After arriving at the so-called "Amazing town", Alyx and Gordon followed their new friend, Joseph Cramsey into a small office to talk. The seating arrangements around a tiny table were made and Joe poured mugs of coffee for his guests. The new arrivals politely rejected the hot cups and burrowed strait into business.

"I don't know if anybody has filled you in," Alyx started. "But Gordon and I are here to find the . . ."

"The Borealis." Joe finished her sentence. Alyx could detect a hint of malice in his voice. His eyes turned to the ground as if ashamed to speak the name of the fabled ship. "I know."

Alyx and Gordon exchanged looks of confusion as Joe lowered himself into a metal chair with a grunt.

"Let me tell you a little story." The host bellowed. "You've probably never heard or read of these Borealis 'tid-bits' before. The Aperture science vessel dubbed the Borealis was last stationed north of Dover, England. The underground dock was embedded in the White Cliffs for security purposes. The ship was parked in this Dry Dock for repairs before setting sail again, when the historic Resonance Cascade happened."

Joe rose from his seat and began pacing the table.

"From sketchy reports and wild assumptions, we guess that the Borealis' A.I. went haywire. Basically, she panicked, knowing the only way to survive the alien invasion; she had to take measures into her own 'hands'. Suddenly, the boat itself was engulfed in portal energy and disappeared minutes later, taking half of the dock with it."

Joe stopped his story and glanced at his guests, who sat in silent shock. Alyx was the first to break the dead air.

"How do you know all this?"

The man stood still, staring at Alyx, until the thought clicked.

"Were you at that dry dock?" She asked, almost knowing the answer. Joe slowly nodded.

"That's how I lost this." He tapped his shoulder, indicating the missing left arm.

"But I survived and took the mission of finding the ship that had caused so much pain. Have been doing it for years now, nearly catching up with the darn thing. My team and I investigate any clue or rumor around the world that may give away the location of the Borealis. Finally, we found it, following a lead near Greenland, then towards the arctic. That's when I contacted Judith."

Alyx and Gordon's ears pricked at the name of their friend, who was, by their guess, captured by the Combine.

"How do you know about Judith?" Alyx inquired.

"Oh, Judith and I go way back." Joe grumbled. "She was basically the only person I trusted with the knowledge of the Borealis. She and I both had an interest in the nightmare ship and both had a mind to find it. That's why I called her up here. She and a team of my men decided to investigate it first. A day later, we lost contact with her."

The pair nodded, remembering the last transmission Judith was able to send before falling into the clutches of the enemy.

"And here we are." Joe stated, eyeballing at his guests. "Hopefully, planning our next move."

"How far is the Borealis from here?"

"Fifty miles north, inside of another Aperture science Dry Dock."

"And the Combine?"

Gordon noticed a small smirk appear on Joe's face.

"They are currently positioned around the Dock, shaking in their boots."

The last comment baffled Alyx.

"How come?"

Joe returned to his seat. "You know that A.I. I was talking about?"

The pair nodded.

"Well, her name is GLaDOS and she is quite the fire cracker. When she was built, the scientists didn't expect that their new creation would gain an advanced personality. Without warning, GLaDOS became so immersed with her emotions that she found out that survival and growth were key to life. So, she managed to exterminate thousands of Aperture scientists from an Enrichment Center and kill hundreds more at the Borealis Dry Dock, just to keep on chugging along. Right now, she is keeping the Combine out of 'her' facility, for her own safety. She's practically killing off the intruding buggers, thankfully. Of course, she's not going to let anybody near her. That applies to us rebels too."

"So how are we going to get in?" Alyx almost demanded. She wanted to get the show on the road.

To her surprise, a big grin spread across Joe's face. His eyes directed to Gordon.

"Well, I think GLaDOS will be more than happy to let Gordon in."

Gordon's eyes lit up with surprise. Alyx asked the obvious question.

"What?"

"After you folk's destroyed the Combine citadel, tons of enemy communiqué was shooting all over the place. GLaDOS managed to pull a report of your escapades out of the air. Quite frankly, she was impressed by your abilities, Gordon."

Alyx's jaw dropped. "Are you saying that the dangerous A.I. sitting inside of the Borealis is a fan of Gordon's?"

Joe leaned back on his chair, chuckling a bit.

"Yep. That's exactly what I mean. From small radio chatter escaping the Borealis, Gordon is, and I quote, 'The destroyer of the frightening men'."

Joe's eyes, filled with amusement, directed towards Gordon. "GLaDOS is quite taken with you, buddy."

Gordon felt his whole body go numb. This was surprising news. Although a shock, this information would prove useful in the near future. Hopefully, it would provide a safe passage into the Borealis.

Gordon glanced at Alyx. She nodded and directed her gaze to Joe.

"When do we leave?"

Joe breathed a sigh and directed his gaze to the floor. "Well, that's the problem. I don't think I can let you go just yet."

"Why not?"

"The Combine have been trying to clear out any rebels in the surrounding area, including us. They send waves of enemy troops like clockwork."

He quickly glanced at the watch on his wrist. His eyes then fell on Alyx

"And the next wave should be here in five minutes. Now, here's the kicker. Hundreds of rebel reinforcements are arriving from everywhere in just a few hours to attack the Borealis, just in case. Amazing Town is one of the few landing sites for those fresh troops and we are hanging by our fingernails in defending this place.

"I don't suppose you guys could help us out a little bit?"

Alyx and Gordon didn't even have to think. Both nodded in unison.

Joe smiled. "Good. We'll get you geared up."

Gordon felt slow with all the equipment he was carrying. He and Alyx had been directed to a small armory filled with ammo and weapons. Alyx was busy shuffling into a medium black coat that stretched down to her thighs. The coat kept the cold out, but wasn't bulky, allowing for better movement and agility. Gordon watched as she rolled the sleeves up to her elbows in the traditional fashion, revealing the long cast on her arm. He was always confused by this ritual, but knew it was just a hobby of her's.

After fixing the coat, Alyx wrapped a thick belt around her waist along with an occupied holster that buckled around her hip. A lone SMG hung at her side. Her shotgun rested against her back.

Gordon was a bit more decked out. A Shotgun and Pulse Rifle criss-crossed his back, along with his gravity gun stuck to his right shoulder for easy access. The two pistols were comfortably strapped to his thighs. Stuck to his belt was extra ammo, grenades and a SMG for more firepower. Behind his belt, inside a custom made holster, was the crowbar. Along with the thick armor underneath the arsenal, Gordon looked like a walking tank.

After checking everything twice, Gordon glanced at Alyx. She was leaning against a shelf, smiling.

"Well, you look nice."

Gordon chuckled. He wanted to comment on how she looked, but thought it better to keep quite, as usual.

With everything ready, Alyx and Gordon felt like they could take on anything.

The speakers within the Armory crackled to life.

"Attention everybody! Hunters on approach!"

Gordon felt his heart stop.

The first two chapters of this story just set up the coming events. They're like information chapters. I hope this chapter wasn't too confusing. If it was, please tell me. Don't worry, though. The next one's will actually be exciting. Hope your liking it so far. :)