Deliverance

"Alex, Philip, I hope that you are ready for what I am going to tell you, During today when we were testing our newest sample a discrepancy in the power levels caused the whole system to freeze when Gordon Freeman put the test example into the beam, I hope that he is O.K. Poor man, we sent him to get help but he seems to have been caught in the way by most of the strange aliens of the attack. We have been co-ordinating events from this terminal, so far we've been successful in keeping the aliens away but I fear that a military cleanup is underway, they don't want any word of this spreading out. We were thinking of getting to the transport hub and moving from there, but were not sure if it'll work, we need somebody to make sure that power is online and that we can find a safe route from the tunnel…" "We'll go, I will go to the electrics and Philip to the Hub, we'll get another train, from the hub Once I've got back to Philip." "Are you sure?" "Yes, once it's online you go, we can't take any risks." Alex looked very broad and strong, he seemed to grow in size during the conversation, next to him Eli seemed unsure, he then stepped in. "I will not allow it!" said Eli, You cannot just go down there and strand yourself, we know our Tram works, it's just out there, all the systems work but how do you know that any of them work at the depot?" "We will just call one, there's a recall button, we can check that nobody is on it, we can just bring it there." "Very well." Replied Eli, "I just hope that you can get one, I have this for you, I hope that these are of better use to you than I." Eli Handed Alex and Philip a pistol each, "I got them from two security guards while fending off a few of these weird aliens, they both were mauled but I managed to kill the crab-like things, I'd look out for any more, We haven't seen any yet but that doesn't mean there'll be none." Alex looked on the sign and saw that they were going right, back in the direction of the main hub is from whence they came." Above Alex looked at the screen and saw that in the hub nothing was stirring, then out of Nowhere a gaunt grey-suited man walked in front of the screen and held up a piece of paper, the words read in a sort of Jumpy English, Go to the Hub, electricity on, go quickly, a friend… and then the man left the screen. "Hey, how can you tell the electrics are on?" "We check the gauge in the left maintenance panel on the tram, why?" "Can I just check it?" Asked Alex. "Fair enough. The tram's that way." Eli pointed left to a small doorway, when Alex stepped outside he saw that the walls were not plated with concrete but with brushed steel, the sheen would have overcome a man but Alex walked to the tram which was darker than the tunnel, an octagonal shaped sheening tunnel which stretched far along and to which Alex could find no end. Alex walked to the tram and took off the panel and saw a small green light, next to it he saw the word power. "HEY THE POWERS ON!" He jumped up and the rest raced in to take a look. "Great Scott!" Kleiner Embraced, "It is!" Dr. Vance and Kleiner were shocked and in joy. "We can leave!" "Get in!" "No somebody must make sure that you have a clear route." Alex Grimly added, I will go to the Hub and find you a route." He bent down to the panel and took a walkie-talkie out. "I will program the route from the hub." He added. "Don't try and stop me Philip I will go, you protect them for the ride." "Then I will go with you." "Fair enough" "Go!" The others got in the tram and then Alex said one last thing to Alyx, "I am sorry that I have not had more time to know you, be safe." He then walked off while the rest waited in the Tram. "It will no take long for you to get to the hub, if you are lucky." Kleiner added, good luck!"

Alex with Philip then walked out again and gave a sharp left, they walked to a door some way down a large hallway with many abandoned desks adorning the left side and opened it, then they Jumped back with a mix of fear and surprise and saw in front of themselves the gaunt grey man. "Alexander aschell von Klaus… Philip James Douglas…. You are… amazing men, very much of interest, I value your ressssourcefullness, it seems that you have caught my interest? I hope that this is of no consequence to your survival but just remember that ahead is much danger, you will both go through thick and thin as you try and escape, Eli and Isaac are safe for the time being and will survive this catastrophe although I cannot say the same for Eli's leg which with meet some trouble a later date, but now you will see more than most men will during this time of need and lossss." He walked out of the smaller hallway and brushed himself, he then talked again. "Prepare to fight, to fight for your lives, and go along, I will see you up ahead." He walked away and down the corridor Philip and Alex turned around down the hallway from whence he came but they saw nothing. "Where is he?" "I have no idea?" They then walked down the corridor and closed the door. Up above there was clunking in the air vents, It was the Grey-suited man crawling through them. "Damn them, they have no idea what I have to go through to get to them all, now then, where is Barney Calhoun?" He drudged along in the vents with no-one aware of his Gymnastic skills. "Ouch! Damn Vents, have these people never heard of large vent shafts?"

Philip and Alex continued down the hallway, it was long and quite wide, the bases computer voice was calling out. "Warning, malfunction, fires in upper levels, warning, fire shield eng-eng-engaged, warning, upper levels on fire, warning upper levels on fire…" as the voice continued on a huge flaming animal jumped out of a side vent, it was a large animal writhing in scars and charred, it crashed through a window on the other side and dropped a hundred feet before landing on a large pile of rubble. "It seems we are now above the garden area. Alex ran along past the thick concrete walled section of the corridor and saw many windows along the side, below he saw the creature on the floor, then he saw a large animal crawl down the walls, It seemed to be a long, green tentacle with a black blade fixed on the end. It reached out, inspected the corpse and turned it over a few times, rubbing itself against the dead creature, as Philip walked towards the broken window where Alex was, the Tentacle tapped the ground in the rhythm of Philips footsteps, as Philip Reached Alex the creature flew up about a hundred feet, its body continued to reach across, an unending long, greenish band that was rippling as it swayed from side to side getting its bearing, it had two dimly lit yellow eyes and long veins under the skin bulge, it had a proboscis and a long metallic-coloured trunk, made of two pieces, while the smaller under proboscis seemed to be mouth-like. The creature slammed full force into the corridor, missed Philip and Alex and slammed into a doorway, its face crinkled the weak wooden doors but then it retracted, screaming in pain, it leapt away from the corridor, out into the gigantic garden area again, its face was badly scorched and it slammed into the corridor three times, each time gouging the Corridor out, it then got caught on a girder from the rubble below, with the girder threaded through a gap in the blade-edge of the creatures trunk and it lay on the floor, heavily-breathing. Philip and Alex ran the rest of the length of the corridor and opened the door, they had come into a long chamber with many walkways and lifts, it was quite dull, mostly a bleak grey, but the stark difference of the metal bands across the sides of the room took away that feeling, above a huge metallic upper level reached to a large console and just above voices could be heard.

"We need more time." "I can't hold off aliens with my tie Lewisham, what shall we do?" The voices continued to mutter "I have no Idea Dr. Phlox but we must go, Immediately!" "No! We must hope that somebody is down there and they can help us." The two men walked across the railings and spoke. "Look man! There is nobody to help us! If there is anyone down there armed I'll eat my laces." The men peered below and were shocked to see Philip and Alex. "My god, Are you armed!" Philip and Alex looked at each other and help up their guns, "My word! Quickly get up here, we need you help!"