NO λ LIFE
When I was younger, around the age of 12, I remember seeing my dad playing this, what I thought was, a terrifying game. It was called Half Life.
So, about 20 years later I saw a video of a Half Life interview with Gabe Newell and it got me thinking about playing the original game. Naturally, by this time I had my own computer, so I borrowed my dad's copy of Half Life and attempted to install the game. It must have been damaged, because it wouldn’t install. I was disappointed at this, so I decided to just get my own copy. It's not like it would cost much, right?
So, I went into town to an old used video game store and asked the owner if he had Half Life. He went in the back without responding, then came back a minute later with the game. “That’s the one! how much?” I asked the man, excited that I’d found it on my first try. “No fee, just take it… You’re the first person to ask for the game since I got it in.” Thanking the man, I took the game and rushed home to play it.
So, sure enough, I attempted to install it and it said :“Success!” I chuckled out loud to myself as I Loaded up the game, excited and a little nervious to play. Logos start rolling down the screen, as I've seen before, but when it gets tho the Valve logo, it pauses.
“Goddammit,” I sighed, thinking it crashed. then the valve starts to twist and soft, yet painful moaning sounds emit from the speakers.
The more it twists, the louder and more agonized they sound. I then saw blood dripping from around the valve. Disturbed, I hit the escape key and it landed on the main menu.
Thinking it was just my mind playing tricks on me, I just shook it off and went to start a new game, when I noticed the continue button isn’t greyed out as it usually is when starting a new game. Curious, I went to the load menu and there is one saved file reading:
“NO λ LIFE”
I tried to delete the file but it just displays an error box reading: "No..."
Finally, I tried once more, thinking it's an Easter egg of some sort. As I did this, a small play button appeared on the screen, and a video started playing on its own, displaying a bald man being restrained while having a bright red valve screwed into the back of his neck. I hear those soft agonized screams building up again, not wanting to hear this, I pressed the escape key again and it went back to the load game menu.
I clicked delete one final time and another message appeared: “I warned you… But you didn’t listen!” The game suddenly loads itself, and I find myself on the Black Mesa tram with a guard walking towards me to let me out. “Your time is running short… Mr. Freeman” The door opens and I step out. When I did this, the guard disappeared. It was probably a glitch, I thought.
I went to the opened airlock, I walked in and “Loading” appears. The other door opens, and right in my face is another guard. But his eyes were...Gone. “Ornin octe reema,” he muffled indistinguishably like he had no tongue. A tad bewildered by the guard, I continued on my way to the break room to ruin someone’s dinner. On my way, it looks as though all of the character models are the same as usual but, just as the guards, it looked as though their eyes were removed.
I got to the break room, and turned up the microwave. I heard a small, muffled voice say: “No, please....” I pressed it again and again until it exploded, and right as I’m about to smile, I hear an ear shattering scream come from the microwave. I look back, and there’s a picture of what used to be a woman, severely burned as if she was cooked alive. Ignoring this as best I can, I headed to the locker to put on my HEV suit. As I obtained this item I heard another ear piercing scream, this time it was more like the aliens. I looked again and the alcove has been replaced with a picture of Gordon Freeman holding his crowbar surrounded by dead headcrabs, zombies, hound eyes and…the Lambda team?
The picture then moved. It looked at where my characters eyes would be, but it’s like It can see Me…. I say “It” because it no longer looks like Freeman because of that smile… that awful, sickening, and twisted smile then, It stepped out of the picture, looking so real, like it was right in front of me.
I just sit there, too scared to move, and it says these words like only a lunatic could, “I had a lot of fun with Caroline before I GUTTED HER!” It then starts laughing, moving closer and closer until it’s like Its face is against a camera lens. “She begged for you to come and save her… But now you’re too late”. Before I can reach for my phone I see my wife’s body being picked up by one of those barnacles and slowly being “digested”. “Next time, listen when I tell you not to delete me!” the thing shouts, still laughing like a mad man, it raises the crowbar as if to strike me and then the words "Game Over" appear on my monitor, and my computer turns off…
After a few moments I reach for my phone and it rang in my hand, when I answered a police officer said that my wife. I returned the game the next day, and the owner’s wife asked me who gave the game to me then threw me out of the shop. It turns out her husband disappeared 20 years ago, when he tested the game.
If you have any information about Caroline, please inform your local emergency services.
Credited to Jammydodger103
Originally uploaded on December 16, 2012
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