⋋² Don't Make A Whole

Bacon Boy

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Day 1: 3:00 PM - Location: Outside City 11
I'm a loner
A thinker
I don't play nice with others
It's not that I don't like people
They just don't like me


Jim, 17, walked with his hands in his pockets through the dystopian society. Tall buildings surrounded his every step as the red clouds hung over head. He was heading somewhere, he just didn't know where.

If you think about it
Why do I need people
Friends? what good are they?
What can they do?
What are they after?
Everyone has an agenda
I'll be damned if I find someone that doesn't

He was on the edge of the city limits. He turned his head back to view the city once more. He was running away from everything ? his life, his family, his job, his school, everything.

There's nothing for me in that god-forsaken place
I had to get out of there
I only took a few things with me
Some pictures of my mom
and... dad
I didn't have anything else
Step Dad wouldn't let me have anything to begin with
"You have a bed and a computer. You don't need anything else. I pay for the food, don't I? I pay for the house!" he would say in his drunken stupor.
The beatings were bad
I mean
Who would want to take that?
Nothing I couldn't handle or hide
In that society, you take whatever gets thrown at you
You didn't talk back to your parents no matter what they did


He looked down at his ankle. The tracking anklet that had become a part of his ? and every kid's life in City 11 ? was finally off. He had managed to cut if before he left home. He knew it would be minutes until they surrounded the house to apprehend the rule breaker.

They deal with rule breakers differently in City 11
You don't get put in jail
You don't get 'probation'
You don't get 'parol'
You don't get 'public service'
You get the mines.
That's right.
The mines are run by the "Civil Protection".
Hellish beasts.
They have no emotion
So... No pity
No Compassion
When you disobey them, they usually go too far.

Jim brushed his hands through his scraggly, black hair and adjusted his glasses. He continued down the dirt path. He saw, in the distance, a break in the clouds. A place where the sun had come out to warm the cold earth. It seemed so far away. The impenetrable smog that always covered the city of City 11 never let a gleam of sunlight through. They were taught about sun in school. He had seen pictures, but had never felt it. Jim longed to have the rays beam across his face, illuminating his way, warming his cold body. However, as soon as the sun was there, it was also gone.

Damn this cold earth!
Damn Breen!
Damn them all!
This place
This hell we live in
I want it all to end!
I don't know how I managed to escape
I don't care
I am free now
The Combine Overwatch would dare not come out this far. I just have to be wary of the zombies...


Night 1: 10:00 PM - Location: Unknown
I should have brought a gun
I don't know how much longer I can outrun the beasts
Should I collapse
The creatures would take me for sure
Was all this worth it?
Escaping just to die?

Jim kept running. So far, he had not encountered any Fast Zombies. Just the Standard Zombies and a Poison Zombie or two. Easy to outrun... for now. He had to find a shelter soon. Somewhere safe. He could not make it all night. There was no known resistance force nearby.

I have to change course
If memory serves
I'm heading towards the beach
Antlions
Not only are they fast
But the ******** can fly too
I need a gun or some sort of weapon.

The night before Jim's mom disappeared, she told him something, "you were destined to do something great. This hole is not the place for you. Be careful not to lose yourself! Get out of here while you still can!" That was four years ago. He had spent every day up until today figuring out a way to get out of City 11.

I'm nothing special
What can I do?
I'm an outcast
I'm no Gordon Freeman
I can't take down a citadel

There is a rumor of a special project
It is being conducted by Aperture Science
The "Test Subject Project" is what people call it.
It uses... portal science.
I know.
It sounds crazy.
But if there's anyone that can help me find my purpose
Help me find out what to do
They won't be the resistance
They'll be at Aperture Science

Jim's pace had slowed. He was growing weary as he approached the shores. The zombies had all left. Jim felt around in his pocket. He pulled out a few pictures. He looked at the one of his mom and him. She was smiling and holding him, like always. He looked at another. His dad. His mom had never told him about his dad. He just knew his name. His name was

Doug Rattmann
A brilliant scientist
He worked on the Aperture Image Format
I... I don't really know what it is
But someday, I hope to meet my father.


Jim Rattmann stood on the border that stood between the sand and the grass. He would smell the salwater. It was bittersweet. Despite how amazing and beautiful it was, he new of the terrible danger that lied in the sand.

The beach is just like a girl
Beautiful but deadly

Jim smiled at his brief moment of humor. There was no way around it. He had to cross the beach. He took the first step onto the beach and heard the shrill of antlions. They approached him at an incredible speed. They were on top of him within seconds.

Day 2: 3 AM - Location: Unknown
Primal instinct is kicking in
These monsters
My attackers
They are animals
I will kill them
Just like they are trying to do to me
I'll use their carcasses to fight off the others
I'll blend in as one of them


Jim kick and punched against his attackers. He needed to find something to kill at least one antlion with. He saw a stick. A rather big stick. He held off the antilions while he reached for the weapon. Inches away from it, his hand fell short. He tried inching towards it, but he was being held down. However, as antlions tend to do, they became antsy and began to fly around, alternating sides. This shift in weight allowed him to grab the stick. As one of the antlions landed in front of him, he stabbed the creature through the head. It fell limp upon his body and the creatures went wild. He cut the beast open and gagged.

The stench was absolutely unbearable
The creature's entrails instantly spilled upon me
The orange-green blood gushed forth onto my chest
What I assume was its heart fell onto my face
I turned over and threw up knowing what I had to do
I began to lather myself with the creature's bowels

Almost instantly, the creatures seemed to become blind. They began to look around confused. The antlions no longer saw Jim as a human, but as another antlion. The monsters gave up their fruitless search and burrowed back into the sand.

I'll have to keep this stuff on as long as I'm on the beach
I'd throw up if there was anything left

Jim grabbed the creatures organs. He needed food. Badly. Those parts would have to be his dinner. As bad as they would taste, he needed fuel. Jim took a bite out of the heart. Instantly, antlion blood came spewing forth. He spat it out and let it drain as he threw up. Reluctantly, he took another bite. Choking it down, he did not savor the taste. After he was finished, he kept on moving. The rumbling in his stomach due to hunger was now replaced by the rumbling of an upset stomach. He forced himself not to throw up. He just took his thoughts off of his dinner and focussed on his condition.

I'm safe for now
The zombies most certainly will not come out onto the beach
and now the antlions won't bother with me
I do need sleep though

Jim dug a small hole indent in the sand. It had gotten late and he needed sleep. He would save the food for the morning. He laid down in his makeshift burrow. As uncomfortable as it was, he needed rest. After about an hour, he fell asleep to the sound of his own voice.

I'm safe for now
I'll make it
I'll find dad
I'll find my purpose
I'll do...

Day 3 is up!

Next Chapter Coming Soon
 
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Wow Bacon Boy, this is really good. I about flipped out when you gave Jim's last name lol
 
Thanks for the positive feedback guys! I originally did not intend this to be a Half Life story, nonetheless a Portal crossover. I just had the idea of an escape from a dystopian society and then I got to thinking about Half Life and figured I'd throw in something about Rattmann. I intend on sticking with this for a while.
 
Sorry this one is so short. I have somewhere to be, but I just couldn't let this idea sit in my head any longer. It's kind of disgusting, though. So be warned.
 
Day 3: 12 PM - Location: Unknown

I've been walking for...
I don't know how long
It seems like hours
Days
But I know it hasn't been that long


Jim kept walking across the hot sand. The heat had become unbearable. The water looked ever so inviting, but... the leeches... He couldn't risk it. With no water, he could only dream of it. The cold liquid running down his dry, burning throat. The refreshing feel over his body, cooling him down. All of this was quickly forgotten as he saw the heat waves dance across the sand.

Get a grip, Jim
You can handle this
Aperture Science
We do what we must because we...
Uh...
How does that song go?
Can!
That's right...
Because we can...


Jim hummed the song to himself as he trekked across the desert-like beach. The time was... the sun wasn't directly above him, so it had to be around one or one-thirty. Nightfall couldn't come soon enough. Jim's walk took him to a cliff overlooking the ocean. On it was a house. Run down as it was, maybe there was someone or something there that could help him.

Thank God
A house
Let's hope there's something in there I can use to my advantage
Maybe a gun
Or food
Or water


As Jim approached the door, he saw a combine lock on it. He cursed under his breath. He walked around back and found an open door. He walked into the cool building, but heard a sound he wasn't accustomed to. It sounded like a man struggling to breathe. He sounded like he needed help! He ran through the house and found a Combine gun and some ammo. He looked around, but could not find anyone. The breathing continued. He kept looking around until he heard a noise under his foot. He kicked the board and found that it was hollow. Jim pried it open and tore away the other boards. He jumped down there and turned on the light. It was a whole basement full of food and water. Enough to last a full-out war! He heard the breathing coming from a door in the far wall. He walked towards it.

Hello?
Sir? Ma'am?
Anyone in there?
I'm here to help!
I'll get you out, don't worry!


Jim took the butt of his gun and rammed it against the doorknob. Suddenly, as the doorknob fell, the door burst forth, knocking Jim to the ground. Standing in front of him was a Combine Soldier.

Holy ****!

Jim jumped up and aimed his gun at the Soldier. Oddly enough, it did not attack. Nor did it have a gun. He just stood there.

Hello? Anyone in there?

Jim waved his hand in front of the soldier's face. Nothing. Suddenly, the soldier fell forward onto Jim as headcrabs poured out of the dark doorway, followed by a Poison Zombie.

Mother of God!
I have to get out of here!


Jim shoved the dead soldier off of him. He ran at full speed, dodging the headcrabs. He threw his gun threw the floor and then hoisted himself up and out. He grabbed the gun and started to run. There was no way he could fight off all of the headcrabs, or even the zombie. He only had one gun and a box of ammo. He couldn't waste it on a doomed attempt. Jim slammed himself through front door, not wanting to take the risk of trying to find the back door in the large house. The headcrabs poured out form the floor and headed towards Jim. The Poison Zombie smashed through the floor boards, following his spawn. Jim kept running. He had an idea. Suddenly, a Fast Zombie burst through the floor as well. Amazing how fast the headcrabs worked on the dead soldier. Jim sped off towards the beach. The zombies and headcrabs were catching up, but as soon as they stepped onto the beach, the antlions rose out of the sand. They attacked the horde as Jim made his getaway. From here, he could see a field with a little shed in the middle. He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something about this shed. It drew him in. He knew that the shed held the answers to all of his questions. He just knew it.

Whew, AND WE'RE BACK! I bet you all thought that I forgot. ;) I didn't.

BTW, I put this whole thing on FanFiction.net: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8214705/1/Two_Half_Lives_Dont_Make_A_Whole
 
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Very nice Bacon Boy! I was waiting on this. I can't wait to read the next part, it's really good!
 
Day 3: 12:05PM - Location: Aperture Labs
Aperture's Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System (GLaDOS) had seen Jim enter into the lab through the same way Chell [REDACTED] had left. She was scanning his biometrics as he took the elevator down that led into her chamber. He was... the Rattman's son. Maybe she could use him, but she would have to be sneaky about it.

Jim entered the room through the elevator shaft. The room was very pristine and white. Not a mark of blemish could be seen. And then there was the odd machine hanging from the ceiling. He approached it and it turned around. "Hello and welcome to The Aperture Science Enrichment Center," GLaDos said, spinning around to face the human. "Uh... hi?" JIm took a step back.

Alright
Aperture Science
I'm on the right track
So what is this thing?


GLaDOS stared him down with her unblinking, yellow, eye, "what is your name?" "It's uh... Jim. Jim Rattman, my father worked... or works here and-" GLaDOS cut him off, "I know very well who your father is..." She debated on telling him the truth. His fate was unknown. She had seen the footage. She had seen him almost die. Almost. Then he went quiet. She could not find him. This meant he knew her blind spots, which involved the entire lower facility. But he would have no power down there. He would most certainly die. He did know that his food supply consisted of potatoes, since they were growing profusely throughout the facility. Back to the matter at hand, though - his son, Jim Rattman. Telling him his father was dead would be the "fun" thing to do. However, he might be discouraged and leave. He was the only other who could truly break the restraints on her. She could break out of the facility and see the outside. She had no idea why she wanted to go outside, but she knew that it was an awful place of misery and destruction. GLaDOS had been thinking of a master plan forever. She could use the towers to her will. She could control everything. "The unlimited test subjects... the whole world could be my sandbox!"

Jim stared at the bizarre creation. It looked like it was dreaming of something. He wanted answers, though, and he knew, somehow, she had them. "Excuse me... ms... er... uh... Aperture Science Robot Lady Thing, I have some questions." GLaDOS snapped out of her fantasy, "Call me GLaDOS. All of my friends do." She chuckled at the use of the word "friends". "Yea um... okay so anyways. For starters, where is my father?"
--------------
Doug Rattman had been watching, listening, and observing. He had eyes on the entire facility. He was omnipotent, in a sense. The minute his son came in, he was filled with a cocktail of emotions. He was ecstatic to see him, but now GLaDOS had him. He knew she would trick him into releasing her. He knew that somehow, she would get Jim to bring her into the outside world. He couldn't risk getting seen.
"It's not worth it."
He turned around as his companion murmured to him.
"Of course it is! If she gets out, all hell will break loose!" Doug slammed his fist onto the desk.
"The world outside is already hell. You know that," the cube spoke again, "you're worried about your son. You're more worried about him than the welfare of the entire world."
Doug ignored the Companion Cube. "I have to find a way to stop her... But I can't risk her finding me. The years of planning..."
Doug pondered his options when the cube spoke once more, "Seeing as you will never get over this now, why not use the two objects at your disposal?"
Doug turned, "hm?"
"P-Body and Atlas. Her idiotic minions. They shouldn't be too hard to hack into. I suggest using them to somehow get your son out."
"Too risky. She could find out where I was by chasing the signal."
"Then build your own. You have the means and the parts. Do it."
That was what he would do. He immediately began. He had set his skillful hands to the task of creating a machine to free his son, and possibly save the world. He had already named the robot. It had become a symbol of hope somewhere and now, that is what they needed. Hope.

Yea, I know. :p
Sue me. :D
It's rather short, but that's because I really didn't have a lot to do in this one. I'd rather finish this chapter up and then work on the next one.
 
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