Aperture Science Material Emancipation Grill

"Please be advised that a noticeable taste of blood is not part of any test protocol but is an unintended side effect of the Aperture Science Material Emancipation Grid, which may, in semi-rare cases, emancipate dental fillings, crowns, tooth enamel, and teeth."

- GLaDOS

The Aperture Science Material Emancipation Grid, also known as Material Emancipation Grill, Portal Fizzler or simply Fizzler, is a testing element featured right before any elevator at the end of each Enrichment Center Test Chamber, within some Test Chambers where they are part of the test, in administrative areas, and at the entrance of GLaDOS's chamber.

Overview



 * The purpose of this "incandescent particle field" is mostly to "reboot" any portal created with the ASHPD. In that way each Test Subject starts each new Test Chamber with a "clean" portal network, and must use their assets properly when having to come across one several times during tests.


 * Early Aperture Science Material Emancipation Grid.jpg The early designs and stages of the Emancipation Grid were used at the old Aperture Science Innovators test chambers when testing the Aperture Science Gels. The old design featured several emitters along each side to help provide a stable grid and barrier field which also vaporized any unauthorized testing material that passed through it.


 * The Material Emancipation Grid's design is a similar, albeit sleeker form of the Combine's Force Field, but in a semi-reverse fashion: It allows anyone through, but not inanimate objects. The sides are two curved emitters with a pair of blue stripes on each, which disperse waves of glowing particles, slowly moving from one side to the other.


 * The Material Emancipation Grid vaporizes any unauthorized equipment (Weighted Storage Cubes or any other prop or NPC) that passes through it.


 * When this happens, the object (besides the ASHPD) turns black, slowly hovers in mid-air, then disintegrates in some sort of silent fire emitting sparks, just like objects hit with the alternate fire of an OSIPR. In Portal 2, the object makes a loud noise as it disintegrates, similar to that of when you disintegrate a radio in Portal.


 * GLaDOS states that it "emancipates" dental fillings, crowns, tooth enamel, and teeth, but only in "semi-rare cases". She also states that a noticeable taste of blood may occur, although it is an unintended side effect. It may also emancipate the ear tubes inside your head.




 * The Rocket Sentries' rockets also vaporize while going through the Material Emancipation Grid, but will, before disappearing, turn on themselves at a high speed instead of slowly hovering.


 * When clipboards disappear, they do not emit any fire or spark and vanish upon contact with the first wall.


 * Some objects such as the squared metal panels found in the maintenance area before the first Rocket Sentry are not affected by the Emancipation Grid (this is likely a developer's oversight, since the player has no reason to take these panels in the following offices).


 * Each time Chell passes through a Material Emancipation Grid, the ASHPD will slightly shake and the light on its body will turn off until fired again, showing the portal "reboot".


 * When being put through a Material Emancipation Grid, a Sentry Turret will emit a long "ayayayayay" and vaporize, whether it is disabled or not.


 * When a radio is brought through the Material Emancipation Grid, its music stops as the radio disintegrates. Since the March 2010 updates made to Portal as part of the ARG, the radio makes three other sounds ("dinosaur_fizzle.wav", "dinosaur_fizzle2.wav" and "dinosaur_fizzle3.wav") when disintegrating.


 * As seen on one of its blueprints, the Borealis contains a Material Emancipation Grid.


 * Any NPC (such as Headcrabs, Alyx, Combine Soldiers, etc.) will also be vaporized by the Material Emancipation Grid. This has likely no canonical significance, as it is not supposed to happen in the normal course of the game.

Behind the scenes



 * In the Portal audio files and subtitles as well as Portal 2, the Material Emancipation Grid is sometimes referred to as "Material Emancipation Grill". The term "Grid" is used instead in the wiki as it is the term used in scripts and the Portal Prima Guide, although "Grill" will be taken as an in-universe alternate name.


 * According to Garret Rickey, the combination of the Material Emancipation Grids and the elevators serve a dual purpose. They provide a clearly identifiable end-point for each Test Chamber, while also addressing the more practical problem of how to keep players from portaling across level loads, eventually leading to the integration of Material Emancipation Grids in the tests themselves.

Trivia
The track "Taste of Blood" in the Portal soundtrack is a reference to the Material Emancipation Grid.

List of appearances

 * Portal
 * Half-Life 2: Episode Two
 * Portal: First Slice
 * Portal: Still Alive
 * Portal 2
 * The Final Hours of Portal 2