Dr. Wallace Breen, Earth's Administrator, is dead. The once-unyielding grip of the Combine's puppet master has faltered, leaving City 17 in a state of uncertainty. In the aftermath of the Citadel's catastrophic meltdown, Gordon Freeman finds himself...
The once-proud structures of City 17 now stood as fractured remnants, their skeletal frames testament to the devastation that had befallen them. The ground beneath Gordon and Alyx's feet was uneven, strewn with debris from both the alien forces and the resistance's valiant efforts to repel them. Smoke billowed from scattered fires, and the distant echoes of distant clashes reverberated through the desolate city.
As they ventured further, the orange sky above began to shift, casting an eerie glow across the landscape. The Citadel, a towering monolith of Combine dominance, still radiated a foreboding presence. Its pinnacle, a maelstrom of energy, flickered with orange lights that illuminated the surroundings in sporadic bursts. The once-imposing structure now seemed more like a wounded giant, weakened by the fierce battles waged within.
Alyx, surveying the scene, couldn't help but express her awe at the havoc wreaked by the striders. Their towering mechanical legs had left an indelible mark on the cityscape, leveling buildings and leaving destruction in their wake. "Looks like the striders really tore this place up," she remarked, her voice carrying a mix of amazement and concern.
Gordon nodded, his eyes scanning the horizon as they continued their journey through the war-torn streets. The city, once a hub of human activity, now lay in ruins, a somber reminder of the price paid in the struggle for freedom. Yet, amidst the wreckage, signs of resilience emerged – graffiti on walls, makeshift barricades, and remnants of the resistance's struggle painted a picture of a populace unwilling to succumb to oppression.
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Nearby on a massive screen that would be previously used to broadcast Breen now showed kleiner on the screen. His demeanor, a mix of urgency and determination, spoke volumes about the gravity of the situation.
"Fellow citizens... Residents of City 17 and environs," Kleiner began, his voice resonating through the battered remnants of the city, "by which I mean sentient residents, of course, human and otherwise, although I believe there is little need to explain recent developments to our Vortigaunt allies."
His words carried a weight of shared understanding, acknowledging the collective effort of humans and Vortigaunts alike in the face of the Combine's oppression. The Vortigaunts, having fought alongside the resistance, stood as testament to the unity forged in the struggle for freedom.
Kleiner continued, "As a matter of great urgency, I fear that we are accelerating toward a dark-energy flare." The urgency in his voice underscored the imminent threat that loomed over them all. "In idiot's terms, it's highly probable that our beloved City 17 may not survive the next few hours."
The stark reality of impending catastrophe hung in the air, and Kleiner's words resonated with the survivors scattered across the desolate landscape. The screen, once a tool for propagating Breen's messages, now served as a conduit for Kleiner to convey vital information to those who remained.
