This is a brief timeline I summarized according to the events of Entropy Zero 2, original Half-life 2 and its Episodes. Contains a lot of Personal Understandings and guessing.
Contents
A Timeline of Entropy: Zero 2
All credit goes to zhizao32!
The Event Prior to EZ2
- Advisor sent Recon team including Clone 36 to Arbeit Facility.
- Mossman immediately boards a chopper from Black Mesa East and flew to Arbeit Comms after saving Eli and Gordon, after arrived, did her researches and recorded everything.
It’s not certain the above two events which one happens before another, timeline wise the clone might be down in the Arbeit/Aperture facility for a long time, so we can assume that the main goal of Evil 36 is to recon the Arbeit Comms rather than track down Mossman
Awakening, and the Journey
- Clone team failed and Mossman escaped, both factors combining causing the Advisor activated Main 36.
Between event 1 and 3, Citadel teleporter Blew up
- Gordon was buried, while 36 go through Aperture Tests and Exhumation. Mossman arrives at Arbeit 2 to sent her research to C17 rebels.
According to the Emails of the original Half-life 2 dev team and Episode 1, Gordon was buried for one or two days before Alyx manages to find him. That gives Walker enough time to travel through all these areas and reach Arbeit 2 (As we saw at least a day-night cycle)
- 36 failed to capture Mossman at Arbeit 2 facility, Mossman escaped and transmission was interrupted and intercepted by the Advisor, which ends up in C17 citadel’s database.
- Gordon was found by Alyx and watched the transmission, while 36 made his way to Arbeit 3 and gone after Mossman.
The Final Countdown
- 36 entered Entropic Control, defeated its clone while Gordon and Alyx trying to escape C17
- 36 met with Scar 0, survived Entropic Lift control to anomaly while Gordon and Alyx witnessed the Ruins of Citadel creating a Portal Storm, which spread to the Entropic Lift Control as well.
- Alyx got injured by a Hunter while 36 fighting the Advisor, at this point, Vortigaunts has begun their Advisor hunting and come to help 36.
The reason I stated the Phenomenal happened inside Entropic Lift control is not due to the Anomaly/Borealis is because, although you’re very near the Anomaly, the Portal Storm manifests from where you enter, but not from the Lift which connects to the Anomaly. Which means it happened outside the Arbeit Anomaly Area.
The Omega
- 36 meets G-man, Gordon finds Antlion Extraction, Vortigaunts started to heal Alyx, giving G-man the opportunity to abandon 36 and went talk to Gordon.
As the previous chapter stated, if the portal storm is manifested from the Citadel, that will explain why G-man will abandon 36 mid-conversation, which also connects the timeline of these two series.
Question, does the G-Man just bring him to his old hideout in the present? I thought it was in the past the day the combine arrived (like in his flashback).
That is currently unknown, but since Aiden Walker has been sucked into a portal in the end before being recaptured, I prefer to consider that hideout a non-euclidean space, that is:
The hideout does not exist in the physical world of Earth, rather a illusional place G-Man constructed or manipulated to talk with Aiden.
Remember the tram broken down in the end of Black Mesa? My suspicion is in the end, G-Man opens the same kind of portal that exiles Aiden Walker from the illusion of his hideout and booted him back to earth, just like in Black Mesa, if you refuse G-Man’s offer, he’ll boot you right into the middle of the Aliens as well.
If what I said is positive, the word G-Man means by “Leaving you here” is not leaving you at your hideout, but leaving you on Earth rather than maybe employing or sending Aiden into hibernation.
Oh ok, that actually makes sense lore wise and narrative wise, thank you!
[obvious spoilers ahead!]
I thought the reason G-Man was interrupted during the ending was the Vorts stealing Gordon away from him – It feels as though the sequence would fit perfectly. I’m less inclined to believe the G-Man to be surprised by the destruction of the Citadel, or the portal storms that follow.
Either that, or [HLA spoilers ahead!]
This hints at the events that got him trapped by the Combine and necessitating the events of HLA.
your assumption makes sense, but the problem is why would G-man brings Aiden to his old Hideout.
My suspect is on–Remember where G-Man brings Gordon after the HL1 event? The tram of Black Mesa, a place Gordon often visits and Familiar with
G-Man brings Shepherd to the Osprey, where as a HECU soldier, he sure spends a lot of time training on there.
The reason G-Man brings Aiden Walker to his old apartment/ward, in my speculation, is because He wants to hire him , make him a Candidate, or at least, make him a backup plan and hold him in suspension. If what I speculate is true, that means G-Man has already lost control of Gordon Freeman, makes the Vortigaunt’s stealing a prior event to EZ2.
Another problem is that, as 3650 woke up, the citadel is already in flames. This means Vorts must’ve already got Gordon Freeman out from the explosion and G-Man’s suspension. Combine that with the portal storm we witnessed underground, I lean toward my opinion.
Also, another detail that makes the ending event happens after the Citadel’s total destruction, is a minor detail/gameplay mechanic.
I don’t know if you have noticed, but during the final battle with the Advisor, the unit you summoned using Xen Relay Grenades are no longer Xen creatures, but only Vortigaunts. A lot of Vortigaunts, all without shackle.
After defeating the Advisor, if you talk to the Vorts, they replies with “We will continue our hunt for the Advisors.”
This line basically confirms the event of the final battle after Citadel’s Utter Annihilation. As Vortigaunts did not start hunting for the Advisors until they’ve ejected from the Citadel throughout numerous Capsule.
Thanks for your response, I had forgotten about seeing the Citadel on the screens. I also used my Xen grenades very late in the final fight so wasn’t sure if they were teleported through them or they showed up outside my field of view. Overall, thanks to your further explanation I agree with your assessment.