Based on an idle tweet I made a few weeks ago…

In 1987, John “Branch” Loftin discovered a cavern deep beneath the surface of New Mexico, the seat of an ancient civilization called the D'ni. Not native to Earth, the D'ni were masters of the Art: the ability to write Books which could literally transport the reader to the places they described. Sporadically over the next few years, small exploratory teams made their way down to the cavern.

Word of this discovery eventually reached the US government, who desperately wanted a reliable means of battlefield teleportation. Dissatisfied with the progress being made by Aperture Science, they sent their own teams into the cavern, focusing on the main city rather than the adjacent “Neighborhoods” and the island of Ae'gura which Loftin’s people had been exploring. They recovered as much data as they could, notably information on crystals used by Rivenese as a way of “forcing” a link which was otherwise untenable.

The data was considered promising enough to reopen and expand the nearby Black Mesa Research Facility; far enough from the D'ni entrance to avoid prying eyes, but close enough to cavern access acquire more data if necessary. Around this time, an older man with an air of authority began observing and occasionally even directing activities. Although some early documents refer to him as “Gehn” most simply took to calling him “the G-man,” perhaps confusing his name with alleged government ties.

After hitting a number of dead ends in portal research, one day the G-man arrives with a new crystal to try….



(Logo is a combination of Half-Life’s Black Mesa and Myst Online: Uru Live’s D'ni Restoration Council.)