Half-Life: Classified

Chapter 1: Unreasonable Circumstances

Outside Barracks 12

Clearance- Level Three

Time- 08:20am

Sam Wretchly awoke, alarmed. The dorm was empty; unusually, since it was a hive of noise and activity that could rarely be quietened. He glanced across at his alarm clock, and cursed uncontrollably. The thin red arms were locked in position; it had run out of batteries, and he was late.

He pulled himself up out of his rusty metal bed but with a swift BANG collapsed back down on to his bed; it creaked as he rubbed his head. The shelf above his bed was creaking too and starting to splinter - suddenly, it collapsed. Sam managed to roll out of his bed but found himself on the cold, hard concrete floor with an avalanche of big, thick books raining down on him.The books landed beside him with loud SMACKS.

He forced himself up into a standing position and rubbed his now-aching back.

"Shit!" he exclaimed angrily to an empty room. His roommates had not warned him about the time - 'they probably thought it would be hysterical', he thought furiously. His eyes were mildly blurred as he reached down for his glasses and propped them on his nose. The dim, artificial light sent down dingy light that made the shadows short and blunt as Sam scrambled to put on his regulation clothes. The clothes, all of them incredibly dreary, consisted of wafer-thin trousers, a flimsy white shirt, boring black shoes and the signature deathly-white lab coat with the Black Mesa symbol emblazoned on one side.

He strode up to the large mirror upon one of the sickly lime-green walls. The floor clicked and clacked under his black shoes. He stood in front of the mirror, his deep blue eyes, framed by glasses, stared back at him.

Sam bent down and splashed the cold, Arizonian water over his tanned face. He brushed his teeth quickly and put a small amount of super-strength gel in his spiky brown hair. He glanced up at the clock above the expanse of mirror - he was seriously late.

He quickly picked up his security swipe card and dashed towards the heavy metal door.

The door hissed as it opened out to the bland expanse of orange that was the Arizona desert. The heat was unbearable as he left the air-conditioned bliss of the barracks and was laid bare to the full might of the desert sun. The high concrete walls provided some relief, in the form of dark shadows. The sand crunched under his feet.

Several security guards were standing officially near four separate doors. Most of the guards were sweating heavily and walking between the stark shadows in search of respite from the heat.

Sam walked up to a concrete wall with a door inserted in the front. There was a large white number three stencilled on the wall. The security guard near the door was leaning against the wall; he looked bored.

"Security Level," he droned.

"Level Three," Sam replied, as beads of sweat dribbled down his face.

"Can you please swipe the card," said the guard unenthusiastically.

Sam swiped his card through the reader. It beeped, signifying that he could go through.

"Well all seems in order, wait here," he saidApathetically.

He moved heavily round to the retinal scanner, and bent down. A buzzing sound sounded out, and a bright red light emitted from the scanner. The door hissed open and Sam sighed happily as the air-conditioned air wafted round him, instantly making him cooler.

"You lucky bastard!" the security guard laughed.

"Poor you!" Sam replied.

Normally scientists and security guards despised each other, mainly because the posh people looked down on the security guards. Luckily, however, Sam was well-liked by both and they did not force them to pick between one or the other.

The room was very large and was plastered with leaflets; it was extremely high-ceilinged and was completely devoid of people.

Sam walked up to the huge metallic tram that dominated the room. He entered the tram and sat down on one of the hard seats, which were upholstered with a thin red material. Suddenly, the tram's automatic voice kicked in:

"Hello and welcome to the Black Mesa Facility. Black Mesa values each and every one of its workers for their personal contributions to the organisation. This is tram number 36 and it is inbound to Level 3, entry airlock C. If you have boarded the wrong tram, or wish to take another tram, please continue riding the tram until it reaches the Tram Central Hub. If your tram should malfunction in any way or cease to move, do not panic - a helpful mechanic will be along shortly to fix the problem. Black Mesa also provides a disabled bay, available at the back of the carriage, to any who may need it. Have a safe and productive day."

Sam had grown to loathe that automated voice. Every day it would chirp on about Black Mesa and how wonderful it was, and every day it seemed to get more annoying.

The metal vessel slithered through the inner workings of the Black Mesa facility, giving its passengers a good view of everything that was going on, from robots clambering through highly volatile substances to humble mechanics making everything run smoothly. Black Mesa was government-run, so that made it one of the most efficient places in the country, but Sam, whose security clearance level was still low, did not know much more than that.

The tram carried on descending towards a suspended metal platform. There was a security guard awaiting him on the platform, apparently unfazed by the fact that there was little more than a few inches of metal platform preventing him from falling sixty feet and landing onto cold concrete.

As the tram slowly approached the platform, the automated voice kicked in again.

"Welcome to Level 3, entry airlock C. Please mind the gap as you leave the train and have a safe and productive day," it drawled.

The security guard approached the tram.

"All right, Wretch?" the guard questioned, typing in the pass to let him exit the train. "Yes, but I wish you'd stop calling me that," Sam laughed as he stepped over the gap.

A tram silently meandered by. Standing inside it was a man in a grey suit, not showing one flicker of emotion as he rode the tram alone.

"Who's that?" said the guard, whose name was James.

"I haven't got a clue," Sam replied as the car slowly turned round the corner, then went out of sight.

"You're bloody late," James laughed, as they approached the door. "They're pretty stirred up - " he paused and smirked. "All you bloody scientists are."

Sam nearly smirked as well.

The soldier standing on guard put his eyes to the retinal scanner. Yet again, red light was emitted from the scanner. The large metal bars moved out of the door and retracted into their holes. The doors opened slowly, showing a massive airlock-

Main B Lobby

Clearance-Level 4

Time- 08:45 am

Dr Walter Finch ran his hands nervously through his thinning hair.

Today was a worrying day - he had a new laser to be delivered in half an hour, and there was a massive experiment in progress in the Anomalous Material sector. His sweat was slowly increasing and he cursed the air-conditioning. The unit was temperamental and prone to failing, and today it seemed to be in a particularly bad mood. The room was now 7 degrees hotter than the rest of the facility and many people that did not need to be there were avoiding it.

The security guard that was sitting behind the computer bank was sipping ice-cold water and checking over the CCTV of the facility. He looked up and gave Walter a look of disgust.

Walter hated security guards. They were constantly cocky and arrogant towards Walter, just because he could get a good job and they couldn't.

Suddenly, the guard called out:

"Oi, Egghead, your truck's coming."

Walter looked up to see the heavy metal doors opening-

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Inside Barracks 20

Clearance Level 2

Time-08:55 am

Dave looked over at his brother, Nathan, and laughed. They were going to give him a rough time. Nathan by all accounts, was a bed head and there was no way to wake him, except for this -

As they finally finished the preparations, Dave looked around the room. It was a small, blue-painted room with old furniture - a few scattered seats, a creaky desk in the corner and three sets of bunk beds, all smelling faintly of people.

Yes, when Dave came to Black Mesa, he hadn't expected this-

Some of his room-mates pulled back the bland bed coverings, hauled Nathan out and let him fall ungraciously to the bed of blankets on the floor.

"Oi! What the hell?" Nathan shouted as his roommates burst out laughing.

Dave smirked.

"Bastards aren't they?" he said loudly.

Nathan glanced up and saw his brother sitting on his bed, reading the paper.

"No we're not, and you'd better get going - you've got to be there in five minutes!" exclaimed one of the hysterically laughing group of security guards.

They were not lying; the clock read 8:56am, which meant that the two brothers had to get going fast. Nathan quickly put on random pieces of security uniform and his Kevlar vest. Nathan and Dave checked over each other to make sure they were wearing the correct uniform.

Dave had long black hair, which framed his undistinguished, average-looking face; he was a bit overweight, although it didn't show, but then he was 35, after all. Nathan was quite short, with dark brown hair and what used to be called an 'emo-fringe', which sometimes obscured his bright green eyes.

After all their 'checks' were finished, they dashed towards the stylish glass door that opened out into the security corridor. As they barged through the glass door they entered the security corridor. The corridor was bland and cream-coloured, with one thin blue line painted across the left side of the wall. 'Security Headquarters' was embossed in white letters on the wall. The large-bulbed lights provided adequate light, seeing as they were underground and there was no natural light available. All Nathan knew was that they were located deep underground for added protection.

Nathan and Dave sprinted down the corridor. They came to another security checkpoint with their friend, Daryl, guarding it.

"All right?" Daryl said amiably, as he opened the ultra-modern glass door for them.

This door opened out into a grand room coated in blue paint. Hanging on the back wall was a coat of arms, depicting a hawk and a serpent fighting; that was embossed on every shield-shaped badge the guards wore.

The marble floor was extremely well-polished and most of the furniture was chrome. A heavy chandelier hung above the main desk, which was also chrome, and manned by several secretaries sitting behind stylish computers.

One secretary glanced up from behind her computer.

"He will see you now," she chirped happily.

'He' referred to Jack Gobright, who ruled the security forces with an iron fist and didn't show any tendencies of compassion to any guards.

"Right, you can go and mend the elevator on D-Sector," Jack growled angrily, when they entered the man's office.

"But we're not mechanics - we're security guards!" the brothers moaned.

"And I am your superior, so you will obey me; now get out of my office!" Jack ordered fiercely.

The brothers didn't even think about starting an argument with the boss, since they would either get punched or get fired, so they were resigned to the fact that they would now be fixing an elevator.

They went out into the central tram hub. It was a sea of vibrant colours with silver trams slowly meandering between station platforms. The brothers queued up behind a tram that would take them to Sector D. Selfishly, two scientists barged past the brothers to get on the tram.

"Oi, we were here before you!" Dave shouted.

"Well, we've got important papers to sign and we're already ten minutes late," one of the scientists retorted.

The brothers managed to squeeze on to the tram with the scientists, and it slowly began to move.

"This is Tram 12 offering a safe journey through the inner workings of the Black Mesa facility. Please mind the windows and doors as you exit, and please mind your step as you exit the tram," the strict voice said, full of insincerity.

The tram weaved its way through the web of tunnels and finally stopped at the platform. The tram was packed with people and the heat and stuffiness were unbearable.

"Open it!" one scientist barked.

The metal door slid open and a wave of people, Dave and Nathan included, poured out of the tram and down the platform. Instead of going through the main airlock, they detoured and went through a splintered wooden door, weaving between the emergency passages.

CLANG!

"OW!" Nathan shouted.

Dave spun around to see his brother furiously rubbing his head, and a large light swinging violently. Dave burst out laughing.

"Stop that!" Nathan laughed, as he started to walk again. "No time for laughing, we got to be quick!" -

Black Mesa Administrative Complex

Clearance- Level 5

Time: 09:20am

Dr Jane Owen gazed out from her plush office. The thin glass window gave her a complete, unblocked view over the main first floor complex. Scientists and security guards were bustling around on the floor below.

She sipped out of her clean plastic cup; the pure, cooling water was soothing.

She had to go to a meeting soon. This meeting, if she guessed right, could make or break an Administrator like her. She was the Administrator of Security. Stereotypical of a girl? That's what most people said, but she also knew a lot of things about the base. For example, she knew that Black Mesa was an underground complex because the American Government wanted to conduct 'secret' experiments away from the prying eyes of the media.

She lounged back in her stylish leather chair. She was very lucky; her parents had died very young and she had been orphaned by a poor family. The only way she'd managed to get her doctorate was through serious luck and hard work.

Jane flicked a strand of long red hair out of her light blue eyes; almost instantly, the phone began to ring in a high-pitched tone. She picked up the receiver with her slender fingers and listened intently.

"We need you, quickly!" the man said urgently; the sound of an intense argument could be heard in the background.

Jane quickly thrust herself out of the chair and slid her thin feet into a pair of elegant high heels. She opened the large mahogany door, which opened out into a small reception room. A varnished desk had been placed in one corner and her secretary, Seline, was sitting behind it.

"Tell all my appointments that I have had to cancel," Jane barked.

"What reason?" Seline enquired.

"Illness," Jane said sarcastically as she shut the door.

The administrators were, in the eyes of themselves and the people around them, a different class. They despised the scientists and security guards, regarding both with equal displeasure. The guards and scientists, however, loathed the administrators for their personal wealth.

Jane walked on the specially-constructed glass walkway that gave her a panoramic view over Main Lobby B. She squinted down to see Walter Finch. He was sweating profusely as a lorry tried to manoeuvre into the lobby - this was a tight squeeze, but there was no other place for it to go, as Main Lobby B was the only road access.

She quickened her pace towards the next metal door and swiped her security card through the reader. ACCESS GRANTED appeared on the screen beside the reader. With a faint click the door swung open, like a Venus fly trap awaiting a particularly succulent fly.

The red satin-lined corridor had oak doors set in it at intervals with 'Candle-bulb' light fixtures along the walls. A heated discussion could be heard on the other side of one door, which was marked 'Board Room.'

She approached the door and gave three brisk knocks. The argument finished abruptly and ominously.

"Come in," one professor ranted, still annoyed by the argument.

Jane entered into an oak panelled room with thick green carpet. A long, polished table dominated the small room; ten quaint chairs were set around the table, all occupied, apart from hers. She took a sip of the hot coffee on the table in front of her and casually said:

"Brief me."

Two opposing men seemed to grapple sub-consciously for the right to be the first to speak. Eventually one Dr Wallace Breen, Administrator of Scientific Research, turned to her.

"Jane, we need you to approve an experiment which will be taking place today, imminently, I'm not saying it will be an easy experiment - there will be power surges and possible black outs. May I continue?" he asked hopefully.

"I'm… interested," Jane said, smirking.

"Well, we have a very precious piece of 'material' that we would like to test in the Anomalous Materials Research La - "

Suddenly, Breen was cut off by Professor Glaston, who interjected,

"You and I both know, Breen, that the 'material' you're planning on using is highly volatile!" he shouted.

"This is a once in a life-time opportunity, we've never had the capabilities…" Breen retorted.

"Silence," Jane said calmly above the overpowering noise. This was, as she had dreaded earlier, one of those moments where administrators' lives could either take to the skies or hit rock bottom. She took a shuddering breath.

"I've come to a decision."

Everyone in the cramped room locked onto her, their stares burning into her.

"I've decided to go ahead with the experiment," she said positively, immediately feeling a huge weight lifting from her chest.

Dr Glaston stood up and walked across the room.

"Why do you always agree with your precious 'Breeny'? Well this, and I'm certain, is going to be one hell of a fuck-up, mark my words!" he hissed, and with that he stormed through the door. Another doctor hurried out after him, muttering something to Jane about "calming him down."

Jane was not worried by this. She sat calmly before the seven representatives still in front of her.

"Dr Breen, I'll send all the guards you need and any other supplies," she told him, then rounded on the other administrators.

"You've been warned of potential power failures, so no major tests, etcetera," she said coldly.

She stood up from her chair. She was going to prove Glaston wrong -

Main B Lobby

Clearance-Level 4

Time- 09:25 am

Walter helped to manoeuvre the truck into the gigantic entrance lobby. The truck slowly curved around, inches away from a bank of computer and television screens at the side of the hall.

Suddenly, Professor Glaston sprinted across the hall; he dashed towards Walter, keeping his stare unaltered. He ran in front of the truck, which swerved to avoid him; security guards that had been guiding the truck leapt out of the way. The laser rolled ominously and slammed into the chains supporting it, then the chains snapped with a ping and the laser rolled off the truck.

Professor Glaston was now underneath the truck screaming in pain; meanwhile, the laser careered down the lobby before finally smashing into the bank of screens with a loud crunch.

The truck driver braked and slowly came to a halt. The lobby was a mess - glass shards, metal and scratches were plastered over the walls and floor.

The truck driver got out of the car and, successfully, heaved Professor Glaston out from under the truck - luckily, he was unharmed.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING!" he snarled.

"It was important," Glaston stuttered.

"I'll show you important!" the driver roared, raising his fist -

( Well there is chapter one fellow readers if you enjoyed this story I will continue with more chapters PLEASE REVIEW :D)