Portals question (spoilers)

FireNexus · Post by **FireNexus** » 2008-02-25 03:31pm

Is it possible that GLaDOS' purpose in sending the character through the test course was to help in developing software for military androids?

Obviously aperture science makes them, and considering how elated she is at the fact the character manages to destroy part of her body (in "Still Alive") I get the feeling that might be the case.

I really like the idea of GLaDOS just being a sociopath in general, but it would be cool to see that she has a plan for the good of humanity up her sleeve. Especially since she was obviously lying about the morality core as I imagine it would have functions other than "preventing her from flooding the test chamber with deadly nerve agent" and probably including "Not trying to murder test subjects".

Zixinus · Post by **Zixinus** » 2008-02-26 07:50am

Possibly. I for one don't really buy that the thing at the end was really her body/core but rather a test.

The "androids remember that android hell is a real place" thing does bother me though.

Axiomatic · Post by **Axiomatic** » 2008-02-26 01:08pm

The androids bit is where Chell accidentially stumbles into the android test firing range. That's why GLaDOS temporarily treats her as an android. GLaDOS has sets of canned responses which she fires off at you at certain stages, and if you just went through the military android test range, well, you're an android, QED.

Molyneux · Post by **Molyneux** » 2008-02-26 01:22pm

Axiomatic wrote:The androids bit is where Chell accidentially stumbles into the android test firing range. That's why GLaDOS temporarily treats her as an android. GLaDOS has sets of canned responses which she fires off at you at certain stages, and if you just went through the military android test range, well, you're an android, QED.

...unless that's what she wants you to think.

The best idea I can get of Chell is that she's a Gordon Freeman-type character - a junior employee or even intern, who just happens to be the one "test subject" to a) survive and b) get out. Presumably, the rest of the Aperture Science folks were similarly put through the tests, but didn't get as far as Chell did.

The comments GLaDOS makes about having a memory backup of you are...worrying, though.

Zixinus · Post by **Zixinus** » 2008-02-26 01:24pm

Where was that? Don't tell me those turrets are supposed to be androids. I don't recall seeing any kinds of androids.

BTW, where was it established that the main character's name is Chell?

Zixinus · Post by **Zixinus** » 2008-02-26 01:26pm

My post was aimed at Axiomatic's.

And being an android does make some sense now that I think about it. How could GlaDOS have a memory copy of you otherwise?

The Grim Squeaker · Post by **The Grim Squeaker** » 2008-02-26 01:30pm

Zixinus wrote:My post was aimed at Axiomatic's.

And being an android does make some sense now that I think about it. How could GlaDOS have a memory copy of you otherwise?

Clone the brain, or copy down the engrams/impulses. That is, make a copy of the brain-state.

Look at what the Combine planned to do (succesfully) with Breen, and that was immeasurably funkier, even if they did probably have superior technology. (Although that's arguable. I wonder if GlaDOS has ever met the G-man. Hey, G - G!! Conspiracy theory?)

Joviwan · Post by **Joviwan** » 2008-02-26 02:08pm

If Chell is the only test subject to make it that far, why were there red 'go here' notes scrawled everywhere she went inside the clearly abandoned facility?

I have an easier time believing that chell is NOT the first, considering some of the content of the song at the end and the "computer sphere's" lighting up around the cake. I also have no problem with the morality core ("It was a morality core installed when I flooded the enrichment center with a deadly neurotoxin, to stop me flooding the enrichment center with a deadly neurotoxin"), because, while probably based on something someone actually attempted to do, all the signs pointing to GLaDOS make me think that she's been blown up before. If she HASN'T been blown up before Chell, well... Clearly, the person installing the morality core was trying to do so while the enrichment center was being flooded with a deadly neurotoxin.

Also, Chell's name was mentioned numerous times in the comentary, but no where in game, I believe.

Molyneux · Post by **Molyneux** » 2008-02-26 02:39pm

Joviwan wrote:If Chell is the only test subject to make it that far, why were there red 'go here' notes scrawled everywhere she went inside the clearly abandoned facility?

I have an easier time believing that chell is NOT the first, considering some of the content of the song at the end and the "computer sphere's" lighting up around the cake. I also have no problem with the morality core ("It was a morality core installed when I flooded the enrichment center with a deadly neurotoxin, to stop me flooding the enrichment center with a deadly neurotoxin"), because, while probably based on something someone actually attempted to do, all the signs pointing to GLaDOS make me think that she's been blown up before. If she HASN'T been blown up before Chell, well... Clearly, the person installing the morality core was trying to do so while the enrichment center was being flooded with a deadly neurotoxin.

Also, Chell's name was mentioned numerous times in the comentary, but no where in game, I believe.

By "This far" I meant actually blowing up GLaDOS and getting outside. I figure that the AI was forcing people to run through the Enrichment Center one by one, possibly copying them repeatedly - which means this might not have been the first time Chell ran through. If she's been cloned repeatedly from a single 'freeze-frame' of her brain, it kind of makes sense that she doesn't remember going through it before...since each previous clone would have ended up en flambé at the end.

Joviwan · Post by **Joviwan** » 2008-02-26 02:52pm

Possibly... There's still the issue of the red-painted scrawls on the wall. How many of them were chell's that went crazy or didn't make it? were ANY of them chell's? If Chell was restored from a data backup, why would one backup perform differently from another? These are all fairly important. Heck, she wasn't even a full time employee, which makes me think that the Enrichment center was for employee's only... considering their history of horrible, debilitating science programs, I guess that's not inconsiderable.

The Grim Squeaker · Post by **The Grim Squeaker** » 2008-02-26 03:07pm

Joviwan wrote:Possibly... There's still the issue of the red-painted scrawls on the wall. How many of them were chell's that went crazy or didn't make it? were ANY of them chell's? If Chell was restored from a data backup, why would one backup perform differently from another? These are all fairly important. Heck, she wasn't even a full time employee, which makes me think that the Enrichment center was for employee's only... considering their history of horrible, debilitating science programs, I guess that's not inconsiderable.

In my opinion, the signs were left by former Aperture science employees, who managed to survive and to hide after things went apeshit. (Where else would they get the supplies and computer equipment, especially at the early stages?).

FireNexus · Post by **FireNexus** » 2008-02-26 03:59pm

The question can also be raised as to where the enrichment center getting it's a. power and b. supplies?

Zixinus · Post by **Zixinus** » 2008-02-26 04:05pm

Power is most likely the same as Black Mesa. A nuclear power plant, which is why Black Mesa had spills of radioactive materials when all went apeshit.

The Grim Squeaker · Post by **The Grim Squeaker** » 2008-02-26 04:33pm

FireNexus wrote:The question can also be raised as to where the enrichment center getting it's a. power and b. supplies?

All of the food and water were canned. (Much of the water in gasoline cans).

Take it from the supply room, or pick it up along the way, then run like hell to some spot, and wait there for someone to come and shut down the Fuel Ice system. But no one comes, and it's been days, no weeks, and... How could you never see before how beautiful the Cube is, if only you could reach it, it's even saying how it's your Friend... Oh wait, that's a Sentry Drone.