Test Subject #00001 - 4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4.0

Moments later, the elevator stopped and opened up.

"Aperture Science is committed to the safety of test subjects while testing. Therefore, you will find it helpful and beneficial to know that we have added elements of danger in this next test chamber. Thanks to the Aperture safety initiative programme, in coordination with the acceleration and innovation of science, we are pleased to warn you of this warning message: Be careful."

Be careful? So I could've just not taken any caution in the last three test chambers, is that what she's suggesting? Or is it that their safety programme is useless? Who knows.

I advanced forward and reached the test chamber information sign. Under the number 04 was the symbols I recognised as the lasers (not this again), followed by four new symbols. The first and second were next to each other, and practically showed to not drink or swim in water. Well that's what it looked like. Which was a shame because I was awfully thirsty. And hungry too. What I would too for a coffee...I hope they have a break room somewhere.

Anyway, the other two hazard symbols looked relatively easy to understand. The first had a volt of lightning or electricity with an arrow underneath it pointing to a strange object n the ground. The other described what happens when you touch volts of electricity. Well that looks safe, thanks to Siri's stupid safety programme.

"Hmm, that mortified expression on your face indicates that you didn't receive the full benefit of the Aperture safety initiative programme. Perhaps it would be more reassuring if I told you that it would be safe not to use your scientific curiosity to prevent you from touching the deadly lasers, deadly liquid pool and deadly volts of electricity in this test chamber."

Like that's made everything all better. Thanks a lot, Siri. I turned towards the chamber and braced myself for what would come. Here we go...

As soon as the door clicked open, an awful and foul pong crashed into my nostrils.

"Augh!" I moaned as I put my nose under the scratchy jumper I was wearing.

What was that horrible smell? It stunk like decaying fish wrapt in leathery burnt bacon, combined with the sheer, putrid smell of diesel mixed with faeces. Okay, so that might've been a little over the top, but it stunk real bad. Even my eyes were watering. Once I wiped them, I could see this pool of murky, dark water, if you could even class it as water, around the exit door. Was I going to have to swim through the slime just to get to the exit? Then I remembered that I couldn't, the hazard symbols and Siri had said not to. Well that's helpful. But how one earth could I get there then? There was dark panels all along the back wall where the exit door was so I couldn't simply just portal over. Hmm...

I turned my attention to the left of the room, where I heard a continuous crackling and buzzing sound. In an alcove a little smaller than the rest of the room, an emitter with three prongs was installed on the side wall, with a ring of blue on the outside. Pure, uncovered electricity was charging from out of the emitter, making contact with the opposite side wall. As I got closer, I tripped over something on the ground.

"Aargh!" I grunted, my nose slipping out of my jumper and catching the pong of the murky pond again.

Ignoring the stink as best as I could, I focused on what I had tripped over. It was a circular shape with a three holes arranged in a triangle in the middle, with another blue ring on the outside. On the floor next to it, was that hazard symbol of putting the volt of electricity into the port. To me, it was just like the laser beam puzzle, except with electricity. I knew what to do, it was so easy. Putting a blue portal above the port on the ceiling and placing the other where the electricity was hitting, I was able to connect the electric flow to the port. Instantly, a loud noise was heard, made by the port, and I heard the exit door click open behind me. I swivelled around to see that although it was open, there still was that pool in front of it, so there was no way to reach it from the edge. How will I get to it?

And that's when I saw the side entrance on the right hand side of the chamber. I couldn't quite see inside it, but I knew it's somewhere I needed to check out. I guessed I would need to do some laser work. There was a small hallway which carried on to the left, so I walked down it. It opened up to a room, inside it was an emitter on the wall next to the opening. Studying the room, I noticed there was the porthole for the laser on the wall over on the far side. Also, two small markers were placed on the ground in random positions, having a glass and metal exterior with hollow air inside them. Odd. As I edged closer, that creepy puff was heard and that cube used to redirect lasers clonked to the floor over at the other corner. I turned to the laser. Oh, you thought I had to jump over you just go get to that cube? Well guess what, I gotta Portal gun! Howzat!

With overconfidence, I shot a portal over to the cube, placing another on the wall behind me. That's what I'm talking about! In the next instant, the truth dawned on me that I had just deactivated the previous two portals used for electricity.

"Aw, crap!" I cursed in frustration. I'd have to redo that part again. I'll get this out of the way first though.

I walked through the portals and picked up the cube with my gun. Making my way back to the laser, I formed a wondering theory. What if I put a laser through the two markers? I tried it out with the cube and a satisfying humming sound was heard. So what did it do? Looking around in the small room, I saw nothing new or different. Okay, what happened outside then? I travelled back to the main chamber carefully, making sure the laser was still in place. There, two panels from underneath the pool of sickly water had ascended and was just a few centimetres away from the edge of the chamber floor. They had grating so that no portal could be placed on it. I stepped onto it and surveyed the distance between where I was and the locked exit door. So, the laser markers I put the laser through lifts these two panels. There must be a third panel for me to reach the exit door. The laser porthole must do that, and I need portals to line the laser through the markers and into the porthole. The electricity charge opens the exit door. But I've only got a set of portals, not four! How the hell am I gonna do this? It seems impossible. I need both the panels lifted and the door unlocked.

If I can't do this, I'll never be able to get out of here. And I'll never find out the truth about me.

That made getting this damn test solved extra important. Hang on, maybe I am do the entire process one after the other, not simultaneously. I hopped down from the raised panel and went back to the side room. Using portals and lasers, I managed to line the laser up with the markers, making sure it also connected with the port-hole using portals. Awesome. Turning back, I headed out to the main room. The three panels were raised from underneath the sewer pool and I easily stepped across them all. Now I reached a ledge before the locked exit door. Once I stepped onto it, I turned towards the electricity lightning and redid that puzzle using the portals. The three panels lowered and the exit door swished open in front of me. Genius.

"Perfect. Your testing performance is improving, and with your rate of success, you will have finished testing within two days."

Two days!? Really? I just want out! A break at least. Depending on the safety, I will probably be able to do two more tests. And by then I'll be truly exhausted. Did I mention I'm hungry and awfully thirsty? This place is gonna kill me.

And on that note, I stepped inside the ready elevator, even as the barriers closed and it swooshed down below.

•••••

The screens displayed the live camera footage spying the test subject.

While she was standing inside the elevator, the enormous monstrosity of metal and wires watched the screens, even as it prepared the next test chamber. So far, it was satisfied with the test subject's work. Sure, it could've done better in some places, but overall she did good enough. In fact, that was what the supercomputer had put on her testing record.

Test Chamber 01: Did good enough.

Test Chamber 02: Did good enough.

Test Chamber 03: Did good enough.

Test Chamber 04: Did good enough.

The supercomputer was tempted to put that same comment in the space next to test chamber five, even before the subject had even arrived there. But of course, that wasn't going to happen. Something could go wrong, making the test result inaccurate. Inaccurate testing results means inaccurate science. And the supercomputer couldn't stand for that.

The test subject had arrived at Test Chamber 05's lobby. Announcement in three...two...one...