Name: The Weighted Companion Cube

Journal: [my_six_hearts]

Type: Object

Series: Portal - Video game

Played by: Redpyre

Room: 203 - looks like this

Arrived in Paradisa: May 01 2009

Permanent Loss: Memories of how or why it was created

Temporary Losses: Sphere

Happens to be: 'A Host in a Can'

The Weighted Companion Cube is a product of Aperture Science, used in its Computer-Aided Enrichment Center. Built of a highly durable material, the Cube is designed to withstand just about anything (except incineration), including crushing force and laser blasts. It is weighted enough to hold down large pressure plates, but is still light enough to be carried. It is the size of an average packing box, perfect for carrying, and has a cheery pink heart painted on each face.

The Weighted Companion Cube has no moving parts whatsoever, and does not speak. The only way it can really communicate is by its thoughts being silently (and accidentally) transcribed by open journals, and occasional traces of emotion passing to anyone in physical contact with it. As of yet, the only conversing it does is accidental, since it does not realize that people are talking to it and actually expecting an answer.

It is an inanimate object, but because of the many 'lives' it has lived, the vast amount of human struggle and emotion it has been around, and the sheer amount of personalizing/anthropomorphizing that it has been the subject of (nearly to the point of being an object of worship) the Cube has grown memories and partial awareness.

PersonalityEdit

The Weighted Companion Cube was built for a short list of very limited purposes. It was built to be picked up, carried, and dropped. It was built for a very singular reason, and nothing more. Its entire existence revolved around being maneuvered and kept, for an eyeblink of time, by Aperture Science's test subjects. It was an endless cycle of anticipation, temporary bliss, and then brutal heartbreak. But, the Weighted Companion Cube never complained, living out its countless number of recycled lifetimes loyally and obediently.

That is not to say, however, that the Weighted Companion Cube is incapable of greater thought. Aspirations. No, any article--animate or inanimate--that has gone through the surreal string of experiences that it has, and absorbed so much turmoil and energy, is destined for higher thought. This is what makes the tragic moment of abandonment, when the Weighted Companion Cube is separated from its caretaker by stinging betrayal, so heart-rendingly agonizing. To hurt that deeply, one must know what it is like to dream, and love, and hope. And indeed, the Weighted Companion Cube knows these feelings well, and yet...it remains the eternal optimist that it is known to be. It has seen an entire spectrum of human condition in brief blips. Granted, some were longer (and more deranged) but they always ended in the same way: death, and rebirth.

Though the complex thoughts that run through its inanimate mind speak of vast dreams and fears and desires, its only way of directly communicating--the slightly scuffed pink heart on each of its faces--says everything that it could ever want to say.

It's only 'ability' is that of empathy, since emotional energy and memories are pretty much what its made of. It can passively sense the Castle's mood, and that of the population in general. It can also, at times of intense clarity, accidentally think thoughts directly to the Castle, and 'talk' at it.

Though it is not aware of the fact that it is actively a part of a conversation, it most certainly can be educated and told things. It learns both by passive listening and observation, and by direct instruction.

A MemoryEdit

It couldn't move, it couldn't speak, but--somehow--it stood a little taller. Posture mattered alot, you know, for first impressions. The Weighted Companion Cube sat straight and obedient, brimming with silent bliss, as the Test Subject entered the room and laid eyes on it. Yes, as the disembodied robotic voice was saying, the Weighted Companion Cube would accompany the Test Subject through the entire room, serving its purpose with pride and valor.

She was coming closer! This girl, this Test Subject, was the Weighted Companion Cube's very favorite, it suddenly decided. Something about the look of her, the strong way that she reached out--- ...oh! The touch. Being picked up off the ground made the painted hearts on each facet of its body feel as if they could actually beat! With every step through the convoluted test chamber, at every turn of the dangerous puzzle, the Weighted Companion Cube and the Test Subject worked as one. The Test Subject was the legs and eyes and brain of the operation, for sure, but the Weighted Companion Cube knew that it was just as integral to this test as the girl was. Holding down buttons while its partner teleported around the room, valiantly taking laser blasts for its temporary caretaker, the Weighted Companion Cube did its job flawlessly.

For a brief moment, while it held down a pressure plate and struggled to feel brave while its caretaker disappeared from sight, it thought back to the anguishing memories of the Test Subjects who didn't make it, and those who were far too good at surviving and stole away into cracks in the system. Those were frightening and dark times...but this Test Subject. She...she was a ray of light. Perfect. They would work well together.

ProgressEdit

--Relationships

Wybie -- The Companion Cube's best friend! Wybie named it 'Cubie' and teaches it all sorts of helpful things. Unfortunately, Cubie mauled him and broke his arm during the Halloween plot. D:

Delta -- Delta is the Cube's official mentor, one of its best friends, and is responsible for much of what the Cube has learned while at Para.

York -- Has warmed enough to York to consider him one of its best friends, and not just the person that acts as Delta's arms. Responds well to York's large amount of emotional energy.

Delirium -- Like River, Delirium's emotional energy is like a bubbly little fuel cell for the Cube. And she gives it kisses.

Moonbay -- It loves the attention it receives from Moonbay, and she also has a large amount of emotional energy that the Cube likes to be around.

Jilly -- Jilly seems particularly convinced that it can speak, no matter whether it is in Cube, Sphere, or dog form. Is concerned for her mental health.

Shawn Spencer -- Is very convinced that the man is quite insane, but he talks alot and gives the Cube hats, which are big positive points in the Cube's book.

GLaDOS -- Her word is law. Terrified of her, and unendingly loyal.

Tasslehoff -- Another one with piles of emotional energy. Tends to get a little high from being around him. Also a little afraid of him.

Dr. Venture -- He treated the Multicolored Rotating Puzzle Cube well. It approves of him.

Dug -- Doesn't know what it thinks of being chewed and slobbered on, but they got along as dogs in L.A.

6 and 7 -- Thinks they are very strange creatures, but enjoys being used as a perch

Edward -- Was bounced and rolled alot. A little frightened of her.

Death the Kid -- Was stolen as used as a decoration for a little bit. Oh, the perils of being symmetrical...

Percy -- Thinks he is very kind for taking such good care of it as a dog.

River -- Instantly decided that it liked her. ...There's alot to respond to, there.

Damian -- Has only heard the boy over the journal so far, but already isn't sure it likes him.

--Went Home

Ash -- Thought it was wonderful that he wanted to get so involved in things, such as the Halloween holiday, but would like to see the man suffer for setting it on fire.

Gordon -- Liked reminiscing and thinking about Black Mesa with him. He also made an adorable robot. (Freeeee-man!)

Chiba -- The make out session during the Christmas season will always be remembered.

Halloween Puppet -- Was confused by the name, but hoped to be taught things.

--Deaths

The Companion Cube died once, during the memory plot. The Castle took all of the residents' memories away from them and scattered them around the castle. Well...without its memories it is just a dead object, and so it died instantaneously upon losing its memory.

--Inventory and Such

• a copy of the poem that was written for it appeared on its wall as a Christmas present.
• Wybie made the Cube a beer belt, greatly increasing its drink-holding capacity.
• York got the Cube poster-sized versions of all the changes it has gone through to hang on its wall.

--Stuff that Happened

• Meets Tasslehoff, when the kender tries to open it. It was a slightly trying time.
• Gets a baby for Mother's Day-- the Multicolored Rotating Puzzle Cube. Good times are had, the Cube meets Delta/GLaDOS's kid Gary, and the Cube learns it wants a companion of its own.
• Is stolen by Shawn and disguised!
• Is used as a table for Earth day, giving away free plants.
• Enjoys being just an inanimate object for a while, until York takes it out of retirement and hangs out with it on the roof.
• Goes to L.A. for two weeks, in which it spends its time as a homeless dog! Various people help out, to make sure it survives the vacation.
• Goes on its first real loss, and gets turned into a Sphere. Spends a couple weeks rolling, floating, bouncing, and being used as a volley ball. Decides that it much prefers being a Cube.
• Very much enjoys the drama and affection of Valentines Day! Decides that it is one of its favorite holidays.
• Freaks out again with the arrival of GLaDOS, but the influx of new residents and getting a nice bath helps it feel better.
• The residents rebel against the Castle and destroy it, and the Cube totally freaks out. Goes quiet for a while as its connection to everyone and everything is wrecked by all the destruction and change.
• Then the Castle actually responds to the Cube, and the Cube suddenly becomes a source of information for the residents. Wybie acts as translator.
• On New Years Eve, hears GLaDOS/Castle reassure it that it won't travel anymore, and feels the reassuring touch. Panics when people start leaving the Castle a few days later, feeling very rejected and lied to by the Castle. It misses York and Delta, who leave for the city.
• Pays alot of attention to the Castle during Christmas, while it spends tons of energy making everyone feel loved and at home, then worries when it abruptly stops doing those things.
• Has alot of fun with kisses while the silver bells were ringing!
• The Cube learns about holidays, family, and gets decorated for Christmas
• Castle treats Cubie as part of it for the Halloween plot. Eventually turns into a pumpkin monster and goes rampaging. Breaks Wybie's arm, attacks York and Delta, knocks Ash around before Ash sets it on fire.
• Has Shawn Spencer as a temporary roommate. Learns that a pineapple is a type of hat.
• Comes back as a pirate. Hilarity ensues.
• Tries to talk to the Castle while it's mood-swinging, gets killed by the memory plot.
• Gets covered in gravy, talks to the Castle for the first time.
• Dr. Cabot plot, freaks out a little bit, meets Free Man.
• Wild West plot, turns into a dog!
• Tony Stark's party, learns it could be used to serve drinks
• Arrives in Paradisa

--Other