High Energy Pellet

A High Energy Pellet in Portal

“

While safety is one of many Enrichment Center goals, the Aperture Science High Energy Pellet, seen to the left of the chamber, can and has caused permanent disabilities such as vaporization. Click to listen — GLaDOS

”

The High Energy Pellet is a puzzle mechanic introduced in Portal. It is a fast moving energy ball, fired by an emitter built into a Test Chamber surface and usually accompanied by a receptacle that catches it. Players direct the ball into the receptacle in order to activate lifts or devices before it dissipates and explodes. The ball is extremely volatile, and as such instantly vaporizes test subjects on contact. Turrets, however, will be knocked over by it.

Portal

The High Energy Pellet was a common puzzle mechanic in Portal. It first appeared in Portal Test Chamber 06 and made recurrent appearances throughout the game. Test Chamber 19 features two versions of the High Energy Pellet, the standard yellow High Energy Pellet as well as a green High Energy Pellet. As the green one does not dissipate and explode, it is sometimes colloquially known as the Super High Energy Pellet.

Portal 2

The High Energy Pellet itself does not make an appearance in Portal 2; however, its emitter and receptacle do. These appear in Chamber 1 of Portal 2's second chapter, which is identical to Test Chamber 06 of Portal (albeit run down and degraded). However, this similarity is removed when GLaDOS replaces the items with those of the Thermal Discouragement Beam. They are also present in Chamber 7 of Portal 2's first chapter, as this chamber is simply a run-down version of Portal's Test Chamber 07. The catcher appears in the ruins of Test Chamber 19 from Portal and is visible once Chell moves towards the exit after being dropped in the incinerator.

The high energy pellet is actually functional in Portal 2, however it is missing its sounds and models, although there are fan-made modifications which restore its functionality.

Gallery

High Energy Pellet

Pellet, png version   The High Energy Pellet in Portal.   High Energy Pellet launcher.   High Energy Pellet catcher.   The Super High Energy Pellet as seen in Portal test chamber 19.   An Energy Pellet launcher and catcher in Portal 2's Chamber 7.   Artwork found in the Portal 2 ARG, of a destroyed Energy Pellet launcher.   A High Energy Pellet about to hit a Test Subject on an Aperture Science propaganda poster, titled "Courage is Not the Absence of Fear".

Puzzle Creator item properties (If BEEMOD is installed)

• Entity Cost: 12 (launcher); 8 (catcher); 2 (standalone Super High Energy Pellet)
• Connections(launcher & HD launcher): This item supports inputs which will allow the launcher to shoot the pellet when activated. Connect to... is used to connect this item to another, via inputs or outputs. Connection visibility controls the visibility of this connection, and Remove connections is used to remove existing connections.
• Connections(catcher): This item supports timed outputs which will activate something for specific time and deactivate when reset. It is permanently activated if the catcher is not timed. Connect to... is used to connect this item to another, via inputs or outputs. Connection visibility controls the visibility of this connection, and Remove connections is used to remove existing connections.
• Connections(HD catcher): This item supports timed outputs which will activate something for specific time and deactivate when reset. It is permanently activated if the catcher is not timed. This item also supports inputs to reset if set to infinite. Connect to... is used to connect this item to another, via inputs or outputs. Connection visibility controls the visibility of this connection, and Remove connections is used to remove existing connections.
• Start Enabled(launcher): This checkbox controls whether the launcher will launch the pellet automatically or not. If unchecked, the launcher will not shoot until its input is activated.
• Auto-respawn cube(launcher & HD Launcher): This checkbox controls whether the launcher will respawn the pellet or not. If unchecked, the launcher will permanently deactivate when it hits its receptacle.
• Auto-drop cube(catcher): This checkbox controls whether the catcher is dangling out of the wall exposing its internals or if it is fixed in on the wall. This checkbox is the only checkbox on the catcher. Only available in overgrown if BEE2.2 alpha is installed with TeamSpen210's addons installed
• timer-delay(launcher & HD launcher): This property controls how long the pellet will last until exploding ranging from 3-30 (1-30 if the timer delay in the BEE2 application is set below a delay of 3 if BEEMOD is installed) The timer delay option on this same with the catcher is disabled since it's a default item in BEE2. If the timer is set to infinite, the pellet will not explode until it hits an item that kills the pellet, and if set to infinite, the launcher's body lights will be green. (the UCP package of this item in Hybrid style if installed, the launcher's body lights will turn orange when it shoots a pellet but returns to its blue(timed) or green(infinite) before the launcher finishes it's animation.)
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• timer-delay(catcher & HD catcher): This property controls how long the catcher is activated till it resets ranging from 3-30 (1-30 if the timer delay in the BEE2 application is set below a delay of 3 if BEEMOD is installed) The timer delay option on this same with the launcher is disabled since it's a default item in BEE2. If the timer is set to infinite, the catcher will permanently be activated, and the catcher's body lights will be blue. (the UCP package of this item in Hybrid style if installed, the catcher's body lights will turn orange when it's activated but return to its blue(infinite) or green(timed) when the catcher resets. Timers on the HD catcher will immediately cancel and the HD catcher will reset if an input connected to it is activated.

Trivia

• The Energy Pellet uses the Combine Energy Ball model from the Half-Life series.
• The Pellet "refreshes" every time it passes through linked portals, meaning the player could keep the ball bouncing until they've discovered the solution to the current chamber.
• For a brief moment in Portal 2 Chapter 2 Test Chamber 1, the High Energy Pellet launcher and catcher can be seen being replaced with the Thermal Discouragement Beam. GLaDOS later remarks she had just finished the Discouragement Redirection Cube before Chell defeated her in Portal 1, explaining the change.
• If you get hit by the Energy Pellet, not only does it kill you, it also fizzles your Portalgun.

Seen in

• testchmb_a_03 Portal - Test Chamber 06
• testchmb_a_03 Portal - Test Chamber 07
• testchmb_a_04 Portal - Test Chamber 08
• testchmb_a_07 Portal - Test Chamber 11
• testchmb_a_08 Portal - Test Chamber 13
• testchmb_a_09 Portal - Test Chamber 14
• testchmb_a_10 Portal - Test Chamber 15
• testchmb_a_13 Portal - Test Chamber 17
• testchmb_a_14 Portal - Test Chamber 18
• testchmb_a_15 Portal - Test Chamber 19