yessirmrjohnson | (no subject)

Cave walked by, visibly impressed with the amount of work done.

"Hey now! This is what I like to see. Everything working out well here?"

Elena spoke up before Caroline would have a chance.

"I managed to get most of it done, Cavey. Despite her failings, she's quite the little helper you know. In fact..."

She pulled Cave closer by his tie.

"I think I've caught up enough to leave the rest to Carol here. Maybe we do lunch?"

Cave agreed, and with a kiss, they left.

The rest of the paperwork was finished, and Cave's office settled back to how it had always been before she had left. When they got back, Caroline would be away from her cleared desk. Instead, she was busy down in the labs and as far away from that desk as possible.

The next few days were more of the same. She'd let Elena have her little show, do the entierty of the work, and be rewarded with a trip down to the labs to over see research and development. It was hard, but she was doing her best to move the feelings associated to Cave to Aperture alone. With all her effort she tried to forget everything that came before this day. There had never been years of perfect partnership, just this humble and lowly position. Just...just her and science and nothing else.

Research and development was booming as a result. Caroline was excellent at guiding the sector and with all her heart and focus in it, it wasn't long before they were pushing new breakthroughs.

A form ended up on Elena's desk while Caroline was in the lab. It was a letter from Dr. Hanstle asking Cave for possible subject names for an experiment with a new stasis chamber. There was a 45% chance for survival, but they wanted an intelligent subject to participate, someone perhaps a little smarter than the subjects that they normally got in.

All it would need is a name and Cave's signature and that person would be forced into the experiment and not be seen for a month with no garentee of survival or side effect.

The paper, of course, would never make it to Cave's desk. The entire process didn't take very long. A few pen strokes and the deed was done. Caroline would be put into testing the next business day.

She was told, with no small bit of glee from Elena, about her mandatory participation. If she wanted to speak with Cave about it, he wouldn't be found in his office. He was in the labs, attempting to help fix some of the stagnation in the research department.

When she found him, Caroline hesitated just a step behind him. Who was she to question his choices? Sure, she had made huge strides in the company since her return, RnD was doing just as well if not better than before. But she had always thought she was doing well enough before Elena showed up and that obviously wasn't the case.

No. Considering there was a chance she'd never wake up tomorrow, she had to say something to him.

"Sir? Do you have a moment? There's something I'd like to discuss with you."

"Caroline, that you? Come here, come here!"

He pulled her in excitedly, looking genuinely happy to see her.

"You're one of the only people that could appreciate something like this. Look at it. The boys built a machine that compresses matter together on the subatomic level. It makes new elements. You want to do the honors?"

He hands her a trigger button attached to a long industrial wire. Here they were. Together, doing science again. Like old times.

"For old time's sake." She did her best not to let her hands tremble as she took the button. She pressed the button and watched the beautiful swirl of light in the resulting experiment. For just a moment, in this beautiful fusion, everything was painfully perfect and in the light. If she could dream of this while asleep, she could be happy. The experiment was soon over and the light faded and as the other workers rushed to collect and study the new element, Caroline placed down the button.

"Thank you for that, Mr. Johnson."

Cave flashed a smile at his assistant's assistant as he made his way to the machine. Shooing his employees out of his way, he fetched a small rock from inside of it. It looked like it could be a gemstone of some kind, but it was too shiny, like an alloy.

"I want it on record that the first element created by Aperture Science will be called Carolineum. After it's creator.

She did push the button, after all."

Cave walked out of the room, motioning Caroline to follow him.

"Caroline. Another moment of your time, if you would. I have something important to discuss."

When safely away from eavesdropping ears, Cave continued.

"I need to ask you something. Something of the utmost importance, that must remain completely confidential. You're the only one I can trust with this."

She rubbed at the moisture gathering in her eyes. An element of her own, it was beyond an honor. "Ah, yes, what can I do, Sir?"

"I've been thinking lately. Er. About the future. And...I'm not really experienced with this kind of thing. So I needed you're perspective."

He took the stone out from his pocket. It was a considerable size, and gleamed in a bright, yet unnatural manner.

"You know me, I don't really like doing things the regular way. Would this make a good ring? I wanted to propose to Elena with this, but I'm not certain if I should go with this, or just a regular diamond ring."

She swallowed at that, looking to the floor. "A regular diamond. E..Elena is a conventional girl with..classic tastes." Caroline pulled her hair over one shoulder and took a step back, using all her will to plaster a smile. "Sir, I have to go. There's a lot of things I need to do to prepare for tomorrow." She turned for the door.

Caroline wasn't there in the morning when Cave would make his announcement. It wasn't until the party after it that Jenny from accounting approached Cave with a light purple wrapped gift with a white bow.

"Mr. Johnson? Caroline asked me to give this to you."

Inside was tissue paper and an envelope with a heck for more than 12 grand on it and a letter.

Dear Cave,

Please accept this small wedding gift. I may not have shown it, but now I can say that I am glad that you are happy. I hope you and Elena have many long and happy years together. I'm thankful for the few I was able to share with you. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to share this journey with you and I'm certain you're in good hands to carry you into the next chapter of your life.

You gave me everything I had dreamed of as a child. A place to belong, a place to be myself, and a companion in science. That's why I don't hold any grudges for your choices. Even this one that I face this morning. In the event of my death, I've arranged for you and Elena to inherit the proceeds of my estate and the rest of my liquid assets.

The only thing I ask is that you don't forget me. I included my favorite picture album in this gift box. Please remember me fondly. There's nothing in my life that I would have changed, no regret to speak of other than never telling you how I felt. For that, I hope you can forgive me.

With all my unspoken love,
Caroline Mossman.

Just under the tissue paper was a white photo album. The edges were worn and the corners rounded from its long use. Inside were dozens of pictures of the two of them, starting as far back as Aperture fixtures, pictures of just the two of them cutting the ribbon at the mouth of the abandoned salt mine that would later become the enrichment center. Newspaper clippings about Aperture's growth, pictures of them laughing and working. There were pages left in the back blank and unfilled still waiting for pictures that wouldn't be taken.

Cave stopped. It's the best description available. He didn't move, he didn't breathe. For several seconds, time stopped for Cave Johnson. Were his eyes glassy? No way no how. Not a manly man like Cave Johnson.

Slowly, he began moving again, going through the album, and reliving what surely were the happiest times he could ever recall in his life. The check he could care less about; sweet a gesture as it was; but the album would be treasured forever and always.

He read the letter over and over, unease growing. Why would she feel a need to leave him anything? She almost sounded like she was planning on dying. He'd hoped she wasn't doing anything drastic.

"Jenny. Where did Caroline give this to you?"

"Here this morning before going to the experiment in sector 4. Probably worried she'll miss out on the wedding but I told her you guys probably weren't going to get hitched by the end of the month." She looked at the clock on the wall. "They probably already got started, so you'll have to wait to tell her anything, Sir."

Edited 2012-09-23 20:31 (UTC)

He didn't bother to wait and hear anything more. In a decidedly unprofessional and potentially comical manner, Cave darted from the room. Maybe, just maybe, they were running late. Maybe the test could be halted. Maybe...dammit, it didn't really matter. He just wanted her to be okay. A potentially dead ex-assistant wasn't exactly what he'd had in mind when he woke up this morning.

Dr. Hastle was in the lab with a few assistants. The middle aged man was busy looking over the monitors on the pod like bed. When Cave hurried in, he turned around, holding the clipboard to his chest.

"Mr. Johnson, we're sorry we didn't make it to your announcement. We had an important experiment scheduled. It could be helped. Please don't fire us, we'll give generously at the wedding."

Cave turned to them, out of breath and wild-eyed.

"I don't want anything from you. Especially excuses."

He crossed his arms, regaining his composure.

"I don't recall signing off on this experiment. And I damn sure don't recall signing Caroline to be a subject. So if I were you, I would tell me how to stop this test with her health intact.

Your job depends on it."

"Stopping it early could cause serious brain damage, and, with all respect, you did sign her up for it. I have the papers here." From his clipboard Dr. Hastle handed him a copy of the letter. Elena was able to imitate Cave's signature perfectly, but she didn't bother to copy his handwriting when writing Caroline's name.

It was a respectable forgery. Impressive really. And under normal circumstances, he would have assumed this was done by a deeply depressed Caroline. However, over the years, Cave had seen her signature almost as many times as his own. And this wasn't even close. Who would forge Caroline's signature? It was a short list.

He looked to Hastle.

"Fine. You just got promoted. Your new job is to do NOTHING but oversee this experiment. If she dies, so does your career. If she comes out of this with so much as a slowed reaction time, I will ensure that you, and your children, and your children's children live lives of poverty and regret.

You succeed, I give you one of my beach houses in the tropics. No pressure."

And with him having successfully used a worker as a stress ball, he walked off to find his new fiance.

Elena was sitting on his desk, sipping on a drink and flipping through the photo album with a bored expression.

Cave entered, putting on a smile despite prior unpleasantness.

"Hey Elley. That's a gift from an employee. Good memories and all that."

He poured himself a drink, hoping that the beverage would help loosen the question that needed to be asked.

"Not an impressive gift, just a dusty old album from the shelf. It's like gifting a half dead bouquet of fl-" Her cup 'accidentally' slipped from her hand and fell into the open album, soaking the photos inside with alcohol. "Oop! Sorry, Cavey." With half a shrug, she tossed to into his trash bin.

Without much thought, Cave dove at the bin, knocking it over. Pictures in the era weren't the simplest things to duplicate. It was possible that they were the only existing copies; the only existing documented images that they...worked...together. They were precious.

With nothing to dry the photos with, Cave grabbed any printer paper lying around and tried desperately to mat away the liquid.

"What are you doing just sitting there? Help, damn it! Get some napkins or something!"

He lay the photos down on his desk with a delicacy none would expect from him, finishing by setting down the album open on a shelf.

Elena shrugged and left and took her time. It was six minutes later that she came back with three napkins. "Here you go."

"Are you--"

Stupid? Competent? A complete damnable MORON!?

"serious?"

A frustrated grunt left Cave as he snatched the napkins. they worked, admittedly, much better than the office quality printing paper he'd used. Some of the photos were even saved. Some of them you could still make out what they were. Why, a few words were still even legible. Without turning away from the pictures and news scraps, Cave spoke.

"So, your assistant appears to have volunteered for an experiment today."

Why bring that up now? Ah, Mister whiskey. You always know when to bring up the sensitive issues.

"It's a very important experiment. You know how much she loves science." Elena just shrugged and sat in one of the chairs in the office. "People are still waiting for you in the party, baby. Go enjoy yourself and forget about that old thing."

Cave made no motion, not taking his attention away from the photos for even one second.

"Well, it's interesting, you see. I don't recall signing much of anything related to such an important experiment. Any ideas on how such a document could have slipped by my notice?"