Chapter 1
Dr. Lexine Lynn Stapleton looked up at the Nevada sky, catching a last gleam of sunlight before the tram slid into the carved rock. I think I'll miss that the most, she thought. The tram ceased to a halt, as the automated system waited for the heavy doors to close behind it. A section of rail extended and connected to the rail holding the tram Dr. Stapleton was riding afterwards. A small shower of sparks fell from it, confirming a secure lock.
-Welcome to the Black Mesa transit system- bleeped an automated voice.
The young woman looked down and fidgeted with her unique necklace. She looked around as the tram lurched forward, searching for anyone she could converse with. Finding only another scientist who looked very experienced, she looked down again, and nervously toyed with the beautiful amulet hanging from her neck.
"First day?" asked an African scientist, sitting across from her. The new scientist blushed, and nodded. "Don't worry," the man said. "I was scared the first couple of days. Just follow the painted banners on the walls, and don't be afraid to ask a guard for directions."
"Thanks," she said, smiling.
I only got lost two or three times, the scientist added to himself. The car continued moving, moving past multiple windows and platforms, all with various scientists, eating, talking, and collecting samples, all perfectly calm. This only made her more nervous, seeing people just like her living underground normally.
-The time is; nine A.M. Current topside temperature is; three hundred and nine point six seven degrees Kelvin-
Hearing the time, Dr. Stapleton was reminded how early she had to wake up to take the secret helicopter to Black Mesa. She rubbed her forehead, secretly wishing for some Red Bull. The tram slid into a vertical tube, and a large door closed behind it. After latching onto the corkscrew piece of track, it turned the tram slowly, bringing it down to the correct level. Another piece of track connected to the section the two scientist's tram was on, sparked a few times, and then the car went on.
-The Black Mesa compound is kept as a pleasant two hundred ninety three degrees Kelvin-
"Wish you had an energy drink or something?" the African man said. The young woman laughed slightly, and moaned. "Sorry; there's none down here. If you do pass out, try not to be leaning over a railing," he added, trying to lighten her mood.
Ugh, he's right. Cheer up, Lexine! Its cooler down here, it pays well, and you can practice theoretical physics! Goodness, have you forgotten what you came down here to do already?
-Inbound to; Sector C test labs. Please keep your limbs inside the tram at all times-
The voice coming from the speakers strategically placed around the tram soothed her. She closed her eyes, and took slow breaths, as it was advised in the Black Mesa handbook they all owned. Listening to her own heartbeat, Lexine tried to slow it down. Being unsuccessful, she removed the thick book from one of her inner pockets on her lab coat. All lab coats for scientists in Black Mesa were specially designed with the scientist's name, security level, and a logo comprised of a black plateau in a circle. Dr. Lynn Stapleton flipped to the index, and searched for some sort of calming technique, as she was semi-claustrophobic.
The new scientist's gaze was briefly shifted, as she looked at an intimidating rocket to her left, making her very nervous. She started to sweat, and her heartbeat accelerated to unhealthy speeds. Looking back down, she searched for the section on claustrophobia.
-In the event of an emergency, please evacuate the tram quickly, disabled people first. Stay away from electrified rails, and proceed to an emergency station-
Lexine quickly looked up from the handbook again, listening to the safety procedures and trying to memorize them, and then turned her gaze back to the thick book. Fingering through the seemingly endless sections, she whispered each to herself, searching for help for claustrophobic employees.
"C.A.C . - E., cameras and security, canned foods… no…, control and containment, this isn't working."
She flipped to the back of the index, looking for the 'P' section.
"Pencils (and other seemingly harmless weapons), PG films, ah; phobias."
Dr. Stapleton anxiously searched through the thin pages of the Black Mesa Employee Handbook, comparable to a bible because of the thickness of the pages and the amount of information inside, until she found what she needed on page 793. Skimming through facts she already knew, she read the advice column to herself.
In the event a Black Mesa employee finds him or herself in a state of discomfort because of claustrophobia, or any other phobia, please interrupt any critical activity. Proceed to a medical center for anti-phobic hormone distribution. If the phobia worsens or you find yourself feeling unwell, please go to your nearest medical center for an anti- hormone counter drug. If all else fails, drink lots of fluid and get some rest.
Lexine took a moment to look up, and watch the tram's progress. A large yellow robot caught her attention, carrying some brown crates across a walkway. The tram had halted to allow it to pass. Then, on a rail parallel to hers, a tram went speeding down it, narrowly missing the machine. Although it whizzed by quickly, she could have sworn she had seen a suspicious, out of place man in a suit. Her own claustrophobia quickly pushed the thought out of her fragile mind.
"Yikes!" exclaimed Lexine's new friend. "That tram's gonna derail." Dr. Lynn Stapleton blinked, and looked back down at the book, nicknamed the B.M.E.H., she held.
If you still are feeling phobic and cannot get rid of the anxiety or cope with it, consider discontinuing employment in the Black Mesa research facility. All scientists wanting to discontinue employment with the Black Mesa research facility will need to take an oath of silence and have a memory wipe. Any scientists found trying to remind his or her employ time in the Black Mesa research facility at ANY time after being fired or dismissed, will be brought back and used as a test subject. After being fired or quitting, please refrain from working for Aperture Science.
That sure helped, she thought.
"You think I should?" Lexine said, closing her handbook and returning it to its spot in her coat.
"Hmm?"
"I'm semi-claustrophobic. Do those, um, anti-phobic hormones work?" She asked, slightly embarrassed.
The man's eyes widened, and he replied, "NO! Don't take those things. I had a friend who got nauseous when he saw blood, and he was in the medical facility, so he went in and got some. A day later, he went insane, and a week later, he turned into a vegetable."
"Whoa—"
"Yeah," he warned. "Those hormones screw with your body. Just look at a light and say 'there's nothing down here to fear' four times."
"Thanks," Lexine softly said.
"No, thank you," he said. "My name's Dr. Aretino. I work in test chamber C three three A."
"Hey," Dr. Lynn said, forgetting her claustrophobia, "that's where I'll work!"
Dr. Aretino smiled, knowing he had helped a fellow scientist. That's something the B.M.E.H. could never do, he thought.
Lexine then remembered seeing C.A.C. - E. in the handbook. Curious, she flipped back to the index, and found it. She then turned to page 394 to read about it.
Operation C.A.C. - E.; it stands for Control and Containment Execution. Many employees here at Black Mesa call it C.A.K.E. It is only initiated in extreme emergencies. As soon as the C.A.C. - E. signal is sent, the United States military will be called to clean up whatever incident happened. There are three codes of C.A.C. - E.; code blue, red, and black. Blue will call the military forces, but they will only be here to investigate. On red, they will destroy everything and everybody in their path. Black will call in the secret service to exterminate everyone in the facility and plant a nuclear bomb in the center of it. The punishment for prank calls using the C.A.C. - E. will be immediate termination of employment, followed by death by firing squad. FUN FACT; cac- (same as caco-) is a prefix meaning bad.
Maybe I shouldn't have read that... she thought, now slightly queasy. Dr. Aretino saw the expression on her face and opened his mouth to speak. "You found C.A.K.E?"
"You can just read my thoughts can't you?"
"Heh," he chuckled. "I've been here awhile. Nearly every employee finds that article and reads it. Some people think they have mind control probes to make you read it, just to scare you."
Dr. Lynn chuckled, and then was reminded of her worries. "Just stick to the book. It might not do much for your phobias, but it teaches you how to build a handgun out of paperclips, a rubber band, and your own spit; everything but the necessary," her new friend advised.
Lexine smiled and nodded, almost understanding the true nature of Black Mesa. She put the book in her lap, and leaned back into the blue padded seat. It had a thin cover of a strong fabric over a hard metal surface, making it very uncomfortable. The tram turned a corner, and continued down a rock tunnel with sunlight streaming down through the holes. As it passed near a small beam of light, the new scientists smiled, closing her eyes, savoring the natural light that passed over her face. The African scientist, however, squinted his, and raised a hand as a shield.
I hope I don't become a sun hating mole living down here… she worried.
-If you find yourself exposed to hazardous chemicals or radiation, please proceed to the nearest medical facility immediately. Standard radiation and biochemical contamination scans are required for continued employment in the Black Mesa center-
"What kind of chemicals would we be exposed to anyway?" Lexine asked.
"Oh, toxic waste, various acids, nuclear energy, the usual."
"Is that ALL I have to worry about?" Dr. Lynn sarcastically asked.
"Well, eh, um, that and stray laser beams, hot steam, the occasional atomic bomb, fire, falling into a pit or off a walkway, among other things. Sorry there, just so you'll have no surprises."
Lexine gulped. However, her conscious self reminded her she would be working with paper and pencils, not lasers and bombs.
"Do the long rides ever bother you?" she sheepishly asked.
"You'll get used to them. Just look out the, um, side or read your manual. Flip to a random page and use the information that day; a little game me and my colleges play."
Taking Dr. Aretino's advice, Dr. Stapleton opened her manual to life in, and under, a rock, and started reading aloud. "How to turn a sock into a bandage; First, take off your, or another scientist's sock. Then, rip or cut a hole in the bottom. Using your arm or leg, make it as big as the hole at the top. After you have a fabric tube, slip it over the limb with a wound, until it covers it. Use a second sock if the bleeding is bad. Make a proper sling if the wound is internal. If the wound is on your neck, use a large sock and stretch it over your head. If it is on your waist or belly, and you have a slim body, consider using the body of a pant leg. If you have a medium-large body, use a smaller scientist's lower shirt. Of course, this is an emergency measure, so if it isn't too far away, going to a medical facility. Um…"
"Some are harder than others," the experienced scientist replied. "Read another; keep your mind off being half a mile underground."
"Okay… let's see… ah, I found one! Ah, how to cut your nails without a nail trimmer. If one is handy, it should be used instead of the following alternative. First, straighten out a paperclip, and then, twist it vertically. The carefully arranged molecules will separate, (all Black Mesa paperclips are designed this way,) allowing you to use the two remaining halves as knives. This can also be used for defense against anyone trying to harm you; however a Black Mesa standard pistol is a much better alternative." After reading the line, Lexine examined her nails. "Well, I have a paperclip, but my nails don't need trimming." Then, her fingernails that she was examining were illuminated by light. She looked up to find security guard pounding on a door. She was standing on a platform in the middle of a dark tunnel, her flashlight, sporting a white logo on the barrel, shone off to the side into the tram for the brief moment when it had passed.
"This whole facility has been experiencing problems lately. They can bend dark energy around a pin, but they can't put in a simple door with a handle. Even the doors to my locker are electronic. Everything's connected."
"Is that so?" asked Dr. Lynn, intrigued.
"Yeah, the right person could go to one end of the facility, which is about three miles away, about five kilometers below us, and open the door for that guard down there."
This fact made Lexine's head fill with ideas and fears of what an experienced hacker could to. She blinked her eyes, and looked back down at the book.
"Is there anything useful in this book?" she mumbled to herself. "Wait, I think I—"
"Dr. Stapleton, I think we're here. You should put the book away," said Dr. Aretino, pointing to an illuminated platform in the distance.
"Oh," she said, slightly blushing.
"Well, it'll be a pleasure working with you," he told her, leaning across the aisle to shake her hand. Lexine reached over, put her hand out, and shyly shook back. His shake was strong; his hands big and rough from work and hers were small and fragile. They both returned to their seats, and listened to the automated voice, now playing again.
-Now arriving at; sector C test labs-
"Here we are!" the Dr. Aretino said. The tram slowed to a halt, and clicked into place on the platform. Dr. Stapleton looked around for any lights other than those on the tram and at the station she was arriving at. She stood, and waited for the door to open, however it was then she realized that a security guard had to do it. She looked around, and found a dark figure slouched against a red metal beam.
After a moment, Dr. Aretino yelled, "Hey! Are you going to let us out?" The security guard, leaning against the side rail with his head down, abruptly jerked up, and jogged over to the tram. After punching in a three digit code, the door slid open, and the guard let out a slight chuckle. "Sorry there. It's the end of my shift and," he took a break to yawn, and continued, "and my replacement is running late."
"I know how you feel," Lexine said. "I had to wake up at like five in the morning! Took a military helicopter here, and slept the entire journey."
"Yeah, well, let's go inside. It feels weird out here, in the dark," after that, he stumbled over to a heavy blast door, sealed off by two metal rods. He paused for a moment at the control panel, trying to remember the code. "Um, eh, huh?" he murmured. Using his right hand, he brought it to his face to wipe his nose. Then, using the same hand, he brought it down to punch in a code. Thankfully, the doors opened before he had a chance to contaminate the keypad, and his replacement came out. "Thank god," the sleepy guard said, wiping his hands on his bluish pants. He entered the airlock, and so did Dr. Lynn Stapleton and her new acquaintance.
"Sorry I was late; I was trying to get the doors to work properly. I didn't want to lock myself out here."
Then, after smiling at us, he closed the heavy door in which we had entered. A white cloud filled the room, and Lexine could make out the words 'decontamination in progress' from a robotic voice. The vapor faded away, and then the second door opened, half of it sliding up, half of it siding down, after the hydraulic bars moved away horizontally. The desperately sleepy guard strolled towards his quarters, in a daze. After watching him go by, she turned her attention to the inside; there was a large desk, housing three monitors and computers, along with the strangest mouse Dr. Lynn had ever seen. It had two wheels, that weren't wheels at all, rather light sensors, and three buttons, but they weren't buttons, but instead rubber pressure sensors. The guard controlling it used all five fingers on it. A scientist saw her inspecting them, and answered her facial expression. "They're designed for advanced calculations and operations. You know; quantum physics and stuff like that."
"Hmm," she mumbled in response. She looked up, and saw a large view screen on the wall. It had a map of the world, with a single light representing the location of Black Mesa; the facility she was going to spend most, if not all of her life in. Then, the picture changed to a safety reminder; stay away from moving machinery. It switched again, this time to a picture of a smiling guard in front of the American flag. Only forty nine stars… she thought. Obviously this facility needed major updates.
"Here, follow me," said Dr. Aretino. He walked around the desk, waving to a fellow scientist he knew, and continued right down a hallway. I followed, but was stopped by a gurad at the desk. "Hey, uh Stapleton; I had an intro packet for you, but some jerk screwed up my files. Heck, he hacked the whole mainframe!" Lexine rolled her eyes, and resumed following her friend. Behind her, she heard the guard mutter, "How'd he manage to do that?" She briefly thought about it, recalling how Dr. Aretino had described how the computers worked; one big computer, with a whole lot of monitors.
"In Black Mesa, we don't move around a lot. Here in Sec. C will be your locker, bunk bed, kitchen, and lab you work in. The only time you'll get out is to investigate a sample that can't be moved from another sector, or to meet up with a friend during a day off." Lexine nodded, still following her friend. "See," he said, pointing to a blue band, labeled 'Control Room'. "That one leads right…right," he pointed to a metal door with a yellow button, and five red ones. "In there is where we monitor everything in Sector C." Dr. Stapleton shyly peeked inside the large room, and at the various monitors, all being watched, (and recorded, she assumed.) Her new friend led her to a hallway across from the room she was observing. It slanted downward, wires ran below its floor, a thin metal mesh was the only thing standing between them and the wires. It surely was strong enough to hold numerous people, but she walked to the side anyway. Ahead were three bands, green, purple, and orange, painted on the wall. "The green one," he said, visually following it right, "leads to a small cafeteria; two high quality vending machines, a microwave, and a couple of tables. The purple one, leading the opposite direction, goes—" "Can we go gets some food?" Lexine interrupted. "I got up so early, I forgot to have breakfast." Even if she did, they had pumped her stomach right there on the helicopter, to ensure she wasn't carrying any recording devices or cell phones, but she didn't want to remind herself of that.
"Good idea," he said. Then, the African scientists led her down the hallway to the right. They made two ninety degree turns left before they turned right into a bedroom sized cafeteria. A scientist was munching on a burrito at one of the tables. "Help yourself," he said, seeing Lexine was new. She nodded, and quickly walked towards a green vending machine. She quickly noticed there was no money slots, (not that she had any on her at the moment,) and that the only buttons were for the food. "Isn't that something? Everything's free," Dr. Aretino said. "Yeah," the scientist at the table said, "but don't even think about taking more that you'll need. Some guy tried to take lots of food, and use it to destroy one of our multi-million dollar machines, and he got a mind wipe, and was sent out of here right away! Pity; Dr. Fredrick was one of our best scientists."
Dr. Stapleton took the advice, adding it to all the other tips she had acquired, and focused on choosing a suitable breakfast. After a moment of searching, she found a vegan food pack; perfect for her. Lexine tapped the button 'F8', and then realized it wasn't a normal press button; it only sensed heat and motion. Instead of having a twisting spring that dropped the bag into a slot, one was released from the back, and brought to an eye level slot, so nobody had to bend down. She cautiously gasped it, and examined the front and back.
VEGAN BREAKFAST DELUX – The breakfast for the rest of us!
She briefly chuckled, knowing Seinfeld couldn't sue them, and then turned it over.
THE STRING BEAN THEORY:
This breakfast packet is a mix of vegetables, all natural. They are designed for a vegan worker, searching for a tasty breakfast in Black Mesa. In this pouch of bliss, there are; string beans, carrots, broccoli, all soaked in cleansing/hydrating fluids, and lots of love from Sector K4.
Lexine, finding none of the puns funny, slid her finger across the top as she was told to do by the microscopic instructions on it, and the molecules disintegrated, opening the package. She reached in, and pulled out a carrot. She popped it into her mouth, and, slowly at first, began to chew. "Everything's great down here, with the possible exception of lighting," said her friend, wanting to move on.
"Aren't you hungry?" Dr. Stapleton asked, pulling out a bunch of string beans, which were a lot better than she expected.
"No, I just ate lunch."
"Lunch?"
"Yeah, we're all on different schedules," he answered, reading her mind again. Dr. Aretino walked out of the room, Lexine following and still eating, and led her down the hall.
"This last band leads to the locker rooms and dorms." Lexine saw that the orange band had two things on it; Locker Rooms (M/F), and Dormitories (M/F). She followed him down the wall, until they reached their destination. "Here's where you will put your stuff." He said, opening the door to the female locker room. In it were benches, lockers, and a bathroom. It reminded her of her school locker room, only this one was bigger, more sanitary, and she wasn't teased by all the other girls for being a nerd.
Now I'll be teased for something else, she thought.
"And here," Dr. Aretino said as he pointed across the hall to an adjacent room, "will be where you'll sleep." The new scientist tapped the yellow button on the door, and it opened, allowing her to inspect the dorm. She saw that there were people sleeping in the beds, probably running a night shift. "Well, I have to go change; I've been wearing this outfit for two days now. See you in three three 'A'!" With that, he trotted off down the hall.
Lexine, now alone for the first time since the morning, went into the locker room, and closed the door behind her. Then, a certain word caught her eye; Stapleton. It was written on a locker, that she assumed was hers. Seeing that is was activated by a key card, she hunted through her front pocked for her ID. She found hers, with a picture of herself in front of the Black Mesa logo. After sliding the black end down a slit carefully placed in the door, it hissed, and slid upwards. Her eyes followed it up, but were quickly drawn to the contents within; all the things she needed were already there. Textbooks, light coats, a change of every type of clothes she needed, her diplomas, even some instructions for their washing machine. Dr. Lynn put a hand inside her lab coat, and removed a picture of her best friend from college. She placed it on a shelf, took a step back, and smiled.
I could get used to living down here.