-Shephard's Epic-
-Sodium Pentothal Revelations-
"You ready?" Yuri smiled under his spectacles, the wrinkles on his forehead creasing further. Adrian, adorned in his sweater and khaki military pants lifted a thumb up, as he shut the metal door to the infirmary. "Good, because the general wants to meet you, and he doesn't like to be kept waiting." He chuckled slightly.
Adrian's face contorted in a worried expression, causing Yuri to chuckle harder. "Oh, my boy, don't you worry." He patted Adrian on the shoulder and pointed down the hallway. "Come on."
The hallway was dimly lit, creating a eerie, horror film look to the cracked cement walls. They passed several rusty iron doors before entering into a courtyard looking lobby. A large, multi-person reception desk dominated the bottom floor, it faced a red carpet, adorned with the hammer and sickle emblem of the former Soviet Union, leading to a large metal blast door. Along the sides of the first floor were several smaller doors, each with its own label, obviously in Russian, hanging overhead. Looking up into the second floor, Adrian could see more of the same.
"What is this place?" Adrian examined the reception desk, caked in dust. Computer terminals, ancient and unused, sat like trophies of a bygone era.
"The general will explain everything." Was all Yuri said, Adrian figured that was true. Of the four doors that lined the right side of the room, Yuri chose the second from the left. Pulling out a key card from underneath his vest, he inserted it into a slot that looked newer than the technology Adrian had seen so far.
Was this some kind of base? It was obviously formerly controlled by the Soviet Union, but how long had it been? The key card slot, which had been dominated by a blinked red light, quickly turned green, and chimed its approval. A rush of air and the door slid up, into the wall, revealing a small elevator.
"Going down." Yuri spoke as the two stood still. The doors closed and the elevator shuddered as Adrian began to feel it descend. There was no counter that read off levels, so Adrian had no idea how far down below the Earth's surface they were. Yuri, who had been silent most of their journey through the facility, finally broke. "Have you remembered anything?"
Adrian shook his head; he was still clueless as to who he was, or what his story was. It perturbed him, not having a story, a life of his own. "Any clues as to who I am?" He cracked a wry smile, not expecting an answer.
"No, but I know that vest you have on you wasn't Combine technology. It's nanite technology, something they don't use in their Overwatch or Civil Protection units." Adrian took a double take.
"Whoa, Combine? Overwatch? Civil Protection? What are you talking about?" Yuri, who had been staring at the wall, turned to Adrian, unable to believe what he was hearing. Sure, Adrian's symptoms pointed to the consumption of unfiltered water, but to be completely in the dark about the currently state of affairs- indeed, of the last ten years, was impossible.
"You're not serious. You have to know what I'm talking about." Adrian simply shook his head. Yuri turned to Adrian, he didn't know exactly what he knew, how much memory he had retained, if any. "Okay," He began slowly. "Ten years back, the Combine, an alien race from another dimension, crossed over to Earth, and successfully invaded and are now our 'benevolent'," He stressed sarcastically, "rulers. Overwatch is their branch of traitor humans, augmented with biotechnology to serve as the main military presence on Earth. Civil Protection is the police force for all of the major urban centers not destroyed in the War."
Adrian didn't know how to take the news. He stood silent, only the hum of the elevator breaking the silence. He took a deep breath, summing up all the strength he had, and ingested the information. Earth wasn't a bastion of humankind anymore? His race, once thought to be the only sentient race in the universe, was now being strangled under the boot of a foreign dictatorship?
Any doubt in Yuri's mind as to the extent of Adrian's memory loss evaporated with the sight of the man before him, who projected the aura of one about to break down. Adrian's nostrils flared with the emotion he desperately wanted to vent. Yuri extended his hand out in a friendly gesture, letting it fall on his shoulder. Two tears formed at the corner's of Adrian's eyes and he hand to steady himself against the wall to keep from sliding down to the floor in a weeping mess.
"Hey, are you okay?" Yuri knew the question was rhetorical, but he was also no therapist. It probably wasn't the prudent thing to do, destroying another man's paradigm. But he surmised Adrian would have learned the truth sooner or later. Better now, in this confined, private space, than in the darkness of the holding cells, with everyone around to watch him break down.
Everyone, Yuri pondered, had the general called everyone down?
X X X
"You've got to be kidding me, Sasha. You actually brought him back?" Aaron cried angrily, his face contorted in a countenance of disbelief. Sasha stood in the center of the large concrete room, sitting on a wooden desk, his feet resting on a cold looking metal chair, restraints adorning the arms and legs.
"I make the calls, besides, you were out on the run. I didn't have time to hold a town meeting." Aaron, standing taller than most of the people assembled in the small room, was an imposing figure. His hair was cut short, and crawled down his face to comprise his neatly trimmed beard. Attached to his hips were two holsters, each filled, menacingly, with .44 automatic magnums.
Speaking with a decidedly western American accent, Aaron replied, "Yeah, well it's not like we're exactly in the position to be taking in strays. How do you know he isn't a Combine plant? If you haven't noticed, we haven't been flying as low as we'd like under the Combine radar." Sasha knew Aaron was right, though he wouldn't admit it.
"Whether or not he's a plant is irrelevant now, he's here." His gaze traveled across the four individuals before him, finally resting on the smallest, a modest man of five foot six inches. Unruly blond hair cascaded down his brow, and obscured his vision. Dressed in ragged jeans and a plain black shirt, his hands fidgeted inside the pockets of the soiled labcoat he had draped over his small frame.
"Stanley, any luck with the vest?" Stanley, who had been staring at the floor, adverse to the tension that normally accompanied any transaction between Aaron and general, jerked his head up in surprise.
"Her innards are definitely American, they were experimenting with nano-technology before the war. It was rumored they were using it to increase their soldier's stamina and pain tolerance. Looks like they fitted into their protective gear. It's far more advanced than what the average Overwatch soldier wears." His accent revealed his humble British backgrounds. "If you ask me, I think we should send it to Eli, maybe they can use…" But Sasha cut him off.
"I didn't ask you." Stanley grew silent; the general was obviously irked by their new guest. Everyone was, the crew all stood silently and Stanley looked to his left and right. Ivan sat in the corner of the room, brooding like he always did.
An old friend of Sasha's, before the war, Ivan was by far the largest and strongest of the group. His head completely shaved of hair, with a small barcode tattooed to the back of his neck. No one knew why, nor dared to ask. Even Aaron, with all his high talk and brute bragging, rarely spoke to Ivan. It was not as though Ivan readily tried to establish relationships either. Conversation was often limited to jobs to be done, and runs to be made. His deep blue eyes seemed fixated on the knife he held in his hand, picking the dirt from under the nails of the other.
"It was my impression, sir, that the boy was mumbling when we brought him in." Slick, the mechanic and specialist in Combine technology said in a casual southern accent. "Something about Black Mesa." Slick, small, though muscular looking ebony, woman, stood off to the side of the small group, casually wiping a nondescript piece of machinery with an oily rag. Her long, raven hair cascaded down her back and over her dirty one-piece mechanics jump suit.
Aaron's look of anger was quickly replaced by shock. "No, no, no. I don't want any of that here. He wont be bringing that 'resistance' crap in my base…"
Sasha again cut him off. "It's my base, and I'll let who I choose in." He was silent for a moment, looking as though he were pondering something. "Come to think of it, it was you, who just two years ago were trying to turn me over to the cause."
Aaron's face turned several shades of red before he replied. "Yeah, well, like the rest of us, I got wise."
"General, sir." Ivan finally spoke, in a deep, heavily Russian accented voice. "It was my understanding the Combine had raided a resistance base in the foothills around city 19. Could he be a survivor?" Ivan, who only referred to Sasha as general, hardly ever spoke.
But before Sasha could answer, Slick butted in. "No, no way. I heard they were slaughtered, no one came out of there alive."
Aaron sneered, "Yeah, those poor fellers thought they could make a dent with their measly little guerilla tactics. Shows them." Sasha glared at Aaron, but replied to Slick.
"That's what the Breen screens said, doesn't make it true." Slick nodded, but everyone knew the Combine's tactics were relentless, not to mention ruthless.
Stanley looked around; realizing one their number was missing. "What about Katya?" Sasha turned around and pulled a notebook onto his lap.
"This doesn't concern her." Was all he said.
"But sir, she's part of the crew. Don't you think…"
"She's my daughter, not part of the crew. Besides, if this goes south, I don't think she needs to see the consequences." Everyone grew silent. The general had Yuri bring the man named Adrian down to the holding cells for questioning. Though not known for his abilities in the torture chamber, Sasha wasn't about to let a Combine assassin into their home.
The door at the far side of the room chimed and Sasha looked up from his notebook.
"Looks like he's finally arrived."
X X X
Adrian composed himself, sniffling loudly as he could feel them slow their decent. The elevator finally came to a halt and chimed accordingly. The door slid upwards, revealing his welcoming party.
Everyone stood silently, taking in the sight of Adrian up and about. Sasha and Ivan had already seen him; it was them, as well as Yuri, who had picked Adrian up along the road near the base.
Shephard, nervous and jittery, slowly made his way out of the elevator, nearly forced out by Yuri. He could feel the stares of the others barring down on him, like ants crawling across his skin.
"Hello there, Corporal Shephard." The man standing in the middle of the room greeted him with a warm smile. He slid down from his sitting position on the chair and walked up to Adrian, his arm outstretched. "My name is Sasha Destovaya." Shephard took it cautiously, but at the same time filled with nostalgia, the man's name had ringed a familiar bell.
"Corporal, huh." The tall, menacing looking man next to Destovaya sneered. Sasha grimaced and rolled his eyes.
"This is Aaron." Adrian reached out to take the man's hand, but Aaron kept his arms securely crossed at his chest.
"Don't mind him, he's our very own trained monkey, without the training." A small man with blonde hair and a British accent quipped. Aaron's eyes grew wide, and the black woman standing behind him visibly suppressed a giggle. "Excuse me!" he suddenly changed directions, "Where are my manners? My name is Stanley Elrich, pleasure to meet you, Mr. Shephard. I've been looking at your vest that you were totting around, maybe you'd like to come down to my lab to maybe help me decipher some of the technology?" Adrian shook the man's hand, still perplexed by the strange group of people.
"Stanley, the man just woke up from one helluva rough patch, give him a moments rest!" The Black woman blurted out, before introducing herself. "Mah name's Slick, like oil slick. Least that's what they called me before the war. I work maintenance 'round here."
"She's our main mechanic too! Anything you can drive, fly, or otherwise commandeer, she's taken apart at one point or another!" Stanley joked. Adrian could only smile awkwardly, wondering why they had dragged him all the way down to this dank and deep part of the facility to make introductions.
Adrian hadn't even seen the man sitting in the corner until the general pointed him out. "That's Ivan Koslov. He doesn't make for good conversation but…" Ivan looked up and nodded curtly to Adrian, as if irked at wasting his valuable time.
"Good!" The general continued. "And since you've already met the good doctor, I think introductions have finally concluded!" He patted the back of the metal chair. "Please, have a seat." Adrian stared at the object, and noticed the restraints, immediately becoming hesitant. The general noticed Adrian's worried expression and made the correlation. "Oh! Don't worry! This chair came with the room, we have no intention of harming you." As Adrian approached the chair to sit down, he could see the general's gaze quickly shift to the doctor, offering him a small nod.
The seat was hard and uncomfortable, and Adrian made sure not to lay his arms or legs near the restraints. What did these people want? Yuri didn't seem at all like he wanted to harm Adrian, nor did the general, but the current situation leant itself to some trepidation on Adrian's part.
Finally situated in the chair, the general brought over another chair and sat across from Shephard. He looked him square in the eyes. "Look, we took you in because at the time, we didn't know what else to do. We may not be in the business of saving the world, but we're not stone cold either."
Adrian could still feel the stares of the others on his back; the general pulled a packet of cigarettes from his front pocket and lit one. "Your being all the way out here, far off from any form of Combine protection, is mighty strange, I'll admit. But I thought I'd give you a chance to explain, before making any assumptions of my own."
Adrian was silent for a few moments, before he realized that the general had just asked him to justify his existence, an existence he had no prior memory of.
"I told Yuri, I have no clue where I came from, or even who I am." Adrian could see the general look behind him, presumably at the doctor. "The only thing I remember was being picked up by you, then waking up in the infirmary. Now I find out that Earth's been overrun by the scum of the universe?" The general didn't acknowledge the last part; standing up, he moved his chair aside and nodded to the others behind him.
Suddenly hands fell upon Adrian and he could feel his limbs being manipulated and moved into the restraints. His heart raced and his mind exploded, what were these people doing to him? He hadn't wronged them, he didn't know where he was! His arms and legs securely tightened, the general once again sat before him, this time with a needle in one hand.
"Do you know what this is?" Sasha said hold the needle up close. Adrian shivered, he hated needles. The question, of course, was rhetorical; he had no idea what the vial contained. "This is Sodium Pentothal, otherwise known as truth serum." He pushed the plunger slightly, and little rivulets gushed out of the needlepoint, flicking the excess off, he continued. "One dose will have you high as a kite. If I find out anything you're not telling me now, that I probably should know… well…" He glanced over towards Aaron, longingly balling his fists. "Aaron has been yearning for a new punching bag."
Adrian's eyes moved frantically left and right. What was he going to do? What if he disclosed something under the influence that even he didn't know he knew. Calming himself, he resigned that he had no other choice, nodding pathetically; the general inserted the needle into Adrian's vein. The plunger released the burning liquid into his veins and Adrian almost immediately felt the sting, and ensuing nausea. The world teetered back and forth, the Sodium Pentothal opening doors in his brain that had been shut tight before.
A pity that he wouldn't remember any of it afterwards.
X X X
"Now, that you're more compliant," The general began, watching Adrian's head loll back and forth in a state of euphoric bliss. "I need to know a few things."
Adrian began giggling madly. "Whatever you say, boss!"
Sasha ignored the giggling man and continued. "Is your name Adrian Shephard, a Corporal in the United States Marine Corp?" Adrian nodded, but didnt seem to even comprehend the question. "Are you in any way affiliated with the Combine?" Adrian shook his head furiously. "Where have you resided for the last ten years, since the occupation by the Combine began?"
"In the black, in the black." Adrian sputtered, and began rolling his head back and forth again.
"Where's the black?" Sasha asked, perplexed.
"With the government man." Adrian slurred. "That prick, he killed, oh yes he killed." The general shook his head, this man wasn't making any sense. Adrian's eyes, which had been roaming the room, narrowed their gaze on the confused Sasha. "Destovaya!" He cried. "I once knew a guy by that name, good guy." He slurred. "Good soldier, damn good soldier. I'd say to him sometimes 'Damnit, Dmitri! You should be promoted!' The brass were always passin' him over for…"
"How do you know that name?" Sasha snapped. Dmitri, he thought, I haven't heard that name in almost two decades. Everyone in the room, who had been paying close attention before, were now moving closer to the doped up man, trying to decipher his cryptic speech. Adrian leveled his gaze with Sasha, his eyes widened and closing.
"He and I… we… we…" But Adrian didn't finish his sentence, his iris widened and his mouth opened in a gasp. "No! No!" His body shook spasmodically as he screamed as though he had been shot. "Stop! Stop! Make them stop! They're dead, but they're still walking!" The chair scooted around on the floor as Adrian struggled to flee from the scene before his eyes and his eyes only. "Tower! Wilkes! Jackson! Where are you!" His voice had grown horse from the screaming and Sasha took hold of his shaking form, desperately trying to wrest him from the nightmare.
"Adrian! Adrian where are you? What do you see?" His hands straightened Adrian's face forcing him to make eye contact with the general. "What…do…you…see?" he stressed.
"Black…Black…mesa…" He let out one last sigh and collapsed. Yuri rushed in and checked his pulse.
"He's okay, he just feinted." He looked to Sasha. "I told you it wouldn't work."
"Yeah, all he did was babble." Aaron whispered, everyone else was silent.
Without speaking, Sasha stood up and made his way to the elevator. "Get him cleaned up, he stays." He said without turning around.
"He stays? You can't be serious! We can't afford another mouth, and I don't know about any of you, but I happen to have this deadly urge to eat!" But Sasha didn't respond, he stepped into the elevator and slammed the close door bottom. "Jesus, what the hell are we gonna do with him? He's useless, and what has the general makin' such a fuss?"
Yuri was unstrapping Adrian from the chair with the help was Slick when a soft chuckle pierced the air. Aaron turned to see Ivan, covering his mouth, trying to be inconspicuous.
"What's so funny, Ivan the terrible." Aaron's nickname for him. Ivan stopped laughing long enough to respond.
"Aaron, your memory astounds me. Don't you remember? Dmitri is Sasha's brother."