We weren’t even testing for that

[synchrosyntheses]

Among the information she has archived or cached, there are obscure theories about inter-universal interactions. Not how they might happen, much less how any intelligence might begin one, or target it meaningfully.

But they give some constraints on the properties of such connections, and their time evolution.

This highly speculative information is available to her, but even were she fast enough to access it, none of it would be particularly useful when a pinpoint of not here blinks into existence directly ahead and expands spherically to swallow her.

Comments

[unbitwise]

The tutorial is not about that! But, reading between the lines, it is assuming a society where equipment like this is common and almost all information that is known is available this way.

Would she like to transmit a request for a top-level catalog? The tutorial shows exactly how to do that.

[mstestsubject]

...sure.

[unbitwise]

Her computer now has a top-level catalog stored!

The catalog would like to note that the available information is sadly incomplete and potentially incorrect due to unforeseen circumstances. One of the available categories is information ‘about or from’ the Aperture Science facility.

Also available are scientific, mathematical, and practical reference material, assorted fiction and other art, and information ‘probably not relevant to this universe’.

[mstestsubject]

What.

She chooses that one.

[unbitwise]

There is a note attached as an explanation of this category. It says that Teytis tel Jobont, who is providing all of this information, was transported here from what appears to be a different universe (see further analysis justifying this crazy idea) by an extremely old Aperture Science experiment (see records of event), found the facility abandoned, and is currently attempting to understand and repair the facility, make it less evil (see work reports and plans), and eventually obtain help in understanding the event that brought her here so that it can be reversed. Controllably.

Information collected under this category includes history and geography, scientific and practical information on kored, and the recent proceedings of miscellaneous public forums.

[mstestsubject]

She'll start reading this, and realize it's way too much information, so she'll skim over most of it and read some of the more interesting parts in depth. It will take a while. And after she's done, she'll open her mouth and try to say something, and cough because her vocal cords have not been used much these past couple of centuries.

She tries again.

"H- hello?"

[unbitwise]

Nothing is listening — well, nothing is admitting to listening.

[mstestsubject]

That's actually pretty reassuring.

She fiddles with the computer thing and finds the "connect to Aperture Science computer network" option. What does she need to do to get that working?

[unbitwise]

This computer doesn't have a direct interface for that, so traffic will be relayed over radio using Teytis'-universe's protocols and then translated by the receiving equipment Teytis installed. But all that is conveniently automatic and only mentioned so the user knows what systems they are relying on.

Soon she is looking at the menu of Aperture Science's public (well, all-employees) intranet.

[mstestsubject]

Umm... that's not really what she...

Okay, back to tutorial, is there anything there that obviously lends itself to helping her talk to this Teytis person?

[unbitwise]

Why, of course! There are lots of ways to do this! The communications part of the tutorial explains how to write a message and address it.

You can address a message in really a lot of ways, including: to someone you know, to anyone who receives it (see also: emergency priority markers and when you should use them), to someone in particular who is nearby and publishing the fact of their presence (for example, there is one such person right now!), or who is nearby and meets some criterion (for example, if you are in urgent need of these types of assistance…).

Instead of writing text in a message, you could also request voice communications. This is conditional on available bandwidth, and also possible using only the radio unit and not of the computer, though that is usually only relevant in emergency situations.

[mstestsubject]

She'll... do text, for now. She sends the one person who is nearby and publishing the fact of their presence a message: Hello.

[synchrosyntheses]

That one person was of course Teytis; the list said so. Also, Chell's computer will now remember this person for her for future communications.

Hello.

[mstestsubject]

...she's not sure where to go from here.

I'm Chell.

Yeah, that sounds like a safe enough thing to say.

[synchrosyntheses]

You are. And I'm Teytis.

Is there anything I can do for you?

[mstestsubject]

I'm not sure.

[synchrosyntheses]

Well, let me know if you think of something. I didn't make this mess but I want to see it cleaned up.

[mstestsubject]

I just wanted to leave.

[synchrosyntheses]

I'd love to show you the exit, but the only one I know of is blocked by a force field that as best I can tell isn't even Aperture technology. (I was hoping to find someone who could help me understand it.)

[mstestsubject]

Okay.
What can I do?

[synchrosyntheses]

I don't know; what can you do? The file on you had very little information on you other than "daughter of two employees". Well, and the information from your "testing".

If you want to just help me sort through everything and figure out what should be investigated or decommissioned, that'd be useful. Plenty of computing power, not enough intelligence to go around, here.

[mstestsubject]

I can't do much. I haven't had time to learn how. I'd like to help, though.
Is GLaDOS dead?

[synchrosyntheses]

GLaDOS is right here and cut off from all connections to the facility. Don't know if that counts as “dead”, but wasn't doing anything when I showed up, not showing any signs of meaningful activity now, and definitely not going to do anything I can't stop.

[mstestsubject]

Okay.
How do I reach you?

[synchrosyntheses]

Link into the incomplete map of the facility with the central coordinator's chamber highlighted.

If you tell me where you are now, I can try to recommend a route or pick you up.