When the portal storms begin, the inhabitants of the Groom Lake Research Facility, AKA Area 51, barircade themselves in their underground base. Ten years later they re-emerge, but what world will they find?
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Prologue: Lockdown
Groom Lake.
Black Mesa’s little brother.
The Area 51 facility at Groom Lake, Nevada always gets the hand-me-downs from the BMRF. Some very strange stuff is shipped in to be used in weapons research. No one at the GLRF is allowed to know where it had come from, but many suspect it was alien in origin. Quite ironic, since Area 51 is the one notorious for extra-terrestrials. The latest acquisition is an odd organic device code-named ‘Bug Glove’. When squeezed correctly it would expel a hornet-like creature that chased living creatures and attacked them.
AWORGH AWORGH
Alarms cut through the dry desert air, waking Dr Philip Naton from the absent-minded scribblings in his diary. The twenty-five year old graduate watched from his deckchair as marines scrambled across the landing strip into a collection of Osprey helicopters assembled for such an emergency. He stood up and looked on as the helicopters began to take off, bound for some unknown destination. He span round and ran towards the entrance into the underground base. As he reached the doors the burst open and General Brevaes, head of the GLRF, strode out. He was a large, powerful man and clearly didn’t have time for Phil, but the Dr pressed on anyway.
“What’s happening?” he asked, concerned at what could get the General worked up.
“Crisis at Black Mesa,” was all Brevaes replied before breaking into a run towards the last Osprey. Phil was surprised, what events at the BMRF could require reinforcements from as far away as Area 51. As the General’s Osprey started its ascent, he heard a whooshing sound unlike any of the experimental craft being developed at Groom Lake. His eyes widened as he watched a large flying creature swoop down and set itself over the helicopter. Soldiers started firing at it, but their bullets seemed to do nothing. Phil scrambled back towards the doors in a panic. The beast unleashed a beam of orange energy onto the Osprey. A few seconds later it exploded.
“What the hell was that!” shouted somebody as the creature took off. Things rapidly got worse. A flash of green light materialised in front of Phil and faded to reveal a small brown creature with claws. It growled as it turned and prepared to jump. Phil dodged to one side and the creature sailed through the air, eventually impacting the head of a soldier. It latched on tightly and the screams of the soldier could be heard, slightly muffled, from underneath the crab-like thing. It was pandemonium. Similar creatures were appearing across the facility. In the distance Phil could hear gunfire. Suddenly specks of white light flowed from nowhere into the centre of the airfield. They exploded in a shower of green sparks to reveal an enormous armoured blue monster. It was almost a magnet for gunfire, all of which it seemed to merely tickle it. It stormed into a hanger and Phil watched as it singled out a panicking airman making a dash for his aircraft. It released burst of flame from its hands. The pilot was incinerated.
“Fall back!” came the shout from Colonel Johnson, now the ranking officer present. The troops gladly heeded his advice. Phil fled for the entrance, as crabs flew at him, gobs of acid splattered the walls around him, bolts of green lightning struck down those around him. He leapt into the safety of the inside just as the foot thick metal doors slammed shut. Outside he could just make out the screams of those who were left behind. Walking softly up to the door he put one ear to it to listen. A crash reverberated through its structure and Phil. He backed away as the door began to slightly buckle. However, it did not give. Eventually the banging stopped.
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Five days later, they had their last contact with the outside world, a commercial radio station.
“This will be our last broadcast, after this we will be moving into Las Vegas, where the government has set up a secure zone for those escaping the alien monsters. We will be unable to transmit to rural areas outside the city, so this is our reminder to make for safety and avoid anything that looks unearthly. Goodbye and good…What the hell! Get it out of here!” the announcer was clearly panicked about something.
A second voice cut in, “don’t worry, these aliens have stopped fighting and want to help us”
“Wha?” The surprise was obvious in the announcer’s exclamation.
“It wants to make an announcement,” replied the second voice. Then a new voice with a bizarre accent came on.
“The Free Man has liberated us. We do not want to fight humans. We want to return to Xen. If you see us, do not cut our cords, we will help you as you may be our only way home”
The second voice returned, “These Vortigaunts…that right…good. They are brown with red eyes and are about five feet high with a slouched posture, if you see one, help it”
“And on that note,” continued the announcer, “goodbye and goodnight, may this new alliance give us a brighter future” The last words were clearly a hastily cobbled together dramatic ending. Phil didn’t try to make sense of that. Instead he turned to Johnson.
“What now?”
“We wait,” the soldier replied, “this place was designed to house and feed tens of thousands in case of a nuclear war. We have enough food for all five thousand troops and scientists to last twenty years. The army will have this alien attack under control by then”
“If they don’t?” Asked Phil. Johnson didn’t reply.
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Chapter One is being worked on, I'll have it ready soon.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Prologue: Lockdown
Groom Lake.
Black Mesa’s little brother.
The Area 51 facility at Groom Lake, Nevada always gets the hand-me-downs from the BMRF. Some very strange stuff is shipped in to be used in weapons research. No one at the GLRF is allowed to know where it had come from, but many suspect it was alien in origin. Quite ironic, since Area 51 is the one notorious for extra-terrestrials. The latest acquisition is an odd organic device code-named ‘Bug Glove’. When squeezed correctly it would expel a hornet-like creature that chased living creatures and attacked them.
AWORGH AWORGH
Alarms cut through the dry desert air, waking Dr Philip Naton from the absent-minded scribblings in his diary. The twenty-five year old graduate watched from his deckchair as marines scrambled across the landing strip into a collection of Osprey helicopters assembled for such an emergency. He stood up and looked on as the helicopters began to take off, bound for some unknown destination. He span round and ran towards the entrance into the underground base. As he reached the doors the burst open and General Brevaes, head of the GLRF, strode out. He was a large, powerful man and clearly didn’t have time for Phil, but the Dr pressed on anyway.
“What’s happening?” he asked, concerned at what could get the General worked up.
“Crisis at Black Mesa,” was all Brevaes replied before breaking into a run towards the last Osprey. Phil was surprised, what events at the BMRF could require reinforcements from as far away as Area 51. As the General’s Osprey started its ascent, he heard a whooshing sound unlike any of the experimental craft being developed at Groom Lake. His eyes widened as he watched a large flying creature swoop down and set itself over the helicopter. Soldiers started firing at it, but their bullets seemed to do nothing. Phil scrambled back towards the doors in a panic. The beast unleashed a beam of orange energy onto the Osprey. A few seconds later it exploded.
“What the hell was that!” shouted somebody as the creature took off. Things rapidly got worse. A flash of green light materialised in front of Phil and faded to reveal a small brown creature with claws. It growled as it turned and prepared to jump. Phil dodged to one side and the creature sailed through the air, eventually impacting the head of a soldier. It latched on tightly and the screams of the soldier could be heard, slightly muffled, from underneath the crab-like thing. It was pandemonium. Similar creatures were appearing across the facility. In the distance Phil could hear gunfire. Suddenly specks of white light flowed from nowhere into the centre of the airfield. They exploded in a shower of green sparks to reveal an enormous armoured blue monster. It was almost a magnet for gunfire, all of which it seemed to merely tickle it. It stormed into a hanger and Phil watched as it singled out a panicking airman making a dash for his aircraft. It released burst of flame from its hands. The pilot was incinerated.
“Fall back!” came the shout from Colonel Johnson, now the ranking officer present. The troops gladly heeded his advice. Phil fled for the entrance, as crabs flew at him, gobs of acid splattered the walls around him, bolts of green lightning struck down those around him. He leapt into the safety of the inside just as the foot thick metal doors slammed shut. Outside he could just make out the screams of those who were left behind. Walking softly up to the door he put one ear to it to listen. A crash reverberated through its structure and Phil. He backed away as the door began to slightly buckle. However, it did not give. Eventually the banging stopped.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Five days later, they had their last contact with the outside world, a commercial radio station.
“This will be our last broadcast, after this we will be moving into Las Vegas, where the government has set up a secure zone for those escaping the alien monsters. We will be unable to transmit to rural areas outside the city, so this is our reminder to make for safety and avoid anything that looks unearthly. Goodbye and good…What the hell! Get it out of here!” the announcer was clearly panicked about something.
A second voice cut in, “don’t worry, these aliens have stopped fighting and want to help us”
“Wha?” The surprise was obvious in the announcer’s exclamation.
“It wants to make an announcement,” replied the second voice. Then a new voice with a bizarre accent came on.
“The Free Man has liberated us. We do not want to fight humans. We want to return to Xen. If you see us, do not cut our cords, we will help you as you may be our only way home”
The second voice returned, “These Vortigaunts…that right…good. They are brown with red eyes and are about five feet high with a slouched posture, if you see one, help it”
“And on that note,” continued the announcer, “goodbye and goodnight, may this new alliance give us a brighter future” The last words were clearly a hastily cobbled together dramatic ending. Phil didn’t try to make sense of that. Instead he turned to Johnson.
“What now?”
“We wait,” the soldier replied, “this place was designed to house and feed tens of thousands in case of a nuclear war. We have enough food for all five thousand troops and scientists to last twenty years. The army will have this alien attack under control by then”
“If they don’t?” Asked Phil. Johnson didn’t reply.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter One is being worked on, I'll have it ready soon.
