"Companion" - A Portalock Ficlet
“We did it!” Companion John cried, still in the grasp of Sherlock’s portal gun, “That was a bloody long chamber, but we did it!”
Sherlock stayed silent, walking around the room, searching for something.
“Sherlock, what’s wrong?” John asked worriedly.
Suddenly, a woman’s voice broke the silence. It was GlaDOS, “Congratulations for completing that chamber so poorly. A whole crowd of chimpanzees could have done better. I suggested using chimpanzees instead of humans, but they said it cost too much. Now that I think about it, they were right. Human lives are dispensable. And cheap.”
Sherlock scoffed, now standing in front of a closed cylindrical container.
GlaDOS continued, “Before moving on to the next test chamber, please euthanize your Companion John. He will try to protest, but please pay no mind. Companion Johns are notorious for unnecessary whining.”
“Wh-what?” John stammered. “Sherlock, y-you’re not going to-?”
Sherlock was muttering to himself in a low voice that John couldn’t hear.
“Are you feeling regret?” GlaDOS taunted. “Is Companion John telling you this is wrong, that he has a soul and a life like any other human? Pay no attention. He is nothing. He is just a dispensable item. You will get a new one in the next chamber.”
Sherlock refused to reply. He stood still, silent and calculating.
GlaDOS laughed, “What’s the matter Subject 357221? Do you care about this Companion John? Do you have a heart? Emotions are so useless. All they do is get in the way. Delete them. Burn them. Burn your heart and move on. You’ll get another one, I promise.”
The cylindrical chute opened and a wave of heat roared from the pit. Sherlock and John could see the flames below, reaching up to the surface.
“You have ten seconds.” GlaDOS sang, “Ten…nine…eight…”
John peered down the chute, then looked back at Sherlock. Sherlock looked at John. He had no choice. “I’m sorry,” Sherlock murmured.
“Six…five…four…three…”
“Sherlock,” John gulped, “good luck.”
“Two…one…zero.”
The chute closed.
Original entry and inspiration