The sound of a ticking clock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. It represents your pulse. It keeps on going, every second is a heart beat. Every minute is dire, and every single hour means something. It's a sound you cannot forget. But your clock does not tick anymore, am I right? You're not the same person any more. You're not the same Gordon Freeman. You are no longer a free man, you belong to us. You belong to the Combine, and you shall be harvested. Your turn has come, we suggest you take the...time, to think about how you will spend your last minor minutes on the face of this Earth on your journey to City 17. We'll be seeing you.
The sound of the train jumping on the tracks shook the carriage. Lights flashed through the windows for few seconds before turning dark, and to be lit up. Gordon watched the other passengers, they were all terrified. Everyone wore the same prescribed suit, and the same worried faces. Men and women in mass numbers were stuffed together in the small carriage, and it was beginning to get immensely hotter. Gordon didn't want to believe. The world had changed in so little time, it's almost as if he cannot remember the old world. But now, it's different. There are no countries, there are no religions. Everything is the Combine, and we are its harvest, or so they say. The Combine soldiers are fierce looking, equipped with tasers and electric batons, no one would dare put a foot wrong in front of them. Their armour is heavily supported, and it's almost as if they are barricaded by force fields, no amount of unarmed damage could injure them, only weapons...which people like us, no longer have. Gordon watched as the train hit the station, and the doors slid open, Combine soldiers burst in, pointing their guns at us. Women were horrified, and men tried their best to help. Everyone watched as a woman attempted to flee, and watched as she was shot to the ground by a soldier. People screamed, this was the true meaning of horror. It felt as if this was some sort of systematic genocide...
"Quiet! Get moving." A Combine soldier ordered.
"Get back, and line up!" Another demanded.
People began to form a single line, Gordon was at the back and would be the last to get off the train, he knew that not all of the passengers would get off, since the Combine decide who lives and who dies, he could easily be killed in a few seconds. The line began to move out of the train and line up outside. Gordon had made it outside, he watched as the soldiers traded head shakes and one entered the train again as it began to move away. Gordon looked down the long line of prisoners, people were crying, sobbing and trying not to react. The remaining soldier aimed his gun towards a man, he was doing nothing wrong, doing nothing against the Combine, but he was shot. As his body fell to the ground, people began to worry more.
"If I do not get silence, you'll all end up like that!" He shouted, spitting.
"Why are you doing th--" A woman began to ask, before she was shot.
People screamed, and Gordon stood looking down at the ground as people struggled to deal with things. He knew worrying would get him killed, so he tried not to. Everyone was equally horrified and knew that they would be killed soon enough, it was a matter of time before they killed you.
"You, are now going to head over there to that check in desk, where you will be numbered. If you do not make your way there in five minutes, you will be removed from City 17, and dealt with. If you speak when you're not told to, you will be dealt with. If you are seen conversing with anyone else, you will be dealt with. If anyone tries to escape, we will deal with you all. Understood!?" The soldier shouted. Many nodded, and others whimpered.
The soldier removed his gun and joined a group of other soldiers as they began to laugh and joke. The line of passengers dispersed as they attempted not to talk. Many had already headed to the check in desk, no one dared flee. Gordon was half frightened, and half excited. He didn't understand why, but the situation had given him a sudden rush of adrenaline. He moved towards the check in desk. He looked up as an announcement was broadcast on a large television screen.
"The Combine are here to help you." It said, repeating over and over.
"...is that a joke?" A woman said, sighing deeply.
"They can't be serious." A man mumbled.
Gordon moved closer to the check in desk, where he was served by a Combine soldier, his hand moved out and asked for Gordon to show his hand. He removed his glove and showed his Harvest mark to the soldier, he stamped a small book and passed it through to Gordon, telling him to move on. Gordon followed the line until he reached another soldier.
"Move." He said, pointing towards a scanner.
"Oi, you. Here now." Another ordered.
Gordon stepped through the scanner, as it began to beep. He was thoroughly searched, nothing was found on him and he was pushed forward. He moved towards the other guard. He warned Gordon not to speak, and that if he did anything against the soldiers' word, he would be "dealt" with. As Gordon began to follow the Combine soldier, the scanner behind him beeped rapidly and loudly, he turned to see the same woman from earlier began searched, she was found holding a gun. Gordon watched as a soldier opened her mouth, pointed her gun, and shot. She fell, people didn't scream, they didn't shout. They just looked away. Gordon moved on with the soldier. They reached a small room. The soldier opened the door and shoved Gordon inside before following him.
"...what a long day." He said, removing his helmet.
"Barney?" Gordon asked.
"Gordon, long time no see." Barney replied.
"What are you...doing?" Gordon asked.
"Okay, stop the questions, I'm just going under cover. I don't suppose, you've been thinking about Alyx and Dr. Kleiner have you?" He asked.
Gordon laughed, before watching Barney shrug his shoulders and moving over to a computer screen, he warned Gordon that if he reached Dr. Kleiner, then he would be overly excited to see him. Barney entered a PIN number into the machine and a video call commenced to Dr. Kleiner.
"...yes?" He asked.
"Looky here, look who I found around City 17." Barney replied.
"Could it be? Step forward, please..." Dr. Kleiner asked, squinting.
"Hello, sir." Gordon replied.
"Gordon! Gordon Freeman! It's you!" He said, happily surprised.
"It's been too long..." Barney replied.
"Listen, Gordon, meet me at my lab. I have something." He said.
"I'll get him their, Doc." Barney said, laughing.
"Gordon!?" A girl said, running to the camera. It was Alyx.
The camera began to fuzz, and the call was lost. Gordon and Barney turned to the door, there was a brief knock. Barney placed his helmet back on his head, and found a way out for Gordon. He told him to run, and that he would catch up. Gordon began to run, as Barney opened the door and traded places with a Combine soldier.
*
The sound of the train jumping on the tracks shook the carriage. Lights flashed through the windows for few seconds before turning dark, and to be lit up. Gordon watched the other passengers, they were all terrified. Everyone wore the same prescribed suit, and the same worried faces. Men and women in mass numbers were stuffed together in the small carriage, and it was beginning to get immensely hotter. Gordon didn't want to believe. The world had changed in so little time, it's almost as if he cannot remember the old world. But now, it's different. There are no countries, there are no religions. Everything is the Combine, and we are its harvest, or so they say. The Combine soldiers are fierce looking, equipped with tasers and electric batons, no one would dare put a foot wrong in front of them. Their armour is heavily supported, and it's almost as if they are barricaded by force fields, no amount of unarmed damage could injure them, only weapons...which people like us, no longer have. Gordon watched as the train hit the station, and the doors slid open, Combine soldiers burst in, pointing their guns at us. Women were horrified, and men tried their best to help. Everyone watched as a woman attempted to flee, and watched as she was shot to the ground by a soldier. People screamed, this was the true meaning of horror. It felt as if this was some sort of systematic genocide...
"Quiet! Get moving." A Combine soldier ordered.
"Get back, and line up!" Another demanded.
People began to form a single line, Gordon was at the back and would be the last to get off the train, he knew that not all of the passengers would get off, since the Combine decide who lives and who dies, he could easily be killed in a few seconds. The line began to move out of the train and line up outside. Gordon had made it outside, he watched as the soldiers traded head shakes and one entered the train again as it began to move away. Gordon looked down the long line of prisoners, people were crying, sobbing and trying not to react. The remaining soldier aimed his gun towards a man, he was doing nothing wrong, doing nothing against the Combine, but he was shot. As his body fell to the ground, people began to worry more.
"If I do not get silence, you'll all end up like that!" He shouted, spitting.
"Why are you doing th--" A woman began to ask, before she was shot.
People screamed, and Gordon stood looking down at the ground as people struggled to deal with things. He knew worrying would get him killed, so he tried not to. Everyone was equally horrified and knew that they would be killed soon enough, it was a matter of time before they killed you.
"You, are now going to head over there to that check in desk, where you will be numbered. If you do not make your way there in five minutes, you will be removed from City 17, and dealt with. If you speak when you're not told to, you will be dealt with. If you are seen conversing with anyone else, you will be dealt with. If anyone tries to escape, we will deal with you all. Understood!?" The soldier shouted. Many nodded, and others whimpered.
The soldier removed his gun and joined a group of other soldiers as they began to laugh and joke. The line of passengers dispersed as they attempted not to talk. Many had already headed to the check in desk, no one dared flee. Gordon was half frightened, and half excited. He didn't understand why, but the situation had given him a sudden rush of adrenaline. He moved towards the check in desk. He looked up as an announcement was broadcast on a large television screen.
"The Combine are here to help you." It said, repeating over and over.
"...is that a joke?" A woman said, sighing deeply.
"They can't be serious." A man mumbled.
Gordon moved closer to the check in desk, where he was served by a Combine soldier, his hand moved out and asked for Gordon to show his hand. He removed his glove and showed his Harvest mark to the soldier, he stamped a small book and passed it through to Gordon, telling him to move on. Gordon followed the line until he reached another soldier.
"Move." He said, pointing towards a scanner.
"Oi, you. Here now." Another ordered.
Gordon stepped through the scanner, as it began to beep. He was thoroughly searched, nothing was found on him and he was pushed forward. He moved towards the other guard. He warned Gordon not to speak, and that if he did anything against the soldiers' word, he would be "dealt" with. As Gordon began to follow the Combine soldier, the scanner behind him beeped rapidly and loudly, he turned to see the same woman from earlier began searched, she was found holding a gun. Gordon watched as a soldier opened her mouth, pointed her gun, and shot. She fell, people didn't scream, they didn't shout. They just looked away. Gordon moved on with the soldier. They reached a small room. The soldier opened the door and shoved Gordon inside before following him.
"...what a long day." He said, removing his helmet.
"Barney?" Gordon asked.
"Gordon, long time no see." Barney replied.
"What are you...doing?" Gordon asked.
"Okay, stop the questions, I'm just going under cover. I don't suppose, you've been thinking about Alyx and Dr. Kleiner have you?" He asked.
Gordon laughed, before watching Barney shrug his shoulders and moving over to a computer screen, he warned Gordon that if he reached Dr. Kleiner, then he would be overly excited to see him. Barney entered a PIN number into the machine and a video call commenced to Dr. Kleiner.
"...yes?" He asked.
"Looky here, look who I found around City 17." Barney replied.
"Could it be? Step forward, please..." Dr. Kleiner asked, squinting.
"Hello, sir." Gordon replied.
"Gordon! Gordon Freeman! It's you!" He said, happily surprised.
"It's been too long..." Barney replied.
"Listen, Gordon, meet me at my lab. I have something." He said.
"I'll get him their, Doc." Barney said, laughing.
"Gordon!?" A girl said, running to the camera. It was Alyx.
The camera began to fuzz, and the call was lost. Gordon and Barney turned to the door, there was a brief knock. Barney placed his helmet back on his head, and found a way out for Gordon. He told him to run, and that he would catch up. Gordon began to run, as Barney opened the door and traded places with a Combine soldier.