Adrian Shephard
From Halflife2.net Wiki
| Adrian Shephard, Corporal | |
|---|---|
| |
| Age: | 22 |
| Affiliation: | HECU |
| Role: | Protagonist |
| Appearances: | Opposing Force |
Adrian Shephard is a 22 year old United States Marine holding the rank of Corporal, who was part of the HECU taskforce operating from Santego Military Base in Arizona. He was under the command of sergeant Dwight T. Barnes during his (failed) mission in the Black Mesa Research Facility. He is the protagonist of the Half-Life expansion pack Opposing Force.
[edit] Prior to the Black Mesa Incident
Before being assigned to the Black Mesa HECU reinforcements, Shephard was undergoing training in the Santego Military Base in Arizona, under the command of sergeant Dwight T. Barnes and underwent advanced training, after being "mysteriously bumped up to the top" of the trainee list. Corporal Shephard kept a brief log of his days at the training facility:
- "March 3 - Another typically hellish day at base camp. I'll be glad when this is over and I can finally can get assigned a mission. There has been this really weird civie spotted at the base. Rumor is he's from some government branch looking to recruit; others say he's with some secret research group. I would jump at the chance to join. It would be cool just for the change and the adventure."
- "March 7 - I finally saw the government guy today. I am not sure he is a g-man, but he was wearing a really uptight suit and carrying a briefcase. He looked more like a lawyer or insurance agent to me. I did notice him checking me out. Several times throughout the day I spotted him just watching me during training. I wonder what he's up to..."
- "March 9 - For weeks our drills have been the same crap day after day. Today we assemble for the morning run and our drill instructor tells us we have one week to become experts at indoor strategic combat. We will be spending every day this week at the combat simulation facility. As far as I know this a specialized training not taught in boot camp. What I want to know is if this is to test our ability to adapt or if we are being readied for a specific mission? Time will tell..."
- "March 12 - The rumors have been flying since our indoor combat training began. Most of my peers are convinced that we are being primed for a mission. No one can agree on what the mission is. I have heard the name Black Mesa Facility thrown around a lot, but I have no information about the place. The rumors are that some top-secret research is going on there. Doesn't sound too exciting to me..."
- "March 15 - The rumor has been confirmed. We are being trained for a mission at the Black Mesa Facility. All I know is that the place is being used by scientists who are doing some kind of new research. I can't imagine what we would be needed for. We were told today to be ready in case it happens tomorrow. I don't know what "it" is, but the whole thing is a little strange. I kind of hope it doesn't happen; the mission doesn't seem to have much excitement potential. I'd rather hold out for something with more likelihood of combat."
It is worth a note that during the boot camp part of Opposing Force (the games equivalent of the Hazard Course) you can spot G-Man in a building overlooking you from a window with a soldier who has an smg. The building's sign is labeled Tactical Operation Command
[edit] Black Mesa Incident
Shepard was sent into Black Mesa in an osprey helicopter, flying over the canyons which Gordon would traverse the side of later.The entire Hecu was uninformed as to what the mission was, and as the squad was talking to eachother about it, a Xen ship flew into view and destroyed one of the osprey helicopters being sent in right in front of Shepard. Suddenley the osprey helicopter became unstable and the squad leader either jumped or fell out of the helicopter midway through the briefing.
The helicopter crashed and Shepard found himself in the middle of a battlefield between Vortigaunts and his squad. An large flash engulfed his view and he woke up in a bunker to see one of his fellow squad members being hit the electrical attack of a vortigaunt after being yelled at to "Get down!". He then faded out of consciousness.
He found himself in the infirmary of Black Mesa, with a scientist doing cpr on dead hecu soldiers all around. The scientist sent him to call for help at the site where his osprey crashed. Shepard found his Powered Combat Vest (PCV) and on the way saw the Zombies that had become of some of the Hecu soldiers. He made his way to the radio and found out that the Hecu were evacuating Black Mesa, and on the way had been saved by the G-Man, who had opened a door out of a room filling with toxic waste for Shepard. He found the Helicopter eventually only to have the hangar door shut on him by the G-Man, trapping him in the Black Mesa Research Facility.
Shepard found met up with some other soldiers who were left behind and made his way to the surface, where he found that balck ops were delivering a "package", and is forced to kill them after they attack him. He eventually finds his way to the Lambda core just in time to see Gordon Freeman jumping into the teleport from Xen, a scene in the original Half Life. He jumps into another teleport on the other side of the room and ffinds himself in Xen. There he finds the Displacer, a gun which can teleport a being and its user to Xen. He finds a teleport out of Xen and finds himself back in Black Mesa. He makes his way through the facility to find a massive teleportation lab filled with many underwater areas, and a large biodome complex where the scientists have been observing the Xen creatures behaviour in their simulations of their natural habitat. He makes his way into an older industrial area to find a radio and hear chatter of a group of soldiers who are figthing a "giant worm creature" and that they "need backup now! NOW DAMNIT NOW!". He works his way through the vents into a waste disposal area, where he battles the Pit Worm, who he destroys by activating the Gearbox and the Valve in order to activate the waste dumping mechanism, killinng the Pit Worm.
He then makes his way through the surface of Black Mesa and arrives at the hydroelectric dam that Gordon was at before then. He battles a Gargantua there and kills it by activating tnt set on the damn. He makes his way through the facility to come to an underground parking garage, where he finds two black ops arming a nuke, which he deactivates after killing the black ops. He finds a secuirty guard who tells him that the only way out of the facility is through an old warehouse, but that the place is a warzone between the aliens and the black ops. On his way to the warehouse, Shepard spots G-Man rearming the nuke. Shepard couldn't disarm the nuke again, as the way to it was blocked. Shepard made his way through the warehouse until he emt up with a secuirty guard whom told him that there "[this alien] is the nastiest looking one yet.". Shepard moved ahead to find the Gene Worm, which he defeated only for it to creat a large teleport that Adrian was sucked into. He found himself sitting in the same osprey helicopter he began the mission in, with G-Man standing in front of him.
"So ... Corporal Shephard, we meet at last. Please, don't think I have been avoiding you, a great many matters require my attention in these troubled times, I do hope you understand. And now I require a further indulgence on your part. I cannot close my report until every loose end has been tied up. The biggest embarrassment has been the Black Mesa Facility but I think that's finally taking care of itself ..." A flash occurs from the nuclear explosion that engulfed Black Mesa "...quite so." The osprey helicopter was then teleported to what looked like an area of Xen. "But there is still the lingering matter of witnesses. I admit I have a fascination with those who adapt and survive against all odds ... they rather remind me of myself, and if for no other reason I have argued to preserve you for a time." The osprey is then teleported to the dimension that Gordon was left in, with star like lights passing the helicpoter. "While I believe civil servants like yourself understand the importance of discretion, my Employers are not quite so trusting, and rather than continually subject you to the irresistible human temptation of telling all, we have decided to ... convey you somewhere you can do no possible harm, and where no harm can come to you ... I'm sure you can imagine there are worse...alternatives." G-Man steps into the portal, leaving Shepard therre for an unknown time.
[edit] Beyond Black Mesa
Since his incarceration in Half-Life: Opposing Force, Corporal Shephard has not been seen since in the sequels Half-Life 2, Episode One and he not appear in Episode Two . Despite, what is apparently. a concidental reference to Shepard in Portal (Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device- A.S.H.P.D) there has been no mention of Shepard in Half-Life 2 or its subsequent episodes. Many fans believe that Shepard will return one day in perhaps either Episode Three or a later game, due to his popularity from Opposing Force and his position in stasis at the G-Man's command. It could be likely that the G-Man may use Shepard as his pawn instead of Dr. Gordon Freeman who was liberated in Episode One, or use Shepard to either capture or kill Dr. Freeman at a later stage, but this is mere speculation.
