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The sounds of heavy machinery clunking and moving about were not common among the square, but in a secluded, rented out, shaded area, Dell worked tirelessly in the open. Tons of blueprints lay either on walls held by thumbtacks or held to the ground by fastened vices and stones. Dell was obviously deeply enthralled with a tripod device fitted with modern chips and such, the top hatch open to reveal the inner workings. The Level 1 Sentry lat before Dell, wires exposed and equations up on a whiteboard, as well as several computers opened and running simulations, though all failing. What was he doing wrong?!

Dell furiously began pulling the wires out when he identified a short somewhere. "Darn thing, try'na tell me ain't no power to the rotary motor." he chuckled, clipping a few connections from a redundant system installed when he couldn't have said technology elsewhere, and rewiring  excess power to the sentry to make it turn faster. Hopefully, the machine would be functional. To his dismay, when Dell ran the program, it only targeted him, clicking harmlessly, and registering shots fired. "Ya targeted me..?" He shut the machine down by a few more keystrokes on the central monitor, before going right back to diagnosing the problem with the logic of the device. Perhaps someone could try and help him..? He sure looked like he needed a hand from a fellow genius, having come this far himself. Dell, incidentally, was also stained in grease and oil, obviously having spent tireless ours slaving over this contraption.

[Coolshaymin]

A quiet girl that did not really pay any attention to the people around her walked through the Rainbow Square, carrying a bunch of tools and parts in a bag.... She was surprisingly fit for her appearance to carry that much without much effort. Still, she could of just opened a rift back home after her business in the Black Market was done, but she wanted some fresh air before she started doing proper maintainance on her equipment and finish constructing her work-in-progress. ".... Hm?" the girl looked over to a secluded shaded area as she heard the sound of machines and a man getting rather angry. What was he doing?

Well, it looked like he was some kind of engineer from his Sentry. Though it looked like he was having a bit of issue getting it to work. "...... He looks like he needs some help..." the girl noted to herself. In the past she would of just gone 'none of my business' and move on. However, now she was aware allies and friends were important here on Li and she can't continue being alone. The lab rat watched on for a moment before sighing and then walking over the Engineer and placing her bags down. "Need some help? My parents worked at Aperature Science so I am pretty good with technology. Let me look," Chell said  as she looked at the turret a bit... "... Yeah, your turret's sensor is a bit cracked. It's readings are bound to malfunction if it can't get proper readings. I brought a spare since I was going to work on my Turret," the girl suggested as she went towards her bag. "My name's Chell. As I already said, I am from Aperature Science in Michigan, USA. Not that I think that'll mean much... I have only seen... 2 other people from my Dimension and we were already acquainted," Chell introduced herself to the technician.

[Deleted]

"Hoowee! Was just fixin' to give that a look, missus. Y'ain't too bad fer a feller from Aperture. Was fixin' to work there till Reliable Excavation an' Demolition hired me. Reckon Mann Co. bought that Ap-Sap junk from Aperture, y'know that uh, annoyin' lil fella. Personality Wheat Core or somethin', I don't even know." Dell would immediately lift the front compartment near the barrel off, after shutting down the Sentry to pull the targeting sensor out. The little thing was indeed cracked, and it seemed Dell actually had a spare of his own. It didn't look like Aperture tech, optimized for heavy-climates and dusty conditions, given its exterior coating. Dell was likely from somewhere out in the midwest, or at least operated there. "Figure none'a the folks back home at m'job, them mercenaries like me, ain't got the time or the brains fer engineering like this." Engie laughed, coughing a bit as he replaced the sensor and booting the machine back up, waving the blue rod in its 'face' he had earlier. It tracked it, firing repeatedly. "Haw! Cream gravy!" he cackled with a bit of satisfaction.

After shutting the sentry back down, and kicking the thing so it'd pack up into a toolbox, Engie would extend his hand to Chell. "I'm Dell, folks back home call me Engie when I'm workin. Not very creative, mind ya, but it works." He thought for a second, before cracking up a bit more, "Reckon our names rhyme, missus. Coincidence that two intelligent engineers come from the same place AND have rhymin' names?" It was true, the fact that the two came from the same world was rather odd, and that they were engineers, AND that they had rhyming names.

[Coolshaymin]

".... Really? Huh. Wait, Wheatley? They were actually selling those cores?.... But he's an AI Core meant to lower intelligence, why would they be selling those?"Chell replied, mumbling to herself after a bit. The idea of there being more than one of those idiots were a bit terrifying to say the least. Chell watched the man wave the blue rod to get it to track it.... Was the color blue significant in some way? It seemed a bit familiar, especially with the red getup.  "I had to learn how the tech and stuff worked at Aperature... For multiple reasons but one was that I was going to inherit the company. Naturally I needed to know how to run it," Chell replied... A bit too casually saying she was related to the President of Aperature. Still, the fact they came from the same world made her feel a bit less alienated.

Chell looked down at his hand for a moment, as if there was some hesitation before shaking it. "That is a bit funny I guess. Just an odd coincidence though. Anyway, I told you my position at my job. What exactly does your work entail, Engie? I noticed your targeting system has a thing for the color blue." The girl inquired, finally showing her ulterior motive to that info.

[Deleted]

"Builder's League United has been fightin' fer control of the dustbowl since before Black Mesa even sprung up. Reckon I got drafted as a mercenary to seize control of the land fer RED. Y'know, Reliable Excavation an' Demolition. They hired me 'cause I'm a trained engineer who, obviously, specializes in zone denial." Dell would gladly toss the blue stick in the nearest bin by way of a calculated throw, just off of a hunch it seemed. With that out of the way, he cleared the area of all bits of scrap, packing up the other devices and whatnot to begin his next project, Chell's turret. "Reckon BLU might be gettin' sucked in here, too. Only time we fought together was against Grey Mann, who used some ol' Duplication Schematics he stole from what I only could assume was either Black Mesa or Aperture to develop robot clones of all nine of us on RED."

He stopped for a moment, before asking. "Y'said ya had a turret of yer own that needed fixin, I think. Maybe we could give it a few upgrades together? I'd love to pick apart some Aperture tech."

[Coolshaymin]

"Oh, so you are part of those warring mercenary factions. Thought the name of your company sounded familiar. Sounds like your adventures in war are... interesting. Still, I prefer the more hands on approach when it comes to combat," Chell replied before noticing him starting to pack up. Was he already done here? Oh right, he was interested in the turret Chell mentioned... Well, considering it was Aperature tech, it was probably not a good idea to let the competition to know about such secrets.... Fortunately for Dell, to Chell Aperature was already dead and she did not mind much. "Alright, sure, I doubt you could help much given your more.... old tech but I could use a few second opinions so why not. Follow me," Chell said as she pulled a device off her back.

The device definitely looked unusual and had a bit of an orange glow to it. She fired it at the wall of the shelter and it formed a orange hole in the wall that led to a very messy room. "This way," Chell said as she picked up her supplies and jumped into the portal. She was still visible as if she just opened a doorway directly between the workshop and her room. Speaking of, her room was quite a mess, board games, video games, movies, cards and all types of stuff were all over the place, as if Chell was packing her room full of stuff outside the Life Sphere and planned to move them later. The only real clear spots were the couch, table, TV, a Workbench with blueprints and unfinished guns and other tech next to it. Next to the Work bench was a deactivated Turret.

The Turret was very unusual in build, being Aperature refined, though it was heavily modified. It seemed to have a laser emitter built into it's sensor to change between targeting and heat. Then there was several bullet clips stored inside it with guns and Rocket Launchers, thrusters along the back and it seemed oddly mobile for a Turret. "I use the Portal Gun to get home quickly. Over there is the turret. He got ruined in a fight with a giant frost crocodile though I have not been able to pinpoint what exactly is wrong."

[Deleted]

Dell would be shocked when she blasted a literal portal on the wall. The Texan staggered back, rubbing his head a bit when she stepped through, offering to take the technician with her. Engie shrugged, tossing his kit an gear through, knowing well she could get him out if need be, stepping into that portal hole in the wall. Thankfully, the art style type of machines and tech they used were vastly different, so Dell could tell his tools apart from the others. Immediately that marvel of a turret came into the mechanical savant's gaze. "Hoowee! Look at that piece'a work." He chuckled, stepping over as Chell explained while he navigated the mess. A few game systems were in here. Dell might wanna ask her about a game night some time.

"Frost crocodile? Reckon ol' Saxton's makin' hybrids of 'is yetis. Now..." Dell would pat the sentry on its top, pulling his wrench out and a few scraps of metal. "There's a bit'a magic with these here Mann Co. Wrenches. Don't worry, it works, trust me." The ol Texan winded up and struck the sentry in the side, the metal vanishing instantly, the Aperture device unhindered and unmoved. In fact, it looked a bit better in shape, shinier even! "Whew! Here comes another!" he swung again, and again, about eight times before he was outta metal! "Darn, it's torn up pretty bad. Start'im up and see if we can diagnose the issue now that he ain't gonna blow up or some nonsense."

[Coolshaymin]

Chell still doubted an old fashioned man like him could fix this complicated piece of machinery, especially after she heavily modified it for maximum effeciemcy... Just for him to whack it with a wrench... That seemed heavily impractical. "Huh, that's some wrench you have... How does it work?" Chell inquired, this wrench seeming.... beyond science, even by Aperature Science standards.... which were pretty loose. Still, she walked over to the Turret and opened up a display on it's side. "Hold on, let me just put you in it's targeting database so it does not recogonize you as an intruder," Chell stated as she took to typing on a small keyboard pretty fast before closing it when she finished. "Alright. Turret #1498, activate," The girl commanded, The Turret's red light locked onto Dell immediately for a moment before looking to Chell. "Hello, Good Morning, Chell. Shall I eliminate the man from your room?" ".... No, your systems working?" the girl replied to the turret who was miraculously capable of some thought and speech.

"If you insist. Calcilating.... Ammo Cartridges are heavily damaged. Missiles are unstable, motor systems are compromised and jetpack is busted," the turret replied. "So, everything's busted..." Chell sighed. "False. Targeting Systems are still online." "... This is going to take a while to fix. Still, would not even start up to give me a diagnnosis before. Thanks. I feel the rest may take a bit of hands on experience," the science girl replied before putting a rifle like device on the table. Though it notably had no place to put ammo. She then reached for one of her tools. ".... Aperature is dead you know. There are very few things left of it and we are part of those. I have no obligation towards their secrets if I can trust you to not widespread them," Chell offered after a moment.

[Deleted]

"Haw shucks, Missus Chell, I ain't given fer tellin' poeple m'own schematics. Yer secrets are safe with me, if it means we both get somethin' outta this." Dell was too fixated on moving the turret's parts around, pulling out the sides and pressing them back to see how the servos handled the pressure, before picking apart whatever panels he could to try and diagnose the issue. Standing briefly, and pulling more metal and his toolbox over, Dell kicked open the red box, his own sentry folding out of it. It locked onto the other turret, before standing down, given that Dell hadn't done anything yet, and seemed to be fixing it. That and the Mann Co. metal that was currently welded and beaten into Chell's turret. "Figure we can cross analyze these targetin' systems. What sorta AI core's this feller runnin on? Dual? Quad? Octadic?" Dell's own ran on a quad core, which would update to a octadic AI core when brought to level 3, as to help manage the sentry's intervals of rocket fire. 

Dell hadn't even taken notice of the rifle that Chell had been picking apart, already popping the hatch of his own sentry up, and off to cross reference the wiring that he knew worked versus the open wires from the few panels he'd taken off of Chell's turret. The stuff in this one was a lot neater, clearly, and far more sophisticated. It wasn't that he didn't understand the machine, he just preferred to work on a budget. "Reckon these wires ain't copper-core. That's one of yer issues. Whatever metal these darn things are conductin' with and sendin' signals through's crossing signals. When ya tried to initially patch up here," Dell pointed to a bundle of wires that he promptly cut and taped together separately. "It started crossin' signals from the targetin' core and what looks to be some sort of other signal. Maybe it's one'a his motor signals that was compromised." Dell kept on pulling and snipping, as well as taping these back together. "I'm only puttin' temporary fixes in here, 1498 ain't combat ready with these patches. We'll have to get out somewhere and get the right metal. I gotta dispenser schematic that uses lil' nanites to spit out metal, but... wait a minute!" Engie snapped his fingers several times, pointing to the toolbox, "Lookie in my toolbox here and start buildin' it. Replace the ferro-injector with the metal yer turret's wires use. Give 'er a bit, then we'll have some actual wirin' goin. From there? We can insulate 'im."