White Forest Rocket Facility

White Forest Rocket Facility is a fictional location from Valve Software's 2007 first-person shooter computer game Half-Life 2: Episode 2. The facility is an abandoned Soviet Union-era rocket base, located in the alpine regions of White Forest (ostensibly somewhere in Eastern Europe), and is the staging area for a satellite launch. White Forest Rocket Facility is where Eli Vance, Isaac Kleiner, Arne Magnusson and many other resistance members, including some Vortigaunts, live.

Although this is not stated in-game, control room displays and dialogue indicate the base was originally built with the missile silo capacity for two ICBMs.

Overview
White Forest Rocket Facility appears to be a Cold War-era missile base belonging to the Soviet Union or Warsaw Pact, supported by the presence of English translated notes from Resistance members covering Cyrillic writing, and the Red Star. The facility is supposedly larger than Black Mesa East, though only the storage, control and rocket silo areas of the base are explorable in-game. In addition, the number of rebels in the base would suggest that White Forest is similar to Black Mesa East with areas dedicated to habitation, power generators, kitchens, and recreational areas.

The areas around White Forest are under constant surveillance by CCTV cameras, and protected by heavy blast doors. In addition, the base is heavily-guarded, as demonstrated in-game when sentries quickly shoot down a hostile transport aircraft. The surrounding forest around the facility itself is dotted with old buildings that have been converted into outposts and supply stashes for Resistance fighters, as well as teleporters to supply Freeman with all the Magnusson devices he needs.

Half-Life 2 Episode Two
Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance arrive at the White Forest base towards the end of Half-Life 2: Episode Two. At the base, a team of rebel scientists lead by Eli Vance, Isaac Kleiner, and Arne Magnusson have been preparing a special rocket for some time. It has been planned to use the rocket in conjunction with the satellite array launched during the events of Half-Life to close the emerging Combine superportal.

At the base, Alyx delivers Judith Mossman's message to Eli, and additional embedded information is found. While the rocket is being reprogrammed with the information Alyx obtained, White Forest comes under attack by Combine forces, including large numbers of Striders. Gordon engages and destroys them using experimental explosive charges created by Doctor Magnusson. Afterwards, the rocket is launched and successfully closes the superportal. It is revealed at this point that the base has a working Mil Mi-8 helicopter (with markings of the Vietnam People's Air Force), prepped for a journey out somewhere north.

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