Changes

'''Aperture Science''' is a private company that competes with Black Mesa for government funding, with a comically haphazard approach to basic research and development.  In addition to stable [[wormholes]] and an alternative in-universe teleportation technology, their achievements include [[artificial intelligence|AI]]-controlled robotic systems (including reconfigurable architecture and weapon turrets), [[mind uploading]], and [[cryonics]].

'''Aperture Science''' is a private company that competes with Black Mesa for government funding, with a comically haphazard approach to basic research and development.  In addition to stable [[wormholes]] and an alternative in-universe teleportation technology, their achievements include [[artificial intelligence|AI]]-controlled robotic systems (including reconfigurable architecture and weapon turrets), [[mind uploading]], and [[cryonics]].

The '''Combine''' or '''Universal Union''', a multiverse-spanning, highly advanced technological civilization, are the main antagonists of the series.  Led by 'advisors' (large grublike aliens wholly dependent on their technology for physical tasks), the Combine subjugates other species using [[synthetic biology]] and overwhelming military might transported through inter-universe portals.  <i>Half Life 2</i> and its sequels are set in and around the eastern European '''City 17''', one of a series of Combine-controlled urban centers in which human survivors of their invasion (and the resulting ecological devastation) are concentrated.

The '''Combine''' or '''Universal Union''', a multiverse-spanning, highly advanced technological, as well as semi-biotechnological (as revealing in <i>Half-Life: Alyx</i> that some of their technology are fueled from living beings (via the health goo seen in the both ''HL2'', its episodes, and ''HL:A'' were Antlion Grub blood) civilization, are the main antagonists of the series, starting in fully since <i>Half-Life 2</i>.  Led by 'advisors' (large grublike aliens wholly dependent on their technology for physical tasks), the Combine subjugates other species using [[synthetic biology]] and overwhelming military might transport through inter-universe portals.  <i>Half Life 2</i> and its sequels are set in and around the eastern European '''City 17''', one of a series of Combine-controlled urban centers in which human survivors of their invasion (and the resulting ecological devastation) are concentrated.

== Futurist themes and concepts ==

== Futurist themes and concepts ==