The workday began as usual. Chell punched her card and checked the roster for mandatory testing. Looks like Charles in the cubicle nextdoor wasn't as lucky as she was. Good luck with the mutant plants, Chell thought to herself. She stopped by the coffee machine for a moment, as she usually did, and (as with every single day for as long as she could remember) she hoped to see the most beautiful woman in the world.
Caroline…. Even the name was beautiful. She had a voice like soft linen, like the most comfortable sheets that never pulled off the corners of the bed. Her hands…. Ah…. Chell couldn't even think about her hands. Last week Chell brushed against her hand when she passed her a paperclip and still hasn't recovered. Caroline was older than Chell, and her hair was greying in a way that made her seem like she was surrounded by a halo of silver if she passed under the right lighting.
Chell was also intimidated by her. She had eyes like a hawk, always watching and never missing a thing.
Every day, precisely on time, Caroline picked up two cups of coffee and a stack of papers from the printer. She always took the time to stop and greet Chell, professionally and politely. She would then head up to the office of one Cave Johnson.
Chell didn't care much for Mr Johnson. His constant announcements and monologues were incessant, and his voice was like sandpaper. He punctuated each sentence with a cough. He laughed at his own jokes. He wasn't very funny at all. Ever since he started randomly assigning tests to his own employees, Chell had wished she could quit. Unfortunately, Chell had bills to pay and Black Mesa wasn't hiring anyone that had worked at aperture. Not after the last time.
Once Caroline reached Mr Johnson's office, she would do two things. First, she would open the blinds to his office. Secondly, she would read off assignments for the day. If your name was not on the whiteboard that held the lucky office workers who had to endure terrible experiments, she would give you data to analyze and sort. Chell enjoyed the work, besides the constant threat of death and dismemberment. The pay was decent enough, and Chell wouldn't have to talk to very many people.
This was a day like every other day.
Chell waited by the coffee machine. She checked the clock on the wall. Caroline was late. When was the last time Caroline was late? Chell had never even considered the thought that it was possible for Caroline not to have some strange sixth sense for time management. She shifted uneasily, glancing towards Cave Johnson's office.
.
….
No wait, that's odd. The blinds were open. Chell could see directly into the office. Cave Johnson sat at his desk, waving his hands wildly as if trying to contest some point. He jabbed an accusing finger towards something in a corner Chell couldn't see, but she could see him tensed with frustration and anger. He paused, listening to some reply.
Caroline moved into view. She approached Cave's desk, hands clutched in front of her like some desperate plea. Her shoulders were hunched and anxious. She shook slightly, but Chell wasn't sure if that was just her eyes playing tricks on her.
In a sudden move, Caroline threw her hands up in the air in an exasperated gesture and turned quickly to leave. She exited Johnson's office, slamming the door a bit harder than she probably meant to, and stormed towards the elevator.
As she passed, Chell squeaked out a small hello, and Caroline gave a strained smile in return. Then she was gone.
The morning passed slowly. Without Caroline, the employees had to check their emails for their assignments. It wasn't much of a change, maybe, but for Chell it was enough to throw her off her rhythm. As she checked out of work that night and made her way back home, she kept replaying what she saw. She kept thinking about Caroline's red-rimmed eyes. She kept thinking about how her fists were balled until her nails pressed into her skin, knuckles white. She kept thinking about the two extra cups worth of coffee sitting in the pot at the office.
Chell was worried, and Caroline wasn't the unshakable machine she thought she was.