Half-Life: Before

At the same moment Black Mesa begins to unravel, a covert Soviet installation called Object E7 — codenamed Black Star — was also scheduled for a cascade resonance event. The event never occurs at Black Star because the facility's resonator malfunctions, but the research complex itself remains deeply dangerous. The protagonist is a political prisoner transferred to Object E7 to test a prototype H.E.V.5000 suit under the supervision of Dr. Victor Shmurghe, an academic with direct ties to G-Man. During what should be a routine test run, the prisoner spots an unexpected window and takes his only chance at escape.