MINERVA - read-only archives

Okay, much to address here.

First, Procyon, I did mean your third statement - apparently I can't count ;-). You are correct in that the Nihilanth was in control of the portals, until Gordon killed it. This caused the portals to destabilize, giving the Combine a straight shot through Xen to Earth. Nihilanth was basically a portal "regulator" - when it was killed, it opened a dimensional floodgate which allowed the Combine easy access to the entire planet.

Remember, however, that the Vortigaunts were slaves at the time - those green braces weren't just decorations, they were some kind of mind-control or pacification devices, allowing the Vortigaunts to be used as cheep shock troops (no pun intended). By killing the Nihilanth, Gordon freed them from its control, which is why they all respect him so highly in HL2. So they weren't attacking us because they saw us as invaders - they literally had no choice but to warp in, and start killing.

In any case, we don't know if the Combine knew of Earth before they "found" Minerva, but it's really beside the point now. I don't really see the whys as being as important as the whos, whats, and hows. Gordon caused the portal storms via the resonance cascade, and then killed the Nihilanth, causing the inter-dimensional thoroughfare that is Xen to become unstable enough to permit a rapid invasion. From what we've seen, the Combine want to control everything - we're just another stop.

And the Portal as Forefather technology? Quoth Minerva: "My adopted forefathers are different, their scattered, discarded playthings more conducive to a meaningful imposition of my thoughts upon our captors." Enough said.

The OBMI may not have been a resonance cascade (though it very well could have been), that was an error on my part - I meant to say that it was a teleport accident, severe enough to begin Minerva's journey to post-humanism, but not enough to tear the universe apart at the seams. Although, we don't really know what a "resonance cascade" is. Personally, I do consider the OBMI to have been a resonance cascade, since, in my mind, any teleportation accident is a resonance cascade. As to why we didn't learn our lesson? We're human - learning from our mistakes is not something we excel at. Being pompous, illogical, self-aggrandizing apes is.

Time wise, if the Combine can take over the entire planet in seven hours, I think establishing a basic military could be done in seven years. A tight fit, but it works. Things like gunships and striders were probably around long before they invaded earth, and with their level of technology, creating hunter-choppers, soldiers, etc would not be that hard. Pulse rifles are just a standard Combine turret modified to be hand-held (gunships, striders, etc all seem to use pulse "bullets"), and the bunker-base could be repurposed relatively quickly.

Zero Machine, I agree with what you posted, your information seems right by my reckoning.

By the way, sorry if I come off sounding arrogant here, that's not my intent in the least. I may have done my research, but I'm by no means an expert - anyone who wishes may insult my lack of knowledge at any time :).

I reckon the Gman had some kind of role in causing the RC at the start of HL1 as well, or at the very least, he had a pretty close involvement with the whole thing.

Perhaps our benefactress has something in common with the Gman, they both seem to sit outside the players world, manipulating things behind the scenes (they both occupy a similar narrative role in a way).
During the events of HL1 the Gman seems to occupy a fairly physical form, disappearing acts notwithstanding. By the time of HL2 however he's mainly seen in 'visions', and there's a parallel there with Minerva once being human, and now being...Something Else (:wink:).
Both also seem to have a complicated relationship with the combine. Does Minerva have any link with the Gman's 'employers'?

G-man did start the RC at the start of HL1... I believe I said that in the post right above yours. :-)

Also, it is indeed true that Minerva has much in common with the infamous blue-suited man; remember, however, that Adam has already known for a long time Minerva's true origins and motives, but he does not know G-man's. This leads me to believe that G-man may be linked to Minerva, but that finding out who Minerva is can be done with no knowledge of the G-man.

Still, the connection is interesting; the G-man essentially allowed the Combine into this world, and Minerva is doing everything she can to kick them out (due to what we have inferred to be her past - great suffering, yet a great benefit at the hands of the Combine). Their modes of action however, seem very similar. This strikes on another interesting connection - outside control. Remember in Ep2 when G-man forced Alyx to deliver his message to Eli? Eli referred to it as "putting words in her mouth", but to me, it seemed a lot like the way Minerva "controls" Perseus - do what I say, when I say, or you die.

Then again, speaking of employers, remember that we now have two competing companies - Aperture and Black Mesa. Maybe G-man works for one, and Minerva for the other, but due to inter-dimensional corporate law, neither can act independently, only through others they've "employed". But now I'm just rambling. ;-)

I don't think a single point has been made in this thread that's anything other than conjecture tbh.

For example something that personally I don't think has been fully/properly explored is the harsh indictment "traitor to our species", emphasis on "our". Anyone ever wondered if Minerva isn't unique? Or at least what Minerva was originally, before being augmented by the Combine. (And I'm not trying to say the grunt you play in the game is of the same species as Minerva). clearly isn't written by Minerva and has gone unquoted so far. It contains none of the typical egotistical ramblings, and yet displays many similarities to Minerva's comms, but appears more forced (hacked).

What do the Combine do? They take the finest qualities of a species and combine it with their own DNA. What if Minerva was of a species that this DNA stripping was simply not possible, but could still be trapped and serve a purpose if . Then the Combine freaked out because they'd bitten off more than they could chew (maybe) and so banished it somewhere it could do no harm, like Xen, for example. A border world where inter dimensional travel is being blocked by Nily, and so is stuck. Gordan F pops over for a cuppa, removes said block, and hey presto the (yet to name itself) Minerva, one seriously pissed off thing is free again. (Another point I'd like to make is that i believe it was a mistake to assume Minerva actually has a sex. So much theory seams to rest on this assumption and yet it's entirely unimportant)

In fact there's a lot of quotes which I believe are being misrepresented, which is why no one truly feels we're getting close to an answer, apart from Terrapin, but fair play mate, you delved right on in. While I'm talking about you I'll put this forward: The problem I have with your theory is that it is not in keeping with Adam Fosters work, i.e self contained. Everything we need to know in order to figure out what/who Minerva is, is contained within the confines of the game and related material. The moment you started talking about female scientists involved in the OBMI being teleported and badly injured, you strolled clean off the map, and so, in my opinion, negated your theory. Personally I'm still not entirely convinced she's post human. Post something, but not post human. Although it remains a possibility, but a highly unlikely one imo.
I believe and is purely back story for Adam Fosters work, and is in no way an indication of where Minerva may have come from. Ignore what Valve has produced. Pretend the Half Life universe has yet to even be explored by them, then take another look at the material. The only thing that links the Minerva's world to Half Life's is the Combine, nothing else.
If the story of Minerva does coalesce back to the OBMI I will be disappointed tbh. Stories and arena's can pop out of nothing in Valves universe. Running paralell but never meeting. That's pretty much the beauty of it and Adam Foster seams to be the first modder to capitalise on this trait. Other examples of this are Portal, Blue Shift, Opposing Force - games that lay in the Half Life Universe, and have had an impact on it, but are still entirely separate tales. There are many wars being fought on many fronts in Valves universe, and many people who will help each other out without ever even meeting or knowing the other existed.

One other thing I'd like to point out about is the handle, clearly designed to be read A friend of a .
Cup of reverse psychology anyone? Or have you already had enough?

yes please, I'd like to see this evidence of Minerva being of human origin.
Still far from convinced. faaaaaaaaar.....

as for this:

This clearly isn't written by Minerva and has gone unquoted so far. It contains none of the typical egotistical ramblings, and yet displays many similarities to Minerva's comms, but appears more forced (hacked).


If not Minerva, then who?...

good question.

And regarding the whole friend of a friend/fiend. Do you honestly think it was purely coincidence that it was the 'r' that was replaced?

"Heh, it's easy when you know where to look, isn't it?"

Maybe he's deliberately lying to you?

"The few Combine records I've been authorised to see..." tells us absolutely nothing.

Authorisation comes in many forms. For example there's parts of my hard drive that Windows can only access under user accounts with the correct privileges (aka, authorisation)

"But what would I know, all alone in this forsaken machine?"

I see this as being an indication that she is within, or indeed part of some kind of technology, either by choice or by force. But wait, there's more!

You're misinterpreting this sentence.
"... all alone" room for more then? Her mind if INSIDE the machine. She's not a part of it, or joined to it, her conscious is inside it. Think Ghost in the Shell, The Major. This also tells us that, unlike The Major, Minerva has her limitations. From what i can tell she is free to roam through the combine network, but not any further for whatever reason. This explains her fear later on when she says that they know they can get to me now and that scares me.

"Aww, fuck. I didn't expect this, I really didn't.

I know that place, and it is IMPERATIVE that you close this portal
and disable all related hardware AS SOON AS INHUMANLY POSSIBLE.

Don't die on me now, please. I need you..."

Cursing; using all caps to indicate urgency; emotion; desperation. All so very human.

Scraping the barrel with that one. Why are emotions exclusively human? Doesn't really prove anything.

"You're the key spanner in our benefactors' foul works."

Our benefactors. Not "your" benefactors.

Again, you're misinterpreting. She uses the words "our benefactors" simple because that is what they're known as. Minerva appreciates the irony. What the combine did to earth and humanity, they also did to Minerva.

"From manufactured war criminals to saviours of the universe - quite a progression for discarded pieces of shit."

Note the use of a plural on "pieces"; she's referring to herself, as the first post (which I really hope you read in full) demonstrates.

Of course she's referring to herself, and you at the same time, hence the use of pieces instead of just piece. Both yourself and Minerva are manufactured war criminals that were discarded by the combine.

"You were a traitor to our species, but also a traitor to the Combine
- so just hope you've redeemed yourself in the eyes of whomever, or
whatever, you may still hold dear."

And there it is. Clear and simple. OUR species. Minerva is one of us, at least in some capacity. There can be no more doubt now, not as far as my logic goes, but please, read on.

I'll come back to this one in a mo...

"Found yourself staring into an abyss, with the suspicion that it's
naught but a mirror?

Don't worry, the feeling will soon pass - along with any other vestiges
of your humanity. These sickly, assimilated corpses were once human
just like yourself, remember.

I know exactly how it feels."

Here we go - Minerva discusses what it feels like to lose your humanity. And the only way she'd know that is if she was once human, but through some "machine" was made something that barely classifies as such.

No, you misunderstand. Minerva's not talking about loosing, specifically, the traits of humanity. It's talking about loosing what makes you, fundamentally, you - regardless of your species. If you're a sentient being what is it that makes you, you? It's your mind and memories, not your species.

"Please don't take it as some residual aspect of my own humanity, but I've grown quite attached to you."

Attachment is a very human thing to feel; one human, changed forever into something else by the combine, would naturally feel empathy for someone in the same situation - us, a former combine soldier. And then the fact that she mentions her "purported humanity"... I almost think she wants us to know that she's human.

She's actually telling us she's not human. And again i ask you why you think emotions are exclusive to the human race. You're correct in so much that Minerva is empathising with our character, but don't mistake for .
Any being would feel for another sentient being in this situation, providing the other species was an bunch. Also, click purported.

"I was unaware just how rusty my mythology had become. Talking of dulled blades from earlier times..."

Irrefutable proof of her humanity - were Minerva not human, she would have zero knowledge of human mythology from any previous time, simply because she hadn't interacted with humans in any meaningful way at that point. But she has known human mythology for a very long time, long enough for her to get "rusty" at it. Thus, her long term knowledge of human literature and mythology proves her (former) humanity.

No it doesn't. However it does raise some interesting questions of whether she's observed humanity before. Also, she talking about herself and another when she says "Talking of dulled blades from earlier times" but i can't remember the section of game or context so i'll leave that one there...

"I have invested TOO MUCH towards your survival to let you end it all, shredded by the leeches swarming our once proud oceans."

OUR once proud oceans. Not "your", "our". Enough said.

I can see why you thought this would be the killer blow to my argument, but it really isn't. This is a classic dose of psychology - !
You are, after all, trying to kill yourself. Or at least that's how Minerva would interpret it. Why else would you wade out in to the sea?

I must admit though, there are times when i wonder if Minerva is the amalgamation of many species... lol, Christ, sounds like all i do with my spare time is ponder the great mysteries of Minerva.

Very interesting analysis, but in the end, nothing that can really be proven. I really doubt Adam would lie to us, it's just not his style. Lead us on a wild goose chase with metaphors and riddles yes, but outright lie? I just can't see that happening.

The core problem I found with your logic was that you had no evidence and no unifying theory. If we take the quotes "my" way (it's not technically mine, but for simplicity, I'll just call it the theory I'm supporting, thus, "mine"), and assume they support Minerva as human, we get a nice end result. Everything leads to a single point, the discovery Minerva is human. There is no evidence to the contrary, and each piece of evidence is supported by the others.

If we look at it your way, we don't get any neat end product. We have no idea who Minerva is, why she's doing any of this, and no logical reason as to why we should make the assumption that, for example, she uses "our" to express comradeship rather than being of the same grouping as us. Your results and interpretations do not support each other; they are, in my humble opinion, a simple alternate scenario.

I agree your interpretations look nice on paper, but in the end, the other way of looking at it just makes more sense because it gives us an answer, and thus a reason to look at it that way in the first place. Why am I so sure we're supposed to get an answer? Simple: Adam said we were. You even cited his statement that all we needed to find the truth of Minerva's identity is in Metastasis. "My" way of interpreting the quotes, and thus presenting Minerva as post-human, and not just post-something, gives us such an answer. It may not be right, but the very fact that it does yield a common solution and explanation means it's a step in the right direction.