Black Mesa
By Patrick Williams
Based on the storyline from Half-Life, a game from Valve Software and Sierra Studios. The Half-Life franchise is the property of Sierra Studios. All rights are reserved to Sierra Studios.
Chapter 5 – Blast Pit
Sector D – Classified Teleportation Laboratory
Calhoun had finally overcome the shock of what he saw before him in the lab. He came to his senses and began asking the questions that had been burning through his skull since he had entered.
"What is this place, Doc?"
"This is where we first discovered the technology that made Black Mesa what it is today." Rosenberg explained. "This is where we built our first teleporter."
"Your first what?" Calhoun asked skeptically.
"Yes, you heard me correctly. We've been manufacturing teleportation technology for years, Barney. Many years ago, we built our first teleporter right in this lab. That's what we hoped it would be, at least. After getting the device up and running, we tossed small objects, like oranges, into it and watched the results. The objects disintegrated, never to be found again.
"Our superiors considered the project a complete failure and began to shut this lab down. We had apparently wasted billions of dollars constructing an elaborate garbage disposal system. Several of us felt otherwise, however. I was among the group that believed that we had actually constructed a dimensional transporter. We decided to test our theory. We sent a robot equipped with a tracking device through the portal. The results were fascinating. According to the tracking device, the robot had disappeared without a trace. But we were still getting a signal from it. The explanation was obvious."
Calhoun stared blankly, wondering if he was really supposed to realize the explanation.
Rosenberg continued. "The robot had traveled to another dimension. As soon as the dimensional portal closed, we lost contact with the robot. But we were encouraged by our findings. If we could target a location in another dimension, we could also target a location back to our own dimension. Teleportation was still possible!"
Rosenberg continued his tale. Upon hearing of their results, the government had swooped in to fully reactivate the facility, putting it under military control. They continued our work as before, but it became clear they were now developing the teleporter for military use, which disturbed most of the scientists involved. A teleporter would sway any battle in one side's favor, and would give the United States a stranglehold on global politics. That kind of power, if left unchecked, would be dangerous to everyone. However, they continued working for the good of science. It wasn't long before they had developed a portal large enough to send a manned expedition to the other dimension. Their initial expeditions were spectacular, both in the magnitude of their success and failure.
"The dimension was completely alien to us in almost every way," Rosenberg explained. "Yet it had an oxygen-based atmosphere much like our own, albeit less polluted. Gravity was much lower than what we were used to, but we soon found a way to navigate the strange environment. We called the place Xen, from the Greek word xenos, meaning 'stranger.' Our expedition was a first contact team. They encountered incredible life forms and brought back samples that would keep our scientists busy for years to come. The most remarkable discovery made was the Xenite crystal. This crystal housed great energy, and when harnessed it could be used as a beacon to guide inter-dimensional travel. We realized rather quickly the potential uses of this crystal. If we could build a relay beacon on Xen, we could use it to teleport to and from places on Earth without ever setting foot in the alien environment. We excitedly gathered up as many Xenite samples as we could carry before taking the portal trip back to Earth. Our first team never encountered the more violent aspect of the Xen ecology."
Their team had wasted little time before heading back to Xen. They brought along with them the materials and technology to construct a teleportation beacon. They had developed a device that could be attached to a large Xenite crystal to act as a relay point for any dimensional travelers. It was a simple matter of finding a large enough crystal and activating the device. But like most things, it was never as simple as it seemed.
"The mission went off without a hitch at first. Our team went in, attached the relay beacon, and reported through the portal that the device was up and running. Back home, we began testing it. We found it was a simple matter to teleport objects to and from sides of the room. They disappeared in a flash of electricity and reappeared on the other end completely unscathed. I volunteered to be the first human test subject. It was a fascinating experience, and I was merely traveling across the room. I reappeared unharmed, and the experiment was pronounced a colossal success. We had developed the world's first true teleporter! Aside from an unfortunate incident involving one of my colleagues and a house fly, the process worked flawlessly."
While they had been celebrating their success, they had forgotten to monitor the transmissions through the portal from Xen. They didn't know of their disaster until it was far too late to do anything to help. Rosenberg sighed. "The recordings of their dying screams still haunt my memory to this day. Something had been awakened by the activation of the relay beacon, and it had destroyed our entire team. They were never heard from again."
Several scientists within earshot hung their heads at the thought. They tried to forget the memory and resume working. Rosenberg continued his story.
The military had quickly taken over and investigated the disaster. They sent teams of their own, which all met with the same result: total annihilation. The creatures soon located the relay device and deactivated it. They had been unable to reactivate it since. "This lab was shut down shortly afterwards," Rosenberg continued. "We did build another, much larger teleportation chamber in the Lambda Complex, but we haven't dared send another team to their doom. Other than the alien samples we brought back from Xen, and the crystals, we've had no contact with the dimension for years."
"Until today, that is," Calhoun corrected.
"Yes, quite right," Rosenberg agreed soberly. "Gordon Freeman was coerced into activating a makeshift relay device here on Earth. When he put that Xenite crystal into the analysis laser, he triggered a beacon so powerful it must have given away our presence to the aliens on Xen. It was a simple matter of aiming their dimensional portals at the source and attacking. Dr. Breen has started a war, and for the life of me I can't figure out why."
"Hell if I know, sir." Calhoun shrugged. "I'm just eager to stay out of the way for now."
"Yes, those are my sentiments exactly. We can flee this place through the teleporters we developed here. It's a simple matter of targeting a location outside of the military's control and escaping."
"Hold on, Doc. I didn't understand half of what you said, but I thought you told me that the aliens deactivated that relay thing. How are we going to target a location on Earth if all we have is a machine that sends us to the other dimension?"
"Yes, well, that's where you come in, I'm afraid. We need you to go to Xen and reactivate the relay beacon. We only have enough power to send one person to Xen. I had hoped to send Gordon, Gina, or Colette. Their hazard suits would have made the job a simple one. However, they chose not to come with us. You're the only chance we have of making it out of here alive, Barney."
Calhoun stared at Rosenberg dumbstruck. They were expecting him to go to Xen and fight off an entire army of those monsters. What choice did he have, though? There was an army of monsters here, as well, and an army of his own kind that wanted to kill him every bit as much as the aliens. Barney gulped as he considered his options.
"Okay, I'll do it." Calhoun said resignedly. "When do I leave, Doc?"
Sector D/E Ventilation System
Gordon awoke with a pounding headache. The force of the blast had thrown him into the duct wall, knocking him out for a time. He couldn't tell how long he had been unconscious. A quick survey with his suit's flashlight revealed the damage caused by the satchel charge. The only thing left of the duct behind them was a mass of torn metal. At least no one would be following them. Lying beside Gordon were the bodies of Gina and Colette.
Gordon clenched his fists in rage, directed mostly at himself. He had lost two more friends; two more lives wasted because of his mistake. How many more would die because of what he had done? Why was he, the one responsible for all of this, the only one surviving? Guilt clutched Gordon's heart with an iron fist.
"Are you okay, Gordon?" a weak voice, belonging to Gina, asked over the communicator.
Gordon looked back at the bodies in surprise. They were beginning to stir.
"You're alive!" Gordon exclaimed, his spirits restored in an instant.
"Thanks to our hazard suits," Colette groaned. "Our suits absorbed the brunt of the explosion, but we won't be able to take another blast like that. Check your power level. My suit is almost completely drained."
Gordon waved a hand in the air, bringing up the power level display. It was just as Colette had said. His suit was almost out of power, hovering around the ten percent level. If the power level ever dropped to zero, they would once again be immobilized and as good as dead. They needed to find a recharge station, and fast.
The group continued crawling through the ducts towards Sector E. They crawled without the aid of their flashlights, as they needed to conserve what little power they had left in their suits. They were as good as blind without them. Gordon crawled in the lead, feeling ahead in the darkness for any drop offs in the duct. They had made it too far to get killed by falling down into a hole.
As Gordon led the way around a corner, he stopped upon hearing a disturbing noise in the distance. It was the distinct pitter-patter of tiny feet crawling down the duct ahead of them. Something was coming towards them.
Gordon stared into the darkness ahead, the crawling noises getting louder by the moment. Even though he was almost out of power, he needed to see what was coming at them. Gordon activated his head-mounted flashlight and peered into the darkness.
A head-crab was crawling right at him, several meters away. Normally the head-crab would pose a minimal threat to someone in a hazard suit, but with such a low power level Gordon didn't know how long the reactive armor would hold up. Gordon shuddered at the thought of becoming one of those zombies.
With a sense of urgency, Gordon reached down to remove the shotgun from the hazard suit's holster. He tried to bring the weapon around, but found there wasn't enough space in the cramped ventilation duct to do so. Gordon squirmed around as he struggled to turn the shotgun around to face the oncoming head-crab.
The head-crab, as if it sensed the moment of weakness, chose this moment to strike. It leaped horizontally through the air, covering the remaining distance in an instant. Gordon brought the shotgun around at the last possible moment and transformed the alien projectile into a blob of yellow blood that splattered across his helmet. Gordon sighed heavily, dropping the shotgun as he relaxed.
The grate leading to Sector E was just ahead.
Lambda Complex – Surface Entrance
The entrance to the Lambda Complex was a war zone. It had obviously been designed with defense in mind. The layout was much like that of a medieval castle gatehouse. However, in place of arrow loops, the complex featured a deadly array of automated turrets.
There were simply too many turrets for the troops to advance into the base. The turrets were strategically located to prevent anything from approaching the facility's entrance without prosecution. Unlike the military turrets, which responded to visual input and acted independently, the Lambda Complex turrets seemed to work together, predicting the actions of the soldiers. The turrets were guided by artificial intelligence, learning their tactics and adapting to defeat them. Each turret was heavily shielded and alternated its firing pattern, preventing an organized approach. The soldiers had come close to disabling the defensive perimeter using their NEMP rifles, but the remaining turrets had adapted their firing patterns to cover for the disabled turrets. The disabled turrets had utilized their tiny nanites to repair themselves, and the other turrets had returned to their previous firing patterns as soon as the repairs were complete.
The first solution had been to send in the tanks, which the turrets should have been unable to penetrate. The tanks had little more success, however. Every time one of the tracked vehicles would approach the entrance, the Lambda Complex's personnel would be waiting for them. Lambda's personnel were armed with weapons the likes of which the soldiers had never seen. Powerful laser rifles penetrated the thick armor of the tanks, rupturing their fuel tanks with explosive results. The scientists would open tiny loopholes in the surface gate and fire the laser rifles at the tanks, destroying them before they knew what had hit them. The smell of burning fuel and flesh overpowered the will of the attacking troops. The soldiers had no choice but to hold back, hidden behind their sandbag bunkers.
Major General Thompson surveyed the carnage from the sky onboard the orbiting Osprey. The Osprey hovered just out of reach of the automated defenses. The pace of the battle was entirely unacceptable. If they were going to stick to their timetable, they needed to be inside of the Lambda Complex right now. His men were getting slaughtered by the automated defenses and the fantastic weapons employed by the Lambda personnel. His troops were nothing more than fish in a barrel down there.
The General had discovered a solution, however. He had captured three hazard suits from the scientists at Ground Zero. Not only did the scientists provide martyrs to blame when the dust settled, but their hazard suits would allow him to get three of his men through Lambda's defenses unharmed. They provided the perfect disguise, as well as enough armor to stop anything the Lambda scientists could throw at them if they were discovered. It was a perfect plan.
One of the General's aides shouted over the fray, "Sir, incoming radio traffic for you!"
The General picked up the transmitter. "This is Thompson."
"Sir, we've lost contact with the hazard suits!" a muffled voice shouted over the radio. "They somehow repaired the damage caused by the NEMP rifles and caught the sentries off guard. They're gone, sir!"
"Follow them!" the General fumed.
"Unable to, sir! We tried to get them with a satchel charge, but the duct they escaped through was blocked by the blast."
"Are you tracking them?" the General growled.
"Yes, sir! They're approaching the rocket test labs in Sector E. We're sending a team down there now."
"Very well. Inform me of any new developments. Out."
The General cursed loudly. Things had gone south in a hurry. He had fallen behind in his timetable for getting into the Lambda Complex and he had lost the hazard suits that could have gotten him past its defenses. This was becoming a mess.
Sector E – Experimental Propulsions Silo
The intrepid scientists were fast approaching, and the man in the gray suit was almost out of time. He was preparing a little surprise for them when they arrived.
The man in the suit had been surprised to hear of the scientists' capture. He didn't think that the General had possessed the foresight to bring NEMP rifles along. The military had successfully disabled the scientists' hazard suits. However, the General hadn't known about the nanotechnology within the suits designed to repair such damage. At any moment, he would be receiving a call from the General announcing that the hazard suits had escaped.
The man's phone vibrated in its pocket right on schedule.
"What is it, Mister Thompson?"
"We've lost the hazard suits, sir. They somehow repaired the damage caused by the NEMP rifles and escaped. Our only route to follow them was cut off when we tried to dispatch them with explosives. We're tracking them approaching the Sector E rocket test labs as we speak. I had hoped to use their hazard suits to overcome Lambda's defenses. Without them, I don't think we'll be able to get through. I have a team headed down to meet them when they exit the ventilation system. How should we proceed?"
"Call off the search party, Mister Thompson," the man in the suit hissed. "I'm already ahead of you. I anticipated their… escape and have laid a little trap for them down here. A unique opportunity has presented itself. A certain creature is trapped in the rocket test silo. Mister Freeman and his companions will have a difficult time overcoming it. Your men would do well to steer clear of the area. I would advise that you send your men instead to the Track Control Facility below Sector E. In the event that Freeman's party is able to overcome the creature in the rocket lab, you will be able to stop them there. Shut down the power to the rail system and force them to come to you. However, it's highly unlikely that they will make it that far. They will die at the hands of the Tentacle. You can pry the hazard suits off of their corpses and use them to catch up on your timetable. I need access to the Lambda Complex. Now."
As Gordon neared Sector E, a strange sound reverberated through his ears. A horrible pounding noise echoed through the duct ahead of them. Gordon risked a few more seconds of precious power to light the duct ahead to verify that whatever was making the noise wasn't threatening their progress. Whatever was making that noise must have been doing so from Sector E.
Several minutes later, the scientists emerged from a grating above Sector E. The ventilation duct had ended directly beside the rocket test lab. The rocket test laboratory was an ancient missile silo, large and cylindrical in shape. The silo was used to test rockets in a controlled environment before they were launched into space. The trio stood in a hallway circling the outside layer of the silo. The pounding noise had grown in intensity as they approached, and it reached near deafening levels as they stood beside the silo. Whatever was making the deafening noise was coming from within the test lab itself.
"What's going on in there?" Gordon shouted above the din.
Gina shrugged. "Whatever's making that noise, it doesn't sound very friendly!"
"We can get to the rocket test lab control room this way. Come on; let's see what's going on in there!" Colette shouted.
They drew their weapons and proceeded carefully towards the control room. Along the way, they encountered a scientist bleeding profusely from the chest. He lay on the ground, rapidly bleeding to death. The color had already left the scientist's face. The dying scientist looked up upon their approach.
"Fire the rocket engine! Destroy the damned thing… before it grows any larger…"
The scientist's head rolled back, the eyes lifeless.
What could have done this to him?, Gordon wondered.
The dead scientist had a gaping hole in the center of his chest. It was as if a gigantic spike had been driven through him, then removed. Whatever had done this must have been very large. The pounding noise from within the rocket lab seemed even more ominous now.
The scientists made their way into the control room and finally caught a glimpse of the creature trying to pound its way out of the rocket test silo. Through the control room's glass wall they could see what had been making so much noise. It was every bit the monster they expected it to be.
From the center of the silo, three tremendous tentacles had emerged. Each of the three thick tentacles was at least 40 feet long, and featured a menacing claw that pounded against the silo walls in vain. The tentacles seemed to act independently, but they were no doubt part of a single larger creature that had spawned beneath the silo.
The silo itself had been designed to withstand the destructive force of a powerful rocket blast, thus the tentacles had been unable to escape so far. By quirk of fate, the tentacles had emerged directly beneath the silo's rocket. All they would have to do is fire the rocket to send the creature back to the hell it came from.
They wasted little time gawking at the horrific creature. Gordon, Gina, and Colette raced across the control room towards the rocket firing controls. Gordon pounded the launch button.
Nothing happened.
Gina called from across the room. "The power and fuel lines have been disabled. Without its fuel sources, the rocket is useless!" She pounded the wall of computers in frustration
As soon as Gina hit the wall, the tentacles snapped to attention, stopping their wall-pounding instantly. A tentacle slowly rose up to the level of the control room and gazed through the glass window at them.
"Nobody move." Gina's tense voice whispered over the communicator.
The three scientists stopped in their tracks. Gordon got a good look at the tentacle and realized that it didn't have any eyes. He wondered how the tentacle had detected them. The tentacle hovered outside of the control room window, clearly waiting for something to happen.
Gordon took a nervous step backwards, painfully aware of the loud noise his suit made on the metal floor.
As soon as Gordon had taken that step the tentacle pounced, smashing through the control room window and rushing towards Gordon. The tentacle began pounding the ground of the control room every few feet as it approached Gordon. He stood there like a deer in headlights, afraid that another movement would give himself away once and for all.
The tentacle was only a few feet away when it stopped. Gunfire could be heard within the rocket silo. As the tentacles had stopped before, they stopped now, trying to determine the location of the disturbance. The tentacle quickly evacuated the control room, leaving Gordon standing there breathless.
The scientists hurried to what was left of the control room window and gazed down to see what was happening in the silo.
Several security guards were running around the silo in a last ditch attempt to destroy the tentacles. They circled around the creature, firing their pistols up at the towering appendages. Every time a gun fired, the closest tentacle would hone in and strike at the point where the gun had been fired from. The security guards did a valiant job of distracting the monster, but their weapons were painfully ineffective. The bullets bounced off of the tentacles' thick skin, ricocheting harmlessly around the silo. It was clear that it was only a matter of time before the tentacles won the battle.
One of the security guards fired a round off and turned to run, but he tripped over his own feet as he turned. He hit the ground with a loud thump, and a tentacle was on him in an instant. The tentacle impaled the guard, lifting him into the air still kicking and screaming. The tentacle disappeared into the hole beneath the silo, probably headed for a mouth within. The tentacle reemerged a few seconds later, no sign of the guard remaining.
The other guards continued fighting, but it was clear that the death of their comrade had dampened their spirits beyond the point of return. Several of them turned and ran, only to be snatched up by tentacles as they neared the silo's hatches. The tentacles slaughtered the remaining resistance.
Once again, the silo was empty and the tentacles resumed pounding on the walls in a desperate attempt to escape. They seemed to have completely forgotten about the invaders in the control room.
"There's no way out of here," Colette sighed. "There used to be a walkway through the silo that led to the exit. Those tentacles made short work of it. The ducts behind us are blocked, and the tentacles destroyed the only other way out. We're finished!"
"I've got a plan," Gordon said quickly.
Gina and Colette listened attentively as he explained his plan, and politely waited until he was done before responding.
"You're nuts!" they both proclaimed as one.
"It's the only way! We can escape through the ventilation pipes beneath the silo. Those tentacles are coming up through those pipes. We'll have to fire the rocket and destroy them before we can get in. We need to activate the power and fuel lines. We can do that within the silo itself."
"Gordon, you'd have to be crazy to go in there!" Gina said, shaking her head. "You saw what that thing did to those security guards."
"With the three of us working together, we can distract the thing long enough to let one of us to access the power and fuel lines." Gordon replied reassuringly. He wasn't sure he believed his own words. It was their only option, however.
"What do we have that can distract something that large?" Gina asked.
Gordon thought for a moment and opened up one of the storage pockets of his suit. He pulled out several of the grenades they had retrieved from Sector D.
"Of course!" Colette said excitedly. "This might just work! That creature seems to respond to noise and vibration. The grenades will distract that thing while one of us goes to work activating the power and fuel lines."
"All right, it's worth a try, I suppose." Gina admitted. "It's not like we have any choice. We can't go back, and the only way forward is through the pipes beneath the silo. Let's do it."
The plan seemed much more foolish, however, as they entered the silo. The tentacles were even larger and more menacing up close. To their relief, the beast didn't seem to notice their entrance. It continued to pound the walls of the silo, desperate to escape. The trio must have seemed like buzzing flies to the beast; not worth the effort to swat. That would change soon enough.
Gordon spotted the power and fuel line panel on the opposite side of the silo, directly behind the towering tentacles. He looked back at Gina and Colette, who nodded in readiness. It was now or never.
Gordon crept around the silo, dodging the flying tentacles as he moved. He fought the urge to dive to the ground several times, realizing that the noise he would make would give his position away. If he could make it around the silo without disturbing the tentacles it would make his job a lot easier.
Despite the ear-splitting pounding from the tentacles, Gordon could still hear his heart pumping furiously. He wondered if the tentacle would be able to hear his heartbeat as well. His heart seemed to be pounding louder than the tentacles. If the tentacles stopped their pounding, even for a moment, he would surely be discovered and crushed.
Before he realized how far he had walked, Gordon was standing in front of the panel. Gordon quietly breathed a sigh of relief. He was halfway done. He inspected the controls, looking for a way to reactivate the power and fuel lines. The lines had been disabled manually from this point. Why anyone had been foolish enough to do this was beyond Gordon, but he was grateful that the problem would be easy to remedy. He reached down and flipped a switch that would reactivate the power and fuel lines.
To Gordon's horror, the panel began emitting a deafening klaxon alarm. The panel was warning Gordon that the rocket was ready for launch, and that he should evacuate lest he be caught in the blast. Gordon knew this already, so the only purpose the alarm served was to announce his presence to the tentacles.
The tentacles swooped in to destroy the panel, forcing Gordon to dive out of their way. His suit hit the metal floor of the silo with a loud bang, and he realized instantly that the gig was up. The tentacles knew he was there.
Gina and Colette swung into action, throwing two grenades at the far side of the silo. They exploded spectacularly, doing no damage to the tentacles but distracting them nicely. Two of the tentacles abandoned Gordon and began swinging violently towards where the grenades had exploded. One tentacle remained, striking the ground repeatedly around Gordon, trying to impale him. Gordon crawled out of their way, desperate to escape but equally desperate to remain silent. Despite his efforts to remain quiet, the tentacle was getting nearer and nearer to Gordon every time it struck the ground. The powerful clawed tentacle was about to hit its mark.
Gina and Colette continued tossing grenades to distract the tentacles, but to their horror they could not distract the tentacle on Gordon's trail. The other two tentacles were easily fooled into following the explosions, but one of the tentacles was determined to find Gordon. They would have to do something quickly, or Gordon would be crushed beneath the gigantic claw.
Gina took out her crowbar and began pounding the wall beside her. Colette glanced over, mortified, but quickly realized what Gina was trying to do. It was foolish, but necessary to save Gordon's life.
"Get ready to run, Gordon!" Gina called over the communicator. She hoped the communicator was as sound proof as it had been advertised.
The three tentacles stopped their pounding at the echoing sound of the crowbar. These were new noises, and the tentacles struggled to identify where they came from. Gordon saw his opportunity and raced across the silo, throwing caution to the wind. At the same moment, Gina threw her crowbar behind Gordon, bouncing it off of the silo wall and creating a loud clang. The tentacle that had been chasing Gordon immediately pounced where the crowbar had landed, shattering the tool. Gordon continued running, not stopping to look behind him. Colette tossed more grenades to the opposite side of the silo, desperate to keep the tentacles at bay for a few more seconds. Gordon was almost there; just a few more feet to the hallway and the safety beyond.
The clawed tentacle missed Gordon by inches as he raced into the hallway. Instead, the tentacle grabbed hold of Gina and pulled her into the silo kicking and screaming. As Gordon and Colette looked on in horror, Gina was tossed about the silo like a rag doll. Gina began to lose consciousness as she was spun about the room.
"Fire… the rocket…" Gina managed to gasp over the communicator.
"Gina, no!" Colette screamed, running into the silo. She fired her MP5 up at the tentacle holding Gina, realizing that her efforts were in vain. A second tentacle swooped in and grabbed Colette, pulling her into the air with Gina.
Gordon cursed and ran towards the control room. He didn't have much time before the tentacles either crushed both Gina and Colette or shoveled them into its mouth below. They were dead either way, and Gordon realized there was only one chance to save them now. He pounded the launch button and watched through the broken glass as the rocket fired into the heart of the tentacles.
An inhuman scream echoed through the silo as the heat began tearing through the thick skin of the creature. Gordon tried to gaze into the silo to see what had happened to Gina and Colette, but the glare of the rocket blast prevented him from ascertaining their fate. One thing was for certain, however. The creature was dying a painful death.
Gordon's helmet prevented him from detecting the dizzying smell of burning flesh permeating the walls of the silo. Had he detected it he would have wondered if the smell was from the creature or from its intended victims. Before long the dying screams of the tentacles fell silent, and the rocket blast ended. The silo was quiet for the first time, and the silence was palpable.
Gordon wasted no time in getting down to the silo to see what remained of Gina and Colette. Deep down, he realized they must be dead. Their power levels had been low to begin with. The blast would have eaten away the rest of their power and their armor would have become powerless to protect them from the blast of the rocket. Gordon held out a slim hope, however.
The silo was a mess. The tentacle had apparently died an explosive death, showering the walls of the silo in yellow blood. Gina and Colette's bodies had been tossed to the sides of the silo, where they lay motionless. Things didn't look good, but Gordon had seen this happen before. He refused to give into his pessimistic nature and give up hope. They had to be alive!
Gordon shook one of the bodies. "Wake up, Gina! Wake up!"
"Gordon, stop shaking me!" Gina moaned over the communicator. "I'm bruised enough as it is…"
"You're alive!" Gordon exclaimed.
"Barely. My suit is completely drained. I can't move at all. Without any power, I'm stuck here."
"There's a hazard recharge station on the other side of the silo!" Colette announced happily.
"Why didn't I see that before?" Gordon groaned. "Of course they would have a hazard suit station in here. This is exactly the type of environment hazard suits were designed for. I wish I had seen that earlier."
"Don't worry, Gordon. We wouldn't have wanted to stand still long enough to recharge with those tentacles around anyway. Now if you would be so kind as to drag us to that station and power us up, we can the hell out of here!"
Gordon charged his own suit up, and used its mechanical augmentation to drag the other suits across the room and charge their suits up as well. In a matter of minutes they were up and running again at full power.
"It looks like the ventilation pipe is unblocked now." Gina said, surveying the gaping hole beneath the silo. "We can probably get to the freight tracks through there and use the trains to get anywhere in the facility."
"We can take the trains all the way to the Lambda Complex. It should be all down hill from here!" Colette beamed.
"Let's just hope there's nothing down there left to block our path." Gordon said, playing the voice of reason.
"If they know what's best for them, they'll head for the hills when they see us coming," Gina smirked. "If we can take on those tentacles, nothing can stop us!"
"I don't know…" Gordon said skeptically. "I can't help but think that this was only the beginning…"
Sector E – Track Control Facility
The soldiers had deactivated the power across the entire track line. No one would be able to use the trains without coming through them.
The troops had established a mobile command point directly in front of the power control room. Several teams of men were assigned to protect the position. They had heavily fortified themselves with sandbag bunkers and rifle emplacements. Pairs of sentries patrolled the halls surrounding their command point.
One of these sentry pairs patrolled the cavernous tunnels leading to the rocket test labs. They had reports that their targets were approaching through the test silos and that among their targets was Gordon Freeman. Gordon Freeman was responsible for the disaster that brought the alien threat upon them. The sentry pair considered it an honor that they had been chosen to engage Freeman first. They manned their post with vigilance, eager to brag to their buddies that they had been the ones to bag the bastard responsible for this mess.
"Warning!" the automated public address system announced. "Unauthorized detonation detected in Experimental Propulsions Silo!"
The sentries looked at each other nervously. Freeman must be up to something. They had heard stories about his daring escape from the surface. Freeman had played possum and murdered several of their buddies when they let their guard down. The sentries checked their clips and aimed their rifles at the hallway leading to the rocket test labs. Freeman wouldn't get past them so easily.
A rumbling noise could be heard around them, no doubt part of the detonation Freeman had caused. The lights in the tunnel flickered and died as the power drained from the sector. The emergency lighting system kicked in, bathing the area in an eerie red tint. Is Freeman trying to take the entire facility with him?
A few seconds later, the rumbling stopped. The tunnel fell silent around them, the only noise coming from the buzzing emergency lights. It was difficult to see through the red lighting, but they seemed to be alone. A sudden rumble made them think otherwise. A few seconds later, they heard a second rumbling. It sounded as if something very large was coming towards them. The rumbling became louder and quicker as whatever was causing the noise approached. The sentries nervously aimed their weapons through the darkness. What is Freeman up to?
The rumbling became louder and quicker still. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the rumbling stopped. It was only at that moment that one of the sentries thought to check behind them. The soldier turned slowly around, where a gigantic leg was silhouetted by the red emergency lighting. The soldier slowly turned his gaze upwards until he was looking almost straight up. A giant creature towering above them gazed back, flexing its jaws menacingly, its teeth reflecting the red light like mirrors.
The creature roared, swatting the soldiers across the room with a powerful backhand. They struggled to their feet and tried to bring their weapons up to fire. They were dead before they could get a shot off.