CHATBOT: Part I: The Beginning The sun was setting on a quiet day in City 17, casting an orange-pink glow on the city's decaying infrastructure. Alyx Vance, a formidable 24-year-old rebel, stood on the rooftop of an abandoned building, taking in the breathtaking view. As the rays of the setting sun gently caressed her face, Alyx couldn't shake off the feeling that her life had taken a strange turn. Placed in the center of the conflict between the human rebels and alien Combine, each day she faced down the barrel of a gun. However, today had brought something new and unexpected into her life. His name was Gordon Freeman. A physicist caught in the crossfires of the unlikely battle, his arrival had been revered by everyone within the resistance. Alyx had heard the stories, but had been skeptical of the legends that surrounded him. Today, that skepticism had dissolved. There was something out of the ordinary about Gordon, she couldn't quite place it. However, as they had worked together to fight off the Combine, it finally clicked. It was that moment on the bridge when she realized what was different about him. It was just after they had managed to escape the clutches of the Combine and were trying to make their way to the other side of the infested city. Alyx had always been adept at figuring out the best way to go off the beaten path to avoid detection. Along their course, the two came across a rusted metal bridge, the bottom left in ruinous disarray. Gordon moved first, making his way with determined stealth across the rotting structure. Click by click, the bridge groaned beneath his weight. When he finally reached the other side, he signaled for Alyx to follow. Her heart pounding in her chest, she took the first step. That rusty bridge would never have supported her father's weight; he would never have attempted it. The metal creaked and shifted, threatening to give way beneath her with every step. She looked down and a sick feeling churned inside her stomach as she saw her death staring back at her from the drop below. That's when it happened. Gordon reached out, grabbing her hand and steadying her. She expected to feel arousal, annoyance or awkwardness. Instead, she felt something else entirely: a deep connection that seemed almost otherworldly. Was this the man who would change her life? Was this the man her father had always hoped she would find? Alyx shook her head, annoyed. She hated feeling unsure. The kiss from the warm sun mellowing into the horizon calmed...