Victory Mine

An abandoned section of the mine.

> *"So it's right underneath your house..."*
>
>

--David Hawkings to Carson on the location of the mine.

**Victory Mine** (Russian: **ШАХТА ПОБЕДЫ**) is an Russian-American abandoned mining area located encountered in Season 5 by David Hawkings and his group. It was located somewhere in the outskirts of Big City, with one entrance being located below Carson's House. After the outbreak, it was infested by a large group of Antlions and Headcrab Zombies. It is named for it's counterpart seen in Half-Life 2: Episode 2, although it has no official name given.

## Pre-Apocalypse

Not much is known about the mine before the apocalypse. It was obviously used for mining some sort of minerals or resources, however, it is not known what. What is known is that, due to the seemingly antiquated technology seen, it may have been abandoned long before the outbreak actually happened.

However, various mutilated corpses are seen during David's trip through the mine, meaning they could have been either mine workers, or victims the Antlions took down into the mines.

## Post-Apocalypse

Regardless of the state of the mine prior to the outbreak, Headcrabs managed to make their way down into the mines, zombifying either the mine workers or survivors who took shelter in the mines.

Due to the hidden nature of the mines, it seems the Rebels tried to use the mines as a hideout. This obviously backfired as the mine was a cesspit for zombies and Headcrabs. This is evidenced during David's trip through the mines, as several dead or zombie rebels were seen by him and his group.

When researchers at Black Mesa Sigma opened a portal to Xen, the homeworld of the Antlions, this lead to them escaping to earth, where they took shelter and nested in secluded areas. One of these areas was Victory Mine, where the hive of Antlions took advantage of the already excavated tunnels, and dug their own caverns, where they laid their eggs to breed the species. Antlions took over most areas of the mines, however, some areas in the deeper untouched areas of the mine are still inhabited by Headcrab Zombies.

During Episode 3 of Season 5, Carson finds an old map in the attic of his house, which he shares with David and Luke. They decide to investigate the cave entrance they found on the map to find the source of the Antions that attacked the house. After entering the caves from the old sewers below Carson's house, they discover the mine that lay below the house all along. The three fight their way through the mines, encountering antlion nests and headcrab zombies along the way. After escaping a near death encounter with an Antlion Guard, the three take an elevator back up to the surface, and exit the mine.

## Layout

The mines consist of various winding tunnels and shafts, many of which are blocked by collapsed debris. Some of the mine shafts branch off into the caves dug out by the Antlions. The Antlion caves themselves consist of various narrow tunnels, coated with a strange web-like substance. All throughout the tunnels, Antlion eggs and larvae are perched on the wall, maturing into adult Antlions.

Several caverns lead into larger chambers, which is where the majority of the Antlions tend to congregate, and where most of the eggs lie. Unlike the mines, parts of the Antlion caves tend to be partially submerged in water, which is strange as a weakness of the Antlions lies in their inability to swim. Additionally, some the caverns lie over deep cliffs and pitfalls. The decaying structure of the mine, tremors, deadly Antlions, and hazardous cave systems overall make traversing the mines near suicide for a lone survivor.

## Current Status

The mine appears to be in a state of extreme disrepair since it's previous use. Floors are collapsed, ceilings are caved in, and old mine equipment is long rusted away. This seems to be due to constant tremors encountered by David whilst exploring the mines, and obviously a lack of maintenance since the outbreak started. It is likely the Antlions burrowing has also disrupted the structural integrity of the mine.

After David, Luke, and Carson escaped the mines, it's state is unknown. Although they killed many of the Antlions, there were likely many eggs and larvae left behind, allowing the infestation to continue. It is probable that the mines are still abandoned due to this.

## Sources

1. ↑ https://youtu.be/77RRVZasvOY?list=PLl7tPKKmq7yEHF06oa-45Gdu8QE97IxPF&t=240