A Speculative Analysis of the Enrichment Center and GLaDOS.

[Gmr Leon]

All that follows below is my own speculation accompanied with my observations. This is in no way to be taken as fact or relayed as being fact. Thank you, and I apologize for the length.

To start with, what is the Enrichment Center? It is a facility created by Aperture Laboratories to train subjects in the usage of the ASHPD, and to observe how they utilize the ASHPD to overcome the puzzles created.

We begin the game awakening in a small "relaxation vault", supplied with oxygen and other gases to maintain our survival.

Spoiler

While many players may or may not be aware of it, we are Subject #234, as is noted on the very same Relaxation Vault.

Spoiler

More information is noted on this clipboard, however, it is, as far as I know, practically impossible to read.

Resuming where I left off, though, we awaken and are introduced to our friendly AI GLaDOS with the line: "Hello, and again, welcome to the Aperture Science computerated Enrichment Center."

Many players have interpreted this to mean many things; due to the little "Rat Dens" and notes guiding you out of the course, that #234 has possibly been cloned. I suspect, though, that this could instead mean that #234 volunteered to engage in the testing procedure, being the daughter of one of the researchers at Aperture brought there during Bring Your Daughter to Work day. I suspect this due to the following clipboard I found as I was going through the game again examining things, quite on accident really.

Spoiler

At a glance, the braces seen on #234's legs appear simply to be fitted on there, going not into the flesh. This clipboard would appear to display the contrary, a complete knee replacement. The Enrichment Center does not hint at any surgical sectors, and as such it would not seem possible for GLaDOS to incapacitate and conduct this surgery on #234.

So, going off of this information, it would seem #234 would have to have volunteered for the testing, and agreed to the surgery to proceed. As I'm sure most players are well aware, without those braces, progression would be completely impossible. How does this explain GLaDOS's statement? GLaDOS likely welcomed or greeted daughters and their fathers as they entered the Enrichment Center. #234, as I speculate, was one of the daughters of the researchers.

Where does the game's story begin, though? GLaDOS glitches up right at the beginning of the game, and throughout the game, so I suspect that it is shortly after the Neurotoxin Release that killed off many of the researchers. During the time of that Release, it seems possible that #234 was resting in her chamber after the surgery, preparing for the testing that would be conducted the following morning. With the Relaxation Vault having its own oxygen supply, this would keep #234 from being affected by the Neurotoxin that killed all the others.

Spoiler

[Note that this section is likely awkward, but I wanted to point out that the production and transportation of the Sentries and Weighted Storage Cubes is all conducted within the Enrichment Center via the following screenshots:

This displays the availability of resources with which GLaDOS may manipulate for whatever it desires.]

Where do the Rat Dens and markings come from? I would suspect previous test subjects or researchers that managed to somehow survive attempting escape. It would seem that the Neurotoxin Release, Bring Your Daughter to Work Day, and GLaDOS activation were to Aperture what the Resonance Cascade was to Black Mesa.

Speaking of GLaDOS. What caused GLaDOS to flood the Enrichment Center with Neurotoxin? According to GLaDOS, it has "an infinite capacity for knowledge." With this in mind, it seems possible that somehow, GLaDOS managed to get into government mainframes, and was already aware of what was to proceed, or what had proceeded at Black Mesa. Aware of the horrors to come, it is possible that GLaDOS did so not out of hate, spite, or anything petty such as that, but to contain its own existence, and prevent its creators from being subject to those horrors.

So what of subject #234? What's an AI to do with this specimen? Well, after another test subject or researcher managed to implement the Morality Core, GLaDOS couldn't terminate the subject. After however long, it may not have been long at all for all we know, GLaDOS gets the Enrichment Center cleaned up by some means, and runs subject #234 through the scheduled testing. (In relation to the cleaning, I suspect GLaDOS restructured the Enrichment Center or released energy pellets to disintegrate the corpses left over.)

GLaDOS makes some alterations to the testing, though, to prepare subject #234 without making it clear. An example of this is seen here: "Fantastic! You remained resolute and resourceful in an atmosphere of extreme pessimism."

Under certain circumstances, these alterations are blatantly obvious. For instance: "Due to mandatory scheduled maintenance, the appropriate chamber for this testing sequence is currently unavailable. It has been replaced with a live-fire course designed for military androids."

Even the termination of the Weighted Companion Cube was a part of GLaDOS's preparations of #234. Despite never having seen GLaDOS, it is easy to assume that the subject could grow fond of GLaDOS as it is the only other thing to talk to.

What were the preparations for then? What could GLaDOS possibly be doing with subject #234? Most players think GLaDOS's sole intent was to get rid of #234, due to chamber 19 leading into a fire pit. I think not, though, I think GLaDOS is simply an excellent actress. GLaDOS tells you before you are about to enter the fire that you may: "Rest assured that there is absolutely no chance of a dangerous equipment malfunction prior to your victory candescence." This subtly implies that GLaDOS expects #234 to escape, and in fact, this is even noted prior to entering chamber 19. As at the end of chamber 18, GLaDOS states the following: "Well done! Be advised that the next test requires exposure to uninsulated electrical parts that may be dangerous under certain conditions."

That line always confused me for the longest time, as chamber 19, if you follow it properly, does not require exposure to that. So it seems to indicate that your survival was part of the test, as it does require exposure. However, GLaDOS has to appear flustered to not raise suspicion, or confusion. This is where it all comes together, GLaDOS was preparing #234 for the new world outside alongside terminating itself.

 

[Afnopo]

Epic.

But you left out about the jelly fish writing on the wall in one of the offices, and what you think they are. There is a video on youtube or somthing go check it out and play it ingame.

 

[kineaesth]

By 'speculation' do you mean 'quoting GLaDOS and making points that are basically blindingly obvious'? There are a number of points I'm not sure about, but to be honest you don't really care and nor do I.
Good work typing that all up.

 

[Gmr Leon]

Epic.

But you left out about the jelly fish writing on the wall in one of the offices, and what you think they are. There is a video on youtube or somthing go check it out and play it ingame.

I had considered the inclusion of those, but I couldn't discern the text in its entirety. Such as, "The big bad jelly fish wanted..." I couldn't make out what the word was beneath it, I would assume deactivated, but my thoughts when I examined it were of GLaDOS wanting to be deactivated, so obviously my views would be skewed by that.

By 'speculation' do you mean 'quoting GLaDOS and making points that are basically blindingly obvious'? There are a number of points I'm not sure about, but to be honest you don't really care and nor do I.
Good work typing that all up.

It's startling how much that is blindingly obvious to one, is unclear and distorted to another.

 

[Hectic Glenn]

Well constructed and put together. One thing I will say is that in my opinion the 'take your daughter to work day' comment GLaDOS makes has always felt like a humorous prod as opposed to a real bring your daughter to work day. These do happen in real life but it doesn't seem appropriate for somewhere like the Aperture Science Research Facility. For this reason, I tend not to associate that comment with the storyline or us playing as Chell (zomg daughters and Chell r both gurls!).

I can't recall exactly (it's been a while) but I believe GLaDOS states you can donate your organs too. It feels all part of her trying to create a relaxed environment using messages which would have been broadcast in the active AS labs when many people were working there. Now she had killed them all, I think she adds those messages to create the sense of normality in an environment where you are essentially a guinea pig.

 

[Afnopo]

I can't recall exactly (it's been a while) but I believe GLaDOS states you can donate your organs too. It feels all part of her trying to create a relaxed environment using messages which would have been broadcast in the active AS labs when many people were working there. Now she had killed them all, I think she adds those messages to create the sense of normality in an environment where you are essentially a guinea pig.

Me too, GLaD0S says that when you get the fully updated ASHHPD. What I want to know is why her name is GLaD0S. My current therory is Glad + Dos = GLaD0s.

 

[Gmr Leon]

That may be. I took Bring Your Daughter to Work Day as being fact due to the inclusion of it in the timeline found on the site that also includes the date of GLaDOS's activation, which happens to be the same day. It's difficult to distinguish what is jocular and serious when it comes to GLaDOS.

Edit:I'm not certain if you are joking or not Afnopo, but in the event that you are not, GLaDOS is shorthand for Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System.

 

[Afnopo]

That may be. I took Bring Your Daughter to Work Day as being fact due to the inclusion of it in the timeline found on the site that also includes the date of GLaDOS's activation, which happens to be the same day. It's difficult to distinguish what is jocular and serious when it comes to GLaDOS.

Edit:I'm not certain if you are joking or not Afnopo, but in the event that you are not, GLaDOS is shorthand for Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System.

No, but thats a cool acronym.

 

[WriterforHire]

This was very interesting. First off, I wish to congradulate you on that great find. Your the first one, that I know of, to notice the Subject Id. 234 on the back of the pod. The same goes for the clipboard on the braces. Brilliant work. Also, I find your style refreshing. I've read several "theories" and "speculation" here before, but they tend to be childish and not well thoughtout, yours distinctly stood above the rest. While I'm at it, however, I must disagree with you on several points.

1. To start with, what is the Enrichment Center? It is a facility created by Aperture Laboratories to train subjects in the usage of the ASHPD, and to observe how they utilize the ASHPD to overcome the puzzles created.

This is very nitpicky, and out of all my other objections, the one that relies solely on my own speculation/ opinion. I personally think that there were two other purposes in the creation of Aperture Laboratories. The main purpose undoubtedly was to train subjects on how to use the ASHPD, however I do not believe that is the sole experiment that went on in the facility. Aperture had two other tenets outside of creating portals, and that was the developing of the Counter-Heimlech Maneuver and the creation of the Take A Wish Foundation. I believe that the experimentation of the Counter-Heimlech Maneuver was probably done in the Enrichment Center also, along with various other experiments, after all, why spend so much money, create so much space, if only to do one experiment over and over and over again?

A second purpose I believe that the Enrichmennt Center had that is not previously mentioned is that they did not only want to see if the subject could use the ASHPD to pass their puzzles but also wanted to see experiment on the human psyche. This is abundantly evident. The test itself was designed not only to test a subject physically but mentally as well.

After all, we know for a fact that previous test subjects have gone insane taking this course.

2. I suspect, though, that this could instead mean that #234 volunteered to engage in the testing procedure, being the daughter of one of the researchers at Aperture brought there during Bring Your Daughter to Work day.

So, going off of this information, it would seem #234 would have to have volunteered for the testing, and agreed to the surgery to proceed. As I'm sure most players are well aware, without those braces, progression would be completely impossible. How does this explain GLaDOS's statement? GLaDOS likely welcomed or greeted daughters and their fathers as they entered the Enrichment Center. #234, as I speculate, was one of the daughters of the researchers.

I'm putting these two together because they relate to each other very closely. Your basic argument here is that because GLaDOS said, "Hello, and again, welcome to the Aperture Science Enrichment Center" and because that the bracers would require surgery that it obviously indicates that Chell was there in the Enrichment Center by choice.

I fullheartedly disagree.

Let's say I have a slave in my basement, and every day I come down to him and say, "Hello again!". Does that indicate that he's there willingly? Of course not. It simply shows that I have said hello (or welcomed him) once before. The same can be said about GLaDOS' comment. She said that phrase before, but whether this is the first time, or second time, she has greeted Chell is anotehr matter entirely.

Secondly, in real-life when you have surgery, of course it's a surgery willingly taken, but of course, surgery also happens when your unconscious, passed out from the anestima (sp?). So, do you have a willing control over your boy at that moment? No. Chell could have been taken, drugged, had surgery performed on her, and chucked into her pod without her being any of the wiser until she woke up at that very instant and we would never know.

But lets say for a moment that she did willingly volunteer. If she did, then she must have had no idea what was in store for her. Not a single, remote clue. How many times could a player have died throughout the course of the game? Far, far too many. And what of the other previous 233 subjects? Did they all willingly partake in it too? And none of them had even the slightest of second thoughts when it became obvious that when some people took this test they never came back out?

3. Where does the game's story begin, though? GLaDOS glitches up right at the beginning of the game, and throughout the game, so I suspect that it is shortly after the Neurotoxin Release that killed off many of the researchers.

How does GLaDOS glitching indicate that its right after the Neurotoxin Release? How do you know she's actually glitching at all? Could it not be possible that by saying and doing all the stuff she does that she's actually doing exactly what she's programmed to do? Could it not be that when she released the Neurotoxin she was not actually glitching but was, in fact, doing as she was programmed to do and was following orders? (More on this later)

To me, the Companion Cube, (more particularly the Euthanizing Process) and the pictures of the Companion Cubes with all the hearts proves that this test can and will mess with the subjects' heads. Why are we to assume that such a thing is not actually part of the planned procedure?

4. Speaking of GLaDOS. What caused GLaDOS to flood the Enrichment Center with Neurotoxin? According to GLaDOS, it has "an infinite capacity for knowledge." With this in mind, it seems possible that somehow, GLaDOS managed to get into government mainframes, and was already aware of what was to proceed, or what had proceeded at Black Mesa. Aware of the horrors to come, it is possible that GLaDOS did so not out of hate, spite, or anything petty such as that, but to contain its own existence, and prevent its creators from being subject to those horrors.

So to save her creators from facing the horrors of Black Mesa she killed them? Well that was considerate of her.

Now don't get me wrong. I think this is a very definite possiblity. We know that the government was heavily involved in Black Mesa, we know the goverment tends to keep clasified records of most (if not all) their records, we know that the government had some interaction with Aperture (remember the trials?) so it's very possible that GLaDOS knew of what happened at Black Mesa, in fact, her final lines, "Maybe Black Mesa. That was a joke, haha, fat chance!" Almost assures that to me.

But this in no way is any indicator for a motive. After all, if she was really worried about her own survival, killing the other scientists would be the last thing she would want to do. Who will put her back online if she deactivates? Who will repair her if she gets broken? Also humans tend to be good targets for Combine guns and headcrabs. If anyting the Aperture employees would put a buffer between her and them.

5. What's an AI to do with this specimen? Well, after another test subject or researcher managed to implement the Morality Core, GLaDOS couldn't terminate the subject.

Why can't she? Regular humans, who have morality, kill all the time. Morality does not prevent one from doing bad, but only allows them to know the difference between right and wrong. The very fact that, after the morality core was in place, she still continued the tests proved that she did not care one whit about human life. (Again, because of how easy it is to die) Also, GLaDOS was made for the experiments. My guess is that the morality core simply prevented her from killing other humans who were not in the tests. The moment that Chell stepped outside of the Test Chamber 19, GLaDOS no longer needed to kill her, for she was not part of the test anymore. However, when she went on her hunt for GLaDOS (no doubt with revenge in mind) things changed for she needed to protect herself. Even people with morals will be willing to kill if it means they can protect their own existence, the morality core itself simply prevented GLaDOS from killing for no apparent reason (or indiscriminately).

6. GLaDOS makes some alterations to the testing, though, to prepare subject #234 without making it clear. An example of this is seen here: "Fantastic! You remained resolute and resourceful in an atmosphere of extreme pessimism."

Under certain circumstances, these alterations are blatantly obvious. For instance: "Due to mandatory scheduled maintenance, the appropriate chamber for this testing sequence is currently unavailable. It has been replaced with a live-fire course designed for military androids."

Even the termination of the Weighted Companion Cube was a part of GLaDOS's preparations of #234.

Your assuming that all these things are actually changes that GLaDOS made to the orignal test, through malfunctions/glitches. I do not. GLaDOS purpose is to perform these tests, she did so before Chell arrived and she continues to do so after she left. Why on earth, then, if she is so rigidly sticking to her programing that she ignores how she's suppose to run these tests in the first place?

7. What could GLaDOS possibly be doing with subject #234? Most players think GLaDOS's sole intent was to get rid of #234, due to chamber 19 leading into a fire pit. I think not, though, I think GLaDOS is simply an excellent actress. GLaDOS tells you before you are about to enter the fire that you may: "Rest assured that there is absolutely no chance of a dangerous equipment malfunction prior to your victory candescence." This subtly implies that GLaDOS expects #234 to escape, and in fact, this is even noted prior to entering chamber 19. As at the end of chamber 18, GLaDOS states the following: "Well done! Be advised that the next test requires exposure to uninsulated electrical parts that may be dangerous under certain conditions."

That line always confused me for the longest time, as chamber 19, if you follow it properly, does not require exposure to that. So it seems to indicate that your survival was part of the test, as it does require exposure. However, GLaDOS has to appear flustered to not raise suspicion, or confusion. This is where it all comes together, GLaDOS was preparing #234 for the new world outside alongside terminating itself.

And here you contradict yourself.

But I'll get to that in a moment. To begin with, I want to clarify something. Most players, (or at least those who look at it logically) do not think that GLaDOS sole intent was to kill off Chell. Rather her sole intent was to do the experiment and to do the experiment to the letter. And the experiment required, at the very end, for the test subject to be eliminated. (And of course it would. Because if a person managed to live through all that and was able to go out and blab to everyone what was really going on in the Enrichment Center all hell would break loose.)

Now, let's look at this line: "Rest assured that there is absolutely no chance of a dangerous equipment malfunction prior to your victory candescence." Now let's look at a normal scenario. Let's say your on a train, and your about to be awarded, at the end of the train ride, with a big party, and you hear this message. Then, it's a good warning. Because the train malfunctioning would mean you would stop moving and you would not reach the party.

In this case, however, you want the platform your riding on to malfunction. And you don't want the "victory candescence" at the end of it. GLaDOS is essencially saying, "Rest assured that there is absolutely no chance of the platform stopping prior to your incineration."

Not good.

Now, let's look at this: "Well done! Be advised that the next test requires exposure to uninsulated electrical parts that may be dangerous under certain conditions." Your problem with this is that you did not see any uninsulated electrical parts, correct? How long were you looking for that, I wonder? Did you ever die, trying to keep an eye out for uninsulated electrical parts in Test Chamber 19 while your suppose to be focusing on problems and dangers right there in front of you? Is it not possible that GLaDOS said that solely to distract you from the real challenges? That it, along with many of the other comments she says, is simply there to mess with your head?

Finally, to the heart of the issue: "This is where it all comes together, GLaDOS was preparing #234 for the new world outside alongside terminating itself." Italics by me.

Do you remember this? "Aware of the horrors to come, it is possible that GLaDOS did so not out of hate, spite, or anything petty such as that, but to contain its own existence, and prevent its creators from being subject to those horrors." Italics by me again.

This is why I said earlier that you contradicted yourself. Does GLaDOS wants to live or does she not? Also, there's the ending song "Still Alive" to consider - did GLaDOS actually not know she would still be alive after Chell killed her? Possibly, but not likely. Also, since we know that Chell is the 234th subject, it raises the question of why her? If GLaDOS wanted to die, why wait for the 234th subject to do it? Why kill off everyone? Why not insist to them that they shut her down permantly? Why brag about still being alive after her atttempted suicide did not work? She probably can't make the test easier to take and less likely for one to not die while taking it, but why try to kill Chell after she escaped? There were two turret ambushes.

Now, a final piece of note, which is more of my own bit of speculation to throw in here. Does anyone remember that red phone in GLaDOS' chamber? People tend to overlook that, but I think its a very enlightening piece. In the commentary node next to it, the developers state that the phone was there in case of an emergency. But the line was cut. Not destroyed by turrets, or evaporated by a energy ball, or the floor shifted to make it vanish entirely. The line was cut. As in a human, with scissors, cut the cord which prevented anyone in that chamber with GLaDOS, to call for help.

It's because of this that I think it might be possible that GLaDOS might have been simply following orders.

And that is that. Hope I haven't bored you all to tears.

 

[Afnopo]

And that is that. Hope I haven't bored you all to tears.

You have.

 

[WriterforHire]

You have.

Did you read it or just skip to the last line?

 

[Afnopo]

Did you read it or just skip to the last line?

I read like half of it, but then I realised that it was the longest post I have ever seen. Serously, good job. <(Not sarcastic)

 

[WriterforHire]

Thanks. I'll be sure to try to be more concise next time anyway, I have a habit of going on a tangent or two. (Or three, four, five...)

 

[Gmr Leon]

This is very nitpicky, and out of all my other objections, the one that relies solely on my own speculation/ opinion. I personally think that there were two other purposes in the creation of Aperture Laboratories. The main purpose undoubtedly was to train subjects on how to use the ASHPD, however I do not believe that is the sole experiment that went on in the facility. Aperture had two other tenets outside of creating portals, and that was the developing of the Counter-Heimlech Maneuver and the creation of the Take A Wish Foundation. I believe that the experimentation of the Counter-Heimlech Maneuver was probably done in the Enrichment Center also, along with various other experiments, after all, why spend so much money, create so much space, if only to do one experiment over and over and over again?

A second purpose I believe that the Enrichmennt Center had that is not previously mentioned is that they did not only want to see if the subject could use the ASHPD to pass their puzzles but also wanted to see experiment on the human psyche. This is abundantly evident. The test itself was designed not only to test a subject physically but mentally as well.

After all, we know for a fact that previous test subjects have gone insane taking this course.

It's difficult to say, about its usage in the Counter-Heimlich Maneuver. The site never elaborates on what the Counter-Heimlich Maneuver entails, either, so whether it would even require such a facility in itself is rather difficult to say. I agree on the second part, however.

Also, I was thinking of the Enrichment Center with the ASHPD solely in mind when I wrote this. It is certainly possible that it served several different purposes, including the ones you and I mentioned, and possibly the production of Sentries.

I'm putting these two together because they relate to each other very closely. Your basic argument here is that because GLaDOS said, "Hello, and again, welcome to the Aperture Science Enrichment Center" and because that the bracers would require surgery that it obviously indicates that Chell was there in the Enrichment Center by choice.

I fullheartedly disagree.

Let's say I have a slave in my basement, and every day I come down to him and say, "Hello again!". Does that indicate that he's there willingly? Of course not. It simply shows that I have said hello (or welcomed him) once before. The same can be said about GLaDOS' comment. She said that phrase before, but whether this is the first time, or second time, she has greeted Chell is anotehr matter entirely.

Secondly, in real-life when you have surgery, of course it's a surgery willingly taken, but of course, surgery also happens when your unconscious, passed out from the anestima (sp?). So, do you have a willing control over your boy at that moment? No. Chell could have been taken, drugged, had surgery performed on her, and chucked into her pod without her being any of the wiser until she woke up at that very instant and we would never know.

But lets say for a moment that she did willingly volunteer. If she did, then she must have had no idea what was in store for her. Not a single, remote clue. How many times could a player have died throughout the course of the game? Far, far too many. And what of the other previous 233 subjects? Did they all willingly partake in it too? And none of them had even the slightest of second thoughts when it became obvious that when some people took this test they never came back out?

You're right, as I wrote this I considered the possibility of #234 being incapacitated, kidnapped, the surgery conducted, and placed within the Relaxation Vault. I was working under my speculated assumption that #234 was a researcher's daughter, and as such, a bit more informed about the testing that would be conducted. Being more informed would make the decision to have the surgery done slightly easier, especially considering its possible irreversible nature. As you noted the clipboard, I'm certain you also noted the subject line: Advanced knee replacement.

How does GLaDOS glitching indicate that its right after the Neurotoxin Release? How do you know she's actually glitching at all? Could it not be possible that by saying and doing all the stuff she does that she's actually doing exactly what she's programmed to do? Could it not be that when she released the Neurotoxin she was not actually glitching but was, in fact, doing as she was programmed to do and was following orders? (More on this later)

To me, the Companion Cube, (more particularly the Euthanizing Process) and the pictures of the Companion Cubes with all the hearts proves that this test can and will mess with the subjects' heads. Why are we to assume that such a thing is not actually part of the planned procedure?

The lights flicker, GLaDOS's commentary is cut off, it's entirely possible it was programmed to do all of that. Why, though? For the testing? If the Enrichment Center was also to test the psyche of the subjects, I could see that, but I think the sheer loneliness, the feeling of being constantly observed, is enough to cause psychiatric instability without those additional effects.

To answer your question of how I deduced the glitching as indicative of shortly after the Neurotoxin Release, the implementation of a new component. The Morality Core. Do note that as the game proceeds, GLaDOS's commentary cuts off less and less. If I'm not mistaken at least, do correct me if I am. I would take this as GLaDOS's systems becoming more accustomed to the new hardware.

If you've ever added a new part to a computer, hastily especially, it has a tendency to glitch up.

So to save her creators from facing the horrors of Black Mesa she killed them? Well that was considerate of her.

But this in no way is any indicator for a motive. After all, if she was really worried about her own survival, killing the other scientists would be the last thing she would want to do. Who will put her back online if she deactivates? Who will repair her if she gets broken? Also humans tend to be good targets for Combine guns and headcrabs. If anyting the Aperture employees would put a buffer between her and them.

That's just it though, humans are good targets for the Combine. If the Combine detected a human presence at the Enrichment Center, they would want to subjugate them or kill them. One or the other, and as soon as they do that, it is very likely that they would extract the research from GLaDOS or the humans to make their presence on Earth more permanent. This is likely why Eli and Dr.Kleiner were worried about the finding of the Borealis.

Why can't she? Regular humans, who have morality, kill all the time. Morality does not prevent one from doing bad, but only allows them to know the difference between right and wrong. The very fact that, after the morality core was in place, she still continued the tests proved that she did not care one whit about human life. (Again, because of how easy it is to die) Also, GLaDOS was made for the experiments. My guess is that the morality core simply prevented her from killing other humans who were not in the tests. The moment that Chell stepped outside of the Test Chamber 19, GLaDOS no longer needed to kill her, for she was not part of the test anymore. However, when she went on her hunt for GLaDOS (no doubt with revenge in mind) things changed for she needed to protect herself. Even people with morals will be willing to kill if it means they can protect their own existence, the morality core itself simply prevented GLaDOS from killing for no apparent reason (or indiscriminately).

You answered your question yourself with your last sentence. The Morality Core itself simply prevented GLaDOS from killing for no apparent reason. The tests do expose the subject to possible death, you're completely right, but it is not due to GLaDOS, it is due to the subject's own incapability to finish it without dying.

Your assuming that all these things are actually changes that GLaDOS made to the orignal test, through malfunctions/glitches. I do not. GLaDOS purpose is to perform these tests, she did so before Chell arrived and she continues to do so after she left. Why on earth, then, if she is so rigidly sticking to her programing that she ignores how she's suppose to run these tests in the first place?

Not through malfunctions or glitches, though, I saw these as being intentional changes. That one of those was unavailable due to mandatory scheduled maintenance appeared to me as being a lie to explain the next test's sudden increase in deadliness.

But I'll get to that in a moment. To begin with, I want to clarify something. Most players, (or at least those who look at it logically) do not think that GLaDOS sole intent was to kill off Chell. Rather her sole intent was to do the experiment and to do the experiment to the letter. And the experiment required, at the very end, for the test subject to be eliminated. (And of course it would. Because if a person managed to live through all that and was able to go out and blab to everyone what was really going on in the Enrichment Center all hell would break loose.)

You may be right. The views I've read regarding the story, and I'll be honest, I haven't read too many, were in relation to the idea I posed. Simply to off Chell.

Now, let's look at this line: "Rest assured that there is absolutely no chance of a dangerous equipment malfunction prior to your victory candescence." Now let's look at a normal scenario. Let's say your on a train, and your about to be awarded, at the end of the train ride, with a big party, and you hear this message. Then, it's a good warning. Because the train malfunctioning would mean you would stop moving and you would not reach the party.

In this case, however, you want the platform your riding on to malfunction. And you don't want the "victory candescence" at the end of it. GLaDOS is essencially saying, "Rest assured that there is absolutely no chance of the platform stopping prior to your incineration."

Not good.

You know, when you put it that way, I completely agree. The way in which I saw it however, was not of the platform I was standing on, but the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device in my hands. I can't say for certain, but I could see other players thinking the same thing.

Now, let's look at this: "Well done! Be advised that the next test requires exposure to uninsulated electrical parts that may be dangerous under certain conditions." Your problem with this is that you did not see any uninsulated electrical parts, correct? How long were you looking for that, I wonder? Did you ever die, trying to keep an eye out for uninsulated electrical parts in Test Chamber 19 while your suppose to be focusing on problems and dangers right there in front of you? Is it not possible that GLaDOS said that solely to distract you from the real challenges? That it, along with many of the other comments she says, is simply there to mess with your head?

Possible. However, the first time I played through the Test Chamber, it was simply another chamber. I never looked for uninsulated electrical parts. By the time I was headed to the fire, I would have completely forgotten anyway, as I imagine any actual test subject and player would. By forgetting about it, they wouldn't realize that your escape was all another part of the test.

Finally, to the heart of the issue: "This is where it all comes together, GLaDOS was preparing #234 for the new world outside alongside terminating itself." Italics by me.

Do you remember this? "Aware of the horrors to come, it is possible that GLaDOS did so not out of hate, spite, or anything petty such as that, but to contain its own existence, and prevent its creators from being subject to those horrors." Italics by me again.

This is why I said earlier that you contradicted yourself. Does GLaDOS wants to live or does she not? Also, there's the ending song "Still Alive" to consider - did GLaDOS actually not know she would still be alive after Chell killed her? Possibly, but not likely. Also, since we know that Chell is the 234th subject, it raises the question of why her? If GLaDOS wanted to die, why wait for the 234th subject to do it? Why kill off everyone? Why not insist to them that they shut her down permantly? Why brag about still being alive after her atttempted suicide did not work? She probably can't make the test easier to take and less likely for one to not die while taking it, but why try to kill Chell after she escaped? There were two turret ambushes.

I didn't precisely contradict myself, it would seem it was a misunderstanding on your part. Whenever I said contained, I didn't mean for GLaDOS's survival, I meant for the containment of the information that GLaDOS held. Anything intelligent, which GLaDOS is, knows the value of information. So I suspect that GLaDOS did want to be terminated, with the awareness that it would be reassembled, but why? To wipe its hard drives clean, a literal hard boot. It is likely that when created GLaDOS had all of the research conducted to construct the ASHPD and various other technologies of Aperture uploaded to its hard drives. This information is invaluable to any competitors, and any other entities, and since GLaDOS was practically alive, they likely didn't program in a normal format option. The only format option available, but impossible for GLaDOS to conduct on itself, would be self-termination.

This also answers your other question of why try to kill Chell after she escaped. GLaDOS wanted that information out of its systems, and if I'm correct, couldn't do so itself and the researchers wouldn't do so. In fact, that raises another possibility for why GLaDOS conducted the Neurotoxin Release, the researchers wouldn't shut it down despite its wishes to be.

Er..Actually, there I did just contradict myself. Let's try the following:

It seems highly likely that GLaDOS was aware of the Borealis coming back, or being found, whichever it did, and it has been speculated that there is another GLaDOS onboard. If the two are linked, the two GLaDOS's that is, it may be that the second is a backup, in the event of a substantial malfunction of the existing one. A very big if here, then, if GLaDOS is aware of the Borealis being found, I see it as probable that GLaDOS would want to keep that information under wraps. However, the only possible way in which to do so is if it suffers a substantial malfunction. Complete termination is the most substantial malfunction I can think of.

As to why #234, perhaps all of the other test subjects simply were incapable of finishing the test. If I'm not mistaken, wasn't one of the subjects an avian organism?

 

[Gmr Leon]

Now, a final piece of note, which is more of my own bit of speculation to throw in here. Does anyone remember that red phone in GLaDOS' chamber? People tend to overlook that, but I think its a very enlightening piece. In the commentary node next to it, the developers state that the phone was there in case of an emergency. But the line was cut. Not destroyed by turrets, or evaporated by a energy ball, or the floor shifted to make it vanish entirely. The line was cut. As in a human, with scissors, cut the cord which prevented anyone in that chamber with GLaDOS, to call for help.

It's because of this that I think it might be possible that GLaDOS might have been simply following orders.

Entirely possible, really, the entire Portal story, much like the Half-Life series' story, is open to interpretation and speculation.

And that is that. Hope I haven't bored you all to tears.

You didn't bore me. I prefer when people deconstruct each other's ideas rather than blindly follow and agree with them.

Erm, I would just like to apologize for this double post, it was necessary as the post prior to this came up with the following error: The text that you have entered is too long (16292 characters). Please shorten it to 16000 characters long.

WriterforHire, I think that deserves a virtual high-five, I've spent quite a bit of time on other forums, discussing matters similar to this, but in relation to other games, and have never achieved going over the character limit.

Edit:

Thanks. I'll be sure to try to be more concise next time anyway, I have a habit of going on a tangent or two. (Or three, four, five...)

I wouldn't worry about it, look at my above post, I went on a tangent of my own in relation to GLaDOS's termination.

 

[G(ordon)-man]

Nice. Though dont come looking tear-bringing story from Portal, it's meant to be different than HL.

 

[WriterforHire]

It's difficult to say, about its usage in the Counter-Heimlich Maneuver. The site never elaborates on what the Counter-Heimlich Maneuver entails, either, so whether it would even require such a facility in itself is rather difficult to say. I agree on the second part, however.

Also, I was thinking of the Enrichment Center with the ASHPD solely in mind when I wrote this. It is certainly possible that it served several different purposes, including the ones you and I mentioned, and possibly the production of Sentries.

Now that was just to throw an idea out there. I realize quite well that the site itself was meant to be taken humoursly and is deliberately vague. It was simply me saying that Aperture (and, in relation, the Enrichment Center), was not made solely for the developement of Portals, which can be taken away from teh site.

The lights flicker, GLaDOS's commentary is cut off, it's entirely possible it was programmed to do all of that. Why, though? For the testing? If the Enrichment Center was also to test the psyche of the subjects, I could see that, but I think the sheer loneliness, the feeling of being constantly observed, is enough to cause psychiatric instability without those additional effects.

This is a bit of pure speculation from me (which is a reason why I tried to keep it out of my previous analysis) but I personally believe that such is one of the purposes of the testing. Yes, the sheer loneliness and the feeling of being constantly observed, would be enough to cause mental stress, but the thing is, that there is more, much, much, more to the test than that. The prime example that comes to mind is the Companion Cube. Now, what purpose was there in having the test subject hold onto one Cube the entire way? Why not switch through them like the previous chambers? Why have the red hearts? Why make all the comments about how it can not talk and will not stab you? Why the jab by GLaDOS (when your fighting her) about it being your "friend"?

Why have you incinerate it?

The only reason I see for them adding all this in is to deliberately, calculatedly, try to get into the minds of the subjects. By making it appear different then the others, make you carry it with you nonestop, and say that it can not speak, they were, in essence, trying to make the subject believe it could speak. Make you believe it was alive. And we see that it worked in at least one case. Perhaps multiple cases.

Secondly, there are the odd little bits of information and lines that GLaDOS throws in that, while obviously things she is programmed to say (like the organ donation and how the the ASHPD is worth more than all the people in SUBJECT'S HOMETOWN HERE) simply seem random and, to be honest, downright bizzare and absurd. Heck, there's the whole andriod business and brain scanning thing. They make little sense in context. Could Chell really be a andriod, really have her "brain on backup?" Maybe. Not likely, but maybe. Where those comments meant to shake up the subject (and you the player?). Definitely.

To answer your question of how I deduced the glitching as indicative of shortly after the Neurotoxin Release, the implementation of a new component. The Morality Core. Do note that as the game proceeds, GLaDOS's commentary cuts off less and less. If I'm not mistaken at least, do correct me if I am. I would take this as GLaDOS's systems becoming more accustomed to the new hardware.

If you've ever added a new part to a computer, hastily especially, it has a tendency to glitch up.

This is actually very good thinking on your part, and, in that case, I can see where your coming from. But I still must disagree. Let's say your right and GLaDOS really is glitching up. Well then, explain the state of the facility. The actual test chambers are pristine, which is expected since they are GLaDOS domanion, yet, in the industrial sections, the sections that she seems limited in her influence over, we see a different story. It looks like, for all extents and purproses, that this place has been abandoned for a long time. We see a lot of metal, and almost all of it is corroded and rusted throughout. There's a room where a light has been broken and it flickers constantly. There's a broken wallway that has fallen into jagged pieces, and even a walkway, correct me if I'm wrong, that falls apart the moment Chell steps on it.

I know new hardware takes a while to kick in but really...that long?

That's just it though, humans are good targets for the Combine. If the Combine detected a human presence at the Enrichment Center, they would want to subjugate them or kill them. One or the other, and as soon as they do that, it is very likely that they would extract the research from GLaDOS or the humans to make their presence on Earth more permanent. This is likely why Eli and Dr.Kleiner were worried about the finding of the Borealis.

But here's the thing, lets say for a moment your right and that GLaDOS had information that she wanted to keep away from the Combine, (More on this later), but that still doesn't explain why she would kill off all the humans in the facility. If she really is as intelligent as she supposedly is, then surely should would have seen that there were multiple alternatives. She could have simply locked all the humans away for a time and shut everything down. (Does not the site prove that she did, in fact, put everyone in lockdown?) What looks more suspicious? A facility full of dead bodies, possibly hundreds of dead bodies, or a abandoned one? And don't you say that she managed to get rid of the bodies before the Combine arrived. GLaDOS can do a lot, but having her whip out the facility and get rid of the bodies before the Combine come sweeping in is pushing it a bit for me. I'm still unconvinced that she could get rid of the bodies in the first place.

You answered your question yourself with your last sentence. The Morality Core itself simply prevented GLaDOS from killing for no apparent reason. The tests do expose the subject to possible death, you're completely right, but it is not due to GLaDOS, it is due to the subject's own incapability to finish it without dying.

That still doesn't answer my question though. Why couldn't she kill Chell? Killing her wouldn't be without reason. She was bent on destroying her! It would be self defence! If you listen to the comentary, you'll realize that the final battle against GLaDOS was going to be far more "epic". She was going to unleash hell on the subject, do all she could to survive. The only reason why they didn't do it was because it broke up the feel/flow of the game. As G(ordon)-man said, this is Portal, not Half-Life.

You know, when you put it that way, I completely agree. The way in which I saw it however, was not of the platform I was standing on, but the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device in my hands. I can't say for certain, but I could see other players thinking the same thing.

And when you put it that way, it is possible that it was meant as a warning. Possible, but still a bit unlikely to me. After all, Chell had already went through 18 Chambers and countless challenges before now without the ASHPD ever malfunctioning, so why would she suddenly doubt it now? It's a bit of stating the obvious. There's also the timing to take into consideration. Chell was standing on the platform just as it was going down. There's also the fact that the only way she actually managed to continue to go on was because a portion of the railing had broken off up above. Also, lets say that the backparts of the facility was actually simply another part of the test. Well that simply proves that one of the purporses of the entire test is to simply mess with your head because then they actually make you believe that you've escaped! Can you imagine the sort of money it'll cost to create such a illusion? Also the back areas are the most pivital proof that the facility is actually abandoned. But, if its simply another part of the test, then its very fair to say that the facility is not in fact abanonded but is still occupied. You must also say that the ideal of the scientists was for a successful subject to manage to get into GLaDOS' chamber, destory the first Genetic Lifeform and Disc Operating System, which costed who knows how much money, and for them to blow a hole in the roof.

All without government funding.

Now, I think its pretty clear that the scientists did not want the Subjects to escape the firepit, that the backareas are not simply another part of the test. Then that means that GLaDOS' shock is genuine. Which makes sense since 233 subjects before Chell probably all died off, (save for perhaps one who did the drawings in the back part of the facility area). So if she is truly surprised, then she must be doubly so when Chell goes out to try to find her and kill her. And that the attempts to kill #234 were legit ones. Which means that GLaDOS really did want to live.

I didn't precisely contradict myself, it would seem it was a misunderstanding on your part. Whenever I said contained, I didn't mean for GLaDOS's survival, I meant for the containment of the information that GLaDOS held. Anything intelligent, which GLaDOS is, knows the value of information. So I suspect that GLaDOS did want to be terminated, with the awareness that it would be reassembled, but why? To wipe its hard drives clean, a literal hard boot. It is likely that when created GLaDOS had all of the research conducted to construct the ASHPD and various other technologies of Aperture uploaded to its hard drives. This information is invaluable to any competitors, and any other entities, and since GLaDOS was practically alive, they likely didn't program in a normal format option. The only format option available, but impossible for GLaDOS to conduct on itself, would be self-termination.

This also answers your other question of why try to kill Chell after she escaped. GLaDOS wanted that information out of its systems, and if I'm correct, couldn't do so itself and the researchers wouldn't do so. In fact, that raises another possibility for why GLaDOS conducted the Neurotoxin Release, the researchers wouldn't shut it down despite its wishes to be.

Er..Actually, there I did just contradict myself. Let's try the following:

It seems highly likely that GLaDOS was aware of the Borealis coming back, or being found, whichever it did, and it has been speculated that there is another GLaDOS onboard. If the two are linked, the two GLaDOS's that is, it may be that the second is a backup, in the event of a substantial malfunction of the existing one. A very big if here, then, if GLaDOS is aware of the Borealis being found, I see it as probable that GLaDOS would want to keep that information under wraps. However, the only possible way in which to do so is if it suffers a substantial malfunction. Complete termination is the most substantial malfunction I can think of.

As to why #234, perhaps all of the other test subjects simply were incapable of finishing the test. If I'm not mistaken, wasn't one of the subjects an avian organism?

To begin with, I must admit that there was a slight misunderstanding on my part. I did think that by contain you meant to contain herself, seal herself, inside the facility so that the Combine could not get to her and destroy her. I did not think that she wished to contain information away from the Combine. However, there are still some big issues with this.

To begin with, there's no actual evidence that GLaDOS actually knows anything of value. Say what you want about her having the "capacity for infinite knowledge". That doesn't actually prove that she does have infinite knowledge. I have the capacity to become a great baseball player, but if I do not practice, do not train, or do not touch a bat or glove, I won't become one. The only thing I know for a fact that she can create is cake (blue orb) and the Portal Gun, (Still Alive, the line, "And I make a neat gun for the people who are still alive.") Other than that: pure speculation.

The last thing I find fault with is her motivation for wanting to be terminated now, during the events of Portal. Because, even if her original motivation for killing off everyone (if everyone is killed off) was to protect herself from the Combine, then there's no reason for her to want to die now, because the Combine are no where in the facility, and therefore her "valuable information" is not at risk. In fact, the said information is safer where she is, because the GLaDOS on the Borealis (if there is a GLaDOS on the Borealis) is surrounded by Combine. So in order to keep this information safe from the Combine, she killed herself so she could revive in a back up that she knew the Combine was heading to and possibly already in possession of? Not very smart.

WriterforHire, I think that deserves a virtual high-five, I've spent quite a bit of time on other forums, discussing matters similar to this, but in relation to other games, and have never achieved going over the character limit.

High-five recieved, processed and recorded in files. Now moving to trash bin.

(Yes, I'm a nerd)

 

[Afnopo]

Man with this much talk, we could even find out The Pyro's pin number.

 

[WriterforHire]

Man with this much talk, we could even find out The Pyro's pin number.

The Pyro's pin number? I suppose that's a TF2 related thing?

 

[Afnopo]

Yea, well not the pin number part, but I always wanted to know who the pyro really was.

 

[WriterforHire]

Yea, well not the pin number part, but I always wanted to know who the pyro really was.

I don't know. I've always just kind of assumed that TF2 characters didn't really have a past, not like the Left4Dead characters.

 

[altceva]

To begin with, sorry for my English, it's not my native language.


The only thing I do know for certain in this game is about the neurotoxine release which is all bluffing from Glados. Yes, she has the gas, she even tries to kill Chell with it, she is aware of the fact that gas kills humans, but she couldn't have killed ALL ( I repeat, ALL) the workers of Aperture Science.
But let's assume she could. What happened next? We have 2 options:

1. We must link the Portal story with the Half Life story, since they are both in the same universe. If she killed the workers before the Resonance Cascade, the next day the Feds would have showed up and shut everything down, hence the Portal events wouldn't happen. Do not engage in meaningless arguments that the workers didn't have relatives or that nobody from OUTSIDE notices when a whole damn research facility gets wiped. We definitely see a security booth and a barrier on the surface gate, please tell me how Glados killed that dude?
2. After the Resonance Cascade I doubt anyone would work there, knowing that in any second there's a chance for a bullsquid to teleport into the chambers, into the offices or into their own houses, where their families live. After the RC, hell broke lose, nothing was like before. The workers would have abandoned the facility, nobody would make tests on portal devices anymore. Creatures from Xen appeared randomly throughout the Earth, not only in Black Mesa. Which means total chaos, war, emergency situations, evacuations, fightings, bla bla. Imagine a gargantua in the middle of London or a tentacle in NY, just for fun.

Now, either way, Glados couldn't have killed the workers and still be active. Most probably she was abandoned along with the entire facility during evacuation. Being malfunctioned, with or without various cores, Glados acts as she does, talking nonsense and doing tests on (and here I can only guess) abandoned subjects who were forgotten by workers or impossible to evacuate on time. If there are more subjects left or there's only Chell... this is unknown, and it doesn't really matter anyway.

There's no "plan" conceived in detail for Glados to be "the perfect actress" and stuff like that. Just connect the story with Half Life (it's impossible not to) and you'll get all the answers. Glados is a broken computer programmed to supervise tests and that's it! We expect for Aperture policy not to consider experimenting on captured people, against their will, and even less on clones (they were trying to get government funding afterall).

- If the workers brought their daughters to work and put them to solve maze puzzles and stuff like that... again, it doesn't matter and it's not relevant for the story. It's just..."spice". I doubt Aperture was letting kids playing with portal devices. The test subjects were more likely paid grown up volunteers.
- If the Rat Man is Cave Johnson or any other subject, it doesn't matter.
- If the credits song is cannon or not... it doesn't matter. It's fun, enjoyable, cheesy.
- If the events in Portal are happening before the Seven Hours War, or during the events of Half Life 2 + episodes, or even after Episode 3 when (perhaps) the Combine is defeated... again, it doesn't matter and I'm pretty sure Valve will not clear these things up (too much) in a future Portal game, be it a sequel or a prequel.

What matters is that Portal is a fun puzzle game, and you should take it likewise. It has a complex and challenging story, but to go that far and presume that Glados is acting a role in order to mess with the subject's head get weird tests results is... way beyond the beauty of this game. It's more like creating your own story.

I like speculating on HL & Portal stories as well, but sometimes I think people ignore obvious things just to go randomly on analogies...

 

[WriterforHire]

The only thing I do know for certain in this game is about the neurotoxine release which is all bluffing from Glados. Yes, she has the gas, she even tries to kill Chell with it, she is aware of the fact that gas kills humans, but she couldn't have killed ALL ( I repeat, ALL) the workers of Aperture Science.
But let's assume she could. What happened next? We have 2 options:

1. We must link the Portal story with the Half Life story, since they are both in the same universe. If she killed the workers before the Resonance Cascade, the next day the Feds would have showed up and shut everything down, hence the Portal events wouldn't happen. Do not engage in meaningless arguments that the workers didn't have relatives or that nobody from OUTSIDE notices when a whole damn research facility gets wiped. We definitely see a security booth and a barrier on the surface gate, please tell me how Glados killed that dude?
2. After the Resonance Cascade I doubt anyone would work there, knowing that in any second there's a chance for a bullsquid to teleport into the chambers, into the offices or into their own houses, where their families live. After the RC, hell broke lose, nothing was like before. The workers would have abandoned the facility, nobody would make tests on portal devices anymore. Creatures from Xen appeared randomly throughout the Earth, not only in Black Mesa. Which means total chaos, war, emergency situations, evacuations, fightings, bla bla. Imagine a gargantua in the middle of London or a tentacle in NY, just for fun.

I want to start by saying that you can't know for certain that GLaDOS was bluffing. She might have been. Or she might have been telling the truth. However, there are a few scenarios that you have overlooked. First, you assume that if GLaDOS did kill everyone off in the facility, that by doing so she would be acting against the government's wishes. But we know from Half-Life that the government is not only possibly capable of whipping out a research facility but that it has, in fact, given orders to do that very thing in Black Mesa. They even nuked it for God's sake! No hiding that there. So it's entirely possible that, if the Neurotoxin Release happened before the RC, that it was in fact noticed by the government, and in fact, the government helped try to cover up GLaDOS' actions. The same could be said the test subjects. Look at the puzzles. Really look at them. Do you think that anyone would willingly take those tests? Only if their suicidal. So, either Aperture was forcing the Subjects to take the tests in secrecy, without the government's approval, or they were doing the tests with the government knowing full well what was going on. Which, from the little we see of the government in Half-Life, is entirely possible. They don't really put the USA in a good light do they?

Another possibility you overlooked was that maybe the Neurotoxin Release happened during the Resonance Cascade. If GLaDOS released the toxin while the RC was going on then no one would be aware of their dissapearances because so many were dieing and the government had more important things to deal with then the sudden cut off of communications with a single research facility. However, I do agree that its possible that GLaDOS did not kill off everyone in the facility and that many escaped, either out of fear of GLaDOS or because of the RC. There is a problem, however. If they left because of the RC then why is there no headcrabs or any other Xen wildlife in the facility? Are we to assume that they are simply somewhere else? Assume that GLaDOS took care of them all? And if they did not leave because of the RC then why did they evacuate? The only reason I can think of is because GLaDOS did what she said she did. Also note that she never said that she killed off everyone in the facility. She simply states that she had released this Neurotoxin once before.

Now, either way, Glados couldn't have killed the workers and still be active.

I must insist, once again, that you can't say one way or another that such a thing is certain. The facts behind the story are simply too vague. But, in a strict procession, without any other impedment to it, there is nothing to stop GLaDOS from both killing the workers and staying active to continue the experiments. Yes, eventually, she would shut down due to disrepair (for she is a machine after all), but if no one comes in immediately to shut her down once she released the Neurotoxin then she can continue on to do what she was programmed to do unhindered.

Most probably she was abandoned along with the entire facility during evacuation. Being malfunctioned, with or without various cores, Glados acts as she does, talking nonsense and doing tests on (and here I can only guess) abandoned subjects who were forgotten by workers or impossible to evacuate on time. If there are more subjects left or there's only Chell... this is unknown, and it doesn't really matter anyway.

As I said, this is all very possible and support with the evidence seen in the game. Half the time I believe this and the other half the time I believe something else. The game of Portal, and much of the Half-Life series itself, is opened to interpretation. GLaDOS could have killed some and the rest escaped. GLaDOS could have killed all. GLaDOS could have killed none and they all escaped. We don't know. But here's something to consider. If the facility had been overrun by Xen wildlife and therefore caused everyone to evacuate, then how come there is no signs of struggle or any destroyed parts of the facility? Really, from the looks of it, it seems as if the workers there simply vanished.

There's no "plan" conceived in detail for Glados to be "the perfect actress" and stuff like that. Just connect the story with Half Life (it's impossible not to) and you'll get all the answers. Glados is a broken computer programmed to supervise tests and that's it! We expect for Aperture policy not to consider experimenting on captured people, against their will, and even less on clones (they were trying to get government funding afterall).

The whole "GLaDOS was just acting and she wasn't really trying to kill you but wanted you to kill her" argument wasn't mine, but Gmr Leon's, but I still wish to point out that you are, once again, trying to claim that your stance is fact. A middle ground approach is essencial in good speculation. Stick with what the game gives you and try not to vere too much off it.

- If the workers brought their daughters to work and put them to solve maze puzzles and stuff like that... again, it doesn't matter and it's not relevant for the story. It's just..."spice". I doubt Aperture was letting kids playing with portal devices. The test subjects were more likely paid grown up volunteers.

You misunderstood this argument. Granted, I personally do not think Chell is one of the daughters of the employees, she might be, but I doubt it. But those who support this argument don't claim that the Aperture employees had a habit of throwing their daughters into suicidal, death traps of Test Chambers. Rather, that somehow, in all the confusion, Chell somehow ended up trapped with the rest of the test subjects and was subjected to the experiment by accident. This is mostly backed up by GLaDOS' comment about "Bring Your Daughter to Work Day" and that on the site it states that it was "Bring Your Daughter to Work Day" when GLaDOS was activated. But does that indicate, in any way whatsoever, that Chell is an employee's daughter? Not really.

If the credits song is cannon or not... it doesn't matter. It's fun, enjoyable, cheesy.

There's debate over whether the credits are canon? Even if the song didn't directly state the events that happened in the final battle, the ending scene, with the crane extinquishing the candle, seems to indicate to me that it is. Granted, it could be nothing more then a cute, cheesy way for the developers to end the game, but it does beg the question of why would they go out and state that GLaDOS was "still alive" if she wasn't really.

If the events in Portal are happening before the Seven Hours War, or during the events of Half Life 2 + episodes, or even after Episode 3 when (perhaps) the Combine is defeated... again, it doesn't matter and I'm pretty sure Valve will not clear these things up (too much) in a future Portal game, be it a sequel or a prequel.

I agree entirely here. In fact, I don't think Valve will ever clear any of this up. They have a tendancy to leave things open for interpretation for the gamers. Much like the ICO Team did with there Shadow of the Colossus and ICO games. But until then, it's fun to speculate, and, who knows, they might actually appease the curiousity of their gamers for once.

What matters is that Portal is a fun puzzle game, and you should take it likewise. It has a complex and challenging story, but to go that far and presume that Glados is acting a role in order to mess with the subject's head get weird tests results is... way beyond the beauty of this game. It's more like creating your own story.

And this one is a direct jab at me.

We know, for a fact, that the main purpose of the tests is to see how the ASHPD works. We also know that the tests were not made with the welfare of the test subjects in mind. We know that previous test subjects have gone crazy while taking this test. And that there is a part of the test that seems designed to get you attached to a inanimate object and then requries you, for no good reason, to incinerate it to continue on. Because of this, I say it might be possible that the tests were designed to put stress on the subject's mind along with their physical body. But, again, its speculation. One that I believe is fairly grounded in facts, but speculation nonetheless.

I like speculating on HL & Portal stories as well, but sometimes I think people ignore obvious things just to go randomly on analogies...

Ah. But here's the good part. I did use logic, (or at least I tried to use it) in my analysis. And my analogies were far from random but rather were meant to strengthen my arguments. The reason why I even wrote all of this was for others to try to pick apart my arguments and I, in turn, would turn around, justify myself, and point out holes in their argument. That is the essence of a debate. As for ignoring obvious things, everyone does that from time to time, would you please point out what I missed? Thank you! :cheese:

 

[G(ordon)-man]

Air, i need air....

NONO people Portal is NOT half life 2, it is a PUZZLE game with Valve-esque story written into it to make it more similar to other Orange Box games.

 

[WriterforHire]

Air, i need air....

NONO people Portal is NOT half life 2, it is a PUZZLE game with Valve-esque story written into it to make it more similar to other Orange Box games.

Your absolutely right. Portal is not Half Life. And I would never want to see the different themes of Half Life be put into Portal or vise versa. But that doesn't mean we can't speculate or discuss about different parts of Portal. Surely this is a good sign. It shows how greatly Valve's games can affect people to the point where discussion is stirred, and so long as the debate remains logical and doesn't go off on rabbit trails, then what's the harm?

 

[Gmr Leon]

Just providing a bit of a notice. I haven't posted and disappeared off the face of the Net, so I do intend on responding to the posts here, I've simply been occupied.

 

[G(ordon)-man]

Well, i mean no harm either. Yes, discussion is good, as long as the ideas offered are lively and actual.

 

[WriterforHire]

Just providing a bit of a notice. I haven't posted and disappeared off the face of the Net, so I do intend on responding to the posts here, I've simply been occupied.

That's good to know. I'm looking forward to hearing your reply.

Well, i mean no harm either. Yes, discussion is good, as long as the ideas offered are lively and actual.

I know you didn't mean any harm. Also, I don't plan on getting into any shady ideas. I want both my both my arguments and counter-arguments to be sound. But, then again, I haven't done this often (just in class-talks) so I might be a little off.

 

[jet_porkins]

After scrolling through the number of lengthy posts, I have decided to turn around and walk away from this thread. Good day gents.

 

[WriterforHire]

Lengthy doesn't neccesarily equal bad. But I understand where you're coming from. Thanks anyways!

 

[Gmr Leon]

Now that was just to throw an idea out there. I realize quite well that the site itself was meant to be taken humoursly and is deliberately vague. It was simply me saying that Aperture (and, in relation, the Enrichment Center), was not made solely for the developement of Portals, which can be taken away from teh site.

Ah, well, I agree. Although, we don't exactly know enough about Aperture to put some of the absurdities beyond them.

The prime example that comes to mind is the Companion Cube. Now, what purpose was there in having the test subject hold onto one Cube the entire way? Why not switch through them like the previous chambers? Why have the red hearts? Why make all the comments about how it can not talk and will not stab you? Why the jab by GLaDOS (when your fighting her) about it being your "friend"?

Why have you incinerate it?

I agree in that it was likely, if not entirely, to test the subject's psyche. However, going with my original idea that these were all preparations of the subject, I view it as preparing them to be ready to terminate a companion at the drop of a switch if necessary. They already put them through a situation of extreme pessimism to test if they could remain resourceful. As a matter of fact, that test in itself proves that part of the testing was designed to observe the psyche of the subject.

Where those comments meant to shake up the subject (and you the player?). Definitely.

I think it depends on the subject, just as any test would. However, in the situation we proceed through, it certainly would be to shake up the subject.

I know new hardware takes a while to kick in but really...that long?

I'm not quite sure I understand this part. On one hand, you say that the test chambers are pristine, due to their being under GLaDOS's domain. On the other, you say that the behind the scenes areas aren't, and that she seems limited in her influence there. In the latter case, it makes sense, regardless of new hardware, that GLaDOS wouldn't be able to maintain it due to lack of influence. So I'm not quite sure I understand your point completely here. I do, but then I don't, as you seem to contradict yourself in a way.

GLaDOS can do a lot, but having her whip out the facility and get rid of the bodies before the Combine come sweeping in is pushing it a bit for me. I'm still unconvinced that she could get rid of the bodies in the first place.

The entire Neurotoxin Release event, in and of itself, still has me thrown off simply due to the point of body removal. Another possible reason for doing so, after the lockdown of the facility, may not have even been to my speculated confidential information containment. It may well have been that the Aperture staff intended to do something to or with GLaDOS that it didn't want. Shutting down? Forcing to do something? There are a number of possibilities.

That still doesn't answer my question though. Why couldn't she kill Chell? Killing her wouldn't be without reason. She was bent on destroying her! It would be self defence! If you listen to the comentary, you'll realize that the final battle against GLaDOS was going to be far more "epic". She was going to unleash hell on the subject, do all she could to survive.

I was assuming killing her along with the rest of the Aperture staff during the Neurotoxin Release. At that point, she was just a subject asleep in a relaxation vault, no threat, no reason to terminate. In the scenario you're posing, you're right, it wouldn't be without reason. However, up until Chamber 19, can you really say GLaDOS provided the subject with a reason to kill it? It wasn't until then that you were being brought to your death. GLaDOS says it itself, during the final battle, didn't I give you every chance to succeed?

After all, Chell had already went through 18 Chambers and countless challenges before now without the ASHPD ever malfunctioning, so why would she suddenly doubt it now? It's a bit of stating the obvious.

Sort of, but up until that point, you've never been placed into any extreme situations.

There's also the timing to take into consideration. Chell was standing on the platform just as it was going down. There's also the fact that the only way she actually managed to continue to go on was because a portion of the railing had broken off up above. Also, lets say that the backparts of the facility was actually simply another part of the test. Well that simply proves that one of the purporses of the entire test is to simply mess with your head because then they actually make you believe that you've escaped! Can you imagine the sort of money it'll cost to create such a illusion? Also the back areas are the most pivital proof that the facility is actually abandoned. But, if its simply another part of the test, then its very fair to say that the facility is not in fact abanonded but is still occupied. You must also say that the ideal of the scientists was for a successful subject to manage to get into GLaDOS' chamber, destory the first Genetic Lifeform and Disc Operating System, which costed who knows how much money, and for them to blow a hole in the roof.

All without government funding.

Ever wonder how those pipes, railing as you call it, broke in the first place? It appears as though they were blasted inward, but there's no indication of a blast through them.

That aside, you're assuming that the tests were defined by the scientists. From my perspective, GLaDOS did run us through several of the preset tests, but made slight alterations to its own interests. It was in GLaDOS's interest that it be terminated, not the scientists.

Now, I think its pretty clear that the scientists did not want the Subjects to escape the firepit, that the backareas are not simply another part of the test.

I completely agree, as I said above, I don't think the scientists wanted the subjects to escape either.

To begin with, there's no actual evidence that GLaDOS actually knows anything of value. Say what you want about her having the "capacity for infinite knowledge". The only thing I know for a fact that she can create is cake (blue orb) and the Portal Gun, (Still Alive, the line, "And I make a neat gun for the people who are still alive.") Other than that: pure speculation.

You're right, there isn't. However, the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device is enough alone to be valuable. No one else in the Half-Life universe has ever created something of its nature. Not to mention, if you observe the Combine, they're excellent at reverse-engineering existing technology to fit with their own. Imagine what they could do with the ASHPD.

In fact, the said information is safer where she is, because the GLaDOS on the Borealis (if there is a GLaDOS on the Borealis) is surrounded by Combine. So in order to keep this information safe from the Combine, she killed herself so she could revive in a back up that she knew the Combine was heading to and possibly already in possession of? Not very smart.

I speculated that the two were linked, as backups. Assume the Combine gain access to the hypothesized GLaDOS on the Borealis. If it isn't active, and the two are linked in some way, it's basically a back door without a lock. If GLaDOS terminates itself, and reactivates in the back-up, then it has a chance of adding the lock to that back door. Assuming it has control over whatever security systems exist within the Borealis. It is a risky move, you're quite right, and it could be unintelligent, but I'd rather collapse one wall with a door, so I would have one less passageway to defend than two.

Er..Altceva, if you would like me to respond to your entire post, give me a heads-up. Otherwise, WriterforHire said most of what I would likely have said in his response.

There's no "plan" conceived in detail for Glados to be "the perfect actress" and stuff like that. Just connect the story with Half Life (it's impossible not to) and you'll get all the answers. Glados is a broken computer programmed to supervise tests and that's it! We expect for Aperture policy not to consider experimenting on captured people, against their will, and even less on clones (they were trying to get government funding afterall).

Do you mean plan, as in on the part of the scientists? If so, I agree, I don't think there ever was, I think it's something that GLaDOS developed on its own. Besides that, GLaDOS is simply what you state, but I'm not even sure its broken, exactly. I think it's just functioning beyond expectations.

Yes, eventually, she would shut down due to disrepair (for she is a machine after all)

One more possibility to add to the reasons for self-termination, actually..

You misunderstood this argument. Granted, I personally do not think Chell is one of the daughters of the employees, she might be, but I doubt it. But those who support this argument don't claim that the Aperture employees had a habit of throwing their daughters into suicidal, death traps of Test Chambers. Rather, that somehow, in all the confusion, Chell somehow ended up trapped with the rest of the test subjects and was subjected to the experiment by accident. This is mostly backed up by GLaDOS' comment about "Bring Your Daughter to Work Day" and that on the site it states that it was "Bring Your Daughter to Work Day" when GLaDOS was activated. But does that indicate, in any way whatsoever, that Chell is an employee's daughter? Not really.

To me, it's more along the lines of a researcher's daughter who was old enough to volunteer herself out of self-interest. The assumption that a daughter must be young to bring to work is a skewed one, in my opinion.

Oh, and by the way Altceva, your English is fine, better than some native English speakers, I'd say. Also, Writer, just a bit of a nitpick here. You're=You are. Your=You own it. Ex. Your car. Your yard. Sorry, I catch myself making that mistake every so often, so it sticks out to me.

 

[FireStarter]

I read all of it.

I shit you not, I read all of it, and here's what I think (paraphrased):

Half-Life and Portal are certainly seperate games, but apparently VALVe has wanted them to interlink at one point or another, and such is going to happen.

As for the original issue, I believe that what has and/or happens after Portal is left to us to think about. I know there's evidence that says otherwise, but I think we're supposed to fill in the gaps on our own with our imaginations. :\

 

[WriterforHire]

Ah, well, I agree. Although, we don't exactly know enough about Aperture to put some of the absurdities beyond them.

Definitely. Valve has painted a rather good picture of what Aperture was like before it fell, and I think such dark humor will become the norm for future Portal games. (Or, at least, I hope such is the case)

I agree in that it was likely, if not entirely, to test the subject's psyche. However, going with my original idea that these were all preparations of the subject, I view it as preparing them to be ready to terminate a companion at the drop of a switch if necessary. They already put them through a situation of extreme pessimism to test if they could remain resourceful. As a matter of fact, that test in itself proves that part of the testing was designed to observe the psyche of the subject.

Ha! I won you over!

As for that the test was some sort of preparation/training for the subjects...maybe. I always liked to imagine that because of these tests that Chell became something very unique. Not only does she possess a gun that defies all the laws of physics, but she also knows how to use it in various circumstances that she would be otherwise unprepared for. Whether or not the scientists were "training" said subjects for usage of the Portal Gun is purely speculation though. It's possible. But it could be equally possible that they didn't care one whit about the subjects and were using them all as guinea pigs. Actually, I'm leaning heavily towards the later. After all, if such tests were to prepare the subjects, then what sort of standard did they have if nearly all of them ended up dieing at the end of it? Why on earth did they incinerate all the test subjects at the end of the last Chamber if their intention was to prepare them for some unforeseen thing. You yourself admitted that the scientist had not planned on letting the subjects get pass the firepit. Then doesn't that prove that they weren't preparing the subjects at all? Or are you saying that GLaDOS was the one preparing them? If so, then why? For what purpose? Why should she care at all? I can sort of see if from the scientists, perhaps the government forced them to try to make thier test subjects into perfect soldiers while they were at it. But GLaDOS? I can't see why.

I'm not quite sure I understand this part. On one hand, you say that the test chambers are pristine, due to their being under GLaDOS's domain. On the other, you say that the behind the scenes areas aren't, and that she seems limited in her influence there. In the latter case, it makes sense, regardless of new hardware, that GLaDOS wouldn't be able to maintain it due to lack of influence. So I'm not quite sure I understand your point completely here. I do, but then I don't, as you seem to contradict yourself in a way.

I have not contradict myself at all, though I will clarify some things.

I bring up how decayed the back areas of the facility to counter the point you made that the events of Portal took place shortly after the Neurotoxin Release. I say that such a thing is not possible. The actual chambers look pristine because GLaDOS is tiding them up, but in the back areas we have a unhindered view of how long of a time it has been since the facility was last inhabited by humans. I would say at least several months, if not a year or two, have passed. It looks that run down. Even if you disagree, you must admit that the difference is shocking. So, since the facility is so run down, then the events of Portal must take place at least some time after the Neurotoxin Release, far too long for the inconsistencies of GLaDOS' behavoir to be waved away because of the instalment of the Morality Core.

The entire Neurotoxin Release event, in and of itself, still has me thrown off simply due to the point of body removal. Another possible reason for doing so, after the lockdown of the facility, may not have even been to my speculated confidential information containment. It may well have been that the Aperture staff intended to do something to or with GLaDOS that it didn't want. Shutting down? Forcing to do something? There are a number of possibilities.

But here's the thing. On the Aperture website, the last date of the notes is the actual activation of GLaDOS, after that, everything is blank. So, whatever happened, probably happened on the day of her activation. Which means, if she did release the Neurotoxin, she did so immediately. Why would the scientists shut her down the very day they were activating her? What problems could arise the very moment of GLaDOS' birth? This fact, and the fact of the cut phone cord, seems to indicate to me that there was foul play involved. Someone, for some reason, meddled with GLaDOS prior to her activation and therefore she was activated, she let out the Neurotoxin. That's my take on it at least.

I was assuming killing her along with the rest of the Aperture staff during the Neurotoxin Release. At that point, she was just a subject asleep in a relaxation vault, no threat, no reason to terminate. In the scenario you're posing, you're right, it wouldn't be without reason. However, up until Chamber 19, can you really say GLaDOS provided the subject with a reason to kill it? It wasn't until then that you were being brought to your death. GLaDOS says it itself, during the final battle, didn't I give you every chance to succeed?

To be honest, if I was Chell, I wouldn't have budged a inch the moment I first come across the first dangerous environment, which was the electrified water. But, mostly at GLaDOS' prompting, I imagine, she went through each and everyone of the Chambers, mostly because she was trapped and could not go back, and mostly hoping that at the end of it all there would be something to justify all the times I put my life on the line. There were several times that, if I were in Chell's shoes, I would have thought some very murderous thoughts of GLaDOS. There would probably be moments where I stood absolutely, rigidly still and screamed for someone to stop the tests that instant, for it was all very crazy. Far too crazy. Sucidal even! I died countless times throughout the tests, and if that was me in real life there would be no reset button. So yeah, I can imagine a few reasons for wanting to kill GLaDOS before the firepit. It was only the last chamber that cemented it. That proved that they nevered intended you to succeed. Never wanted you to make it out of there alive. A last straw, in a sense.

Sort of, but up until that point, you've never been placed into any extreme situations.

See above.

Ever wonder how those pipes, railing as you call it, broke in the first place? It appears as though they were blasted inward, but there's no indication of a blast through them.

They're pipes? I haven't played Portal in a bit of a while, but that furthers my point. Pipes tend to be rather thick, if such a bending in were due to natural processes, then it must indicate that a good deal of time has passed indeed. However, if it was unnatural, (Like you seem to imply with the term "blast") then it might have been the work of the Rat Man but that's just pure speculation again. Flimsy speculation at that.

That aside, you're assuming that the tests were defined by the scientists. From my perspective, GLaDOS did run us through several of the preset tests, but made slight alterations to its own interests. It was in GLaDOS's interest that it be terminated, not the scientists.

But here's the thing. If GLaDOS wanted to be terminated and could make alterations in the tests, then why not make it easier? Why are all the changes she supposedly makes so insignificant? Also, if you agree with me that the tests might have been created by the scientists in part to test the subject's physche, then how can we know whether anything GLaDOS says or does is actually because she herself wishes to do it or because the scientists programmed her to do so?

I completely agree, as I said above, I don't think the scientists wanted the subjects to escape either.

I have you here. If the scientists did not intend for the subjects to escape that means everything GLaDOS does when the subject steps into the back areas is of her own accord, along with everything GLaDOS says. And if it was GLaDOS intention to be terminated then why does she attempt to kill off Chell? Those two turret ambushes were not originally set up to kill any poor hapless worker who wandered in. That means GLaDOS set them up, and those turrets were still deadly, they had as good a chance of killing you off as any other turrets in the Chambers did. Why would GLaDOS try to kill her? To motivate Chell to have her come and kill her? I'm very sure that Chell didn't need any more motivation! If GLaDOS simply sat back, didn't send any turrets, but just taunted the girl repeatedly until she arrived, that would have worked just as well and there would be no risks of her one lifeline out dieing, especially when she had beaten the odds so much and got this far in the first place. Speaking of talking, why is it that GLaDOS did do more taunting? For the most part, it almost seemed as if she was trying to make you pity her or to try to talk to your sense of honor/morality to make you stop. The particular line, "This isn't brave, it's murder." stands out in my mind. Finally, there's also the fact that there was no assurance that Chell would come to her. GLaDOS had no way to know about the Rat Man's writtings and therefore would have to rely on not only a subject somehow making it out alive from the tests (which, from the looks of it, 233 didn't do even that) but also somehow finding her own room by complete accident, and the subject can not give up looking for her the moment he or she finds a single exit out. GLaDOS is a computer, she'll probably be able to find the probablity for that one.

You're right, there isn't. However, the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device is enough alone to be valuable. No one else in the Half-Life universe has ever created something of its nature. Not to mention, if you observe the Combine, they're excellent at reverse-engineering existing technology to fit with their own. Imagine what they could do with the ASHPD.

Whose to say that she has blueprints to make a second one? It's possible that she was only able to make one, or made it in such a way that it can not be replicated. After all, it's a gun that defies the laws of physics, give it some respect. But granted, if the Combine did find out about its existence, it would undoubtedly be their goal to find out how to get/make one, regardless of whether it was possible to do so.

I speculated that the two were linked, as backups. Assume the Combine gain access to the hypothesized GLaDOS on the Borealis. If it isn't active, and the two are linked in some way, it's basically a back door without a lock. If GLaDOS terminates itself, and reactivates in the back-up, then it has a chance of adding the lock to that back door. Assuming it has control over whatever security systems exist within the Borealis. It is a risky move, you're quite right, and it could be unintelligent, but I'd rather collapse one wall with a door, so I would have one less passageway to defend than two.

There's too much speculation here for my likes. You have to assume that there is one on board, that the two are linked even if the one on the Borealis is deactivated, that the Combine can somehow trace it back to GLaDOS current location. That there is a security systems on board the Borealis (which, from the little we seen of the video transmittion does not seem to be supported at all) and that GLaDOS can have control over them. (Why someone would have a computer, with possible malfunctions, in charge of the security systems is anyone's guess)

But, for the sake of argument, let's say all of this is the case. There is still the fact that by terminating herself and taking control of the backup she is putting the Combine directly at her doorstep. At least, if they got ahold of her backup before, they would have to take some time to travel over to the Enrichment Center, and, at the Enrichment Center, they would be fighting on her home turf. GLaDOS managed to set up turrets to stop Chell, she probably could do the same for the Combine. And pity the poor fool that somehow gets into the Chambers! He's not getting back out alive again. The last thing is that is GLaDOS takes over control of the back up, she won't have any knowledge of the situation on board, no knowledge of how to control this said security system, nor any knowledge of where the Combine is positioned on board. Unless, of course, we assume that she already knows such things or learns the immediately upon booting up in the backup.

Er..Altceva, if you would like me to respond to your entire post, give me a heads-up. Otherwise, WriterforHire said most of what I would likely have said in his response.

Great minds think alike!

Do you mean plan, as in on the part of the scientists? If so, I agree, I don't think there ever was, I think it's something that GLaDOS developed on its own. Besides that, GLaDOS is simply what you state, but I'm not even sure its broken, exactly. I think it's just functioning beyond expectations.

Here's another point we both agree on. I don't think GLaDOS is broken either, but I don't think she's functioning beyond expectations, perhaps for most scientists, but I think for some she does exactly what they want her to do.

One more possibility to add to the reasons for self-termination, actually..

Why should the other GLaDOS be in any better of a state? She was trapped on the Borealis for who knows how long before the Combine found her.

To me, it's more along the lines of a researcher's daughter who was old enough to volunteer herself out of self-interest. The assumption that a daughter must be young to bring to work is a skewed one, in my opinion.

Self-interest? This works solely if she had little to no idea what the tests had in store for her. But even so, the scientists must have known, and they, especially her father, would probably adamantly refuse for her to join, unless the Aperture scientists had a habit of killing off their daughters.

Oh, and by the way Altceva, your English is fine, better than some native English speakers, I'd say. Also, Writer, just a bit of a nitpick here. You're=You are. Your=You own it. Ex. Your car. Your yard. Sorry, I catch myself making that mistake every so often, so it sticks out to me.

Good eye! I tried to be more careful this time around. Is it obvious at all?

 

[jet_porkins]

Lengthy doesn't neccesarily equal bad. But I understand where you're coming from. Thanks anyways!

No, no I completely support good conversation. I've partaken in lengthy post back and forthing as well. I'm just not committed enough to this topic.

 

[WriterforHire]

No, no I completely support good conversation. I've partaken in lengthy post back and forthing as well. I'm just not committed enough to this topic.

Ah. That's completely understandable. I myself have always been very intriqued by Portal, so that's why I became so enthusaistic when I read Gmr Leon's original post. Though I do admit that I'm afraid that my imagination has gotten the better of me in some of that last bit there. I'm going to have to focus on solely what is given/ supported by the game.

 

[G(ordon)-man]

Cave Johnson is Gman.

 

[WriterforHire]

Cave Johnson is Gman.

Dear God! None of that trash here! You can't have good speculation with Gman theories. There's not enough information at all save for some obscure and vague speeches. Gman can be anyone or anything. I personally do not have a theory about him nor will I ever form one. I will kindly keep myself out of that mess altogether, thank you very much! Granted, I realize you were making a joke. But those sort of theories don't sit well with me at all.

 

[Gmr Leon]

Ha! I won you over!

I was never adamantly against the idea to begin with, it just hadn't occurred to me as I wrote my original post.

Whether or not the scientists were "training" said subjects for usage of the Portal Gun is purely speculation though. It's possible.

How is it speculation? From my understanding of it, the Enrichment Center was utilized with that intent in mind. That's even my first real line in this thread. All the tests we proceed through provided me with that impression, at least.

But it could be equally possible that they didn't care one whit about the subjects and were using them all as guinea pigs. Actually, I'm leaning heavily towards the later. After all, if such tests were to prepare the subjects, then what sort of standard did they have if nearly all of them ended up dieing at the end of it? Why on earth did they incinerate all the test subjects at the end of the last Chamber if their intention was to prepare them for some unforeseen thing.

Were the subjects even originally intended on being humans? In one of the clipboards, the subject depicted is most certainly not human.

You yourself admitted that the scientist had not planned on letting the subjects get pass the firepit. Then doesn't that prove that they weren't preparing the subjects at all? Or are you saying that GLaDOS was the one preparing them? If so, then why? For what purpose? Why should she care at all? I can sort of see if from the scientists, perhaps the government forced them to try to make thier test subjects into perfect soldiers while they were at it. But GLaDOS? I can't see why.

I'm saying that GLaDOS was the one preparing them. For my previously stated purposes of self-termination for whatever reasons. Trust me, I'm not completely convinced on my own reasoning regarding its self-termination, but some of the statements can lead to that viewpoint, as it has led me. I recall reading an interpretation of Still Alive that suggested it was complete sarcasm on GLaDOS's part, and this was a lyric for lyric interpretation.

So, since the facility is so run down, then the events of Portal must take place at least some time after the Neurotoxin Release, far too long for the inconsistencies of GLaDOS' behavoir to be waved away because of the instalment of the Morality Core.

Yes, I see what you mean now. The only downside to this argument is our lack of knowledge regarding how long the Enrichment Center has existed. Even then, it doesn't remove all basis from that argument regardless of the fact that even inhabited facilities can appear rather run down without proper maintenance.

Why would the scientists shut her down the very day they were activating her? What problems could arise the very moment of GLaDOS' birth? This fact, and the fact of the cut phone cord, seems to indicate to me that there was foul play involved. Someone, for some reason, meddled with GLaDOS prior to her activation and therefore she was activated, she let out the Neurotoxin. That's my take on it at least.

Perhaps I'm mistaken, as it has been awhile since I ran through Portal with the developer commentary on, but wasn't that simply an idea that they had floating around that they left in? That is, the cut phone cord. Is it even valid anymore? I don't disagree with your reasoning, but I'm not certain if it's based on a solid framework. As to why, well, look at the Large Hadron Collider. They had to shut it down shortly after activation due to certain technical issues, one of which being the soldering on the pipes. With an AI as complex as GLaDOS, it could range from programming to technological issues.

So yeah, I can imagine a few reasons for wanting to kill GLaDOS before the firepit. It was only the last chamber that cemented it. That proved that they nevered intended you to succeed. Never wanted you to make it out of there alive. A last straw, in a sense.

Most people probably would, I'm not sure what I would think, personally. GLaDOS's voice is clearly a computer, so I'd probably be thinking more destroy than kill, but it's basically the same thing.

They're pipes? I haven't played Portal in a bit of a while, but that furthers my point. Pipes tend to be rather thick, if such a bending in were due to natural processes, then it must indicate that a good deal of time has passed indeed. However, if it was unnatural, (Like you seem to imply with the term "blast") then it might have been the work of the Rat Man but that's just pure speculation again. Flimsy speculation at that.

It's difficult to tell whether it was from a blast, or a natural occurrence due to lack of maintenance. If it's the latter, then yes, it does support the length of time in between the Neurotoxin Release and our actions. I'm not sure how the Rat Man would possibly do that, to be quite honest. Clearly the pipes broke, and something got back there, but how the pipes broke is the main question.

But here's the thing. If GLaDOS wanted to be terminated and could make alterations in the tests, then why not make it easier? Why are all the changes she supposedly makes so insignificant? Also, if you agree with me that the tests might have been created by the scientists in part to test the subject's physche, then how can we know whether anything GLaDOS says or does is actually because she herself wishes to do it or because the scientists programmed her to do so?

To the last question, we can't, without the writers themselves coming out and saying it. To the first two, I can only attribute it to several abstract things, programming that prevents self-termination attempts, aging of components of the Enrichment Center, and general technological incapability. I can't honestly provide an answer, as there isn't enough information existing to base further speculation off of.

I have you here. If the scientists did not intend for the subjects to escape that means everything GLaDOS does when the subject steps into the back areas is of her own accord, along with everything GLaDOS says. And if it was GLaDOS intention to be terminated then why does she attempt to kill off Chell? Speaking of talking, why is it that GLaDOS did do more taunting? For the most part, it almost seemed as if she was trying to make you pity her or to try to talk to your sense of honor/morality to make you stop. The particular line, "This isn't brave, it's murder." stands out in my mind.

To an extent, as you said yourself, it appears GLaDOS doesn't have much influence in the back areas. Even I agree on that part, I would have had not played the game to disagree on that. As I've stated in previous posts, in regards to why attempt to kill Chell, it's possibly in GLaDOS's programming. Leaving Chell alone would basically be allowing Chell to kill it. In regards to why attempt to kill Chell, here's a question, why does GLaDOS allowed the rocket sentry to rise up in its chamber? In fact, why was it even there?

That's a good question, as to the taunting. This is completely off-the-wall, flimsy speculation on my part, but perhaps a sort of inner conflict within GLaDOS? One part wanting Chell to remain, the other part wanting to release Chell and itself, in a sense.

Whose to say that she has blueprints to make a second one? It's possible that she was only able to make one, or made it in such a way that it can not be replicated. After all, it's a gun that defies the laws of physics, give it some respect. But granted, if the Combine did find out about its existence, it would undoubtedly be their goal to find out how to get/make one, regardless of whether it was possible to do so.

Why wouldn't GLaDOS? If I'm not mistaken, doesn't GLaDOS have practically complete access to all of the computer systems in the Enrichment Center or Aperture Laboratories? One of them is bound to have the schematics for it. You don't make an incredible device such as that, and throw away the schematics.

There's too much speculation here for my likes. You have to assume that there is one on board, that the two are linked even if the one on the Borealis is deactivated, that the Combine can somehow trace it back to GLaDOS current location. That there is a security systems on board the Borealis (which, from the little we seen of the video transmittion does not seem to be supported at all) and that GLaDOS can have control over them. (Why someone would have a computer, with possible malfunctions, in charge of the security systems is anyone's guess)

Mine as well, to be quite honest. The entire idea of another GLaDOS being on the Borealis isn't mine to begin with, and this whole idea of a backup appears flimsy even to me.

At least, if they got ahold of her backup before, they would have to take some time to travel over to the Enrichment Center, and, at the Enrichment Center, they would be fighting on her home turf.

Not a bad thought, but I was thinking the Combine would simply hack into GLaDOS's systems at the Enrichment Center. They wouldn't need to access it in person in that scenario.

Here's another point we both agree on. I don't think GLaDOS is broken either, but I don't think she's functioning beyond expectations, perhaps for most scientists, but I think for some she does exactly what they want her to do.

And really, that's the part we're mostly arguing, sort of. We kind of do agree, but what we think GLaDOS does exactly what they want it to do, is where we disagree. Er..I hope that sentence makes sense, in my current mindset it does.

Why should the other GLaDOS be in any better of a state? She was trapped on the Borealis for who knows how long before the Combine found her.

Who knows? It's simply a possibility. We don't even know how long the Borealis has been there or if it even aged during its sudden teleportation.

Self-interest? This works solely if she had little to no idea what the tests had in store for her. But even so, the scientists must have known, and they, especially her father, would probably adamantly refuse for her to join, unless the Aperture scientists had a habit of killing off their daughters.

True. If the daughter had one of those strange "Prove Myself to My Parents" complexes it's possible, but that's stretching it, even for my tastes.

 

[WriterforHire]

Sorry that this took so long. I was kind of busy these last couple days, but now that its the weekend I'm a bit more freed up.

I was never adamantly against the idea to begin with, it just hadn't occurred to me as I wrote my original post.

I realize that now. But the idea that the tests serves the purpose of experimenting on the human pysche is one that I really hold onto and think is particularly backed up by the game, so I guess it was a bit of over-enthusiasm?

How is it speculation? From my understanding of it, the Enrichment Center was utilized with that intent in mind. That's even my first real line in this thread. All the tests we proceed through provided me with that impression, at least.

It's speculation because its never given as fact or was so heavily implied that a good majority of gamers believe such a thing was true. Granted, it can still be good speculation, founded on evidence, but it'll be speculation nonetheless. Also, if you stated beforehand that this was your interpretation, then a bit of fault lies in me for missing that, but still, it's your own view on the matter.

Were the subjects even originally intended on being humans? In one of the clipboards, the subject depicted is most certainly not human.

The tests were definitely meant for humans. No doubt about it. The Portal Gun itself can only be used by a human, you must think, and think fastly, in order to solve the puzzles, in order to "win" you must move heavily blocks and go through doors made to fit for humans. GLaDOS speaks regularly, in English, giving you directions of what to do, which would be unncessary if the subjects were suppose to be inhuman. In fact, it's nearly impossible to get pass even the first couple of Chambers without dieing unless you were human. The only reason, I can see, of them having a chicken be one of the subjects is to test out how effective their Chambers were in killing living things.

I'm saying that GLaDOS was the one preparing them. For my previously stated purposes of self-termination for whatever reasons. Trust me, I'm not completely convinced on my own reasoning regarding its self-termination, but some of the statements can lead to that viewpoint, as it has led me. I recall reading an interpretation of Still Alive that suggested it was complete sarcasm on GLaDOS's part, and this was a lyric for lyric interpretation.

I remember reading that article. The one who did it also wrote about the entirety of the game of Portal, in a three part analysis called the Clone, Cube and Construct, I believe. I didn't buy much of it, and thought his logic/reasoning was severily flawed. Also, it was mostly simply his own, very extreme, opinion. He tried to argue that the Companion Cube was made so that tests subjects could "give love" to it instead of GLaDOS, or some other nonesense like that. He called it a proxy. So, essencially, any and all lines stated by GLaDOS can be taken and interpreted to mean a variety of different things: like Chell is a andriod, Chell is a clone, GLaDOS has Chell's brain on backup and therefore she can't really die.

But the problem about this is that you must again assume a good many things. You must assume that GLaDOS can not change the tests to any significant degree and that she must hunt down Chell once she escapes because she's now a threat. If both are the case, then she's not preparing #234 for anything - she's bound by her programming and is hoping for a miracle. If this is not the case, but she is willingly putting the subject through the tests and willingly trying to kill her afterwards, then she does not want to be terminated at all but wants to live.

Yes, I see what you mean now. The only downside to this argument is our lack of knowledge regarding how long the Enrichment Center has existed. Even then, it doesn't remove all basis from that argument regardless of the fact that even inhabited facilities can appear rather run down without proper maintenance.

I've thought of that already. The Enrichment Center is too big of a complex and massive of a complex to not have all hte neccesary maintenance and then some. In several of the Chambers Chell falls down pillars that are several stories tall. Imagine the money neccesary to create this sort of testing environment, with energy balls, turrets, and all. Aperture Science, back in its hey day, must have made billions. Yet, with all that money, they couldn't spare to have proper maintenance but they could spend money on elaborate and complex Chambers?

Perhaps I'm mistaken, as it has been awhile since I ran through Portal with the developer commentary on, but wasn't that simply an idea that they had floating around that they left in? That is, the cut phone cord. Is it even valid anymore? I don't disagree with your reasoning, but I'm not certain if it's based on a solid framework. As to why, well, look at the Large Hadron Collider. They had to shut it down shortly after activation due to certain technical issues, one of which being the soldering on the pipes. With an AI as complex as GLaDOS, it could range from programming to technological issues.

I don't remember any commentary node saying that the phone was not valid. In fact, that argument doesn't make much sense to me. It's in the game, so it's canon. It would be one thing if they took it out and I, finding out about the idea, try to use it as a argument. But it was in the game. If I went into GLaDOS Chamber, without any commentary node on, and found the cut phone, then I would reach the same conclusion regardless of whether or not I heard the developer commentary. It's the equivalent of saying that the Combine was simply a idea they had floating around that they decided to leave in, and its debatable whether or not they are valid. Granted, there's more then one instance of its appearance, but the very fact that the Combine exists in the Half Life games make them canon in and of themselves.

Your second point is plausable, and I won't say anymore than that because this is getting into the realm of unstable speculation. But I just want to say that the way that the Notes on the Aperture Science website ends off seems to hint strongly to me of something going wrong the moment that GLaDOS was activated, that, plus the cut phone cord, indicate foul play to me.

Most people probably would, I'm not sure what I would think, personally. GLaDOS's voice is clearly a computer, so I'd probably be thinking more destroy than kill, but it's basically the same thing.

It's actually a good sign of the way that Valve created GLaDOS that I instinctively thought "kill" instead of "destroy" even though it was clear from the begining that my mysterious AI companion was a computer.

It's difficult to tell whether it was from a blast, or a natural occurrence due to lack of maintenance. If it's the latter, then yes, it does support the length of time in between the Neurotoxin Release and our actions. I'm not sure how the Rat Man would possibly do that, to be quite honest. Clearly the pipes broke, and something got back there, but how the pipes broke is the main question.

Its unreasonable to think that one lone man could "blast" away pipes like that. But I was only offering the suggestion because he's the only one we know that has taken the path we took before. Also, such a thing would be consistent with his other behavior. The Ratman guides the player through vandalism, whether it be spraypainting the walls, breaking glass tubes for you to jump into, deactivating a elevator, or somehow blowing up pipes.

To the last question, we can't, without the writers themselves coming out and saying it. To the first two, I can only attribute it to several abstract things, programming that prevents self-termination attempts, aging of components of the Enrichment Center, and general technological incapability. I can't honestly provide an answer, as there isn't enough information existing to base further speculation off of.

I'm glad that your being honest. It's actually rather rare to find someone who's willing to state that they can be or is wrong on the stance they take in a arguement. But as for your justifications, I think they're all sound, and would logically provide a reason for GLaDOS attempting to kill Chell without actually wanting to do so. But, as I said earlier, if such is the case, then she can't be preparing Chell for anything. She's simply following her protocal and is hoping for the best.

To an extent, as you said yourself, it appears GLaDOS doesn't have much influence in the back areas. Even I agree on that part, I would have had not played the game to disagree on that. As I've stated in previous posts, in regards to why attempt to kill Chell, it's possibly in GLaDOS's programming. Leaving Chell alone would basically be allowing Chell to kill it. In regards to why attempt to kill Chell, here's a question, why does GLaDOS allowed the rocket sentry to rise up in its chamber? In fact, why was it even there?

Why does GLaDOS have control over the Neurotoxin or the turrets or the first rocket sentry?

Because the scientists thought it would be a amazingly good idea. Geniuses. Really.

As for why did GLaDOS allow the sentry to rise up, well, you can look at it in two ways. One, she was trying to kill Chell with it, figuring if the rockets didn't get her the toxin would. Or two, she was giving Chell a way to terminate herself. But here's the thing: both the rocket and the Neurotoxin are real threats. I died from the rocket a couple times and nearly ran out of time once or twice. Wouldn't it be a waste, a complete and utter waste, that after all of that time, after facing all her challenges, that Chell was killed off inside GLaDOS' own chamber? Why doesn't she make it easier for Chell? Seriously, even if she was required to bring up both the Neurotoxin and rocket sentry for protection, (though she seems to hint that both were a direct result of Chell knocking off her Morality Core, which meant that previously she could not use them but now she chose to use them) why not make it so that the orbs fell right at Chells feet. Each one of them was up in the air and requried Chell to do increasingly difficult stunts just to reach them.

To me there seems to be far too much of a abundance of times that GLaDOS attempts ot kill Chell for her to be doing anything outside of trying to protect herself. If you justify htat she had no choice, then how is it that GLaDOS can even decide that she should be terminated in the first place. She probably wouldn't even have that much free will.

That's a good question, as to the taunting. This is completely off-the-wall, flimsy speculation on my part, but perhaps a sort of inner conflict within GLaDOS? One part wanting Chell to remain, the other part wanting to release Chell and itself, in a sense.

Who said anything about Chell remaining in the facility? All of GLaDOS taunting after she escaped the firepit either dealt with her going the wrong way or threatening that "I really will kill you" if Chell took another step closer to her. It's either A. She wanted Chell to stop hunting her down and therefore would not care one whit otherwise so long as she didn't try to kill her, or B. It was reverse phsycology. But both of those excludes Chell staying behind and being with GLaDOS.

Why wouldn't GLaDOS? If I'm not mistaken, doesn't GLaDOS have practically complete access to all of the computer systems in the Enrichment Center or Aperture Laboratories? One of them is bound to have the schematics for it. You don't make an incredible device such as that, and throw away the schematics.

I'm not so much arguing that there are not schematics for the Gun, but rather that a second Gun can not be made. That the Portal Gun is a one of a kind, a fluke of nature. Granted, this is solely my own opinion, but the idea of multiple Portal Guns existing rubs me the wrong way.

Mine as well, to be quite honest. The entire idea of another GLaDOS being on the Borealis isn't mine to begin with, and this whole idea of a backup appears flimsy even to me.

Actually, I think the backup idea is sound. The ending scene and credits indicate this to me. What I don't think is legit is that the backup GLaDOS is on the Borealis. Anything could be on the Borealis.

Not a bad thought, but I was thinking the Combine would simply hack into GLaDOS's systems at the Enrichment Center. They wouldn't need to access it in person in that scenario.

Perhaps not, GLaDOS could do something to prevent them from hacking into her, or perhaps she already has some hardware installed that prevents such hacks. But either way is as possible as the other. But there's no evidence that GLaDOS and the Combine even know about each other, much less have, or are about to, meet in some sort of conflict.

 

[Gmr Leon]

I realize that now. But the idea that the tests serves the purpose of experimenting on the human pysche is one that I really hold onto and think is particularly backed up by the game, so I guess it was a bit of over-enthusiasm?

Ah, I suppose.

It's speculation because its never given as fact or was so heavily implied that a good majority of gamers believe such a thing was true. Granted, it can still be good speculation, founded on evidence, but it'll be speculation nonetheless. Also, if you stated beforehand that this was your interpretation, then a bit of fault lies in me for missing that, but still, it's your own view on the matter.

Perhaps, but I was fairly certain there was a line from GLaDOS which states that that's what the facility is for. Although I'm equally certain that I'm distorting the line: "Though fun and learning are..."

The tests were definitely meant for humans. No doubt about it. The Portal Gun itself can only be used by a human, you must think, and think fastly, in order to solve the puzzles, in order to "win" you must move heavily blocks and go through doors made to fit for humans. GLaDOS speaks regularly, in English, giving you directions of what to do, which would be unncessary if the subjects were suppose to be inhuman. In fact, it's nearly impossible to get pass even the first couple of Chambers without dieing unless you were human. The only reason, I can see, of them having a chicken be one of the subjects is to test out how effective their Chambers were in killing living things.

Oh yes, no other species at the time of the Enrichment Center could have done the test. We still don't know when precisely the events occur though and if there's any truth to the android comments by GLaDOS. The reason I mention when is the thought in the back of my mind of catching one of the organisms released after the Resonance Cascade, despite how unlikely that is.

So, essencially, any and all lines stated by GLaDOS can be taken and interpreted to mean a variety of different things: like Chell is a andriod, Chell is a clone, GLaDOS has Chell's brain on backup and therefore she can't really die.

Indeed. I wasn't aware of that other article of his though, I will admit.

If both are the case, then she's not preparing #234 for anything - she's bound by her programming and is hoping for a miracle. If this is not the case, but she is willingly putting the subject through the tests and willingly trying to kill her afterwards, then she does not want to be terminated at all but wants to live.

Although another possibility is one I've noted before, technical constraints of the aging facility making it impossible to change it to a significant degree. The back-areas we go into don't exactly look that nice, after all. What incentive would an AI, GLaDOS, have to live in the first place? We've both been discussing programming limitations, wishes for self-termination, and wishes to survive, but neither of us have asked that simple question.

GLaDOS is stuck there, alone, is the closest mechanical construct built by humans to being alive, and has a load of cores determining its behavior. I'd rather terminate myself than remain in a gradual slope of disrepair.

Yet, with all that money, they couldn't spare to have proper maintenance but they could spend money on elaborate and complex Chambers?

Good point. The only question then is why they didn't hook up maintenance of the back areas to GLaDOS. It would save them the money they had to pay on hired personnel, by a fortune, looking at the size of the Enrichment Center.

I don't remember any commentary node saying that the phone was not valid. In fact, that argument doesn't make much sense to me.

You're right, there isn't one that says it isn't valid. I simply thought they had an idea related to it, had it put in the game, and then decided to scrap it. I'll have to check it out, but I see what you mean about the phone, commentary node regardless.

Your second point is plausable, and I won't say anymore than that because this is getting into the realm of unstable speculation. But I just want to say that the way that the Notes on the Aperture Science website ends off seems to hint strongly to me of something going wrong the moment that GLaDOS was activated, that, plus the cut phone cord, indicate foul play to me.

Definitely unstable considering GLaDOS has been running ever since activation as far as we know. The thing that has me interested now, since you continue mentioning it, is who would conduct the foul play.

It's actually a good sign of the way that Valve created GLaDOS that I instinctively thought "kill" instead of "destroy" even though it was clear from the begining that my mysterious AI companion was a computer.

Absolutely. It's not exactly an easy task to humanize a computer.

Its unreasonable to think that one lone man could "blast" away pipes like that. But I was only offering the suggestion because he's the only one we know that has taken the path we took before. Also, such a thing would be consistent with his other behavior. The Ratman guides the player through vandalism, whether it be spraypainting the walls, breaking glass tubes for you to jump into, deactivating a elevator, or somehow blowing up pipes.

True, whenever you put it like that, he's the only other existing presence we're aware of that is likely to have done it.

I'm glad that your being honest. It's actually rather rare to find someone who's willing to state that they can be or is wrong on the stance they take in a arguement.

I'm not an advocate for self-delusion, so I try to maintain an open mind and level head in arguments, accepting that the arguments the other is making are just as sound and that mine do have flaws. At the very least, it helps keep the discussion going without going in complete circles.

But as for your justifications, I think they're all sound, and would logically provide a reason for GLaDOS attempting to kill Chell without actually wanting to do so. But, as I said earlier, if such is the case, then she can't be preparing Chell for anything. She's simply following her protocal and is hoping for the best.

Which is completely possible. However, consider the song Still Alive, if we count that as canon, as I do, that couldn't possibly be part of its programmed protocol if the intent was to survive and terminate Chell at all costs.

Why does GLaDOS have control over the Neurotoxin or the turrets or the first rocket sentry?

Because the scientists thought it would be a amazingly good idea. Geniuses. Really.

Or it might be part of that foul play idea you've been wafting about. GLaDOS may never have been hooked up to those systems initially, and prior to activation, was hooked up. Without any core to determine or limit its behavior with those systems, it was just a matter of the "Foul Player" hoping for the intended results via Neurotoxin Release.

As for why did GLaDOS allow the sentry to rise up, well, you can look at it in two ways. One, she was trying to kill Chell with it, figuring if the rockets didn't get her the toxin would. Or two, she was giving Chell a way to terminate herself. But here's the thing: both the rocket and the Neurotoxin are real threats.

That they are indeed. However, wouldn't GLaDOS have known from our prior experience with the rocket sentry that, through the usage of the portals, we could redirect the rockets? Obviously GLaDOS activated the first one we encountered, meaning it had its eyes there so it could have easily seen our actions.

Wouldn't it be a waste, a complete and utter waste, that after all of that time, after facing all her challenges, that Chell was killed off inside GLaDOS' own chamber? Why doesn't she make it easier for Chell? Seriously, even if she was required to bring up both the Neurotoxin and rocket sentry for protection, (though she seems to hint that both were a direct result of Chell knocking off her Morality Core, which meant that previously she could not use them but now she chose to use them) why not make it so that the orbs fell right at Chells feet. Each one of them was up in the air and requried Chell to do increasingly difficult stunts just to reach them.

It would be a complete waste. Why it didn't make it any easier though is up to any number of possible factors. Why didn't it just reattach the Morality Core? Obviously it wanted you to get rid of it. Why would it want to get rid of it? It also obviously contained some sort of programming limitation, barring GLaDOS access to something. It may be that GLaDOS couldn't raise the rocket sentry with the Morality Core still intact. The Neurotoxin Release shortly afterward may not have been intentional, at least, not intentional on the part of the GLaDOS personality we were familiar with. As you have to admit, its personality takes quite a bit of a change once we get rid of the Morality Core. It's still sarcastic, still morbid, but more bluntly so. In fact, if the GLaDOS we witness during the fight is precisely like the one activated, it supports GLaDOS's statements about the Neurotoxin Release. As some have thought it bluffing, this would disprove it.

Which raises an interesting point, is GLaDOS's first reaction to humans without the Morality Core always to terminate them? What kind of person programs that? Also, more support for the Neurotoxin Release is the possibility of the personnel being gathered in GLaDOS's chamber for its Red Letter Day, if you will. This seems far more likely than the entire facility being gassed, and, I'll be blunt, a little less insane on the part of the Aperture personnel. Sorry about this little tangent, in short, I'd apply it to the destruction of the Morality Core. At the very least in that chamber.

To me there seems to be far too much of a abundance of times that GLaDOS attempts ot kill Chell for her to be doing anything outside of trying to protect herself. If you justify htat she had no choice, then how is it that GLaDOS can even decide that she should be terminated in the first place. She probably wouldn't even have that much free will.

GLaDOS is a bit bound by the Enrichment Center and the cores, but if it's true, that it has an infinite capacity for knowledge, it's entirely possible for it to rewrite parts of its programming that aren't based solely on hardware. It's possible it doesn't have free will, that it was just trying to protect itself, that everything went according to what the scientists had planned with the exception of the escape. Why, though, and how, would they benefit from putting the subjects through these extreme conditions? A study? Even studies have limitations to the extent of their methods.

Who said anything about Chell remaining in the facility? All of GLaDOS taunting after she escaped the firepit either dealt with her going the wrong way or threatening that "I really will kill you" if Chell took another step closer to her. It's either A. She wanted Chell to stop hunting her down and therefore would not care one whit otherwise so long as she didn't try to kill her, or B. It was reverse phsycology. But both of those excludes Chell staying behind and being with GLaDOS.

It's never said in-game, it's said in our farewell song, Still Alive. "Go ahead and leave me. I think I prefer to stay inside. Maybe you'll find someone else to help you." If you listen to the song, it sounds a bit sad there, as though it doesn't want you to leave. Of course, then it does a quick 180 and doesn't sound as though it cares at all. So it's a bit difficult to tell.

I'm not so much arguing that there are not schematics for the Gun, but rather that a second Gun can not be made. That the Portal Gun is a one of a kind, a fluke of nature. Granted, this is solely my own opinion, but the idea of multiple Portal Guns existing rubs me the wrong way.

Technically..We did see two guns, the first one that shot blue portals, which we obtained, and then the second that shot orange portals. I've never been able to decide if that really is a second one, or how that works out, but..It's there..

Actually, I think the backup idea is sound. The ending scene and credits indicate this to me. What I don't think is legit is that the backup GLaDOS is on the Borealis. Anything could be on the Borealis.

Yeah, that's the main thing that catches me, the existence of it on the Borealis. A backup just seemed flimsy to me considering that after the money they poured into the first, how could they afford to make a second? Although after your earlier point, it does seem a bit more plausible.

Perhaps not, GLaDOS could do something to prevent them from hacking into her, or perhaps she already has some hardware installed that prevents such hacks. But either way is as possible as the other. But there's no evidence that GLaDOS and the Combine even know about each other, much less have, or are about to, meet in some sort of conflict.

Even if there was hardware to prevent hacking into GLaDOS, the Combine are extradimensional aliens with technology beyond anything humanity had ever seen during GLaDOS's day. I think they'd break through any existing hardware as easily as a beta particle passing through paper. You're right, there really isn't any indication of either of them being aware of each other. The only indicator to a possible conflict is the relation of the Borealis to Aperture Laboratories, but that's only if there's another GLaDOS on board.