White Forest satellite
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The title of this article is unofficial. |  |
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As no official title was formally given for this subject matter, the name used here was created for the wiki. |
This article is about the White Forest device. For the Black Mesa device featured in the original Half-Life, see Black Mesa satellite. |
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| White Forest satellite | |
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| General information | |
| Faction | |
| Type |
Satellite |
- "That must be an ancient entry. There are no backup sites. If we fail, the best we can hope is that the rocket falls on the enemy. Now...inertial navigation systems..."
- ― Arne Magnusson[src]
A satellite located at White Forest is used by the Resistance to shut down the superportal in Half-Life 2: Episode Two.
Contents
Appearances[edit]
Half-Life 2: Episode One[edit]
The Combine tries to send a transmission packet to the Combine Overworld by deliberately trying to blow up the Citadel's reactor and start a chain reaction by feeding huge volumes of data directly into the core. Since the dark fusion reactor is destroyed, this is the only way they have to send the packet, and they're willing to sacrifice the Citadel to do so. Alyx creates a copy of the data and downloads it onto her Multi-tool. The transmission is sent moments before the destruction of the Citadel.
Half-Life 2: Episode Two[edit]
There is a whirling maelstrom that is slowly gathering energy from the remains of the Citadel to become a superportal above the ruins of City 17. When Alyx and Gordon reestablish contact with Dr. Kleiner and Eli at White Forest, they learn that the Combine want to use the portal to open a gateway to the Combine Overworld when it attains full strength. Dr. Magnusson states that the data Alyx recovered encompasses the Combine portal code that Dr. Mossman had sought after. With the code in their possession, Magnusson plans to encode the data onto his satellite delivery rocket, a project he has devoted the last ten years to,[1] to thwart the Combine's intentions.
Alyx later explains that Magnusson had wanted to launch a satellite, carrying a device known as the Xenium Resonator, to tune into the old array that had been set up at Black Mesa, of which the satellite previously launched by Gordon is a part, but they dared not to before while the Combine was still in full power. However, with the enemy's forces fragmented in the wake of the Citadel's destruction, they were now going to take the opportunity.
Eventually, Alyx and Gordon make it to the White Forest base where the rocket silo housing the satellite is located. After fending off an attack from the Combine, the Resistance successfully manages to launch the satellite with the encoded data into orbit to shut down the portal.
Related Achievements[edit]
| Half-Life 2: Episode Two | |
|---|---|
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Little Rocket Man (30G) |
| Send the Garden Gnome into space. | |
Behind the scenes[edit]
Unused dialog from Dr. Kleiner reveals that, rather than shutting down the superportal, the purpose of Magnusson's Xenium Resonator to was to create a barrier around the planet. Once in orbital range, the resonator was to activate the old satellite array set up at Black Mesa and turn it into a shield with sub dimensional properties. This would block the Combine's access to Earth even if they did manage to restore their portal network, barring them from the planet permanently.[2]
According to Matt Wright, the team designed the rocket around blueprints from the Titan family of missiles instead of just making up something that fit their fantasies of a rocket. He adds that grounding the details of their world in reality, making them as precise as possible, makes the invented, fantastic elements seem that much more believable.[3]
Trivia[edit]
When Gordon first meets Kleiner and Magnusson in the rocket silo, Lamarr climbs into the rocket compartment after Kleiner releases her. The player can close the hatch; if they brought the Garden Gnome, doing so after putting him inside grants the Little Rocket Man achievement. Shortly before launch, Kleiner notices a "payload anomaly of eight and a half pounds."
Gallery[edit]
Pre-release[edit]
Kleiner near the delivery rocket.
Ditto.
Retail[edit]
The delivery rocket during the G-Man's speech.
Ditto.
Lamarr hiding in the rocket.
The Garden Gnome put in the rocket.
The rocket in its silo.
Ditto.
Ditto.
Gordon at the launch panel.
Ditto.
The rocket lifting off.
Ditto.
Model of the rocket.
The rocket document from Magnusson's clipboard.
List of appearances[edit]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ The Orange Box Prima Guide, page 26
- ↑ Half-Life 2: Episode Two game files
- ↑ Half-Life 2: Episode Two commentary
