aperture science · pre-portal era · black mesa rivalry · salt mine facility · corporate chaos · sci-fi satire · retro-futuristic · duct tape aesthetic · upper michigan
Flickering fluorescent lights cast a sickly glow over the assembled new hires in the cavernous depths of Aperture Laboratories. The air hummed with the sound of mismatched machinery, all seemingly held together by optimism and duct tape. A sharp crackle erupted from the overhead speakers, followed by the booming, unconcerned voice of CEO Cave Johnson. He announced, as casually as mentioning the weather, that a company-wide initiative was converting all employee blood into a gasoline substitute. He then added an afterthought about a 'minor containment issue' on Level 3-A involving experimental Mantis-DNA splicing. His voice concluded with a proposition: five dollars for any volunteer willing to step forward into the brewing chaos.