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In "Cold Boot", on GLaDOS 7 -- the first time I encounter a companion cube -- the Material Emancipation grid is broken.

GLaDOS makes a point of pointing this out, and saying don't take anything with you in her extra dramatic voice... which implies I should take the Companion Cube with me.

But I can't figure out how to! I need the cube on the switch to open the door, and I don't see any way to get the cube without closing the door to Floor 7.

Is this possible?

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  • 19
    I actually did as GLaDOS said and immediately gave up... I also got stuck in HL2 Ep2 for about an hour because there was a sign that said "keep out", and I actually kept out. Something's wrong with me.
    – Rei Miyasaka
    Apr 21, 2011 at 5:42
  • 14
    @rei don't play Portal 2 then or you'll get stuck.. cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/542891998558471253/…
    – Jeff Atwood
    Apr 21, 2011 at 6:42
  • Ah, nah, I managed to make it through. Loved it too.
    – Rei Miyasaka
    Apr 21, 2011 at 7:05
  • 3
    Your image went missing
    – badp
    Sep 16, 2012 at 8:24
  • @badp steam deleted it! It even shows up as black (blank) in my saved screenshots now.
    – Jeff Atwood
    Sep 17, 2012 at 6:19

3 Answers 3

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The wall past the emancipation grid (once you've gone through the door) will accept portals. Put one in there, get the cube and let the door close, and portal through.

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    Hah, they trick us! The whole level is about shooting things out of portals at an angle, so we ask ourselves "How can I shoot both the cube and myself up there?" ...and the solution ends up being, "Just create a portal up there, stupid!"
    – BlueRaja - Danny Pflughoeft
    Apr 20, 2011 at 16:18
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    +1 I spent 10 minutes trying to take the cube with me from many angles, including bounces, then when I finally gave up, I discover there is a portalable wall in the next room, with an extra hint from GlaDOS to make sure you take the cube with you... * facepalm *
    – wildpeaks
    Apr 20, 2011 at 22:09
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When you place it on the button, put it as far towards the upper ledge (down and to the right in the picture) as possible. Place portals on either side of the door (GLaDOS lampshades how there isn't an emancipation field as you note), then go back and grab it. Crouch and get as close as possible; it may take some repositioning.

It awards an achievement when completed, Preservation of Mass:

enter image description here

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    This is the manner I used as well. I didn't even notice there was a wall. Oops.
    – FAE
    Apr 19, 2011 at 22:01
  • Same. Also, once a friend of mine pointed out there was a wall, it still took me a while to figure it out. Once I figured it out, it was one of those facepalm moments.
    – Melanie Shebel
    Apr 19, 2011 at 23:09
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    This is what I did as well. All through this and the original Portal, I continually forgot that I was playing a game where any two points can be connected. /facepalm
    – Tullo_x86
    Apr 20, 2011 at 0:17
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If you go past the broken Emancipation Grill, you'll find a hallway full of portal-compatible walls. Do the following:

  1. Put a portal on one of the walls past the grill
  2. Go back out through the broken grill
  3. Hop down to the ledge your Faithful Friend is sitting on
  4. Grab your Faithful Friend
  5. Jump down to the very bottom of the test chamber (the spot where the floors and walls are all white and where the Discouragement Beam is being fired out of one of the walls)
  6. Put your Faithful Friend down (Don't kill him, though. For the love of Gaben Newel, don't kill him again.)
  7. Put the opposite-color portal on one of the walls (i.e., if you used Blue for the first portal, put Orange for the second portal, and vice versa.)
  8. Grab your Faithful Friend
  9. Go through the portal you just shot
  10. Carry him to the elevator
  11. Watch GLaDOS torture you even further by watching her "fizzle" him again
  12. Earn an achievement for your troubles

Done.

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