Tragedy...

Our day has become very sad, I'm afraid. Let me catch you up to speed.

The visitors I spoke of in my previous entry are a young Doctor Freeman and his beautiful friend, Alyx. (Freeman is very camera shy) They say they came from the Citadel, and were actually the cause of its destruction. A tall tale--I know, but for some reason I believe them.

I have a confession to make: I do believe I have fallen in love with the maiden. I know it's soon, but her eyes are full of mystery, and her hips speak of wonder this gnome has never seen before. It is unclear if she belongs to the Doctor, but my hopes are firmly set in the belief that she will one day be mine. This divulged feeling will be even more tragic as you learn of the events that have unfolded.

The pair urgently needed to send a transmission, but as you may recall, I have lost power in my shack, and had no way of restoring it. My new friends found a way, however. A simple plug was missing on the control board.

As soon as they had it up and running. Dr. Freeman and Alyx found the people they were looking for. Their conversation seemed important, so I gave them some privacy. All I know is that they had obtained the coordinates to the origin of the combine, and that they needed to get to The White Forest to launch a satellite with this information. I really didn't pay much attention, though.

Then the Doctor expressed a great deal of interest in me accompanying them in their adventure. Something about an accomplishment, or achievement he wanted to meet. I thought nothing of it, and gladly decided to come along. Dr. Freeman may not have been as talkative and charismatic as the Dr. Breen I know, but he certainly was good looking. I also agreed to leave my childhood home for selfish reasons. It would have me with my lovely Alyx. Oh, poor Alyx.

Freeman is an interesting fellow. He says he's a doctor, but in my time with him I haven't seen him do one doctoral thing! Our first trip out my door and he had already found a nasty creature. Much less, he used the fancy orange cylinder to bludgeon the creature with a rock. I happily posed over our kill.

The Doctor is not only violent in killing (something no doctor I've ever visited had done), but he also has quite a sense of humor. He asked if I wanted to go for something of a ride. Excited to show my appreciation for my new friends, I gladly took the invite. Little did I know what the Doctor had in store for me.

I rode a rickety train car at 2000 miles an hour down a 50 mile stretch and blasted through a ton of wood! All bruised and beat, my "friend" the Doctor only laughed at my misfortune! Even Alyx found humor in my pain. Some ride!


Still battered from Freeman's little joke, I decided to show my fair Alyx some of the art I had been working on. I am quite certain that she was impressed with my work, even if she was still congratulating the Doctor on his craftiness with the mine cart.

Then the horror began. Freeman was busy working us a way into the mines when Alyx and I were brutally assaulted by a monstrous 3 legged demon! Spikes through the waste, Alyx fell limp as the beast stomped on her!

As the beast escaped, the antlion vultures ascended on us. I held them off while the weak doctor recovered from a few bumps on the head. Just as I was taking care of the pests, an ugly creature with powers beyond even my own came to clean up the bugs.

This new creature was what the doctor called a "Vortigaunt." Whatever he was, he was a friend. He immediately swooped Alyx in his arms, promising to heal her with his companions deep inside of the mine.

I immediately rushed back here to inform all of you before I descend into the mine shaft I discovered for our party. I will update you more when I find a power source!