Half-Life Story theories [Spoilers]

[Mutley]

[Spoilers below, game completion spoilers]




So Aperture Science is a rival company to Black Mesa, both companies are working on portals. Could this mean, that the experiment in HL1 might of been a sabotage and also, that Gman works for Aperture Science - due to him having portal capabilities (I'm sorta' hoping Portal has as little to do with HL though).

I'm not sure how much of a clue Portal is too the HL story but I thought I'd share my conspiracy theory!

(I've not played Ep2 yet, so if anything links in please spoiler tag it :thumbs

 

[msleeper]

Play Episode 2, then post.

 

[Mutley]

Played it, was freaking awesome! And links into Portal nicely, so I guess Gman is working for Aperture Science somehow, or maybe wants the contents of the ship for himself?

 

[Absinthe]

I highly doubt G-Man works for something as lowly as a human research organization.

 

[AJ Rimmer]

Yeah, I'll go for Mutley's second option. They have something he wants, or doesn't want the combine to get, or wants Gordon to get or wants destroyed (Less likely).

 

[Surrogate]

I think the Gman has something to do with this. From Episode 2, you learn that the GMan hard a large part to do with their research, as well as their failure.

Possible scenario:
In my theory Gman introduced the theory necessary for human scientists to create portals. Without the interference, mankind would not have discovered the necessary theory to develop this technology – not yet at least. This whole portal technology, which the whole Half-life universe is about, seems to be too complicated for the physics known to mankind currently. Think i remember conversations, that mentions that it blows the physics theories away. Therefore it wouldn't be possible to develop portals with our current theories, and only with the theory gained from outside they was able.

Gman probably not only gave the theory for this portal technology to both Black Mesa and Aperture Science, but also kept a finger in their dealings with it. In the beginning, when the technology was still under development, both companies fought to sell their product to the government. In the end, Black Mesa was successfull in getting the job and obtaining all of the government resources.

Another possible scenario:
We learn from Portal, that Apeture Science was promised the funding in the beginning. This can show that both companies was developing portal technology, with or without Gman interference, and competing against eachother. At this time period, Apeture was superior in both technology and cost. However, as Portal shows, Black Mesa got the funds instead. This may be where Gman first interfered, giving Black Mesa the knowledge needed to develop a product that had major benefits compared to Apeture, hence making Black Mesa win all the funding.

Why Black Mesa was chosen
With both scenarios in mind, let me share my thoughts on why Black Mesa was chosen as the harbinger of doom.

There is a distinct difference between the technology Black Mesa and Apeture Science develops. While Apetures portal device seems very much complete, it lacks the benefits of Black Mesa's less streamlined devices - Apeture is handheld – Black Mesa required huge generators. While being alot more costly, Black Mesa's device can create portals with an ending at any place – huge distances, even other worlds. While Apetures solution is indeed great in itself, there was more opportunity in Black Mesa's unlimited travel possibilities.

Because Black Mesa's version of the portal technology can reach other worlds, it is the perfect tool to open a gate for the combine invasion. And therefore it is the choice of Gman and those he work for.

Apeture probably looses its business from its lack of funding, and is left empty for their GlaDOS computer system to roam freely without supervision. (I can imagine they would have tried to shut it down, but obviously it didn't work)

Side notes
However, with Black Mesa reduced to rubble, it is indeed very interresting that Apeture Science is still existing. It'll be fun to visit it again in Episode 3, to get the necessary tools to either open a new portal for combine invasion, or permanently destroy the technology needed.

Portal technology really seems like the forbidden fruit, a technology that mankind was by no means ready to wield. And Apeture Science is still luring with its portal devices, and its cake.

As i side note, i like my second scenario best. That mankind indeed learned how to create portals themselves, and that someone from beyond took use of their curiosity.

 

[McCoy]

Well, maybe the G-Man has already altered time itself, making certain things become real, and through altering time, maybe he knows tings that you don't, or what could have happened, or what would of happened, or what SHOULD of happened.

 

[dogboy73]

Will all be revealedin EPIII? I hope so because we have more questions than answers again now!

Anyway, Portal was awesome. I hadn't looked at a single spoiler so I had no idea what was coming. I wa amazed when I was able to break out at the end of the last test. And then the game went on for ages after that. I wasn't expecting that at all & it was a fantastic surprise. Felt very much like creeping around Black Mesa ironically.

So what facts do we have? (as opposed to all the theories & speculation). Apeture science appears to be a direct competitior to Black Mesa ..... other than we are just specualting are we?! It's all guess work again. I just hope we learn more in EPIII & that the apeture gun is in there somewhere. That would be cool.

 

[Kon]

Perhaps GlaDOS is the equivalent of the Gman, only the difference is that the Gman can look through the eyes of organic beings while GlaDOS can only look through the mechanical eyes/lenses you see in portal.
The Combine may want this technology seeing as it would allow them to imitate the telepathic ability of the overwatch and allow their entire force to act as one.
The Gman however could percieve this GlaDOS as a direct threat to himself as its acquirement would prove himself obsolete to the combine.
The Combine need the Gman to control individuals such as freeman in order to help find the GlaDOS, but now that the gman & combine are aware of where it might be, Gman needs freeman to go and destroy it.
This would prove why Eli gets killed, because he wanted to destroy whatever is at borealis. The Gman tried to warn Eli in the only way he could, by transmitting a message through Alyx, because he couldnt give a direct message to Eli because of the vortigaunts at white forest or because it was more important to talk to freeman than eli while the defenses were down.

 

[SilverStream]

The original concept idea was to get to some sort of weath manipulation building from City 17 (perhaps after liberating it) on the Borealis. From Half Life 2: Raising the Bar:

Perhaps they'll include the Hydra we saw in so many orginal HL2 concepts. The idea was aprently ditched late in HL2's production due to complexities but the AI and skins and everything is aprently already there. Quoting Half Life 2: Raising the Bar:

 

[SilverStream]

*Bump*

Any thoughts?

 

[flyprdu]

Makes more sense that the "Borealis" has something to do with weather, as a borealis is a weather phenomenon.

 

[ranmafan]

Just a theory on how portal technology works through the Xen slingshot effect (pardon me if it's been theorized before):

Using Einstein's theory of space-time, that all objects have an invisible but substantial force affecting the fabric of space, can we assume that Xen somehow lies 'above' or 'beneath' the known fabric. Why BM could create portals spanning huge distances and indeed, dimensions, seems to work in a similar way to why airplanes that fly halfway around the world go towards the artic/antartic first before flying back down: Because of the way Xen warps space, entering at a certain coordinate and leaving just a few steps later means you come back from a completely different exit angle compared to the entry angle, thus covering vast distances in space/time.

Certainly, with the discovery of Xen, Black Mesa gained the upper edge. Being able to bend space/time enough to actually gain access to Xen (apart from just slingshotting around it) probably does require a lot of energy, but is far more efficient than 'burrowing', and more useful than the Aperture portal gun.

Has anyone played Star Control/SC2? They had a maneuver called the 'Leyland gravity whip' which more or less explains my theory...

 

[Crash Happy]

Where does it say in Ep2 that the GMan had a "large psrt to do with their research"?
Where in Portal does it say that Aperture were promised the funding?

 

[alex1]

stab in the dark?

Part way through beating EP2 I came upon a quick realization. The main character from Portal, is Eli Vance's wife. Some small coincidences to notice: Eli Vance's fake foot appears to be made of the same thing attached to the character in Portal. Eli grabs a picture of his family ( pointing to his wife and trying to talk to Freeman about how they all got there and for what reason ) immediately after talking about the Borealis and Aperture and how there amazed and shocked to finally find it's location. We know Alyx was saved in birth by a deal with the Gman but for what price...Eli's wife to become an Aperture science experiment? The forums out there are screaming that Portal will be a big part in EP3 or beyond, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Alyx's mom come back with the Portal gun ( giving it to Freeman to aid the uprising obviously )and who better to come back and give some support to Alyx after losing her dad? Anybody else out there see the coincidences that I have?

 

[Crash Happy]

Yes lots. I think it's fair to say that the greater bulk of opinion is that the character in Portal (known as Chell) is not the mother of Alyx (known to be called Azian).

 

[ic0dy]

Yes lots. I think it's fair to say that the greater bulk of opinion is that the character in Portal (known as Chell) is not the mother of Alyx (known to be called Azian).

But we also know that chell isnt the exact name of the person in portal, just like the g man isnt the exact name of the g man.

It's just a cover up, to hide the truth behind em.

And in gabes own words: chell will have a significant relationship to one of the known characters in half life.

Everything is possible at this point.

 

[Crash Happy]

I certainly can't see Valve dropping a clanger like deciding to bring in Azian in a mysterious manner, and then forgetting to hide her name.
I don't particularily go for the Chell = Alyx mother bit myself but the possibility doesn't appear to be completely ruled out.

One point though, your quote makes it sound like it will be revealed that Chell has a relationship to characters we are already familiar with, whereas what was said was closer to:

"The character you play as in Portal has "importance" in the overall Half Life universe, and will eventually have a fairly significant relationship with some of the other characters that we're already familiar with."

 

[ic0dy]

I certainly can't see Valve dropping a clanger like deciding to bring in Azian in a mysterious manner, and then forgetting to hide her name.
I don't particularily go for the Chell = Alyx mother bit myself but the possibility doesn't appear to be completely ruled out.

One point though, your quote makes it sound like it will be revealed that Chell has a relationship to characters we are already familiar with, whereas what was said was closer to:

"The character you play as in Portal has "importance" in the overall Half Life universe, and will eventually have a fairly significant relationship with some of the other characters that we're already familiar with."

Yea that is true, and belive me. I cant see valve doing something like that either, it would just be too.

Yea you know

Although, i cant wait to see how chell will show up in hl epi3, and what story she brings along=)

Chell is gonna be whoever they decide she's gonna be. Or discussions cant change that fact, although. we have our rights to hope and belive.

Edit: Im sure that gabe said she will show up in episode 3, i watched the vid last night. Although im pretty stoned on painkillers (stupid sinus infection) im sure i heard he said that.

 

[chipp]

Part way through beating EP2 I came upon a quick realization. The main character from Portal, is Eli Vance's wife. Some small coincidences to notice: Eli Vance's fake foot appears to be made of the same thing attached to the character in Portal. Eli grabs a picture of his family ( pointing to his wife and trying to talk to Freeman about how they all got there and for what reason ) immediately after talking about the Borealis and Aperture and how there amazed and shocked to finally find it's location. We know Alyx was saved in birth by a deal with the Gman but for what price...Eli's wife to become an Aperture science experiment? The forums out there are screaming that Portal will be a big part in EP3 or beyond, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Alyx's mom come back with the Portal gun ( giving it to Freeman to aid the uprising obviously )and who better to come back and give some support to Alyx after losing her dad? Anybody else out there see the coincidences that I have?

I didn't stopped to think it twice, but I just had a similar feeling (Chell having something to do with Alyx) when I finished Portal after EP2.

(My god, when is EP3 coming out?! PLZ!!1)

 

[Crash Happy]

I think that's a natural feeling. Heck, if you did a search you can find little old me posting just a bit after I completed the OB with a nice subtle "Looks a bit like Alyx doesn't she?".
I would imagine Valve are having a good giggle about having stirred the pot so succesfully.

 

[Atomic_Piggy]

Chell cannot be alyx's mother. For one thing, alyx's mum is named Azian, and shes dead. For second, it is strongly implied both ingame and in the guide that Chell was from the bring your daughter to work day.
Enough is a freaking nough. These are getting as bad as the gman=gordon theories.

 

[Crash Happy]

I'm not sure if I feel like beating my head against the wall, or yours.
You've chosen to believe certain things about the games with little evidence to support you. These arguments have been gone over so many times I'm astonished that they need adressing again.
Do I think Chell = Azian? No. So you'll have to find someone else to argue with.

 

[ríomhaire]

Also, Raising the Bar hints that Azian worked in Black Mesa. Black Mesa would hardly send one of their researchers to Aperture, unless maybe they wanted to spy on them

 

[Alexander_Q]

G-Man is C Johnson, gone crazy from mercury poisoning. Chell is his daughter, left over from "bring your daughter to work day". She represents a "Huge success/Triumph" for GLaDOS's mind research, in that she was able to outsmart/defeat GLaDOS.

G-Man caused the resonance cascade by supplying the crystal in HL1. After GLaDOS's morality chip is removed, she is willing to go to extreme lengths to destroy her perceived competition, even as far as bringing the combine/Xen aliens to Earth. GLaDOS is likely controlling G-Man.

It is possible that the Combine Homeworld is in fact the future of Earth, after many years of GLaDOS experimentation. Thus the Combine IS GLaDOS in a sense, and this is why the combine overwatch voice is the same as GLaDOS's voice. The mind implanted into new combine soldiers is Chell's mind.

After HL1, GLaDOS no longer controls G-Man. G-Man's intentions are now to destroy GLaDOS, after he has seen what she will become in the future. GLaDOS survives on the Borealis, which is why G-Man goes to great lengths to set you up to destroy it in Ep3.

 

[Tomu]

G-Man is C Johnson, gone crazy from mercury poisoning. Chell is his daughter, left over from "bring your daughter to work day". She represents a "Huge success/Triumph" for GLaDOS's mind research, in that she was able to outsmart/defeat GLaDOS.

G-Man caused the resonance cascade by supplying the crystal in HL1. After GLaDOS's morality chip is removed, she is willing to go to extreme lengths to destroy her perceived competition, even as far as bringing the combine/Xen aliens to Earth. GLaDOS is likely controlling G-Man.

It is possible that the Combine Homeworld is in fact the future of Earth, after many years of GLaDOS experimentation. Thus the Combine IS GLaDOS in a sense, and this is why the combine overwatch voice is the same as GLaDOS's voice. The mind implanted into new combine soldiers is Chell's mind.

After HL1, GLaDOS no longer controls G-Man. G-Man's intentions are now to destroy GLaDOS, after he has seen what she will become in the future. GLaDOS survives on the Borealis, which is why G-Man goes to great lengths to set you up to destroy it in Ep3.

It is possible.:O
I sure haven't heard a crazy theory like that in quite a while.

 

[Alexander_Q]

It is possible.:O
I sure haven't heard a crazy theory like that in quite a while.

I can even back it up and defend it in civil argument. Go on, pull it apart.

 

[Von Stalhein]

I can even back it up and defend it in civil argument. Go on, pull it apart.

May I?

Firstly, let me say that it is a solid-looking argument; especially when one considers that the G-man's (or to you C Johnson) inexplicable ability to get around Black Mesa could have been thanks to some form of Aperture Science portal personal portal technology.

However, there are I think two key flaws.

1.
The G-man's 'psychedelic' abilities, which appear to be somewhat parallel with the abilities the Vortigaunts possess (considering the way that they are able to block him from his presumably telepathic communication method) are not explained by your theory. Mercury poisoning may turn people mad, but it does not turn them into Geller-MkII. In fact, G-man's 'abilities' in this regard, which like the Vortigaunts' seem almost 'magical' in the lack of physical technology needed, almost certainly pin him down as non-human or transient-human. Both of these possibilities more or less rule out him being C Johnson.

2.
The portals of the Half-Life universe (which are, as has been pointed out, one of the key thematic element of the series) deal with spatial teleportation; including travel between dimensions or universes. With one exception (the time-delay portal in Nova Prospekt) they do not interact with time at all. Unless the Nova Prospekt 'malfunction' has more importance in the overall storyline (i.e. we're headed towards a situation where time becomes as malleable as spatial relationships between objects in the storyline) then this again seems to rule out your theory. Besides this as well, is the fact that the portal the combine use to transfer forces from their over-world to Earth is distinctly made out to be a spatial, not temporal, portal.


Defend!

 

[Pinkle]

Barney needs pussy; I bet Chell becomes his girlfriend. Then I could actually have a real character to rolepl...


I mean.


Chell is not Azian, you morons!!1!lol!!1

<_< >_>

 

[Atomic_Piggy]

G-Man is C Johnson, gone crazy from mercury poisoning.

Evidence?

Chell is his daughter, left over from "bring your daughter to work day".

She certainly seems to be left over from the bring your daughter to work day, but g-mans daughter? Evidence?

She represents a "Huge success/Triumph" for GLaDOS's mind research, in that she was able to outsmart/defeat GLaDOS.

Evidence?

G-Man caused the resonance cascade by supplying the crystal in HL1.

Troof.

After GLaDOS's morality chip is removed, she is willing to go to extreme lengths to destroy her perceived competition, even as far as bringing the combine/Xen aliens to Earth. GLaDOS is likely controlling G-Man.

So your saying portal is before HL1 right?

It is possible that the Combine Homeworld is in fact the future of Earth, after many years of GLaDOS experimentation.

How exactly? The combine have been around before HL1, as marc laidlaw said - the combine chased the creatures on Xen too Xen. How did they do that if they weren't around?

Thus the Combine IS GLaDOS in a sense, and this is why the combine overwatch voice is the same as GLaDOS's voice. The mind implanted into new combine soldiers is Chell's mind.

GlaDos has several different voices - one for the maintance areas, the actula testing areas and of course after you remove the morality core.

After HL1, GLaDOS no longer controls G-Man. G-Man's intentions are now to destroy GLaDOS, after he has seen what she will become in the future. GLaDOS survives on the Borealis, which is why G-Man goes to great lengths to set you up to destroy it in Ep3.

How can he see the future? Whats more what evidence is there that he can?

Your theory is interesting, but its full of holes. I'm not saying its wrong though

 

[Loxor]

Gman are using a portal gun, how else can he just dissapear just like that?

 

[Absinthe]

G-Man does not use the ASHPD, I assure you. He is a being that can freeze your perception of time and pluck you out of the universe when he needs to. Any teleporting abilities he may have are entirely of his own. He's above human technology.

 

[ríomhaire]

By using any of the other teleportations technologies we've seen in the series, or an entirly different one.

 

[kaiser_wil]

Interesting observation

Part way through beating EP2 I came upon a quick realization. The main character from Portal, is Eli Vance's wife. Some small coincidences to notice: Eli Vance's fake foot appears to be made of the same thing attached to the character in Portal. Eli grabs a picture of his family ( pointing to his wife and trying to talk to Freeman about how they all got there and for what reason ) immediately after talking about the Borealis and Aperture and how there amazed and shocked to finally find it's location. We know Alyx was saved in birth by a deal with the Gman but for what price...Eli's wife to become an Aperture science experiment? The forums out there are screaming that Portal will be a big part in EP3 or beyond, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Alyx's mom come back with the Portal gun ( giving it to Freeman to aid the uprising obviously )and who better to come back and give some support to Alyx after losing her dad? Anybody else out there see the coincidences that I have?

I cant say that I personally noticed this, i didnt pay much attention to the ending parts of Episode 2 (i will next time i play it) but this all seems to tie together almost too nicely, i guess we'll find out soon enough though

 

[dogboy73]

Yeah that theory about Eli's wife sounds very neat. I like it. It's the best idea/theory I've seen with regards to the EP3 story.

 

[Druckles]

Ooh... Chell = Eli's wife... intruiging...

Most original thing I've seen in a while

Couldn't find a better picture:

She looks way to old to be Chell at that point.

Wait, she must be Alyx's long lost twin! :O

 

[Stene]

I am more having feeling of GMan being Government Man. Black Mesa and Aperture were challenging to get government funding. Black Mesa got it, so they got the funding, but then there is some mysterious GMan (Government Man) that is checking how stuff works around Black Mesa and critizises stuff.

Truly, he wants some of the techonology for his own purposes, so he got Displacer weapon (like Shephard in Op4), and carries it in his briefcase. That way he makes the teleports where he usually does go in HL1.

So he has somekind of own safe hideout, and he looks to some interesting people to his unknown project. He thought Gordon was good, and Alyx would also become one.

As he has been working for government and been in military, he saw Shephard danger because he reminds him of himself. So he trapped him to the space chopper.

But well, this is one possibility.

 

[Druckles]

Government Man is so bloody generic, it could mean anything. Of course he's a "Government Man". But that doesn't mean anything. He could be working for someone else's government, a higher power etc.

But the fact he's called the Gman is really just for reference. It's a generic term that Valve labelled him before they'd even thought of a storyline for HL2. He's never ever been referred to as that in the game.

 

[Lightice]

Gman may have posed as a government agent in the HL - indeed that is very likely. However, by HL2 it's pretty clear that he has no allegiance to any human government and probably to no alien, either. It seems that he can be selectively visible, considering that both in HL and HL2 there are scenes where monsters pay no attention to him. He may not even be materially present; if he indeed is a material being, at all.
He's made to resemble the Men in Black from the post-Roswell legends, who claimed to work for the government but clearly weren't even really human. Those often spoke with odd inflection and mysteriously appeared and dissapeared, but were also often completely hairless or otherwise disturbing-looking.

He seems to be a free agent, negotiating contracts on individual basis and frequently using pawns like Gordon to fulfill them.