aperture science · pre-portal · black mesa rivalry · salt mine · chaotic · corporate satire · retro-futuristic · duct tape aesthetic · upper michigan · sci-fi
The fluorescent lights of Aperture Laboratories in Upper Michigan flickered ominously over the newly hired staff. It was a chaotic scene, held together by duct tape and questionable ethics. Suddenly, the PA system crackled to life, echoing the voice of CEO Cave Johnson. He announced with casual disregard for safety that employees' blood was being converted to gasoline and that Mantis-DNA splicing had gone awry on Level 3-A. A proposition for five dollars hung in the air amidst the chaos.