GlaDOS, Aperture and the rest: How does it all tie up?

[Sevenclouds]

I want to say that the Aperture Science tier 3 could of been written in code, what better way to protect your corporate secrets, but then, that wouldn't explain about the Congressional hearings about Aperture Science's conduct.

Also, is it just me, or does it seem that Chell was being conditioned into becoming a sort of 'Super Soldier' (and also to prepare for the outside world, an example of this would be at the end of test number 9 when GLaDOS says "Fantastic. You remained resolute and resourceful in an atmosphere of extreme pessimism."),because most of the tests involved a Life or Death situation. Then there's the Weighted Companion Cube dilemma, where allies will die, either because of forces outside of your control, or because you had to sacrifice them for the greater good. It would also explain about how some of the other test subjects couldn't handle that same stress and went practically insane.

 

[pl0x]

Hello! I thought I'd come and throw my two cents in.


When I was in the back rooms that headed to GLaDOS's chamber I noticed a sign warning me of hazardous materials with radioactive symbols on it. Then there was, of course, the huge pistons and massive tubes, and I recall pools of the acidic water in places as well. When I reached GLaDOS's chamber, it came to me. I think GLaDOS is hanging from the bottom of, and thus intergrated into, a nuclear reactor.
I was further convinced when Valve released the Lithograph of her in her chamber, and the fact that in the very beginning when she glitched, she nearly took the power out with her.

Here's the Lithograph image:

And here's a reactor (not the best image, because it's too late at night and I'm not about to scan in the ones from my books.)

Note the bottom with the round, cement containment. Usually you also have an anchor and mechanics at the bottom to assist with cooling the reactor. Nuclear reactors are often housed in three floors, the middle being inaccessiable and the bottom often flooded for coolant (but not always, if the water is injected from side rooms in part of an expansive system.) The bottom chamber is always spacious. Now in GLaDOS's chamber, there is the structure around the switch that opens up the incinerator. It's obviously made of metal and is meant to withstand more than some artillery fire. A shield for radation?

I'm not wondering if GLaDOS is self-powered this way. I noticed on the Borealis blueprints a 'Flux Core', a huge square room with very little in it. Of course, we see GLaDOS written on the blueprints as well. Is it possible that this Flux Core is also a nuclear reactor of some sorts? I also back my theory up over the fact after you 'kill' GLaDOS that massive portal opens up. That would take an incredible amount of energy. Is it possible an accident caused a huge portal to move the Borealis as well?
It would also explain the sudden abandonment of both areas.
She mentions the morality core being added after she attacked the facility with neurotoxin. Perhaps later there was a partial meltdown or an escape of radioactivity that would have forced a sudden evacuation of the building. The area might have been closed off in a 'zone of exclusion' similar to the one in Chernobyl. Thus, nobody would have gone back in to get those in stasis.
Is it possible a similar event might have occured on Borealis, causing the evacuation and sudden transporting of the ship?

True, then the area should be horribly polluted and Chell ought to die of radiation poisoning. But perhaps since GLaDOS is self-operating, she was able to do a little cleanup work and at least seal up the leak. Who knows. It's just a theory of mine.

The de-icing module would have been the perfect cover. Who would investigate something like that?

Secondly, I was wondering about the date given on the Aperture website and the timeline of when GLaDOS was officially activated. GLaDOS mentions herself that bring-your-daughter-to-work-day is the best time to "test her out." I got to thinking that perhaps the activation was for the AI mode, not the DOS aspect, and that the line was picked up on her brand new, impressionable mind during the opening ceremonies.
The first thing she would have been subject to is the examples of mothers and daughters and probably would have witnessed, of course, care given to the girls. This information could have been applied to herself, and she expected care in return from her 'mothers' or creators. But as a computer, she was treated emotionlessly and as a tool and grew bitter.
She says "The difference between you and me is that I feel pain." It might not be physical pain she's talking about. She also treats the patients very badly and refers to Chell as an android. Perhaps she got things twisted and began to treat humans the way they treated her. Emotional deprivation is enough to drive anyone with intelligence insane- an AI would almost have to contain emotions to operate successfully in a human world.

Again, just theories. Thought I should toss them out.

 

[Narvi]

Where did you get that lithograph?

I agree with the rest of your idea.

 

[Avoidist]

The nuclear idea is very interesting, however the Android thing is clearly a joke based on the fact that the particular challenge is actually for androids and thus the congratulation is a sort of semi-automated response.

 

[Weightedcube]

Anyone here thinks that the environments in Portal don't really fit in? Generally in hl 1 and 2 the environment is either realistic or characterized by some form of logic.

I mean, why would i science facility use those weird futuristic doors in the test chambers?

Why would it use those weird cubes instead of just some ordinary weight? And why would they use those air tunnels for transporting them? Those air tunnels would be enormously costly, why not just use a forklift or anything?

And why is there no maintenance access to the test courses? There is not a single door.

And why the futuristic looking CCTV cameras and turrets? Why fit the turrets with a cool shell and voices with weird comments, and not just simple turrets like those in hl2?

It seems like they had this cool puzzle game, and they suddenly went "hey lets fit this into the hl universe", but didn't do it properly.

And another thing, I haven't seen much comments on the fact that the testing course obviously isn't designed to test the portal technology, but to test single indiviuals (for some unknown reason).

 

[ellimanest]

Ive read this whole thing so ive decided to say what i think on a few of these points.
Maybe Mossman is a former employee of AS, after all she did try and get a job at BM but Gordon got there before her (im not sure if im right that she didnt get a job or if it was just she didnt get to go in the chamber) so she may of gone to AS. I personally think that Portal is set a while ago, before any combine invasion. I think they may of got into the test facility and found what remained of AS technology, disincluding GLaDOS and portal technology which got blown up in the blast. Suppports the fact that they both use energy balls and have a levl of force field technology (the funny portal diasabling ones and the combine only ones). What im wondering is how the combine fail to find the Borealis. I mean their a highly evolved alien race and they cant use a satellite or something to scan the earth for it?

 

[Gordon-Shepherd]

whoa.

 

[Kdizzle]

you know i may have an idea. or not. but onward:
I think that mabey the combine made glados. Now mabey not made her but got her made. Gman, mabey he paid aperture to build a ai, glados, and he knew that they would. that would halfly explain why they said they made shower courtains. (i know i spelled that wrong) Any way, combine got what they wanted from gman and thats why they have her in the combines system, hence using her voice for stuff. BUT mabey aperture didnt want to fully give her up, so they use her. and start cjohnsons tier3. and i do belive that when they figured it out they loaded the borealis up with some portizzles (i went there) and headed out. (with the dock) basically to get away from the combine. my guess is that the combine got one version, and the aperture got a different one.

just a thought

-Kyle D

 

[Amadeus]

Anyone here thinks that the environments in Portal don't really fit in? Generally in hl 1 and 2 the environment is either realistic or characterized by some form of logic.

I mean, why would i science facility use those weird futuristic doors in the test chambers?

Why would it use those weird cubes instead of just some ordinary weight? And why would they use those air tunnels for transporting them? Those air tunnels would be enormously costly, why not just use a forklift or anything?

And why is there no maintenance access to the test courses? There is not a single door.

And why the futuristic looking CCTV cameras and turrets? Why fit the turrets with a cool shell and voices with weird comments, and not just simple turrets like those in hl2?

It seems like they had this cool puzzle game, and they suddenly went "hey lets fit this into the hl universe", but didn't do it properly.

And another thing, I haven't seen much comments on the fact that the testing course obviously isn't designed to test the portal technology, but to test single indiviuals (for some unknown reason).

They have a gun that can create localized portals. You're asking why they're using "futuristic" doors. Well, damn, if they could do what they were doing with the portal gun, why can't they have those "futuristic" doors? And you said it yourself... it's a SCIENCE facility, it seems somewhat obvious that some advanced technology of some sort would be in use.

They're using air tunnels because it saves time. I mean, look at the Enrichment Center. Forklifts seem really impractical considering how huge the place is. They can easily move the storage cubes quickly, and in large ammounts.

As for maintence doors, why would they have those in the test courses to begin with? I personally don't think that Aperture wants their test subjects getting behind the scenes, portal gun and all, and give them a way out outside of the set test course.

On turrets and cameras: Because those are Aperture's turrets and cameras, and they can do whatever the hell they want with them- it's just a different design.

Tell me, how did Valve not fit Portal into the HL universe properly?

Your last point seems a bit off. It IS designed to test the portal technology. How in the world do you find your way out of the individual test chambers? GASP- you use PORTAL TECHNOLOGY to find your way out. For example, imagine a very large room, with the exit tens of feet of above you, with no immediete way to get to said exit. You use your portal gun and fire a portal on a wall next to the exit, and fire a portal on the wall behind you. You step through the portal you just created, and voila. You've found your way out, thanks to portal technology.

 

[Amadeus]

you know i may have an idea. or not. but onward:
I think that mabey the combine made glados. Now mabey not made her but got her made. Gman, mabey he paid aperture to build a ai, glados, and he knew that they would. that would halfly explain why they said they made shower courtains. (i know i spelled that wrong) Any way, combine got what they wanted from gman and thats why they have her in the combines system, hence using her voice for stuff. BUT mabey aperture didnt want to fully give her up, so they use her. and start cjohnsons tier3. and i do belive that when they figured it out they loaded the borealis up with some portizzles (i went there) and headed out. (with the dock) basically to get away from the combine. my guess is that the combine got one version, and the aperture got a different one.

just a thought

-Kyle D

The thing is, GLaDOS isn't the one "in the Combine's system", it's something else altogether, they just happen to share the same voice actor. Why would the Combine have to ask the GMAN of all people to build a sophisticated AI? I suggest going to Aperture's website and looking at their history, which explains Cave Johnson's three-tier plan.

 

[Weightedcube]

They have a gun that can create localized portals. You're asking why they're using "futuristic" doors. Well, damn, if they could do what they were doing with the portal gun, why can't they have those "futuristic" doors? And you said it yourself... it's a SCIENCE facility, it seems somewhat obvious that some advanced technology of some sort would be in use.

They're using air tunnels because it saves time. I mean, look at the Enrichment Center. Forklifts seem really impractical considering how huge the place is. They can easily move the storage cubes quickly, and in large ammounts.

As for maintence doors, why would they have those in the test courses to begin with? I personally don't think that Aperture wants their test subjects getting behind the scenes, portal gun and all, and give them a way out outside of the set test course.

On turrets and cameras: Because those are Aperture's turrets and cameras, and they can do whatever the hell they want with them- it's just a different design.

Tell me, how did Valve not fit Portal into the HL universe properly?

Your last point seems a bit off. It IS designed to test the portal technology. How in the world do you find your way out of the individual test chambers? GASP- you use PORTAL TECHNOLOGY to find your way out. For example, imagine a very large room, with the exit tens of feet of above you, with no immediete way to get to said exit. You use your portal gun and fire a portal on a wall next to the exit, and fire a portal on the wall behind you. You step through the portal you just created, and voila. You've found your way out, thanks to portal technology.

Well, why doesn't all the science facilities in the real world use those futuristic doors? I'm sure they're not that hard to make, but there's no sense using them, it's just cheaper and easier to put in a normal door.

And the thing about the cubes is just ridiculous, why would they need to move them around so much? They need like one cube on each course. Don't defend this, it's just stupid.

Yes, they can do what they want with turrets, I'm just pointing out that the unrealistic design doesn't fit in to the otherwise realistic half-life experience.

And yes, they use portal technology in the tests, but i was talking about what the tests were testing. If they were testing the portal technology in itself, they wouldn't mind the hassle with test subjects, design problem-solving courses etc. Note that you actually yourself said that the test subject was the person using the portal gun, not the portal gun in itself.

 

[smurfy]

If GlaDOS is part of a nuclear reactor, the explosion at the end of Portal would have been much larger, yet we can still see trees and a guard outpost after the explosion, both of which would have been completely obliterated in the result of a nuclear explosion.

 

[Kdizzle]

The thing is, GLaDOS isn't the one "in the Combine's system", it's something else altogether, they just happen to share the same voice actor. Why would the Combine have to ask the GMAN of all people to build a sophisticated AI? I suggest going to Aperture's website and looking at their history, which explains Cave Johnson's three-tier plan.

Eye captain! that is why i say "just a thought" thanks though. i checked out the site before, and iam saying that they might have covered uup the deal by saying they made shower curtains. I mean as much as i would love portal technology to get in and out of my shower, wouldent the floor get all.... watery?

 

[pl0x]

If GlaDOS is part of a nuclear reactor, the explosion at the end of Portal would have been much larger, yet we can still see trees and a guard outpost after the explosion, both of which would have been completely obliterated in the result of a nuclear explosion.

Perhaps not an explosion. A leak, or a contained partial meltdown. After all, the area outside Chernobyl has living green trees because the explosion went up instead of out. But a leak of radioactive waste into a building would be enough to cause people to have to leave as well. Plus, it's not really an explosion when GLaDOS dies, a giant portal opens up. The -size- of the portal opened should be enough to prove GLaDOS is in control of a huge amount of energy. Without repairs done for who knows how many years, and the sudden bashing from Chell, she must have gotten so overloaded that she triggered an energy release, and the portal tore her to pieces.

 

[Kdizzle]

Perhaps not an explosion. A leak, or a contained partial meltdown. After all, the area outside Chernobyl has living green trees because the explosion went up instead of out. But a leak of radioactive waste into a building would be enough to cause people to have to leave as well. Plus, it's not really an explosion when GLaDOS dies, a giant portal opens up. The -size- of the portal opened should be enough to prove GLaDOS is in control of a huge amount of energy. Without repairs done for who knows how many years, and the sudden bashing from Chell, she must have gotten so overloaded that she triggered an energy release, and the portal tore her to pieces.

wait but she didnt die right? she just was a little sleepy from all those tests, and slept on some pavement.......

 

[marul101]

GlaDOS death: She collapses in on herself so like a black hole. That when matter is compressed it makes massive amounts of energy. Such energy in such a small space starts to warp space-time and all laws even gravity. So I am saying that there was no portal in the GLaDOS chamber it was just a warp in all the laws and so Chell being pulled in by gravity is flung out of the building by execrating past the collapsing GLaDOS like spaceships do to save fuel.

The doors and turrets of the enrichment center is a showing of scientific break though before its time. It?s the same if you watch the black and white original ?Astroboy?.

Ok so my idea of the flux core from being a electronic hobbyist, reading a lot of sci-fi, and being a fan of Hyperspace theory. Is that is a big coil able to transfer such power that it can help warp space-time to open a stable portal.

The main reason the combine can?t scan for the Borealis is the only satellite in HL2 is the one the combine used to make the portal storms and the combine use portal to transport not ships so they can?t scan from high orbit.

Borealis: Its said that the Borealis diapered from dry-dock with all hands. So I can think of two thing on the Borealis. One there are dead bodies preserved by the cold and maybe survivors. Two that in the portal transfer most organics is erased like the Chronosphere from C&C Red Alert.

I want to know what happens to Chell in her strange new world and well we have someone new to fight with in EP3?

 

[Van Kayne]

GlaDOS death: She collapses in on herself so like a black hole. That when matter is compressed it makes massive amounts of energy.

Just to clarify, no, it doesn't.

wait but she didnt die right? she just was a little sleepy from all those tests, and slept on some pavement.......

GLaDOS is the computer. Chell is the person.

The main reason the combine can?t scan for the Borealis is the only satellite in HL2 is the one the combine used to make the portal storms and the combine use portal to transport not ships so they can?t scan from high orbit.

There's nothing saying that the Combine haven't got a bunch of their own satellites. When they ported through the Citadels, they could just have easily ported through whole rockets ready for launch (or even ported through satellites directly into orbit)

I'd say the reason they hadn't found the Borealis pre-Mossman's expedition is because: 1) They didn't know that Aperture had a ship full of Very Interesting Things, and therefore weren't looking for it, 2) From space it'd be pretty damn hard to find an old, abandoned, cold ship half frozen in a glacier (or iceberg, take your pick), and 3) If they knew Aperture had a ship and if they guessed that it had vanished in a teleportation accident, where would they start looking? Where would you start looking, when it could be anywhere on Earth, inside or outside the Earth or in another dimension?

Also to clarify, Chernobyl wasn't a nuclear explosion. It was caused by high pressure steam from the cooling systems overheating.

 

[Mooilo]

OK, I just registered to post my thoughts here. I've had some ideas about this for awhile. I never played the original Half-Life though, so I can't really go into the story of it. I also only read the first 5 pages of the thread, so forgive me if a lot of this has been stated already. In the time line below anything in parenthesis is just a comment on my part.

Here is the time line I've made up:

1986- Aperture finds out about Black Mesa and their portal technology. They start developing GLaDOS.

2002- The Black Mesa incident and the Events of Half Life 1 occur. On the same day is the first annual Aperture Science bring your daughter to work day and GLaDOS is activated to show the children what kind of scientificky gismos Aperture is developing. GLaDOS malfunctions due to the portal storms and accidentally releases an extreme dose of neurotoxins, enough to eat flesh away. The malfunction in GLaDOS also causes her to activate emergency portal technology on the Borealis, teleporting it, its personnel, and the dry dock into the arctic. Chell is in a containment chamber due to disobedience (Or an error, or something), which shields her from the neurotoxins.

Approximately 2018- The events of Half Life 2 take place.

During Half Life 2- GLaDOS refines the ad hoc quantum tunnel technology into the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device.

After Half Life 2- Gordon Freeman is dug out of the rubble by DOG, and Chell is released from her containment chamber. GLaDOS leads Chell through the Enrichment Facility, intending to kill her at the end of the tests to prevent her from escaping and giving the portal technology to the Combine. (GLaDOS has cameras at the entrance to the Enrichment Center, you can see them at the end of Portal after GLaDOS is destroyed, so she knows about the Combine) Portal is finished about half way through Episode 1.

During Episode 1- Once GLaDOS is destroyed, Chell is thrown out of the Enrichment Center. (The Enrichment Center appears to be far from the actual cities of the game, because it has fairly different architecture compared to the rest of the game, along with lots of greenery) Chell just stays put in shock for a while.

The End of Episode 1- The Citadel explodes, and Chell watches the portal open up. She runs as far as possible from it, which from where she is, I'll assume is north. Episode 2 starts.

The End of Episode 2- Chell has taken refuge in an abandoned Air Force base in Northern Europe (I assume Aperture was in Northern Europe too). She stays there for awhile.

Now for what I think will happen in Episode 3- Gordon and Alyx will fly along in the helicopter and have to refuel. They land at the Air Force base Chell is in, and Gordon doesn't shoot the crap out of whatever he sees for once. They meet Chell and see that she is from Aperture from her uniform, and Alyx converses with her during the helicopter ride while Gordon pilots it to the Borealis.

They land at the Borealis and somehow Chell comes in handy and Episode 3's action begins.

Please remember that that was my idea of the Half life universe, and made up of what I know thanks to Wikipedia, Half Life 2, its respective Episodes, and Portal.

What I think of Aperture Science:

I assume the Enrichment Center is a section of the entire Aperture Science research facility, not the whole thing. I believe there is also a whole section that is automated and controlled by GLaDOS, with minimal intervention by humans. I will refer to that as the GLaDOS section. I also think that the Enrichment Center is underground because there are no windows in any of the Test Chambers that do not lead to observation rooms.

I believe the Aperture Science facility is located far out in the forests beyond the Combine cities. I think this because it is shown from the outside surrounded by lots of forest at the end of Portal. GLaDOS seems to have taken over and flooded the entire Enrichment Center facility with enough neurotoxins to get rid of flesh and bone, because you never see bodies. A few employees with full on body suits were likely the ones who installed GLaDOS's morality core, and then left because they found no survivors in the entire facility, except in the containment chambers which they couldn't access.

When the player beats the last Test Chamber, that is the end of the Enrichment Center. The player is constantly going upwards to get to GLaDOS, who I would assume is just below ground level. Chell couldn't have fallen far without sustaining serious injuries from being lifted up by the intensive energy emitted when GLaDOS blew up, so the entire GLaDOS section was likely underground.

The Aperture Entrance appears to be two guard posts without guards and a traffic pole thing that blocks cars (I forgot what those are called) unless it is raised. I think this means that the Aperture facility isn't extremely well guarded, but we only get a small glimpse of the outside of the facility.

There is an above ground building, which is entirely undamaged and appears abandoned (No motion in any of the windows). This isn't the GLaDOS section or the Enrichment Center, as those both are likely underground, so I would guess it is just offices.

Three random theories about Aperture's items and design:
-I think Aperture may have been remodeled to look more futuristic to impress the employees and their children on the first annual bring your daughter to work day.
-The cubes were likely bought from a toy manufacturing company who accidentally made them out of metal instead of plastic, making them too heavy for kids.
-The air tube system for transporting cubes was likely an advanced air conditioning system before GLaDOS, who may have changed it into the cube transport system.

That was a bit of an over analysis, but that is what I think the Aperture Science facility is like and why it looks like it does.

G-Man's Involvement with Aperture:

I don't think G-Man really muddled with Aperture except to make the Borealis go into the Arctic. GLaDOS didn't mention him, and neither did the writing on the walls of the Enrichment Center.

OK, that is how I think everything ties together/will tie together, plus an analysis of other things. All of my assumptions are mine, sorry if I copied anyone on accident.

 

[FrostXian]

OK, I just registered to post my thoughts here. I've had some ideas about this for awhile. I never played the original Half-Life though, so I can't really go into the story of it. I also only read the first 5 pages of the thread, so forgive me if a lot of this has been stated already. In the time line below anything in parenthesis is just a comment on my part.

Here is the time line I've made up:

1986- Aperture finds out about Black Mesa and their portal technology. They start developing GLaDOS.

2002- The Black Mesa incident and the Events of Half Life 1 occur. On the same day is the first annual Aperture Science bring your daughter to work day and GLaDOS is activated to show the children what kind of scientificky gismos Aperture is developing. GLaDOS malfunctions due to the portal storms and accidentally releases an extreme dose of neurotoxins, enough to eat flesh away. The malfunction in GLaDOS also causes her to activate emergency portal technology on the Borealis, teleporting it, its personnel, and the dry dock into the arctic. Chell is in a containment chamber due to disobedience (Or an error, or something), which shields her from the neurotoxins.

Approximately 2018- The events of Half Life 2 take place.

During Half Life 2- GLaDOS refines the ad hoc quantum tunnel technology into the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device.

After Half Life 2- Gordon Freeman is dug out of the rubble by DOG, and Chell is released from her containment chamber. GLaDOS leads Chell through the Enrichment Facility, intending to kill her at the end of the tests to prevent her from escaping and giving the portal technology to the Combine. (GLaDOS has cameras at the entrance to the Enrichment Center, you can see them at the end of Portal after GLaDOS is destroyed, so she knows about the Combine) Portal is finished about half way through Episode 1.

During Episode 1- Once GLaDOS is destroyed, Chell is thrown out of the Enrichment Center. (The Enrichment Center appears to be far from the actual cities of the game, because it has fairly different architecture compared to the rest of the game, along with lots of greenery) Chell just stays put in shock for a while.

The End of Episode 1- The Citadel explodes, and Chell watches the portal open up. She runs as far as possible from it, which from where she is, I'll assume is north. Episode 2 starts.

The End of Episode 2- Chell has taken refuge in an abandoned Air Force base in Northern Europe (I assume Aperture was in Northern Europe too). She stays there for awhile.

Now for what I think will happen in Episode 3- Gordon and Alyx will fly along in the helicopter and have to refuel. They land at the Air Force base Chell is in, and Gordon doesn't shoot the crap out of whatever he sees for once. They meet Chell and see that she is from Aperture from her uniform, and Alyx converses with her during the helicopter ride while Gordon pilots it to the Borealis.

They land at the Borealis and somehow Chell comes in handy and Episode 3's action begins.

Please remember that that was my idea of the Half life universe, and made up of what I know thanks to Wikipedia, Half Life 2, its respective Episodes, and Portal.

What I think of Aperture Science:

I assume the Enrichment Center is a section of the entire Aperture Science research facility, not the whole thing. I believe there is also a whole section that is automated and controlled by GLaDOS, with minimal intervention by humans. I will refer to that as the GLaDOS section. I also think that the Enrichment Center is underground because there are no windows in any of the Test Chambers that do not lead to observation rooms.

I believe the Aperture Science facility is located far out in the forests beyond the Combine cities. I think this because it is shown from the outside surrounded by lots of forest at the end of Portal. GLaDOS seems to have taken over and flooded the entire Enrichment Center facility with enough neurotoxins to get rid of flesh and bone, because you never see bodies. A few employees with full on body suits were likely the ones who installed GLaDOS's morality core, and then left because they found no survivors in the entire facility, except in the containment chambers which they couldn't access.

When the player beats the last Test Chamber, that is the end of the Enrichment Center. The player is constantly going upwards to get to GLaDOS, who I would assume is just below ground level. Chell couldn't have fallen far without sustaining serious injuries from being lifted up by the intensive energy emitted when GLaDOS blew up, so the entire GLaDOS section was likely underground.

The Aperture Entrance appears to be two guard posts without guards and a traffic pole thing that blocks cars (I forgot what those are called) unless it is raised. I think this means that the Aperture facility isn't extremely well guarded, but we only get a small glimpse of the outside of the facility.

There is an above ground building, which is entirely undamaged and appears abandoned (No motion in any of the windows). This isn't the GLaDOS section or the Enrichment Center, as those both are likely underground, so I would guess it is just offices.

Three random theories about Aperture's items and design:
-I think Aperture may have been remodeled to look more futuristic to impress the employees and their children on the first annual bring your daughter to work day.
-The cubes were likely bought from a toy manufacturing company who accidentally made them out of metal instead of plastic, making them too heavy for kids.
-The air tube system for transporting cubes was likely an advanced air conditioning system before GLaDOS, who may have changed it into the cube transport system.

That was a bit of an over analysis, but that is what I think the Aperture Science facility is like and why it looks like it does.

G-Man's Involvement with Aperture:

I don't think G-Man really muddled with Aperture except to make the Borealis go into the Arctic. GLaDOS didn't mention him, and neither did the writing on the walls of the Enrichment Center.

OK, that is how I think everything ties together/will tie together, plus an analysis of other things. All of my assumptions are mine, sorry if I copied anyone on accident.

Most of what you said doesn't make much sense.
Look;
1) First of all, the timeline is completely made-up, as you have also stated. Alas, have you noticed that if Combine control was already dominiant over the planet, they would just get in and clean out Aperture Science Enrichment Center, because they are looking for Borealis? Glados is not aware of what is going out outside, so it's something that was not programmed into her, an unseen event, like the newcoming of Combine, 7 hour war, or the portal storms during/after HL1's timeline.
On a sidenote I too hope to see Chell in a Half Life game.
2) You think the cubes were made of metal but were too heavy for kids..
That's a joke, right? You're not mentally retarded, and don't actually think Aperture employees decided to paint everything white so the kids would enjoy the place, then brought in BOXES for children to play, because the boxes are oh so fun?
The design is the style of Aperture, the boxes are damn test devices and the tubes that carry them are there because THEY ARE MADE TO CARRY THE CUBES. It's a TEST CENTER, it's there to MAKE TESTS, which involve those BOXES being CARRIED AROUND AUTOMATICLY. Glados didnt just build the damn place on her spare time from making cake and singing.

That was a bit of an over analysis, but that is what I think the Aperture Science facility is like and why it looks like it does.

Ok, so you just think Aperture Science Facility is a preschooling facility. You are a damn genius.
And yeah, G-man, obviously, went to Borealis and got it teleported far away, because he knew it was needed for his own agenda.
Oh.
WAIT.

 

[Mooilo]

Yes, the random theories were mainly a joke. I'm not that dumb, but considering the other stupidity that goes on in Aperture, it kind of fits in. (Aperture Science was founded to make shower curtains?)

I did not think of that if the combine had controlled all of the planet, they would have swept the whole place out. I actually never really thought about this, because most of the countryside was abandoned and seemed to not be bothered by the Combine, unless you are saying they flushed them out, which would make sense.

You claim GLaDOS doesn't know what is going on outside, yet she states that you would probably rather be in the Enrichment Center in the ending credits song and in the final battle with her. So I'll go ahead and contradict myself here- perhaps she doesn't know about the Combine, but she knows that the world isn't going too well. I'm probably wrong though.

Why Aperture would use cubes is honestly beyond me, or even go to the effort of making them nice. Chairs can hold down buttons, just not in game. Someone else pointed out that the cube transport system is intensely over elaborate, and they could just use forklifts or carry them around. Of course, all of Aperture is over elaborate, so I could easily be wrong again.

G-Man barely makes sense in game anyway. He seems to know the future though, or at least able to easily affect it, so he could have assumed that the Borealis would be useful in the Arctic. He seems to have a master plan of things which I doubt we will understand till the end of the Half Life Saga.

 

[Pinkle]

Also, I remember seeing somewhere that the Aperature Science Enrichment Center is in Ohio.

 

[AciD]

^ It was on Borealis blueprints.

 

[Eejit]

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/676...a150008eo9.jpg

The Mark V edition of the HEV suit was only introduced in Half-Life 2 [you use the Mark IV suit in the first Half-Life], meaning that the Aperture Science meeting was being held after the Portal Storms.


As mentioned earlier, the Mark V suit is mentioned, further indicating Aperture Science's knowledge of Black Mesa.

The Mark V suit was scheduled for testing at the time of the Resonance Cascade.
It's mentioned in the Decay manual I believe.

 

[marul101]

I don't think there was a larger plan with the Borealis. I think it was just a random fluke of less then standard safety protocols. I think that if there is a battle Gordon mite starting back up the portal generator to escape the combine and thats where HL3 ends with Gordon missing again this time with Alyx. Then HL3 can start off with Chell.

 

[bmnbmn]

Aperture facility is served by a central computer.
The facility has neurotoxins as a lockdown mechanism to prevent hostile takeover, infiltration, theft, escape of subjects, etc.
When GLa was booted as a sentient AI on the central DOS by afew engineers, it was programmed to control the vast testing areas - to be an overseer and caretaker for the testing facility, basically. To make it orientate towards its task, it was added with the modules of
Aggression - to test subjects to the limit;
Curiosity - to know more and help engineers solve problems via innovation;
Cake - the control module containing the code for administering the test course.
Due to emotional attrition, or due to the aggression module, it gradually decided, or immediately decided, to flood the facility, or at least the computer, with neurotoxin. The person manning the red phone got word out, and staff from the rest of the installation were able to get back into the facility after while using HEV suits, to install the morality module so that it is able to balance the agression and drive with a sense of ethics. After this, they were able to restore the facility to normal operation, cleared up the bodies, create some innovation.

After awhile, operating on the premise of extending the breadth of scientific knowledge on the subject - which was its primary goal - it became over zealous and tried to take over the facility again by locking it down some other way, and harnessing all the staff trapped inside as test subjects to do endless trail-and-error tests on. A general panic ensued as everybody rushed to get out before they were locked in. This mostly happened in the executive areas and offices, which were closer to the ground and freedom. Those captured inside were either killed if uncooperative - the sentience elimination chute isn't just for rocks, it was designated by glados for disposing sentient humans who get in its way of successful testing, too, or getting rid of "lab mice" that had finished all the tests and were no more useful. However, the chutes probably weren't the original purpose; the furnaces below everything were probably volcanic in origin (too spread out to be a huge blast furnace or nuclear reactor) and perhaps geothermal energy powered the centre, especially from all the pipes and pistons at the ending (ever seen a geothermal power plant? Pipes galore.) The guys captured were put into stasis and underwent medical and mechanical treatment for the test trails with memories wiped. The red phone's wire was probably cut by a maintainence robot under glados's control to prevent any humans in the course who escaped, probably by using the gun thing, to call the outside world. In any sense, it probably wasn't necessary, because the outside probably knew and tried to get back in but couldn't, and later external events would come to force a different evacuation of the top areas. Perhaps a fear of glados's further rampancy, some unexplained incident that provoked panic or facility disbanding like the borealis incident causing financial ruin, or some other hostile invasion that glados successfully mitigated by simply sealing the facility so tightly that the invaders couldn't even get in at all, or simply didn't even notice as it was underground and such a well-kept secret.

 

[Sneaki]

Paragraphs are your friends..

 

[marul101]

Cool I like you story. I almost want to try and construct a image of the inside of the portal room on the Borealis from the blueprints but I don't have the time to sit down and do it.

 

[z0mbin3]

I think GLaDOS knows about the Combine. But I don't think the Combine know about GLaDOS. If they did GLaDOS woudln't stand a chance. Sure her auto turrets and neurotoxin would get a few kill's. But I doubt she could hold out forever. Hunters could take 30 auto turrets and not even care. And there breathing system probably has a filter.

The only hope GLaDOS has to hold off the Combine forever lies with the Compainon Cube. Even the Advisors will bow down and love the cube. Then GLaDOS will become the ruler of the Combine Empire by being the leader behind the curtain while the C.C. will be the face so the prophecy tell's.

And then one day The Cube will let ring "Let them eat moist delicious cake!" and the cake was indeed moist and delicious and in no way a lie. And for a time, it was good.

Fell free to add to that last part. I was going with "the last renaissance" from The Matrix but you can go your way's with it.

 

[Omnomnick]

Without proper, offical dates or event timelines, this thread is almost useless

 

[marul101]

We know around what time portal is set but we don't know what happens after that.

If you don't know there is a nice time line at http://members.shaw.ca/halflifestory/timeline.htm

He has portals where I it is in the time line.

 

[ellimanest]

Is it correct that after the events of Black Mesa, Xen creatures became abundent across the world, forcing people to move into urban areas? If that's right then wouldn't the aperture facility of been destroyed. It does look like its in the countryside from the brief glimps we get of the outside world doesn't it? So maybe Portal takes place before the resonance cascade, explaining the centers integrity.

 

[Graztding45]

Well, me and my brother were recently playing Portal and Half-Life2. And we thought of this theroy they could be true.

At the beggining of Half-Life2, when you get off the train there is a girl at the gate. She says are you the only ones on that train. Probably on your first time you played it you didnt go up and talk to her. SO go an talk to her and they will say that the combine took her husband away to for questioning.

Here is were my theroy kicks in

The combine must take him away for questioning for reasons unknown. He must be found guilty for the crime or whateva and they send him to Nova Prospect. Because the lady at the gate was his wife, they must take her for questioning and find out that that she was also involved. She is also taken to Nova Prospect. They make them wear that orange suit that convicts wear because they are convicts. Nova Prospect must become full and there is people with other worse crimes that have to go there. SO they have to send some of them somewhere else. The lady and the man are not sent away first, but they send some lady away. The convicts dont find out what the place is until they get sent there themselves. Soon it is time for the man to go. The place thy send them to is to Apature Science which had been abandoned for years because the creators went crazy and they built the crazy GLaDOS. Then they send the lady there. The lady turns out to be the main character that you be on portal. That explains why if you look at her through the reflection of a portal or from usng third person view, she is wearing the orange convict clothes. And the writing on the wall is from the other people that were sent their as convicts, including her husband.

So this is my theroy, and questions?

 

[kineaesth]

So this is my theroy, and questions?

Why do you feel the need to post it everywhere?

 

[Kula Meenur]

This theroy guy needs to learn english.

 

[Vaun]

Pretty sure it happens after black mesa and the 7 hours war. GLaDOS is in complete control of the facility and such, maby even being able to move it, like the island in lost (but thats going out on a limb). With all the gun removal fields and turrets, glados could keep out the combine who would deem the facility a waste of time. The borealis could be run by glados, believing freeman must die because hes from black mesa. Things changing is a reference to the combine conquering earth. Also, anyone saying that aperature is under combine control, then why hasnt the portal tech been used by the combine who have no "local teleportation" tech?

I havent heard the details of cave johnsons death, so its possible he used tech on the borealis to "steal" it after the start of the xen invasion on earth to prevent more aliens from coming to earth (he was crazy, wasnt he?) The again, when did he die?

Also, as weve seen, some of aperatures decisions arent exactly logical or completely true (like their slide show of their proposals vs black mesa's)

 

[wrongworld]

i really doubt that GLaDOS can hold Striders out :rolling:

 

[Vaun]

You never know, who knows how much damage those missile turrets can do to a strider? Or how many there are, there could be any number of other weapons or such at their disposal.

Or just make a portal so the strider shoots itself.
(strider)<----------------(blue)
(strider beam)>---------(orange)

 

[wrongworld]

and who are using the portal gun?

i doubt that there are many of thoose rocket turrets, it aint a millitary facility, and a strider need at least 2xrocket launcher missiles

 

[Vaun]

GLaDOS can project portals withing and around the facility, and the Aperature corporation was set up by a madman... who knows, like with ravenholm, it took the combine a long time to find it, maby the enrichment center wasnt located after the 7 hours war knocked out all major communication.

So lets review: Aperature founded by crazy guy, glados can project portals around the facility at will, possibly outside on the building as well, giving all sorts of tactical advantages, such as:

Turret=--------(interior portal) [WALL] (exterior portal)------->missile> (strider)

or the aformentioned strategy of redirecting a striders own singularity cannon back at it.

 

[wrongworld]

oh, so why didnt GLaDOS keep chell from wonder around, its only outside she can use portals? :|