Half-life2:Resistance

[sniper wolf]

Did you seriously just say... The big authors like tolkien and ROWLING... perhaps you should consider branching out a wee bit

I'm a major fantasy fan. Ok, maybe rowling isn't as good as authors like David Eddings or other fantasy authors.


i'll keep up a post about how many days there is until HL2's release so you know how much time left you have to write the story before the actual game comes out. keep up the good work

HALF-LIFE 2 IN 19 DAYS :cheers:

 

[eatbugs]

Stupid is forever, ignorance can be fixed.

 

[sniper wolf]

finally the weekend. hope you can get another chapter or 2 in.

HALF-LIFE 2 IN 18 DAYS :cheers:

 

[Solver]

I've read all of it so far... excellent work.

The writing is good. Very few grammar mistakes, which is great - I hate mistake-ridden fanfics. Pretty nice character development. Also, great to see that you have realistic names for Czech people - it's common to see fanfics/stories with Russians, Czechs or other Europeans in them with absolutely non-realistic names.

Also, I'm very impressed by how you take everything we know about HL2, add fragments from binks, and tie that all in with the story of HL1. I hope that the real HL2 storyline makes as much sense and is as good developed.

One thing that surprised me, though, was Kleiner's and Vance's ideas on how to destroy citadels. I would expect Kleiner to be in favor of destroying Xen and Eli to oppose it, not the way you have it. Kleiner is shown throughout the story as a more cowardly man, while Eli made his way out of Black Mesa, seems noble and strong, and also seems like the leader of resistance - that makes it hard to believe that it would be him who agrees to destroying Xen to save the Earth.

Oh, and one more minor thing. The big boss of Xen is called Nihilanth, not however you spell him .

Great work, looking forward to more.

 

[sniper wolf]

just a suggestion but since in the game gordon doesn't say a word you should make him more like silent bob in that respect. other than that you're doing a good job.

HALF-LIFE 2 IN 17 DAYS!!!!! :cheers:

 

[sniper wolf]

no more story this weekend? ;( and i was planning to read it as i was eating candy :E

HALF-LIFE 2 IN 16 DAYS!!!!! :cheers:

 

[ne0_shiny]

hl2 in 15 days!!

 

[Bio]

Please boy, give us some text candy

 

[sniper wolf]

hl2 in 15 days!!

thats what im supposed to say.

got a dvd player for my comp.now i'll be able to play the collector's edition in 15 DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :cheers:

 

[sniper wolf]

am i the only one who posts on this thread anymore?

waiting for more story. been about a week.

HALF-LIFE 2 IN 2 WEEKS, YEAH!!!!! :cheers:

 

[theotherguy]

stupid homework, and election coverage! I was going to write a chapter tonight, but there was too much homework, there was drumline practice until 7. Couldin't get on until now. I plan on writing it tommorow, but I dont know. Damn, I need to write faster. and please, damnit, STOP POSTING SPAM ABOUT "HL2 IN X DAYS" thank you.

 

[HLFAN1]

Its ok man, as long as its a quality writing it will continue to be the best :thumbs:

 

[sniper wolf]

ok, i'll stop ;(

 

[theotherguy]

sorry, sniper, I was a little pissed at the time due to election results, anyway. Here is the new chapter! it's my longest one in a while....
Chapter 32, Practicing Politics-

It had been a long time since Ian had heard the sound of the pounding feet of striders. He had forgotten the eternal thudding in the distance, like artillery shells. He heard their distant sounds now, as he came out of the lab onto the streets of city-17. The bass sounds of the strider’s poundings were accented by the staccato snare tapping of the feet of thousands of people and officers, commuting to their jobs or their homes.


The morning was cloudy, and the sun shined through the clouds like a small beacon, reflecting off of the rooftops of the buildings. The reflections obscured only by the shadow of the citadel, which reached high into the sky. Its black shape stood like a dark lighthouse, and Ian could see the bars of steel which were still being erected automatically at the top of the Citadel’s great parallelogram of a figure… The thing still grew.

The streets, as usual, were lined with Combine cops in white gasmasks, green pants, and black flak jackets. The officers watched the pedestrians suspiciously with their emotionless eyes, and chattered by radio intermittently to each other.

The pedestrians themselves were ragged and disheveled. They walked with hunched backs in their blue jumpsuits, fearing the officers. They dared not look of for dread of the electrical shock sticks that the cops carried. Over it all, in the center of the square was the statue of a horse, mounted now with a Breenscreen, which showed the face of Dr. Breen: droning on, as usual, to his subjects.

“Good Morning, citizens of City 17,” Breen boomed, “Today is a special day. Today, I will read the letters that citizens have sent to the citadel, to express their concerns. Of course, The Combine values the opinions of each and every one of our citizens. We support our citizen’s freedom to express their opinions in any way they choose…indeed, I agree that there are many ideas that the citizens have that I would like to enact. So, without further delay, I will begin with my first letter, which comes out of precinct 32:” Dr. Breen looked down, shuffled some papers, and began reading in a pseudo-concerned tone.

“The letter says, ‘Dear Dr. Breen, why has the combine restricted our ability to reproduce?’ it goes on to say, ‘I know that you have our best interests in mind, but what could this accomplish? I thought that we were supposed to be in control of our lives. Are we not?’

Well, Citizen of precinct 32, I know how you feel. Certainly, it is the most fundamental part of biology for the species to reproduce. I can see why this would be a concern to you. However, in these…troubled times, it is very difficult to get food into the city without running into hostile aliens, and a smaller population is a happier one…”Dr. Breen continued to spin his web of lies over the intercom to the uncaring citizens who were commuting from place to place.

Ian took this whole scene in, and turned around, still holding the door open for the others. “Alright, everyone except the Vortigaunt come out slowly. We want to act nonchalant here…and Zuad’ngak, maybe it’s best if you stay in the lab…” Ian looked back into the lab at Alyx and Tonya. Right…it was just them now. Harper had left because of politics, and Gregori was nowhere to be found.

Ian pulled the door back slightly, and allowed Tonya and Alyx to pass through. They were all still dirty and ragged from their journey, but luckily, most of the other citizens were as well…so they blended in quite nicely.

“Where are we?” Alyx asked amidst the jabber of the crowd around them. Ian looked around. Being a lifelong resident of Prague, he was able to pinpoint their location, “I think we are in the commercial precinct right now. We only need to pass to the main square to get to Resistance HQ. I know the way…follow me.” Ian said softly, making sure none of the other citizens overheard.

The group walked amidst the cops and the pedestrians nonchalantly, keeping their cool, and looking like they were on some kind of errand. Ian longed for the day when he could walk through the streets openly again, like the way it used to be. He didn’t enjoy the fact that there were cops on every corner, breathing down his neck, and little scanner machines flying around, ready to spy to their evil masters at any moment.

Even as they walked, Ian could sense the weight of the mighty Iron fist of The Combine. It was like the air was laden with lead, like he couldn’t breathe. He realized that this was the way it must have felt all over the world, from this miserable street corner in Prague, to the highest skyscraper in Manhattan, to the Doorstep of the Black Mesa Citadel. Humanity was like a dog, being kicked by their ruthless masters, helpless in a corner.

However, along with this weight, this oppression, Ian could sense the sweet smell of revolution. The people were all unhappy; and as he walked, he could see some flashing signals, and smiles to one another. He knew that they had all found their own little ways to revolt against The Combine, maybe through their personal friends, or maybe even through the Orwellian resistance chains that spread far past Resistance HQ: whatever it took to stay sane.

They came to an intersection that Ian expected would lead them to the main thoroughfare which would take them into the main square. Instead, at this intersection, the party came to what appeared to be a roadblock. There, in the middle of the road, was a ten foot wall.

It was made out of the same material of the Citadel and the walls which surrounded the city. Its sharp black parallelogram panels were strung across its strong frame like prison bars across the street, blocking any access to the other side. Combine soldiers stood on platforms on either side of the wall, and there was a large square orange force-field door in the middle of the wall, which a single officer controlled.

The force field shimmered, and distorted the image of the road beyond, and clearly barred access to the other side. Ian looked to the right and left, and remembering no way to get around such a roadblock, he asked Alyx and Tonya, “Alright…uh…so what do we do now?”

Alyx looked over the wall, and answered Ian in a reassuring tone, “Don’t worry, Ian, this is just a checkpoint. I think its general access, so it will let anyone who has their papers through. You did remember your papers, didn’t you? Ian felt the crumpled papers in his pocket, “Uh…yeah, of course I did.” He replied.

Alyx shoved Ian out of the way casually, and strolled up to the checkpoint professionally. The officer who was in charge of the forcefeild eyed her suspiciously, “Identification!” He snapped as she came up to the forcefeild. Alyx held out her papers, and the officer snatched them. He glared at them while holding them with his black gloves, and then shoved it into an orange panel on the wall next to him.

The panel chirped, and turned green. Then, they forcefeild blinked off, its orange distortion now gone. The officer shoved the papers back into Alyx’s face, and said, “You may pass.” Alyx passed through the doorway, and from out of nowhere, a scanner flew up and took her picture.

The tiny machine flew away, and the forcefeild turned back on. Now it was Ian and Tonya’s turn. Ian stepped up to the gate, and handed his papers to the officer. The Combine officer in the white gasmask snatched the papers from his hand, and pressed them on the panel. Ian breathed a sigh of relief as the panel turned green, and the forcefeild turned off.

The officer handed him the papers back, and Ian passed through the area where the shimmering orange forcefeild had been. He could see the main though fare beyond; where Alyx was standing there waiting for him. He was about to walk up to her when a tiny machine flew in front of him and obscured his vision. The football-sized scanner flashed its camera, and Ian was blinded for a moment. But by now, Ian was used to scanners doing this to him, and it didn’t faze him much, and he simply walked on by it.

Tonya passed through the checkpoint easily as well, and they were on their way. Ian looked back again at the menacing wall which blocked the way to the main street. He looked at the sharp tips of the Black parallelograms which made up the wall, and at the officers which stood on the platforms, and still eyed them suspiciously. The wall was a strange sight there, on that cobblestone street against half timbered housing. It was like a sign from the future, thrown into the middle of centuries-old architecture. It was hardly poetic, and was nothing but an ugly scar in the city.

“I told you that it would be easy…” Alyx reassured Ian. “Now we’ve got to get to HQ. I’m pretty sure that I know where we are by now. We’re in the main square, right?” Ian looked down the street. Indeed, it appeared that they were in the main square now. He saw the main Breenscreen there, and the front of the Nova Prospect.

“Yes,” he replied, “We are in the main square. Come, let’s hurry and get back to HQ…I don’t feel safe out here on the streets.” Ian walked on ahead, down the sidewalk, keeping his head low. Pedestrians and cops passed him by on his way, but none gave him trouble.

They passed across the square, and towards the United Combine Munitions Factory. The large, square like building stood above most others in the square, aside from the Nova Prospect; and was clearly distinguishable by the short smoke stacks which rose from its roof.

Ian, Alyx, and Tonya walked coolly past the guards which stood at the front door of the United Combine Munitions Factory, and went around the corner to the alleyway. From there, when they were sure that nobody was looking, they moved the blue dumpster out of the way, and revealed the trap door which lay underneath.

Ian opened up the door for the others, and allowed them to slip down into the hole. Once they were both inside the hole, Ian simultaneously got on the cobble-stoned ground, and pulled the wheeled dumpster back into the hole. Once he had gotten back inside the familiar cellar, he shut the trap door behind him.

“God, I missed that smell…” Ian said sarcastically of the musty air of the cellar which led into resistance HQ. “Let’s see if we remember how to get into Resistance HQ. Surely, they haven’t forgotten about us by now…” Tonya said timidly.

 

[theotherguy]

They stumbled down the stairs in the dark, and came to the panel which led to the elevator. Ian pressed his hand against the panel, and a female voice came up over the intercom. “Yes?” it asked, detached. “We’re back. It’s me, Ian Olbowski, along with Alyx and Tonya.” The tone of the operator changed dramatically, “Oh! We’ve been expecting you! Come right in!” The voice said excitedly. Then, the lights turned on, and Ian was left blinking from the sudden brightness which surrounded them.

The doors to the elevator opened with a hiss, and Ian and the others stepped inside, clanking their feet on the metal floor of the elevator. Ian found the red DOWN button, and pressed it, as the steel wire doors to the elevator closed. The elevator began it’s descent in the darkness, past the sleeping quarters, where Ian could see the faint glow of the red eye of a Vortigaunt: so it seemed that they were out of quarantine. They passed the storage room as well. Finally, their vision came to the main room, which was filled with Dr. Vance’s technologically advanced equipment.

Dr. Vance, Dr. Mossman, and another couple of scientists were waiting there at the bottom for them. The elevator screeched to a stop, and the doors opened; allowing the three to enter the main room. As soon as the doors opened, Alyx literally ran out of the elevator, and embraced her father.

The old African American scientist with one leg gracefully took his daughter into his arms, and exclaimed, “Alyx! It’s so good to see you again after these couple of days…we thought you were dead. Please, tell us all about your journey!” Alyx left her father’s arms, and replied, “Oh, Dad, I didn’t think that we would make it back either…but the trip was worth it. We got the support of the Alien Resistance. And of course, for that matter, you would have to thank our friend, Father Gregori, for showing us the way, and Ian Olbowski, for translating and negotiating. ”Dr. Eli Vance smiled, and extended his hand out to Ian, who shook it gratefully. “Nice work, son. I’m eager to hear all about it.” He said warmly.

After everyone had greeted each other, and all had settled down, Ian, Alyx and Tonya told the entire story of their trip to Ravenholm, and what knowledge they had gained from the Alien Resistance. Once all was said, it was Dr. Vance who first responded:

“Wow, quite a journey, you went on. It must have been very frightening, indeed, to have to ward of ant lions, zombies, and the like. It reminds me of my days back at Black Mesa. I am also extremely pleased that the Alien Resistance has decided to lay aside our differences, and support us in our cause…for we are in grave need of their help. I also could not be happier that the threat of the assassin is now nullified. She would have been a constant thorn in the side of resistance if you hadn’t taken care of her. None of this good news could have come at a better time, believe me.”

Dr. Vance sighed, and his tone changed to one of melancholy.

“Things haven’t been going so well here in City 17…” He continued, “Breen has enacted several laws… there is now new water rationing, all languages except English have been banned from public use; there is even that stupid new law and strange inhibitor field that prevents anyone from producing any children now. The oppression of The Combine grows stronger every day…but at the same time, they are cutting back on some of their programs…

Public schooling has been abandoned, and more and more government workers are being re-located to the military. Just last afternoon, after you left, 400 people were taken into The Citadel, and made into slaves; including 15 members of The Resistance.

There is a massive amount of evidence now that The Combine is preparing for the end of occupation and the beginning of their cycle of genocide and Terraforming… This is very disturbing indeed…and we must act quickly. Luckily, as you probably already know, we have a scientific plan in place…even though it’s hotly contested. But I’ll get to that later.”

Ian knew that he was talking about the controversy with the destruction of Xen. Dr. Vance continued, and began to tell the others more about his elaborate plan.

“The other thing that we are planning is just important, however. Today, at 4 PM, we plan to hold a rally in this main square…I know what you must be thinking. It’s suicide to hold a rally, right? Well, suicide is just what we are planning on. This square is made perfectly to be our stronghold…there are large buildings surrounding it, and The Combine has so nicely blocked off the roadways for us.

We plan on getting a speaker out there, and we will mix several of our armed resistance members to conceal themselves within the crowd of observers. Also, many of the officers on the walls which block the entrances to this square are our operatives as well.

Before our speaker even starts, the entirety of the walls blocking the exits will be controlled by us… Flawlessly, and on cue, our speaker will step up onto the statue over there, and will begin to liven up the crowd. When the officers try to stifle him, our snipers will take them out silently, and when the officers really understand what’s going on, our insurgent resistance members will pull out their guns and begin the firefight.

True, many civilians will die in this firefight; but the important thing is, the ones that will survive will be on our side. Today is the start of the real resistance. The beginning of the end: It is what we have been talking about for years…It’s just a shame that is has to be tarnished by… the politics of our methods.”

Eli Vance ended his long winded speech. So this was how it was to be. Today, it would all happen. Ian felt butterflies in his stomach as he thought about what would happen that afternoon. Indeed, he never liked the rule of The Combine…but he knew that things would get much worse when all out war broke out between The Resistance and The Combine.

This day, they would try to sway the opinions of the disheveled citizens of City-17. No doubt, most of them would come around to their side; and the resistance would gain many members… but what then? Would The Resistance be enough to stand against the mighty force of The Combine? No, Ian decided, they would not. The resistance was nothing now but a distraction, a way to get The Combine to keep their sights off of The Citadel.

Once The Citadel was infiltrated; then the resistance’s effort would not be in vain. It was a long shot, but if this military resistance effort and the scientific effort worked as well; the human race might very well be saved. Ian nearly cried at Eli’s genius, despite his immoral yearnings to destroy Xen. Ian wanted so much for things to be normal again…and this day, everything seemed to begin to fall into place.

“Wow, Eli. It really is happening…we’re going to be in a war. Of course we’ll support you in this… but God, do you really think we have a chance?” Ian asked. Dr. Vance nodded slowly, “Yes, Ian, I believe that we can do this… But we will only have a hope of winning if we unite. Split into two factions like this, the resistance does not stand a chance. Please, Col. Harper has talked to me already, and has told me where you stand. But please hear me out: On the issue of the feedback pulse, you must understand why I am choosing the destruction of Xen.”

Dr. Vance spoke of this in a pleading tone, conveying his want for The Resistance to reunite. Ian, of course, had no choice but to hear the old scientist out. He owed it to the man. “Of course we will listen to you!” Tonya said.

Eli gave a single nod of his head, and continued on:

“Well,” he began, “Dr. Kleiner, that brilliant xeno-biologist, is not known for his concern for life. In fact, most of us have come to see him as a coward. As brilliant as he was, his fuel for researching Xen were not the fascinating life forms that were there; but the enormous paycheck that the government was giving him, and the extraordinary amount of prestige that he was getting in the scientific community. All of us, even me, were made rich by the discovery of Xen. But Kleiner would not stop going further to exploit the teleporter. You, too, have come to see him as a coward, I would assume. It is his nature, God help him.

So why, then, do you think Kleiner would want to preserve Xen? After all, he is a cowardly man… wouldn’t he want to simply destroy Xen? The only reason that Dr. Kleiner wants to preserve Xen, I can assure you, is because of the enormous amount of profits we can gleam from the minerals, and the biology there.

I don’t want to sound like a bigot, and I support Dr. Kleiner, and respect his intellect deeply, but the fact of the matter is, this is simply his character. You might ask: why would I want to destroy Xen, and an entire species? To tell you the truth, I very much dislike having to destroy Xen. If I could, I would preserve it in all of its beauty. But the truth is, and I’m sure nobody has told you this: there are now more Xenians on Earth than on Xen itself. It’s the truth. When Gordon Freeman, God rest his soul, killed the Niniliath, not only did he kill their oppressive ruler, but he cut off their entire telepathic network.

Many of the Xenians, not including the ones here on Earth, lost all of their ability to communicate; and without the voice of the Niniliath, many did not know what to do. The naturally aggressive ones, the ones we call grunts, lost all civility, and randomly began killing each other, the overseers, and the Vortigaunts. By the time The Combine entered the scene, and restored the network on Xen; a holocaust of sorts had taken place; and most of the Xenians were dead.

To tell you the truth, not too much of Xen is left to destroy. However, by wiping out Xen, we annihilate the only viable checkpoint for The Combine to safely reach Earth. Without Xen, it would take The Combine centuries to get here. If we simply destroy the connections to Xen, how Kleiner is suggesting; The Combine will simply build more citadels there, and invade again. I am sorry, my friends, but the only way to win this is to destroy Xen.

As for the Xenians, there are enough left here on Earth to sustain their species. We project that there are at least 500 million Xenians spread over the surface of the Earth, with most of them enslaved by The Combine. Once The Combine is out of the picture, the Xenians and the Humans will most certainly learn to work together.

I’m sorry, but this is the only way that we can survive. I just wish Dr. Kleiner could see it my way…this is just not the time for dissention.”

Ian thought about what Dr. Vance had said. What he said made sense. Now that he had heard both sides of the story, Ian understood it much better. Kleiner’s whole life had been spent focused on Xen, on Xenian expeditions and findings. He simply did not want to let go. Ian wasn’t so sure, however, of Dr. Vance’s claims that Isaac Kleiner was greedy. Tactically, Eli’s plan made perfect sense…but morally… Ian was still sitting on the fence.

Ian asked Dr. Vance, “So what do we do now?” It was Dr. Mossman who had answered him. She had been standing there silent, and this was her first time to speak up. “We have to do something,” she said, “All the Resistance has been doing has been sitting around and thinking of lofty ideals. Somebody needs to convince Dr. Kleiner to let go…”

Alyx cut in, “No!” she exclaimed, “I’m not going to be doing any more convincing. I’m sorry Dad, but your plan seems a little iffy to me. Human nature has shown that nobody here is going to accept any new alien species unless they are safe on another planet. I think that your plan has more disadvantages than advantages.” Angrily, she turned to her father, “I just am going to have to go with Dr. Kleiner’s plan. Maybe The Combine will have a shot at coming back if we just destroy the Citadels; but we will at least still have that time to prepare, and to set up our defenses. We can’t resort to…to…genocide just because we feel threatened!”

Disappointed, Dr. Vance shook his head, “Please, Alyx, not you too, we cannot be divided!” Alyx’s face softened again. “Don’t worry Dad. I won’t leave you. I think that this whole disagreement is wasteful as well…but maybe both groups can work together, maybe we can come up with some kind of compromise…I don’t know. But whatever it is, we need to do it fast, before this whole thing splits us apart for good.”

Eli nodded approvingly. “Agreed,” he said, “let us forget about this mess, and find a compromise. But to do anything, I need to talk to Kleiner…but he hasn’t been very cooperative recently…” Alyx interrupted, “Don’t worry Dad; I’m sure that I can work something out, to try to get him and Barney and the others to come back. I’m sure he’ll agree to that…if anything.”

“Alright then,” replied Eli. “Let us change the subject then, and put this behind us. Did you see DOG, by and chance?” Alyx smiled, showing Dr. Vance that she had indeed seen it. “It’s really, something, isn’t it?” Dr. Vance suggested warmly. Alyx nodded, and smiled, “it’s amazing! I cannot wait to see the Combine soldiers when they see it coming at them. They’ll run for sure.”

Dr. Vance chuckled, “Yes,” he said, “It will surely be to our advantage come this afternoon. In fact, perhaps you should prepare it for us… It will be very useful.” Ian imagined the ten foot mechanical beast, and what it could do. Yes, it was definitely going to be an advantage…but what good would it do against striders and gunships? That was yet to be seen.

“Well,” said Dr. Vance with a sigh, “I hate to make you feel like nothing but errand runners, but maybe you should get going now. Someone needs to talk to Kleiner.” Indeed, Ian was starting to feel like an errand boy. But he would go with Alyx back o Kleiner’s lab; to see DOG again, if not for anything.

They said their goodbyes, and got back on the elevator; with the thoughts of their conversation with Eli Vance still in their heads. That afternoon, the resistance was going to really start. They were going to make history. Who knew, if they won, they might be honored like the founding fathers were. Their names could be in history books for generations to come.

But if they lost…there would be nobody left to read about them.

-Chapter 33, Twelve Year Rendezvous-

 

[Opheli@r]

thanks, Otherguy, this novel ROCKS! (publishing it, maybe?)

 

[sniper wolf]

very good quality as usual :thumbs:
can't wait for the next chapter. When are u gonna get back to gordon?(sounds like it may be in the next chapter)

sorry, sniper, I was a little pissed at the time due to election results, anyway

doesn't matter, i'm 14 too and im busy with school(split schedules in charlotte county,FL), and i have to do a bunch of other things outside of school like sports and such .

 

[InsaneCow]

the plot thickens.....very nicely written as always

 

[Solver]

Very good quality on that chapter. I'm glad to see the thing that befuddled me (Eli for destroying Xen, and Kleiner against) explained so well!

 

[thesimpster]

Wow, I just finished the entire thing yesterday. Man this stuff is so good. Like playing endless games of minesweeper during class was getting boring, but now I have something better to do. keep it up I can't wait for the next chapter...

 

[HLFAN1]

HOLY CRAP SNIPER! you live in charlote county? I live in Lee county. Cape Coral to be exact

 

[Chrysalid]

It has been a while since i last read this thread, so do you happen to have a link to a document that has all chapters you have wrote until now? I'm just too lazy to browse thru all 23 pages and paste it

Your story is still AWESOME, btw. Keep ít up.

 

[Patten]

Here is where you can find all of them.

It was in his sig.

 

[sniper wolf]

HOLY CRAP SNIPER! you live in charlote county? I live in Lee county. Cape Coral to be exact

cool. I live in deep creek(considered punta gorda but is really in port charlotte). I went to charlotte high, but charley destroyed it so now we are forced to do a split schedule with port charlotte high at their school :angry:.

 

[theotherguy]

It has been a while since i last read this thread, so do you happen to have a link to a document that has all chapters you have wrote until now? I'm just too lazy to browse thru all 23 pages and paste it

Your story is still AWESOME, btw. Keep ít up.

all chapters can be found in the link at my sig...as for a document..I have an FTP up somehwere, but I dont remember the adress.

 

[HLFAN1]

cool. I live in deep creek(considered punta gorda but is really in port charlotte). I went to charlotte high, but charley destroyed it so now we are forced to do a split schedule with port charlotte high at their school :angry:.

That sucks, Charley totally annihilated Punta Gorda...

 

[sniper wolf]

That sucks, Charley totally annihilated Punta Gorda...

yeah, it was pretty scary watching my pool cage being dismantled by the winds, and the sliding glass doors starting to bend inwards, but at least i can say "i survived hurricanes charley, francis, ivan, and jeane". when i get to go back to my own school(not until january) we have to have all of our classes in portables, but hey in my junior or senior year i'll have a brand new school.


HALF-LIFE 2 IN A WEEK!!! :cheers:
(couldn't help myself)

 

[HLFAN1]

Yeah, I was in Punta Gorda when Charley hit, when I left the following Sunday when the presidents motorcade was arriving I saw entire hotels blown to the ground and huge street lights bent in half. It was literally a war zone

 

[sniper wolf]

Yeah, I was in Punta Gorda when Charley hit, when I left the following Sunday when the presidents motorcade was arriving I saw entire hotels blown to the ground and huge street lights bent in half. It was literally a war zone

near my house some streets were flooded and there were power lines in the middle of the road along with trees and debris. the roof of the 3 story building at my school got ripped off too. I didn't even have a generator so i had to go to my grandmother's house to even watch the olympics.


Sorry for all you halo haters out there, but halo 2 is awsome (half-life 2 will still be so much better though)

 

[HLFAN1]

I didnt like the Halo2 ending, it was left so open. I just hope that Half life 2's ending is better. Which it most likely will be...

 

[sniper wolf]

I didnt like the Halo2 ending, it was left so open. I just hope that Half life 2's ending is better. Which it most likely will be...

we'll be able to figure out the storyline by tomorrow since the strategy guide comes out on the 12th. we'll be able to see how this story is compared to the actual one.

 

[sniper wolf]

oh yeah are you almost done with the next chapter theotherguy because the game is within a week

 

[HLFAN1]

Even when Half Life 2 comes out I will still want to read this story

 

[theotherguy]

sorry guys, I really tired to finish a chapter tonight, but I wrote until 10:30 and then decided to go to bed...I will definatley have it out by tommorow. As for the game coming out...I will continue writing this story with it's false, alternate-reality storyline as if nothign had happened, as I owe this to valve (and especially Marc Laidlaw, who asked me to send a finished copy to him) It will be considerably hard to write, however, when I am playing hl2

 

[sniper wolf]

Even when Half Life 2 comes out I will still want to read this story

same here. this story will still make an interesting alternative storyline to half-life so please continue to write even after the game comes out even though it will probably take longer to write after that for obvious reasons.

 

[HLFAN1]

The question is, when will we have time to read it?

 

[theotherguy]

I hope, very sincerely, that my time playing half-life 2 will be used to further and deepen my story, instead of just keeping me from writing

so, without further adieu, my last chapter that is totally untainted by the playing of Half-life 2. The last chapter that was totally original, totally mine; untested by newbs who say "this chapter soooo does not follow the storyline." Come teusday, may we all laugh at how wrong I was!

-Chapter 33, Twelve Year Rendezvous-

Gordon Freeman exited the Nova Prospect building apprehensively, carefully looking about the landscape. If he had learned anything from Black Mesa, it was to never let your guard down, and to expect the unexpected.

Gordon saw, from the position he was standing, a street that was paved with cobblestone. Cobblestone always confused Gordon, for it seemed illogical to pave major roadways with small stones. But in Eastern Europe, apparently, this non-productive form of road paving was commonplace.

The road was lined with concrete sidewalks, which were thin, and were right next to the buildings, literally in their shadow. The sidewalks, however, were filled with the traffic of pedestrians of all types. Much of the bustle was blue in color; since the pedestrians who wearily plodded along the sidewalks were dressed in uniform, denim-blue jumpsuits. Among the sea of blue jumpsuits were tiny islands of black. These were of the combine officers, which Gordon recognized immediately, and feared.

After all, he had just exited the Nova Prospect; and the officer whom he had fooled would most likely be after him soon. He decided that he had better get moving…but where he should go was still quite a mystery. So he went down the steps from the door he had exited, and began walking in a random direction down one of the sidewalks.

The large cobblestone road which he followed cut through the squares of stucco, plaster, and half-timbered Eastern European structures, which stood around like relics of the past, picking up the dust of the future.

Above all of the buildings, of course, Gordon could see and feel the presence of the massive Combine Citadel; a black parallelogram which shot high into the sky like a spear, obscured by grey, menacing clouds. The citadel moved, and spouted steam every so often. What it was; Gordon did not know, but its presence was ominous, so he turned away.

Gordon got the idea that he would become some what of a lemming, and that he should follow the crowd of people to wherever they were going; like a lost man, traveling down stream in search of the ocean. As he strolled along the sidewalk; other pedestrians gave him suspicious looks. He did not blame their mistrust in his presence. After all, he was wearing an imposing, uncanny and mostly orange suit. He stood out like an orange in a barrel of apples; but he pretended that he did not even notice their condescending stares.

The attention he did worry about, however, was that of the cops, dressed in black, who prowled along the streets. Now that he had his suit, he did not fear the fist of a Combine soldier, but he was tremendously fearful of what they could do to him in numbers; and what would happen to him if he were truly caught and interrogated at the Nova Prospect. Perhaps he should find some friends… But where would he find friends here, in Eastern Europe, of all places?

Gordon wondered, again, why in the world he was here…and why the strange man in the suit wanted his employment. Exactly what “job” was he supposed to accomplish while he was here? The man in the suit had put him in such a position as to find everything out for himself…which was a very uncomfortable position for Mr. Freeman.

As Gordon flowed with the crowd, it wasn’t long before a cop noticed him. The officer of the Combine, dressed in a black flak jacket, a white gas mask, and green fatigue pants, shot his head towards Gordon, stopping him like a deer in the headlights with his stare. What more could Freeman expect? He was dressed in the most unique and distinctive orange suits as anyone in the entire crowd.

The officer moved towards Gordon. His heart raced. Gordon did not want to go back to the Nova Prospect again. The reflective eyepieces of the Combine officer’s gasmask played with the light as the officer came closer to Gordon. Suddenly, the cop shouted out in his eerie, almost mechanical voice:

“You there!” the voice from the gas mask rasped. Gordon made an exaggerated point at himself that seemed to state ‘me?’ The officer came closer to Gordon. “Citizen; you wear strange clothing! You are not wearing the uniform of the citizens of City-17! Explain yourself!”

Gordon said the first thing which came to his mind: with the most official tone he could muster, Mr. Freeman replied, “Citizen? You must be mistaken; I am not a citizen of this city!” Gordon laughed a fake, haughty chortle as he said this. It was true, he was not a citizen, but he hoped to convey to the officer that he was actually a member of The Combine.

The officer, in a confused and bewildered tone, replied, “Are you playing games with me, stranger?” Gordon, in an act of pure, uncomfortable swindling, placed his hand on the officer’s shoulder, and spoke with a condescending tone. “You don’t mean to suggest,” He asked, “that you do not recognize the uniform? I know that these are new, but you must be ashamed of yourself; these are standard issue!” He said this thumping the plastic chest of his H.E.V suit; hoping to fool the poor officer. If this didn’t work, thought Gordon, his head would soon be on a Combine platter.

However, the idiot officer stammered in confusion, “but, but…” Gordon took his hand off of the officer’s shoulder, “I didn’t know,” he added, “that the grunts of our very own combine knew so very little of the upper classes.” The officer lifted his shock stick. Uh-oh…maybe Gordon had made the wrong move. “But you’re a human!” the officer snarled in disgust. “They never give high ranks to humans!”

Gordon continued his charade, “Stand down! I may appear to be human…but this simply proves the skill of the geneticists in The Citadel. You see now that I can look, speak, and even breathe like these swine! But I am still Combine; at heart. As for there being no humans in high places, just look at Governor Breen, and what he has accomplished!”

The officer put down his shock stick, and seemed content with Gordon’s explanation. “Of course, sir,” he replied, “I knew we were working on something like that in The Citadel…but as you said, I am nothing more than a lowly grunt: and we are not told anything. I am sorry for the disturbance, sir.”

Gordon felt a wave of relief come over him as his pulse began to drop again. “Not a problem,” Gordon continued, “just be more careful of what accusations you make in the future.” The officer nodded, and went along his way.

Wow, that was a close one. A very close one indeed… If it had not been for the officer’s blatant stupidity, Gordon would have been sunk. He could be sure, however, that his original excuse would not work twice; as surely not all of the officers in the city were as ignorant as the one who had stopped him there.

He continued along with the crowd until they came to a roadblock. Gordon thought to turn around when he saw the large, ten-foot wall of black metal and orange force-fields; a sight in itself. But then, what would be the point of turning around? He had already come this far, and he would probably simply come to yet another roadblock if he took another path…so he decided to keep going in the direction which he had began.

This ten foot wall was bolted to the outside walls of buildings to the right and left of it; both which were three stories high, rounded, and made of both red brick and yellowing plaster. At the base of the buildings were the remains of what looked to be shops. Or at least, they used to be shops, until the invasion. There were signs hanging above the doors of the buildings, but Gordon could not read them, since they were written in Czech.

Gordon felt another pang of guilt upon seeing these shops as he realized that this intersection had probably been a happy, busy place with people going in and out of shops before the invasion occurred. Now, after the invasion, an invasion that his colleges had caused, the shops were left dilapidated, and a gothic, ugly wall had been strung between them.

For each of the orange force fields on the wall, there were two officers which controlled the flow of traffic through them. The officers would speak with whoever was passing through, and would then press a small panel; allowing pedestrians to pass in and out.

Should Gordon risk trying to gain passage through the barrier? Well, he had already come this far; and his mission seemed pointless for now; so he found no objection for at least trying to pass through such a barrier.

Gordon walked up to the giant, black ominous wall before him with without confidence. How in God’s name was he supposed to get through? He waited in a line of three or four people, each of them going through the barrier one at a time; with the consent of an officer.

Now it was Gordon’s turn. He slowly stepped up to the orange force field. The officer that was controlling the flow of traffic looked at Gordon with intense interest, trying to figure out why in the world such an odd man in a strange orange suit would want to go through the barrier.

The officer held out his hand to Gordon, and ordered, “Show me your papers!” Gordon felt a sharp twinge of terror in the pit of his stomach as the officer asked him this. He had no papers. “I…uh, don’t have any papers…” Gordon mumbled, backpedaling a few feet. The officer shook his head, “Hmm…” he said, “If you have no papers, I can not let you pass. Come with me!”

The officer grabbed Gordon by the forearm, and dragged him out of the line. Great…it didn’t work. Where was the officer going to take him? Gordon hoped that he would not be imprisoned, or killed. Should he run for it, fight the officer, or just go along with him? This was the moral dilemma that faced Gordon as he was led away from the wall.

Next to the wall was a small metal guardhouse; which is where this officer was leading him. The officer pulled Gordon along until they came to the small metal box which served as a guardhouse. The Combine cop came up to the door of the guardhouse, and opened it with a metal-on metal screech. He beckoned for Gordon to come inside, “Come along!” he ordered.

Gordon decided that he would follow the guard into the guardhouse. He stepped up the small set of steps which led into the tiny guardhouse, and went inside of the door; which the officer was holding open for him. Once inside, the officer slammed the door.

It was very dark inside of the guardhouse, and it smelled oddly of coffee. There were a couple of machines in one corner, and on the far wall, a video camera was blinking. The eyepieces of the officer’s mask glowed in the dark, which made him a very prominent and ominous figure in the room.

The Combine cop crossed the room, and reached up for the video camera, which had a red blinking light signifying that it was on. Surprisingly, the officer flipped a switch with his black leather glove, and turned the recording device off.

The officer turned towards Gordon. He expected to be beaten again, or taken away, so Gordon readied himself for any blows. That was probably why the officer turned off the camera, so that he wouldn’t be seen breaking any rules by beating up a civilian.

The officer pointed to the ground…”You see that can over there?” the officer said, pointing. Gordon looked towards the direction of the officer’s pointing, and discovered a small yellow can sitting there, next to a trash can. “Pick it up,” said the officer, “and throw it in the trash!”

Gordon was disgusted by the officer’s demands. Here they were, in a guardhouse, and all that the officer could do was force Gordon to bow to him, and do his bidding. Gordon would not be so easily swayed. With loathing, Gordon replied to the officer, “I’m not going to stoop to menial levels, pig.”

Upon saying this, Gordon realized that he had not made a very good decision, and for a moment considered pulling the crowbar out of its storage place on his leg. However, the officer did nothing as to provoke Gordon any further. The cop simply nodded, and remarked, “I didn’t expect you to do that.”

Yeah, Gordon bet that the officer had never gotten so much as a ‘no’ from any of the spineless citizens of this run-down place called City-17. The officer told Gordon to sit down at one of the chairs now. This was a much more plausible and easily followed task than the earlier one. Gordon didn’t know whether this was standard procedure, but he found it all very strange; that the officer had no response to Gordon calling him a pig.

Gordon sat down in the chair, and the officer continued to speak in the rasping voice through his gas mask. “Boy, I guess this means that I owe you a beer doesn’t it?” The officer remarked in a very different voice. Gordon was set aback by this unexpected comment. “Excuse me, what?” Gordon interjected.

 

[theotherguy]

Just as Gordon said this, the officer pulled off his white gas mask, revealing none other than Barney Calhoun, the security guard. “I promised you,” Barney said, “That I would buy you a beer if we made it out of Black Mesa alive.”

Gordon was overcome with surprise. The officer was really…Barney Calhoun? Gordon leapt up from his chair. It was Barney Calhoun, his only friend and companion while escaping Black Mesa! But what was he doing here in Eastern Europe? It didn’t matter…Gordon had found a friend in this God Forsaken place…maybe there really was a chance at survival!

That fun-loving, bighearted security guard from Black Mesa who had fought off wave after wave of mischievous headcrab, and who had helped Gordon along his way in many occasions, never giving up and never surrendering, was here, in this very room, in 2010.

With a smile, Barney embraced Gordon in a huge bear hug, and beat him on the back. “Where have you been for the past twelve years, Gordon?” asked Barney loudly and amicably, taking his arms away from Gordon.

“Frankly,” replied Gordon, “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you… What are you doing here in City-17? I really, really wasn’t expecting to see you here!” Gordon asked. “I was about to ask you the same thing, Gordon! What a coincidence, for us to meet here, of all places. You are awfully lucky, Mr. Freeman, to have stopped by my checkpoint and not some other one. If you had come to any other officer, you would have been shot on location, or they would have taken you to the Nova Prospect.”

Yes, Indeed, Gordon had been lucky, to meet up with Barney Calhoun, of all people. “Since when did you join the Combine police squad?” Gordon asked, pointing out Barney’s uniform. “Oh, this,” Barney replied, pointing to his gas mask. “All of this I stole. You really didn’t expect me to join the enemy, did you? No, I’ve been wearing this uniform because The Resistance has taken over this roadblock. We are preparing, my friend, for our largest ‘disturbance’ yet. Mr. Freeman, the true resistance begins tonight; and you have front row tickets!”

Confused, Gordon asked, “Wait, there’s really a resistance?” Barney smiled, “You’re looking at the lead fighter of our little resistance gang here in C-Seven-teen! What, you’ve never heard of us?” Ah, so there really was a human resistance. This was very good news; for Gordon now found himself not quite so alone.

“No, frankly I haven’t spoken to anyone since before the day of the resonance cascade, Barney. I’ve been kept in the dark on Xen, or God knows where, for the past twelve years.” Barney appeared shocked. “Really, you haven’t even been on Earth all this time? Well, I always said, Gordon, that if you were to still be alive and on Earth, you would find some way to screw with the Combine. I guess this is why we haven’t heard of you. You know, I’d really like to fill you in on the past twelve years, Gordon…but I’m kind of running short on time in here with the video camera turned off. I guess I’ll just let Dr. Kleiner explain everything once you talk to him.”

“Wait,” interjected Gordon, “Dr. Kleiner is here?” Barney Calhoun nodded, “Yeah, hell the whole research team from Black Mesa is here! Kleiner, Vance, Rosenberg, the whole batch! With you here, we’re sure to make a dent in the problem of The Combine with the whole core team working on things!”

So it appeared Gordon had more allies than he had originally thought. “That is truly amazing, Barney, all of the Black Mesa core research team, all still alive and all here, in Eastern Europe? What are the odds? What is so special about this place anyway?” Barney looked off into the distance, as if gazing at an invisible starscape. “Yeah,” he said, “I guess things all just kind of fell into place. I guess everyone is here for the same reason you’re here, Mr. Freeman.”

“That,” Gordon replied, “Is still something I am trying to figure out for myself…” Gordon trailed off, and there was an awkward silence… The silence was broken with Barney, beginning to put his gas mask back on.

“Well,” he said, while putting his gas mask over his face, “It was sure a happy surprise and a very wonderful thing to have talked to you again, Mr. Freeman, after twelve years of wondering. I guess you’ve become somewhat of a hero to us…sort of a demigod in that time. You saved us from ultimate destruction in the beginning, you bought us all some time in the First Invasion; and for that, I am very grateful.” Barney fixed his gas mask, and continued with his newly distorted voice.

“But now, we have to stop talking, and go our separate ways. You see, I can only leave this camera off for a while. So, watch yourself Mr. Freeman. I will let you pass this barrier, but I will take you no further. On the other side of this barrier is a town square. To the left after you exit this barrier, there will be a row of squat buildings. On that very row, there will be a stout green abandoned warehouse. Go down one of the alleys on the side of the warehouse to the side street beyond. There will be a small green door there that will lead you into the abandoned warehouse. This is Dr. Kleiner’s lab. Seek refuge there, and he will explain everything to you. But, as you travel, stay low, and don’t do anything to provoke anyone….you’re not exactly the least noticeable guy out there on the streets, you know.”

Gordon nodded to show that he understood, “Got it,” he said, as he backed towards the door. “Good.” Barney Calhoun replied, “Gordon…just be careful.” Gordon opened the door. “Barney, it was really nice seeing you again; and I’ll hold you to that promise of a free beer.” Barney laughed at this through his gas mask as he flipped the security camera back on, and then took on a new, pseudo-official air, and led Gordon out of the door.

“You check out, citizen!” Barney said in his fake Combine voice. “Come with me through the barrier!” Barney grabbed hold of Gordon’s arm as he said this, and led him to the front of the line to get through the tall, ominous black barrier. Barney touched a large orange glowing panel with his glove, and the forcefeild turned off, allowing passage to Gordon.

As Gordon passed through the barrier, he gave Barney a small nod of recognition and friendship, and Barney returned the favor. Barney had always been a good friend to Gordon. Gordon was overwhelmed that Barney would be back to help him yet again. You could never have too many friends.

With a new light, and a new hope, Gordon Freeman, the living legend in plastic orange armor, stepped out into the busy town square of City-17: the city of The Combine.

 

[halflifeguy]

was that the last chapter?
that sounds like a good place to end it
keep all the loose ends to be tied up in the game

 

[theotherguy]

was that the last chapter?
that sounds like a good place to end it
keep all the loose ends to be tied up in the game

that is definatley NOT the last chapter :E

perhaps you minsunderstood me. What I meant was that it was the last chapter before I start writing the fan fiction more or less based on the real story line. Once the game comes out, it will be difficult to cover up my obvious wrongs, but I can come close enough so that the story still feels like it goes along with hl2, but is more of an "alternate reality" I'd say that I have about ten more chapters to go before I am complete. (I have this vision for an ending that is very grand and dramatic, and all of my writing is winding down in an anticlimax to this ending)