The The Orange Box Prima Guide states that these four discs "represent each aspect" of her Personality Cores, but it is unknown what that means exactly.Ĭores are not foolproof and can become corrupted. These may be related to her Personality Cores, but it is unknown to what extent. GLaDOS is also equipped with four discs and four servers installed in the entrance of her chamber. It is only when grabbed by Chell and destroyed in the Emergency Intelligence Incinerator that their effect on GLaDOS stops (In Portal 2, the Personality Cores only affect Wheatley when attached to it). Despite no longer being physically attached to GLaDOS, they appear to be still linked to her somehow with a greenish, semi-transparent beam/thread. When Chell detaches all of GLaDOS' Cores in Portal, the Cores are flung to different locations once GLaDOS is hit with a rocket. It's unknown if there is actually any negative side-effect of using the flashlight or if this was just to prevent them from using it, although it appears that the latter is true. For unknown reasons, Cores were apparently told they would also die if they used the flashlight. The Aperture Science Apocalypse announcements indicate that in the event of the collapse of society, Aperture Science Personality constructs are designed to function on power sources as low as 1.1 volts for protracted periods of time.Īs demonstrated by Wheatley, there is also a flashlight on the side of a Personality Core's case, seemingly for use if the Core ends up in a low-light environment.
While a detached core cannot move, it appears to have some sort of internal energy store that lasts a long time. When Chell detaches all of GLaDOS' Cores in Portal, they also continue functioning and actually do not display their proper personality before being detached. It proves to be untrue when Wheatley still functions after his fall. In Portal 2, Wheatley states that a Personality Core is never to disengage itself from its ceiling rail, otherwise it will kill itself. Wheatley while still attached to an arm on the Management Rail. Personality Cores also seem to be very solid and robust devices, as they do not seem to be affected by long falls, and at the end of Portal 2 it is demonstrated that they can function normally in a vacuum. In the back of the Core, a three pin plug to connect it to computer terminals can typically be found. The Core can move in all directions independently from its case, allowing it to see in every direction not hidden by the case. They have a large, single eye (supposedly a camera), with a color related to its function, a pupil varying in size, and a varying number of dots at each side of the eye. Personality Cores are typically stored within a case equipped with two handles, above and under, which fits around the Core itself. 2.4.1 Virtual Reality Assistance and Education Core.