MINERVA - read-only archives

NOTE: In light of recent suggestions and ideas, this post has been revised to reflect new theories. All original information remains, but new components have been added directly after those they add to or replace.

Well, as much as I hate to debunk your obviously well thought out observations, I must admit that during my absence from these forums, and after reading Adam’s Rock, Paper, Shotgun interview, I believe I have finally figured out exactly what Minerva is. Feel free to call me an insane crackpot – I have no sure way of knowing if I’m right at all, and constructive criticism will help us all find the right answer. So without further ado, here we go again.

First, I can safely assume the following to be true:

1: [b]We “knowâ€

Hmm...after reading that theory, the first thing that came to my mind was that perhaps Minerva is either Dr. Collette Green or Dr. Gina Cross from Half-Life: Decay.

Only problem with that is that Drs. Green and Cross were still around for the resonance cascade.

I don't have a theory really as to who or what Minerva is, but to me it's clear how she feels about the player. Her tone changes as you progress through the map, which has several possible explanations. It could be the trivial answer, Adam's tone shifted as he wrote each episode, not quite matching the tone from the previous one. But I can't remember which parts the tone shifted greatly and I never really knew when the episodes changed.

A non-trivial answer is that she really hates the player, really really hates him. Somewhere it said that the player's continued existence seemed more sport than assumption to Minerva. Maybe it's just because he's Combine. Maybe she had something to do with the creation of the Combine. It seems like there's more than just hatred, too. She not only cruel at the beginning, but also detached. Perhaps she tries to avoid letting even her hatred through because she feels guilty and letting her guard down might be subversive to the whole operation.

Then her tone becomes more human. It could be that she feels less guilty knowing that one of the combine, someone she's helping, is doing a lot of good for humanity. Her sympathy could be from the fact that something she had a hand in creating, something dehumanized, now is behaving human and suffering a fate she decided for him. Whether or not it's proof, my favorite line is when she mentions that every moment he, the player, lives is an insult to the Combine.

Enough with my non-committal theory. I'd bet a solid hay penny Adam doesn't know who Minerva is. Though he knows how she acts, how she feels and what her response would be to any particular situation.

First, follow Adam's advice and try not to overthink it. Once it's outright revealed, you're going to be so simple and obvious you'll be kicking yourself for not getting it, and at the same time, much more awesome.

I recall, right at the end of Depth Charge, wondering "where" I'd end up once the detonation went off -- would I end up in Xen? Minerva's Otherworld? Someplace else (sorry) entirely? Nope! You're in exactly the same place, except with the shit beaten out of you and the entire installation around you. A much more compelling situation all around.

I'll try to think along those lines, though I haven't come up with anything really substantial besides: "She's a human. She all but says she is. Duh."

Both the Lux aeterna as the portal segment in the mod seem to suggest here adoptive parents are someone other than the combine.
What's intruiging is that they don't seem to be around any longer, for quite some time even. So how are they her adoptive parents.

I also think we are giving her too much credit when we atribute the events of the combine invasion too her.