Black Mesa

by Vulture

There have been many attempts to novelize the story behind Half-Life. The approach of its sequel has inspired me to chronicle its story in my own style, with enough twists and turns to make the story more than a simple walkthrough. (COMPLETE)

11. Forget About Freeman

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 11 – Forget About Freeman

Black Mesa Central Command

The moment Thompson had gone off on his fool's errand, Dr. Breen had reclaimed possession of his chair and desk. Unfortunately, he only had what seemed like minutes to enjoy it before the "Foxtrot Uniform" call came through, and they were forced to hastily evacuate. In the rush to leave, Breen was bodily grabbed from his chair and practically dragged out of the office. Breen didn't object. Finally, he thought, we're getting the hell out of here!

Central Command erupted with gunfire as the soldiers wiped the computers of all classified information by filling the hard drives with bullets. On their way out, an officer picked up the all-frequency radio and broadcasted one final message before signing off the air. "Forget about Freeman! We are cutting our losses and pulling out. Anyone left down there now is on their own. Repeat, if you weren't already, you are now…"

The order relayed through the command structure like wildfire. Nobody was sure as to why it had been given, but they all understood its significance. "Foxtrot Uniform" was the general fall back code, and their instructions were clear. They were to head to their LZs, board their choppers, and get the hell out of there ASAP.

The V-22 Ospreys filled themselves beyond capacity to evacuate the survivors in one trip. There would be no return trip – the fall back code was clear on that. Those unfortunate enough to be stuck underground would have to find their own way out of Black Mesa.

The helicopters joined together in a loose formation as they raced away from the facility. The F-35s orbited the formation to protect it from any airborne ambushes. Once the Ospreys were clear of Black Mesa, the F-35s returned to a holding pattern several miles outside the edges of Black Mesa airspace. Their orders were to contain any alien vessels trying to leave Black Mesa, but otherwise they were not to interfere with anything happening at the facility.

Had the AWACS not been destroyed, its crew might have thought it strange that an equal number of helicopters were approaching the facility from the opposite direction. Upon further inspection, it would have discovered the newcomers were arriving in black helicopters with no markings of any kind. But the AWACS was long gone, and there was no one around to notice the arrival of the next wave of black ops commandos.

Lambda Complex Entrance

The Gargantua shook the dirt off of its heavy metallic skin as it rose to its full two-story height. For a moment, it didn't notice the two trucks full of scientists and security guards. Everyone held their breath, hoping it would pay them no mind. They would not be so lucky.

The creature roared as it spotted the two trucks before it. It swung its bazooka-like arms around to face the group of trucks.

"Drive!" Gordon shouted.

The two trucks peeled out, racing down the road towards the Lambda Complex. The Gargantua rumbled after them.

As the trucks squealed down the road, anyone with a weapon opened fire in a desperate attempt to slow the beast down. Their bullets ricocheted harmlessly off of its armored skin. It fired flame bursts after them, which fell short of the trucks but still got too close for comfort.

The drivers pushed the diesel engines to their limits, but the Gargantua was still gaining ground on the caravan. They rounded one final corner and the subterranean entrance to the Lambda Complex came within sight. If they could get into the entrance tunnel, the Gargantua would be unable to follow them down. It would be too large to squeeze through.

The trucks hauled themselves across the clearing towards the tunnel. The Gargantua seemed to realize what they were trying to do, and began pursuing them even faster. No one aboard the trucks truly believed they would make it in time, but the trucks flew into the tunnel at the last possible instant. The Gargantua roared in fury as it realized that it was too large to follow them down.

However, much to the dismay of the scientists and security guards, the tunnel was only a few dozen meters deep. It ended in a large metal gate that looked too powerful to break through. They hoped against hope that someone had remained behind to open the door for them.

The Gargantua seemed to realize their predicament and fired its flame throwers into the narrow tunnel. The rear truck caught fire, threatening to explode if the fire spread to its fuel tank. There was no escape from this tunnel, and if the Gargantua's flame bursts didn't kill them, the explosions from the trucks would.

The Gargantua began kicking the ground, sending massive shock waves through the tunnel. Pieces of the tunnel fell from the ceiling, threatening to collapse if the vibration continued.

"Everyone down!" a voice reverberated through the tunnel, coming from a speaker above them. They all quickly obeyed, not sure what to expect.

A tiny loophole opened in the metal gate, and a red beam erupted towards the Gargantua. The Gargantua stopped in its tracks and began roaring in fury. The laser worked its way across the Gargantua's exoskeleton, performing exploratory surgery throughout its body.

Gordon glanced up from his position on the ground in time to see the Gargantua collapse to the ground, sliced to pieces. Its blood trickled down the tunnel towards the group as they slowly rose, still expecting to die at any moment.

The voice returned. "If you want to live, you'll answer my questions quickly and poignantly. Who is in those hazard suits?"

Gordon spoke up, "I'm Gordon Freeman, and those two are Gina Cross and Colette Green."

"Or perhaps you're actually soldiers in disguise, holding this group hostage to maintain your illusion. Perhaps you've come here to root out the last pocket of scientists, hoping to play on our hopes that you are who you say you are. I've read the Illiad, my friend. We are not going to let you come in until you prove you are not a Trojan horse in disguise. If you truly are Gordon Freeman, you will know who I am by the sound of my voice. I won't open this gate until you can identify me. And don't try anything; this laser will make short work of even your armor."

Gordon did recognize the voice, and strained his memory to make the connection. Gordon smiled as he realized who he was speaking to.

"Dr. Kleiner, it's been a long time," Gordon spoke.

Kleiner had been one of Gordon's professors during his time at M.I.T. They had both left M.I.T. since Gordon's graduation, and had not made contact with each other for several years. Gordon had been working as a visiting fellow at the University of Innsbruck in Austria when Kleiner had contacted him with an offer for employment. Kleiner had taken a job at Black Mesa after leaving M.I.T. and risen quickly though its ranks. He introduced Gordon to the Civilian Recruitment division of Black Mesa, and had been a deciding factor in the facility's decision to hire him.

"Gordon Freeman! It really is you!" Kleiner replied, clearly relieved.

The thick gate opened, and Kleiner stood there waiting for them. He rushed forward to greet Gordon. Gina, Colette, and Vance approached to hear their conversation.

"I'm sorry, Gordon. I couldn't risk opening that gate until I was sure you were who you said you were. We've been tracking your group's progress across the facility, but we lost contact with Gina and Colette in the garage, and you too shortly thereafter. We couldn't be sure if they had gotten to you or not. I'm glad to see you three alive and well."

"It's good to see you too, Dr. Kleiner. If you hadn't been here, we would have been toast by now."

"I volunteered to wait at the gate for you, to verify your identity and personally welcome you. My colleagues are waiting for us down in the teleportation labs."

"Teleportation labs?" Gordon realized the man in the suit he had seen in the garage was probably using teleportation technology developed here at Black Mesa. Did that mean the black ops commandos were actually part of the facility's staff? Was this the conspiracy that the General had mentioned?

"Yes, one of many projects you're not authorized to know about, but judging from what you've gone through today you already know a great deal more than any one man is supposed to. Come on, let's get moving. Time is of the essence."

The group moved through the gate and Kleiner closed it after them. He didn't want any unexpected visitors crashing their party.

The group crowded onto a large inclinator that led down into the heart of the Lambda Complex. As they traveled, Kleiner explained that they were using their teleportation technology to create inverse teleporter waves to counteract any incoming teleportation. Nothing would be able to teleport into the Lambda Complex as long as they had power to run the machine.

The inclinator arrived at the bottom of the shaft and the group entered the teleportation labs. They were greeted by several scientists who had been following their progress with great interest. All of the scientists were superior to Gordon, Gina, Colette, and Vance both in terms of seniority and experience, yet they treated the newcomers as if they were heroes returning home to a tickertape parade. Everyone they met treated them with respect and reverence.

Kleiner continued his explanation. "We've been eagerly awaiting your arrival. You see, there is a matter here of which you can be of some assistance. It's becoming clear that our military does not have what it takes to defeat these aliens. At best they can hold them at bay, but as long as we are on defense we are destined to lose. These black ops troopers seem to be holding their own, but if it comes down to a battle of numbers, we are outnumbered almost infinitesimally. It is only a matter of time until they win."

"And how do we play into this?" Gordon asked.

"We've been getting our equipment ready for creating a portal to the alien homeworld of Xen. We want to take the fight to them. These alien invaders are under the power of a tremendously powerful being on the other side, known as the Nihilanth. We suspect the Nihilanth controls its army through a large portal, created through the immense concentration of the being. You'll know it when you see it. I hate to say this, but you three must kill it, if you can."

Kleiner paused a moment, and the weight of the statement sunk in for everyone present. Gordon, Gina, and Colette were being asked to save the world, and take on a being powerful enough to subjugate and control entire planets. And if they did not succeed, everyone they knew would share the fate of the friends they had already lost today.

Kleiner continued, "My colleagues are waiting for us down in the teleportation chamber. Of course you owe us nothing. But you've come this far. You know about as much about these creatures as anyone, and no one is better equipped to take them on."

Gordon, Gina, and Colette had a quick discussion over their communicators. The fate of the world might rest in their hands, and they had no choice. They agreed to go.

"All right, Dr. Kleiner," Gordon spoke. "We're in."

"Excellent! Come now, let's get you to the chamber…"

"Wait, Gordon—" a voice interrupted from behind them. It was Barney Calhoun.

"What is it, Barney?" Gordon asked. He hadn't spoken with Barney since he had hitched a ride to the garage on the tank, and he had a good idea what Barney wanted to discuss.

"Look, Gordon. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you in the garage. I wanted to help—"

"Barney, there isn't time for this. You've saved me several times today, and I owe you my life. I'm sure you did everything you could. If that's all you wanted to discuss, we really need to get going…"

"I want to go with you," Calhoun blurted out.

Everyone within earshot turned at that statement.

"Look," Calhoun explained. "I've already been there once. I doubt anyone else here has been there and lived to tell about it. I can help you!"

"How did you get to Xen?" Kleiner demanded.

"Dr. Rosenberg sent me there to activate the beacon—"

"My God, man! That was you?" Kleiner asked, incredulous. "I thought it was the black ops troopers…"

Calhoun continued, "I might have saved you a few times today, Gordon, but deep down I've felt like a coward ever since the disaster."

"Barney, everyone gets afraid sometimes," said Vance. "What separates a hero from a martyr is the common sense to know when to fight and when to fall back. If you had been there in the garage, you would have been killed along with everyone else. You don't have anything to prove."

"Thanks for the kind words, Dr. Vance, but I still want to go. I can help!"

"We could use your help here, too," Kleiner interjected. "Once we open the portal to Xen, our interference wave will collapse. We won't be able to block any incoming teleporters, and this area will shine out like a beacon to them. We've got plenty of next-generation weapons, but most of us aren't terribly adept at using them.

"You've got the other security guards that came with us," Calhoun replied.

"They're fine officers, but none of them have seen as much action as you have," Vance pointed out. "I'd feel much more comfortable with you here to watch our backs."

Calhoun finally gave in and agreed to stay behind. He would help guard the teleportation chamber with his fellow officers when the portal opened. Vance and the rest of the science team would find a safe place and stay under cover until the course was clear.

Kleiner offered them a few parting gifts.

"These are some weapons we've been developing here at the Lambda Complex. Gina, Colette; these are gauss guns," Kleiner explained as he handed over the weapons. "They're experimental lasers we've been developing that can penetrate any known form of armor. As you saw outside, they're very effective against even the largest foes."

"And this is a gluon gun," Kleiner said as he turned to Gordon. "This device emits a stream of energy capable of destroying anything in its path. We haven't found a substance yet that this weapon can't disintegrate. You'll all need this added firepower if you're going to take on the Nihilanth and survive."

Gordon tested the weight of the gluon gun in his hands, satisfied that they would stand a much better chance of success with their new equipment. They moved on to the teleportation chamber.

The chamber was large and hemispherical in shape, with a tremendous pit in the center. A walkway extended across the pit to give the scientists access to the portal when it opened. A metal tower to one side of the pit held the computers that controlled and guided the teleporter. The calculations for their journey to Xen had already been made and locked into place. All that remained was to power the device up and to open the portal.

"All right, I can open the portal now," Kleiner explained. "The process is complicated and once I begin I must not be interrupted or else I will have to start all over again. Don't enter the portal until I give the okay, understood?"

While Kleiner climbed to the control tower to begin the activation sequence, Barney and the rest of their security guard contingent arrayed themselves about the chamber, ready for anything once the portal opened. Gordon, Gina, and Colette stood on the walkway, waiting for the portal to open.

"Get ready, I'm beginning the sequence!"

The security guards raised their firearms as the gigantic portal appeared in the center of the pit, small at first but growing quickly. The expanding green ball of pure energy sent arcs of electricity throughout the chamber into several grounded rods built into the walls to prevent electrocution. The security guards instinctively ducked to avoid the bolts, but kept their weapons held ready.

Xen

The Nihilanth roared in fury as the portal opened. These humans were proving to be most annoying. For the last few hours, the humans had been opening and closing tiny portals around his compound, too small and too infrequent to track down their exact locations. They were like flies buzzing around the Nihilanth's head, and as much as it swatted at them it could not kill them. The Nihilanth, despite its massive brain power, could not discern what they were up to. They were much too far and few between to take on its forces and win. Once the invaders arrived, they scattered into the mountainous floating islands around the area and went into hiding. His controllers were scouring the area for them, but had thus far turned up nothing.

But now a much larger portal had opened, and there was finally an exact location to target. The Nihilanth began sending controllers to intercept the travelers before they could become another thorn in his side.

Lambda Complex – Teleportation Chamber

All around the chamber, smaller portals began to open. Calhoun looked up to Kleiner at the controls to see any indication of if this was part of the process. Kleiner seemed preoccupied with the preparations to the main portal, however. Calhoun went with his gut reaction and raised his weapon to fire at whatever was coming to crash their party.

Several flying creatures emerged from the portals, almost humanoid in appearance aside from their oversized heads. Calhoun realized that these were the same creatures he had almost been killed by during his brief trip to Xen. Calhoun opened fire without a second thought.

Kleiner glanced up from the controls. "My God, they're sending Controllers." He did not have time to watch the battle, however, and went back to the controls before him. He had to work quickly lest the portal lose stability and collapse.

Everyone with a weapon was firing now, and bullets from the security guards' weapons mixed with the energy from the three scientists' laser weapons as they fired up at the controllers. The Controllers hovered around the room in circular patterns, their hands dancing about as they summoned up the mental power to unleash their attacks. As before, Calhoun could feel their hypnotic power rush over him, urging him to stand still. He knew not to listen, and resisted their power.

"Keep moving! Don't stand still!" Calhoun shouted at several of his comrades who had succumbed to the Controllers' influence and stopped in their tracks. They snapped out of it and resumed firing up at the flying aliens.

The Controllers unleashed their powerful attacks, their balls of energy raining down on the group. One of the security team took a hit and fell to the ground, shaking and smoking. A fellow guard rushed over to help but realized that his friend was already dead.

Calhoun fired his .357 Magnum, trying to find their weak point. He found it almost on accident, when a shot aimed at a Controller's face impacted its tremendous forehead instead. Much like a newborn baby, the flesh and bones surrounding their brains were quite weak, and Calhoun's bullets tore through them quite easily. The creature fell to the ground as its brain exploded out through the back of its head.

Gordon caught one of the Controllers with the beam of his gluon gun, and it combusted in mid air. Gina and Colette were having a difficult time hitting the Controllers with their gauss guns, as they were able to dodge their fire as if they knew where they were going to shoot before they did. Gordon glanced up at Kleiner and silently urged him to hurry.

"The portal is ready!" Kleiner shouted down from the tower. "You must go! Now!"

"What about these Controllers?" Gordon shouted back.

"Go!" Kleiner repeated.

Gordon, Gina, and Colette raced down the walkway towards the gaping portal before them. They leaped into the air and disappeared with a flash.

Xen

On the islands surrounding the Nihilanth's compound, the commandos lay in waiting for the signal to attack. It would not be long now.

The discovery of the aging yet still functional teleporter in Sector D had been a great blessing for their cause. Their original plan had called for them to use the large teleporter in the Lambda Complex to invade en masse in a blitzkrieg assault. Casualties would have been high as they would have arrived slowly, unable to gather their forces before being ambushed by the Nihilanth's forces. However, the smaller teleporter had given them the opportunity to sneak their forces in beneath the Nihilanth's nose, arraying them in an attack formation before their assault began. The teleporter had been much too small for their larger equipment and artillery, but they had been able to send a majority of their infantry forces in ahead of the rest of the invasion. Now they waited for their teams back on Earth to gain control of the teleporter in the Lambda Complex so they could send their tanks and artillery in and begin their attack.

Commander Dekker received notice from one of his engineers down the line that a large portal had opened; no doubt from the Lambda Complex. Three travelers had arrived just outside of their lines, fitting the description of three hazard suits from Black Mesa. The interference wave around the Lambda Complex had collapsed, and they were free to teleport in now.

Dekker ordered his men to back away from the hazard suits and give them a wide berth. He had enough on his hands with the upcoming invasion to worry about any surprises coming from behind them. He gave another order to several of his men, who prepared to travel back to Earth.

A portal opened in front of his team and they leaped in to make the journey to the Lambda Complex.

Teleportation Chamber

The chamber was littered with the bodies of controllers and humans alike. Calhoun, the remaining guards, and Dr. Kleiner had retreated to a position beneath the control tower, which gave them enough cover to fire up at the controllers with relative safety. However, they were effectively pinned down, and there was no end in sight to the battle. They considered retreat, but knew that the scientists hiding in the complex's command center were depending on them to stop the aliens here.

To make matters worse, a new portal opened before them. Calhoun prepared for the worst and aimed his weapon to face any new threats. Much to his surprise, a human emerged, followed by several more. They wore the black armor of the black ops commandos.

The commandos opened fire on the controllers immediately. Their assault rifles were far superior to the guards' pistols and shotguns. Although the controllers seemed to be able to foresee where they would shoot next, it was impossible for them to dodge all of the bullets from the rifles. It was a matter of seconds before the final controller fell to the ground, bleeding from its massive skull.

With the alien threat vanquished, the commandos turned their attention to the group huddled behind the control tower.

"Hold your fire!" their leader shouted as the commandos approached their position.

Calhoun nodded to his fellow guards, who lowered their weapons. However, no one truly trusted the commandos after witnessing the massacre at the garage.

As the commandos approached, the leader made a hand gesture at a side door of the chamber. One of the commandos ran through it on an errand of some kind.

The commandos halted a few meters from the tower. Their leader laid down his weapon and approached them unarmed, hands held away from his body. He clearly meant to speak with them.

Calhoun turned to his fellow guards. "Keep your weapons trained on the others. I'm going to go talk with this one."

Calhoun returned the gesture by laying down his pistol and approaching slowly with arms held out.

"My name is Dekker," the commando spoke first. "I am in command of these men." A trace of a Russian accent showed through in his speech. Calhoun distrusted the man immediately.

"I'm Barney Calhoun, security team. I'm glad you came when you did,"

"We don't have much time here," Dekker continued. "We require the use of your teleporter to send our equipment to Xen."

"Your equipment?" Calhoun asked, confused.

"Yes, we have several tanks and artillery support vehicles approaching this chamber as we speak. Our teams on Xen need them before they can begin their invasion."

"But what about—" Calhoun began to ask about Gordon, Gina, and Colette, but stopped himself when he realized the commandos might not know about their journey. He had almost given them away, which might have put them in great danger.

"Don't worry about your friends on Xen," Dekker replied, seeming to read Calhoun's mind. "We're all on the same side here. We want to beat these aliens as much as you do, and there's no reason for us not to trust each other."

Calhoun could think of plenty of reasons not to trust them, but held his tongue. Instead, he asked, "So what are you going to do with us?"

"We'll open a portal that will send you to a secure location outside of Black Mesa. Your battles here are over. We must get you out of here before they send another wave of controllers."

The chamber's door opened, and one of Dekker's commandos returned from his errand, followed by the rest of the science team that had been hiding in the command center. The commando approached Dekker and the two spoke quietly and briefly before the commando joined the rest of his comrades standing guard throughout the chamber.

Silently declaring their conversation over, Dekker gestured to the control tower. One of the commandos rushed towards the tower and swiftly climbed it. He reached the controls and began operating them. Everyone looked up as the portal formed over the walkway.

"It's time for you to go," Dekker said plainly as he turned back to the group.

Calhoun did not know whether or not to trust this Dekker, but knew they had no choice in the matter now. They were outmanned and outgunned, and this Dekker clearly held all the cards now. They would have to trust him.

They stepped onto the walkway and walked towards the portal. Calhoun volunteered to go first, ready to face whatever awaited them.

As Calhoun walked towards the portal, he caught a glimpse of a large door opening in the side of the chamber. Waiting behind the door were several large black tanks. As Calhoun disappeared into the portal, he had a fleeting thought that whatever was happening on Xen, it was about to become even crazier.

When the final scientist entered the portal, Dekker retrieved his radio. "This is Dekker to all units. We have secured the surviving science team. Consider yourselves free to fire at will from this point forward. Any remaining personnel are to be eliminated at once."

The commando units sounded off by the numbers, acknowledging the order.

Black Mesa Surface

Shephard's truck pulled to a halt. They were several minutes behind the black ops team they were tailing, and had thus far remained undiscovered. The commandos were taking a meandering route through the buildings of the Black Mesa campus, perhaps to lose any potential tails. Fortunately, Shephard and his team were well trained in the art of stealth, and their presence thus far remained undetected.

Shephard and his team dismounted their truck and gazed out at the tremendous hydroelectric dam before them. The mechanical grinding noises announced that the day's disasters had not affected its power production capabilities in the slightest. Shephard knew this would be the perfect place for a booby trap. Anyone following the black ops commandos would have to cross this narrow space to continue their pursuit. If he had been commanding the black ops team, he would have left a surprise behind to greet anyone foolish enough to stumble into it. Shephard ordered Chavez to sneak across the dam in search of any potential tricks or traps.

Chavez crouched and ran onto the dam. He moved quickly, sneaking between cover as he could find it. The dam was well illuminated, and shadows were hard to come by. Chavez stopped every few meters to inspect the surrounding area for possible booby traps. He examined the area with his infrared goggles, which would detect any laser trip mines. His eyes quickly darted around, wary of any threats around him. He didn't think of looking up for threats from a distance.

The shot rang out like an explosion, and Chavez immediately knew what had happened. He fell to the ground, clutching his leg and screaming in pain. The bullet had torn his leg to shreds, and the pain was unbearable.

Tower began to run to Chavez's aid. Shephard grabbed him and pulled him back into the shadows before he could make himself a target. The sniper wanted them to run onto the dam and expose themselves, so they could be picked off one by one. They would have to play this one carefully.

Shephard gazed out at the dam, trying to ignore Chavez's cries for help. He took on the mindset of a sniper. Where would he want to snipe from? Where would he be able to cover the most area without exposing himself? Shephard's eyes passed over the observation tower looking over the dam and knew that was exactly where he would have been if he was a sniper. He couldn't be sure, but he had to go with his gut instincts.

Shephard turned back to his team. Jones and Jackson were clearly at a loss for what to do next. Tower looked ready to tear the sniper limb from limb, if only he could get his hands on him.

Shephard issued his orders, and his team prepared to make their move.

Shephard ran towards the bridge, darting between cover as best he could. Shephard caught a glimpse of the red dot from the sniper scope as it tracked his progress. He disappeared behind cover as the dot came dangerously close to grazing his body. It had been too close, but he would make it now. He made a hand signal to his team waiting in the shadows behind him.

On cue, Tower opened fire upon the sniper nest with his M-249. At such a long range, the bullets would not hit their mark. But it was enough to distract the sniper while Shephard made his final move. Shephard dashed the final few meters until he was standing within range of the tower, grenade held primed and ready. Shephard tossed the grenade in an arc that met its mark in the center of the tower's opening. He could only imagine the look of surprise on the sniper's face as the grenade landed in his lap. It would not last long, as the tower flashed brilliantly, erupting with a bright flash of smoke as the shrapnel tore through the interior of the tower.

Shephard couldn't be sure if that had been the only sniper in the area, but he would have to take his chances. He would know soon enough if there were any more surprises left. Shephard crept out, quickly covering the remaining distance to crouch beside Chavez where he lay. He looked up to see Tower, Jones, and Jackson running along the dam towards them.

"You're going to make it, Chavez," Shephard assured his wounded comrade.

Jones arrived on the scene and began patching Chavez up. The bullet had split the bone and torn several muscles before exiting his leg. There was nothing Jones could do to repair the damage. All he could hope to do was to stop the bleeding and save Chavez's life.

"Leave me, Corporal," Chavez pleaded as Jones continued working on his leg. "You've got your orders. Stop that bomb and get the hell out of here. I'll only slow you down."

"Chavez, you know I can't do that."

"It's too late to turn back, Adrian!" Chavez shouted. "We don't have time to get out of the bomb's range, and there won't be any more helicopters coming for us. You've got to stop it. If you don't, then we all die here."

Shephard closed his eyes. He knew Chavez was right. They would have to leave him.

"Jones, you stay behind and make sure Chavez stays comfortable. We'll be coming back for you, Chavez."

Chavez nodded and closed his eyes. The adrenaline was wearing off, revealing the true depth of the pain throbbing through his leg. He was grateful that Jones would be here to keep him company. He might just make it out of this after all.

Shephard shared a look with Jackson and Tower. They all understood that they had to leave this place now, lest they lose the bomb's trail. The team shared a few punctual goodbyes and split up. Shephard, Jackson, and Tower reboarded the truck and drove it across the dam, waving a final goodbye to Chavez and Jones.

As the trio disappeared over the horizon, Chavez turned to Jones.

"Think they'll make it in time?"

"God, I hope so. Who would have thought this milk run would turn out like-" Jones stopped, his eyes focusing on something on the far side of the dam.

"What do you see?" Chavez asked, straining to turn himself around to look.

Shephard and his team weren't the only ones following the nuke across the campus. A cluster of alien slaves and grunts emerged from the same shadows the team had approached through. Apparently they had also been tailed, and much like the black ops commandos, had been too focused on their mission to notice. If only they had had radios, they could have warned Shephard up ahead. They would be caught completely off guard, concentrating so much on remaining undetected by the commandos that they would never notice the aliens sneaking up on them.

"Go," Chavez told Jones. "Warn the others. I'll hold them off as long as possible."

"But--"

"GO." Chavez left no room for argument.

Jones groaned and took off, running after Shephard and the rest of the team.

Chavez fired a salvo of MP5 rounds at the approaching swarm of aliens. A few fell to the ground, but the rest continued unabated. A grenade sent several bodies flying over the edges of the dam into the water on both sides. Almost at once, more aliens crowded forward to take their places. They fired back, sending their hornets and bolts of electricity back across the dam.

With great effort and pain, Chavez clambered to a position of better cover that allowed him to fire at the aliens while remaining relatively safe himself. From there he threw everything he had at the approaching masses to no avail. At long last, his MP5 clicked dead, announcing that he had fired his last round. The aliens stopped their approach, sensing the change in the situation.

The aliens approached slowly now, holding their fire as they moved. They knew they had their prey in their clutches now. Chavez retrieved his knife and held it ready. He would not go down without one last fight.

The cluster of aliens swarmed over Chavez like a deadly tide. Chavez screamed as they pulled at him. He could feel their claws tearing through his flesh and digging through his body. Chavez fought back with his knife, but he did little more than make the process slower and more painful for himself. At long last, Chavez lay dead, mutilated beyond recognition. The aliens roared in triumph as they were granted pleasure by their master across space and time.

Xen

The Nihilanth appreciated the seriousness of the situation. It was positioning its forces carefully, with a noose positioned around the humans, tightening it slowly. It would not clench its fist all at once, lest a few survivors squirt through its fingers and fulfill their mission of destroying Black Mesa. The destruction of the linking crystal deep below Black Mesa would disrupt the Nihilanth's ability to communicate with its armies and prevent it from sending reinforcements.

Once these stragglers were eliminated, Black Mesa would be in its hands. The Nihilanth could then concentrate on eliminating the pockets of resistance that had somehow made it to Xen, then on expanding its presence on Earth and beginning the colonization. It would all draw to a close soon.