Research equipment set up by the survey teams on XenĪside from key personnel in the Lambda Team, many of Black Mesa's scientists were not appraised of the true source of the Xenian samples that were retrieved for example, scientists studying an Ichthyosaur were told that the creature originated from Challenger Deep in the Pacific Ocean, while scientists studying the mineral samples often speculated with one another about their origin.

Despite this, many samples of Xenian animal and plant life were retrieved for study in the Sector E Biodome Complex, while the exotic minerals were studied in the Sector C Test Labs. The Xenian biosphere was incredibly hostile, and thus these expeditions were considered extremely hazardous, resulting in the death or capture of dozens of researchers. Attracted by scientific curiosity, particularly toward the properties of exotic minerals found on the alien world to aid in their teleportation research, Black Mesa's Lambda Team launched multiple survey expeditions to the Borderworld to collect samples of Xenian flora and fauna. Sometime prior to the Incident, researchers at the Black Mesa Research Facility had discovered an extradimensional realm, formally known as the Borderworld, but colloquially referred to as Xen, while developing teleportation technology.

2 Immediate effects and military response.

Though Freeman's actions halted the invasion, the portal storms that occurred as a consequence of the incident continued to intensify, ultimately attracting the attention of a powerful interdimensional empire known as the Combine to launch an invasion and subsequent occupation of Earth. Freeman's whereabouts would remain unknown for decades, as he disappeared immediately after these events.

Prior to the facility's destruction, Black Mesa scientist Gordon Freeman had been teleported to the Borderworld by the Lambda Team, where he successfully killed the creature coordinating the invasion and holding the rift open. The ensuing desperate conflict between the survivors and increasing numbers of alien creatures led to the government authorizing the facility's destruction with a nuclear device, which destroyed the facility and eradicated the invasion. The United States government dispatched a military expeditionary force to the facility to contain the invasion and silence witnesses, however, they suffered heavy casualties and were compelled to quickly withdraw. The survivors quickly realized the presence of the aliens was not an accident, and were in fact the vanguard of an invasion.

The attempt failed and it was deduced that a powerful being was deliberately holding the rift open. The experiment triggered a rare quantum event known as a Resonance Cascade, which ruptured the space-time continuum and allowed extradimensional beings from a realm known as the Borderworld to teleport into the facility.īlack Mesa personnel who had survived the initial incident attempted a resonance reversal using an orbiting satellite to seal the tear. The Black Mesa Incident, also referred to as the Lambda Incident, was a catastrophic event resulting from an experiment carried out by the Anomalous Materials department at the Black Mesa Research Facility.

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