Black Mesa Science Team

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The Black Mesa Science Team is the overwhelming majority of Black Mesa's population. With the Black Mesa Security Force, it is one of the most important bodies of the Black Mesa Personnel.

Each scientist is granted a different security clearance specific to his or her duty, with an average clearance of Level 5. Like other employees, scientists have an assigned uniform, consisting of a blue shirt, white lab coat, red striped tie and white (or beige) slacks. In Opposing Force, a cleansuit-wearing variation of the normal scientist appears in limited areas. Some scientists are trained in the use of the MP5 submachine gun as part of Hazard Course training, but most have little or no combat skills or experience.

Contents 1 Positions 2 Notable members 3 In-game 4 Behind the scenes 4.1 Scientists list 5 Trivia 6 Gallery 6.1 Pre-release 6.2 Retail 6.2.1 Half-Life 6.2.2 Half-Life: Uplink 6.2.3 Half-Life: Opposing Force 6.2.4 Half-Life: Blue Shift 6.2.5 Half-Life 2 6.3 Advertisements 7 List of appearances 8 Notes and references

[edit] Positions

• Research and Development - The largest portion of the scientists are assigned to research and development positions, where they conduct experiments and create new technologies. The research conducted ranges in focus from particle physics to biological study to space travel. Most R&D scientists have a limited knowledge of first aid, and can heal some wounds.

• Research Associate - Research Associates work alongside R&D scientists, but with a lower status in the employment hierarchy. They are usually required to conduct the more mundane or less desirable portions of a given experiment. Dr. Gordon Freeman and Dr. Colette Green are notable research associates.

• Hazardous Environment Supervisor - Supervisors act in a similar role to research associates in that they assist in experiments, but they are primarily concerned with maintaining a safe work environment. Dr. Gina Cross works in this position.

• Instructor - Scientists will often take on additional work training employees and conducting simulations in the Sector A Training Facility, as themselves or their hologram counterparts.

• Survey Team - Survey teams were organized soon after the first teleportation labs were constructed in Black Mesa. Their assignment is the most dangerous, as they are tasked with entering the borderworld Xen to collect samples and conduct experiments. Because of the danger, survey team members are highly trained in the use of the HEV Suit and a variety of weapons. Many Survey Team scientists have died on Xen.

[edit] Notable members

• Gordon Freeman
• Stanley Rosenberg
• Richard Keller
• Gina Cross
• Colette Green
• Wallace Breen (Black Mesa Administrator)
• Isaac Kleiner
• Eli Vance
• Arne Magnusson
• Complete list

[edit] In-game

Although cowardly and clumsy at times, scientists can assist the player with certain tasks like Retinal Scanners or opening doors, but they tend to be physically weak, dying within a few shots. Scientists have some first aid skills and will administer a medicine boost to a wounded player with a health level under 50. Cleansuit scientists do not have that ability.

Scientists are also notable to say random, sometimes humorous sentences, most of the time when they are triggered.

[edit] Behind the scenes

• Originally, all Black Mesa employees were to be hostile to the player. The Barney NPC was then used by Valve's AI programmer Steve Bond to run experiments in enemy squad behavior. By putting the player in the role of squad leader, and forcing Barney to follow instead of fight the player, Bond hoped for an easy way to test navigation rules. The unexpected result of this experiment was a working companion character, which instantly appealed to every playtester who saw Barney in action. This caused the team to rethink large portions of the story and Gordon's role in it, and the game was completely overhauled in late 1997. In that process of converting enemies to allies, the team also came to think about characters that were neither allies nor enemies to the player, leading to the creation of the G-Man.^[1]

• Security guards and scientists were also to have a much more frightened, almost cartoonish face.^[2]

• Half-Life was also to feature female scientists, other than the Holographic Assistant. The texture files for the model can be found in the folder "f_science" (likely the name of the model) in the Half-Life: Source texture folder, but not in that of the original Half-Life. Female scientists were finally introduced in Decay, as Gina Cross and Colette Green, although Cross is mentioned in a Black Mesa Announcement System message at the start of Half-Life. Half-Life 2 features another yet unidentified female scientist, seen in the photograph in Kleiner's Lab.

[edit] Scientists list

The scientist NPC features four standard models, with a cleansuit variant and the dead Survey Team members in HEV Suits found on Xen, as well as the Zombie version. Each four standard version has two HD versions (one introduced in the High Definition Pack, the other in Decay).

Early game models	Game models	HD game models	Models	Names	Comments
			scientist 01	Walter	Was turned into Walter Bennet, used for Smithers and Harold, and was the basis for Isaac Kleiner. It also has a player model for the Half-Life mutliplayer version. It also has a HD civilian version, with or without his lab coat on his arm, and another civilian reading The Mesa Times.
			scientist 02	Einstein	Was used for S. Reardon. He is featured on Kleiner's Lab photo; he still has to be turned into a standalone character. It also has a HD civilian version, with or without his lab coat on his arm, and another civilian reading The Mesa Times, although it is not seen in-game.
			scientist 03	Luther	Was used for S. Jones and Simmons and was the basis for Eli Vance.
			scientist 04	Slick	Is featured on Kleiner's Lab photo; he still has to be turned into a standalone character. His original model had brighter hair.
			cleansuit scientist		Was introduced in Opposing Force, in the chapter Welcome to Black Mesa. In the HD model, only the head is changed. It also has a player model for the mutliplayer version.
				player / helmet	Its Half-Life model is "player.mdl" and features Gordon's head or a suit helmet. Used for the dead Survey Team members found around Xen. A different model is featured in the multiplayer version.

[edit] Trivia

Through a security camera in the Blue Shift chapter Insecurity can be seen a scientist briefly dancing to himself, while another is watching, skeptical. The dancing animation was originally in the Gonome model, under the name "veryhappy" in the original model, and "sohappy" in the Steam version. In the original scientist model, it is named "sohappy", and "hambone" in the Steam version.

[edit] Gallery

[edit] Pre-release

Concept of an Alien Slave eating a scientist.	Concept art for a scientist, with a rat.	Scientist near a blue Panther Eye held in an experiment lab.	Texture files for the cut female scientist from the Half-Life: Source files. As with most of the textures files, they appear slightly deformed, while their size always appear correctly in-game. Therefore the head should be slightly narrower. She appears frightened, as most of the old scientist face textures.
White Bullsquid about to attack a scientist.	Early Bullsquid eating Black Mesa employees.	HECU soldiers beating up a scientist.	Ichthyosaur attacking a scientist.
Panther Eye about to eat a scientist.	Scientists and crates.	Ironic sign.	HECU soldiers beating up scientists.
Scientist about the be attacked by a Panther Eye.	Scientists and MP guards.	Scientists outside, including the removed shadows.	Shattered glass falling on a scientist.

[edit] Retail

[edit] Half-Life

Scientist and security guard in the Sector C entrance hall.	Scientists in Sector C.	Scientist and the G-Man discussing behind a window.	Scientists in the upper Anti-Mass Spectrometer control room.
Scientist attempting to revive a security guard right after the Resonance Cascade.	Eli Vance helping a scientist up after the Resonance Cascade.	Eli Vance telling Gordon to reach the outside.	A Headcrab and a dead scientist in the Black Mesa Office Complex.
Scientist operating a Retinal Scanner at the entrance of the Lambda Complex.	Vortigaunts "communicating" over a scientist corpse in the Lambda Complex.	The shotgun scientist and a security guard, mirrored in Half-Life 2.	Scientist introducing the Long Jump Module.
Zombie scientist.

[edit] Half-Life: Uplink

HECU soldiers killing scientists.

[edit] Half-Life: Opposing Force

Scientist examining a Headcrab.	A scientist fears for his life at the hands of the HECU.	Holographic scientist.	S. Jones's corpse.
S. Reardon's corpse.	Clean suit scientist rescued by Adrian Shephard.	Clean suit sign.	Black Mesa logo as seen on the clean suits.

[edit] Half-Life: Blue Shift

Scientist hindering Barney's ride to work.	Several members of the science team in a modern laboratory.	Scientist threatening a security guard.	Ditto.
Scientist seen dancing through a security camera.	Ditto.	Scientists working on a malfunctioning computer.	Abandoned Black Mesa SUV, with a dead scientist and security guard.
Dead Survey Team scientist on Xen.

[edit] Half-Life 2

The Black Mesa Anomalous Materials team posing in the Black Mesa Sector C lobby before the Black Mesa Incident, as seen in Kleiner's Lab.

[edit] Advertisements

"Working as a team!". Black Mesa Science Team advertisement.

"Success!". Black Mesa Science Team advertisement.

"Do your part!". Clean suit advertisement.

[edit] List of appearances

• Half-Life: Day One (First appearance)
• Half-Life
• Half-Life: Uplink (Non-canonical appearance)
• Half-Life: Opposing Force
• Half-Life: Blue Shift
• Half-Life: Decay
• Half-Life 2 (As former members)
• Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar
• Half-Life 2: Lost Coast (As former member Gordon Freeman) (Non-canonical appearance)
• Half-Life 2: Episode One (As former members)
• Half-Life 2: Episode Two (As former members)

[edit] Notes and references

Black Mesa
Black Mesa Science Team		Armstrong · Backman (scientist) · Bahl · Bailey (scientist) · Birdwell · Walter Bennet · Bond · Wallace Breen · Barney Calhoun · Casali · Cavanaugh · Coomer (scientist) · Gina Cross · Deupree · Gordon Freeman · Colette Green · Guthrie (scientist) · Harold · Heironimus · Hess · Jones (scientist) · S. Jones · Johnson · Richard Keller · Isaac Kleiner · Laidlaw · Landon · Luna · Laur · Arne Magnusson · Martel · McArthur · Mertz · Montague · Palmer · Peters · Pitchford · Reardon · S. Reardon · Riller · Rosenberg · Selitto · Simmons · Smithers · Stelly · Isabel Teasley · Tolman · Eli Vance · VanDolen · Victor · West · Wood · Wardwell
Black Mesa Security Force		Backman (security guard) · Bailey (security guard) · Barney Calhoun · Bass · Beier · Black · Cassello · Coomer (security guard) · Dunn · Fase · Guthrie (security guard) · Hood · Jones (security guard) · Kooy · Otis Laurey · Lombardi · Miller · O'Conner · Pauly · Phillips · Pobst · Trock · Veevaert
Other personnel		L.M.
Residents		Alyx Vance · Azian Vance
Technology		Anti-Mass Spectrometer · Battery · Black Mesa Announcement System · Black Mesa rocket · Charger · Delivery Cart · HEV Suit · Holographic Assistant · Long Jump Module · Medkit · The Mesa Times · MTM 8 · Retinal Scanner · Teleportation · Weapon Box
Weapons		.357 Magnum · Crossbow · Crowbar · Desert Eagle · Displacer · Glock 17 · Gluon Gun · Laser Tripmine · Mk 2 Grenade · MP5 · Pipe Wrench · RPG · Satchel Charge · SPAS-12 · Tau Cannon
Locations		Black Mesa Research Facility · Black Mesa Transit System
Transportation		Black Mesa SUV · Black Mesa Transit System · Black Mesa Truck
Other		Black Mesa Incident · Black Mesa Personnel · Black Mesa Science Team · Black Mesa Security Force · Lambda logo
Science Team (cut)		Bernier · Caughley · Cook · Donaldson · Ivan the Space Biker · Lundeen · Mark · Mennet · Myers · Theodore · Walker
Technology (cut)		Emergency Flare · Oxygen Bottles · Powerup Bottles · Security Card