Thanks for the answers, guys, I'm a little more hopeful now.
And would you look at that, three posts in a row from forum members who registered all the way back in 2004, in successive months no less!
True, we aren't given an explicit reason, but as the G-man stated:
"When I plucked her from Black Mesa, I acted in the face of objections that she was a mere child and of no practical use to anyone. I have learned to ignore such naysayers when...quelling them was out of the question. Still...