mewtwowarrior (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
mewtwowarrior) wrote2010-11-12 08:59 pm
mewtwowarrior) wrote2010-11-12 08:59 pm
Entry tags:
NaNoWriMo: Chapter 14
Just finished level 13/Chapter 14 of my Portal Novelization. I'm not sure what to think of this chapter, it feels wonky and uneven. :|
Not sure if I'll write any more tonight, Mom wants to watch TV and I'm kinda tired. XD I'm a little ahead of where I need to be today, but not enough to carry me through the weekend. I have a feeling Dad might work, so I may have extra time. Either way, I should have a bit of time on Sunday to get a handful of words, hopefully. No matter what, I'll make up the remainder on Monday and work super-hard to get caught back up. ^_^ It shouldn't be too rough since the longer levels are going more smoothly. :D I know I should be working harder at it, but since I'm tired, I can't really get worked up to do so. XD
So, I may not be on Monday, or not on much, in order to get everything back sorted out. ^_^
Anyways, I'd love any crit/comments/advice for this chapter. :D
Chapter notes:
13
-Took a night's break, feeling kind of refreshed. Though, for some reason, I'm dreading this level, even though I don't remember much of it. Not sure if just the weight of NaNo is getting me down or what.
-Peeked at the next level. AUGH, IT'S THAT ONE. I'm not sure why I don't like it, it's a pain, even though I'm certain it's not as bad as I think it is. XD
-Did I mention the Aperture Laboratories sign in the elevator in the first chapter? Need to look that up. :|
-Mmmm, should I really have Chell wondering about the validity of GLaDOS's voice? Is it out of character? Does it make sense in the story?
-Hope I didn't pad the chapter with too much blahblahblah. D:
-Some of the action description feels off.
-Some stuff didn't work right in spellcheck, so I might have missed something. :|
It wasn't long until the elevator stopped and the doors opened. Chell could see a little of the room beyond, it was concrete grey with a window and a blue dotted power line.
She stepped out of the elevator and down the short hallway that lead to the room.
As soon as she entered the area, the voice spoke to her, "Now that you are in control of both portals, this next test could take a very, VERY, long time.
If you become light headed from thirst, feel free to pass out. An intubation associate will be dispatched to revive you with peptic salve and adrenaline."
Chell had an odd expression on her face as she processed this. She hadn't thought about being thirsty, but now that the voice had mentioned it, Chell realized that she was. Passing out wasn't an option, though. She was going to do this right.
Besides, she hadn't seen anyone around, and the place was a bit dingy, so there may not be any of the associates around. Chell was beginning to suspect that the voice was just an old recording, mainly because of all the strange malfunctions that prevented her from speaking correctly.
But, how did she get here, then? And if the voice really was just an old recording, that meant that there was no cake, nor would there be any drinks. But, maybe the last chamber would lead out of this place, and she could go out and get her own lunch.
Things didn't make sense in this place, but there was no purpose in standing around and thinking about them. Whether or not people were still in this place was irrelevant. There were people in here at one point, and that meant there was a door somewhere out of here, she just had to find it.
If there was a party with cake and refreshments at the end, then all the better. But, if there wasn't, then all Chell wanted was an exit door.
There weren't that many tests left, she was over halfway there, so it wouldn't be much longer until the end.
First, she needed to get her mind back on this test.
To her right, she heard the hum of an information board, so she gave it a look.
Only the three middle squares on the top row were highlighted. These were the cube falling on a stick figure's head, the Pellet smashing a stick figure in the face, and the catcher for the Pellet. It was slightly odd that there was a cube falling warning, but no warning for a cube dispenser.
Chell turned to her left. On the wall in front of her, and across from the elevator was a medium-sized window. Above the window was a grillwork platform that ran across the wall and down the right side wall.
On top of the platform in front of her was a closed door. On top of the right side platform was a cube.
In the floor, next to where she was standing, was a red button. So, she'd have to use the cube to open the door. Nothing hard about that.
She went to the window so that she could see what was in store for her in the next room.
Chell couldn't see the entire room, but she got the gist of the idea of it. Straight across the way was an exit door connected to what she assumed was two buttons. She couldn't see the first button, but there appeared to be a power line going to something off to the left.
Behind the button she couldn't see, there was a platform with a button on it. Behind that was a Pellet dispensing dome. In the middle of the floor was a Pellet catcher pointing upwards. And to the right seemed to be an Unstationary Scaffold that was apparently activated by a Pellet landing in the collector.
Most of the walls and ceiling around the Scaffold were metal, but there was one strip of concrete above the middle of the Scaffold's path.
However, from where she was standing, she didn't see any cubes. They must be off to the side.
She turned her attention back to the chamber she was in.
The metal platform was too high to get up onto on her own, but most of the length of it was surrounded by concrete, so all she had to do was place a portal up there.
Chell fired a portal onto the wall behind the cube on the left wall, then turned to her right and placed a portal on the wall at ground level. She walked over to the second portal and stuck the portal gun through. The cube was close enough that she could just lift it with a touch of a button.
Once the cube was in the air, Chell backed out, moving it clear of the portal, then turned around. It was only a few steps to the button on the ground. Once the cube was in position, she pressed the button on the gun again and the cube fell to land on the floor button.
The upper door opened, so Chell turned to go back through the portal. This time she went all the way in and found herself standing on the upper metal ledge. She walked over to the door and looked out to get a better view of the main room.
The only different thing she was able to see was the other button on a higher platform to the left and the one cube that was resting on the Unstationary Scaffold. So, making sure the floor below was clear, Chell hopped down out the door and to the floor.
The fall was a little higher than most of the jumps she had made before, but she landed safely with a slight bouncing from the knee replacement springs.
She glanced around the room again; there was only the one cube, but two buttons. Well, she'd figure out how to take care of that once she got to that.
Chell couldn't get onto the Unstationary Scaffold, it was too high, and the walls around where the platform currently was was made out of the metal that would not allow a portal. But, there was that one section of ceiling that was concrete, so once the platform got moving, she could reach it that way.
On the wall behind her and to the left of where she was standing, was the impact point where the Pellet would bounce against. That would be where she needed to place the first portal.
That point found, Chell looked over at the Pellet collector. On the ceiling above it, it shone a red light, indicating where a portal should be placed if you wanted to line it up with the catcher.
She first placed a portal above the collector, this way the Pellet wouldn't be bouncing about who knows where, it'd go directly into where it needed to go.
Once the portal was in position, Chell turned and looked back at the wall where the Pellet bounced again. She fired a portal at its impact point and waited.
After a few moments, the Pellet went whizzing past, flying through the portal and out of the other, to land in the collector.
As soon as it was in place, the Unstationary Scaffold started moving.
Chell then created a portal closer to the ground on the wall near where the Pellet had been bouncing off.
She shifted to her left and placed a portal on the concrete ceiling above the Scaffold. Chell looked back to the first portal she had made and watched, waiting for the Scaffold to make its way back.
Once it came into sight, she walked through the portal and found herself falling face first towards the Scaffold. Chell landed with a thud on top of the cube. Her impact had knocked the air out of her, so she took a moment to regain her breath. Chell's chest also hurt from her rough landing, but the pain went away shortly.
She picked herself up off of the cube and regained her footing. That hadn't been fun, but there hadn't been an easier way to do it, unless she put the portal on the ground and stepped through it there, but it would have been harder to see when she was supposed to go through.
Chell used the portal gun to pick up the cube, then hopped off the Scaffold with it.
Once on the ground, she looked around. Which button should she put it on? When she looked at the ceiling, she saw that there were lighted squares above each button. The one closest to the left had a single dot, while the one on the right had two dots.
Chell placed the cube on the ground so that she could fire the portals where she needed them.
She aimed a portal right on the lighted indicator above the button. Once it was in place, she created a second portal below the cube.
The cube fell and landed on the button, causing the square to the right of the door to light up with a check mark.
Now to activate the other button.
If the cube was heavy enough to activate it, then certainly she would be able to. It looked like the button had a good vantage point of the door, so if there was a concrete wall behind it, she could put a portal there, then use one in here to get to the exit.
First, she placed a portal on the indicator light above the button. Next, she put a portal on the ground next to where she was standing.
Looking down, she could see the button. It wasn't in the middle of the portal, but she should be able to jump on it without a problem.
Chell hopped through the portal feet-first and landed on top of the button, it activating under her weight.
She turned around, making sure to stay on the button, and looked towards the door. Sure enough, it was open and had a concrete wall on the other side.
Chell fired a portal onto the wall past the door, then aimed another portal on the wall to the left of the door, under the Pellet dispenser.
She could see the other room through the portal in the main chamber, so she jumped off of the platform, the door closing immediately after her feet left the button.
She walked to the portal on the wall and passed through, ending up on the other side of the door.
Once she was completely inside the room, the voice spoke to her again, "As part of a previously mentioned required test protocol, we can no longer lie to you. When the testing is over, you will be missed."
When the voice said 'missed', her tone was different, a bit higher. It sounded out of place. Well, it didn't matter if she was missed or not, she hadn't even met the person behind the voice, if there really was someone there.
Chell looked to her right and saw a short hallway that lead to the Grid and elevator. She walked through the Grid and onto the elevator. Once she had turned around, she watched the doors as they closed.
Chapter Word Count: 1,891
Total Word Count: 20,781
Not sure if I'll write any more tonight, Mom wants to watch TV and I'm kinda tired. XD I'm a little ahead of where I need to be today, but not enough to carry me through the weekend. I have a feeling Dad might work, so I may have extra time. Either way, I should have a bit of time on Sunday to get a handful of words, hopefully. No matter what, I'll make up the remainder on Monday and work super-hard to get caught back up. ^_^ It shouldn't be too rough since the longer levels are going more smoothly. :D I know I should be working harder at it, but since I'm tired, I can't really get worked up to do so. XD
So, I may not be on Monday, or not on much, in order to get everything back sorted out. ^_^
Anyways, I'd love any crit/comments/advice for this chapter. :D
Chapter notes:
13
-Took a night's break, feeling kind of refreshed. Though, for some reason, I'm dreading this level, even though I don't remember much of it. Not sure if just the weight of NaNo is getting me down or what.
-Peeked at the next level. AUGH, IT'S THAT ONE. I'm not sure why I don't like it, it's a pain, even though I'm certain it's not as bad as I think it is. XD
-Did I mention the Aperture Laboratories sign in the elevator in the first chapter? Need to look that up. :|
-Mmmm, should I really have Chell wondering about the validity of GLaDOS's voice? Is it out of character? Does it make sense in the story?
-Hope I didn't pad the chapter with too much blahblahblah. D:
-Some of the action description feels off.
-Some stuff didn't work right in spellcheck, so I might have missed something. :|
It wasn't long until the elevator stopped and the doors opened. Chell could see a little of the room beyond, it was concrete grey with a window and a blue dotted power line.
She stepped out of the elevator and down the short hallway that lead to the room.
As soon as she entered the area, the voice spoke to her, "Now that you are in control of both portals, this next test could take a very, VERY, long time.
If you become light headed from thirst, feel free to pass out. An intubation associate will be dispatched to revive you with peptic salve and adrenaline."
Chell had an odd expression on her face as she processed this. She hadn't thought about being thirsty, but now that the voice had mentioned it, Chell realized that she was. Passing out wasn't an option, though. She was going to do this right.
Besides, she hadn't seen anyone around, and the place was a bit dingy, so there may not be any of the associates around. Chell was beginning to suspect that the voice was just an old recording, mainly because of all the strange malfunctions that prevented her from speaking correctly.
But, how did she get here, then? And if the voice really was just an old recording, that meant that there was no cake, nor would there be any drinks. But, maybe the last chamber would lead out of this place, and she could go out and get her own lunch.
Things didn't make sense in this place, but there was no purpose in standing around and thinking about them. Whether or not people were still in this place was irrelevant. There were people in here at one point, and that meant there was a door somewhere out of here, she just had to find it.
If there was a party with cake and refreshments at the end, then all the better. But, if there wasn't, then all Chell wanted was an exit door.
There weren't that many tests left, she was over halfway there, so it wouldn't be much longer until the end.
First, she needed to get her mind back on this test.
To her right, she heard the hum of an information board, so she gave it a look.
Only the three middle squares on the top row were highlighted. These were the cube falling on a stick figure's head, the Pellet smashing a stick figure in the face, and the catcher for the Pellet. It was slightly odd that there was a cube falling warning, but no warning for a cube dispenser.
Chell turned to her left. On the wall in front of her, and across from the elevator was a medium-sized window. Above the window was a grillwork platform that ran across the wall and down the right side wall.
On top of the platform in front of her was a closed door. On top of the right side platform was a cube.
In the floor, next to where she was standing, was a red button. So, she'd have to use the cube to open the door. Nothing hard about that.
She went to the window so that she could see what was in store for her in the next room.
Chell couldn't see the entire room, but she got the gist of the idea of it. Straight across the way was an exit door connected to what she assumed was two buttons. She couldn't see the first button, but there appeared to be a power line going to something off to the left.
Behind the button she couldn't see, there was a platform with a button on it. Behind that was a Pellet dispensing dome. In the middle of the floor was a Pellet catcher pointing upwards. And to the right seemed to be an Unstationary Scaffold that was apparently activated by a Pellet landing in the collector.
Most of the walls and ceiling around the Scaffold were metal, but there was one strip of concrete above the middle of the Scaffold's path.
However, from where she was standing, she didn't see any cubes. They must be off to the side.
She turned her attention back to the chamber she was in.
The metal platform was too high to get up onto on her own, but most of the length of it was surrounded by concrete, so all she had to do was place a portal up there.
Chell fired a portal onto the wall behind the cube on the left wall, then turned to her right and placed a portal on the wall at ground level. She walked over to the second portal and stuck the portal gun through. The cube was close enough that she could just lift it with a touch of a button.
Once the cube was in the air, Chell backed out, moving it clear of the portal, then turned around. It was only a few steps to the button on the ground. Once the cube was in position, she pressed the button on the gun again and the cube fell to land on the floor button.
The upper door opened, so Chell turned to go back through the portal. This time she went all the way in and found herself standing on the upper metal ledge. She walked over to the door and looked out to get a better view of the main room.
The only different thing she was able to see was the other button on a higher platform to the left and the one cube that was resting on the Unstationary Scaffold. So, making sure the floor below was clear, Chell hopped down out the door and to the floor.
The fall was a little higher than most of the jumps she had made before, but she landed safely with a slight bouncing from the knee replacement springs.
She glanced around the room again; there was only the one cube, but two buttons. Well, she'd figure out how to take care of that once she got to that.
Chell couldn't get onto the Unstationary Scaffold, it was too high, and the walls around where the platform currently was was made out of the metal that would not allow a portal. But, there was that one section of ceiling that was concrete, so once the platform got moving, she could reach it that way.
On the wall behind her and to the left of where she was standing, was the impact point where the Pellet would bounce against. That would be where she needed to place the first portal.
That point found, Chell looked over at the Pellet collector. On the ceiling above it, it shone a red light, indicating where a portal should be placed if you wanted to line it up with the catcher.
She first placed a portal above the collector, this way the Pellet wouldn't be bouncing about who knows where, it'd go directly into where it needed to go.
Once the portal was in position, Chell turned and looked back at the wall where the Pellet bounced again. She fired a portal at its impact point and waited.
After a few moments, the Pellet went whizzing past, flying through the portal and out of the other, to land in the collector.
As soon as it was in place, the Unstationary Scaffold started moving.
Chell then created a portal closer to the ground on the wall near where the Pellet had been bouncing off.
She shifted to her left and placed a portal on the concrete ceiling above the Scaffold. Chell looked back to the first portal she had made and watched, waiting for the Scaffold to make its way back.
Once it came into sight, she walked through the portal and found herself falling face first towards the Scaffold. Chell landed with a thud on top of the cube. Her impact had knocked the air out of her, so she took a moment to regain her breath. Chell's chest also hurt from her rough landing, but the pain went away shortly.
She picked herself up off of the cube and regained her footing. That hadn't been fun, but there hadn't been an easier way to do it, unless she put the portal on the ground and stepped through it there, but it would have been harder to see when she was supposed to go through.
Chell used the portal gun to pick up the cube, then hopped off the Scaffold with it.
Once on the ground, she looked around. Which button should she put it on? When she looked at the ceiling, she saw that there were lighted squares above each button. The one closest to the left had a single dot, while the one on the right had two dots.
Chell placed the cube on the ground so that she could fire the portals where she needed them.
She aimed a portal right on the lighted indicator above the button. Once it was in place, she created a second portal below the cube.
The cube fell and landed on the button, causing the square to the right of the door to light up with a check mark.
Now to activate the other button.
If the cube was heavy enough to activate it, then certainly she would be able to. It looked like the button had a good vantage point of the door, so if there was a concrete wall behind it, she could put a portal there, then use one in here to get to the exit.
First, she placed a portal on the indicator light above the button. Next, she put a portal on the ground next to where she was standing.
Looking down, she could see the button. It wasn't in the middle of the portal, but she should be able to jump on it without a problem.
Chell hopped through the portal feet-first and landed on top of the button, it activating under her weight.
She turned around, making sure to stay on the button, and looked towards the door. Sure enough, it was open and had a concrete wall on the other side.
Chell fired a portal onto the wall past the door, then aimed another portal on the wall to the left of the door, under the Pellet dispenser.
She could see the other room through the portal in the main chamber, so she jumped off of the platform, the door closing immediately after her feet left the button.
She walked to the portal on the wall and passed through, ending up on the other side of the door.
Once she was completely inside the room, the voice spoke to her again, "As part of a previously mentioned required test protocol, we can no longer lie to you. When the testing is over, you will be missed."
When the voice said 'missed', her tone was different, a bit higher. It sounded out of place. Well, it didn't matter if she was missed or not, she hadn't even met the person behind the voice, if there really was someone there.
Chell looked to her right and saw a short hallway that lead to the Grid and elevator. She walked through the Grid and onto the elevator. Once she had turned around, she watched the doors as they closed.
Chapter Word Count: 1,891
Total Word Count: 20,781