#signed darnold

[asvrai]

I'm no professional, which i say because I never lie, of course, but, that doesn't seem healthy, Gordon. But at the very least it's gonna stop the bleeding out part! I think. -Sbeve

[Seems like it did more than that!]

[asvrai]

Do you know what the old labs were for? Are we going to get to find any secret historical science projects down here? - 🐟

{So, what, old science stuff?}

[Chell grins and points at a man in a labcoat spattered with blues and oranges, back turned only slightly as he works diligently. Seems he's keeping an eye on Chell.]

{He's an old science stuff!}

[The man turns, holding a hand to his chest in mock horror.]

Old?! Wow. You've wounded me. You've wounded your father, Michelle.

[asvrai]

Hello! You’re cheerful little things, aren’t you?

Except that one, I guess. 

Anyway, yes, Chell is my daughter. I’ve been worried sick about her since I realized the vault door back topside had sealed, but it turns out she made her way to me!

{He was all angry about people coming into the lab, and he was gonna throw some gel at Dr. Coomer. Then he saw me and stopped trying to be scary and just started crying.}

{You cried too.}

{Did not.}

Did too!

[asvrai]

This plan is all fine and dandy and whatnot, but, won't destroying the security measures he has in place seem like a threat? Make him want us out of the way? It's not like we can shut down his control of the walls and floors, after all! I say we just go up there and say hey and talk it out! A much better plan! -Sbeve

Yeah, but like... if he does see it as a threat, what's it gonna do about it? Cry? We'd have taken down its defenses.

Your original plan, from what I heard when I came into work that day, was using the personality cores to subdue any murderous tendencies, right? And it worked on GLaDOS? Can't you do it again?

We're... not going to be using the cores for anything like that unless they agree.

They'd agreed before, why wouldn't they agree again?

Well, remembering trauma can very easily change someone's mind.

[Bubnick quietly finishes typing a few things on the computer that he'd hooked Rick up to and begins to re-weld wires back in place.]

[asvrai]

Sounds good! We'll actually it sounds scary, but useful for both our plans and for disposing of waste materials. Although maybe we should leave the kids in the labs if we're aiming at the AI chamber? - 🐟

That's a good point. Might want them to stay here even if that isn't our first stop. Darnold?

Yeah, pretty sure it's my day to watch the kids at work anyway.

Hey, yeah, you owe me by now, I've watched them for a whole five days!

[Chell has started listening to the conversation now, and she tugs on her father's lab coat roughly.]

{ Joshie and I should go with you! We can be helpful!! }

{ I know, Chell, but first we need you to be safe. }

Are you gonna leave again, Daddy...?

Just for a little while, Josh. You'll be safe with Mr. Poder, okay?

[asvrai]

Y-Yeah. So, uh. It’s May 18, th-the Nihilanth should be... dead by now. With it still alive, and the portals still going, the Combine are going to come faster-- a lot sooner than they would have. 

So... sabotaging the red phone was- was an even better idea to save lives than originally planned.

Yeah, about that. You sabotaged the GLaDOS project?

Technically? I, uh, cut a wire. So that Gordon couldn’t call for help when he saw GLaDOS was starting up the neurotoxins. 

Why would you do that?!

Because y-you’re too... good at your job, Mr. Freeman. In the Prime timeline - the ‘best’ one - the person in your position just... didn’t call. And all this happened all the same. I had to- to ensure it went that way even with you there. 

[asvrai]

Killing the scientists? HO HA! That's a security breach if I've ever seen one! I'll give those soldiers a piece of my nanomind! HO HA! -Saltine

Oh, too late for that. The bomb blew them up too. The government didn't give a f*ck. The government wanted all that botched experiment sh*t over and done with, figured blowing the place to hell would fix it.

Considering the portals spewing out aliens that are still popping up even halfway across the country, I'd say that plan didn't work.

Yeah, it wouldn't have worked in the first place, let alone with the Nihilanth still alive.

Um, the what now?

[asvrai]

HO HA! We're starting to get ourselves a little artillery! Now this is good for security! HO HA! That military guy would probably agree! HO HA! -Saltine

[Gordon, hesitantly, is now trying to shoot portals. It's got a lot of kickback, and there aren't too many portal surfaces down here, but he's getting the hang of it.]

Well, doesn't seem like this is much use for fighting. Maybe for a quick escape?

Listen man, at least it's cool.

That it is.

[Gordon quickly hops back and forth through some portals - seems he's never gotten to use them before - and finally sighs.]

We should go back to the others. Who knows what shenanigans they're up to.

[Darnold nods and gestures for Gordon to go first, and the two head back to the main room.]

Aw sick, gun arm!