Yeah I suppose it is fake, considering how the heck would Gordon go to some abandoned dock place alone? For once, in Episode 2, he actually left the game with a good note. (Well not completely good, but he is at least safe for the most part.)
I don't know why, but in a lot of video games there is a Citadel.
In the game Fallout 3, an important location of the game is a Citadel.
I remember hearing in Mass Effect 2 there was a Citadel too.
Just thought it was kind of strange.
Well, since Portal 2 will take place in the future, we may find out why the combine hasn't even touched Aperture Labs. They have portal technology, which the combine want.