Reawakening, part deux

[a_mere_child]

Finding all the parts of PIaDOS that actually contained her brain(s) was the hardest part. At least, Alyx hopes it was the hardest part. If it wasn't, that means she screwed up while wiring the AI back together, and that could spell disaster.

She supposes they'll find out in a minute.

"Okay, I'm going to connect the power now..."

Comments

[remindmeof_me]

"Ready for whatever happens, ma'am," says Shephard, squaring his shoulders and steeling himself. "Good luck."

[a_mere_child]

Alyx nods, takes a deep breath, plugs in the last electrical lead, and switches the power on.

[ice_broken]

And five voices start hollering at once.

"OH GOD OH GOD WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE--"

"Hello and welcome to the Aperture Science High Latitude Research Vessel--"

"Error: error file not found, please replace operating system and reboot--"

"That's great, it starts with an earthquake, birds and snakes--"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA--"

[remindmeof_me]

Crazier than a bag full of bats. Yep, that's the PIaDOS Shephard knows, all right.

"Hey, Pi?" he calls out, looking towards the ceiling speakers in lieu of having any idea where else to look. "Pi? It's me, Shephard. You okay there, girl?"

[ice_broken]

The screams die off within a quarter-second of Shephard speaking (though not all simultaneously).

"SHEPHARD? IS THAT YOU?"

"Recognize user [ADRIAN_SHEPHARD}."

"Hey, I can hear me again!"

[remindmeof_me]

"Damn straight it's me," Shephard says with a crooked grin. "Long time no hear. How're you doin', kiddo?"

[ice_broken]

"Error: unable to complete self-diagnostic. Please check power connection and press F1 to continue."

"SOMETHING'S WRONG, SHEPARD. I CAN'T FEEL ANYTHING..."

[remindmeof_me]

"Shit," Shephard mutters. Then, louder: "Easy there, girl. We're gittin' you back together fast as we can. You just take it easy'n tell me what you can feel, mm'kay? One step at a time."

[ice_broken]

"Nothing at all. Nobody here but us chickens."

"I have become comfortably numb..."

"You were badly damaged when the Borealis crashed," says Alyx gently. "I had to pull you out of the rest of the ship to rebuild you."

[remindmeof_me]

"We gon' put you back where you belong just as soon as we make sure you're doin' all right'n got all your parts together good'n proper," says Shephard, nodding. "It's gon' be fine, baby girl. You might be a li'l bit off your pace but don't you worry none, it's gon' git better real soon. I promise."

(He used to talk this way to his motorcycle, too. Before.)

[ice_broken]

"Requesting status update."

"Yeah, what happened?"

[remindmeof_me]

"Aw, turns out there weren't no water where we was headed," says Shephard. "Lake's supposed to be here, only it ain't, so you took a bump on the noggin when we landed in Oz. Ms. Vance here's been fixin' you up real nice, 'n all the other folks round these parts've been fixin' the rest of the boat so's it's all better'n it was before once you're back where you belong."

[ice_broken]

PIaDOS is silent for an alarmingly long time.

"PI...?" says Alyx softly. "Are you okay?"

"PEOPLE DIED, DIDN'T THEY."

It's not a question.

[remindmeof_me]

Shephard doesn't say anything, not at first. Not until he's gone over to as close as he can get to Pi's nearest speaker and rested his hand on the wall good and close by. She might not have a shoulder, but he's got to have some kind of consoling gesture, hasn't he?

"'Fraid so, baby girl. Wasn't you that killed 'em, though."

He glances over at Ms. Vance.

"Combine took the water from the lake. They're why things went wrong. Wasn't you. It was their doin'. You didn't do nothin' wrong."

[a_mere_child]

"BUT IT IS WRONG, WE MADE A MISTAKE AND PEOPLE DIED AGAIN JUST LIKE BEFORE--"

"PI, stop it." Alyx's firm voice cuts through the AI's wailing. "Yes, people have died. No one can change that. What's important is what we can do from here on out. We can't do anything for the dead, but we can protect the living, and we all need your help to do that."

[remindmeof_me]

"Ain't your fault," Shephard says. "But you c'n help put things right now, for the folks we still got. There ain't nobody on this planet better suited to doin' right by the folks who're left than you. We got to ask you to help us. Think you c'n do that, kiddo?"