<::|| City Administrator application cycle ||::>

[Toy4x4funrun]

This is the city administrator application cycle.

<::|| CLOSED ||::>

Closed June 1st

Notes: This will be hard. Many people will apply, most denied. Only 3 people will be chosen. If no ones application is good enough then there will be no CA. All who want to apply will apply in a week time frame and all applications will then be looked at at once and only the best will be chosen. Make sure you meet all requirements.

You must have!:

Past experience!
At least 1 month played on CG HL2 RP!
At least 15 posts!
EXTREMELY ACTIVE!(at least 18 hours a week)
Available during American and early/late European times.
Available during weekends.
Great roleplaying abilities.
Good listener.
Good grammar.
Must have never been banned!
Know HL canon inside and out. (If you would like to learn this then you can look it up here: http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page )

Format:

< Insert steam name here > 's City Administrator application

What is your CA's name? (All CAs' names start with Dr.) (This is any name, Not citizens name)

Age: (IRL)

Do you have past experience? If so then where?

How long have you played Catalyst-Gaming: Half-life 2 roleplay?

How many hours do you spend a day on the server? (When it is up)

Are you available on weekends and in American time and early/late European time?

Do people consider you a good roleplayer?

Are you a good listener?

Do you have good grammar?

Have you ever been banned?

Do you know HL canon inside and out.

Write a 5 paragraph story one why you want this job? (One paragraph = 4 sentences)

Copy code:

Code: [Select]

[color=black][size=18pt][u][b][color=red]< Insert steam name here >[/color] 's City Administrator application[/b][/u][/size][/color]

[color=black][size=12pt][u][b]What is your CA's name? (All CAs' names start with Dr.) (This is any name, Not citizens name)[/b][/u][/size][/color]

[color=black][b][u]Age: (IRL)[/u][/b][/color]

[color=black][u][b]Do you have past experience? If so then where?[/b][/u][/color]

[color=black][u][b]How long have you played Catalyst-Gaming: Half-life 2 roleplay?[/b][/u][/color]

[color=black][u][b]How many hours do you spend a day on the server? (When it is up)[/b][/u][/color]

[color=black][u][b]Are you available on weekends and in American time and early/late European time?[/b][/u][/color]

[color=black][u][b]Do people consider you a good roleplayer?[/b][/u][/color]

[color=black][u][b]Are you a good listener?[/b][/u][/color]

[color=black][u][b]Do you have good grammar?[/b][/u][/color]

[color=black][u][b]Have you ever been banned?[/b][/u][/color]

[color=black][u][b]Do you know HL canon inside and out.[/b][/u][/color]

[color=black][u][b]Write a 5 paragraph story one why you want this job? (One paragraph = 4 sentences)[/b][/u][/color]


[Bromine]

Bromine 's City Administrator application

What is your CA's name? (All CAs' names start with Dr.) (This is any name, Not citizens name) Dr. Henry Fremel

Age: (IRL) 14, but very serious.

Do you have past experience? If so then where? On a friends server, I've gone up and met the administrator and observed his seriousness. Also, I've been a city administrator on another server for a while.

How long have you played Catalyst-Gaming: Half-life 2 roleplay? Well, I don't know the exact day, but 2 months is nearing, so you could put this on hold, no?

How many hours do you spend a day on the server? (When it is up) As many as I can, around 2 each day because of an unbelievably tight schedule. School is out next week, so it'll turn into almost all day when available.

Are you available on weekends and in American time and early/late European time? Most of the time.

Do people consider you a good roleplayer? They may not like me out of character, but I am a good role-player.

Are you a good listener? Yes.

Do you have good grammar? Well, of course. Good grammar is the key to being understood better.

Have you ever been banned? No.

Do you know HL canon inside and out. I've been reading Half-Life wiki and playing HL2 a lot, so yes.

Write a 5 paragraph story on* why you want this job? (One paragraph = 4 sentences)

     My name is Dr. Henry Fremel. I have acquired my name through many years of college for my doctor degree. I wish to be City 45's administrator to serve the greater good. I swear myself into the Universal Union to better the lives of both the citizens, the CCA, and myself.
     Ever since year the Universal Union came to Earth, I have ever since been a full loyalist, I have never been detained or sent to any trial. Originally, I was living near City 17, happily obeying the Union and devoting myself to my studies, but then something happened. There was... some man, causing so much unrest... the Union there felt isolated from the true union, so I left to be safe. When I came here, to city 45, I noticed how generally normal things were and I was happy.
     I, however, noticed how unruly some of the fresher units seemed, as well as how trigger-happy some seemed, I had,  of course, obeyed all orders given and never disobeyed an order. However, during a judgment waiver, a unit must have mistook me for a target when I was heading to my apartment and I was shot in the leg. After some CWU workers healed me, I devoted myself to straightening the CCA up and enforcing more strict behaviors. I vow to enforce more serious behavior, and to the recruits, better training and more often.
     Throughout my story, you may see how seriously I take the Union and City 45. I do not want City 45 to become another City 17. Sociostability will enforced under my rule, and general seriousness of the CCA should increase. I declare that only under serious circumstances, should Overwatch be brought in. I, also, swear that all recruits will be given prompt and serious training.
     I, Dr. Fremel, realize that the seriousness of the City Administrator's job is an unbelievably important task, and so, it is best recommended that I stay within the Nexus. Along with the responsibility of avoiding public exposure aside from Administration Broadcasts, I realize that I am responsible for the safekeeping of my standard-issue revolver given to administrators. If something requires me to leave the Nexus, only in dire circumstance, I will have all available Overwatch units protect me, as well as some additional high-rank Civil Authority. I, Dr. Henry Fremel, hereby devote my heart and soul, and my life, to the Universal Union, and that if it be deemed necessary by the benefactors themselves, I swear my life to the greater good.
     I ensure that rebellious forces such as the "Resistance" will be punished and dealt with... severely... and that if one is caught and capable of interrogation, I will get the information. It is my job to serve this city to it's best, and to serve the Union to my best. If I should fall during my term... then so be it, for what I've done by the time such a thing, god forbid, would ever occur, would be city-changing, and that my hopes of citizen's enlightenment be brought upon this world.
     This is Dr. Henry Fremel's application for city administrator. I repeat myself for reinforcement, that I swear my mind, soul, heart and life to the Universal Union. Long live the benefactors.
Sincerely,
       
                   

DENIED- Application is too short and misunderstanding of the City Administrators job/role.

[??. McBullet]

< Burning Bullet > 's City Administrator application

What is your CA's name? (All CAs' names start with Dr.) (This is any name, Not citizens name)
Dr. Ezekiel Fillius Caldwell.

Age: (IRL)
15

Do you have past experience? If so then where?
I have governed as a City Administrator on a Serious HL2RP server for three months. I have also been a serious-roleplaying CA in a LiteRP HL2RP server for over a year. The Serious experience would be more qualifying.

How long have you played Catalyst-Gaming: Half-life 2 roleplay?
Since the release.

How many hours do you spend a day on the server? (When it is up)
Weekdays, about an hour or two per day, depending on my work. Weekends, 15+ hours.
Are you available on weekends and in American time and early/late European time? Yes. However I would prefer to be a backup CA when there is not one currently present as I am also the NOVA DvL. Toy allowed me to apply.

Do people consider you a good roleplayer?
Yes.

Are you a good listener?
I can honestly say, I try my best. I do a decent job.

Do you have good grammar?
Of course.

Have you ever been banned?
Not once.

Do you know HL canon inside and out.
Yes. I have been studying it through gameplay and through the HL2 Wiki.

Write a 5 paragraph story one why you w
ant this job? (One paragraph = 4 sentences) This will be extremely long. Just a warning.


   Dr. Ezekiel Fillius Caldwell was born on December 7th, 1970. His parents were very ignorant of him, and he felt the only way to express his feelings and emotions were through contact with others. He became acquainted with everyone he met frequently at his daycare facility when he turned five. Caldwell knew the names of his daycare supervisors, as well as the children in his class. He actually found it interesting to listen to the head supervisor’s life story! And so, his ability to listen and gather opinions and stories from complete strangers began to grow. At ten years old, he wrote a speech for the Student Government Association of the fifth grade. To Ezekiel’s surprise, he felt calm and collected as he stood up in front of his peers and delivered a speech so well-written that he received a unanimous vote to become Class President. Caldwell felt he could accomplish anything that involved public speaking. At 16, he was invited to recite a speech for Good Morning America. The honor brought him great pride in his abilities. At 17, he graduated from his high school as Class Valedictorian of ’88. His valedictory speech brought tears to the eyes of all of its listeners for Ezekiel wrote it with passion and great detail of his class’ accomplishments. And he had his future planned out as well. He was given scholarships to Yale and Harford. He studied vigorously at Yale, his college of choice, for the next six years to earn a M.A. in Business and Administration, a Ph.D., as well as a Degree of Law.
   
   Those degrees would play a vital role in Ezekiel’s journey. In 1996, he was elected to the position of U.S. Senator. He and his aging parents were overjoyed. He would be the youngest recipient of the honor and duty to date. He held political rallies, spoke in favor of numerous Democratic Presidential nominees, and was even befriended by the President himself. In 2000, he ran for the highest office the U.S. had to offer- the Presidency. He fought “tooth and nail” but was eventually defeated by the Republican candidate. Ever since then, Caldwell vowed to reach the Presidency someday, or at least something like it. However, he became a very influential member of the United Nations in the process. UN advisors found him to be worthy of representation. This somewhat made up for his defeat.
   
   By 2016, it seemed he would get his chance again. The previous president had finished his two terms, and he was running against a “stick in the mud.” His strongest Republican opponent had no charisma about him. He was dry, had a very unlikable personality, and fit the Democratically-established Republican stereotype of “always disagreeing and pushing for spending cuts.” He knocked two opponents easily and became the Democratic candidate after winning by a landslide in the primary elections. All had seemed as though Caldwell would win, right? Wrong.
   
   The day was August 12th, 2016. Caldwell was delivering a speech on the issue of healthcare near Times Square. A faint rumbling could be felt from his podium. He looked up, saw the obsidian-looking storm clouds, and sniffed the suddenly humid air. A storm was coming. Suddenly, a huge flash of lighning erupted from the heavens, or so it seemed. This came with a bright flash of light, and a hole instantaneously opened up in the clouds. Caldwell shielded his eyes as a wave of apprehension mounted within his thoughts. And then…. It happened. A massive portal materialized out of the hole in the sky. A loud boom, and then Ezekiel could feel himself thrown off his feet. He looked around with his now-returning vision and saw that the entire audience had collapsed, eyes wide with fear. Screams. People pushing and climbing over one another. All Caldwell could infer was that whatever was happening, he had to get out, like the fleeing crowd. He slowly rose to his feet and leaned on his left foot, about to bolt away from the scene. And that was when he was thrown down again by a gust of hot air. He could feel tremors vibrating through the ground. He looked up once more, and realized that there was no escape.
   
   Huge, grotesque figures slipped from beneath the bright blue light of the portal. They looked like creatures that one would see in a Sci-Fi movie. Some dropped down heavily, some flew down with large beating wings. All of them were coated in a green slime. They swooped down and landed on the stage set for his speech. Ezekiel tried to regain stability and broke into another run. Whatever was about to come out of those “ships,” he had to get far away from them. He looked around at the last of the crowd, also desperately trying to flee. The winged creatures leaped and flew upon some of the fleeing audience, ripping them to shreds with pincers and fangs. It was quite nauseating, watching people he was about to address being ripped to bloody pieces.
   
   Ezekiel could feel his feet touch asphalt, and then realized he was on I-95. A black limousine pulled up promptly. It had a foreign license plate on it. The driver told him to get in. Without hesitation, Ezekiel followed the sound of the British voice. The green beings were lost on the horizon, but Caldwell did not dare breathe a sigh of relief. He knew those “things” were hostile and would pursue any humans. The limo skidded to a halt in front of New York's UN building, and a disgruntled and acutely disturbed Caldwell emerged from the leather interior. He was rushed inside the building, upon which he found a conference of UN leaders. A white-haired man in his later ages stood up, and started a discussion on ways to diplomatically stop whatever was attacking them. Caldwell needed to head into an air-conditioned room to clear his mind and settle his stomach, which so woefully cringed at the thought of immediate surrender.
   
   The room he sat in was covered with windows. He looked up at the sky, which became as dreary as ever. Gray storm clouds began twisting and undulating around a few points in the atmosphere. Caldwell peered upward at these points. Suddenly, the clouds separated into wide rifts at the locations Ezekiel noted. An immense flash of blue light illuminated the entire room. Caldwell was unable to make sense of his surroundings. He lost his balance and stumbled over a plush sofa.
   
   What Ezekiel couldn’t see were gigantic ships slowly creeping out of the newly formed portals. These must have been different from the first. As Ezekiel’s vision returned, he could barely make out a blue pulse coming from the huge, levitating ships. One of the ships dropped in altitude and hovered directly over the UN building. The massive force emanated from the alien engines shattered the glass in the room. A wave of glass shards fell on top of him. He covered the back of his neck and lied facedown to prevent any facial injuries. His hands became bloody and gashed. After all of the glass had fallen, he rose to his feet, delicately brushing glass off of his specially tailored suit. With difficulty, he squinted at the ship closest to the ground, and then at the horizon. He saw a large wave of green slowly taking shape a great distance away. Slowly, the ship directly over him made a 180 degree turn, and a blue light took form, aimed at the green alien wave. A thunderous sound pierced his ears. With a loud crash, a beam of pure energy erupted from the ship. Time seemed to slow down as the beam met its mark at the alien swarm. A huge, green-blue explosion rocked the entire foundation of the UN building. Caldwell was thrown back into one of the plush sofas. The shock wave from the blast caused the roof of the UN building to cave in. And in an instant, an entire wave of green creatures was gone. Representatives and delegates cautiously stepped outside, seeing their initial threat vanish into thin air. Small traces of gratitude toward the blue ships were forming in the delegates’ eyes.  They began a weak cheer that grew into a crescendo of praise.
   
   Ezekiel glanced over at a slightly cracked TV monitor. It read news reports of entire human militants being wiped out. The entire Army Reserve had just been… VAPORIZED?!? It seemed that these beings had been first reported seven hours after the Army Reserve was defeated. The Reserve was the last bit of organized human resistance to go. He had been lucky to be the last to encounter with these creatures. Caldwell could also tell that these beings were not friendly. He tried to shout a warning, but the crowd could not hear him from the crushed room he was in.
   
   The dropship turned around. A smaller gun began to lower from the underside of the ship. It seemed to stare at the UN crowd for a brief moment, and then began to fire. The demeanor of the assembly turned to sheer horror as the turret began firing at the crowd. Most were killed. The white-haired one addressing the assembly used one of the dead delegates as a human shield as he retreated into the UN building. Ezekiel slowly followed him, crouching to stay out of the wave of fire. He slipped inside to see a group of cowering delegates, as well as the white-haired one. The delegates were encouraging him to make a move to save the survivors’ lives. “Dr. Breen! Save us!” they whispered. So the white-haired one’s name was Dr. Breen. He turned on a PA system and coughed to clear his throat. This man was a coward like all the rest, but he had leadership qualities that nobody else in the room possessed, except for Ezekiel.
   
   “We mean you no harm! On the behalf of the United Nations, I am hereby surrendering Earth! Save us! We will give you whatever you want!”
   
   It seemed that whatever beings were inside the ship understood the English language. Caldwell wondered how deep their intelligence ran. But the surrender seemed to have worked. The ship's energy cannons began powering down, evident by the drone of its power source slowing down. A large grub-like thing, attached to what seemed to be an alien life-support system, was slowly lowered down from the no-longer-existing ceiling. It “spoke,” but it clearly did not have a mouth. Am I imagining this? Ezekiel thought. The being turned what appeared to be its head toward Dr. Breen.
   
   “What is your name….. Earthling?”
   
   “My name is Wallace Breen. I am the leader of this world. We will lay down all arms in return for rule over the living human beings! “
   
   “We planned for more resistance. We were told you… humans… were more patriotic.”
   
   “No, sir. We are willing to cooperate.”
   
   “And the militaries across the world who we will find resistance with? No matter. All who resist will be killed. You are a smart man, *sneer*,  Breen.”
   
   “Thank you. Do we have a deal?”
   
   “Yes. You’ve made a decision that has saved the lives of everyone in this room. However… I pity you cowards. Your decision has also cost the freedom of all other nonresistant humans.”
   
   “It is a decision we are willing to make.”
   
   “And so, the… Earth… will be put under rule of the Combine.”
   
   Everyone in the room chanted, “All hail the Combine!” Even Caldwell could hear himself bowing and chanting the phrase of total subservience. Caldwell thought for a moment that maybe siding with these aliens would be the way to achieve power. He has truly always wanted the highest authority possible over his own people. And being second to Breen was a suitable tradeoff for his own life.
The alien creature began speaking again, “ I have decided that humans will be placed into cities similar to human construction. All humans under eighteen will be removed from this planet. No humans will be allowed to… ‘reproduce.’ A protection team consisting of humans loyal to our superior race will be permitted to govern the humans and maintain sociostability among your small… ‘societies.’ I am currently scanning the thoughts of each and every person in this room to determine a select few who will administrate these cities.”
And thus, it had begun. Caldwell began thinking of his past experience in administration, hoping the creature would read these thoughts. He thought of himself as assertive, very skilled at hearing the public opinion. He tried to think about his bid for president, and his qualifications. He created a mental image of himself as a good communicator with the public opinion, and a very analytical ruler. He can only hope that he is selected to become the superior authority for whatever city he is placed in.

   “I have decided on the City Administrators. They will be….”

   Time seemed to stop. At this very moment, Dr. Ezekiel Fillius Caldwell wonders if thinking the right thoughts paid off...


ACCEPTED- Welcome City Administrator -Burning Bullet

[A.Soldier]

A.Soldier 's City Administrator application

What is your CA's name? (All CAs' names start with Dr.) (This is any name, Not citizens name)
If allowed i would like to have Consul Rudolf Ferdinand Höss. if not Dr. Rudolf Ferdinand Höss would be fine.

Age: (IRL)
21 years of age, still ticking and ass kicking.

Do you have past experience? If so then where?
I was a role-player at Kuromeku's server(s) long ago, i have over 6 years of HL2 RP experience from possibly the most debated strictest RP server Nazi ever. I was a city administrator for three months before Kuromeku decided to shut down his HL2 Role-play server in 2009. As a city administrator i was in charge of Off-world relations and logistics. But since the city administrators were never on a majority of the time I played four roles wich included Off-world relations, Civil administrations, Logistics, and disciplinary actions.
How long have you played Catalyst-Gaming: Half-life 2 role-play?
Recently i just started, but i plan to be here for awhile when time permits between my Army life and when i have time off.
How many hours do you spend a day on the server? (When it is up)
As much as i can provide.
Are you available on weekends and in American time and early/late European time?
I am available on weekends and sometimes during the weekday, depends on my army schedule. but i used to be a private server gm on wow so i can stay up if necessary.

Do people consider you a good role-player?
I consider myself a good role-player, and i follow more rules then most others follow themselves. Im a big role-playing fan so i prefer the attempts methods but i always wait for a response before i do anything. Role-play goes both ways, its not just one sided.
Are you a good listener?
As stated before, being a good role-player involves both being a good listener and a good giver. Role-play is based on equal opportunity to both take and receive role-play as long as it follows main guidelines.
Do you have good grammar?
Look at my application, if i have any grammatical issues please address them.
Have you ever been banned?
Nope.
Do you know HL canon inside and out.
I know both cut and implemented Half-Life cannon, i also know a developer who works on the maps and storyboard for half-life and can ask him questions if necessary. I also have the Over-wiki on speed dial and the HL2 Timeline as well in case of sudden surprises.
Write a 5 paragraph story one why you want this job? (One paragraph = 4 sentences)
Preface(OOC): This story was developed with information regarding the HL2 Timeline, The Over-wiki, and Posts found in these forum boards. The story is Original with parallel acquaintances with prominent characters and does not create new/branching story-lines with the HL/HL2/Valve Cannon, I enjoyed writing the story and hope you do as well!

Rudolf Ferdinand Höss, born 1976 to a loving mother and father in the sleepy town of Baden-Baden. His name gifted to him by his late great grandfather who died serving the proud people of Germany and successfully defending those he loved and cared for through the corrections facility during the second world war. Höss, was a primarily curious individual, from the age of four Höss was constantly harassed and teased for his family heritage throughout basic schooling. Anyone from his neighbors, the religious devout, and those affected by the war knew his family name and what it represented. In fear of Höss's safety due to the harassment getting physical time to time, Höss's mother and father both agreed that a more secure environment for his education would be beneficiary to both his education and well being. At the age of 8 Höss was moved to Dresden and attended the cadet program for Offizierschule des Heeres, for eight years Höss attended school and graduated with a diploma in general education and military sciences. Höss now 16 years of age and a full grown individual in his parents eyes received a scholarship to University Of Freiburg - Faculty Of Engineering and continued his education until he received his PHD in Algorithms and data structures in artificial intelligence and synthetic organism research.

After Höss's graduation in the year 2000 the dawn of a new millennium Höss was approached by a woman wearing a read scarf and a white washed dress and stilettos. She addressed Rudolph by name and introduced herself as Caroline Johnson and she wished to offer Höss an opportunity that matched his skill-set. Eager to test his new-found ability's he agrees to go with Ms. Johnson and away he went to a facility to begin his new job, Ms. Johnson instructed Höss that he was to have unlimited resources and funding with a full staff team. Höss unnerved by such and offer asked what his project would be Caroline simply stated that he would be working on a method to put a organic beings entire memory, decision making process, and personality into a life form and disk operating system. Armed with a team of employees including a senior technician Doug Rattmann they spent the entire year developing the programing and algorithms to spark synthetic artificial intelligence and developed a baseline program that could possibly support the goals of the project. In 2001 Höss and Rattmann presented the program to Ms. Johnson acting CEO of the company and tested the theory with a small project that involved putting a synthetic AI into a area suppression device, Pleased and grateful of the time and effort put into the presentation Caroline approved the funding and construction of the new Genetic life-form and disc operating system.

Construction began immediately and a new member of the team was added, his name was Henry and he was a apprentice to Rattmann in personality AI and a very intelligent individual, within a year the team of three developed the Genetic Life-Form and Disc Operating System a device that could hold a single mind and be technically suspended forever and never aging cheating death. At the end of project completion December 2003 the acting CEO of the facility was becoming very ill with some type of mercury poisoning, with a standing order from the formal founder of the facility Cave Johnson. Caroline was taken to a transfer device that would save her life and transfer her current self into the Genetic Life-form and Disc Operating System and keep her alive. She objected throughout the entire process stating that it was unnatural and she pleaded to not have us do it, but her contract was clear with the company and for her own safety and the safety of the company she was placed in the transfer system and the transfer process began. Awaiting a long waited test run Doug entered the office with Henry and told Höss that he has worked long and hard on this project and he should take the night off for new years. Höss objecting to the idea and wanting to see the project through was convinced into taking the night off and he left the facility to his home back in the main city 20 miles away.

Höss slept hard through the new year, but he didn't wake up to the sounds of a cheery new year. Instead he awoke to the sounds of evacuation sirens and distant helicopters, Höss looked out the windows and saw the military directing hundreds of people into choppers and Höss took no time to think on what was happening. Still in his laboratory coat he jolted down the stairs and was herded into a crowd of people onto a helicopter to a so called safe zone, as Höss looked around he noticed flashing lights in the sky. But this was no mere weather pattern it looked as if holes were opening through the sky and as Höss looked closer he saw beings appearing through the holes, Höss pushing through the evacuation center located the command center for the evacuation and began asking questions on what was happening. From another table a man stood up and greeted Höss with a warm welcome and stated that he was with the company and began explaining the current events in great detail. His name was Mark Chandell and he worked in the theoretical physics division of the company and stated that portals were opening all over the nullosphere and organisms from a different race were coming through and attacking en mass. Höss identified himself and Mark knew that Höss was part of the senior development team that made the Genetic Life form and disc operating system and congratulated him on a job well done that earlier that morning the system was turned on and the project was a complete success, but a stroke of worry hit marks tone as he also stated that the facility went dark within hours after its activation and no one has herd from them since.

Mark and Höss worked alongside with the military intelligence division and together they developed a portal warning system based on algorithms and some sensor information with weather patterns which aided the military in quickly setting up defenses and quarantining areas of the city. Over five years Höss and Mark developed a announcement system based on Artificial intelligence and synthetic probability that made life somewhat easier. But that day finally came to and end when the alert system broke into a class 17 warning, the system itself was registered to 10 levels of warning on severity of portals based on size and bio-masses entering the portals, an extra seven programmed levels made Mark and Höss shutter about the thought and looked up to the skies. The day was 12 August 2009, and as Mark and Höss looked at the sky the warning system shot alarms that could be heard for over 40 miles and a blinding blue and orange portal began to open in the sky, the portal was nothing that they had ever seen before and covered a majority of the continent . As Höss witnessed the military mobilizing for battle a huge roar emitted from the opening and hundreds of thousands of objects began emerging through the portal and as they exited the opening they immediately began engaging troops that weren't even ready for a fight. Beams of light, plasma, and creatures made of metal and organ relentlessly assaulted the evacuation safety zone, Troops that stood over several feet tall easily overtook four soldiers and the assaults were brutal and violent. Mark and Höss retreated to a underground bunker that they had built to house the AI alert system and waited for six hours holed in a bunker with a spare handgun they had kept for their own protection, After hours of wondering when the end would come there was nothing but silence in the area outside the bunker. Mark began to look out the shielded slits of the bunker and turned to Höss and stated that there's nothing but wasteland and death outside, Suddenly there were bangs on the bunkers hardened door. Mark grabbed the spare firearm and aimed at the door awating to shoot whatever came through it, "BANG, BANG, BANG!" the door went, either something wanted in or we were going to be saved. Suddenly the door slammed open and four beings entered the room and before i could even tell mark to not shoot he opened fire and the beings shot mark with a blast of energy that burned his body into nothing but black and white particles. The beings looked at Höss in his well worn and dirty lab coat with the massive computer with the AI system behind Höss and as one of them approached, Höss knew the end was near his life's work flashed before his eyes and he thought about everything he had ever done and his last memory was of his mother and his father. The being reached out and grabbed him by the collar and lifted Höss two feet above the ground, One of the beings began speaking in a odd dialect and suddenly the AI computer Höss and Mark constructed began speaking a very coarse translated version: "Individual.......intelligence.......significance......Isolate......Query....Detain..." As Höss looked back at the computers monotone voice the creature sprayed Höss with an aerosol and everything went black.

Höss awoke in a cold room, there were bright lights everywhere, and he was wearing a odd uniform along with a few others who seemed to be older in age. As he looked around the room a screen flickered on in the main room and a human appeared on the screen, The man declared himself as Wallace Breen and his title was the Administrator of planet Earth and our new rulers were the "Universal Union or common word the Combine". He stated that we were selected through a mind symbiosis to be possible candidates for city administration and leadership for the human race. As Höss looked around everyone seemed nervous and scared and another door opened up and Dr. Breen stated that more information and education would be through the following door, and those that were reluctant to enter would be submitted to" recycling". Höss looked at the door and weighed his options and figured that the door was proably a better chance and he stepped inside along with a few others, And as the door closed he saw the few that stayed behind and before the door closed fully he saw platforms raise above the floor and began to gun down those who stayed in the room. The door shut and the lift took Höss and the others to another floor were there were chairs and a monitor and Höss took a seat like the others, a device encompassed his head and began forcing information into Höss's memory and memories of positive nature towards the combine flowed through his mind. As the machine finished Höss looked around and saw that a few others were dead with blood emitting from their orphaces and Höss stood up with a headache and surprisingly a vast knowledge of information about the combine, all of good nature of course.

 As another door opened up a AI speaker began to speak stating "Let the Testing process continue, All individuals please continue through the door." As Höss entered the door, Flashbacks of the Company, Caroline, Doug, Henry, and a quote he heard long ago:

"When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade. Make life take the lemons back! I don't want your damn lemons, what am I supposed to do with these? Make life rue the day it thought it could give you those lemons! Do they even know who I am? I'm the man who's gonna burn their house down with the lemons!"

ACCEPTED- Welcome City Administrator -A.Soldier