Possibly to deal with potential escaped specimens, or perhaps as a leftover from the facility's days as a military missile complex, Black Mesa contains many automated machine-gun turrets, which, when activated, will emerge from armoured cupolas and fire upon any moving object in their line of sight. A point of interest is that the same pages describe how, in the event of an emergency, security officers are required to co-operate with military personnel from the Hazardous Environment Combat Unit, suggesting that Black Mesa has experienced problems with escaped specimens in the past. Included in Calhoun's papers are several pages describing bizarre animals, claiming that the facility houses strange specimens from across the globe (they are, in fact, creatures from Xen). Barney Calhoun's duty rotation is printed in French, suggesting that the facility recruits international personnel. The Blue Shift manual reveals further details about the facility. The complex may also have its own newspaper, The Mesa Times, although this may be an outside publication. Eli Vance reveals in Half-Life 2, his wife also worked in the facility, and their baby daughter lived there with them, it can be inferred that employees' family members who are not working in the facility are allowed to reside in the dormitory complexes as well in certain cases. The facility is well-populated by vending machines and rest areas for the employees of the facility. Despite being located in the middle of a desert, the underground and indoor sectors of Black Mesa are maintained at 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius) at all times, enabled by Black Mesa's sprawling network of ventilation ducts.Ī food court seen by Barney Calhoun from Black Mesa's transit systemĪs employees are required to live in the complex itself, Black Mesa contains many personnel facilities, including laundromats, recreation and sports areas such as lounges, basketball courts, swimming pools, a video rental outlet (as seen in Blue Shift), fast food outlets, food courts, cafeterias, and at least one bar serving alcoholic beverages. These, along with cavernous storage facilities, take up most of the underground areas of the complex. Black Mesa is dominated by a bewildering number of laboratories, test areas, and administration offices. Apart from hinting at the enormous size of Black Mesa, it is revealed that the facility is very high-security, as each employee is required to undergo a series of rigorous security checks as they travel around the complex. The opening sequences of Half-Life and its expansions ( Blue Shift and Opposing Force) reveal much about the facility. Black Mesa, as the same announcement states, is an equal opportunity employer. It is also said that jobs in low-clearance security and materials handling are available. During the tram ride that opens Half-Life, an announcement on the public address system states that the facility is seeking employees with backgrounds in theoretical physics, biotechnology, and various other high-tech scientific disciplines. A large amount of classified research is carried out, including the development of high-tech weapons and defense systems, research into extra- dimensional travel, teleportation, and the study of Xen. In addition to this legitimate research, several secret projects are also carried out at Black Mesa, which are deliberately left vague. The facility also serves as a base for decommissioning nuclear weapons. ![]() ![]() Research at the facility includes both pure research and applied science. ![]() Much of the work undertaken at the facility involves fairly standard scientific research, such as radiation, rocketry, theoretical physics, lasers, experimental propulsion, hydraulics, robotics, hydroelectricity, genetics, applied mathematics and a very wide spectrum of research into chemistry and all manner of physics research. The Black Mesa facility is built over several decommissioned missile silo complexes constructed during the 1950s, which have been converted into a vast civilian institute for the research of every conceivable scientific discipline.
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