Gordon Freeman

**Gordon Freeman** was a leader of the Lambda Resistance whose exploits set in motion the events that led to the fall of the Combine.

## Biography

### Background

According to testimonials from Dr. Isaac Kleiner and Barney Calhoun, Freeman was a native of Seattle, Washington, and attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Frustrated with the slow pace of university work, Freeman sought employment in the private sector. Kleiner, who was involved in an experiment with the ill-fated Black Mesa corporation, invited Freeman to work for the company and recommended him to higher staff.

### Black Mesa Incident

Numerous sources credit Freeman with activating the satellites that stabilized the Resonance Cascade. Freeman is also alleged to have singlehandedly defeated the powers behind the Xenian invasion forces, cutting a path through hostile aliens and military cleanup crews in the process.

The extent of Freeman's involvement in the Incident is disputed. Eyewitness reports show that Freeman helped bring several civilians to safety and that a satellite was launched from Black Mesa, but there are conflicting reports about his whereabouts during the Incident's final hours. Scientists working in the Black Mesa Lambda Labs stated that Freeman had been sent through a portal to Xen to stem the invading Xenian forces. Reports from the US HECU stated that Freeman was killed, while documents from the CIA reported that Freeman was detained by a black operations unit.

Salvaged documents indicate that at the time of the Black Mesa Incident, Freeman was 27 years of age, had no dependents, and had achieved his doctorate at MIT.

### 2020 AD

The last unambiguous appearance of Gordon Freeman was in November 2020. Thanks to archived surveillance footage and communication logs from the Civil Protection, Freeman's movements are closely documented.

#### November 1st

Freeman arrives in City 17 via train and is briefly detained by the Civil Protection. Hours later, a citywide alert is triggered from the City 17 Citadel and Freeman kills several Civil Protection officers as he flees into the canals. Outlying teams encounter Freeman, who evades them and raids several outposts before disappearing along the Dnieper River.

#### November 2nd

Overwatch squadrons on the coast of the Black Sea encounter Freeman several times throughout the day. Later, the coastal prison facility Nova Prospekt is raided by Freeman, who reports indicate was controlling antlions with pheropods.

#### November 3rd

Backup teams encounter Freeman and Alyx Vance in Nova Prospekt's high security sector. After several failed attempts to apprehend them, Freeman and Vance disappear in a dark energy flare that destroys the entire complex.

#### November 10th

Freeman and Vance again appear in City 17, which is now marred by unrest after the explosion at Nova Prospekt. Vance is captured by transhuman soldiers and taken to the City 17 Citadel along with her father, Eli. Freeman gives chase, penetrating the Citadel's outer defenses and embarking on a rampage throughout the tower's lower levels.

In the evening, Freeman is held in a prisoner pod and taken to the office of Wallace Breen along with Eli and Alyx. Judith Mossman, who had been masquerading as a double agent, frees the trio. Alyx and Freeman give chase to Breen as he flees while Eli and Mossman escape.

Shortly after the debacle in Breen's office, a dark energy flare destroys the top portion of the Citadel. Freeman and Vance disappear for several days; Breen's whereabouts are unknown.

#### November 11th

Freeman and Vance reappear in City 17 and help numerous refugees escape via train with Calhoun. The two then depart on another train which is derailed by a dark energy flare from the Citadel, whose reactor core had gone critical.

#### November 12th

Contact with Freeman and Vance is established. The two reconnect with Eli and the rest of Lambda's leadership at White Forest and assist with the launching of a satellite, *WFS-001,* designed by Arne Magnusson. *WFS-001* destabilizes the superportal over City 17.

While Freeman and Alyx prepare for a mission to an undisclosed location, Eli Vance is assassinated by a sniper's bullet. The identity of his killer is unknown.

#### November 13th

Freeman is seen interacting with Kleiner and Magnusson before departing to an unknown location via helicopter with the younger Vance.

Gordon Freeman has not been seen since this date. Considering that his age would be approximately 100 in the present day, most historians believe that Freeman is dead.

## Legacy

The effects of Freeman's actions are monumental. It is likely that Union rule would have not have unraveled in the manner that it did without Freeman's intervention. Furthermore, the attempts of the Union to create a superportal would have resulted in humanity's defeat had Freeman not facilitated the launch of *WFS-001*. For these reasons, Freeman is unanimously credited with being the greatest and most influential Liberation fighter, and his name and image are used worldwide as symbols of freedom.

The Catholic Church, after the election of the newest Pope, officially venerated Freeman as the S*aint of Liberation, and Savior of Humanity*. Freeman's canonization came at the end of a long series of canonizations including individuals such as Adeline Ravoux, Alyx Vance and Eli Vance.

## Skepticism

Some fringe groups have been skeptical of or wholly denied Freeman's role as a liberator. Elements of the transcendent fascism movement, including many anonymous posters on Intranet forums, have taken Freeman's mysterious background and unpredictable movements as evidence that he was a culmination of several individuals with similar appearances and skillsets. Transcendent fascists also tend to be critical of Freeman's slaying of Civil Protection officers and transhuman soldiers, as well as the deaths and structural damage caused by the uprisings that he inspired.

Some government officials in the UTCE have attempted to shift credit from Freeman onto Lyall Seyler. Officials in Free Russochina attempted a similar tactic with Engel Haas.

Most Benefactor cults revile Freeman, variously calling him a mass murderer, heretic and criminal.