"Therefore, you can never be too careful about the mating habits of yetibirds. Many-a northern traveler has lost his life to the, ah...intrusive creatures."
It was an interesting way to finish a spiel, but Kleiner always found a way.
Gordon watched his mentor's flickering image on the monitor, bearing an expression of mortification. Alyx had her face in her palm, trying very hard to block out his droning. Having the doctor care for them was one thing, but three-hour speeches on survival down to the most finicky detail was somewhat unimaginative to the duo, who had spent the last good bit of their time throwing electrified Combines at each other, dropping cars on zombies, and using an unusual quantity of exploding barrels to their advantage.
"Alright," Alyx sighed. "We should go. Thanks for your help."
"And yours, too," the doctor said, adjusting his glasses. "Oh wait, one more thing."
Alyx and Gordon cast each other looks of pain.
"You haven't heard from our dear friend Barney, have you?"
Now Gordon was interested. A little worriedly, he shook his head.
"Oh dear, dear, dear..." Kleiner mumbled.
"What's wrong?" Alyx asked, now looking up into the screen.
"Well, nothing, I hope, but..." Kleiner thought for a moment. "He was going to fly to meet you, but I expected him to have arrived by now, and he hasn't contacted me in well over an hour. Um, Gordon, Alyx...would you mind looking for him on your way North?"
Gordon nodded vigorously, suddenly feeling a little antsy.
"Of course we'll look for him!" Alyx replied, a little grimly.
"Fantastic! I'll send you the coordinates of his last transmission."
It took a few moments for the fax to transfer. Gordon examined the type when he snatched the neatly-folded sheets from the printer, internally trying to estimate the location.
"Don't worry, Dr. Kleiner. We'll find him," Alyx asserted.
"I know I can count on you two. Now remember...be safe."
The transmission cut off, flickering a few times before the screen went blank. They could have sworn it sparked as well.
This base was a lot more of a ramshackle than others that Gordon and Alyx had visited. Of course, it must have been hard to safely maintain such an isolated, exposed building, but that didn't make the equipment any easier to use.
Alyx sighed, briefly running her hand past her headband. She looked up, and caught Gordon's concerned eye. She glanced away as the doors slid open, and a rebel stepped inside.
"Mr. Freeman, Ms. Vance," he nodded curtly to them, respectively. "If you'd come with me please?"
Next thing either of them knew, they were walking hastily down a corridor, littered with flaking paint and dust, looking at the rebel ahead of them.
"Alright, so, the wind gets stronger the further north you travel. you go, so a helicopter will be kind of useless. But don't worry, we've got it all figured out."
He stopped at a door and hit a couple of buttons on the keypad before the door swung open and allowed them into what seemed to be an old hangar. Seemingly beaming, the man led the two down a good few meters before stopping at what looked like a large silver box with wheels.
"Finest truck we could salvage," he said with admiration, taking a moment to watch his baby. "We've already filled 'er with everything you need; guns, ammunition, rations, and we even included a radar screen with a radio scanner. Of course, we couldn't get the damn air conditioner to work, but I don't think you'll be needing that anyways."
Alyx whistled.
Gordon examined the vehicle from wheel-to-roof. It looked a little like a Hummer, but less encroaching. What ever it was, he hadn't seen anything like it since before the Black Mesa incident.
"I'll get the door open for ya, for when you want to leave," the rebel said. "Oh, and here." He tossed a jingling lump at Gordon. He caught the keys mid-air, then looked back up at the rebel, who was striding across the room to some form of control pattern.
Tapping a knuckle against the hood, and apparently satisfied, Alyx looked up at Gordon.
"Shall we?"
They slipped into the vehicle's interior, which was coated in some sort of old, velvety upholstery, the dust newly swept off the black console, and the tattered steering wheel looking strangely comforting to Gordon.
"Why do I always drive?" he asked, giving a small, amused smirk despite his grim tone.
"Because. It's hard to crowbar someone from a car."
"Uh...huh."
The bay doors were already beginning to roll upwards, groaning as if they had just awoken from an ancient slumber.
"You got the coordinates?" Alyx asked, patting the armrests of her seat with approval.
Gordon nodded, showing her the folded papers, before setting them on the dashboard. He then took the key and stuck it in the ignition. The truck roared, its entire body suddenly shaking with vibrant life.
"That's my girl!" the rebel called.
Putting it into drive, Gordon began to slowly move the vehicle towards the exit.
"Alright you guys, you heard what the doctor said; it's dangerous out there. Watch yer backs!"
"I don't think that'll be a problem," Alyx commented. "Thanks for the ride!"
The rebel saluted, and the duo plunged out the door and onto the road. The road didn't last long, littered with enough potholes and thin, snow-filled cracks as it was. Ravaged by weather and war, the highway soon melted into the permafrosted earth, feeling almost as turbulent as the sky had.
"Careful, Gordon," Alyx muttered, staring warily into the building snowstorm. Flakes were already constantly spattering themselves across the windshield.
"I'm fine, Alyx," the physicist replied somewhat irritably, leaning a little towards the windshield.
There was nothing for miles, save rocks strewn about the windswept landscape. The sky hadn't even changed its sombre tint, blotted with pillowy clouds. They weren't pleasant, comfortable pillows either, but the kind that people used to smother one another. Wind moaning and straining against the side of the truck didn't help, sounding suspiciously like the groans of the undead. Gordon's fingers tensed slightly against the steering wheel.
Alyx smirked at him, patting her holster. The horizon, despite Gordon's misgivings, remained silent.