Gordon Freeman has a son!

[we11er]

http://www.we11er.co.uk/messageboardfiles/images/gordon_freeman_junior.jpg

This is Gordon's locker in Black Mesa - just who is the baby in the picture? Hmm? And where is he (she? nah, looks male to me) now? Could Gordon Freeman junior play a part in the future of half-life 2?

Has the G-man taken Freeman's son and raised him as his own? Is this a secret part of the Half-life story that we haven't been told about?

Discuss!

 

[Feath]

No, he hasn't. The Half-Life manual refers to him having "No dependants". It could've been Gordon when he was a baby or some kind of relation.

 

[[sl@yer]]

I've always wondered about that, but in the letter at the beginning of the manual, it says you have no dependants and are not married.

Edit: Feath you beat me to it!!

 

[pk1209]

my bet is it's one of the dev team members' kids. These guys are always ruining games putting silly photos in that arent meant to be there

 

[Chris D]

In the front of the Half-Life manual there is a letter to Gordon Freeman (I believe written by Dr. Kleiner?), inviting him to work at the BMRF. It says something about him working on-site at the facility because he has no family ties.

In the Half-Life universe you can pretty much assume it's his nephew or little brother. In our universe it's probably a photograph of one of the developer's children.

EDIT: Bah! You all beat me to it!

 

[[sl@yer]]

It's not written by Dr Kleiner, it's written by the mysterious LM (gman perhaps) from the office of the administrator.

 

[we11er]

my bet is it's one of the dev team members' kids.

Dev team member? What on earth are you talking about?

Why would Gordon have a picture of a) Himself - bit vain isn't it? or b) Some stranger who is part of this 'Dev' team as you call it.

I reckon Gordon's been keeping secrets from us. Maybe he had to lie to get a job at Black Mesa. Who knows.

 

[Stryyder]

Dev team member? What on earth are you talking about?

Why would Gordon have a picture of a) Himself - bit vain isn't it? or b) Some stranger who is part of this 'Dev' team as you call it.

I reckon Gordon's been keeping secrets from us. Maybe he had to lie to get a job at Black Mesa. Who knows.

I remember it was a nephew I believe.

 

[pk1209]

if anthing, that photos serves as a timely reminder of how far games have come! let us take a minute to appreciate computer geeks around the world...

 

[Lucifer]

With dev team we mean VALVe, right?

 

[Apos]

I saw that too, recently. Was it there from the very beginning, or was it added later in the Steam version?

 

[[sl@yer]]

It was there in the beginning.

 

[Goombatommy]

maybe it's the G-Man?

 

[we11er]

With dev team we mean VALVe, right?

Yes, I was trying to keep us in the half-life universe.

So we've confirmed it's his son - and that he lied about him because he really needed the job at Black Mesa. The G-man clearly would find out about this, and has kept the boy safe during the tmie between HL1 and 2. Maybe even passing himself off as his father.

Perhaps the G-man will use the boy as blackmail to make Gordon do his bidding.

 

[Chris D]

I remember it was a nephew I believe.

It's never been confirmed but we know that he doesn't have a son.

 

[ferd]

LM? never heard of that? Someone fill me in pls

 

[Crushenator 500]

Yes, I was trying to keep us in the half-life universe.

So we've confirmed it's his son - and that he lied about him because he really needed the job at Black Mesa. The G-man clearly would find out about this, and has kept the boy safe during the tmie between HL1 and 2. Maybe even passing himself off as his father.

Perhaps the G-man will use the boy as blackmail to make Gordon do his bidding.

wtf, when exactly did anyone confirm it as gordons son :|

and btw, picturing baby g-man is teh funny

 

[we11er]

maybe it's the G-Man?

Good God! What if the G-man is his son! This puts a whole new twist on things. The G-man must have developed time-travel and come back to the past to change the future. Maybe in his future the aliens take control compeltely and destroy the entire human race. But before this happens, the G-man goes back in time to fix things.

What better man for the job than his very own father!

"Gordon - I'm you're father!"
"Nooooo!"

edit: just realised that's the wrong way around... should be "I'm you're son!" doesn't quite work though does it?

 

[[sl@yer]]

LM? never heard of that? Someone fill me in pls

The letter is signed "LM"

 

[ferd]

Weird, ive been on these board since the beginning and ive never seen it before

 

[Crushenator 500]

"Gordon - I'm you're father!"
"Nooooo!"

LMAO, some people have made this joke before, but i've NEVER seen anyone give a whole paragraphs explanation

EDIT: w00t, prowler
bout time......

 

[trantjd]

Hmmm, I had never noticed the author of the book there...Marc Laidlaw! Throwing little easter eggs into the game has gotta be one of the best thing about developing a game. I know we've hunted for the video easter eggs before, but Valve seems to know how to enjoy themselves, I wonder what kind of in game easter eggs we'll stumble across...

Sorry for the off topic post...

 

[we11er]

Hmmm, I had never noticed the author of the book there...Marc Laidlaw! Throwing little easter eggs into the game has gotta be one of the best thing about developing a game. I know we've hunted for the video easter eggs before, but Valve seems to know how to enjoy themselves, I wonder what kind of in game easter eggs we'll stumble across...

Sorry for the off topic post...

Pff - we've just stumbled upon the biggest HL2 breakthrough so far, and you're looking for easter eggs!?

This is major people, I think I should delete the thread before we ruin Valve's big secret.

 

[Burning Fish]

It's not thát off topic

 

[chimpmunk]

Edit: forget it.

 

[jabberwock95]

*sigh*

I've never seen the employment letter, since I bought the generations edition. I don't suppose someone would be kind enough to post a scan? As long as it's not violating copyright, that is. It just sounds like a cool thing to read. :cheese:

 

[JunkieXL]

Hey I just noticed.. The letter is signed by an "LM" right?

Maybe it's just Marc Laidlaw reversed?

 

[[sl@yer]]

I can post a scan.....if it's allowed (??).

 

[jabberwock95]

I can post a scan.....if it's allowed (??).

Thanks for the offer. :cheers:

Mods? Scans from the HL maunual?

You could email it to me ([email protected]) but I bet im not the only one who hasn't seen it.

 

[AcousticToad]

*Cough*Michael Jackson*Cough*

Seriously, if he has no dependents that means he has no family right? Why would he have a pic of a baby in his locker, he had pics of 2 girls in Opposing Force (Notice its F.O.R.C.E not F.O.R.C.E.S) in his office.

Freaky Gordon.

 

[Chris D]

EDIT: Scrap that.

Just type it out. I'm sure Valve won't mind but y'never know with publishers.

 

[[sl@yer]]

Office of the Administrator
BLACK MESA RESEARCH FACILITY
Black Mesa, New Mexico

May 5, 200-

Dr. Gordon Freeman
Visiting Fellow
Institute for Experimental Physics
University of Innsbruck
Technikerstr.25
A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria

Re: Offer of Employment

Dear Dr. Freeman:

This letter shall confirm a recent telephone conversation in which you were offered, and did accept, a position at the Black Mesa Research Facility commencing immediately but no later than May 15. As discussed, you shall begin at Level 3 Research Associate status, assigned to the Anomalous Materials Laboratory. We understand that it will take some time to conclude your affairs at the University of Innsbruck and return to the United States. Please notify the Personnel Department of your intended arrival time immediately.

Since you are unmarried and without dependants, you have been assigned appropriate living quarters in the Personnel Dormitories. However, you may not gain admittance to your quarters until Level 3 security processing is complete. Please bring this offer letter and all documents listed on the attached sheet to the Black Mesa Personnel Department no later than May 15.
A retinal scan will not be necessary at this time, but we do require urinalysis and bloodwork to establish baselines for your medical history during your employment.

Please note that as a necessary condition of your work with anomalous materials, you may be required to wear and operate an HEV hazardous environment suit. You will be trained and certified in its use during the standard orientation process. All further questions regarding the Black Mesa Research Facility and your role as Research Associate will be answered during orientation.

As you know, Dr. Kleiner, your former professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, originally recommended you for contact by the Civilian Recruitment Division. He wishes to extend his congratulations on your decision to accept our offer. Like Dr. Kleiner, we are confident that your career with the Black Mesa Research Facility will be a long and rewarding one.

Office of the Administrator
Civilian Recruitment Division
Black Mesa Research Facility

OTA: lm

 

[Dead-Inside]

No, he hasn't. The Half-Life manual refers to him having "No dependants". It could've been Gordon when he was a baby or some kind of relation.

Or or or!! An easter egg....?

It could certainly be someone's child at VALVe, better yet, e-mail VALVe about it. It's one out of two, it's either a story item, or a completely useless easteregg.

 

[[sl@yer]]

The above post shows my commitment....and that I have WAY too much time on my hands (not really....I'm supposed to be revising!).

 

[Razak]

Yes, I was trying to keep us in the half-life universe.

So we've confirmed it's his son - and that he lied about him because he really needed the job at Black Mesa. The G-man clearly would find out about this, and has kept the boy safe during the tmie between HL1 and 2. Maybe even passing himself off as his father.

Perhaps the G-man will use the boy as blackmail to make Gordon do his bidding.

dude this is not drama class.

 

[we11er]

Hang on a second. Let me just make it clear that this is a joke/fun thread. It's clearly a valve empoyee's child, I'm just trying to make a story out of it.

Anyone remember Corporal Shepard was mysteriously bumped to the top of the transfer list or something like that? Makes you wonder if his role is bigger than we thought... maybe he's Gordon's long lost brother?

edit: yes, g-man was in the window in the building outside the training zone. So he wanted shephard at black mesa for some reason.

this is all planned in advance, so it's likely the g-man is indeed from the future

 

[DarkStar]

The G-man is obviously Gordon's son. He spent many years in a parallel dimension, working for his "employers" and then returned to Earth the exact moment he left. Thus he is now older than his father, Gordon Freeman. The picture of the child in the locker is definitely the G-man. He used to be so cute! Wow, how could you guys miss something so obvious?

In summary: Wild speculation leads you nowhere.

 

[pk1209]

maybe gordon freeman and the g-man are one and the same! Gordon.. begins with G... G-Man... you see! using some sort of inverse time displacement mapping a older version of gordon has been ported into gordons universe! i reckon i just cracked... pm me for find out where donations and beer can be sent...

 

[Feath]

Freeman ends with Man as well.

 

[we11er]

Well, I just sent an email to Gabe, we'll see if he can confirm any of this:

Hi Gabe, not sure if you're going to get my previous (serious) email, but I've been thinking, and wondered if you'd care to comment.

In Gordon's locker in Black Mesa, we clearly see a picture of a baby:

http://www.we11er.co.uk/messageboardfiles/images/gordon_freeman_junior.jpg

Now, although Freeman apparently has no "dependants" and is unmarried, I believe this baby is, in fact, his son. He simply lied to Black Mesa in order to secure his job there. As to his wife, or the baby's minder, I don't know.

Not only that, but I believe that the G-man is this very same baby, Gordon Freeman's son.

You see, in the G-man's timeline, the resonance cascade still took place, and the aliens took over Earth and started the destuction of the human race. But the G-man, with his father's natural scientific talents, developed a form of time travel in his lifetime, and went back in time to try and prevent things from going wrong.

The only way he could see to destroy the aliens was to this time cause a deliberate resonance cascade, and have somebody destroy the alien controller - Nihilanth (if that's even spelt correctly).

So now came the big choice: who to choose for this task? Well, what better man than his own father, Gordon Freeman! Someone he can trust to get the job done.

I believe that in the time between HL1 and 2, the G-man and Gordon spent a year sailing around the world together, catching up on old times. The G-man then decided to wipe Gordon's memory because there was more important work to be done, and Gordon would most probably refuse to do it otherwise.


Now, I also believe that Adrian Shepard has some part to play in all this, although I'm still mulling it all over. We know that somehow Shepard was "bumped" to the top of the transfer list into whatever squadran he was in, and we see the G-man at his training facility. The G-man also deliberately separates Shepard from the rest of his squad during the Black Mesa incident.

But why? I'm just trying to recall exactly what Shepard did during the incident, but I'm guessing he aided Freeman's mission - by delaying the other military/black-op forces. The G-man required some level of control on both sides.

That pretty much sums it up so far. Obviously I'll keep this to myself - I don't want to ruin the story for everybody else. I hope you can enlighten me on some of the missing story elements.

Look forward to hearing from you Gabe,

Mike Weller