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Chapter X: Entanglement
Full article (polls, links, images, and text) @ http://www.hlfallout.net/articles.php/entanglement_48/

by ArmyJonHall
Thursday November 25th, 2004

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31329
caption: Jump down into the hole and head for the railway tracks.

You've managed to fight your way through most of Nova Prospekt and now it's time to find a way out of here. This chapter contains some of the most fierce firefight sequences in the entire game, and you'll be breathing heavily by the end of it.

Jump down into the hole in the floor and head towards the train tracks. Jump down underneath the tracks and follow them along until Alyx finds you. She'll jump down to join you and aid you throughout most of Entanglement.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31330
caption: Alyx! Now there's a sight for sore eyes.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31331
caption: Once the elevator doors open, keep that trigger finger in action.



Follow her for now and join her in the search for her father. Luckily she's equipped with some sort of hacking device which allows her to open Combine barriers and disable security fields. Follow her into the elevator and ride it up.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31332
caption: Alyx soon finds Eli. Now all you have to do is get him (and yourselves) out of there.

Once you get to the top you'll be ambushed by three Nova Prospekt guards. Alyx will join you in your fight against them, and once the guards are dead she will lead you around to the pod control station.

Once she has located and started to move Eli, follow her out to the station where she'll meet up with her father. On the way you will run into more Combine Soldiers which are easily taken out. Keep an eye on Alyx however, because if she dies, well, that's the end of the game really. Once you've taken out those Soldiers check the side rooms for supplies.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31333
caption: Take out these pesky Combine Soldiers, and grab the supplies from the room just around the corner to the right.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31334
caption: Hey, it's Eli!


Following Alyx into the pod receiving area, you'll find Eli waiting your arrival. After a quick chat Alyx will send Eli to the Combine teleportation portal where you will meet up with him later. There's not much he can do now all wrapped up in that pod.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31335
caption: Alyx is kind enough to unlock this door for you, then mean enough to make you go in there all by yourself.

Follow Alyx outside where she will open up a locked door for you. Now it's time to head on alone for a bit while Alyx figures out a path through Nova Prospekt from the security station.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31336
caption: There are supplies AND headcrabs inside- keep your crowbar handy.

Once through the door Alyx unlocked for you, you will find a side door to the left that is ajar. Peek inside and you'll see some supply crates and Fast Headcrabs. Continue down the hallway and into the next room.






T

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31337
caption: Keep an eye on the TV monitors. Alyx will show you sometimes critical information on them.

he next gate you come to is locked- fortunately Alyx has figured out the Combine security system and unlocks it for you. Keep an eye out for wall-mounted TV monitors as this is Alyx's primary communication method with you.







image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31338
caption: Behind this bookshelf is an airvent...

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31339
caption: ... and there it is!


Search the office and the next set of corridors, and you'll find you're locked in again. Unfortunately the gate is malfunctioning, but after studying the prison blueprints Alyx finds a way out for you through a hidden air vent behind some shelves. Use the primary fire function on your Gravity Gun and crawl on in.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31340
caption: What is it with headcrabs and airvents?

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31341
caption: Argh! More headcrabs. Take them out from inside the air vent where they can't get to you.


Keep your crowbar handy for the air vents are infested with headcrabs (Whoa- déjà vu of Office Complex from Half-Life, anyone?) Once you reach the end of the air vents you will come to another room infested with headcrabs. This time they're the harder to hit Fast Headcrabs, but you can easily take them out from the air vent itself using the Gravity Gun and available boxes and barrels.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31343
caption: Two sentry guns to guard one supply crate? Must be a hell of a supply...

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31342
caption: Ah, cheers Alyx! Your gate opening abilities are a credit to your fathers fine education.


Search the room for supply barrels, and take note of the two sentry guns guarding a supply crate on the other side of the glass- I wonder what's in that one? Turn around and head to the metal gate (which Alyx will open for you) and head into what looks like a boiler room.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31346
caption: Ammo and grenades a'plenty.

Search the office for ammo (even though it's not really hidden) and Alyx will let you know some Combine Soldiers are on the way to make their acquaintance. Fight them from inside the office as the glass is bulletproof and the crate of grenades beside you is bottomless. Once they're all dead, head through the gate from which they came.


image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31344
caption: Looks like some Combine are on the way to say Hello. Or kill you. One of the two.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31345
caption: The glass in the office is bulletproof, so make use of that fact.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31347
caption: You can either use a filing cabinet as a shield or lob in a grenade to defeat the two sentry guns waiting for you.

Through that gate there will be two sentry guns waiting for you down the far end of the hall. You have two different courses of action here- you can either throw a grenade at the guns, or grab a filing cabinet from the office and use it as a shield. Once the guns are down head back towards the gate and take the hallway to the right.



image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31348
caption: Take these guys out and head carefully through that door on the right...

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31349
caption: ... for this sneaking fellow is waiting for you to come through.


Down the hallway you'll find another small office inhabited by more Combine Soldiers. After taking out the Soldier behind the small shield, get ready with your shotgun, for just around the corner to the right of the door is another Combine Soldier just waiting for you to mosey on past. Take him out with extreme prejudice. Pick up the grenades on the table to the far side of the room.

You'll come to another security field. This time without Alyx around to turn it off for you you're going to have to do it yourself. Take note of the office the power cable is heading into. and unplug it with a grenade. Grab the health and ammo inside the office.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31350
caption: The plug which powers the security shield.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31351
caption: Lob a grenade into the office to unplug the shield.



image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31352
caption: You can either use a grenade or the primary fire of your Gravity Gun to knock the sentry gun over.

Now just around the corner from the office is another sentry gun waiting for you. Either use your Gravity Gun to knock it over or lob a grenade in. There are plenty of grenades back in the office if you need more.







image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31353
caption: Use your Gravity Gun to pick up a barrel to use as a shield against these two sentry guns.

Now before you head around the corner be aware that there are two sentry guns waiting for you down the hall. The same sentry guns you saw before guarding that crate. Sprint through the doorway, duck down and grab a barrel with your Gravity Gun. Use it as a shield and once you get close enough to them, knock them over using the primary fire of the Gravity Gun.


image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31354
caption: The Combine security station. There's another Combine Soldier just around the corner to the left.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31355
caption: 'Blank' sentry guns. You can set these up to do your bidding.


Smash open that supply crate the sentry guns were guarding and head on into the next door, where you will soon come to another Combine control station. Inside are two Combine Soldiers, a health and HEV station, some ammo and two unprogrammed sentry guns. Alyx will program them to target Combine Soldiers and you're going to need them to defend the control station. Set them up as per the screenshots so they're covering one set of stairs each.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31356
caption: Set up the sentry guns so they're just peeking around the wall towards the stairs.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31357
caption: Keep your Gravity Gun handy in case a sentry gun gets knocked over.


You should be able to crouch down near a control station without drawing fire. Keep your gravity gun handy in case a Combine Soldier gets lucky and knocks one of your sentry guns over. However if you place them correctly you should have to do a thing apart from sitting back and watching the show.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31358
caption: Watch out for Combine Soldiers trying to snipe at you from the far balcony.

After a while the Combine will send some Manhacks into the office after you. Take them out with your crowbar and wait for the Combine to run out of reinforcements.






image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31359
caption: Dr. Mossman? What game is she playing at?

Once all the Combine is down, Alyx will drop down from the roof and hack into the control station to look for Dr. Mossman. But she's not in a pod like Eli- she's up to something else. Something evil.

Alyx will disable the security shields so you can get into the next sector. Head downstairs and to the right into the small white door, where you will come across another door blocked with debris. Clear the debris away and head inside.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31360
caption: Use your Gravity Gun to clear the debris and head down the staircase.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31361
caption: You'll find the office infested with Headcrabs- again. The little bastards are everywhere.



Head down the staircase and you'll come to another office infested with headcrabs. Take them out, search the office and boiler room for supplies and head into the next door.

You'll enter a utility room full of water that has become electrified by a Combine control panel. You can't destroy the panel or turn off the electricity so you're going to have to jump. Jump onto the pipes to the left of where you just entered. Grab a barrel or box with your Gravity Gun and feed it to the Barnacle to distract it while you jump down onto the platform with the stack of blue barrels. Keeping an eye out for the headcrab living here, head down the ladder. You won't be able to run through the water and jump out the other side, so you're going to have to make a bridge. Grab the blue barrels with your Gravity Gun and gently place them into the water. It's a bit tricky to get right at first since the barrels are easily knocked over but once you get two in place (as per the screenshot) you can jump on and jump over to the other side.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31362
caption: Jump onto the pipes on the left, distract the Barnacle with a barrel, and jump down onto the platform surrounded by the white fence.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31363
caption: Use your Gravity Gun and the blue barrels to make a bridge to cross the electrified water.



image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31364
caption: When the Zombies wake up, back up through the door so they can only approach you one at a time.

Where you find smoke you'll find fire. The same goes for Headcrabs and Zombies. Just through the door are more sleeping zombies, but they'll wake up and come after you. Take them out with your crowbar and search the room for supplies near the sparking electricity box.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31365
caption: Unblock this door with your Gravity Gun and head on through.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31367
caption: Don't forget to search the upstairs offices for ammo and health.



image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31366
caption: Take out the Combine Soldiers and jump down off the balcony.

Head upstairs and you'll come into a prison block marked "D8". Head upstairs and search the office for ammo and grenades. Head back out to the balcony where more Combine soldiers will be waiting for you to kill them. Once they're dead, jump down and head into the small side office near the gates.




image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31368
caption: More sentry guns to do your bidding.

Inside you'll find more health and HEV dispensers as well as three more sentry guns. This next Alamo battle is fairly difficult so save here and save often throughout the fight. Set up the sentry guns so they're defending the small office (as per the screenshots) and get ready for the most fierce fire-fight you will experience so far.


image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31369
caption: Set this one up facing the control panel inside the office to narrow it's field of fire.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31370
caption: Set these two outside the office so they can cover the stairs and right hand side hallway.


Because of the close ranges involved, Combine Soldiers will knock over your sentry guns with shotgun blasts, grenades and well-delivered kicks. Use your Gravity Gun to right them again and to pick up grenades and hurl them back at the Combine. Wave after wave of Man-hacks will join in the fight too so keep an eye (and ear) out for them as well. Use your shotgun to kill any Combine Soldier who starts getting close to your sentry guns.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31371
caption: Yes, I could have used your help Alyx. Thanks for nothing.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31372
caption: Don't forget to search the rooms for ammo.



image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31373
caption: Grab some health and HEV before you head downstairs.

Once the fight is over Alyx will join you again and let you know she won't leave you again. That's nice of her. Search the offices down the hall for supplies and follow her downstairs, not forgetting to recharge your health at the station at the top of the stairs.

Once you get downstairs the lights will go out, and the Combine will launch another attack. Rush the Combine with your shotgun and take them out as quickly as you can before Alyx takes too many hits. If you see the Combine bunch up in a corner, lob in a grenade and take them all out.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31374
caption: Ahh, a firefight by th flarelight. It'd be romantic except for the gunfire.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31375
caption: When they all bunch up like this it's time for a grenade.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31377
caption: Alyx will open more doors for you, and seal this one behind you to stop the Combine from following.

Head upstairs where Alyx will take you to another security station where she'll lock Dr. Mossman in her office. Head down with Alyx to the trapped Dr. Mossman, where some harsh words will be exchanged ("Just leave the talking to me Gordon." Ha ha ha! Ah, the irony).






image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31378
caption: Having fun in there, Dr. Mossman?

Alyx will force Dr. Mossman to prepare the Combine Portal to transport the four of you back to Dr. Klieners lab. While Alyx is distracted however, Dr. Mossman will jump into the teleport with Eli and teleport to an unknown destination. Now Alyx has to reset the portal and power it up, but while that's happening you're going to have to hold back the Combine Soldiers sent on their way to stop the two of you.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31379
caption: The Combine Portal. I'm sure this is a breach of Dr. Kliener's patent.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31380
caption: Hey! Dammit she's getting away again!



image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31381
caption: Health, HEV and sentry guns. Much needed supplies for the up coming battle.

Head back to the door where you came in and you'll find three sentry guns. Set them up on the platform near the control stations so they are all fairly close to each other, each one set up to cover a different door as per the screenshots.





image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31382
caption: Place each gun on the platform behind the fence to cover a seperate entrance.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31383
caption: Alyx will join in the fight as well. Between Alyx and the sentry guns, you shouldn't have to do too much shooting.


image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31384
caption: Don't forget about this smaller rear entrance.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31385
caption: Pick off any 'leakers' with your pistol.



Once the portal has powered up, jump in with Alyx and prepare for the teleportation. Just before you are teleported away you'll notice some strange Combine troopers dressed in white- These are the Combine Elite soldiers you saw in some of the monitors on your way through Nova Prospekt. You won't have to deal with them just yet so you can breathe easy for now.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31386
caption: Once the portal opens, jump in!

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31387
caption: And it's a warm welcome as always with Dr. Kliener.



You will teleport into Dr. Kleiner's lab where he'll greet you with a shotgun, and some rather startling news that you've now been labeled Anti-Citizen One.

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—ArmyJonHall, send feedback to armyjonhall@yahoo.com.au

Written for HL Fallout - http://www.hlfallout.net