Chapter 13- The F-Man

Adrian re-materialized about five feet above the ground. He fell face first and landed on a blue material. It occurred to him that he wasn't on Earth.
The room he was in had a purple-blue glow to it. A large machine was suspended from the ceiling and the portal he had just come from was still active. He crawled from under in and stood up.
Six clones appeared out of the shadows and surrounded Adrian. They raised their guns and aimed at him.
"Drop it." said one of them. He realized he was still clutching his P90 and let go of it. The clone kicked it away. A door opened and a man in a dark blue suit entered the room. He waved his hand and the clones lowered their guns. The man walked over to Shephard and helped him up.
"Hello lieutenant Shephard." said the man. "I must say, I am quite impressed with you. You managed to survive the Xenians and my clones. Very impressive. Even the combine don't like to tangle with them." The man paused. "Please excuse me, where are my manners? I am known as the F-Man. I was in charge of this planet until the Xenians invaded. Now it is being destroyed as we speak." Adrian stood there trying to figure out what was going on. "I am sure you have many questions, but I cannot give you answers to them."
"Why?" asked Adrian.
"Because it would no good. You won't remember it in the morning anyway. You see Mr. Shephard, because you survived, and only because you survived, I will spare your life. You will return to military life, but as a corporal."
"No," started Adrian. Three clones grabbed him from behind and forced him to the ground.
"You can think of it as a gift. Not remembering any of these horrible memories." Adrian struggled against the clones, but they wouldn't budge. "You see Mr. Shephard, I can't allow any witnesses to survive. You were the only one not eliminated. I am actually braking the rules by allowing you to live, but I respect you."
"What about the Lucifer people? They will send someone to recover our bodies."
"I'm afraid not. A very," he paused as if looking for the right words. "Unfortunate accident has befallen you comrades at Area 51. They were all killed." Adrian stopped fighting. "Do not worry, you won't feel a thing." The F-Man pulled a small visor out of his pocket and kneeled down. Adrian started fighting again. A clone entered the room and stood at attention behind the F-Man.
"Sir, the G-Man wants to know the status of the Earthling."
"Tell him the job is done."
"Yes sir." The clone turned and disappeared again. The F-Man turned and slipped the visor over Adrian's eyes. He felt the F-Man probing his pockets for his friends tags. They found them and he felt them take them from his possession.
"No! You can't do this!" yelled Adrian. The visor hummed and Adrian was surrounded by white light. He kept struggling until the visor flashed.
He yelled as he watched in what seemed like slow motion as his memories were stripped away from him. His ride in the Osprey, the briefing, the first mission, the battle in the palace, Fine being killed, Hanz blowing himself up, his fight with Dels, Lorenz getting shot, the portal bringing him here, and his conversation with the F-Man.
Adrian Shephard collapsed on the floor.

Corporal Adrian Shephard awoke to the sound of trumpets playing the reveille tune. He quickly got out of bed, eager to make a good impression on his new outfit commander.
He had recently been transferred from regular Marine infantry to this outfit. He believed his new drill sergeant was named Barnes. He stood at attention next to his bed. A tall black man entered a moment later and immediately started yelling at the new recruits.
"Rise and shine ladies. I am your senior drill instructor Dwight T. Barnes." he stated. "The first and last words I want to hear out of your stinkin' holes is sir. Have I made myself clear?"
"Sir yes sir!" said the marines simultaneously.
"My goal is simple. As of right now, you are all maggots. You will not speak until spoken to, you will not sleep unless told to do so! When I ask you to jump, you will reply with "how high". Do you get me!" His voice was deep and scratchy.
"Sir yes sir!" repeated the marines. He paused and walked down the aisle toward Adrian and stood in front of him.
"Whets your name dirt bag?" he asked. Adrian paused trying to think how to say it. "Sound off like you got a pair!"
"Corporal Adrian Shephard, sir!"
"Corporal Shephard huh. Looks more like corporal dog meat to me." he stopped and eyed Shephard. "Seems your name was mysteriously bumped to the top of the advanced training list. My suggestion to you is to get your ass down to the training center and report to drill instructor Sharpe ASAP. Now move it corporal!" Adrian grabbed his pants and walked out of the room feeling the stares of the other marines. "Where are you from soldier?" he heard Barnes yell at a marine.
"Texas sir!"
"Texas! Holy cow. You know what comes from Texas don't you?" That was the last thing Adrian heard before he entered the locker room to change. He did quickly and exited. A flight of stairs was off to his right and he went down them.
He felt a lump in his pocket and reached in to see what it was. He pulled out a piece of paper and unfolded it. It was a picture of four men including himself. Adrian turned it over and read the names.
"Hanz, Fine, Shephard, Lorenz." he recited. "Summer, 1997." He kept walking and exited the barracks and entered a court yard where a marine was doing pushups for a drill sergeant.
None the less, the names on the picture seemed familiar, he didn't know why. He took one last look at the picture and merely re-pocketed it and dismissed the thought.
He kept on his path to the training center not knowing it would eventually lead him to meet the Xenians again. He didn't know he would soon be staring hell in the face once again. A hell called Black Mesa.