Black Mesa
For other uses, see Black Mesa (disambiguation). |
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| Black Mesa | |
|---|---|
| Political information | |
| Type |
Research corporation |
| Leader | |
| Subclasses | |
| Societal information | |
| Base | |
| Motto(s) |
Working to make a better tomorrow for all mankind[1] |
| Armament | |
| Technology | |
| Vehicles | |
| Historical information | |
| Era(s) | |
| Date of establishment | |
| Date of fragmentation |
after the Black Mesa Incident |
- "Do you have a friend or relative who would make a valuable addition to the Black Mesa team? Immediate openings are available in the areas of Materials Handling and Low-Clearance Security. Please contact Black Mesa Personnel for further information. If you have an associate with a background in the areas of theoretical physics, biotechnology or other high tech disciplines, please contact our Civilian Recruitment Division. The Black Mesa Research Facility is an equal opportunity employer."
- ― Black Mesa Transit System[src]
Black Mesa was an American research corporation whose headquarters were located in the Black Mesa Research Facility, in the New Mexico desert.[3]
Black Mesa was apparently helmed by the United States government, as the Great Seal could be seen on the ground of several lobbies of the Black Mesa Research Facility, and the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, as seen on several comlink status screens.
Black Mesa was a major rival of the Aperture Science corporation.
Contents
Fields array[edit]
Black Mesa conducted extensive research across a broad range of scientific fields, from traditional scientific disciplines to cutting-edge areas such as radiation, rocketry, theoretical physics, lasers, experimental propulsion, hydraulics, robotics, hydroelectricity, genetics, zoology, applied mathematics, and various branches of chemistry and physics. Most of this research took place at the Black Mesa Research Facility, encompassing both fundamental science and applied technologies.
In addition to its legitimate research efforts, Black Mesa also undertook a number of secretive and classified projects, details of which remain deliberately vague. Among these were the development of advanced weaponry and defense systems, investigations into extra-dimensional travel and teleportation, and in-depth studies of the mysterious Xen dimension. As revealed during the tram ride in Half-Life, the facility's public address system announces that Black Mesa is actively seeking employees with expertise in theoretical physics, biotechnology, and other high-tech scientific fields.[4] It was also said that jobs in low-clearance security and materials handling were available. Black Mesa, as the same announcement states, was an equal opportunity employer.
Personnel[edit]
Black Mesa employed two primary groups of civilian staff at its facility: scientific personnel and security personnel. In addition to these core groups, the facility housed various other individuals, including administrative staff, service personnel, and occasionally the families of employees. The base also maintained a small military presence.
Competitors[edit]
- "Black Mesa can eat my bankrupt—"
- ― Cave Johnson, founder and CEO of Aperture Science[src]
Little is known about Black Mesa's competitors. It is known that Aperture Science was competing with Black Mesa on various government contracts, including the development of portal technology. In addition, according to potentially biased information from Aperture Science, Black Mesa received a much larger percentage of contracts than average. This information depicted by the slideshow found in Aperture, reveals the rivalry in competing for GSA Contracts and federal funding, led to Black Mesa being much more successful in achieving financial stability, while working government-granted projects. Isaac Kleiner mentioned how this rush for funding would prompt Aperture's scientists to turn to desperation, by potentially compromising ordinary standards of risk with their project on the Borealis, similarly to Black Mesa's deviation of standard procedures on the Anti-Mass Spectrometer experiment. The effect that the Xen invasion had on Aperture Science or any of Black Mesa's unnamed competitors is unknown as of now.
Behind the scenes[edit]
- Series' writer Marc Laidlaw coined the name "Black Mesa Research Facility". He came up with other names during his brainstorming, including "Black Butte, Nuclear Missile Base" (located in Montana instead of New Mexico), "Sand Basin", "Diablo Mesa", "Mesa Diablo", "Diablo Plains", or "Fertile Plains". He states it is great fun for Valve to invent names for their creations, and then see them go out into the world and take on lives of their own. He also states he is very glad he decided to go with "Black Mesa Research Facility" rather than "Black Butte".[5]
- As with Aperture Science, the Black Mesa logo is directly based on the company's name, appearing as a stylized mesa mountain against the sky.
- In the ending song of Portal, "Still Alive", GLaDOS mentions Black Mesa, asking Chell who she thinks will help her deal with situations: Maybe you'll find someone else to help you. / Maybe Black Mesa... / THAT WAS A JOKE. HA HA. FAT CHANCE.
- Portal series' writers Chet Faliszek and Erik Wolpaw sees the rivalry between Aperture Science and Black Mesa as "snobs versus slobs", Black Mesa being the snobs and Aperture Science "the slobs, the loveable goofballs".[6]
- In the VR technology demo The Lab, a "Black Mesa Private Lumberyard" logo can be found under stool located next to the Xortex 26XX relic.
Artwork gallery[edit]
Logos[edit]
The Black Mesa logo as seen on documents.
Ditto, with text.
The original logo.
The Black Mesa logo as seen on blue containers.
Ditto, with name.
The Black Mesa logo as seen on red containers.
Ditto, with name.
The Black Mesa logo as seen on the SUVs, different from the common logo.
The Black Mesa logo as seen on the scientists' cleansuits.
Black Mesa flag as seen above the personnel entrance in Blue Shift, featuring a less schematic mesa.
The Black Mesa logo as seen on Alyx's sweater, leak version.
The Black Mesa logo as seen on Alyx's sweater, retail version.
The Black Mesa name and logo on a world map seen in the Anomalous Materials Laboratory lobby.
Ditto, in situ.
The Black Mesa name and logo on a world map seen in a Black Mesa lobby during G-Man's Episode Two's monologue at Black Mesa. The only difference with the one seen in documents is that it uses the Helvetica font instead of Arial.
Vector version.
G-Man's Episode Two's monologue at Black Mesa, with the logo and world map behind him.
The Black Mesa logo featured in the Portal end credits, appearing when mentioned in the "Still Alive" lyrics.
The Black Mesa logo on G-Man's briefcase in the GoldSrc models.
The Black Mesa logo as seen on the Decay truck.
The Black Mesa Research Facility Transport Division logo as seen on the Decay truck.
The Black Mesa logo as seen on the security guard's chest.
Black Mesa header seen on personnel badges.
"Security" logo as seen on the security guard's back.
Ditto, HD version.
The Black Mesa logo as seen on GLaDOS' screens at the end of Portal.
Black Mesa tattoo as seen during the "Portal is Free" video.
Logo seen on the ground of the Advanced Biological Research Lab lobby, featuring the Latin words "Superbus Via Inscientiæ", and a DNA double helix in the middle. The best translation would be "Proud by way of ignorance", although the phrasing is not common.
Black Mesa Private Lumberyard logo found under the Xortex 26XX stool in The Lab.
Advertisement[edit]
Black Mesa Science Team advertisement.
Black Mesa Security Force advertisement.
Black Mesa Science Team advertisement.
Shooting Range advertisement.
Cleansuit advertisement.
Safety advertisement.
Apache advertisement.
Hydro-electric dam advertisement.
Black Mesa Transit System advertisement.
Safety advertisement.
Advertisement about the future.
Advertisement of the surroundings of the facility.
Others[edit]
Calendar set on December, with the "Blue Marble" photo (original image).
Ditto (unused texture) (original image).
Title card of the slideshow where Aperture Science compares itself with Black Mesa, as seen in Portal.
Second card of the slideshow.
Third card of the slideshow.
Fourth and last card of the slideshow.
The slideshow in situ.
List of appearances[edit]
Main games[edit]
- Half-Life
- Half-Life: Opposing Force
- Half-Life: Blue Shift
- Half-Life: Decay
- Half-Life 2 (Mentioned only) (Appears in flashback(s)) (Picture only)
- Half-Life 2: Episode One (Mentioned only)
- Portal (Picture only) (Mentioned in Still Alive)
- Half-Life 2: Episode Two (Mentioned only) (Appears in flashback(s))
- Portal 2 (Mentioned only)
Other[edit]
- Half-Life: Day One (First appearance)
- Half-Life: Uplink
- Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar
- Perpetual Testing Initiative (Mentioned only)
- Lego Dimensions (Mentioned only) (Non-canonical appearance)
- Robot Repair (Logo only)
- The Lab (Non-canonical appearance) (Logos only)
- Moondust (Non-canonical appearance) (Removed in the current iteration)
References[edit]
- ↑ Half-Life: Blue Shift instruction manual
- ↑ Portal 2: The Official Guide, page 309
- ↑ Half-Life instruction manual
- ↑ The Half-Life chapter Black Mesa Inbound
- ↑ Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar, page 33
- ↑ "How Valve Opened Up Portal 2" on Eurogamer.net
| Factions | |
|---|---|
| Retail | Aperture Science · Black Mesa · Black Ops · Combine · Hazardous Environment Combat Unit · Race X · Resistance · Xen |
| Cut | Central Intelligence Agency · Agents |
