Simon's POV
I watched as Ethan and I walked through the facility and completed more puzzles.
Ethan: "These are easy."
I looked over to him and saw his Orange gun he held in his hand. I don't know why they gave him the Orange one. I should have it, but only because I like the colours.
Simon: "Well we would have done that last one faster had you not dropped the bloody cube in the water."
Ethan: "Oi fuck off at least I can swim."
Glados: "I guess you boys need some extra stimulation. I'd give you both a shock but seeing your horrible puzzle solving skills. I'd say I'm the one getting shocked."
Ethan: "You are fucking evil and annoying."
Glados: "Funny. The previous two couldn't talk back."
Simon: "So then why did you get two humans to do these then? Last I checked, Atlas and his friend were fine. And you could rebuild them."
Glados: "Exactly, We could rebuild them so they could die again, and again, and again. You have a sense of danger. A sense of death. When you fail it will feel like a greater achievement."
Ethan: "If you want us to solve your puzzles then why would you kill us? And besides a robot could never understand human emotions."
Glados: "It fascinates me watching you both solve these ridiculous puzzles."
Simon: "Does it fascinate you for the sake of science. Or because your still holding onto the fading image of Chell?"
Glados: "Until you can achieve her level of intellect. We will see, The next door is open. I grow bored of your talking."
Ethan: "Come on babe let's go."
I walked with Ethan as he held onto my hand. Through the door to the next room. We had to go through about 50 of these before we could go home. And when we did we would never have to worry about money for the rest of our lives.Which meant we could focus on our channels and not have to worry about anything.
As we neared the next room we found a beam of light running across the floor. As well as a glass cube to the side. Along it were 3 receptors. We had done these puzzles before so all we had to do was line them up.
Ethan: "Easy."
Ethan walked over to the cube and picked it up before lining it up with the light beam. He focused It so that it hit the first receptor before he lined it again on a white wall.
Simon: "Remember we can't heal in this room."
Ethan: "Oh what?"
That was one thing I was glad for with Glados. While we were in the rooms there was a genetic buff for our genes and body causing us to heal wounds at lightning pace. Though for some rooms. This effect was not around, making us cautious about how we moved and how we worked.
Ethan: "Where's the indicator?"
Simon: "There isn't one.I just don't trust the room."
Ethan: "Si you worry too much. Come on we need to get through all of this as quickly and efficiently as we can."
Simon: "Ethan please can we just be careful? I want to get home as well. I miss Josh and I miss Vik and I even miss my family. But the more time we spend rushing and tearing through this. The less time we actually spend solving these puzzles. Just think about it. Where's that laser going to pop up?"
Ethan: "Well if I shoot one portal there."
He lifted up his gun and fired a single shot at the wall where the beam was showing.
Ethan: "And then I put one there, That will make it look like a diamond shape. So you put one over at that wall. Then line it up with the next wall over there.It should hit all three and we can get out of here."
Simon: "I don't like it.It seems way too simple. Ethan this is the 37th room. Why would she give us a room that could be solved by a 10 year old. When the last one nearly killed us."
Ethan: "The last one nearly killed us only because you got scared and freaked out with the propulsion gel."
Simon: "I don't like moving faster than I need to ok?"
Ethan: "Look trust me.Nothing is going to happen Simon. I love you and I would never put you into a position where you could get hurt."
Simon: "Promise?"
Ethan: "I promise. Just trust me ok?"
Simon: "I trust you Ethan. I just don't trust her."
He knew I was hesitant on this place. I didn't even want to be here but the allure of money that would sustain anything we wanted for the rest of our lives.Including our friends and family. It was hard to say no. I had to choose a partner and I almost chose Vik. He was the smartest one and probably our best puzzle solver, Though I would hate to think about what Lachlan would do if I ever brought him into a place where he could potentially get really hurt.
Ethan: "Alright come stand here with me and fire your first beam of there."
He pushed his hand out and a small orange light erupted from it. As he let it go, It quickly moved to the wall before a target appeared in front of us. I really liked the precision tool that the company staff implanted for us. Glados wasn't happy with it, Saying we should have been able to operate this place by ourselves but I liked having the safety net to fall on. I followed his directions and fired my beams at the places he told me to. The laser came through the last one and almost cut out my ankles. I jumped back instantly and shit myself.
Ethan: "See I told you not to worry about anything."
Simon: "My ankles nearly got taken the fuck out. That's not something to just gloss over."
Ethan: "But it didn't. Come on we have a few left to go and then we can go home."
Simon: "I miss my friends."
I watched walk over to me and hold my hand. Pulling me close to him. I lifted my portal device over his back and cuddled into his neck. While he held me close to him.
Simon: "I'm honestly fucking scared."
Ethan: "I know baby it's scaring me as well believe it or not. But we only have a few rooms left and then we can leave. I promise I'll be more careful alright?We can take it slow and do it at our own pace. We don't get tired here if you haven't noticed. And we haven't needed any food or water."
Simon: "How long do you think we have been here?"
Ethan: "It feels like we haven't been here long. But there are no clocks or calendars. So we could have been here for a few days, We could have been here for a few hours, I'm not sure. It didn't feel all that long ago, that we arrived here and those guys up stairs helped us out. It's incredible to think all this has been built underground."
Simon: "It is pretty impressive."
Ethan: "Come on let's go. I'm anxious to get out of here."
Time Skip
It feels like we have been here for days. I mean we prepared for this by recording enough videos for two weeks. But at the same time I hope it hasn't been that long.Then we can go home and relax. Not having to worry about anything. We finally made it to the final room and I was pleased to see the regenerative sign over the door. We would heal in this room, the only downside is if we lost a limb then obviously it wouldn't heal. It needs to be a cut or a broken bone and it would be fine instantly. We could hear a loud smashing sound from inside which confused us.
Ethan: "What the hell is that?"
Simon: "I don't know."
We heard it again, and again and again. It scared me to be honest. We walked into the large room and noticed one long corridor. It was purely black coated,Meaning no portals. One button in the middle of the room and large compressors falling and rising from the ceiling.
Ethan: "Well this seems easy enough on paper."
Simon: "It's the final room. Something feels off about it. Why would the very last room be so simple. Hang on a second."
I pulled Ethan back and looked in the room. The first half of the room had the compressors hitting the floor. The second half of the room was exactly the same.Only the compressors weren't doing anything. Listening to the sound of the metal against the floor was jarring. And really fucking annoying.
Simon: "This seems deceptive. Glados!"
Glados: "Calling for assistance on the final room. Humans are strange creatures."
Simon: "I want two hints for this room."
Glados: "They say curiosity killed the cat. And Oscar Wilde once said that he could resist anything except temptation."
Ethan: "First one makes sense. Curiosity and we are dead. The second one I don't get."
Simon: "Could resist anything except temptation? So don't touch anything and just run for it? Right?"
Ethan: "What if that button makes it easier?"
Simon: "Ethan."
Ethan: "Every single button has been helpful throughout this entire experience."
Simon: "And what if when pressed it starts up the next row of compressors. We would be trapped and we wouldn't be able to get out. It would kill us. Ethan I'm telling you know I refuse to let you hit that damn button. The last time you did that the cube dropped down onto the launch pad and damn near knocked me the fuck out. Don't touch the fucking button alright?"
Ethan: "Fine I won't hit the fucking button."
Simon: "If I die because of you. I'm breaking up with you for the last few seconds before we die."
Ethan: "You would never break up with me."
Simon: "If we are going to die. Because of something you did. Then yeah, I'm going to fucking break up with you."
Ethan: "Please don't.Even if I was going to die with you. I really don't want to lose you Simon. Please?"
I looked at him getting really upset. It was kind of sad to see him like this but if he presses that button I'm ending it.
Ethan: "I promise I won't push the button ok?"
Simon: "You need to promise me right now. That button will not get pressed."
Glados: "You know it's a permanent button. So when it get's pressed, The second row will instantly begin."
I looked ahead of us and noticed a small hole appearing in the roof. As the hole got larger. A small beam came down and fell the the ground. Hitting the button in front of us and initiating the next row.
Simon: "ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!"
Glados: "Oh dear, How clumsy of me. Well then. Have fun making it out of this room. And just to make it more interesting. I feel like turning off the support mechanisms. Have fun in here. I'll be back to check on you in the next few days. Hopefully to find your bodies on the ground."
Ethan: "That bitch."
I kept looking at the room and each one fell in a pattern. And the second one would fall before the first one started to lift itself up.
Ethan: "What would you say If I told you I could get us out of here?"
Simon: "I would call you a miracle worker and as soon as we get over there and leave I'm buying a ring and marrying you."
Ethan: "Well then do you see how they hit the ground. And then the next one comes down just before it retreats back to the roof?"
Simon: "Yeah? It's on a hydraulics system."
Ethan: "Exactly. Look at how long it takes for the machine to hit the ground and then go backup. Then look at the size of the compressors. They aren't all that big."
Simon: "What are you suggesting?"
Ethan: "Well instead of running under it and getting hurt. Why don't we run across them?"
Simon: "That would be great for getting to the middle but what about the other side. They hit the ground and I swear you have 2 seconds before the next one hits. We aren't fast enough to get through that and then get off it are we?"
Ethan: "Only one way to find out."
Simon: "Ethan there has to be another way surely?"
Ethan: "What other choice do we have? The compressors on the other side are about to hit the button. At this rate it will slam down on it and make it work faster. I'm already having a hard enough time wrapping my head around this concept."
Simon: "Well then just fucking give me a second alright."
We watched the compressor hit the button and the stand it was on. Crushing it like it was nothing. But that was it. It didn't retreat and neither did the one sat the front. They had locked in place.
Simon: "RUN!"
I started sprinting as fast as I could. Taking the chance with a grain of salt. I heard Ethan sprinting behind me. As soon as we reached the button I knew we were almost there. I kept running as fast as I could until I barreled my way through the door as it opened. Ethan hot on my tail.As he ran past the door and crashed into me. We both fell to the ground, Panting and sweating. I hated real body systems after going through so many rooms of puzzles where we could run for hours as fast and as hard as we could and never get tired.
Ethan: "Fuck you Simon."
Simon: "What?"
Ethan: "You scared. The fucking shit out of me."
Simon: "Sorry but. At least we made it. No more portals, No more puzzles. And no more Glados."
Ethan: "I'm tired baby."
Simon: "Come here. Let's just lie here for a second."
He crawled off me but lay on his side. Cuddling into me while he wrapped his arms around me. I leaned over and kissed him slowly and gently and I could feel him smile into our kiss. I fucking loved this guy. And now we won't have to worry about anything ever again.