Chapter 10 – Snowbound pt.1
Gordon once again awoke next to his love Alyx Vance. Alyx had no idea of Gordon's late night exploration of the Science Center. Alyx pulled on her jacket and Gordon stepped into his HEV suit. It amazed Gordon that the suit still held up, even after all the battles he had gone through wearing it. The armor was strong and only showed a few small dents or scratches on various places of the suit. But no matter, the suit still worked well in battle. Alyx picked up her handgun and put a few magazines in the inside pocket of her jacket. Gordon equipped himself with his handgun which he put in the holster on his suit, along with his shotgun, SMG, and Gravity Gun which he put into a duffle bag along with some ammo for each gun and slung over his back. Gordon picked up his crowbar, switched on the com-link he put in his ear, and walked out to the adjacent hallway where Alyx and Adrian waited.
"Are you two ready to go?" Adrian asked. "My troops have a few modified snowmobiles outside. We've loaded up a few mounted RPGs on them and we are ready for anything." Gordon looked at Alyx. She nodded signifying she was ready. A rebel across the room walked over to Adrian and gave him a parka.
"Here Ms. Vance, take this." He handed the parka to Alyx. "It's below zero out there. You'll freeze without it." Alyx pulled the giant jacket around her. He turned to look at Gordon. "I don't think you'll need one, seeing as how that HEV suit has its own temperature balancer in it." Gordon was wondering how Adrian knew that.
"Thank you Captain." Alyx still didn't know his name.
"Call me Adrian." He said. After that, the group walked outside to the frozen tundra. The area was extremely expansive. The snow reached out in every direction for miles. The morning sun shone over the expanded frozen wilderness. Rays of every color emerged from the sun as well. The Aperture Science Center rested on a hilltop on the edge of the frozen wasteland. There were no other signs of life for miles. The only other moving things in the valley were the Combine Striders that stood on patrol to the north.
Adrian led Alyx and Gordon to the right side of the building. There stood 4 modified snowmobiles, and about 25 rebels along with the Vortigaunt brothers Lo-gen and Rezlan. The two Vortigaunts had agreed to stay and provide support for Gordon. The snowmobiles had room enough for five people, a driver, 3 passengers, and someone to man the RPG turret mounted in the back. Adrian stood in front of the group and slung a nearby SMG over his back.
"All Right, here's the plan. Lo-gen and Rezlan will head one of the cars with three of you. Gordon, Alyx and I will head the second of the four cars with two more of you. The rest of you men will load into the last two cars. Finally, the last ten of you will stay behind and defend the Science Center. Got that men?" The group responded with the statement "Sir, yes, Sir!" in loud unison. Gordon didn't raise a question, but Dr. Kliener did. The doctor's voice sounded in Gordon's ears.
"Wow, he sure knows how to command a squad. The rebels are acting like they're in the army." Kliener had a sense of concern in his voice. "I'm also wondering how he knew about the thermal stabilizer equipped in your HEV suit. You said he worked for Aperture Science before joining the resistance, Gordon?" Gordon whispered into the mic on his collar.
"Yeah, that's what he told me. I believe him too. He showed me a video of one of his old-friend's from Aperture. I'm not going to elaborate on the contents of the message." He said. Kliener replied only to Gordon. He didn't transmit to Alyx's com-link so she hadn't heard the conversation.
"Be careful. Something doesn't strike me right about him." Kliener replied. Gordon didn't think that Adrian posed any threat, but he was on the alert from then on. Gordon, Alyx and Adrian loaded up the 'snow-cars' (as Alyx later called them) and began to drive down the hilltop they were on. Lo-gen and Rezlan drove next to them as they were leaving. Rezlan looked over at Gordon.
"We wish the Freeman well in this battle! May luck smile on him!" he said.
"Don't die on us yet you two!" he replied. Gordon's car took the lead of the three others and the squad of rebels drove off to face the Striders.
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The Striders were not far away. Gordon drove the snow-car closer and closer. There was only about half-a-mile to go. The massive creatures towered above the group of rebels at about 100 feet tall. Alyx rode in the front passenger seat next to Gordon and Adrian rode on the back of the snow-car manning the mounted RPG. Two rebels sat in the back of the door less car ready to attack the Striders.
"Be ready. It won't take much longer for them to spot us." Adrian said. Dr. Kliener spoke in Gordon's ear.
"Be careful Gordon. According to the rebel's tracking system, Dr. Mossman is located not a quarter-mile from where the Striders are." He said. "If they manage break through the ground during the battle, the Combine will have a direct route to the Borealis." That was when the battle began. As soon as Kliener stopped talking, one of the Striders noticed them. The towering beast's single eye caught the sight of the group and it let out a low-pitched howling sound. The second Strider's attention was caught and it bent down to the rebel's level. Two rebel cars at the far left of the squad from Gordon's began to fire at them. Gordon could see the Striders being hit by the machine gun bullets, but they did not seem to be effected by them. The first Strider on the right began to fire at the rebel car. It wasn't long before the snow car was engulfed by flames and the rebels on it disappeared in the ensuing explosion. Adrian went into the offensive and fired a missile from his RPG at the Strider's head. The missile caught it off guard and made it lurch to the right. Gordon weaved the snow-car around the Strider's legs and drove behind it. The second Strider stood behind the first one and began to fire its turrets at Gordon's car. Alyx fired a few shots from her handgun at the crouched beast's giant eye. The bullets ravaged the eye and it splintered into a spray of glass and mechanical parts. Adrian fired another missile from the RPG turret and hit the lowered Strider on the top of its head. Meanwhile, Lo-gen and Rezlan stood in the backseat of another rebel car. After Adrian hit the first Strider with his first missile, the Vortigaunt brothers fired their own energy power at the giant tripod. The Strider shook from both the blast and the shock of electrocution by the Vortigaunts. The rebel stationed in their car fired his own rocket at the Strider. The beast wobbled after the missile struck it. After two rocket blasts each, the Striders did not fall. The third rebel car was destroyed as the first Strider used its sharp legs to crush it and caused it to explode. The rebels that did escape the explosion were soon mowed down by the Strider's gunfire.
"It's no use! They won't fall." Gordon yelled.
"The second Strider has been blinded, but it's still attacking." yelled Alyx.
"Freeman!" Gordon turned around and saw Lo-gen and Rezlan on their overturned snow-car. "Freeman! Run from this place! We shall stop the beasts." Lo-gen yelled.
"We will meet you At White Forest!" Gordon wondered what the Vortigaunts' plan was. He quickly turned the car around and began to drive away from the Striders. Once they were about 70 feet away from the Striders, Gordon looked on as he saw what the Vortigaunts had planned. Lo-gen and Rezlan both began to climb up their own Strider. Once they were on top of them, it looked like they began to pull energy toward them. Great bright lights encircled their hands and pulled in light all around them. The Striders were unaware of their plans and stood guard as they had before the battle started. Suddenly, both Lo-gen and Rezlan focused all their power on the Striders heads and caused a giant explosion. A great purple flash erupted just before the explosion commenced. The Strider's heads were engulfed with flames and their long legs quivered as the towering forms fell to the hard ice floor of the frozen tundra. Gordon turned to return to the area. As he got closer a strange sound was heard.
"What is that noise?" Adrian asked. The sound crackled and increased in volume. Alyx realized what it was.
"Gordon, drive! The ice is crack-." But it was too late. The force of the Strider's fall rocked the ice bed and caused it to crack. The snow-car fell through the hole in the ice the cracking had caused. The group fell into the dark depths of the ice cavern below, their yells of terror echoing through them.