Test Subject #00001 - 5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5.0

"At about this stage of testing, previous test subjects have been found to discontinue their cooperation. Please note that on the first sign of defiance, including unnecessary loitering, you will be transferred to the chamber where all unwilling test subjects are put. Not that you'll actually get to talk to them, unless you have the ability to speak to the dead."

Well that was comforting. I'd better not cross my arms and say harrumph to the whole thing. Which is a shame because I was actually contemplating on doing that. It's like Siri knows what I'm actually thinking, she's always one step ahead of me.

I stepped out of the elevator and approached test chamber five. The information board lit up to the side. As usual, the number 05 followed by oh look at that, more deadly volts of electricity. We've got the pools as well. And the redirection cube. And the cube and button challenge. Oh here's something different, a stick figure jumping from some kind of plate. Also, there was the same stick figure who seemed to be suffering from a field of dome sort. I wonder what that is. Let's go.

I walked into the chamber, which stunk of sewer water. The room itself was awfully dark, apart from some lighting beams placed on the walls on floor. Then a sound like a mains switch being turned on boomed out and a light from a blurred window pore into the chamber. For a brief moment, I saw the large pool in front of me, the exit door to the far right on a platform and dark panels. Then a loud BANG murdered my ears and the light was gone altogether. Now I was back to seeing nothing.

"Well that didn't sound reassuring." Siri's voice said resonantly.

Well no wonder. I want to goddamn see what I'm doing!

"Brilliant. The test chamber has broken down. Hold on a second while I fix it."

Even in the dark, I could hear whirring sounds, clicking and beeping. I then saw blue lights moving around near the window mechanically, and I figured it was from those panels. More bangs sounded. At one point I swear I heard glass shatter. While this was going on, Siri was still talking.

"Do you know what happens to people who vandalise test chambers? Well for starters, they're immediately disqualified from testing for immoral and disorderly behaviour. Then, they're sent to a place even worse than the room where the uncooperative are kept. This one involves fire and a lot of pain. And death too."

I noticed something about Siri which was starting to scare me. At first, she was informative and monotone. Then she started to say some funny comments. And now she's being threatening. I didn't vandalise the chamber at all, it just broke by itself!

Then the light was turned back on and I saw the amazing sight of panels rearranging themselves to their positions on the wall.

"There we are. It turns out the lightbulb just needed to be changed. Nothing life threatening at all. Continue testing."

I'm sure Siri was playing with me in some way. I'm sure of it.

I shook my head and turned to the rest of the chamber. Most of it was made of dark panels. So that limited where I could put my portals. There was a large pool in front of me, full of that icky liquid. It covered the left wall to the right, like some kind of canal. And of course, it reeked. I was more used to it now but it didn't stop me from covering my nose.

On the other side of the canal was the exit door, on a high platform on the right. I also saw an electric porthole too facing me. Okay, I'll keep that in mind.

Turning directly to my right, I walked over to the other side of the floor. In the middle was a secluded section separated with this red field of...I don't what, but it looked dangerous. Better not touch it. In it, was simply a button on the floor. I noticed one wall inside the area had white panels, so I could portal in there. Good. On top of the section above it was a single white panel. It seemed to be facing the porthole I saw on the far side of the chamber. Around that section to the far right was volts of electricity charging from one of those mega-plugs. Near it was a button on a pole. Okay, so I obviously need to use the portals to connect the electricity so let's do that. I popped a portal on another single white panel where the electricity was hitting and walked around to the top panel above the secluded section. Victory and anticipation swelled as I shot the blue portal onto it, and the electricity immediately surged through to the porthole.

BANG!

I cried out in shock as the sound of loud, crashing destruction sheered the peacefulness. I swivelled in that direction, and saw with horror, the panels in the far left of the room were simply falling away, even into each other, down to the bottomless pit beyond the chamber. Outside the chamber I got a glimpse of several blocks of rooms, with those blue lights attached. Then I noticed the porthole was smoking, and the electricity was cut off altogether.

"Way to go, genius. You've successfully managed to destroy this chamber." Siri's voice accused.

Oh no. Does that mean I'm vandalising the chambers? Please don't kill me, Siri! I realised what I was frantically thinking. Siri might kill me. I'm going to die!

Then a different voice, a male one, resonated out.

"Warning! The testing chamber is undergoing structural collapse. Emergency evacuation recommended."

The chamber rumbled a groan. In the next instant, it lurched to one side, and I fell over that way, landing on my side.

"Aaargh!" I wailed.

The murky liquid splashed over the side, even spilling out through the gap of the chamber. Another shudder. More panels were toppling and falling away.

"Oh God, HELP ME!" I screamed out.

"Warning! Test chamber has reached structural collapse of 38%. Total destruction in approximately 5 minutes."

Five minutes!? Save me Siri, anyone! I'm going to die!

My eyes watered as I still lay on the cold, hard ground. I stared out through that growing gap in the wall. Please, please...I don't want to die.

I couldn't jump over the pool of who-knows-what's-in-there, it was too far a jump. I couldn't go anywhere. I was trapped.

The realisation dawned on my even as the floor shuddered again. I managed to pull myself from the ground and was standing on the uneven, sloped floor. This chamber, I knew, wouldn't last for much longer. It's gonna fall away like rubble. I don't why this was happening, but it was. And I needed to do something now. And fast.

Frantically, I looked around. The pool was still spilling out. If a part of it emptied out, I could try and walk over to the other side, and try to open the exit door. There was still that damn laser field behind me, I could hear it humming even amongst the chaos.

And then I heard the sound of metal squealing.

It was distant, coming from outside the chamber itself. It wasn't the same as the constant shudders and lurches rocking the room. I couldn't describe it, maybe I'd get s better view if...

Then as if on cue, an entire section of panels on the destroyed wall collapsed, making an awful crash as they fell away. The next thing I could see was a large box perhaps even bigger than the chamber emerging from the fog. I noticed it was moving along a railing like a train clacking along railway tracks, except the tracks were above the large box. It had blue lights on it, and I recognised the moving box as another test chamber. And there was something worse.

It was careening straight for the chamber.

My eyes widened and I backed away. No, it's not gonna...it is, isn't it? The chamber suddenly dropped, like one of the supports had snapped. My breath was caught in my mouth as I regained my balance. Desperately, I took a wild glance out to the approaching chamber.

With a sickening churn of my stomach, I knew that it had no intention of stopping.

Brace for impact. Here we go. 3..2...

I felt it before I heard it. The entire chamber shook violently and I screamed before I staggered and fell backwards onto my back. Even as it happened, the moving chamber mashed into the broken wall, taking down even more panels with it. Then another unknown force lifted the slanted chamber until it jolted back into its upright position.

Back on the floor, dazed and in shock, the stillness shrouded everything. It was as if it hadn't happened at all, apart from the broken wall which was sealed up by the other chamber.

"Warning: Test Chamber emergency resolved."

That male voice. It sounded very much like a prerecording, not as much as Siri. Siri was more...humane in her speech.

"The test chamber is now fixed. Temporarily. No need to thank me. Complete it before it well and truly collapses."

Even with that hint of amusement tinged in her voice, Siri's final words spurred me to action. There was no way I was going to stick around for that again.

As I got up, my body ached with pain. For a moment, I just rested, then I turned my attention toward the button behind the laser field behind me. I needed a cube obviously. So where was that? Maybe it's on the other side...but there's no white panel. With dawning doom, I realised I'd seen it briefly fall away in that accident. Crap! I looked over the side to see how much of the pool was gone. Not too much, if I can get closer...

In one instant I was by the side of the pool. In the next, I was vaulted through the air!

"WOOOOOAAAHHHH!" I screamed in alarm.

Before I could do anything, my feet landed firmly on the other side. Without any damage or hurt. I let my breathing slow down for a bit, being at awe of how I never seem to land from large jumps or falls with any injury. It amazed me, yet I never wanted to do it again. I looked back towards where I'd jumped from. There seemed to be no indication of anything that would make me fly through the air across the canal. I swear I heard the sound of a staple-gun firing, or something like that anyway. It confused me. I looked around and. noticed that three panels had risen from the floor next to the higher platform. They were lined up along the back wall, consecutively raised higher, but we're angled so it made a ramp from the floor up the the platform. That must've been what the electricity triggered, before the explosion of course. Luckily, the panels had stayed up even when the porthole exploded. I walked up the ramp until I was in front of the locked exit door. The button inside that laser field opened it, I know. So where's the cube? My eyes scanned the room. Cube, cube, cube...where are you? I looked up and noticed a gap in the ceiling, not broken, but had some kind of vertical tunnel. Interesting.

Then when I momentarily glanced down, I noticed for the first time the plate on the ground. It had a single white light in the center of it, and in front of it was an arrow pointing to the other side of the canal where I came from. My mind clicked. That's what I'd stepped on when I flew over to this side. I don't think I want to step on it again, I don't think I can do it.

Just then, the chamber shuddered and groaned.

I can step on the plate.

Bracing myself, I stepped onto the plate. In that instant, I was flung like a dart over the pool and back to the other side, landing perfectly on my feet. That wasn't so bad, I could actually get used to this. I should learn to have some fun. But for now, I wanted to press that small button over there by the wall. I approached it and with an outstretched finger, pressed it down. I heard the ticking of a clock for a brief moment before it cut off. Turning around, I looked to see a cube emerge from that tunnel in the ceiling and fall straight down. Here it comes...

I watched with horror as the cube splashed directly into the sewer water. Then a horrible fizzling sound murdered my ears, and I swear I saw the cube disintegrate even in the pool. And then it was over, as if the cube hadn't appeared in the first place. Well that was interesting.

Note to self: NEVER touch the pool.

If whatever was in that pool completely destroyed every molecule of that heavy, metal cube, then imagine what it would do to me! A new kind of fear unravelled in my stomach as I studied the pool, peacefully laying in the middle of the chamber. Let's...let's move on before I throw up.

I quizzically glanced back up to where the cube had fallen. How was it supposed to be caught before it landed in the water? For several minutes I stared, my mind grinding as it thought about what I could do. It confused me.

My brain sparked when I came up with the idea of grabbing the cube with my portal gun before it hit the water. Unfortunately, it worked to no such avail. I was close, but not quite there. The second cube fizzled horribly upon impact with the pool. Another frustrated period of thought followed. And then I eyed the plate on the floor, the first one that had sent me flying over the pool to the other side.

It came to me like the lightbulb in my head switched itself on.

Jump from the plate after pressing the button, and catch the cube in mid-air. Simple. And I think I'm not so terrified about jumping on a plate that's gonna fling me across the room anymore. Eagerly, I bounded over to the button and slammed my fist down on it. Then, I raced back to the plate, and without daring to even hesitate, I was leapt from the plate. The moment was exhilarating, enthralling, and it increased further as the cube perfectly fell towards me, and I caught it within the portal gun's grasp. Before I knew it, I was standing on the other side, cube with me. An uncontrollable grin spread over my face. Let's do it again!

But wait, if I simply jumped back over, I couldn't put the cube on the large button. There's a red laser field blocking off the alcove the button lay in, and I suspected touching that would be worse than swimming in the pool of dangerousness right before me. There was one white panel inside the alcove, directly next to the button. The only other one was directly above the alcove, where the electricity was meant to charge through. Remembering the electricity, I did recall a white panel near the small button at the start of this test, but mysteriously, it was gone. It might've vanished during that chamber...malfunction. Who knows. This entire place is shrouded in mystery, not just a stupid white panel disappearing. But I had a theory, and it was worth the test.

I made over to the plate on the platform, and jumped across the room again. And this time, I actually enjoyed it.

"WOOOHOOO!" I hollered as I was catapulted over to the other side.

Once I landed on my two feet, I bounded over to the panel above the alcove and shot a blue portal on it, before turning to the panel inside the alcove and firing an orange portal on it. Now, for the true test...

I picked up the cube which I had momentarily put down and stuck it through the blue portal with my portal gun. It was working. With exhilaration, I dropped the cube through the portal and the button activated under the cube's weight. It worked!

Something crashed outside the chamber as the exit door opened. Not as big as before, but enough to...well..move me to not stick around for any longer.

"Oh good, you're finished. Let's get rid of this old pile of garbage once and for all."

Suddenly, an alarm blared in a hazardous tone. And the chamber holding the broken wall in place was starting to pull back!

In that instant, I ran over to the jumping plate, sprang across the chamber, and gapped it to the exit door.

"No, no, no, WAIT!" I yelled.

Even then, the chamber jolted and lurched. A loud and destructive crash boomed out from behind me, but I dared not to turn back. The floor dropped suddenly, and I did everything I could to keep my balance. I was up the panelled ramp, and I dove, literally dove through the exit door and the blue grid. My breath escaped me as my body hit the metal catwalk, and then I was rolling, bumping down the staircase!

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!"

Finally, I came to a halt before the elevator, which pleasantly swished open, as if to say 'Did you enjoy the test?'

I swear to God I hate this place.