This is why my next chapter has taken so long to upload! I've written and
re-written this so many times, and I still haven't got it right... I
thought that I may as well upload what I've got, even if it is a load of
rubbish. :-P
*****************8
"Are you sure we can risk him again, Sir?" Someones voice rose from the darkness. 'Risk who? What happened? Where is this?' Gordons head ached, and he struggled to open his eyes.
"This isn't the time or the place Anderson. We'll discuss it later if you think he is that important to us. Remember, we have the others." That voice Gordon knew. He managed to finally force his heavy eyes open but the room was, to him, just a pale blur without his glasses.
"It is important. He's the most experienced person we have at the moment. We could use his talents, we can't let his abilities go to waste."
"You saw how he handled the situation on Xen. I admit, it was a bit much to push on him after so long, but he made the totally wrong choices. We'll see, Anderson, we'll see." Gordon let out a small sigh. He blew it. He knew he had.
" I think he's up to it. From what I've heard, Gordon is more than able."
"Maybe so, but he still has to prove himself to me. I saw him last year, and he was impressive, but I have my doubts at the moment. I just think Shepherd is more promising" Gordon closed his eyes against the glare of the lights hanging from the ceiling, and somehow managed to block the conversation which continued somewhere to his right.
He tried to relax, ignore the horrors which haunted his mind, and forget the friends that he was torn away from only one year ago. For once he felt safe, and he gratefully took this oppurtunity to run everything through his mind. He didn't want the life he was living now. Death would be preferable to this. He had nothing to live for anymore. Before Black Mesa, he had everything. A good job, loving family, a nice house, a girlfriend to die for, and a beautiful baby girl, Joanne. He had anything any man would ever want. But then it happened. His life was torn apart in a matter of seconds, all his friends in Black Mesa dead, and to everybody else, he was a memory. A single name amongst the hundreds who supposedly perished in Black Mesa.
Gordon ran the recent events through his mind. He wasn't cut out for fighting, and still couldn't abide the thought of harming other humans. What drove him all that way was fear. Fear and anger. When he first witnessed the remorseless slaughter of his collegues, something took over. He wasn't the quiet, mild mannered man he used to be. He didn't think, he just shot and concentrated on keeping alive. Horrific memories flooded back to him as he lay on the crisp, clean bed. He had to force images of the charred, blood stained corridors of Black Mesa out of his mind, and relaxed. He eventually fell, almost unwillingly, asleep.
Gordon awoke from his slumber alert, and he scanned the room. It was small, a two doors, a large window, blinds pulled down to his left, and a small white lamp stood on a bedside cabinet by his head. No other furniture was visible from where he lay. This place reminded his of a hospital. It was bright, empty, almost cheerful, yet none of those could settle the heavy feeling of dread lying in his empty stomach. His employer just then walked into the room.
"Ah, Mr. Freeman. I'm glad to see you awake at last. You gave us quite a scare out there," He paused "I was expecting more from you." The voice startled Gordon at first, but as the last sentance sank in, he started to gaze at his boss in disbelief.
"More from me? I was dumped in another country, with no idea what to do, or what the Hell was going on. Can you blame me for what happened?" The only thing that stopped Gordon from going on was the sharp pain that tore through his shoulders as he tried to sit up.
"Look, I understand your anger Freeman. You've been taken away from everything you love and believe in. And believe me Gordon, if we'd known about that alien which attacked you, we'd have told you about it. Look, do you think I wanted you confined to a bed like this? I could have left you there to die, but I thought better of it, and had you brought all the way back here. Do you think making those arrangements is easy? I think you should consider all I have done for you before you say something you will really regret. I can dispose of you without a second thought. There are others I could use for this assignment. Just be glad it's you I chose, or you'd just be another casualty."
"Why didn't you tell me what i was supposed to be doing?"
"I am a very busy man Freeman-" Gordon interrupted.
"What? Busy man? That's your excuse? We could have all died. Why did you just leave me there?"
"I didn't just leave you there. I was going to tell you everything you would have needed to know the next morning, we knew there were a few Slaves there, but we had no idea that there were aliens that dangerous so close to you, we didn't even know that species existed. In fact, that one didn't even come from Xen."
"What? There's another planet involved now?"
"Unfortunately, there has been all along. We've dubbed them 'Race X'. You, fortunately didn't encounter them in Black Mesa. They seem to be born and bred for fighting, and some, like the Alien Grunts, use living weaponary. We don't actually know why Race X got involved, we have never provoked them, we didn't even know they existed, but, they're involved, and they're hostile. It looks like Race X is an enemy to the Xonians, but we can't be sure.We've run tests on that creature that attacked you, and, we are certain it's not from Xen. There is no other explanation for where that alien came from."
"What would Race X be doing on Earth?"
"Thats what we're trying to figure out. Now Freeman, get some rest." With that, he left the room, leaving Gordon even more confused than he was before. After a few moments, Gordon decided to take his advice, and just slept.
*****************8
"Are you sure we can risk him again, Sir?" Someones voice rose from the darkness. 'Risk who? What happened? Where is this?' Gordons head ached, and he struggled to open his eyes.
"This isn't the time or the place Anderson. We'll discuss it later if you think he is that important to us. Remember, we have the others." That voice Gordon knew. He managed to finally force his heavy eyes open but the room was, to him, just a pale blur without his glasses.
"It is important. He's the most experienced person we have at the moment. We could use his talents, we can't let his abilities go to waste."
"You saw how he handled the situation on Xen. I admit, it was a bit much to push on him after so long, but he made the totally wrong choices. We'll see, Anderson, we'll see." Gordon let out a small sigh. He blew it. He knew he had.
" I think he's up to it. From what I've heard, Gordon is more than able."
"Maybe so, but he still has to prove himself to me. I saw him last year, and he was impressive, but I have my doubts at the moment. I just think Shepherd is more promising" Gordon closed his eyes against the glare of the lights hanging from the ceiling, and somehow managed to block the conversation which continued somewhere to his right.
He tried to relax, ignore the horrors which haunted his mind, and forget the friends that he was torn away from only one year ago. For once he felt safe, and he gratefully took this oppurtunity to run everything through his mind. He didn't want the life he was living now. Death would be preferable to this. He had nothing to live for anymore. Before Black Mesa, he had everything. A good job, loving family, a nice house, a girlfriend to die for, and a beautiful baby girl, Joanne. He had anything any man would ever want. But then it happened. His life was torn apart in a matter of seconds, all his friends in Black Mesa dead, and to everybody else, he was a memory. A single name amongst the hundreds who supposedly perished in Black Mesa.
Gordon ran the recent events through his mind. He wasn't cut out for fighting, and still couldn't abide the thought of harming other humans. What drove him all that way was fear. Fear and anger. When he first witnessed the remorseless slaughter of his collegues, something took over. He wasn't the quiet, mild mannered man he used to be. He didn't think, he just shot and concentrated on keeping alive. Horrific memories flooded back to him as he lay on the crisp, clean bed. He had to force images of the charred, blood stained corridors of Black Mesa out of his mind, and relaxed. He eventually fell, almost unwillingly, asleep.
Gordon awoke from his slumber alert, and he scanned the room. It was small, a two doors, a large window, blinds pulled down to his left, and a small white lamp stood on a bedside cabinet by his head. No other furniture was visible from where he lay. This place reminded his of a hospital. It was bright, empty, almost cheerful, yet none of those could settle the heavy feeling of dread lying in his empty stomach. His employer just then walked into the room.
"Ah, Mr. Freeman. I'm glad to see you awake at last. You gave us quite a scare out there," He paused "I was expecting more from you." The voice startled Gordon at first, but as the last sentance sank in, he started to gaze at his boss in disbelief.
"More from me? I was dumped in another country, with no idea what to do, or what the Hell was going on. Can you blame me for what happened?" The only thing that stopped Gordon from going on was the sharp pain that tore through his shoulders as he tried to sit up.
"Look, I understand your anger Freeman. You've been taken away from everything you love and believe in. And believe me Gordon, if we'd known about that alien which attacked you, we'd have told you about it. Look, do you think I wanted you confined to a bed like this? I could have left you there to die, but I thought better of it, and had you brought all the way back here. Do you think making those arrangements is easy? I think you should consider all I have done for you before you say something you will really regret. I can dispose of you without a second thought. There are others I could use for this assignment. Just be glad it's you I chose, or you'd just be another casualty."
"Why didn't you tell me what i was supposed to be doing?"
"I am a very busy man Freeman-" Gordon interrupted.
"What? Busy man? That's your excuse? We could have all died. Why did you just leave me there?"
"I didn't just leave you there. I was going to tell you everything you would have needed to know the next morning, we knew there were a few Slaves there, but we had no idea that there were aliens that dangerous so close to you, we didn't even know that species existed. In fact, that one didn't even come from Xen."
"What? There's another planet involved now?"
"Unfortunately, there has been all along. We've dubbed them 'Race X'. You, fortunately didn't encounter them in Black Mesa. They seem to be born and bred for fighting, and some, like the Alien Grunts, use living weaponary. We don't actually know why Race X got involved, we have never provoked them, we didn't even know they existed, but, they're involved, and they're hostile. It looks like Race X is an enemy to the Xonians, but we can't be sure.We've run tests on that creature that attacked you, and, we are certain it's not from Xen. There is no other explanation for where that alien came from."
"What would Race X be doing on Earth?"
"Thats what we're trying to figure out. Now Freeman, get some rest." With that, he left the room, leaving Gordon even more confused than he was before. After a few moments, Gordon decided to take his advice, and just slept.