A Most Sinister SCIENCE [Closed]

[imperious_lex]

The downside of gathering long term supplies for the crew, was that Lex did have to make sure they were all brought on board and stowed away properly. It cut into his vacation time, but it was a small price to pay to get some business done, and make a few connections that he'll be able to call on later. Besides, with 99% of the crew off the ship,

Comments

[cityship]

There is silence for a moment. Then, one of the screens near Lex flickers to life with a simple, smiling blue face.

||Hello!|| chirps the distinctive, broken voice of GLaDOS.

[imperious_lex]

Lex smiled pleasantly at the screen.

"I've been looking forward to talking to you for a while now." Because an AI that can make any member of this crew disappear and keep everyone else from even realizing that said member is gone? That is definitely one he wanted to get to know.

"I've been admiring the research you've been doing on the crew, and I was wondering if you could help me out with something.

"I need you to run a test."

[cityship]

GLaDOS hasn't heard from anyone sensible and appreciative of her work in a very long time.

This gets her attention.

||Of course. We of the Transmigration 9 seek to track the finest data possible through our tests. What manner of test shall I run?||

[imperious_lex]

Lex had grin at that.

"A stress test, on a particular member of the crew: Steve Burnside. It's very important that we find out how much stress is too much for him."

[restoresbalance]

Luke had come back up to Stacy for a cloak; it was getting chilly and he didn't want Mara to get cold when they sat on the beach watching the sunset. But he'd come out of the crew quarters and felt a shiver run down his spine.

That was a familiar sensation. Luke's danger-sense had just been pinged, and it worried him

[craaazyisland]

The static got louder and louder, like someone blasting an out-of-tune radio in his ear. He could pick out snatches of words and voices-- GLaDOS' and others, some he knew were definitely not really there. It was so loud he could barely think.

And all of a sudden the room was bright and he heard another voice. He opened his eyes-- his irises were blood red, and everything looked blurry-- and there was Luke.

Steve gasped out a ragged breath and coughed, a minor spray of blood. Green, scaly-looking rashes were rising across his hands and up his arms. He clutched at his chest with one hand and tried to say something, but all that came out was another freakish, growling moan.

Help...

[restoresbalance]

Luke had seen a lot of strange things happen to people, during the war with the Vong and during the Dark Nest crisis, and so seeing something like this happen to Steve didn't even faze him. Not to mention that Steve was like a son to Luke, and his love for the teen took precedence over more superficial things.

That, and Luke had a good idea what was going on. Steve hadn't said much about it, but he could hazard a guess. "Steve!" he repeated, rolling the teen over onto his back. "You have to fight it! You can do it, I know you can!"

[cityship]

GLaDOS's simulation breaks, flickering out and leaving Steve and Luke in an empty sensorium.

She, however, is still there. ||Crewman Ste-eve Burnside has failed the non-routine stress capaity test!|| she announces.

||No party for Steve. No cake to share with fri-ends. Nobody likes you. Ha HA ha.||