Chapter Two: Anomalous Materials
LOCATION: Anomalous Materials Laboratory, Sector C Labs, Black Mesa Research Facility
TIMESCALE: December 2nd 1998, 0:900 hours EVENT TIME MINUS 20 MINUTES
The doors revealed the vibrant control centre of the Anomalous Materials labs. Set in the old control centre for the nuclear testing silos, the walls were all whitewashed, far too clinical for Gordon's liking. In the middle of the room, surrounded by screens and tapping furiously at a computer was Barney Davis, chief operator and security officer for the area. Gordon worked over to him. He didn't look up from the screen.
"Ah, morning Mr Freeman, the crew said they wanted you to head up to the lab as soon as you got suited up, I had a bunch of messages for you too but we've been having a whole bunch of problems with the system this morning, check back later"
Gordon walked down the dimly lit corridors to the changing rooms, acknowledging the tired smiles of his colleagues. For the past month they'd been working on these strange crystalline structures that had been "found" around Black Mesa. Today they were actually going to pass concentrated light beams through it for a closer analysis. The "barrel" was an old laser testing facility, and it concerned Gordon that they would be using it. But as he opened his locker and got himself ready this faded. He stepped over to the HEV suit room. Three receivers stood, silently charging. But two of them were empty. Both Thompson and Jameson's suits had vanished during the past week. It struck Gordon as slightly strange, as they hadn't said where they were going. He suited up and headed out toward the "barrel"
By the time Gordon made it to the control room overlooking the barrel he was nearly an hour late. The three scientists that greeted him, Doctors Harmer, Vance and Fleming glared angrily upon seeing him.
"Ah Freeman, you made it" quipped Dr Harmer
"This sample we have is the best yet, and potentially the most unstable" said Vance, continuing his work at the keyboard.
"We've boosted the antimass spectrometer 105%, bit of a gamble but we need the extra resolution" said Fleming
"Their waiting for you Gordon, in the test chamber" Harmer pointed angrily to the door.
"I'll get it done" said Gordon, hastily exiting.
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By the time he reached the barrel, Doctors Davison and Willis were already there, his "monitors" who would check on radiation levels and monitor his vitals from the systems in his heavy HEV suit.
"Ah hello Gordon" said Davision, picking at a chocolate bar
It was evident Willis hadn't noticed, as he was in rant mode. This was typical of Willis, who objected to the working conditions.
".Admittedly the chances of a resonance cascade scenario are small but.."
"Look, we don't need to frighten Gordon he's a highly trained professional" Willis looked up, shocked at Freeman's presence.
"Ah.yes, Gordon we have complete confidence in.you"
Gordon narrowed his eyes. "Just let me in, I'm tired, I'm late and I'm hungry"
The doors opened like a lions jaws, and Gordon obligingly stepped into its throat.
"Good luck Gordon" said Willis, tapping the keypad.
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The jaws snapped shut behind him. Gordon gazed around the room. Being a former missile production room, it was tall and cylindrical, and very cold (there being no heating in the centre). The intercom crackled to life and Fleming's ancient voice boomed.
"Alright Gordon, I've just been informed that the specimen is ready, but it'll take a few minutes to arrive. If you would be so kind as to climb up and start the generator and we can bring the antimass spectrometer to 105% and wait until the carrier arrives"
"Damnit, climbing" thought Gordon, as he nervously crept up the ladder.
By the time he reached the top, his slight vertigo had kicked in. He prevented himself from throwing up only by willpower, moving to and fixing on the computer screen. He flipped the satisfyingly chunking "ON" switch and tapped at the keyboard. The laser began to fire up, the generators whirling round like propellers.
"Thank you Gordon" said Fleming.
Gordon nervously clambered back down, kissing the metallic floor. He began to relax. In fifteen minutes, this would all be over and he could relax, read Barney's copy of playboy and enjoy some lunch. Then some chilling words echoed over the hall.
"Um, it's probably nothing.probably, but I'm showing a slight discrepancy in.." Willis' voice cut out, and Gordon was sure he could hear Fleming quietly telling him to "shut the hell up and just carry on"
The lasers now fired into the beam receiver, it was very pretty but deadly, a remnant of Black Mesa's dark past in weapons research. Then the intercom fired up
"Okay Gordon the specimen is ready, if you would be so kind as to push it into the beam we can get the experiment done"
Gordon walked around the large receiver to the trolley-like construction, whose outstretched "arms" held a glowing yellow rock. Gordon peered at it, its glowing surface almost like that of a television. Shaking off the image, he began to push the rock into the beams. As soon as it hit them there was a massive flash. Alarms sounded, laser beams were reflected all around the room. Gordon leapt back, screaming "oh shit" Fleming shouted over the intercom "Gordon, get away from the beam...aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrggghhhhh"
A beam of laser energy reflecting into the control room and blasting it. Gordon ran over to the door, pounding against it, attempting to scream over the deafening noise. Then he looked back. There was a glowing ball of light just above the receiver, building up energy. Suddenly, from this ball shot out a laser beam. It hit Gordon square in the chest, knocking him out.
Gordon awoke a few seconds later. He couldn't see or feel anything and was breathing heavily. Then, sound slowly faded back. He was back in the receiver room, energy beams blowing up the walls, and then he appeared in some alien lake. Gordon stared wide-eyed at the strange creatures and atmosphere, and was then snapped back into blackness. Again he reappeared, a circle of menacing and unknown creatures surrounding him, drooling. Then blackness. Before he blacked out completely Gordon thought, "what the hell is going on?"
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Ten miles above the chaos, the administrator sat in his secured office, watching the chaos unfold on the television screen. He smiled slyly.
"So, it has begun" He picked up his briefcase and walked out of the office into his reception, looking at the lone security guard there.
"I want you to call security control and inform them to contact USMC Special Forces, and have a chopper standing by for me now" "Yes sir" nodded the guard.
The administrator stepped into the waiting elevator, smiling again as the doors sealed and lifted him to safety.
LOCATION: Anomalous Materials Laboratory, Sector C Labs, Black Mesa Research Facility
TIMESCALE: December 2nd 1998, 0:900 hours EVENT TIME MINUS 20 MINUTES
The doors revealed the vibrant control centre of the Anomalous Materials labs. Set in the old control centre for the nuclear testing silos, the walls were all whitewashed, far too clinical for Gordon's liking. In the middle of the room, surrounded by screens and tapping furiously at a computer was Barney Davis, chief operator and security officer for the area. Gordon worked over to him. He didn't look up from the screen.
"Ah, morning Mr Freeman, the crew said they wanted you to head up to the lab as soon as you got suited up, I had a bunch of messages for you too but we've been having a whole bunch of problems with the system this morning, check back later"
Gordon walked down the dimly lit corridors to the changing rooms, acknowledging the tired smiles of his colleagues. For the past month they'd been working on these strange crystalline structures that had been "found" around Black Mesa. Today they were actually going to pass concentrated light beams through it for a closer analysis. The "barrel" was an old laser testing facility, and it concerned Gordon that they would be using it. But as he opened his locker and got himself ready this faded. He stepped over to the HEV suit room. Three receivers stood, silently charging. But two of them were empty. Both Thompson and Jameson's suits had vanished during the past week. It struck Gordon as slightly strange, as they hadn't said where they were going. He suited up and headed out toward the "barrel"
By the time Gordon made it to the control room overlooking the barrel he was nearly an hour late. The three scientists that greeted him, Doctors Harmer, Vance and Fleming glared angrily upon seeing him.
"Ah Freeman, you made it" quipped Dr Harmer
"This sample we have is the best yet, and potentially the most unstable" said Vance, continuing his work at the keyboard.
"We've boosted the antimass spectrometer 105%, bit of a gamble but we need the extra resolution" said Fleming
"Their waiting for you Gordon, in the test chamber" Harmer pointed angrily to the door.
"I'll get it done" said Gordon, hastily exiting.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------
By the time he reached the barrel, Doctors Davison and Willis were already there, his "monitors" who would check on radiation levels and monitor his vitals from the systems in his heavy HEV suit.
"Ah hello Gordon" said Davision, picking at a chocolate bar
It was evident Willis hadn't noticed, as he was in rant mode. This was typical of Willis, who objected to the working conditions.
".Admittedly the chances of a resonance cascade scenario are small but.."
"Look, we don't need to frighten Gordon he's a highly trained professional" Willis looked up, shocked at Freeman's presence.
"Ah.yes, Gordon we have complete confidence in.you"
Gordon narrowed his eyes. "Just let me in, I'm tired, I'm late and I'm hungry"
The doors opened like a lions jaws, and Gordon obligingly stepped into its throat.
"Good luck Gordon" said Willis, tapping the keypad.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------
The jaws snapped shut behind him. Gordon gazed around the room. Being a former missile production room, it was tall and cylindrical, and very cold (there being no heating in the centre). The intercom crackled to life and Fleming's ancient voice boomed.
"Alright Gordon, I've just been informed that the specimen is ready, but it'll take a few minutes to arrive. If you would be so kind as to climb up and start the generator and we can bring the antimass spectrometer to 105% and wait until the carrier arrives"
"Damnit, climbing" thought Gordon, as he nervously crept up the ladder.
By the time he reached the top, his slight vertigo had kicked in. He prevented himself from throwing up only by willpower, moving to and fixing on the computer screen. He flipped the satisfyingly chunking "ON" switch and tapped at the keyboard. The laser began to fire up, the generators whirling round like propellers.
"Thank you Gordon" said Fleming.
Gordon nervously clambered back down, kissing the metallic floor. He began to relax. In fifteen minutes, this would all be over and he could relax, read Barney's copy of playboy and enjoy some lunch. Then some chilling words echoed over the hall.
"Um, it's probably nothing.probably, but I'm showing a slight discrepancy in.." Willis' voice cut out, and Gordon was sure he could hear Fleming quietly telling him to "shut the hell up and just carry on"
The lasers now fired into the beam receiver, it was very pretty but deadly, a remnant of Black Mesa's dark past in weapons research. Then the intercom fired up
"Okay Gordon the specimen is ready, if you would be so kind as to push it into the beam we can get the experiment done"
Gordon walked around the large receiver to the trolley-like construction, whose outstretched "arms" held a glowing yellow rock. Gordon peered at it, its glowing surface almost like that of a television. Shaking off the image, he began to push the rock into the beams. As soon as it hit them there was a massive flash. Alarms sounded, laser beams were reflected all around the room. Gordon leapt back, screaming "oh shit" Fleming shouted over the intercom "Gordon, get away from the beam...aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrggghhhhh"
A beam of laser energy reflecting into the control room and blasting it. Gordon ran over to the door, pounding against it, attempting to scream over the deafening noise. Then he looked back. There was a glowing ball of light just above the receiver, building up energy. Suddenly, from this ball shot out a laser beam. It hit Gordon square in the chest, knocking him out.
Gordon awoke a few seconds later. He couldn't see or feel anything and was breathing heavily. Then, sound slowly faded back. He was back in the receiver room, energy beams blowing up the walls, and then he appeared in some alien lake. Gordon stared wide-eyed at the strange creatures and atmosphere, and was then snapped back into blackness. Again he reappeared, a circle of menacing and unknown creatures surrounding him, drooling. Then blackness. Before he blacked out completely Gordon thought, "what the hell is going on?"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------
Ten miles above the chaos, the administrator sat in his secured office, watching the chaos unfold on the television screen. He smiled slyly.
"So, it has begun" He picked up his briefcase and walked out of the office into his reception, looking at the lone security guard there.
"I want you to call security control and inform them to contact USMC Special Forces, and have a chopper standing by for me now" "Yes sir" nodded the guard.
The administrator stepped into the waiting elevator, smiling again as the doors sealed and lifted him to safety.