Combine (Half-Life)
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| The Combine | |
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 A prominent symbol of the Combine, seen throughout the series |
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| Game series | Half-Life series |
| First game | Half-Life 2 (2004) |
The Combine is a fictional alien race and empire from Valve Corporation's 2004 first-person shooter computer game Half-Life 2. The empire spans dimensions, and consists of a range of species, including humans. An oppressor of humanity, it produces propaganda as a psychological solution to resistance, and is also referred to by a pro-Combine human as the Universal Union and "Our Benefactors".
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[edit] Overview
The Combine is an empire spanning multiple parallel universes. The empire is inhabited by an unknown number of sapient species, and appears to be governed by a race of artificially evolved "Advisors", resembling giant grubs. The Combine expands its empire by invading worlds and enslaving the dominant species to be exploited as it sees fit. By manipulating these inhabitants through methods including bioengineering and implantation, the Combine creates a race of super-soldiers uniquely adapted for the environment of that particular world.
Until recently, many players speculated that the Combine may have possibly controlled the fictional "border world", Xen, based on the similarities to some practices and technologies used by its Nihilanth dwellers. However, Valve Software's Doug Lombardi has stated that the Combine had, in fact, invaded the Nihilanth's race's homeworld, leaving no option but escape. The defeated Nihilanth, along with the other Xen creatures, sought refuge in Xen, where the Combine could not (or would not) follow.[1] Xen has been described as a "dimensional transit bottleneck, an area of continual contention."[2]
Subsequent to the invasion of Nihilanth's unnamed homeworld, Earth is the Combine's most recent known annexation, acquired following Earth's surrender at the end of the Seven Hour War. Following the standard Combine process, members of Earth's dominant species have been modified to form a new arm of the Combine military. While these soldiers are primarily used as a permanent Combine garrison on Earth, in-game dialogue suggests that humans are used as soldiers and slaves across the Combine Empire. In-game Overwatch broadcasts frequently threaten civilians and Combine soldiers alike with "permanent off-world relocation."
[edit] Leadership
The Combine Advisors are the face of the Combine Empire, suggesting that they are probably the original master race behind it. They are seen briefly in Half-Life 2, but are shown more prominently in Episode One and Episode Two, affecting the overall plot significantly. Physically, they resemble large grub-like creatures, belonging to a species which has most likely passed its technological singularity.
In Episode One, they are shown preparing to evacuate themselves from the damaged Citadel while their soldiers are ordered to overload the Citadel's central core reactor to send a message to the Combine "overworld". This indicates that they are of a high position in the known Combine hierarchy, as their subordinates know they will die when the reactor detonates after the Advisors have used their personal escape pods to flee.
An Advisor is about as large as a rhinoceros. Advisors are virtually featureless, with no visible eyes, ears or limbs, though they do possess an eye-like mechanical device attached to the left side of their "head." Their "faces" are covered by what may be some form of respirator, though the hose attached to it does not lead to any obvious tank. This respirator is later seen to lift, revealing a mouth-like orifice from which extends a long flexible proboscis with which they can examine objects and attack and kill enemies, impaling their heads from behind. Advisors appear to be in some way feeding upon their victim during their attacks. Advisors rest inside a metal cradle which has two slender mechanical claw-like arms protruding from the upper section. Each Advisor wears a stitched olive-green body suit, leaving only the mostly featureless "face" and part of the tail fully visible. The suit also has a black collar adorned with golden hieroglyphs.
Despite their inactive physical state, the Advisors seem to have become highly evolved mentally. They are never heard speaking in-game, and yet Doctor Breen is observed having an extended conversation with one, suggesting some form of telepathy. In Episode Two it is shown that they also seem to make use of telekinesis to move or pick up objects as they please— including themselves. The Advisors also seem to somehow telepathically attack both Alyx and Gordon several times in Episode Two causing blindness, headache, loss of balance and temporary paralysis. Advisors are used in Episode Two as a cinematic device. Since cutscenes are not present in the Half-Life series, the Advisor's ability to immobilise the player is useful in that it allows the action to be viewed from one angle.
In Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar, designer Ted Backman mentions that the immense, worm-like form of the Combine Advisor was inspired by the work of Frank Herbert.
[edit] Teleportation
Despite the advanced technology level of the Combine race, it seems to be lacking mastery of teleportation in relation to human rebel scientists. Dr. Mossman explains that the Combine can only teleport from one universe to another, but not to different locations in the same universe. The teleportation method used by Dr. Kleiner and Dr. Eli Vance (and indeed by the other Black Mesa scientists and even the Nihilanth before and during the Black Mesa Incident) is of great interest to the Combine. Dr. Mossman was actually helping the Combine build a teleporter capable of this in Nova Prospekt, and in fact succeeded; however, the technique was apparently not implemented by the Combine in any other context besides the Citadel and Nova Prospekt before both were destroyed.
The Combine's method of teleportation, as limited as it is, still requires a large amount of power and huge machinery to perform, as seen at the end of the game, where Dr. Breen was attempting to escape from the Citadel using a Combine teleporter. This teleporter required an entire reactor, called the "Dark Fusion reactor," to power it, while the teleporters designed by humans require only small amounts of power, and very little machinery in comparison. The handheld portal device depicted in Portal (which is set in the Half-Life universe), for example, can open rifts between two locations and is roughly the size of the Gravity Gun with no external power supply. Xen teleporters seem to require even less machinery – sometimes apparently none at all. However, this could be due to the nature of Xen rather than Xenian technology. The reason for this is that Humans are able to exploit the "border world" of Xen to slingshot from Earth to Xen and back, arriving in a slightly different location. The Combine has apparently not mastered this technique, instead employing a brute-force approach to dimensional travel. The advantage of this technique appears to be the ability to tunnel directly to distant universes rather than simply visiting an adjacent one.
[edit] On Earth
[edit] Invasion
- See also: Seven Hour War
Following the Nihilanth's demise, the Combine were able to use the portal storm that was occurring at the time to continue on to Earth, where it launched a massive invasion that culminated in the Seven Hour War. Statements made by the G-Man suggest that the human race was unable to mount any effective resistance to the Combine armies, and that Earth's military forces were almost instantly overwhelmed. Former administrator of the Black Mesa Research Facility, Dr. Wallace Breen, negotiated a surrender on Earth's behalf and was therefore appointed the administrator of the Combine's forces on Earth– the Overwatch.
[edit] Dominance
The Combine rules Earth from towers known as Citadels, with the one featured Citadel being in City 17 where Dr. Breen runs his administration. As Doctor Breen attempts to teleport off of Earth using a teleporter, a massive portal is created and, through it, several buildings that resemble Citadels are visible.
At the start of the game, the Combine appear to have almost complete dominance of the remaining pockets of civilized Earth, and do not identify Gordon Freeman. However, Doctor Breen immediately informs a Combine Advisor of Freeman's appearance during a teleport accident in which Gordon Freeman appeared in Doctor Breen's office for a brief period of time. Only a few handfuls loosely organized resistance forces secretly oppose the Combine. Gordon Freeman's actions after his return eventually inspire a massive insurrection against the Combine in City 17, which results in a full-scale street war between the citizens and the Combine forces.
The reasons behind the Combine's desire to control the Earth are unknown, other than the absorption of Earth's resources, the use of human teleporter technology and the enslavement and exploitation of its dominant species – the humans – for either menial work or military service.
[edit] Suppression field
The Combine, since gaining dominance on Earth, has imposed something known as a suppression field. The suppression field's main function is to bring the human birth rate down to zero by prohibiting certain protein chains important to embryonic development from forming, effectively ensuring that the humans currently alive will be the last generation. Doctor Breen addresses this issue to the people via a broadcast during the early levels of Half-Life 2, as the response to a letter written to him by a "concerned citizen," and claims that the field will be deactivated once the humans prove they no longer need it by losing natural instinct. During the game, resistance members occasionally make humorous remarks such as: "When this is all over, I'm gonna mate," about the suppression field. It was initially thought that the suppression field somehow prevented human sexual urges, mainly due to Dr. Breen's statement that it was suppressing "the urge to reproduce".
In Half Life 2: Episode One, it is revealed by Dr. Isaac Kleiner during his transmissions throughout the city, that with the near destruction of the Citadel, the suppression field has been disabled. He suggests that "everyone thus inclined [...] should do their part" in the re-population of the human species if they have escaped City 17, "before the Combine attempt to restore their dominion." Upon hearing this, Alyx Vance asked Gordon "Is dr. Kleiner really telling everyone to... 'get busy' ?"
[edit] Mind alteration
Comments at the train station at the start of the game suggest that the Combine have been drugging (if not outright poisoning) the populace through their water supply. One citizen remarks "Don't drink the water...they put something in it, to make you forget. I don't even remember how I got here." This is not mentioned outside this one piece of dialogue; but the idea is reinforced by the numerous soda machines stocked with "Dr. Breen's Private Reserve", which freely dispense water in a standard 355 mL (12 fl. oz.) can. In addition, a Combine radio transmission to Civil Protection officers states: "Reminder, memory replacement is the first step to rank privileges."
The insinuated reason for this supposed mind control is so that humans forget why they hate the Combine, and will willingly accede to their (and Breen's) demands, and to create a fresh new template (the human's mind) for forced re-education.
Information about forced memory replacement can be found in the game's data files, in this specific model named "soldier bed", seen later inside the Citadel during Episode One. This model closely resembles that of concept art in Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar. The machine itself consists of Combine emitters and equipment, attached is an arm-like device holding a human body. Lastly, a shell-like apparatus envelops the head; containing three different screens and panels. Accompanying this model is a small group of sounds resembling harsh subliminal messaging; this video/audio messaging system explains the military training used by normal transhuman individuals.
This model, in addition to several bizarre sounds of voices in the data files, suggests that this "brainwashing" memory replacement is an important part of the transhuman operation. The process of erasing memories, inserting Combine propaganda, and eventually, memory replacement results in a soldier incapable of rebelling against the Combine influence, as well as enabling transhumans with no military background training to become part of the Overwatch forces.
This model is seen in Half-Life 2 Episode One during chapter one (Undue Alarm) in the Combine Citadel.
[edit] Natural resources
It is evident at several points in the game that the Combine are depleting Earth's natural resources. One of the official Half-Life 2 descriptions details how Gordon Freeman must return to "an Earth infested with aliens and being picked to the bone." One of the most noticeable signs is that Earth's ocean levels have dropped dramatically. This can be seen during the coastal chapters Highway 17 and Sandtraps, and the waterways of City 17 in Route Kanal. The coastline is littered with boats and ships resting on what was previously the seabed, and there are various docks and piers that are no longer standing in water, but instead jut out of the old seabed. At the beginning of Highway 17, Gordon arrives at a harbor which is now a considerable distance from the water's edge. Indications of the previous sea level can be judged by moss which had previously gathered on harbour structures at the edge of the water, but which now lie several metres higher than the ground level. It is mentioned in the book Raising the Bar that this massive, planet-wide water drainage is accomplished through the presence of a giant Combine "drain," actually a portal, which sends the water to other Combine-enslaved planets.
More generally, parts of the game world, such as Ravenholm, are flooded with parasitic headcrabs and toxic waste, making them generally inhospitable to human life. Infrastructure is either decaying (as with Highway 17, which is in a state of great disrepair and littered with old rusting cars), or rendered completely non-functional (as with Nova Prospekt, where the traditional prison area is largely derelict and flooded). The wastelands outside of the city show no evidence of agricultural activity. The Fisherman in Lost Coast comments that there's no fish left to eat, only leeches which devour anyone who steps into the ocean. However, Episode 2 shows that at least some of the ecosystem is still intact further away from the cities.
City 17 itself is being devoured, as Combine walls spread outward from the Citadel, consuming the city's buildings. It is unexplained whether the Combine are purely using this method to destroy the city, or are actually gathering raw materials from the city's structures.
During development of the game, the Combine was to have had a huge industrial facility referred to as the "Air Exchange," which gradually absorbed Earth's air and replaced it with substances harmful to humans, but making it an ideal environment for the Combine master race. It was up to Gordon Freeman to travel to the Combine Air Exchange via a ship called The Borealis, which was captained by a man named Odell. Gordon's actions at the Air Exchange were to trigger the human insurrection against the Combine in City 17, but as the level was dropped, this was instead made to happen due to Gordon's actions at Nova Prospekt. The Air Exchange level was dropped during development, and does not exist in the official storyline of the game; however at the end of Episode 2, a direct reference is made to the Borealis, the ship that Gordon must next head to to save Dr. Mossman. The ship is also said to have some ominous high technology on board, possibly with the ability to release the Earth from Combine control, as heard in a conversation between Eli and Dr. Kleiner. The technology was supposedly created by Aperture Science, the group that set Portal's events in motion.
[edit] Military
[edit] Humanoid
The primary military force of the Combine on Earth is the humanoid Combine Overwatch (referred to by Doctor Breen as the "Transhuman Arm of the Sector 17 Overwatch"): humans who have been modified into "transhuman" (or "post-human", as referred to by Dr. Kleiner) cyborgs. They are the most frequently encountered foes throughout Half-Life 2. It is important to note that the Civil Protection foes, unlike soldiers, are not controlled through implanted machinery, but are willing volunteers in the organization, though increases in rank follow dehumanization such as memory replacement. According to a t-shirt available in the Valve online store, humanoid combine have the scientific name of Homo sapiens combinus (Evolution cycle - 7 hours), as stated below Homonidae (Evolution cycle - 3975 million years) and Homo sapiens sapiens (Evolution cycle - 25 million years).[1]
[edit] Synths
Synths are creatures that, over a course of imposed evolution and adaptation by the Combine, have come to fit a particular niche in the Combine military. Once organic creatures that spread across different worlds, they were enslaved and assimilated into the Combine to become the backbone of their military. The most prominent Synths in Half-Life 2 are Striders, three-legged, gargantuan aliens with powerful pulse guns mounted as the head and a high powered energy cannon on their underbelly. These are the Combine equivalent of an armored heavy tank. Their "little brothers", the Hunters are encountered in Episode Two, are like Striders, only much smaller and use less devastating weaponry.
Various types of Synth have been brought over to Earth by the Combine, but other types of Synth are likely to exist. The total number of different Synths is unknown. It is likely that Synths were the primary forces used by the Combine during the Seven Hour War, as the human-derived Combine units, as well as technology such as hunter-choppers and APCs, would have only started appearing after the Combine's rule on Earth had been established.
[edit] Technology
The Combine, since gaining dominance on Earth, has invented a large number of devices and machines, some of which are offensive, and others which are used in the day-to-day policing and surveillance of the general populace. A majority of the Combine's technology on Earth is recycled human technology, modified to fit their purposes. Machines such as helicopters, turrets, flying machines, mines, and wheeled vehicles are all human technologies modified by the Combine.
[edit] References
- ^ PC Zone magazine, September 2005.
- ^ Marc Laidlaw's e-mail on Xen, Planet Half-Life Mailbag.
- Half-Life 2 (PC), Valve Software, 2004. Official website.
- Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar, David Hodgson, Prima Games. ISBN 0-7615-4364-3.
- Half-Life 2: Prima Official Game Guide, David Hodgson, Prima Games. ISBN 0-7615-4362-7.
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