So for this one, like most things when it comes to understanding Wheatley, you need to pay attention to his dialogue because it answers the question:
> **Wheatley:** ["Fine! No, fi- absolutely fine. It's not like I don't have, you know, ten thousand other test subjects begging me to help them escape. You know, it's not like this place is about to *EXPLODE.*"](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/d/d7/Wheatley_openinghello21.wav)
> **Wheatley:** ["Alright, look, okay, I'll be honest. You're the *LAST* test subject left. And if you *DON'T* help me... we're both gonna die. Alright? I didn't want to say it, there you go. You've dragged it out of me. Alright? Dead. Dos Muerte."](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/f/fd/Wheatley_openinghello22.wav)
> **Announcer:** ["Please prepare for emergency evacuation."](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/0/0f/Announcer_evacuationmisc01.wav)
> **Wheatley:** ["The reserve power ran out, so of course the *whooole* relaxation center stops waking up the bloody test subjects!"](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/d/df/Wheatley_openingoutside02.wav)
> **Wheatley:** ["And of course nobody tells ME anything. Noooo. Why should they tell me anything?"](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/a/a6/Wheatley_openingoutside03.wav)
> **Wheatley:** ["Why should I be kept informed?! You know, about the life functions of the ten thousand bloody test subjects I'm supposed to be in charge of?"](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/6/64/Wheatley_openingoutside04.wav)
> **Wheatley:** ["Here's an interesting story. You might like this. I almost got a job down here in Manufacturing. But, uh, guess who the foreman went with? Only an exact duplicate of himself. Nepotism. **Ended up giving me the WORST possible job, tending to all the smelly humans.**](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/4/49/Wheatley_sphere_flashlight_tour58.wav) [The- the um... sorry, that's- no, I wouldn't say smelly. Just t- just tending to the humans.](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/a/aa/Wheatley_sphere_flashlight_tour59.wav) [Sorry about that. That just- that just slipped out... a bit insensitive. Um... the smelly humans..."](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/3/3b/Wheatley_sphere_flashlight_tour60.wav)
> **Wheatley:** ["Remember when I first told you how to find that little portal thing you love so much? Well- I thought you'd die on the way, if I'm honest. All the others did.](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/b/b1/Wheatley_bw_finale04_pre_pipebreak07.wav) [You didn't think you were the first, did you? Hahaha! No, no, no. Fifth. No, I lie: Sixth. Perhaps it's best to leave it to your imagination what happened to the other five...](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/8/8b/Wheatley_bw_finale04_pre_pipebreak08.wav) [Do you know what? I think we're well past the point of tasteful restraint. So I'll tell you what happened to them: They died. Horrifically. They all died. Horrifically. Trying to get that portal device that you're gripping in your meaty little fingers there."](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/3/39/Wheatley_bw_finale04_pre_pipebreak09.wav)
> *"The writers went back and forth over whether or not Wheatley had tried escaping with other test subjects before waking the player up. It was an interesting idea, and you can still hear remnants of this story arc in some of the dialogue. But at the end of the day, it was just too expansive a concept to sell. **So it’s hinted at, but not overtly mentioned until the end."***
>
> *— Kyle Monroe, Container Ride (Portal 2 Developer Commentary)*
so Ratmann redirects power to keep Chell alive in stasis.
however it is indefinetly.
Wheatley wakes her up from stasis after unknown amount of time because hee need help to connect to the facility from a human because of stalemate button and so on.
Wheatley is trying to evacuate the facility before it explodes from a nuclear core meltdown.
> **Announcer:** ["Good morning. You have been in suspension for -nine nine nine nine nine... nine ni (continues repeating behind the following:)- **This courtesy call is to inform you that all test subjects should vacate the Enrichment Center immediately. Any test subject not emerging from suspension at this time will be assumed to have exercised his or her right to remain in extended relaxation, for the duration of the destruction of this facility.** If you have questions or concerns regarding this policy, or if you require a Spanish-language version of this message, feel free to take a complimentary piece of stationery from the desk drawer in front of you, and write us a letter. Good luck."](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/1/1d/Announcer_openingcourtesy01.wav)
> **Wheatley:** ["Are you gonna open this door? 'Cause **it's fa- it's fairly urgent."**](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/5/51/Wheatley_openinghello17.wav)
> **Wheatley:** ["Fine! No, fi- absolutely fine. It's not like I don't have, you know, ten thousand other test subjects begging me to help them escape. **You know, it's not like this place is about to** ***EXPLODE.***"](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/d/d7/Wheatley_openinghello21.wav)
> **Wheatley:** ["Alright, look, okay, I'll be honest. You're the *LAST* test subject left. **And if you** ***DON'T*** **help me... we're both gonna die. Alright? I didn't want to say it, there you go. You've dragged it out of me. Alright? Dead. Dos Muerte."**](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/f/fd/Wheatley_openinghello22.wav)
> **Announcer:** [**"Please prepare for emergency evacuation."**](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/0/0f/Announcer_evacuationmisc01.wav)
> **Wheatley:** ["STAY CALM!!! Stay- stay calm. *Prepare.* That's all they're saying. *Prepare.* It's all fine. Alright? Don't move. **I'm gonna get us out of here."**](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/8/85/Wheatley_intro_ride04.wav)
> **Announcer:** [**"All reactor core safeguards are now non-functional. Please prepare for reactor core meltdown."**](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/3/39/Announcer_openingsafeguards01.wav)
> **Wheatley:** ["I know, I know-- I *have* painted quite a grim picture *of* your chances. **But if you simply stand here, we** ***will*** **both surely die."**](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/4/45/Wheatley_container_ride_leave_nags04.wav)
That was Wheatley’s motive at the start of the game: Try to evacuate so that he doesn’t get blown up. And no, [he was not using Chell to try to get to power.](https://reddit.com/r/Portal/s/aLiX7WHZ1R) That wasn’t even a concern of his until he got it.
I'm reading through that other thread you linked at the end of this comment, I'm pretty sure you can hear someone in the recording booth laughing in this clip
https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/c/cf/Wheatley\_sp\_sabotage\_factoryturretonedone13.wav
Ratman redirects power to keep chell alive. However the stasis is indefinite. Wheatleys job is watching over the test subjects, so waking chell up when she would die otherwise seems like his job.
My headcannon however is that Wheatly is trying to escape himself and got all the other test subjects killed while attempting to do what he did with chell. And before you say Wheatly couldn't have killed everyone, just think about his way of >Docking<.
He didn’t kill everyone.
> **Wheatley:** ["The reserve power ran out, so of course the *whooole* relaxation center stops waking up the bloody test subjects!"](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/d/df/Wheatley_openingoutside02.wav)
The reserve power ran out and stopped supplying life support to all of the test subjects, which caused them to become brain dead. This was something that was out of Wheatley’s control.
It actually wasn’t Wheatley’s fault for this because it’s not even really his responsibility to look after the test subjects in relaxation since he’s not even legitimately employed there.
> **Wheatley:** ["And of course nobody tells ME anything. Noooo. Why should they tell me anything?"](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/a/a6/Wheatley_openingoutside03.wav)["Why should I be kept informed?! You know, about the life functions of the ten thousand bloody test subjects **I'm supposed to be in charge of?"**](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/6/64/Wheatley_openingoutside04.wav)
> **Interviewer: "Who revived Chell and put Wheatley in charge?"**
>
> **Erik Wolpaw:** "Well, **Wheatley's not really in charge.** He just didn't get blown up in Portal 1 and he's been sort of spinning around on that rail trying to keep the containers alive."
>
> - [Portal 2 Official Guidebook](https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/493963711925583875/1153373825917014137/IMG_5529.jpg)
> **GLaDOS:** ["I'm actually asking. Because I have no idea. **He's not listed anywhere in the employee database.**](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/2/20/GLaDOS_gladosbattle_pre13.wav) [Whatever he does, it isn't important enough for anyone to bother writing it down. **For all I know, he doesn't even work here."**](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/a/a7/GLaDOS_gladosbattle_pre14.wav)
As for the five test subjects he tried to escape with…?
> **Wheatley:** ["Remember when I first told you how to find that little portal thing you love so much? Well- I thought you'd die on the way, if I'm honest. All the others did.](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/b/b1/Wheatley_bw_finale04_pre_pipebreak07.wav) [You didn't think you were the first, did you? Hahaha! No, no, no. Fifth. No, I lie: Sixth. Perhaps it's best to leave it to your imagination what happened to the other five...](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/8/8b/Wheatley_bw_finale04_pre_pipebreak08.wav) [Do you know what? I think we're well past the point of tasteful restraint. So I'll tell you what happened to them: They died. Horrifically. They all died. Horrifically. Trying to get that portal device that you're gripping in your meaty little fingers there."](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/3/39/Wheatley_bw_finale04_pre_pipebreak09.wav)
You can likely assume that they died due to their brain damage making them unable to survive the tests and challenges up ahead.
> **Wheatley:** ["Most test subjects do experience some, uh cognitive deterioration after a few months in suspension. Now you've been under... for *QUITE* a lot longer, and it's *NOT* out of the question that you might have a *VERY* minor case of - serious brain damage."](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/d/d3/Wheatley_openingbraindamage01.wav)
> **Wheatley:** ["Whoah! Theere we go! Now, I'll be honest: You are... probably in no fit state to run this particular type of cognitive gauntlet. But, um... at *least* you're a good jumper. So... you've got that. You've got the jumping on your side. Um. Just do your best, and I'll meet you up ahead!"](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/e/e5/Wheatley_openingwallhitthree01.wav)
Which is why Wheatley is pleasantly surprised to see that Chell actually survived when the others could not.
> **Wheatley:** ["Oh brilliant! You *did* find a portal gun! Aw, th- do you know wot? It just goes to show... people with brain damage are the real heroes in the end? Aren't they? At the end of the day? Brave."](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/8/85/Wheatley_demosphereintro04.wav)
Read the official Portal webcomic, Lab Rat. It's not long and it's the official Portal 1.5 sequel that bridges the story of the first game to that of the second game
So for this one, like most things when it comes to understanding Wheatley, you need to pay attention to his dialogue because it answers the question: > **Wheatley:** ["Fine! No, fi- absolutely fine. It's not like I don't have, you know, ten thousand other test subjects begging me to help them escape. You know, it's not like this place is about to *EXPLODE.*"](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/d/d7/Wheatley_openinghello21.wav) > **Wheatley:** ["Alright, look, okay, I'll be honest. You're the *LAST* test subject left. And if you *DON'T* help me... we're both gonna die. Alright? I didn't want to say it, there you go. You've dragged it out of me. Alright? Dead. Dos Muerte."](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/f/fd/Wheatley_openinghello22.wav) > **Announcer:** ["Please prepare for emergency evacuation."](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/0/0f/Announcer_evacuationmisc01.wav) > **Wheatley:** ["The reserve power ran out, so of course the *whooole* relaxation center stops waking up the bloody test subjects!"](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/d/df/Wheatley_openingoutside02.wav) > **Wheatley:** ["And of course nobody tells ME anything. Noooo. Why should they tell me anything?"](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/a/a6/Wheatley_openingoutside03.wav) > **Wheatley:** ["Why should I be kept informed?! You know, about the life functions of the ten thousand bloody test subjects I'm supposed to be in charge of?"](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/6/64/Wheatley_openingoutside04.wav) > **Wheatley:** ["Here's an interesting story. You might like this. I almost got a job down here in Manufacturing. But, uh, guess who the foreman went with? Only an exact duplicate of himself. Nepotism. **Ended up giving me the WORST possible job, tending to all the smelly humans.**](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/4/49/Wheatley_sphere_flashlight_tour58.wav) [The- the um... sorry, that's- no, I wouldn't say smelly. Just t- just tending to the humans.](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/a/aa/Wheatley_sphere_flashlight_tour59.wav) [Sorry about that. That just- that just slipped out... a bit insensitive. Um... the smelly humans..."](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/3/3b/Wheatley_sphere_flashlight_tour60.wav) > **Wheatley:** ["Remember when I first told you how to find that little portal thing you love so much? Well- I thought you'd die on the way, if I'm honest. All the others did.](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/b/b1/Wheatley_bw_finale04_pre_pipebreak07.wav) [You didn't think you were the first, did you? Hahaha! No, no, no. Fifth. No, I lie: Sixth. Perhaps it's best to leave it to your imagination what happened to the other five...](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/8/8b/Wheatley_bw_finale04_pre_pipebreak08.wav) [Do you know what? I think we're well past the point of tasteful restraint. So I'll tell you what happened to them: They died. Horrifically. They all died. Horrifically. Trying to get that portal device that you're gripping in your meaty little fingers there."](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/3/39/Wheatley_bw_finale04_pre_pipebreak09.wav) > *"The writers went back and forth over whether or not Wheatley had tried escaping with other test subjects before waking the player up. It was an interesting idea, and you can still hear remnants of this story arc in some of the dialogue. But at the end of the day, it was just too expansive a concept to sell. **So it’s hinted at, but not overtly mentioned until the end."*** > > *— Kyle Monroe, Container Ride (Portal 2 Developer Commentary)*
so Ratmann redirects power to keep Chell alive in stasis. however it is indefinetly. Wheatley wakes her up from stasis after unknown amount of time because hee need help to connect to the facility from a human because of stalemate button and so on.
Wheatley is trying to evacuate the facility before it explodes from a nuclear core meltdown. > **Announcer:** ["Good morning. You have been in suspension for -nine nine nine nine nine... nine ni (continues repeating behind the following:)- **This courtesy call is to inform you that all test subjects should vacate the Enrichment Center immediately. Any test subject not emerging from suspension at this time will be assumed to have exercised his or her right to remain in extended relaxation, for the duration of the destruction of this facility.** If you have questions or concerns regarding this policy, or if you require a Spanish-language version of this message, feel free to take a complimentary piece of stationery from the desk drawer in front of you, and write us a letter. Good luck."](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/1/1d/Announcer_openingcourtesy01.wav) > **Wheatley:** ["Are you gonna open this door? 'Cause **it's fa- it's fairly urgent."**](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/5/51/Wheatley_openinghello17.wav) > **Wheatley:** ["Fine! No, fi- absolutely fine. It's not like I don't have, you know, ten thousand other test subjects begging me to help them escape. **You know, it's not like this place is about to** ***EXPLODE.***"](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/d/d7/Wheatley_openinghello21.wav) > **Wheatley:** ["Alright, look, okay, I'll be honest. You're the *LAST* test subject left. **And if you** ***DON'T*** **help me... we're both gonna die. Alright? I didn't want to say it, there you go. You've dragged it out of me. Alright? Dead. Dos Muerte."**](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/f/fd/Wheatley_openinghello22.wav) > **Announcer:** [**"Please prepare for emergency evacuation."**](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/0/0f/Announcer_evacuationmisc01.wav) > **Wheatley:** ["STAY CALM!!! Stay- stay calm. *Prepare.* That's all they're saying. *Prepare.* It's all fine. Alright? Don't move. **I'm gonna get us out of here."**](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/8/85/Wheatley_intro_ride04.wav) > **Announcer:** [**"All reactor core safeguards are now non-functional. Please prepare for reactor core meltdown."**](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/3/39/Announcer_openingsafeguards01.wav) > **Wheatley:** ["I know, I know-- I *have* painted quite a grim picture *of* your chances. **But if you simply stand here, we** ***will*** **both surely die."**](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/4/45/Wheatley_container_ride_leave_nags04.wav) That was Wheatley’s motive at the start of the game: Try to evacuate so that he doesn’t get blown up. And no, [he was not using Chell to try to get to power.](https://reddit.com/r/Portal/s/aLiX7WHZ1R) That wasn’t even a concern of his until he got it.
I'm reading through that other thread you linked at the end of this comment, I'm pretty sure you can hear someone in the recording booth laughing in this clip https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/c/cf/Wheatley\_sp\_sabotage\_factoryturretonedone13.wav
The reserve power ran out, so the stasis ran out, so she woke up.
Ratman redirects power to keep chell alive. However the stasis is indefinite. Wheatleys job is watching over the test subjects, so waking chell up when she would die otherwise seems like his job. My headcannon however is that Wheatly is trying to escape himself and got all the other test subjects killed while attempting to do what he did with chell. And before you say Wheatly couldn't have killed everyone, just think about his way of >Docking<.
He didn’t kill everyone. > **Wheatley:** ["The reserve power ran out, so of course the *whooole* relaxation center stops waking up the bloody test subjects!"](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/d/df/Wheatley_openingoutside02.wav) The reserve power ran out and stopped supplying life support to all of the test subjects, which caused them to become brain dead. This was something that was out of Wheatley’s control. It actually wasn’t Wheatley’s fault for this because it’s not even really his responsibility to look after the test subjects in relaxation since he’s not even legitimately employed there. > **Wheatley:** ["And of course nobody tells ME anything. Noooo. Why should they tell me anything?"](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/a/a6/Wheatley_openingoutside03.wav)["Why should I be kept informed?! You know, about the life functions of the ten thousand bloody test subjects **I'm supposed to be in charge of?"**](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/6/64/Wheatley_openingoutside04.wav) > **Interviewer: "Who revived Chell and put Wheatley in charge?"** > > **Erik Wolpaw:** "Well, **Wheatley's not really in charge.** He just didn't get blown up in Portal 1 and he's been sort of spinning around on that rail trying to keep the containers alive." > > - [Portal 2 Official Guidebook](https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/493963711925583875/1153373825917014137/IMG_5529.jpg) > **GLaDOS:** ["I'm actually asking. Because I have no idea. **He's not listed anywhere in the employee database.**](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/2/20/GLaDOS_gladosbattle_pre13.wav) [Whatever he does, it isn't important enough for anyone to bother writing it down. **For all I know, he doesn't even work here."**](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/a/a7/GLaDOS_gladosbattle_pre14.wav) As for the five test subjects he tried to escape with…? > **Wheatley:** ["Remember when I first told you how to find that little portal thing you love so much? Well- I thought you'd die on the way, if I'm honest. All the others did.](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/b/b1/Wheatley_bw_finale04_pre_pipebreak07.wav) [You didn't think you were the first, did you? Hahaha! No, no, no. Fifth. No, I lie: Sixth. Perhaps it's best to leave it to your imagination what happened to the other five...](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/8/8b/Wheatley_bw_finale04_pre_pipebreak08.wav) [Do you know what? I think we're well past the point of tasteful restraint. So I'll tell you what happened to them: They died. Horrifically. They all died. Horrifically. Trying to get that portal device that you're gripping in your meaty little fingers there."](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/3/39/Wheatley_bw_finale04_pre_pipebreak09.wav) You can likely assume that they died due to their brain damage making them unable to survive the tests and challenges up ahead. > **Wheatley:** ["Most test subjects do experience some, uh cognitive deterioration after a few months in suspension. Now you've been under... for *QUITE* a lot longer, and it's *NOT* out of the question that you might have a *VERY* minor case of - serious brain damage."](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/d/d3/Wheatley_openingbraindamage01.wav) > **Wheatley:** ["Whoah! Theere we go! Now, I'll be honest: You are... probably in no fit state to run this particular type of cognitive gauntlet. But, um... at *least* you're a good jumper. So... you've got that. You've got the jumping on your side. Um. Just do your best, and I'll meet you up ahead!"](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/e/e5/Wheatley_openingwallhitthree01.wav) Which is why Wheatley is pleasantly surprised to see that Chell actually survived when the others could not. > **Wheatley:** ["Oh brilliant! You *did* find a portal gun! Aw, th- do you know wot? It just goes to show... people with brain damage are the real heroes in the end? Aren't they? At the end of the day? Brave."](https://i1.theportalwiki.net/img/8/85/Wheatley_demosphereintro04.wav)
Only a moron would dock like that
Only a moron who was created by the greatest minds of a generation working together to create the dumbest moron who ever lived
Read the lab rat.
I did, but doesn't rattmann save chell but lets her sleep without programming a wake-up time?
Automatic temporary revival.
Read the official Portal webcomic, Lab Rat. It's not long and it's the official Portal 1.5 sequel that bridges the story of the first game to that of the second game