Civilians of City 17

Lore & Background

In *Escape from City 17*, civilians are portrayed as Resistance members and refugees trying to escape the doomed city. Part One is set during the second half of events of *Half-Life 2: Episode One*. Dr. Isaac Kleiner broadcasts warnings over City 17's PA system that the Combine Citadel is set to explode at any moment, and that the resulting explosion will destroy the city and surrounding area. Prior to the film's events, Gordon Freeman's actions within the Citadel have held down the impending explosion, opening a small window of time for civilians to escape. Members of the Lambda Resistance are seen fighting their way out of the city as Combine Civil Protection forces try to hold them back. CP officers are also shown executing captured rebels, while Combine synths wreak havoc on the warzone. Part Two takes place some time before Part One, somewhere before the chapter Anticitizen One during the final events of *Half-Life 2*. During the battle for City 17, a Russian Resistance member (Julia Tourianski) is about to be killed by CP officers when a third Resistance member (David Purchase) saves her. After partnering up to survive the battle, they become closer. Eventually, the final events of *Half-Life 2* and the chapters Undue Alarm and Direct Intervention of *Episode One* come to pass, and the Citadel's dark energy reactor begins to enter meltdown. Gordon Freeman's actions delay the reaction long enough to allow citizens and Resistance members alike to escape City 17. David and Julia decide to leave the city as well, but David is later shot in the neck by a CP officer and dies in Julia's arms. Julia, Ian, and Derek are forced to run as a dropship, CP officers, and an Overwatch soldier chase them. They escape into an old canal tunnel, where Julia is attacked by a headcrab. She shoots it off with the pistol David gave her, and the three run for the tunnel exit as the film ends.

In Their Own Story

In Part One, two male Resistance members (Derek Chan and Ian Purchase) are introduced escaping through an overrun trainyard. Through radio communication, they learn from a third rebel (David Purchase) that the last evacuation train has already left, and are urged to escape the city on foot through the canal system in order to catch up with David, who is en route to the Resistance stronghold of White Forest. After a brief argument, the two resolve to escape City 17 before 'the Citadel blows us up first.' Suddenly, CP officers appear and fire on them. The two retaliate with their own weaponry (Derek using a 9mm pistol, then a crowbar; Ian using an SMG with a grenade launcher) and manage to escape. They are eventually caught upon an open stretch of railway, where a Hunter-Chopper appears and fires at them, giving chase. The duo disappear behind a cloud of dirt from the wake of the chopper's mounted gun, and the film abruptly cuts to black. In Part Two, a Russian Resistance member (Julia Tourianski) is about to be killed by CP officers when David Purchase saves her. At first, she doesn't trust him, but after partnering up together to survive the battle, they become closer. At one point, they kiss in an abandoned restroom after destroying a Combine Strider. Sometime later, David gives Julia a 9mm pistol with the slogan 'Never Gone' written on the side. She starts to weep, because she hadn't been 'given a gift in over a decade.' After the Citadel's reactor begins to meltdown, David and Julia decide to leave the city. After reaching the old canals and combating zombies, Derek and Ian catch up with them. As they walk together, they talk about Freeman's actions within the Citadel. Suddenly, David is shot in the neck by a CP officer. As the other two members fire back at the incoming Combine soldiers, David dies in Julia's arms. Anguished, she and the others are forced to run, as a dropship, CP officers, and an Overwatch soldier chase them. They are able to lose them, escaping into an old canal tunnel. As they try to catch their breath, Julia is suddenly attacked by a headcrab. Ian and Derek try to get it off of her head, but when another horde of zombies appear, they are forced to fend them off instead. At that point, the Citadel's dark energy core explodes. City 17 is decimated to rubble, and the blinding blue light from the explosion fills the tunnel from a skylight in the roof. Flashbacks from previous events suddenly appear among the beams of light, recalling when David had given Julia the pistol. The scene returns to Julia, who pulls out the pistol, reloads it, and shoots the headcrab off of her. Derek helps her to her feet, and the three of them run for the tunnel exit as the film ends.

Reader's Guide

The Civilians of City 17 in *Escape from City 17* are primarily represented by Resistance members and refugees. Part One focuses on two male Resistance members (Derek Chan and Ian Purchase) escaping through an overrun trainyard. They learn from a third rebel (David Purchase) that the last evacuation train has already left, and are urged to escape the city on foot through the canal system. They encounter CP officers and a Hunter-Chopper during their escape. Part Two introduces a Russian Resistance member (Julia Tourianski) who is saved by David Purchase. They partner up, destroy a Combine Strider, and eventually leave the city together. David gives Julia a 9mm pistol with 'Never Gone' written on the side. After David is shot and killed by a CP officer, Julia, Ian, and Derek escape into a canal tunnel. Julia is attacked by a headcrab but shoots it off with the pistol. The film ends with the three running for the tunnel exit as the Citadel explodes. Key moments include: Part One's escape through the trainyard and chase by a Hunter-Chopper; Part Two's introduction of Julia, her partnership with David, and David's death; the final escape into the canal tunnel and Julia's headcrab attack. The film depicts civilians as active participants in the Resistance, fighting and dying in the struggle to escape City 17 before the Citadel's destruction.

Did You Know?

• Part One was released on February 13, 2009, and Part Two was released on August 24, 2011.
• The film was created by Toronto-based David and Ian Purchase, collectively referred to as the Purchase Brothers, with a budget of Can$500.
• The background used for the film's opening scene is the panorama of Riga.
• Part Two was initially released on YouTube on August 19, 2011, but was quickly removed for unknown reasons and re-uploaded on August 24, 2011.
• Valve promoted the film with a news post on Steam, saying 'we were blown away – the production quality certainly exceeds that of the usual community-made movies we see.'