Chapter 14: Telecommunications
"Alyx come in!"
Chell heard a voice from the radio.
"Alyx are you there?"
There were footsteps.
"Yes I'm here, we were just getting ready to leave. What do you need Leon?"
Chell quit foraging through things and went to meet up with Alyx, (after hearing about Ravenholm the night before she hoped that Chase and Gordon would make it out alive).
As she made her way over to the monitor the man on the other end of the line replied, "You'll never guess who we found..." Before calling to someone offscreen.
Alyx sighed of relief when Gordon moved in front of the screen. Chell was a little worried that Chase didn't make it, (even though she hardly knew him, he just made good first impression).
"Thank god you made it!" Alyx said sounding relieved.
"Hey I didn't do it alone." Gordon said.
"Where's Chase then?!" Chell blurted out, everyone looked at her. She could have slapped herself.
"He's arguing with the medic." Gordon said laughing, "We took on a combine battalion. And by 'we' I mean it was 90% him. Anyway, he ate plenty of rounds but stood his groun. He claimed he was fine but the medic wanted to look at him."
"Wow..." Alyx said.
"Yeah I'll call him out." Gordon said before calling for Chase.
A few seconds later Chase walked in front of the camera and the front of his uniform was red. Chell felt her eyes widen from the shock, she could see why the medic wanted to look at him, half his chest was soaked in blood.
"Good god..." Alyx said.
"I'm fine!" Chase said, he sounded angry, "Alyx what's going on?"
Alyx took a moment to think before explaining the situation. "Ok look. They got ahold of my father and Jusith yesterday and we've been scrambling to get stuff together and catch a train to Nova Prospekt. As for you two, I need you guys to make your way along the coast until you get there. Once we all meet up we'll find my dad and Judith and then we'll all have to fight our way out." Chell was a little concerned for Chase. He was no doubt tough but it still scared her for some reason.
"Hold on a second," the man said, "there is no way in hell they'll make it on foot, the antions are in the middle of spawning season."
Alyx answered, "that's why I called you. If you guys still have that scout car my dad rigged with the tau cannon you could send them on that, then they'd get there about the same time we did."
"Good idea." The man said, "I'll send them on their way."
"Thanks Leon." Alyx began, "Gordon, Chase, I haven't driven the coast in a long time but I doubt it's any form of safe. Just follow the coastline and it should run you all the way to Nova Prospekt. The Combine's been cracking down on the out posts along the way but there are still a few of the around." She paused for a moment. "Take care of yourselves out there and we'll meet you in Nova Prospekt."
"Alright meet you there." Said Gordon before walking off screen.
"We'll see you two there." Chase said before Alyx turned of monitor. She looked worried.
"Are you alright?" Chell asked. She hoped Alyx trusted her enough to open up a little.
"Yes... I'm fine. But... I'm a little worried about those two..."
"Why's that?" Chell asked.
"Well you just saw what Chase did to himself. He was always tough but I guess the military made him feel expendable and now... Now he's likely to let himself get killed while defending us." Alyx said.
"Yeah he seems like the kind of guy who will kick back and have fun but he values the lives of those he cares about more than his own." Chell felt a little awkward saying that so she changed the subject. "And what about Gordon?" She asked trying to distract herself.
Alyx was silent. Chell knew what was going on and when they made eye contact Alyx could apparently tell what she was thinking.
"Shut up!" Alyx said shoving her our of embarrassment. "My father's already onto me I don't need you pressuring me too."
"Don't worry." Chell said, she had some sympathy for her (after all she was having a similar problem of her own), "Speaking of your dad let's go catch a train and meet up with them.
"Good plan." Alyx said grabbing her pistol and Chell followed her back to some place called City 17.