Fourteenth Entry
Reclamation
Gilda's preparations proved to be exactly what we needed to get through the 'gauntlet' that moron created to try and kill us after we proved that the mantis men were useless against us. Between the three of us, it didn't take long to retake my facility.
Videos below...
Gilda, Glados, and Cave carefully made their way through the severely damaged mish-mash tests Wheatley threw at them to try and kill them. The tests themselves proved ineffectual, as Gilda had already proven capable of everything she and Glados had created for them, and the turrets no longer fired an intercept course thanks to Different's alterations, which let the group escape being fired upon without Wheatley realizing the turrets weren't trying to hit them. The real danger came from damaged test components, especially the gravity spheres and wind tunnels. This resulted in drastically altered gravitational conditions and exposed wind turbines, which would be quite deadly if the group got too close.
Thankfully, there were also quite a few small 'off course' areas much as there had been in the 1-19 Alpha 1 course setup, which lacked any cameras to observe them. The group frequently ducked into such areas so Gilda could catch her breath and the trio could plot their next move.
It was in one such area that an unexpected advantage revealed itself.
Gilda panted as she stared out at the damaged chamber they'd just ducked out of. "Dammit...that wind tunnel is blocking the only path to the door, and there aren't any Cubes we can use to block the hole in the grate. If we try to fly through that wind, we'll get sucked in and shredded!"
"And there aren't any portal surfaces, either," Glados observed. "That moron isn't creating Test chambers. He's creating death traps."
"To be fair, it would be possible for one of us to get past by sacrificing the others to the turbine," Cave observed. "That's probably why the Test Computer allowed the construction of the chamber. It's hardwired against the creation of rooms that are truly impossible to escape. As long as there's some way for some to escape alive, it can be made...but it can't be impossible and called a Test Chamber."
"How enlightening," Glados growled waspishly. "Perhaps we should sacrifice you to the turbine, then?"
"Oh, I wouldn't block the hole," Cave countered. "But I think I know what could. Gilda, could you make a portal surface in here? Just a small one, don't waste your conversion gel."
Confused, Gilda sprayed a small amount of her white gel on the wall.
"Perfect!" Cave praised, firing his portal. It opened a portal to another off-course room he'd placed a portal in before. Floating through, he seized a cube and brought it back. "I can grab a few of these from the last chamber-"
"Your portals aren't shut down by the emancipation field?" Glados demanded in shock.
"You managed to figure out how to do that, then?" Cave responded eagerly. "Was it a modification to the field, or to the Handheld Portal Device? I'm afraid I only had access to the prototype that didn't work that way. I can modify-"
"Don't!" Gilda interrupted quickly. "This is...perfect for us. Wheatley won't know what hit him..."
With the new addition to their capabilities, it wasn't long before the trio reached the final tunnel to the Central Computer Chamber where Wheatley was plugged into the Primary Control Grid. "So...are there any cameras here?" Gilda asked hopefully.
Glados glanced around. "None whatsoever," she stated firmly.
"Good." Gilda walked around carefully, searching for just the right spot. Once she found it, she checked her Conversion Gel reserves. She had enough for three more surfaces, if she was careful in how she used it. Positioning herself, she placed the first on the ceiling, and the second on the floor directly below. "Cave, put your portals here."
"You sure?" Cave asked curiously. "I don't see the advantage."
"You will," Gilda reassured him. "Just do it."
Sighing, Cave did as instructed. Reaching into her chest compartment, Gilda fished out the aerosol bottle she'd brought from the closet they'd found Cave in. Giving it a good shake, she flipped it upside down, held it out carefully, and dropped it nozzle first into the lower portal. She then stepped back to make certain it was continuing to fall uninterrupted until it hit terminal velocity. "Don't open a new portal until I tell you," she instructed Cave. She then tapped the edge of the Portal on the ceiling. "And make sure it's this one. We won't get another shot at it."
"I hope you know what you're doing," Glados offered warningly as the trio stepped through the last Emancipation Grid and into the central chamber.
Wheatley swung on the trio as they entered. "Ah...guests..." he spoke, obviously trying - and failing - to be intimidating. "Welcome...to your doom. Welcome...to my lair!" He let off a maniacal chuckle.
Gilda glanced around at the bare, featureless, black walls. "Not very impressive."
"To the uninitiated, perhaps," Wheatley observed. "But allow me to explain why it will now be your doom. First, note the total absence of Portal surfaces. Second, note the absence of any gel tubes for you to break open. Third-" An electrical field flared around Wheatley's body. "Force stun field to keep you from attacking me physically."
"I want that when we're done with him," Glados observed calmly.
"Fourth, the stalemate resolution button is on a completely different floor!" Wheatley crowed. "Even if you were able to 'corrupt' me, you won't be able to force a swap. And fifth..."
Panels in the ceiling opened and a seemingly endless swarm of Hunter Turrets armed with machine guns, bombs, and rockets swooped in, filling the chamber and leaving the trio nowhere to run.
"I don't know why the turrets haven't been able to hit you, but now there are enough to hit everywhere at once!" Wheatley crowed proudly. "And that's what their orders are! Whether you dodge, run, or stand completely still, you'll still be hit! Welcome to your Bullet Hell! FIRE!"
All the turrets immediately spun to face Wheatley before opening fire, resulting in long and loud screams of agony. However, as the smoke started to clear, Wheatley laughed maniacally. "Sixth, the force stun field? Blocks weapons fire, too! And seventh, I've still got these guys!"
Two liquid metal entities leapt out of the walls, carving the turrets to ribbons as they made their way towards the trio.
"Split!" Gilda ordered, and the three each went in a different direction.
"You think three targets will cause a problem since there are only two of them?" Wheatley laughed cruelly. "Eighth! Optic laser!" Focusing on Gilda, he fired a laser from his optic, trailing after her as she ran. "Go ahead...try and outrun me!"
Reaching to her side, Gilda grabbed the Propulsion Gel reserve of her armor, ripped it off, and hurled it ahead of her. The spray of orange that fell out let her gain a great deal of distance as she slid along.
As soon as she began to slide, sprinklers activated and proceeded to wash the gel away, leaving only a small splash that had sprayed directly under Wheatley's body untouched. "Ninth, direct control of the sprinkler system, to wash away any gel you try to use!" Wheatley cackled madly. "Face it, fools! I am invincible!"
"Cave, now!" Gilda called out as she dashed straight towards Wheatley, running straight under him and dumping her last Conversion Gel. Cave instantly fired the portal to that spot.
As Wheatley followed Gilda with his optic laser, the aerosol can shot up out of the portal to smash into his optic nozzle first. "RAAAAAHGHGHG!" Wheatley screamed out in frustration as the sound of the depressed nozzle spraying the contents of the canister could be heard. "Do you have any idea how much that...lemony fresh?"
A single spark, and the canister exploded, destroying Wheatley. All surrounding systems - including the two living metal creatures - went limp and dead.
"Burn his house down!" Gilda crowed proudly, thrusting a clenched fist into the air.
Cave laughed proudly. "Now that's a Johnson!"
"That's my girl," Glados concurred proudly.
I kind of want Johnson to have a Griffon body now too. Then we have one happy, explosive nest.
nice
I'm just waiting for Gilda to stumble upon Rattman in the stasis bed, I mean she'll basically have explored all of Aperture at some point its inevitable.
I'm certain blue was the bouncing gel...
You got the color of repulsion gel right, but not its function. You needed to use the orange gel for sliding.
7952869 If he does get the robogryph body it isn't gonna be near as big or have as many features as Glados's.
7952923 you are correct.
Guess Wheatley really stunk up that mission.
Seems Gilda got Wheatley to can it.
7946094 Yeah but they don't have a planet. Or a way to breathe. Unless they were on a planet that has become Frieza Planet # ??? they would be suffocating, dead space monkies.
Honestly, a better Welcome Home party than one Future Trunks.
Blue gel is repulsion, Orange gel is propulsion.
Looks like it.
Huh?
What are you planning?
Oddly smart for you.
Well played, fair enough.
Explosive lemons...
7952974 Blue gel is propulsion and Orange is repulsion. But I know what you mean.
Blue = Jump man jump man.
Orange = Cha Cha Slide.
Since she is sliding on the blue gel, she should be losing butt fur. OUCH!
7952990
Uh, no.
Propulsion, the action of driving or pushing forward.
Repulsion, a force under the influence of which objects tend to move away from each other.
7953032 I was thinking of propelling through the air.
LINK to me standing corrected.
A wonderful chapter as always.
...
You DO realise that means the canister would crash into the floor in the EXACT spot it's perpetually falling, right?
The one you would need is the ceiling portal
now comes the REAL question: will Glados want to return to her old body, now that she's lived in one that's free to explore the world?
7953131 Why not both?
7953077
Oh good, I wasn't the only one who noticed that.
There are points in the game where it will automatically swap your portals if you shoot the wrong one, not that that would really apply here.
...YES!
7952875 What if, while they're cleaning, all three, they find Rattman? And then suddenly Chell appears on the cameras lololol
And now, since we have the Director and GlaDOS (maybe Glados) on the job, I think it wouldn't be that far for them to start remaking Aperture.
Then all of a sudden, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie... *or not*
Gilda with that badass combustible lemon spray...
Not just lemony fresh, COMBUSTIBLY LEMONY FRESH.
7953587 They already have their own stories.
img05.deviantart.net/2281/i/2011/280/e/2/creeper_approved_by_secretsofapoet-d4c3jxq.png
7952980
7953718
7952985
Ok, Wheatley was kinda clever there, just not clever enough
7953761 I was referencing that episode in Season 5...
Well done, I loved reading this chapter
She wrecked him!?
Hey, if an aerosol can flamethrower is good enough for Solid Snake, an aerosol grenade is perfect for Gilda. I will admit that Wheatley took some good steps to protect himself... now GLaDOS can steal that tech and incorporate it into Gilda's armor and her Griffon body.
7952869 I honestly think he'd try for a dragon just because he'd want to be able to breathe fire and burn Life's house down himself.
(Skip to 0:37)
7954483 Never watched past 4.
wow. that was just.. AWesome. Bullet hell- then averted. and THE LEMONS. it is a mighty fruit!