WELCOME TO PROJECT OMEGA
USER INPUT: SYSTEM INQUIRY
SYSTEM: INQUIRE?
USER INPUT: POSSIBLE TARGETS
SYSTEM: WORKING...
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TARGET LIST VERIFIED, OVER 3,000 RESULTS, PLEASE SPECIFY AREA.
USER INPUT: VECTOR 12, GRID 92, POS: 28,129
SYSTEM: WORKING...
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AREA VERIFIED, CITY 17, WARNING: HIGH CAUTION AREA, HEAVY COMBINE LEVEL, CODE BLACK, 1 RESULT FOR CITY 17
USER INPUT: ACCESSID 1
SYSTEM: WORKING...
TARGET, JOESPH COLLINS
HEIGHT 5,9
WEIGHT 170 LBS
BRAIN PATTERNS NOT AFFECTED BY COMBINE MIND CONTROL
OMEGA RATING: SUPERIOR
USER INPUT: RUN_PROGRAM RETRIVAL
SYSTEM: USER PASSWORD REQUIRED
USER INPUT: ******
SYSTEM: VERIFIED, BEGINING RETREIVAL PROGAM, ETA: SEVEN DAYS.
Richard Collins, walked out of the Combine ration distribution building, holding the bland purple and red bag that held meager rations, he opened it and tossed out an unmarked blue package, his best friend, Joesph, told him what it was before he was taken, a Combine mind reppressor, an attempt to make him controalable, preperation for transport to Nova Prospect. Richard contnued on his way back home, through the sidestreets, leaving them only to pass through the gate to Precinct 13, one of the most heavly affected areas by the Combine, the place where Gordon Freeman staged hs rebellion, the base of the Citadel itself. Passing by various Combine guards, he was careful not to look up at them, that would only get you beaten. He finally made it home to his apartment building, just a meager 5 blocks from the Citadel, he climbed the 3 flights of stairs to his hallway and opened his door, 3rd on the right.
He tossed the opened rations bag on the small table he had placed near the window. This was not because of the veiw, which was moderatly nice to look at, but mostly to keep an eye on Combine movements, he couldn't let them have his most valued possesion, a small DVD-VCR player, with a few movies, stashed under a lose floorboard near the door. He pulled the board up on the oiled hinges he salvaged brom a brken apartment door. and carefully pulled out the DVD-VCR player and pluged it into the TV, also not too far from the window and popped in his favorite DVD, one he always hid in the same space, Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator. As the opening began, he began to think, as this movie always usually made him do, but this time his thoughts were more angry, more furious then the usual, What am i going to do tomorrow, or what is there even to tomorrow. This time he wished that someone would rise up aganst the COmbine again, he was tired of a mindless existance of, work-eat-work-rest-ration staion-home. He banished the toughts from his mind, just as Charlie made his first apperance onscreen as a Jewish barber.
He awoke several hours later as his Combine communicator, a simple deivce allowing the Combine to see where he was and who he was talking to, began beeping, he picked it up and answered it. "Hello?..." he asked sheepishly.
A female voice answered "Is this Richard Collins?"
"Correct" he responded again, more awake at hearing someone other than an automated Combine message, he looked at his TV while he spoke, watching as the movie neared its ending, watching Charlie faking being the dictator and renouncing the evils of the world.
"Good, you have been summoned Richard. Leave your apartment, take the east hallway and proceed as fast as you can to the Precinct 14 gate without attracting attention, you have 4 minutres to clear an effective 2 block area."
Richard, not really beliving what he heard, began to walk outside of his apartment. "I'm outside of my apartment now what?"
The voiced responded "I have already told you, proceed as fast as possible to the Precinct 14 gate without attracting any attention. There will be a .25 megaton explosion in 3 minutes and 43 seconds."
Richard couldn't belive what he was hearing "How do you know all of this, who are you?"
"GO!" The voice boomed and for no reason he found himself moving. He walked outside of the apartment and covered the distance, then he felt normal again. "Ok, continue on to the gate to Precinct 14."
"Who are you?" Richard asked after a few moments
"In due time, there should be an alley to your left,do you see it? Richard looked to his left.
"Yes, I see it." he replied
"Good, enter it and brace your self, you have 15 seconds." the female voice ordered.
Richard, knowing she could make him do so anyway walked into the alley and curled into a ball against the wall. 8 seconds later his aprartmen and the 3 buildings next to it violently exploded. Richard was knocked over by the force of the shockwave. He yelled into his communicator over the noise.
"What the hell was that?"
"All will be explained, continue hiding in that alley, the Combine will obviously investigate the explosion, wait until you see 2 Combine armored personel carriers pass by then leave the alley."
"Wait," Richard said "was there anyone in those buildings?"
"Yes." the voice calmly replied.
"WHAT THE HELL, YOU SICK MONSTER!" Richard yelled loudly enough into the communicator to bring forth static.
"You don't get it do you Richard, you don't understand why you were moved here? You were bound to Nova Prospekt anyway, they wouldn't have to work much harder to convert you, forced intravenious injection of the mind suppressor would had worked just fine." She paused to let it sink in, "All buildings in Precinct 13 are simply holding areas, your building was to be raided tomorrow and all who died were under the reppresor, save for you. 25 enslaved people and 5 Combine soilders were killed, you are the only free minded person left in City 17. That is why we need you." Precinct 14s gate opened and 2 Combine APC's emerged. "The APCs have passed you, move to the corner of the 13th block from this alley, communications are terminated until then."
"Wait but-" Richard was cut off as his communicator let out a small but long beep and powered off. "Great.... Guess i'd beter get moving."