These, along with cavernous storage facilities, take up most of the underground areas of the complex. Black Mesa is dominated by a bewildering number of laboratories, test areas, and administration offices.
BLACK MESA RESEARCH FACILITY LOCATION SERIES
Apart from hinting at the enormous size of Black Mesa, it is revealed that the facility is very high-security, as each employee is required to undergo a series of rigorous security checks as they travel around the complex. The opening sequences of Half-Life and its expansions ( Blue Shift and Opposing Force) reveal much about the facility. Black Mesa, as the same announcement states, is an equal opportunity employer. It is also said that jobs in low-clearance security and materials handling are available. During the tram ride that opens Half-Life, an announcement on the public address system states that the facility is seeking employees with backgrounds in theoretical physics, biotechnology, and various other high-tech scientific disciplines. A large amount of classified research is carried out, including the development of high-tech weapons and defense systems, research into extra- dimensional travel, teleportation, and the study of Xen. In addition to this legitimate research, several secret projects are also carried out at Black Mesa, which are deliberately left vague. The facility also serves as a base for decommissioning nuclear weapons. Research at the facility includes both pure research and applied science. Much of the work undertaken at the facility involves fairly standard scientific research, such as radiation, rocketry, theoretical physics, lasers, experimental propulsion, hydraulics, robotics, hydroelectricity, genetics, applied mathematics and a very wide spectrum of research into chemistry and all manner of physics research. The Black Mesa facility is built over several decommissioned missile silo complexes constructed during the 1950s, which have been converted into a vast civilian institute for the research of every conceivable scientific discipline. 4.4 Sector C Test Labs and Control Facilities.Gossip among the employees states that the military has a “dangerous and very efficient clean-up crew” to take care of any uncontained problems in the facility. There’s even a newspaper available, The Mesa Times. Exploring the facility, you will come upon arcades, libraries, cafeterias, pools, lounges, you name it, Black Mesa feels just like home. Employees and their families live in the facility, in dormitories. Tens upon thousands are employed at Black Mesa, including the Security Force and Science Team.
Supplies are a different matter, the Freight Yard is the import sight for raw materials. Relying on no one outside for power, the facility makes use of nuclear energy and hydroelectric power along with standard electricity. However, there are modern electric monorail trams in place, though even some rail trains are used for transporting materials in the more industrial areas. Not everything in the facility is perfectly up-to-date, there are many dilapidated areas in the facility. The size of the place isn’t certain but what we do know it’s divided into Sectors, the known ones are A-G.īlack Mesa itself was built during the 1950’s, possibly earlier, over decommissioned ICBM silos.