Meet The Cores 2

**Meet the Cores 2** is the second part of *Meet The Cores* series of short films created by Harry1012K. It is followed by Meet The Cores 1 and preceded by Meet The Cores 3.

## Plot

### Prologue

Atlas and P-Body is shown cooperatively walking into the test chamber before entering the door painted with "Control Room" text. As they venture into the catwalk towards the enrichment facility's control room, they stumble into the room guarded by a defective turret. As Atlas presses the button, it activates the core systems, resuming its production. Cores come alive, running the facility.

Fact Core introduces the video that documents the different personality cores working and keeping the Enrichment Center of Aperture Science running. He tells the audience to sit back, grab a beverage, and enjoy the *Meet The Cores*...again.

### The S.T.4.N.L.3.Y Parable

The familiar narrator tells the story of a personality core named S.T.4.N.L.3.Y, the construct number 427. S.T.4.N.L.3.Y works as lever puller within the switches chamber, moving up and down of the vertical management rail. His job is to pull the levels as ordered by the facility's mainframe, and he does this every second, every day, every month and every year. He enjoys the job even if it means waste of processing power for other cores, and he is happy.

One day, he notices something peculiar that forever changed him. However, the narration immediately cuts as the Narrator Core notices that the story's script has been ended without revealing what's next. Narrator Core decides to improvise his work by narrating his own story. He tells his story sitting at the very microphone and reading the script provided by the "director". Suddenly, since the "director" is aware of the limited time, he mentions the screen is fading to black which is now fading on the video. He attempts to halt before the video ends.

### Onathan the Ego Core

The scene cuts to Fact Core interviewing with Onathan, the Ego Core, about the previous question Onathan had tried to answer: his main role in the facility. Ego Core had calculated his most accurate description and own duty for very long time. He is the *role model*. Fact Core asks what kind of role model Onathan has. On the contrary, Onathan again tries to clarify his role with expositional yet vague description. He gives up, telling him to save Fact Core's question for later.

### Drill Sergeant Core

Drill Sergeant Core on the management rail moves across the line of dark-painted Sentry Turrets with helmets within the shooting course. He teaches them the one and only role: to become the ruthless killing machines designed by the facility. He then teaches them when he says fire they will shoot. The turrets, including the defective turret, then proceeds to shoot the dummies and target cardboard as "fire" order has been stated twice. Astonished by their execution, Sergeant Core realizes that they are actually following order.

One of the Sentry Turrets sheepishly tells the Sergeant Core that he doesn't think he could kill anyone. Sergeant Core immediately casts that turret away for being "pansy" with the use of facility's robotic arm. The defective turret, whose serial number is T-86772601, loudly chuckles, enticing the Sergeant Core to scold him and suggest him to fall back to production line, to which the turret agree.

Sergeant Core notices a red-eyed personality sphere positioning at the end of the turret line, telling him that he's not the core. Then, the core shows-off twin gatling guns, scaring the next turret core but prompting the Sergeant Core to carry on upon realization.

### Ray

Fact Core interviews with Ray who is responsible for supervising unique test chambers with excitingly new ideas that were once in the test run. Ray mentions that they were GLaDOS's old ideas that never saw the light of the day. When Fact Core asks for the reason of rejecting the ideas, Ray replies that there were many reasons: animal welfare and underwater. He presents him a shark swimming by, giving him a clue. Since it's terrifying for Fact Core, but Ray compliments it as it had been a great sight for Space Core whom he misses.

Delightful with the interviewing, Ray makes even exciting ideas for new series of test chambers, such as those with lasers and sharks (even lasers *on* the sharks).

### Omnipresent Omnisphere

Fact Core then presents the new location, the door to the older Aperture facility in the deepest and darkest depths of the Enrichment Center to meet the all-seeing eye, the omnipresent Omnisphere. He casually but carefully moves toward the slumbering gigantic rusty core. He wakes him up, disturbing his deep rest. After he is forgiven, the Omnisphere asks him what the visitor seeks. But Fact Core only wants to meet him. As the Omnisphere is about to return to sleep, Fact Core has a question: "Where is the nearest exit?", surprising him with very simple yet unexpected request, even if his entry was too slow.

The omniscient Omnisphere tells him that he have been contemplating the infinity of reasons within the vast volume of existence for centuries and the universes simulated within his powerful memory, but he mentions that Fact Core only wants to know the simple fact. Even if he only excepts for the ultimate question that deservedly challenges him worthy to his vast intellect (such as "What is your destiny?", "What is the meaning of life?" and "Is the 'number 3' a myth?"), the Fact Core simply states he has already known them all. Omnisphere laughs him off for being too puny for infinite knowledge. However, Fact Core simply reasons that they have large solid-state drives, to which Omnisphere mentions "they" don't make them they used to.

Fact Core has another question for the Omni-Core who seems frustrated over the matter. He asks, "Is the cake really a lie?". Omnisphere hyperventilates, not being able to solve the awkward question, and outrageously yells him to get out. Fact Core asserts him that the latter hasn't told him where the exit is previously. Omnisphere answers him the nearest exit is just right next to him at another catwalk with an exit sign and againt orders him to leave. As Fact Core leaves by the elevator chute, the Omnisphere feels utterly wasted on this planet.

### Music Core

In the fauna-filled test chamber, Music Core enjoys the music playing on his headset with his eyes closed. Fact Core interrupts him and asks him if he's willing to answer a few questions. Then, Music Core sings his parody song of *Hello*, making Fact Core worried. The latter then cuts it off, telling that they are breaking the copyright law of playing the song without permission.