No one slept that night, or at least the way sleep had been intended to be attained. Gordon sat up all hours of darkness, in silence, waiting to hear a break over the droning Combine scanner. The radio sat motionless on a wooden crate under the bright light that shined from above; the rest of the room lay in darkness. Gordon sat in the corner, whirling his crowbar on its end as if it would carve a hole in the concrete floor. He flinched as his name echoed across the airwaves. Moments later, there was silence. Its presence startled him. He nudged Javin who had become near hypnotic; his mind flooded with worry and fatigue. The Vortigaun rummaged about in the darkness, and then too noticed the silence. He walked over to the radio and listened. Not a single broadcast was transmitted. Trent awoke from a useless half-sleep and sat up.
“We shall go now. Quickly,” urged the Vortigaun.
The midnight air was delightfully warm and crisp, in contrast to that of the damp, underground refuge. They walked along the service street leading west through a very desolate part of industrial City 17. Abandoned factories from decades past stood like monoliths against the vaguely lit backdrop hovering about the Citadel, miles away. The Vortigaun led with such determination, walking with a vigilant and yet brisk pace. He hunched his back, staying low in the shadows. Gordon and Trent tried their best to keep up with the strange creature. Finally, the Vortigaun’s pace slowed. He disappeared into a dark, shadowed alcove between to buildings.
“Freeman,” the Vortigaun called in a low voice,” your assistance…uh, is needed.”
Gordon walked into the darkness holding out his hands. His eyes adjusted as the moon slipped out of his sight.
“Thrust that bar of yours into the door latch,” he said. The screeching metal made Trent jump. He looked about in a panic fearing they might have been spotted. Gordon leaned hard and the latch gave way, popping open in a violent, splintering nature, again, startling Trent. The large metal door creaked open revealing the pitch-black insides of the ancient coal factor. The Vortigaun disappeared inside and immediately started wandering all over the building. Gordon ducked his head inside and fumbled around aimlessly in the dark. There was silence, then a loud crack. The room exploded into a vibrant green radiance. The Vortigaun stood in the center of the room anxiously, holding the bright liquid flare. Trent and Javin had followed Gordon inside and were now looking about in all directions. The intricate shadows crawled over the various pipes and rails and other metal structures.
“The shaft must be around here somewhere,” said the Vortigaun, “It’s been so long.” He walked over to one of the factories many conveyor belts, causing the shadows to again creep in a circular fashion. He examined the factories schematics and seemed to have arrived at a rather acceptable answer. The other three wandered slowly around the room, staying in the light. “Here we go,” the Vortigaun continued. Another loud crack filled the air, followed by a thunderous crash and a powerful hiss of frigid air. Gordon stopped in his tracks and looked down towards the floor from where the sound boomed. To his surprise, however, there no longer was a floor. A gaping hole now stood in the middle of the factory’s foundation. The large trap-like doors hung down into the darkness, still swaying slightly. “Good God, Freeman,” remarked the Vortigaun, “you trying to get yourself killed? Be more careful next time.” The Vortigaun couldn’t control himself and broke out into a mischievous laugh.
“Alright, let’s get moving already,” said Gordon impatiently. He grabbed a flare out from his pack and broke it over his knee. He tossed it into the shaft, illuminating the walls of the vast cavern as it fell to the ground. It landed in a pool of water and managed not to shatter into pieces, oddly enough.
“Four seconds,” he remarked. “That’s what, five-hundred feet?” he suggested. “That might take a while.” He looked up the ceiling of the factory. A broken elevator cable dangled lifelessly.
“I wish we could make that kind of time,” added Javin. The Vortigaun laughed once more.
“The Freeman almost did!” he ragged.
Gordon was the first to climb down into the abyss, followed by the Vortigaun, then Trent, and finally Javin. The steel service ladder was ice cold, as was the air. Gordon turned up the insulator on his suit and continued to descend. Nearly a hundred feet from the cavern floor, Trent’s pace slowed dangerously.
“Oh my God, it’s absolutely freezing down here,” he blurted. “I can’t take this anymore; I need to get off this damn ladder.” Javin looked down towards the ground and insisted that everything was going to be fine.
“Look,” he said,”we’re almost there.” Trent looked reluctantly down to the base of the cavern. His heart began to race uncontrollably.
“Where the hell is the flare?” Trent shouted. Gordon stopped and looked down as well. The light flickered randomly, and then began to shift across the floor.
“It’s,” Gordon stuttered,”its, its, moving.” The Vortigaun stopped abruptly and asked what the hell was going on. Gordon let go of the ladder with one hand and leaned against the iron-mesh cage wall. The light stick stood still for a moment, and then was violently tossed against the cavern walls, shattering into pieces and oozing bright green goop onto the ground. The Vortigaun lit yet another flare and handed to Gordon. “What is this place?” Gordon cried. He ran down the ladder to investigate, jumping the last few rungs. Gordon landed hard on the rock floor. He held out the flare in front of him and tried to get a good look at the situation. Crowbar in one hand, flare in the other, he advanced towards the only thing he could see, the broken flare.
“We shall go now. Quickly,” urged the Vortigaun.
The midnight air was delightfully warm and crisp, in contrast to that of the damp, underground refuge. They walked along the service street leading west through a very desolate part of industrial City 17. Abandoned factories from decades past stood like monoliths against the vaguely lit backdrop hovering about the Citadel, miles away. The Vortigaun led with such determination, walking with a vigilant and yet brisk pace. He hunched his back, staying low in the shadows. Gordon and Trent tried their best to keep up with the strange creature. Finally, the Vortigaun’s pace slowed. He disappeared into a dark, shadowed alcove between to buildings.
“Freeman,” the Vortigaun called in a low voice,” your assistance…uh, is needed.”
Gordon walked into the darkness holding out his hands. His eyes adjusted as the moon slipped out of his sight.
“Thrust that bar of yours into the door latch,” he said. The screeching metal made Trent jump. He looked about in a panic fearing they might have been spotted. Gordon leaned hard and the latch gave way, popping open in a violent, splintering nature, again, startling Trent. The large metal door creaked open revealing the pitch-black insides of the ancient coal factor. The Vortigaun disappeared inside and immediately started wandering all over the building. Gordon ducked his head inside and fumbled around aimlessly in the dark. There was silence, then a loud crack. The room exploded into a vibrant green radiance. The Vortigaun stood in the center of the room anxiously, holding the bright liquid flare. Trent and Javin had followed Gordon inside and were now looking about in all directions. The intricate shadows crawled over the various pipes and rails and other metal structures.
“The shaft must be around here somewhere,” said the Vortigaun, “It’s been so long.” He walked over to one of the factories many conveyor belts, causing the shadows to again creep in a circular fashion. He examined the factories schematics and seemed to have arrived at a rather acceptable answer. The other three wandered slowly around the room, staying in the light. “Here we go,” the Vortigaun continued. Another loud crack filled the air, followed by a thunderous crash and a powerful hiss of frigid air. Gordon stopped in his tracks and looked down towards the floor from where the sound boomed. To his surprise, however, there no longer was a floor. A gaping hole now stood in the middle of the factory’s foundation. The large trap-like doors hung down into the darkness, still swaying slightly. “Good God, Freeman,” remarked the Vortigaun, “you trying to get yourself killed? Be more careful next time.” The Vortigaun couldn’t control himself and broke out into a mischievous laugh.
“Alright, let’s get moving already,” said Gordon impatiently. He grabbed a flare out from his pack and broke it over his knee. He tossed it into the shaft, illuminating the walls of the vast cavern as it fell to the ground. It landed in a pool of water and managed not to shatter into pieces, oddly enough.
“Four seconds,” he remarked. “That’s what, five-hundred feet?” he suggested. “That might take a while.” He looked up the ceiling of the factory. A broken elevator cable dangled lifelessly.
“I wish we could make that kind of time,” added Javin. The Vortigaun laughed once more.
“The Freeman almost did!” he ragged.
Gordon was the first to climb down into the abyss, followed by the Vortigaun, then Trent, and finally Javin. The steel service ladder was ice cold, as was the air. Gordon turned up the insulator on his suit and continued to descend. Nearly a hundred feet from the cavern floor, Trent’s pace slowed dangerously.
“Oh my God, it’s absolutely freezing down here,” he blurted. “I can’t take this anymore; I need to get off this damn ladder.” Javin looked down towards the ground and insisted that everything was going to be fine.
“Look,” he said,”we’re almost there.” Trent looked reluctantly down to the base of the cavern. His heart began to race uncontrollably.
“Where the hell is the flare?” Trent shouted. Gordon stopped and looked down as well. The light flickered randomly, and then began to shift across the floor.
“It’s,” Gordon stuttered,”its, its, moving.” The Vortigaun stopped abruptly and asked what the hell was going on. Gordon let go of the ladder with one hand and leaned against the iron-mesh cage wall. The light stick stood still for a moment, and then was violently tossed against the cavern walls, shattering into pieces and oozing bright green goop onto the ground. The Vortigaun lit yet another flare and handed to Gordon. “What is this place?” Gordon cried. He ran down the ladder to investigate, jumping the last few rungs. Gordon landed hard on the rock floor. He held out the flare in front of him and tried to get a good look at the situation. Crowbar in one hand, flare in the other, he advanced towards the only thing he could see, the broken flare.
