smash_logs | I'll have a cup of tea and tell you of my dreaming

I'll have a cup of tea and tell you of my dreaming

Who: Everyone
What: DREAMS
When: A whole 24 hours spanning from September 14th-15th
Warnings: Creepy nightmares? Innuendo? I don't know, the usual.

There had been so much buzz about those stupid lollipops for weeks now. Not only out loud, but in her head - thoughts ranging from what's the deal with those things? to gotta have more to pricy as fuck. Eventually, she confused the cravings of others for her own, and it just so happened that her very own roommate had a box right on her side of the room!

Casey wasn't supposed to touch it, but she didn't see why. Money issues, or something. She didn't get the big deal about money either. She wasn't a Meowth, so there was no reason for her to have any. Therefore, the rules about it didn't apply to her.

That was her logic, anyway.

When Ai was asleep, she opened up the box and put her telekinesis to good use. Five of the candies lifted into the air - two green, three yellow - and the wrappers tore off in perfect synchronization. Too bad nobody was watching. The Abra opened her mouth wide and crammed all of them in at once, because she had no concept of savouring anything.

Shortly after, she fell asleep, the sticks still poking out of her mouth. That had to be bad for her teeth.

Soon the dreaming began...

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Chell didn't mind either. While she, herself, was somewhat of a loner when dealing with these issues, it helped to have a partner who wasn't a robot. A partner who actually understood things to a degree. She didn't need one, but she didn't mind Shadow's presence.

So, she nodded to indicate her acceptance.

At Shadow and Chell's response, Caroline offered her own nod. "Right. Well, let's be on our way! There's quite a bit of the facility to see before your limo ride home, so we don't have much time to waste." with that said, she turns around and starts walking forward, up the steps towards the front of the building. "This way, please."

Once inside the building, the first room in view will be the lobby. On the walls are a good sum of trophies and awards dedicated to Aperture Science Innovators for science-related projects and Aperture Fixtures for shower curtain-related achievements. Pay no mind to the fact that a good sum of the science-related awards are second place. No one else does.

Caroline looked down at the clip board in her hand, before turning around to face her guests. "From what it says here, you both have clearance to view a demonstration of our latest Quantum Tunneling Device, before you leave. Won't that be exciting!"

Quantum Tunneling Device...

Shadow tried to absorb the terminology, looking for some sort of logical explanation behind it. It felt like something about this whole endeavor was ominous, as if they really shouldn't be doing this, but he had no idea what she was talking about. He couldn't judge yet.

He was determined to find out before anything continued.

"Explain to me what this Quantum Tunneling Device is," he spoke, "in as much detail as you are capable of divulging."

He looked to Chell. Maybe she would know something of it?

That term sounded familiar indeed... Chell had heard it mentioned over the announcements many times during her days at Aperture. From what she understood, it was almost like the prototype of the Portal gun, but she didn't know much beyond that. How anything like that could work was completely beyond her; it's not like her science knowledge was particularly vast.

She saw the look that Shadow gave her, so she tried to think of the best way to explain it. Thinking for a moment, she finally pointed with her left index finger to her right forearm, around the wrist, to indicate the Portal Gun. But then she gave a slight shrug to indicate she wasn't exactly positive.

"Well, under normal circumstances I would not be able to reveal much, since it is top secret, but because you have clearance to view a demonstration, I suppose it won't hurt.

Basically, the Aperture Science Quantum Tunneling Device is a prototype version of what we hope to make. That is, a device that enables us to travel from one point to another using a series of portals. Mr. Johnson came up with the idea a few years ago and we've been trying to perfect it ever since. So far it's been working quite well! Though, I worry it will take quite some time before we are able to perfect it."

After saying that mouthful, she laughs a bit nervously. "Oh...perhaps I got a bit too carried away in my explanation. My apologizes if I bored you."

"Portals..."

Oh, thank god. Shadow feared the worst, that this was Caroline demonstrating the very machine that would turn her into that maniac he knew. It was a dream, so of course, anything was possible, but in this case, it was something far more mild.

To see a prototype of the portal gun, in fact, was incredibly fascinating.

"I see. You... have not bored me," he assured, ears perked with mild anticipation, "I promise."

Chell couldn't help feeling somewhat sad, somewhat guilty for this whole thing. She knew that she was peering into the subconscious of the thing that had kidnapped her for so many years, but behind that was an innocent woman.

Well, somewhat innocent. When Chell had met Caroline before at the school, she wanted nothing to do with her; she cared more about science than the well being of others... So that trait was completely magnified when she became GLaDOS. But still. Caroline had saved her. Caroline had never left GLaDOS's mind. And through this whole series, it was Caroline that Chell was thankful to, not GLaDOS.

Did this Caroline here know of her future? Well, obviously she must have, since they were within GLaDOS's mind, but it was like looking at a memory. ~~Like that thing that Snape did right before he died when Harry found out that he was secretly a good guy.~~ Chell should have run away, but she would feel guilty for doing so. And somehow Shadow seemed to sense this too. So, she'd play along with Caroline's game and go on her tour. Maybe she'd learn more about the history of Aperture, more about the semblance of humanity inside of GLaDOS.

When Caroline spoke of the Quantum Tunneling Device, Chell simply nodded, as if to show she understood, that she wasn't bored. And when Shadow spoke, she gave another nod to show that she agreed.

Caroline smiled at Shadow and Chell, giving them both a brief nod. "I'm glad. Science is a large love of mine, so I tend to go on and on about it. But that's enough of that, let's get on with the tour."

And with that said, she beckons to Shadow and Chell as she walks down the lobby's hallway.

"Hmph."

Shadow followed closely behind her, his mind swirling with mixed emotions. This was Caroline, and yes, she was a total sweetheart, one that would soon become a victim to the science she loved so much. She would forever become a maniacal machine in her future, bent on destruction at first, and then addicted to ridiculous testing without care.

His heart dropped at the very thought, his throat going dry. He hoped that he never had to see the violent shift.

"Why science?"

His eyes flung to her, his question sudden, yet important. His expression was stern, yet if Caroline or Chell looked closely, there might be a hint of tragic despair hidden deep in there.

"Why opt for science as opposed to sin-- nng-- something else you are talented with?"

Chell had to disagree with the "total sweetheart" part. She still got terrible vibes from Caroline while she was at the school, even if she was good on the inside. She was just too dense to know that her actions were hurting so many. But knowing her fate still hurt Chell. Had Caroline spoken to GLaDOS while they were both at the school? Did the Caroline of the past know what was to happen?

But Chell almost wanted to laugh when he asked "why science." That was like asking her why the pope was Catholic. Their obsession with science was obviously never going to be broken.

Though idly, Chell knew that "science" was such a broad subject range. Didn't most science facilities usually focus on one branch of it as opposed to just... "science?"

At Shadow's question, Caroline did not bother to turn around, nor did she stop walking. However, she did look surprised at his mention of her singing--not that either of the two could see it. How did he know about that...she'd have to ask later.

"That's a silly question." she started, voice as cheery as ever. "Why wouldn't I opt for science? It's a vast subject, filled with so many different ways to improve our everyday lives. Here at Aperture, that's our ultimate goal: to improve life. And I believe Mr. Johnson is just the right man accomplish that goal.

Sure, his methods and ideas can be a bit...unorthodox, and a good sum of our tests are dangerous, but I have the utmost faith in him and Aperture. The ends justify the means, after all. You can't make a cake without cracking a few eggs, so to speak."

Once Caroline finished speaking, she stopped for a few seconds. While stopped, she stumbled slightly, grabbing her head in pain. Should either Chell or Shadow be paying attention to their surroundings instead of her, they may notice that the world around them seemed to be rippling. Even odder, it only lasted as long as she was in "pain".

It was a few seconds before she resumed her normal posture, the pain seeming to have subsided...for the time being. However, instead of continuing the tour, Caroline whirled around to face Shadow.

"You know..." she began, eyes narrowing. "Something you said...bothers me. You mentioned singing, but the list of people who know that I sing quite well is very very short. It's not something I broadcast" she paused, letting that sink in. "So I want to know, who are you and how do you know about my singing?"

Edited 2012-09-20 07:37 (UTC)

This was a dream and nothing more than a dream. If this was a trip to the past, he would have wanted to tread more lightly, but given that this would not affect timelines, he felt just a tad more relaxed. Of course, that didn't say much, as he was still greatly on edge.

Caroline, her connection to Aperture, the world's unstable structure...

It all left him a little queasy.

"I... am from your future," he carefully spoke, eyeing her with a great sense of knowledge on his shoulders. "You sang to me and to others to demonstrate your abilities. As for who I am..."

He suddenly trailed off, eyes dipping down as familiarity washed over him. He still remembered when he first met Caroline. He was so hesitant about her, just as he was with anyone, yet her melodic voice and sweet demeanor made him feel just a bit... positive around her.

"... My name is Shadow, Shadow the Hedgehog."

Normally Chell would have cocked an eyebrow at what Shadow was saying, but she knew that this wasn't "real." It was a dream. Then again, what even was "reality" anymore? She barely knew. Caroline had come from the past to the school, at the same time as GLaDOS, who was in a human form... Maybe this entire existence at Smash Academy was a dream in it of itself. That certainly made more sense than whatever the hell was going on here.

She said nothing, though, only letting Shadow do the talking.

The world rippled as Caroline's emotions seemed to surge, and Chell looked around in half-surprise as the ground trembled. The slightest hint of worry crossed her features at this moment. She knew for the most part that it was a dream, but that didn't stop her survival instincts from kicking in. So as she looked at Caroline, her features started to take on a bit of fierceness.

Caroline's eyes narrowed at both of them. Sure, most people would think of time travel as obvious bullshit, but those who worked at Aperture were not most people. It did seem plausible, after all. However...no, that wasn't what was bothering her. These too seemed...familiar. Like she knew them...or had seen them--

Wait. Shadow...and this girl...this silent girl...Chell. Hold on...how could she know her name? She never even met this woman in her life...

...but She did.

That sudden realization hit her like a ton of bricks. This...was all a dream, created by the subconscious of the AI she was trapped inside...no, the AI part of her had become.

"...I remember that. She...was watching my singing over the Academy's Network."

"She was. I was."

Shadow's voice was surprisingly soft, beyond his control. This Caroline was just a dream. It was all a dream. As a result, no, this wasn't the real one... unless GLaDOS was somehow able to project the trapped Caroline through her dream.

The very thought of that made his heart sink.

"Come back with us," he instructed her, extending a hand to her. "Leave this place. You shouldn't be here anymore."

Within her, that AI.

This was a dream. Could robots even dream? Even in GLaDOS's humanoid form, Chell didn't know if she could still dream. And for so long she had been convinced that Caroline had been deleted from her brain, but then not too long ago she found out that that was a lie.

Was this the real Caroline trapped inside GLaDOS's mind? Begging to be set free?

It was. It was really sad, wasn't it? The Caroline that Chell had met before had been oblivious, it seemed, and Chell really wanted nothing to do with her. But now this Caroline knew that she was trapped.

A much worse fate than the one Chell had suffered. But what could they do? They were in a dream space. Even if they "rescued" Caroline, it would all be for naught once they woke up. Right?

So she turned to Shadow and shook her head. It wouldn't work.

Caroline turned to Shadow, then Chell. After that...she turned to look away. She really didn't want to do this It was a while before she said anything, but when the assistant did finally speak, her voice was quiet. "Your friend--Chell, is right. This is my fate, to be trapped inside Her mind. Besides..." she paused for a few seconds,

"I don't want to leave. If I were to escape her...to have a body I could control again...She would be in complete and total control of her body. It would only be a matter of time until she took over the school. Except...she'd win this time. Without me to limit her functions, to convince her, to do whatever I could to stop her...there's not a doubt in my mind of the result."

"Nonsense."

That hand of his curled into a fist and hung tensely at his side, his shoulders softly trembling. Shadow was not about to take no for an answer, and for Caroline to treat GLaDOS as unstoppable, not even willing to fight her influence... It was madness! Madness that he wasn't about to allow to continue!

"I am the Ultimate Lifeform. I will kill her easily with my bare hands and allow you your peaceful escape," he told her, ears pinning to his scalp as anger bubbled beneath his surface. "You simply cannot give up now...!"

Chell didn't even know how she felt about this. She felt bad for Caroline, yes, but at the same time, she had brought it upon herself by blindly following Cave Johnson, hurting people in the name of science. If she hadn't done that, then perhaps things would be different.

But she stood by passively to watch the exchange between Caroline and Shadow because she didn't know what she thought. She somewhat agreed with Caroline; if Caroline freed herself of GLaDOS, then GLaDOS would be a monster with no remorse for anyone whatsoever. It was only because of Caroline that Chell was able to escape from Aperture...

No Shadow...you don't get it. Caroline isn't giving up, she's doing the exact opposite. Do you honestly think she really wants to be here? No, she'd love to leave this place and have her life back again. But instead, she was choosing the more logical path. Even if she could escape, it wouldn't be worth endangering more people's lives.

"Haven't enough people died, Shadow?" Caroline started, her sharp eyes looking right through the hedgehog. "Killing her did not solve anything the first time and it will not solve anything this time. Besides...I do not want her dead. Spending all this time in her mind...I've come to pity her."

This couldn't be. His logic was crumbling. Shadow had no idea what to think other than knowing deep down that she was right. GLaDOS was immortal. No matter how much he displayed his arrogance like a trophy to her, she was powerful, and he couldn't deny that much. She was a super-powered being, much like he was, and ridding her of a mind with pure sense, with a heart...

He felt his own heart drop at the horrifying reality:

Caroline was stuck in here.

Forever.

His head drooped, ears wilting as he had no more fight left in him. He only had one more question, one more very, very important question:

"... Why? Why pity her?"

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I'll have a cup of tea and tell you of my dreaming

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