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Barney Calhoun | |
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| Biographical and chronological information | |
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Homeworld: |
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Home universe: |
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Nationality: |
American |
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Ethnicity: |
European-American |
| Physical and biological description | |
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Species: |
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Gender: |
Male |
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Height: |
1.83 m (6 ft) |
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Hair color: |
Black |
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Eye color: |
Brown |
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Skin color: |
Fair |
| Societal and political information | |
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Affiliation: |
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Status: |
Alive |
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Marital status: |
Married |
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Spouse(s): |
Lauren Calhoun |
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- "Now... about that beer I owed ya."
- — Barney introducing himself to Gordan Freeman
Barney Calhoun is one of the key leaders of the Earth Freedom Fighters. He was a security guard at Black Mesa before becoming a key Resistance leader. Barney Calhoun, an undecided major after two years at Martinson College, is employed as a mid-level security officer at the Black Mesa Research Facility, with Level 3 security clearance and is accommodated in the Area 8 Topside Dormitories. He is friends with Gordon Freeman and Isaac Kleiner, who are also members of the E.F.F.
Following the Uprising he was instrumental in the creation of the Human-Vortigaunt Federation Intelligence organizations and lay the foundations for much of its' spycraft, especially the work done by agents that imbeds themselves into enemy organizations. He also helped to create the Presidential Guard for the President of the HVF as well.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Career in Black Mesa[]
Barney Calhoun was an undecided major after two years at Martinson College when he was employed as a mid-level security officer at the Black Mesa Research Facility, with Level 3 security clearance and is accommodated in the Area 8 Topside Dormitories. He befriended Gordon Freeman and Isaac Kleiner, who were also employees of Black Mesa.
As a Black Mesa security guard, he was tasked with duties including guarding assigned sections, performing general maintenance, and assisting the science team when required. His "Disaster Response Priority" was to protect the Black Mesa facility and its equipment in the event of an emergency, with secondary priority to safeguard members of the science team whilst his own personal safety was of relatively low importance.
On May 9, 200-, Barney receives a letter from L.M. about his May 15 reassignment to Blue Shift. three days later, Barney is performing a retinal scan and has his salary increased. His two-day Security Guard Training is scheduled. Then on the same day and the next at 08:00, Barney underwent a two-day Security Guard Training under the Miller-based holographic instructor. On May 15, Barney is assigned to a 09:00 - 22:00 Blue Shift assignment and reports to Area 3 Medium Security Facilities in Sector C, at 09:00. His shift is to last until August 15.
Black Mesa Incident[]
Barney was aboard Gordon Freeman's tram ride to Sector C, knocking on the Area 3 Security Facilities door. He was present when Gordon is knocked unconscious by HECU troops during the Black Mesa Incident
He started his tram ride from the Area 8 Topside Dormitories at Black Mesa, to start his second Blue Shift day at Area 3 Medium Security Facilities in Sector C. He arrives there sometime before 9:00.
After the Resonance Cascade occurred (at around 9:00), Barney became determined to escape from the Black Mesa facility. Located and freed Dr. Rosenberg, who had been captured by the HECU troops. Rosenberg reveals to Barney his plan of escaping by using an old teleport model. Calhoun helps Rosenberg to prepare everything for successful teleportation. He first travels to the border world Xen, where he activates a device needed for teleport's correct work. Barney then locates, charges and delivers a spare power battery to Doctor Rosenberg. At the end of the game Barney, along with Rosenberg and his two colleagues, Dr. Simmons and Walter, managed to escape from the Black Mesa Research Facility, and he was described as being "out of range" by the textual summary, as compared to Gordon Freeman, listed as "hired," and Adrian Shephard, listed as "detained".
Gina Cross and Colette Green were caught in a harmonic reflux. During that time, they heard Dr. Rosenberg saying "Calhoun, you must hurry! We can't keep the portal open much longer!". Barney then jumpied into the portal teleporting him from Xen.
Combine Occupation[]
After the Portal Storms, the Seven Hour War, and the subsequent Combine takeover, Barney was presumably relocated to City 17 where he signed up for Civil Protection. This would have been valuable to gain inside information and distribute warnings about upcoming raids or provide misleading intelligence to the Combine though it was likely quite risky to his own safety. At some point before or after his relocation, he also came back into contact with Isaac Kleiner and Eli Vance who had also apparently been relocated to City 17 and participated in their Resistance movement.
On one memorable occasion, Barney was assisting with Kleiner's teleport experiments where Kleiner attempted to transport a cat as a test experiment and something traumatizing happened to it. Barney claims to have persistent nightmares about the cat and even mistakes a distant Strider roar as a meow late.
By a twist of fate, probably orchestrated by the G-Man, Gordon Freeman was then released from stasis into the City 17 Trainstation where Barney happened to be having his shift of Civil Protection duty. A security camera rejects Gordon's identity and Barney's then able to 'take him away for questioning', saving him from boarding the train to Nova Prospekt and meeting a horrible fate in the depths of the complex. He then contacted Isaac Kleiner, having a brief chat about how Gordon could get to his lab safely, then Barney let Gordon escape through a back way.
Sometime later, Barney and Gordon met up at Kleiner's Lab. After another teleporter mishap that teleports Gordon to several different locations, Barney meets Gordon outside the lab and provides him with a crowbar, and directions to escape on foot to Eli's lab, via the Underground Railroad. Barney then goes back inside Kleiner's Lab, having to look after Kleiner.
Later on, when Gordon and Alyx arrive at Kleiner's Lab from Nova Prospekt, they received a video transmission from Barney, who needed help fighting the Combine in the streets of City 17.
Golmar Uprising[]
Revolt of City 17[]
During the uprising, Barney became the impromptu "field commander" of the Resistance forces and led the push towards the Citadel in order to rescue Eli Vance. At some point, he was pinned down by Overwatch Snipers that Gordon, finally reached him, took down. Together they led a team of Rebels into the Overwatch Nexus to disable the Suppression Device. Barney then used his Civil Protection status to unlock several barriers Gordon would normally not be able to pass. After Gordon set off towards the Citadel again, Barney continued to oversee the later stages of the assault on the Overwatch Nexus, until encountering Dog and following him to Gordon's location. Barney was then last seen at the foot of the Citadel, telling Gordon "And if you see Dr. Breen, tell him I said, FUCK YOU!".
Barney organizied a resistance push on a train station to escape City 17 before the Citadel self-destructs. He, again, provided Gordon with a crowbar before setting off to round up citizens in that sector of the city. He then waited for Gordon and Alyx in the parking lot between the train station and the hospital. When the duo arrives, Gordon and Alyx help Barney escort several groups of Citizens through significant Combine resistance into the escape trains. He took a train to make his leave as Gordon and Alyx decided to take the next one to give him and the Citizens time to escape.
Liberation of Golmar Earth[]
(open for editing)
Multiverse War[]
(open for editing)
Personality and Traits[]
Barney is presented as a sarcastic, witty, although very capable and adaptable leader. Commenting that Gordon's M.I.T. education "really pays for itself" when he flips the lever on the Resurrected Teleport. Barney is an upbeat, friendly, charismatic and able man. He works undercover for Civil Protection, although his real loyalty lies with the Lambda Resistance. Barney is consistently helpful with his peers and friends, constantly seeking ways to help them, also being amusingly honest with his thoughts. He checks on Dr. Isaac Kleiner and his lab when he has the opportunity, and though he is friends with the scientist, he occasionally seems skeptical about his experiments, particularly about one incident regarding a cat that traumatized him enough to give him nightmares. Upon encountering his old friend and colleague, Gordon Freeman, he greeets him reminding him of a beer he still owes him, and comments that Gordon's M.I.T. education "really pays for itself" when he flips the lever on the Resurrected Teleport. He is shown to quickly be appointed to being the de-facto field commander of the Lambda Resistance by rallying and leading the rebellion in City 17 through to the eventual evacuation to White Forest after the destruction of Nova Prospekt.
Some nights, he dreams about cheese.
Abilities[]
Barney was once a Black Mesa security guard, and as such has expertise on fire weapons, later becoming leader of the human rebellion.
His leadership skill is shown when becoming the de-facto field commander of the Lambda Resistance by rallying and leading the rebellion in City 17 through to the eventual evacuation to White Forest after the destruction of Nova Prospekt. His skill with weapons is proven by the two day Security Guard training he attended while employed at Black Mesa, and he presumably was given training for his duty as a metro-cop in City 17.
Relationships[]
Gordon Freeman[]
Barney and Gordon have been good friends ever since they started working at Black Mesa. Before the Resonance Cascade Barney and Gordon would race in the ventilation shafts of Black Mesa to find Dr. Kleiner's keys to his office. Barney would saved Gordon from a miserable fate at Nova Prospekt, and send him on his way to Kleiner's Lab. The two would later fight side by side in City 17, while escorting people out of the city. Barney also comments on Gordon's relationship with Alyx, calling Gordon a "lucky dog".
Alyx Vance[]
Alyx was just a toddler back at Black Mesa, and it is unknown if he met her during his tenure as a security guard. Nevertheless, he considers her a worthy ally in the human resistance on the Combine-occupied Golmar Earth, and by association Gordon a "lucky dog" for being of romantic interest to her.
Isaac Kleiner[]
Barney was friends with Dr. Kleiner ever since they worked at Black Mesa. Barney occasionally checks up on Dr. Kleiner in his lab, whenever he has free time to do so. Barney and Gordon also raced inside the ventilation shafts throughout Black Mesa to find Kleiner's keys whenever he lost them.
Rivals[]
Quotes[]
- "Holy mother.. those the Pure Combine?! They’re giants! Bet they look uglier without those helmets"
- — First sighting of the Pure Combine on Pol Mars in 1438 NE
- "Holy shit, no way... are they... from the Star Wars?! Wait, shouldn't their clone wars have ended by now?"
- — Barney's discovery of the Filo Universe
Trivia[]
- The Blue Shift instruction manual featured the sentence "Buy flowers for Lauren", suggesting that Calhoun has a wife or girlfriend.
Notes[]
- Due to his earlier experiences as a spy within Civil Protection, Barney would help to establish the HVF, and later CGS's intelligence branches, especially the use of undercover agents and moles as well as support for resistances through arms and intelligence, even becoming the first Director of the HVF's Intelligence department, though he did give it his all, he doesn't remember his time as the director of intelligence very fondly, coming to enjoy being a active spy more then the man in charge of intelligence.