Chapter 03 – Aurora Borealis

Everyone at White Forest mourned for Eli Vance. However, they knew the gravity of the situation in which they were in. The peace given by the Combine would not last forever. Gordon Freeman had been given a mission. Both his enemies and his friend had told him to find this ship called the "Borealis". He wanted to know everything he could about the ship. This task was given to Dr. Kliener. Kliener sat at the one wall of his White Forest laboratory which held a giant computer. Barney, Magnusson, and Alyx stood by as well.

"What is the 'Borealis'?" Gordon asked.

"Give me a minute." An image flickered onto the giant main screen. The picture was that of the Borealis still on the dock. "Ah, here it is. The Borealis was a freightliner built 7 years ago by a company called Aperture Science. It served as transport for the company's valuable cargo, and was last docked in City 17's harbor." Kliener explained.

"What makes it so valuable?" Alyx asked.

"That's an interesting question." Kliener read further. "It says here that 2 years ago the ship mysteriously vanished along with the dock it was ported in. All reports indicate that the last person seen with the ship was a woman wearing something similar to a prison convict's clothes."

"You think one person could make a whole ship and its dock disappear like that?" asked Barney

"No, it's impossible." Magnusson remarked.

"Wait, it goes on. Apparently, around the same time the Borealis disappeared, the Aperture Science Research Center was destroyed in a mysterious explosion."

"Wait, what do you mean 'mysterious explosion'? Someone should know something about it." Barney asked.

"Yes, you'd think. But what makes it mysterious is that there were no casualties of the explosion. Police reports say that the facility's main computer system malfunctioned and destroyed the building. However, no bodies were found and no survivors were known to even exist. It turns out that no one had seen anyone going in or out of the center for some months before the explosion."

"That is really strange. What the hell was going on in there?" asked Alyx

"Well we didn't really know either. That was until Dr. Mossman brought it up. Apparently, she found the Borealis. That was where she was in that video you salvaged from the Citadel. But from what we saw happen on that video we can only suspect the worst." Gordon recalled the strange video Alyx got off the Citadel's main computer. Mossman was shown somewhere (most likely a ship) delivering a status report before getting attacked by Combine soldiers.

"Dr. Mossman mentioned 'an experiment' in her report. What did she mean?" Gordon asked.

"Well, Dr. Mossman's theory was that Aperture Science had created some world changing device that proved to powerful for them. Her theory was that the experiment had destroyed them and forced them to destroy the Borealis and its cargo along with the experiment. But she couldn't be sure. So she requested to go off to find the Borealis on her own with a few resistance members."

"And that video was her telling us that she had found the Borealis." Gordon interjected. "Well, we know one thing."

"What's that Gordon?" Alyx asked.

"We know that whatever that cargo is, the Combine wants it. And they seem to want it bad." At that moment, a loud beeping noise startled the group. A message flashed on the giant computer screen. 'Incoming Message' appeared on the monitor.

"Who could that possibly be? Who else knows we are here?" asked Barney.

"The only person I can think of is Mossman." Shock hit the group. Could Mossman still be alive? A video popped up on the screen. It was Mossman. She recorded a message and sent it to us.

"I don't know if this will even get to you. This is the only working terminal on the Borealis." Mossman looked scared and she had a head-wound that hadn't been tended to.
"I'm making this video saying good-bye. The Combine is outside and have me trapped. They killed the other resistance members. I don't know what I can do to help, but I'll do what I can. Gordon, Barney, Alyx, Kliener, Eli…I need your help. The Borealis is in Alaska. There is a resistance hideout a few miles from here in an old abandoned Aperture Science center. There are some rebels still holed up there and there is a working teleporter at the base. I still haven't found the project on the ship." Mossman slowed down and a look of sadness came over her face. Then she picked up a shotgun, cocked it, and said "Good-Bye my friends, especially you Eli. I love you." Then Mossman walked off screen. Gunfire could be heard for the next 20 seconds of the message before it was cut off.

Everyone looked around the room at everyone else. Mossman's unheard confession of love to Eli only pushed Alyx and Gordon closer together. Gordon was the one to break the silence.

"Tell me you have a teleporter somewhere in this hideout Kliener. Just tell me that." Gordon looked at Dr. Kliener. The look in his eyes confirmed Gordon's suspicion that the answer was no.

"There is another resistance base further into the forest a few miles. I built a teleporter there. I haven't had time to build one here. The Combine was at our gates ever since the Citadel was destroyed." Gordon felt a similar feeling that he always felt before the group's plans fell apart around them. Alyx looked up at Gordon.

"Well, looks like we're gonna have to fight for our lives again. Places to go, Combine to kill, and Mossman to save. This should be fun." Gordon always loved Alyx's sarcastic comments.

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Barney and Gordon finished loading up the car Kliener had been modifying for Gordon and Alyx. The car had been loaded with a passenger seat turret and a lot of ammo. Gordon got suited with all his weapons. The pistol the Vortigaunt gave him earlier rested in a holster Kliener installed in Gordon's HEV suit. In the trunk of the car there were the Combine issue SMG, Shotgun, Pulse Rifle, and Grenades that Gordon had acquired since escaping City 17. There was also Gordon's .357 Magnum, a resistance issue Crossbow, and the ever trusty Gravity Gun which Gordon slung around his back.

"Anything else?" Barney asked. Gordon realized what he was missing. He looked all around him quickly, patting down his HEV suit. Barney raised his hand and smiled at Gordon signaling him to stop. He reached behind him to a storage compartment on his Combine armor uniform and brought out Gordon's old friend. Barney handed Gordon his trusty crowbar. Gordon turned it around in his hands, admiring his old friend. "Don't lose that again, I'm tired of keeping it for you." Gordon chuckled.

"You ready to go yet Gordon?" Alyx yelled from the warehouse door across the yard. Gordon yelled yes back as he was walking over to her. Alyx hugged Dr. Kliener and Barney as they were saying good-bye. DOG walked over to them making sad whimpering noises. Alyx comforted him and said she would be back. Gordon walked over to Dr. Kliener.

"I've installed a small camera and microphone into the collar of your HEV suit, and this," Kliener handed him a small earpiece. "This is what I will be communicating with you through. Try not to take it out of your ear, I will see everything you see and hear everything you hear."

"Thanks Doc. Your help will be very valuable on this one." Gordon held out his right hand gesturing for Kliener to shake.

"Don't thank me. After yours and Alyx's stunt at the Citadel calming the reactor, Eli suggested the earpiece and camera to keep an eye on you." Gordon looked up to the sky.

"Thank you Eli. I promise that Alyx is safe." Gordon shook Kliener's hand and turned around and walked to Alyx and Barney.

"How 'bout I get you that beer when you come back?" Barney asked.

"I'd like that." Gordon replied. He turned to Alyx and grabbed her hand. They walked to the car, started it and drove into the wilderness once again to face the Combine in the unknown forests ahead.