Chapter 12 – Ghost Ship
The Borealis; the fabled ghost ship stood over the group of three rebels. Alyx, Gordon, and Adrian stood in astonishment at the sight of it. The small cracks in the ice ceiling leaked rays of light onto the red hull of the ship. Gordon and Alyx heard Dr. Kliener's voice in their ears.
"Oh my God, there it is. The Borealis. We found it." He said. "This is unbelievable."
"Mossman better still be here." Alyx said. Adrian replied to that.
"Well, according to our trackers, she is." He said. He turned to his right and looked at Gordon. "Alright then Dr. Freeman, you want to go in." Gordon nodded. The group proceeded around the right side of the freightliner. The dry dock was still attached to it and the main floor was embedded in the ice due to its isolation. The boards of the dock creaked as the group walked over them. A withered, ice covered sign hung from the side of the ship that held the Aperture Science logo on it. The main deck held what remained of about ten storage containers. The containers showed battle damage from the Combine siege depicted in Mossman's transmissions. Gordon expected the containers to hold much Aperture Science equipment inside them, but upon inspection they turned out to be empty.
"Maybe the Combine took everything after they attacked." Alyx suggested.
"That seems highly unlikely." Adrian said. "The containers look like they sustained grenade damage as well as bullet damage. If the equipment was destroyed, the Combine wouldn't take the trouble to haul it out. Because of that, the contents of the containers had to have been gone already since there's no debris or anything."
"Captain Shepherd is right." said Dr. Kliener. "Keep exploring the ship and be on the lookout for any enemy presence." There was a door towards the back of the ship that led to the inner hull. The first hallway that the group ventured through sent a shudder up Alyx's spine. There was a hole that had been blasted in the wall on the left and the remnants of a Combine Hunter littered on the floor. This was the hallway where Dr. Mossman had recorded her first message to White Forest.
"Geez, this place gives me the creeps." She said. Adrian advanced to the next door ahead of the group. The creaking hinges on the door echoed throughout the ship's hallways. The next room looked like the main control room for the ship. A row of computers and navigational devices sat against the front wall that held a giant window for the captain of the boat. Gordon walked over to the helm of the ship and looked out at the ice wall in front of him. A groan startled the group. Gordon and Alyx both drew out their pistols instinctively and Adrian pulled out his SMG. Gordon half-expected to see a headcrab zombie waiting for them. But that was not who the groan was made by. There in the back right hand corner of the room sat a bloodied, battered, but still alive Dr. Judith Mossman.
"Mossman! Oh my God!" Alyx ran over to her compatriot slumped in corner. Gordon and Adrian followed behind her. Alyx sat next to Mossman. From what she could see, Judith had multiple bullet wounds in her left leg and arm. She had a head wound as well that had begun to heal, but blood still stained her face. She mustered up a few words.
"Gordon…Alyx…you made it." She said.
"Yes, we're here. Are you okay?" Alyx asked.
"I'm fine. I just can't feel the left side of my body at the moment." She replied. Gordon kneeled down to help Alyx in picking Mossman up. They helped her to her feet and moved her to a nearby desk chair near the back row of control panels.
"Thank God she's okay." said. Dr. Kliener.
"Can you remember what happened here Dr. Mossman?" Adrian asked.
"A little bit." She said. "The Combine attacked us before we found the project onboard. Luckily we were able to stave them off for a bit. I even took down a Hunter. I was able to explore a little more before a second wave of Combine attacked. My entire team was killed. I was able to take down the last of them after that. That's where I got the majority of my injuries. Since then, I've been here waiting to either die or be found. You three are our saviors."
"Well, it's a good thi…wait, did you see 'our'?" Gordon asked.
"Well, found your voice again, didn't you Gordon?" she replied. Gordon smiled and nodded at Mossman. "Yes I said 'our'. You see, after I was wounded, someone found me. She has been helping me." Mossman gestured to her leg. It was then that Gordon noticed a tourniquet and multiple bandages through rips in Mossman's pant leg.
"Who is she and how did she get here?" Adrian asked. His voice had a sense of concern in it.
"She said she had been on the ship for a few months. She mentioned that she has been living here." Mossman grabbed Gordon's arm and pulled him closer. "Gordon…she has the experiment! I understand now why the Combine want it so much."
"Who is this woman!?" Adrian demanded. Alyx turned to Adrian. He had a look of fear in his eyes.
"Adrian, what's wrong?" she asked. Adrian looked up at Alyx and his expression changed from fearful to shameful.
"I'm sorry. I'm just wondering if the woman she's speaking of is someone I know." He said. Judith spoke up again.
"Wait, Adrian…Adrian Shepherd?" she asked.
"Yes. How did you know, I arrived at the Aperture base after you had left for the here." He said.
"Adrian Shepherd…she speaks about you all the time." She said. Adrian mustered a smile. He knew that she was there.
"Um…sorry to interrupt, but I for one would like to know what the hell you two are talking about." Alyx said. Before anyone could say anything further, the door opened behind them.
"Hey, Mossman, I got some more food for…" The woman that Mossman had been talking about had walked into the room. She was a relatively short woman with long black hair that had been tied up in a ponytail. She was wearing an orange jumpsuit that made her look like an escaped prison convict. She carried with her a black bag in her right hand and a white gadget in he left. The thing in her left hand looked much like Gordon's Gravity Gun with a white shell covering it. When she caught sight of the group, she dropped the black bag and aimed the white gun at them. Before she could do anything else, Mossman spoke.
"Wait, wait, wait! Don't shoot. They're friends." She yelled. "Gordon, Alyx this is…" she was cut off by Adrian.
"Chell, oh my god is it really you?" he asked. Adrian ran over to the woman and embraced her. She spoke after he did.
"Adrian! You're really here!" she exclaimed. Gordon and Alyx were dumbstruck. They didn't have a clue what was going on.
"Hey, I'm sorry, but can you please clue us in on what the hell is going on here!" Alyx asked. Dr. Kliener was intrigued by what had just unfolded.
"Gordon, do you realize who that is!?" he asked "She's wearing an orange jumpsuit! That's just what the last person seen with the Borealis was dressed in!" Gordon's eyes widened.
"Why don't you introduce everyone Adrian?" Mossman said.
"Alyx, Gordon," he said. "This is Chell, my wife."
