Cores



Cores (also referred to as Spheres, Personality Cores/Spheres, or Aperture Science Artificial Personality Constructs) are machines designed to house advanced artificial intelligence, mostly unique for their ability to express emotions. Cores generally come in two varieties: Spherical and Input. Spheres are the standard form, used for android bodies (such as Atlas) and other purposes. Input Cores are eliptical Cores such as are used in Turrets or P-Body.

Each unique core is either integrated into a robotic body or left in standalone sphere form. (these spheres are usually attached to management rails) in the Aperture Science computer-aided Enrichment Center, such as the Turrets, Atlas, and P-body.

Function
Developed by Aperture Science technicians, GLaDOS is the earliest known personality core - specifically designed for becoming the Enrichment Center's overseer. The next cores developed were given the purpose of counteracting GLaDOS' psychotic behavior (such as flooding test chambers and other vital parts of the facility with neurotoxin) by integrating with her (sub)concious and altering her personality.

Often present in the form of spherical shapes, these cores are a more simplistic design as their purpose had been more at hand instead. This contrasts with the majority of the designs of Aperture androids in the Enrichment Center that are personality core-based such as Atlas (enclosed core design), P-body (core inputs), and Turrets (also core inputs).

Personality Cores
As the name implies, each core has its own unique personality and behavior, which can be incorporated into the central core when they are physically attached to it. Most cores were unneeded and deactivated.

The general form of a personality core is a large, spherical construct roughly a foot in diameter resembling an eyeball, containing sensors (with the "eye" presumably being the core's camera), two handles (possibly dating from when humans had to transport and handle them manually), and other equipment, such as ports to hold them onto a security rail for them to move on, or to plug into the central computer.

Central Core


The Central Core is the highest rank of all Aperture Science Personality Cores in the Enrichment Center, given to the core hardwired into the enormous robotic body in the Central Control Chamber.

A central core has the power to control and regulate the entire Enrichment Center, including the camera feeds, Testing Chamber Assembly and Storage, and the Turret Production Lines.

GLaDOS, who was designed with the sole purpose of being the central core herself, has her own unique shape that is quite different from the other personality cores, with an oblong white "body", black "face", and a yellow "eye".

Morality Core


The Morality Core is one of the more important cores attached on GLaDOS in Portal. It is a core with a purple 'eye' and two dots just beneath it.

Unlike other cores, the Morality Core is mute.

Curiosity Core


The second core attached to GLaDOS is the Curiosity Core. It is the core with an orange 'eye' and two dots beneath it. It has a tendency to constantly ask questions, ranging from its surroundings, to Chell, to where it is going.

Cake Core


GLaDOS' third core, the Cake Core, has a blue 'eye' with a huge pupil with six dots beneath it. It rambles on about an odd recipe for a rather unique kind of cake,

Anger Core


The last core attached to GLaDOS is the Anger Core. It has a red 'eye' with eight dots beneath it. It is also referred to as the Emotion Core. Rather than speak, the Core snarls and growls ferociously at Chell. (These snarls and growls were later used in Valve's game 'Left 4 Dead', which featured the same actor, Mike Patton, as the infected.)

Wheatley


Wheatley, is portrayed as bumbling, chatty, desperate when things did not catch up to his expectations, and often hesitant. He is the first character to have interacted with Chell in the game, and is one of many cores seen awakening at the end of Portal.

Corrupted Cores
Due to technical difficulties over time, a core may be detected as a Corrupted Core and would be subject to disposal. However, if the corrupted core is the Central Core, a substitute core must be present in a core receptacle in order to initiate a core transfer. Central Core Corruption will not be detected if another core is not present. This is because other cores would not usually be present, except for core transfer. Once a substitute core is found, both cores must agree or disagree to the core transfer procedure. If one agrees while the other disagrees, the transfer process cannot occur unless a Stalemate Resolution Associate is present in order to press the stalemate resolution button, which will initiate the core transfer process once the Associate has returned to the Central Chamber.

All three Corrupted Cores are voiced by Nolan North.

Space Sphere


The Space Sphere is one of three active, corrupted cores. It speaks rapidly, and possesses an unhealthy obsession with space. Its key personality trait is its often-repeated desire to travel to outer space. The Final Hours of Portal 2 reveal Valve's inspiration for the Space Core: an Oregon Coast Aquarium ad with a goldfish rapidly and repeatedly humming, blurting, and stating that he would like to go to the aquarium, much like the Space Core does.

Adventure Sphere


The second corrupted core, the Adventure Sphere (or as he calls himself, Rick) speaks like a stereotypical soldier.

Fact Sphere


The Fact Sphere is the third corrupted core. It constantly states several random, twisted and not entirely true "facts" related to history, the current situation, as well as apparent facts about how amazing and handsome it is.

Other Cores
Cores that are neither corrupted nor personality cores, but cores that serve a different purpose altogether.

Party Escort Bot


During the events of Portal, GLaDOS refers to the Party Associate after failing her attempt to kill Chell at the end of the final test chamber. As Chell did not follow GLaDOS as the latter instructed her to "place the device on the ground, then lie on [her] stomach with [her] arms at [her] sides" which was described as the "party escort submission position", it is presumed that the Party Escort Bot was required to travel to the surface in order to retrieve her and "escort her to the party". Prior to the March 3, 2010 patch, Portal ended with Chell slowly regaining consciousness on the parking lot above the Aperture Science Enrichment Center. Since the patch was added to bridge the gap between Portal and Portal 2, Chell is instead slowly and unwillingly dragged back towards the facility by the unseen Party Escort Bot as it thanks her for "assuming the party escort submission position". The Party Escort Bot is seen briefly in the Portal 2: Lab Rat comic and was only partially depicted, revealed to be a core-based android with a pink eye.

Trivia

 * The bomb model used in Portal 2 is named 'personality_sphere_angry' within the game files, suggesting the Anger core was to make an appearance in the sequel.


 * The bomb model also possesses various typical personality core animations that can be viewed in the Model Viewer in the Authoring Tools. These include a stationary animation, a test animation where the core aimlessly looks around, and an angry animation where it twitches violently.


 * In early screenshots released prior to the Portal 2 E3 teaser trailer, the texture of personality cores were yet to receive detailing and minor scratches, as the textures of the plating were matte white. Since then the textures have been greatly improved, and compared to Portal, the Cores from then to the retail version have a wider range of emotions.