Twenty years for one day

"We are here, at last." occurred Alyx, when she together with Gordon and Judith entered the Bootstrap
Device room. She had enough already. Helicopter crash, in which she almost lost her legs, journey
through the snow plains on snowmobile, where she almost froze, imprisoning by Breen in a grub form
and now run through the ship pursued by Combine soldiers, not to mention intermingling of realities
and meeting herself as a wraith from another dimension. She was wounded, dirty, sweaty and exhausted.
Empty stomach alerted her to hunger, but she was more worried by a gash on her left leg that was hurting
her more and more. She didn't really have a cheerful mood, her optimism disappeared, let alone joking.

She smiled a little when she realized that she could finally sit down. She sat on some crate, took off her
cap and looked at Gordon and Judith. Since when she first met Gordon, their appearance also changed
a lot. She couldn't believe it has been a week since – not counting an extra week for the outside world.
She wouldn't think how far she will get with Gordon. It seemed fast and infinitely long simultaneously.
Like a life story compressed in a few days. She lowered her head, closed her eyes, and felt a special
calm. She realized that what they are going to do is no matter how they look, no matter whether they are
exhausted or full of energy. After all, it doesn't matter if they succeed or fail. She was sure they wouldn't
get out of this ship alive. This was a suicide mission from the beginning. But from which?

May 13, 200-, Black Mesa Topside Dormitories

"That Freeman looks like a nice guy. But he is a man of few words." said Azian. Eli replied "What you
expect? Phlegmatic and on top of that theoretical physicist." laughed Eli "But on 27, he has extensive
knowledge about teleportation. No wonder that Kleiner chose him. He'll be famous one day." "You
think?" "Definitely. Wait for twenty years. About what we do here, will once be written in textbooks."
"Well, we'll see. I don't think it's much safe. You spoke about that resonance cascade, which could
happen. The sample you now have is the most unstable of all." "Look, such fears have been here. Right
here in New Mexico. When the nuclear weapon was tested for the first time, there was a fear that it
could ignite the atmosphere of entire Earth. We have resonance cascade as a scarecrow. I admit that
this is a legitimate threat and it could happen. It would be resonant waves of energy that would cause
uncontrollable rifts between dimensions." Azian sighed, bowed her head and went aside. Eli came to
her, hugged her from behind and kissed her. "But that will not happen. We have devices and systems
with which we can safely control the flow of energy. Unless the Anti-Mass Spectrometer will not be
overload over 100% capacity, there is no danger. And it will not be because I'll be there." Azian wasn't
much calmer by his answer. "Well, hopefully the others will have the same opinion." "They will, don't
be afraid." said decisively Eli, trying to convince himself that he believes what he says. "Eventually, I
have the right to interrupt the test at any time" he added. They both were silent for a moment, and then
Eli asked "What Alyx, sleeps already?" "Yeah" " Our little girl. A great future is waiting for her." Eli
paused "Perhaps she will study at MIT once and Dr. Gordon Freeman will be teaching her." They both
looked at each other and laughed. They had no idea that Alyx was listening them all the time from her
room.

Judith interrupted her thinking. "And we're here. I hope that learning to control it will not be so difficult."
She began to walk around the device and explore it. Alyx allowed her. She knew that Judith knows
about the device more than herself, she was studying the plans before they caught her. "Okay, I got it."
said Judith. "I think using this console, I can enter exact coordinates and materialize the ship
permanently." Alyx rose "Show me." After a while they both studied it, Judith said "These are our
current coordinates. We have just to wait and enter a command to materialize as soon as the ship
reappears in the Arctic. Which should be in just a few minutes, but the ship doesn't oscillate quite
precisely, in any case it doesn't take much time to deactivate." Alyx closed her eyes "Judith, I…" "No,
no, Alyx, it's quite clear! This ship, this – device – is the most advanced technology that the Resistance
ever had and will available. There is nothing dangerous about materializing the ship! Look – our forces
have already arrived, and it's only a matter of time to beat Combine units at the point of materialization.
I don't know what Eli told you about another Black Mesa. He had an irrational fear from it. This is
another technology that has nothing to do with Black Mesa. There is no risk of resonance cascade. We
will materialize Borealis and we will study the Bootstrap Device to have the greatest ability to repel
Combine when they try to open Superportal from their world. And they will, trust me, I've spent enough
time in the Citadel to know that they won't give up this planet just like that. When we send ship to their
world, we will be defenseless against any attack in the future!"

Alyx, who in the meanwhile stood up to Judith's back, listened to her whole speech. At the mention of
her father, she clenched hands. As Judith finished, she turned sharply and pushed her away with both
hands angrily. "How can you put my father into mouth like this? He had irrational fear? Well, it fits
from klutz with doubtful loyalty. He didn't know anything about it? My dad, unlike you, was in Black
Mesa! He knew more about the resonance cascade than anyone else in the world. And now, when we
finally ended it with launch of the satellite, are we gonna take a risk to start it all over again? Damn it,
Judith! When we materialize it, we only give a chance to occupy whole ship by Combine units, which
are still present outside. That can't be risked." She turned to Gordon "I gave my father a promise to
destroy the ship and I intend to keep it at all costs. You were the witness and I believe you're with me."
she turned to Judith again "I'm not gonna talk about it anymore!"

August 25, 201-, White Forest

Alyx sat pensively at the table, together with her father and Magnusson, who debated about the plans of
teleport. "So, I expect that we handle teleportation within few years. Izzy has nice theoretical results
and I don't know where we would be if Alyx didn't get enough of the necessary parts." said Eli. Alyx
protested "Come on, dad. If you want to give somebody a medal for work in the field, give it to Barney.
Not to be him, we'd have nothing." Eli replied "Just don't underestimate yourself. Where would we be
without you?" Magnusson joined "For what will it be to you? You will not defeat the Combine by that
anyway." Eli with Alyx rolled their eyes while Magnusson continued "I don't want to promote myself,
but the most important person is me. Only my rocket can end the resonance…" Eli interrupted him "You
know very well that the satellite will be useless without specific contact code for Combine Overworld.
And even if you get it, all Citadels would have to be disabled at once. So, sorry, but the only chance that
you could ever launch the rocket are us." Alyx joined "And how would we get that code? And how can
all Citadels be disabled, mhm?" "You tell me. You'll get to it once." said mysteriously Eli "Yeah, that's
for sure. I think the best thing would be to destroy Combine in their center." said Alyx. "That's a great
plan, but there's nothing by what we can do it. Except Borealis, of course." replied Eli. Magnusson
reacted "Please, that's an old tall tale. In Aperture Science they tried to hide their incompetence, so they
invented this legend." "I hope it is so." said Eli "Because if the legend is true, it will be especially
interesting."

Alyx rubbed her eyes as she stood over the console on which she just set the self-destruction plan. She
slept two hours in the helicopter. She thought when she had a full night's sleep for the last time. It was
in the room that Barney arranged for her, right next to the Kleiner's Lab, a day before that damn teleport
test. She remembered a moment of teleportation to Black Mesa East and how happy she was when she
kissed her father after she hadn't seen him for a month. From that memory, she got dizzy.

"All right" said Alyx "Whole device works on the principle of taking energy from the subspace. The
energy accumulates in capacitors, and as soon as the energy level reaches a certain level, the ship
materializes for some time somewhere. This is too complicated physics for me, but if we disconnect the
security protocols and completely prevent the ship from materializing, overload occurs – some kind of
splash of teleportation's window, far beyond the ship's boundaries. It's necessary to set a pre-set
disconnection as soon as the ship materializes in the Combine world." Judith asked her "Hm, and how
will the splash be big?" Alyx replied "There is almost nothing accurate about this crap. According to
energy values it should cover the entire planet, but it may be smaller or larger, I don't know. But the
explosion will be great." she sneered. Judith argues "In other words, you have no idea what will happen.
It has no sense, Alyx. We should materialize the ship as soon as we'll be in our spacetime." Alyx didn't
answer and moved to the coordinate system where Judith stood. "Step away" Alyx turned to her, and
Judith stepped back. At that moment device was activated and Borealis materialized in the Arctic. "We're
here" said Judith "We should shut it down and dock the ship permanently, maybe it's the last chance."
Alyx resisted "No way, we will proceed my plan." "Alyx, please…" "No. Just no, get it? I will not let
you." Alyx continued in work with the system when Judith, unnoticed from behind, hit her to the head.
Alyx staggered and collapsed on the keyboard, but she stayed on her feet. She tried to turn to Judith, but
she grabbed her, and by all strength she hurled her to the other side. Alyx fell to the floor and stayed
lying on her back. Judith looked at Gordon without a word and bowed to the keyboard to shut off the
Bootstrap Device. Alyx lying on the floor realized she had only one option. She quickly pulled her pistol
and aimed at Judith's back. A shot sounded.

Judith fell to the floor. Alyx put back her pistol and crawled to Judith. She turned her head to herself
and watched the blood flow beneath her back. It was clear she was dead. Alyx's eyes got wet. "Sorry"
she whispered. She turned to Gordon "I'm sorry. I couldn't otherwise. It's the only way." Alyx slowly
got up and pulled Judith's body to the corner of the room. Then she returned to Gordon. "So, it is. We
have to…" she put her head in hands for a few seconds "We have to…" She dashed her hands over face
and got together "We have to make a missile of it. I'll work on the coordinates, and then we together
must arm self-destruction."

Alyx with Gordon's help created a time-travelling missile. "And this is it. Endgame." said Alyx. "When
this appears in the middle of Combine, they'll be very surprised." She sat down and leaned back against
the wall. "I can't believe it. This is really end of my life. My dad is gone. Judith…" she looked at her
body "I can't believe I killed her myself. I'm very sorry to have dragged you into it. I know you didn't
have to go with me, but still..." she lowered her head on knees "too much death." Gordon came to her,
sat down beside her, and put his hand around her neck.

They sat silently on the ground, hugging each other, waiting for the end.

In that, he appeared to her – the G-Man. She recognized him, instantly. Suddenly she saw herself in
Black Mesa, her mother there, the G-Man's intervention, reunion with her father, and nuclear mushroom
cloud in the desert. Her mind was flooded with scenes of the last twenty years. Not only from her life.
She understood. Now she knew who is standing in front of her and why she must leave Gordon. "Come
along with me now, we've places to be and things to do" said G-Man, and Alyx acquiesced. Twenty
years headed for this very day. This wasn't end of her life, nor by chance. With a concerned face she
turned to Gordon for the last time. She wanted to tell him, but she couldn't.

And then she followed the strange grey man out of the Borealis, out of our reality.