Challenge: Silver Linings
Title: Acid Trip
Author: fishmalk
Fandom: Portal ( Video Game)
Type: Fic
Characters/Pairing: Chell, GLaDOS
Word Count: 659
Rating: G
Summary: Chell finds herself in a bit of a predicament.



“You are going the wrong way,” the annoyingly pleasant electronic voice said flatly.

You’ve already tried that trick, Chell wanted to say, but she wouldn’t give it the satisfaction. At this point talking to the thing would be tantamount to admitting that it was a person.

“I suppose technically there is no *right* way,” GLaDOS continued, “Since all possible outcomes at this point will end in your death. However, if there were a right way, you would currently be heading in the direction opposite to it.”

Chell sighed and looked around her. The corridor had dead ended on a small balcony overlooking what seemed to be some kind of assembly line. Beneath her, giant metal vats were moving along suspended from an automatic railing in the ceiling over a vast dark pit that seemed to have no bottom. She doubted even her momentum-cancelling leg braces would save her if she fell down there. Unfortunately there was no other way forward. Maybe the damn computer was right.

No. She had to be going the right way. It wouldn’t be discouraging her if she wasn’t. It seemed there was only one option.

With a deep breathe she hopped off the rusted metal platform down into one of the enormous metal vats. She felt the now-familiar sensation of her leg braces kicking in as she landed easily on the tarnished metal floor, which swayed beneath her dizzyingly as it moved along. Whatever the vat was used to transport had left an acrid, burning smell behind. That didn’t bode well.

“You may be interested in some knowledge of our automated facilities before your first-hand demonstration,” the AI said helpfully over its facility-wide intercom, “The vat you are currently standing in is used to transport Sulfuric acid for etching and polishing computer components. While useful in many industrial applications, Sulfuric acid is not generally recommended as a skin softener.”

Damnit! Maybe the damn computer was smarter than… no. That was not the way to think right now. That kind of thinking got you killed. There had to be a way out. There always was.

Chell frantically looked around her. The solid steel walls were bare and impossible to climb. Even if she could, there was nowhere to go. She looked up and saw the assembly line ceiling sliding by, but it was corrugated steel, not smooth enough for her portal gun to be able to help. As she watched, the vat ground to a stop under an aperture in the ceiling which slid open, exposing a large valve that was also beginning to open. In a few moments she knew it would begin filling the vat with acid, and that would be the end of her ride.

“Look on the bright side,” the voice said, almost gleefully, “You’ll get to be a part of Aperture Science in a whole new way. Your dissolved atoms will become a permanent part of our equipment. So you see, there’s always a silver…”

Just as the valve was opening Chell finally saw it; the silver gleam of metal through the aperture in the ceiling. With lightning speed she brought the portal gun up and let loose an orange ball of light, not waiting to see if it connected before pointing it at her feet and pulling the second trigger. There was a moment of pure weightless vertigo as gravity pulled her down into the hole in reality and spat her out in the maintenance hatch above the acid valve.

“…Lining?” GLaDOS finished, sounding confused.

Chell hit the ground hard and rolled to the side, just as the fuming jet of acid shot out of the portal and hit the opposite wall, melting through the weak metal sheet and spraying out over the abyss below.

Chell slumped back against the wall and breathed. She heard the tell-tale crackle of the intercom, but for a moment GLaDOS was uncharacteristically silent.

“You know something…” it finally said, “I really hate you.”