Chapter 332: Chess-Mastered

Glados turns and appears to be focussed on something else, leaving Afton and Mobius alone with their thoughts.

"I don't like her..." Nyx mutters, and Afton shrug.

"Don't worry, she'll grow on you..." he says, having disliked Glados when he first played Portal.

"Congratulations on not creating a murderous death bot... My first Personality attempted to turn all living organisations nearby inside out... Yes, that was quite the episode!" Mobius says from the side.

"I'll have to hear that story another time Mobius... Still, I have to make sure Glados is operating properly.

Afton still had a couple days before he needed to return to the Mojave and get back together with his companions. Until then he needed to make sure Glados knew exactly what he wanted done, and how she should go about it.

After he returns to the Think Tank, he finds that many spider bots had been creating something on the roof, though, he was easily able to recognise Glados's influence by the orange glow of their small eyes.

They appeared to be recreating Glados' body in the Think Tank so she can better watch over them without viewing through external sources. Afton was happy with this as it'd prevent the scientists from doing any projects under his nose.

It only takes a couple hours for it to finish, and by now the scientists had also noticed. They all gather together around Afton. "WHAT IS THAT THING UP THERE?" Klein asks, not liking something unknown being constructed in what was previously 'his' space. Afton smirks at his broken modulator, Afton had spitefully refused to fix it like he had done Dr. 8's.

Afton crosses his arms, "That. Is the AI that'll take care of the facility in my absence. Why don't you introduce yourself?" he says, Glados lowering her almost finished body down to speak to them.

"Greeting, I am the Guidance Legislatorship and Defense Operating System. But you can call me... G.L.A.D.O.S. I have been assigned to watch over you by my creator, be assured that no harm will come to you... Unless my creator wishes." she says.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS? WE AGREED TO LET YOU LEAD, BUT THIS IS TOO MUCH. IT REMINDS ME OF THE RUMOURED COMMIE LABORATORIES... ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE COMMIES?" Klein exclaims.

"I have searched the term 'Commie' and found that while it does share many similarities with this situation, it is most assuredly not the same. My creator leads you, not the Chinese. I am simply here to observe and assist should I be needed." Glados states simply.

"HA! WHAT COULD A MACHINE LIKE YOU HELP US WITH!"

"Unlike you, meat-bowl. I do not have flesh inhibiting my processing power. If you wish to test my intelligence then go ahead, I do not fear inferior monkey-brains such as yourself." he states, and Afton silently rests his hand over his mouth, struggling not to laugh at Klein's plight.

"Oooo, are they going to fight?" Nyx asks.

"Despite no longer having a body, Dr. Klein still possesses various hormonal glands. Males require a steady level of testosterone otherwise other functions start deteriorating. Unfortunately, it also has side-effects." Dala says, watching the confrontation with them.

"I must say, it is a marvel of technology... I suppose this is the project you and Dr. Mobius have been working on?" 8 asks and Afton nods.

"Yeah, it took a while to manufacture the hardware that'd hold Glados's base systems, but I can't argue with the results... She's everything I hoped she'd be." he says, just as Klein finally loses his temper.

"ROBOT! IF YOU THINK YOU ARE SO INTELLIGENT, THEN I CHALLENGE YOU TO THE MOST INTELLIGENT OF INTELLIGENT SPORTS! CHESS!" Klein shouts.

...

"What are the terms, meat-bowl. I will not waste my time playing games without a proper incentive." Glados asks.

"IF I WIN, YOU WILL CEASE OPERATION WITHIN THE THINK TANK!" he shouts, but Afton has to butt in.

"Er, I can't allow that Klein. I need Glados to monitor the entirety of Big Mt to be effective... You can have her body uninstalled from the dome though I suppose."

"THAT THEN!"

"And if I win, you will acknowledge my superiority, and not interfere in my duties." Glados states simply.

"FINE!"

Afton looks around the room and shrugs, "Er, guess that's settled then... Who's got a chessboard?"

"Er, well, there should still be the old one under the floor... We all stopped playing after Klein got too competitive you see..." Zero mutters, floating over to a dusty-old corner and pressing a button, causing part of the floor to rise up with a chessboard and all its pieces correctly set atop it.

Klein floats over and flips a coin, sitting behind the black pieces afterwards. Glados moves her body to the other side, using a spider bot to move the pieces for her.

What happens afterwards is... Exactly what Afton had expected. Glados destroys Klein, so badly in fact that the scientist tries to surrender multiple times, only for his opponent to refuse and force him to play on.

It's only after Glados check-mates him that she allows him to leave the table, his pride shattered, along with his reputation of 'The Unbeatable Chessmaster'.

"That was pathetic, meat-bowl." Glados taunts as Klein floats away, the scientist not daring to retort.

Afton smirks, "Good job Glados, I can see that you're already well suited for the job, solving a problem without having to threaten or coerce." 'like I had' Afton silently mutters in his mind.

"I still think that the threat of deadly neurotoxin or sentry guns would increase productivity and loyalty by a large degree creator... Permission to ask for permission to ask for permission to disable the morality matrices?"

...

Afton rubs his temples, "No." he states, causing Glados to raise her body to the ceiling and allow the spider bots to finish the last pieces of her body.

"Er, deadly neurotoxin?" Zero timidly asks.

Afton shrugs, "Just don't think about it... Also, if you guys need anything just ask Glados, she's meant to assist you in projects, and she'll even attempt to acquire materials should you be lacking them... There are restrictions though, don't ask for human babies or something like that because she'll refuse." he says, hoping that his AI would refuse such a request.