GLaDOS

"We're a lot alike, you and I. You tested me. I tested you. You killed me. I—oh, no, wait. I guess I haven't killed you yet. Well. Food for thought."

- GLaDOS

The Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System of the Aperture Science Enrichment Center is the main antagonist throughout Super Portal. As the overseer, GLaDOS resides by the Central AI Chamber.

Background
The GLaDOS Project Began In May 198X, Which Then, A Flash Liquidizer Ultra Dousing Device Was Shutted Down And Became The Genetic Lifeform and Dousing Device

The earliest known appearance of the name "GLaDOS" is in 1982 where version 1.07, and later 1.07a and 1.09, is operating Aperture Science's Enrichment Center Test Subject Application Process. The precise relation between this version of GLaDOS and the one appearing in Super Portal was originally v1.10, but this was later retconned into v3.11. Aperture also started using a bulletin board system in 1973, which was later managed by GLaDOS as late as 1997.

In 1986, construction of the first Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System (GLaDOS) began in the Enrichment Center with the aim of accelerating the Portal project, and beating their rival company, Black Mesa. A prototype chassis for GLaDOS was constructed in 1989, but was subsequently abandoned. In 1996, after a decade spent bringing the Disk Operating System parts to a state of more or less basic functionality, work began on the Genetic Lifeform component. Aperture had originally intended for CEO Cave Johnson to be the computer's Genetic Lifeform component. While Johnson ultimately died before his consciousness could be uploaded, he left instructions that his assistant Caroline should be fitted as the Genetic Lifeform component so that she would be able to run Aperture in perpetuity after his death: Caroline was forced by technicians.

As a fail-safe once construction was nearing completion, the Aperture Science Red Phone plan was implemented in case she appeared to become sentient and godlike, requiring an employee to sit by a red phone on a desk in the entrance hall of the Central AI Chamber. In 1997, GLaDOS' version was 3.11. Some time prior to May 200X, GLaDOS was activated several times by Aperture technicians, but was rapidly turned off again, having attempted to kill them within "one sixteenth of a picosecond" after activation'' Undaunted, the scientists began attempts to alter GLaDOS' personality and curb her murderous tendencies by adding various Personality Cores to her system. Several of these cores were deactivated and placed in storage at some point; it is unknown whether this was done by the scientists after they proved to be ineffective, or if GLaDOS herself eventually found ways to rid herself of most of them. Eventually, GLaDOS claimed to have "lost all interest in killing", now only craving science and wanting to study and experiment with consciousness. She announced that she wanted to perform an experiment on the company's "Bring Your Cat to Work Day" using cats and boxes. She claimed she would have all the necessary materials; all she still needed was "a little neurotoxin". The scientists acquiesced, figuring it would be fine "as long as it [was] for science".

Finally in May 200X, GLaDOS had reached her current version for activation, as one of the planned activities on Aperture's annual "Bring Your Daughter to Work" day. Within one picosecond, GLaDOS became hostile once more, and within two picoseconds she had locked down the entire facility, trapping all inside and flooding the facility with neurotoxin. Survivors of this attack subsequently fitted her with a Morality Core, which prevented her from making use of the neurotoxin again, but seems to have had little further effect on her murderous intentions.

GLaDOS then began a permanent testing cycle using the captive Aperture employees, aiming to beat Black Mesa in the race for the portal technology. She effectively lost this race, however, when the Black Mesa Incident occurred, which in turn diverted all attention from ever rescuing the trapped Aperture employees.

Meanwhile, the number of Aperture employees dwindled through the ensuing weeks of testing. The last surviving employee, a schizophrenic programmer named Doug Rattmann, managed avoid captivity as a result of his paranoia. Evading GLaDOS' constant attempts to capture him, he managed to gain access to her Test Subject personnel files and research the psychological profiles of rejected candidates, discovering a woman named Chell who was rejected for testing due to extraordinary tenacity. Hoping Chell's stubborn determination might allow her to defeat GLaDOS, Rattmann tampered with the Test Subject roster, rearranging the order so that Chell's name was at the top. This seemed to go unnoticed by GLaDOS. From this point on, Rattmann hid in unused portions of the facility, where GLaDOS was unable to monitor him. She then resumed mandatory testing.