Radio Free... uh... Someplace

[a_mere_child]

It took a few minutes of searching, but Gordon and Alyx have managed to locate an old dirt road branching off from the main highway. It's narrow and steep, and so overgrown with weeds and grass as to be barely visible, but it seems to lead in the right general direction. And if no one's used this road in a while, the odds are good that the Combine

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[acts_of_gord]

Gordon nods, but doesn't say anything. The car is more of a challenge to steer than he'd expected. He's never had to use a car without power steering before, and the 'road' condition isn't helping any, either.

As they wend their way up the hill, they pass through a wooden raised gate. The road beyond it leads to a cluster of small buildings, one of which is directly connected to the radio tower.

[a_mere_child]

That building is also the only one that's more or less intact. "Wonder how long it's been deserted..." Alyx murmurs as she slides out of the passenger's seat and heads for the front door.

[acts_of_gord]

"Must've been a while. There'd be headcrab rockets otherwise," says Gordon. He eases himself out of the car and follows Alyx, scanning first the building and then the surrounding area for unwelcome company.

[a_mere_child]

The double doors swing open to reveal painted brick walls, a worn linoleum floor, and a staggering Zombine.

"...oh, joy."

[acts_of_gord]

Well, that- and the second Zombine staggering in from around the corner- would be why Gordon carries a shotgun, wouldn't it?

[a_mere_child]

Fortunately, neither of them have time to pull a grenade before they drop.

Scanning the room for any further surprises, Alyx spots a large monitor and bank of radio equipment in a far corner of the room. "Well, here's the transmitter... mmmh. No power, though."

[acts_of_gord]

Figures. Well, there were cables outside and they still looked pretty intact. Must be a working generator or something around here somewhere. Might as well follow the lines from the building to wherever they connect and see if there isn't a fix to be made.

He can hear Barney's comments about his MIT education in his head even now. Bah.

[a_mere_child]

The smaller building off to the left contains nothing more remarkable than a bathroom and a set of bunkbeds. The larger building, closer to the transmitter... well, the doors are jammed shut, but a short climb and a shorter drop gets them down through the half-collapsed roof.

(Alyx isn't putting away her gun anytime soon. She won't say anything, but she swears she heard a faint howl off in the distance just now...)

[acts_of_gord]

The place is pretty much shot to hell, but there's an area towards the transmitter that's in better shape than the rest. It was some kind of a workroom once, with a long counter set with sinks running down the middle, and an elevator off to one side. Gordon pauses on his way to the elevator and glances down- it would appear that part of the floor was replaced by metal grill-work. "I think the electrical room's downstairs," he calls out. "I'm heading down there."

[a_mere_child]

"I'll keep a lookout while you poke around inside," she calls back.

The Combine were here, or at least two of their soldiers were. She's not about to count on 'they don't know this place exists' at the moment.

[acts_of_gord]

Downstairs, the machinery is still humming. It's mostly a matter of... *sigh* broken and unplugged cables.

He's definitely not telling Barney about this.

[a_mere_child]

The lights in the workroom flicker to life. "The power's back on up here!" Alyx calls from her perch at the hole in the wall.

Something flickers in her peripheral vision. She turns just in time to see a human-sized three-legged shape dart around the side of the building.

...fuck.

[acts_of_gord]

There's no stairs down here. Who the hell builds a basement without stairs? Gordon's stuck taking the elevator back up, so he misses the thing moving past the window. What he does not miss is Alyx's suddenly wary attitude. "What is it?" he murmurs.

[a_mere_child]

She's frozen on the spot, quietly hyperventilating. "Ohgodohgodohgod..." His voice snaps her out of it. "Gordon, hide."

[acts_of_gord]

Not good. Gordon doesn't ask, he just dives for the nearest available cover- the long counter- and then looks inquiringly in Alyx's direction, shotgun at the ready.

[a_mere_child]

Alyx ducks down next to him as a shadow moves past the windows, accompanied by a familiar warbling call. "Hunters," she hisses. "They're outside."