a familiar red light started to track her movement.

Chell slammed herself against the wall at the sight of the little murderous machine behind the steel grating. She then regretted her actions as her muscles reacted to the impact. The jumpsuit had a lot more padding than she once perceived. ‘So much for being stoic,’ Chell groaned internally.

After calming herself a bit, she proceeded testing like she always did. She darted past the turret and set fire to the other four killing machines that were blocking her path. Their screams of agony pleased her a lot more compared to the last test chamber for some reason. However, she tensed up a bit as she carried the Discouragement Redirection Cube to its required location. There was a sharp pain in her left shoulder.

Using two portals in a corner of the room, she inspected the damage. There was a small gash on her left side, presumably created by the jagged edge of the wall. Her back was covered in dirt and dried oil. Apparently, Aperture Science still lacked the capacity to clean itself. That or GLaDOS enjoyed her test subjects working in dingy environments. Blood was beginning to trickle down her arm.

Subconsciously, Chell reached out to herself through the portal and wiped the fluid off. The test subject shivered at the sensation. Focusing back on the portal, it looked as if she was massaging a naked woman’s shoulder. It also looked like a naked woman was massaging her shoulder. Both answers were correct. She studied the figure, her figure, more: smooth caramel skin, rich brown hair, toned muscles. Despite all of GLaDOS’s degrading comments, Chell knew she wasn’t fat. She did admit that she carried more weight in her thighs than the perceived average but they were strong thighs.

Healthy thighs.

Thighs that anyone would want to stick their han-

“If you’re going to take care of some personal matters, you might want to do it in a place I can’t see.” Her captor’s voice echoed throughout the chamber.

Chell pulled her hand out of the portal, blushing deeply. She shook her head and scowled. She grabbed the the Discouragement Redirection Cube and activated the chamber door with the laser.

‘This is a bit unsettling,’ Chell thought to herself, gazing at a painting of… herself. It was scrawled on the wall like the others she stumbled upon while sneaking around the facility. Long ago, when she first met GLaDOS, she found some mysterious huts with paintings of similar caliber. They looked like the ravings of someone losing their grip on reality but, after being stuck in Aperture Science for so long, she wouldn’t fault them. Whoever was painting them also had a deep affection for a certain cube. Once again, she wouldn’t fault them. Funny enough, when she awoke, she discovered new paintings in old offices and crawl spaces. The subject matter had changed. They tended to be centered around her now.

Her eyes were closed. All of the paintings depicted her eyes closed. She looked like she was ****. Words from a research paper or The Bible wrapped around her. In the background, there was a graph labeling her ‘Tenacity.’ In past, she found these sketches comforting. However, the entire room was projecting an unwanted vibe. Perhaps it was the decaying yellow walls? Maybe it was the slow moving fan over her head? It could be the fact that she was naked. That was a more obvious assumption.

‘Damn it! I just wanted two seconds of privacy! Just a nice quiet room where I could-’ She trailed off. ‘Take care of business.’ A part of her wanted to chuckle at the absurdity of it all. She let the air from her chest escape slowly.

‘Wait a minute.’

Chell stayed perfectly still as she took the room in one more time. She swore she heard something underneath her breath. A mutter. A small gasp.

Right behind her.

Chell turned around…