NationStates Jolt Archive

((http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=9497108#post9497108
OOC thread))

"Good morning, Corpreal Shepard. Your evaluation is completed. My employers have decided you can be of use to us all. I cannot garuntee your safety, but I assure you, that as long as you do no further...Harm...You will be compensated for your troubles. The People are calling you, Corpreal Shepard. It's time to wake up and smell the ashes."

There was a loud hum of the copter as they flew towards City Forty-Two. Adrian could tell it was City Forty-Two as the announcer had just said that the copter was headded there. He looked around; There was four people wearing blue and five in some sort of uniform. There were boxes all over the place. The man sitting next to him turned and said,

"Oh, you're awake. I thought you would never wake up. I'm Gordon Freeman."
Adrian went wide-eyed and stood up. Gordon laughed.

"No, not that Gordon Freeman. He's my cousin. I run a shop in City Forty-Two. I do jobs for whoever will pay me. I'm a mechanic. The Combine usually comes up to me with a broken gun or a damaged gunship or something like that. Even the Resistance and the Marines."

Adrian sat back down, but he still stared at Gordon suspiciously.

"Many people call me GIF. My middle name is Icabob. Those who call me by my first name usually use my second one, Gerald. What's your name?"

"Adrian Shepard."

"Adrian Shepard...Where have I heard that before? Ah, well, it's probably some random customer."

One of the soldiers in the uniform looked up. Adrian heard him mumble to himself.

The copter lurched as it landed. All the people stood and walked out. Adrian followed. A Vortugaunt came in and began to unload the copter. Adrian eyed him suspiciously, as well. He looked around the airport; It wasn't very busy. There were more of the soldiers than the civilians. Adrian spotted a twelve-foot tall alien with six arms holding a Shock Beatle beating on an unruly civilian. Adrian charged and grabbed the alien. It shook and struggled, but Adrian held on. Several of the soldiers came over and peeled Adrian off of the alien.

"Corpreal, hold still! Nobvody's going to hurt you!" one of the soldiers said. His voice was unidentifiable because of the voice mask. They dragged Adrian away, with him still kicking and struggling.

"Man, this reminds me of the time we caught Freeman and we tossed him into a Trash Compactor. He escaped, just as I had planned."

"I thought you were really trying to kill him!"

"Nah, orders from the man we're carrying right now. Shepard had to split from us and he told me to find Freeman but not kill him. I had to lie to you in order for you to agree with me to give him a chance."

"You suck, Harold."

The two soldiers dragged Shepard into a room, who had stopped struggling, and sat down on a seat. One of the sodliers pressed a few buttons on the terminal and teh cameras disappeared. The men took off their masks. Adrain knew both of them.

"Private Herald...Private Strauss. You two were at Black Mesa with me.." Adrian said, a bit shocked.

"Yeah, we were. You told me to find Freeman and help him escape," Private Herald said. "Homer here wanted to take him up to the surface. I knew they'd kill Freeman, so I took a gamble and tossed him into a compactor."

"We escaped Black Mesa and we were drafte into the Combine. We chose Civil Protection because we knew it was too dangerous to become involved," Homer told the Corpreal.

"A lot has happened since you killed that monster. Most people thought you died somehow in the process. Never thought I'd be riding on a commercial copter to City Forty Two with you."

Harold and Homer began to tell Adrian the story of Gordon's return and what happened after Black Mesa.

Bump

Bump, again

Bump

If people won't post I'll stop bumping. I swear, I'll do it! I'm crazy! George Bush for third term!!!!!

Bump

If people won't post I'll stop bumping. I swear, I'll do it! I'm crazy! George Bush for third term!!!!!

You've been sigged for that.

Again! Yes! I kick ass!

OOC: the next half-life what do you think is better HALF-LIFE2 or HALO 2

OOC: This isn't the place for that, alright? There's a link to the OOC thread. I just want people to make characters and POST DAMMIT!

Bump

"That's...Quite a lot. And it's because of Freeman and me?"

"Yup. When the Combine found out that you had killed one of their most powerful monsters, they launched a full-fledged invasion. It lasted seven hours. We were crushed. We were only able to strike a deal after Freeman killed their leader. It's been like this ever since."

"It's been two years since Freeman last appeared. The Combine took a huge blow, but they've only tightened their grip, importing alien soldiers to help them."

"So are you gusy members of the resistance? Where do I sign up?"
Harold and Homer looked at each other. Harold bit his lip.

"We're not members of the resistance," Hoemr told him.

"What?" Shepard was shocked. He thought his men were trained to fight tyranny, not help it!

"We're legitimate members of Civil Protection. We're more lax than other members, but we're still loyal," Homer told him.

"It's stupid to fight them. We'd die. We're just going to do our jobs as police men."

Shepard looked down at the ground.

"We can sign you up with a job and the Combine won't touch you unless you do something stupid."

"Or they just decide they don't like you."

"But we'll protect you, sir." They won't touch you if they know you've got gaurdian angels in the Combine."

"If you talk against them or join the Resistance, though, our asses will be on the line, too, and we won't be as forgiving as other Combine members," Herald finished. Shepard has his mind made up. He looked up and said,

"Where do I sign?"
---------
Shgepard's job wasn't very hard. He was a lumberjack. He would clear trees for the Combine so they could expand and use the wood for building and paper. He had a small apartment he shared with a young couple with a baby. It was still wierd having Combine soldiers walk by his room every ten minutes, but he would get used to it.

Adrian's first encounter with Resistance members was at Freeman's Machinery Shop. He needed a part for a Splitter that GIF had in the shop. He walked in with teh order form and looked around. Three men with blue vests and Lamba signs on their arms were arguing with him.

"I'm sorry, but if you can't trade with me, don't have a form from any Buisness or the Combine, I won't trade with you! It's as simple as that!"

"You're going to regret this GIF!" one of the men told him. They turned and left the shop. GIF muttered and swore.

"Damn resistance members. Always want guns but never give me anything in return for them. I swear, the next one who comes along and doesn't want to pay, I'm calling the Combine. Hey...Aren't you that guy I sat next to on the copter?"

"Adrian Shepard, yeah."

"I heard you were doing well for yourself. Ah, yes, the part. Yeah, I have it, hold on."

GIF walked into the back room. Shepard leaned to look in the back and saw an orange glove. He got closer to study it better, but GIF walked in before he could get close enough.

"Here we go. One hydraulic thingamabobber. Can't read what this says, it's got grease on it."
GIF put the box on the table and pushed a few buttons on the cash register.

"Let's see...Part...Shipping...Handling...Tax...Combine discount, so I multiply it by zero...Your charge is zero dollars and zero cents. Thank you and have a nice day!"

Adrian took the box, handed him the form and thank him as he turned and left. That guy was wierd.

On his way back to teh lumberyard, Adrian coulda swore he saw a Headcrab Zombie walk across a street...