Matthias Zimmerman's Life

Matthias Zimmermann was not much more than an accident. One day, a German citizen named Dominik Matthias met an American citizen named Angel Jackson. Of course, they fell in love, and had to evade the Combine because of it. The city they lived in, City 34, had a strict regime where even love was disallowed. If you were in love with somebody, you get shot.

When the two lovebirds were out for a walk and the units guarding TunCEP were shifting positions, they saw their chance. Before Angel could react, Dominik had her hand and they were both sprinting into the Slums. A faint, vocoded yell reached them, but by then they were well inside. Angel had no idea what to do. With a few feeble words of comfort, Dominik said that he'd go out and look for supplies. Within three hours, Dominik found a hidden entrance in a wall behind a couch, which had a considerable stash of sustenance. An old panic shelter, though the original occupant didn't get to it in time.

Dominik eagerly ran back to Angel and broke the news. They ran there, and just in time. As soon as they got in, a Combine Hunter leaped off of a rooftop and began searching the slums. The couple cowered in their new home for five hours until the Hunter had left. By now, Angel was going insane. She was only stabilized by Dominik, who had given up all he had for Angel.

When the Resistance of City 34 breached the Citadel and took down the suppression field, they saw their chance. Dominik asked if they wanted to have a child. Angel agreed. An hour later, the suppression field was back up and the Combine were sweeping the area. However, it was too late; the embryo had formed, and Angel was pregnant. Dominik had never been so proud in his life. However, this was what led to his death. With the 9mm they had found in the bunker, he ran out and attempted to take out what he had assumed was an oh-four. This was actually an Elite Ground Unit, and he was ripped to shreds by the AR2 he carried.

For one long year, she harbored the baby. When she went into labor, a rebel who had been disbanded (the Resistance was obliterated after the suppression field was back up) helped her deliver the baby. However, this was the only kind action he did. He left as soon as the baby started breathing, angry at Angel for "wasting his time". For several months, she managed to care for the baby.

One night, the baby couldn't get to sleep. He screamed at the top of his lungs and a unit guarding TunCEP discovered them. After detaining Angel for questioning, he gave the baby a spoonful of Lithium. It was out cold within five seconds. Once the unit brought the baby back to Nexus, the Sectorial Commander demanded why it was not amputated. The unit could not answer, and the SeC raised his revolver, firing a single shot. The unit dropped dead, and the baby was still out. The SeC decided... this baby could be of use.

Using a prototype technology, he accelerated the baby's growth extremely fast. By 2015 (he was born in 2014), he was twenty years old. The baby had been named Matthias. The SeC demanded loyalty and respect to the Combine. He didn't ever love his "adopted" child, so he would not hesitate to brutally beat him with his stunstick along with his DvLs. After he turned a year old, Matthias was released into the city.

Going upon the belief that he had been relocated, he lived a normal life, albeit a loyalist. However, when he discovered life before the Combine, he was outraged. He demanded the oh-three clamping TunCEP to let him in. The unit made him leave. Fortunately for him, he got on board a train to City 19 a month after the incident.

Matthias worked on his English and his American accent during the ride, but was still poor at both. After living for five months there, he slipped to the docks. There he met an Italian woman named Christina, who brought him to an island with a lighthouse. The Resistance were based there, but three Vortigaunts also lived here. One of them wanted to speak to his god, and demanded a sacrifice. Another one, older, teleported Matthias and Christina to the ration distribution, where they slipped, again, into the docks.

They hid out in a warehouse for about an hour, but were soon discovered. While a DvL and oh-three breached, they slipped out through the sewers and hid out in Matthias' apartment. When the units questioned them, they didn't tell anything. Christina hid out under the stairs for three days, while Matthias cared for her and lived normally.

One day, a singularity alert was called. The citizens were hurriedly relocated to City 45 when City 19 was subsequently destroyed by an atomic bomb. Matthias led Christina to an abandoned bar in the Slums, where they lived. When an OTA sweeped the slums, the two hid in one of the cupboards. They prayed for their lives, and, for each other, having developed a friendship.

It is unknown where these two are now. Some believe they both died in City 19, either because of the nuke or falling into the canals. Others know they fled into the Slums, but an OTA and scanner came out saying that it was empty. Because of this, they think they managed to scale the walls. If they hadn't died by antlions when they got out, who knows where they would've gone? City 45 may never know what happened to these citizens.