Chapter 06 – Yet Another Problem: pt. 1
Gordon and Alyx stepped off the elevator and followed the rebel through the resistance base. The base was underground, but Dr. Kliener was a smart and resourceful man. He had built the equivalent of a large Nuclear Fallout Shelter for the rebels. The whole base was wall to wall metal and the rock floor was covered with a layer of concrete. Immediately after exiting the elevator there was an open doorway leading to a small room on the right that held a computer terminal and a table with a communications radio. About 10 feet in front of the elevator there was a fenced off area that held shelves of ammunition and resistance model weapons. The hallway led past the ammo area to the right to another hallway. In this hallway there were 4 closed doorways on each wall that the rebel said housed the bunk rooms. This hallway lead to a larger room that held a long table that could hold 20 people at once. The plates on the table and plasma screen television on the wall across the room suggested that this room was used for dining and as a conference room of sorts. The rebel leading the way pointed out a large vault-like door on the left side of the table.
"That doorway leads to the laboratory that Dr. Kliener built for us." He said. Gordon and Alyx could hear Dr. Kliener's voice through their com-links.
"Yes, the teleporter is located in there." The good doctor said. The rebel allowed Alyx and Gordon to go through. The laboratory looked much like Kliener's from City 17. There were assorted gadgets on shelves to the right and the teleporter took up the entire far wall.
"Well let's get this over with and hope nothing goes wrong." Alyx said. Dr. Kliener replied to this with a less than appreciated statement.
"Well, it's not that simple." He said.
"What are you saying Doc?" Gordon asked.
"Well you see, the time I had to build the teleporter was minimal. The Combine was about to find White Forest, so I had to finish the teleporter with making a small sacrifice. It seemed a miniscule problem at the time, but I must address it now." He said.
"What are you saying Kliener?" Alyx asked.
"Well, I didn't have enough time to construct a power cell adequate enough for our standards. So I used the first thing I could salvage from the wreckage blown from City 17. I found a Combine-constructed power cell blown from the wreckage of Nova Prospekt." Gordon remembered his experiences at the prison once known as Nova Prospekt. Gordon and Alyx used the teleporter there to escape to Kliener's City 17 lab. However, the power cells used in Combine technology take long periods of time to charge. The doctor explained on. "I used the power cells from Nova Prospekt in the teleporter at this base. However the rebels stationed there told me that when the headcrabs attacked they shut off all their generators except the one powering their radio for safety." Gordon guessed the end of Kliener's statement.
"And the power cells need to charge before we can use them again, right?" He said. Alyx's expression changed from hopeful to annoyed.
"Oh, come on! Not another delay. Mossman needs us. For all we know she could be dead by now!" Alyx yelled.
"Now, Now Alyx, Dr. Mossman is very resourceful. I'm sure she's doing fine. Unfortunately, the charging process takes longer on this teleporter than it did at Nova Prospekt's." Kliener replied.
"Of course it does." Gordon said. "How long do we have to wait Doc?"
"Well…approximately 9 hours." Kliener replied. Needless to say the group was less than enthused with that number.
"9 Hours!?" Alyx yelled. "Nova Prospekt's fuel cells only took a half hour to load up!"
"I realize that. However, the fuel cells were damaged after the Citadel's destruction and now take longer to charge."
"Okay Kliener, we'll wait." Gordon replied. He wasn't happy with the idea that they had to wait to find the Borealis, but he was used to the group having to change their plans. Whenever they got close to an objective, something was ready and waiting to stop them in their tracks. Alyx and Gordon walked back to the hallway heading to the bunk rooms and found an empty one. Much like the many other resistance bases, the bunk rooms were very small. They contained one bed in each room. The bed reached from the front of the room to the back on the left wall. The only other things in the room were the ceiling light and a case of vertical shelves on the right wall. After three resistance members went above to retrieve Gordon's other weapons from the hot rod, he stored them on the shelves for the night.
Alyx sat down on the bed in the small room. Gordon offered to sleep on the floor so the bed would be hers. But she resisted.
"Come here Gordon." Gordon sat down on the bed next to her. She had that look in her eyes once again. That look she always had in those tender moments between the two was there. The couple was soon kissing once again. Alyx pushed Gordon down as she had when they first kissed in White Forest. Once they were lying down, Alyx broke their kiss. "I love you Gordon." She said.
"I love you too Alyx" After that the couple was lost in the passionate throws of love.
When Gordon woke up the next morning, the first thing he saw was Alyx. Gordon stared at her beautiful face until she woke up about 5 minutes after him.
"Morning Gordon. Have fun?" She said. Gordon smiled and stole a kiss from his love. The couple got out of bed and got dressed. Gordon loaded up his HEV suit with his many weapons and Alyx filled a backpack from the ammo closet with plenty of bullets for her handgun. When they were ready, they went in to check on the teleporter. The rebel who spoke to them earlier was there along with about 4 others.
"The teleporter is almost ready Dr. Freeman. Just about 4 more minutes should do it." Dr. Kliener's voice suddenly tuned in on Gordon's com-link.
"That's not soon enough. I just got word from another rebel outpost. Combine have entered the forest and are sweeping it for threats. Last sighting indicated that they're headed toward you're location. Gordon, you've got to stop those soldiers so they don't reach us." He said.
"Jeez, Not again! We were so close too." Alyx complained. Gordon cocked his shotgun and prepared for yet another Combine assault.