Caroline

"Yes sir! Mister Johnson."

- Caroline

Caroline is an unseen character mentioned repeatedly in pre-recorded messages and later by GLaDOS. Caroline was the secretary of Aperture Laboratories's CEO, Cave Johnson.

Background
Caroline was Johnson's personal assistant and closest confidant from the early years of Aperture Science until his apparent death in the 1980s. After realizing that he was terminally ill, Cave attempted to cheat death by ordering Aperture's scientists to develop a computer network onto which his consciousness could be downloaded. However, he decreed that should he die before the project was ready, Caroline would be placed in charge of the company, cautioning that she would have to be forced into the role as she would otherwise refuse out of modesty. He also declared that Caroline could be downloaded into the computer network in his place, making her effectively immortal.

After Cave's death by kidney failure, Caroline's mind was apparently transferred to the AI network that would become GLaDOS. The AI proved to be extremely problematic, with GLaDOS trying to kill the facility's scientists within one sixteenth of a picosecond every time she was activated.

Portal 2
While she did not appear in person, she can be heard through audio loops in some chambers. Cave Johnson also mentions Caroline a number of times, consistently speaking very highly of her.

GLaDOS reacts strongly to Caroline's voice and is at first unable to remember how she knew Caroline, eventually lapsing into shocked silence for a while as she realizes her identity. While she is attached to a potato and exploring some of the oldest segments of the Aperture facilities with Chell, Caroline's memories and personality begin to reemerge, described by GLaDOS as a sort of conscience. Shortly after regaining her body from Wheatley, GLaDOS thanks Chell for helping her discover Caroline's personality segment - and its location. GLaDOS claims to have summarily deleted it; afterward, she displays a marked shift in mood, apparently reverting to her prior conscience-free state.

Despite this, however, GLaDOS ultimately decides to free Chell without harming her, although she claims this is merely because her dealings with Chell have been so troublesome. In the game's ending song, "Want You Gone," she expresses mixed feelings about Chell's departure and at one point sings the line, "now little Caroline is in here too," apparently implying that she may have lied about deleting Caroline. During the co-op campaign, GLaDOS shows little sign of conscience - she has no problem with destroying sentient robots, actively encourages them to betray one another, and speaks disparagingly of humans. However, near the end of the campaign, she begins showing noticeable signs of emotion again. Ultimately, it is unknown whether part or all of Caroline's personality is still a part of GLaDOS.

Portrait of a Lady
In a hidden room overlooking the first test chamber in the 7th chapter, "The Reunion," a portrait can be found, illustrating CEO Cave Johnson with an unknown woman standing beside him. The woman is dark-haired and is wearing a white dress, and while unconfirmed, the woman is likely to be Caroline. When finding the portrait, the "Portrait of a Lady" Achievement/Trophy unlocks, while GLaDOS comments on the picture.

"Those people, in the portrait. They look so familiar..."

- GLaDOS

Personality and skills
Little is known about Caroline's personality; she has only a few lines in Portal 2, all of which are very short. She seems to have been a loyal and enthusiastic assistant to Johnson. GLaDOS's comments suggest that she admired his passion, determination, and aggressiveness, as well as his willingness to openly express these qualities.

Johnson, in return, expressed great respect for Caroline, praising her abilities and her dedication to science. He also claimed that Caroline was a rather modest person - perhaps too modest - and tended to underestimate her own skills.

In the game's ending song, "Want You Gone," GLaDOS says that Caroline "was a lot like Chell." However, relatively little is known about Chell's personality either.

When GLaDOS begins to consciously access Caroline's memories, she implies that Caroline was more empathetic and concerned about morality than GLaDOS is (although this would be true of nearly any human). It is unclear how much of GLaDOS' normal personality reflects Caroline's original personality.

Trivia

 * Many of Caroline's lines not used in the game can be found in the game files, most of them showing her desperately refusing something, likely the transferal into the computer.


 * When holding the Prometheus Turret, one of the cryptic phrases it imparts is "Her name is Caroline."


 * In a possible in-joke referring to the main protagonist of the Half-Life games, the name Caroline means "free man".


 * The first Commentary Node in the chapter The Reunion states that the part of Caroline was originally to be played by a man named Greg. Since he would only have a few lines, the developers did not see the part worth the price of another voice actor. Instead, they decided to change the character to Caroline and have Ellen McLain as her voice. This also allowed them to expand the story by relating GLaDOS to her.

List of appearances

 * Portal 2