Isaac Kleiner

Doctor Isaac Kleiner, Resistance scientist.


Pre-Invasion File:

Doctor Isaac Kleiner is one of the few scientists to have survived the Black Mesa Incident and kept himself hidden underground. Doctor Kleiner is considered to be one of the most brilliant physicists of the past century. An MIT graduate and later an MIT professor, the Doctor has published several ground-breaking papers on Quantum Entanglement and its relationship to teleportation. These publishings landed him a job at Black Mesa, where he headed the Anamlous Materials Laboratory's research into substances that would amplify entanglements effects on the quantum state of other objects. The results of his research was startling - what was believed to be only theory years before was being proven in his Lab.

Kleiner believed, at first only hypothetically, that a 'perfect' material could be fabricated that would bond the fabric of space between two points almost perfectly, and when charged could teleport almost any encapsulated object. However, one day, it was delivered to him, source unknown. After taking quick gauge of the substance, Kliener realized it possessed several of the properties of the material he had theorized about. Quickly, he set about testing it's application to entanglement - and it worked better then he could have imagined.

The result was a Resonance Cascade - a rift in space-time caused by the extreme quantum oscillations of the sample. Instead, however, of opening a local portal like all of Kliener's previous experiments, however, the Cascade tore open a portal to an extra-dimension. From this unknown universe, or one adjacent to it in the multiverse, came the Universal Union. The Union, taking advantage of the rift, forced it open larger and launched their invasion army through it. Kleiner and fellow scientist Sebastian Wolfe attempted to shut the portal, but it was too late - the Union was keeping it open from there side. Defeated, all they could do was watch.

Post-Invasion File:

Isaac Kleiner and Sebastian Wolfe were barely able to escape Black Mesa before the Union overran it. Few were so lucky. They made it as far as Arizona, but it didn't matter. The entire planet was under the control of the Universal Union's forces. Near the end of the Seven Hour war, they were captured and processed with their fellow surviving humans by the Union, and sent to the various re-established cities across the planet. Kliener was at first separated from Doctor Wolfe, and spent many years in the ruined City 3, formerly known as Chicago.

As the Union began their strip-mining campaign, everyone was moved easterly. Kliener spent several more years in City 14 in western Europe before his final transfer to City 17, somewhere on the western boarder of Russia.

Over the years Kleiner had managed to keep a few of his possessions hidden from Overwatch security; his old labcoat and, more importantly, his scientific journals from Black Mesa. He had been looking for a way to undo what he had helped cause, but Kleiner was no revolutionary or orator, and in the more western cities it was near impossible to conduct any secretive business without being caught. But in the tight winding streets of City 17, the Overwatch could not see everywhere.

Over his first year in City 17, Kleiner made contacts and managed to covertly get in touch with local Resistance members, specifically a young smuggler named Joseph Duepree. Joseph revealed that Doctor Wolfe was infact still alive, and a key Resistance member. With Joseph's help, Kleiner contact Wolfe, who had taken up residence outside of town in an abandoned hydroelectric dam station, which he had converted into a lab. Kleiner wished to join him, but the route was out of the city was too treacherous. Instead, they devised a plan - they would continue their localized teleporter research and create a system where citizens could be taken out of town in safety.

Kleiner set up his lab in the city's massive, ancient underground sewer system, where Joseph and other several other rebels had hideouts as well. Kleiners lab, which was built as a massive expansion to Joseph's own safehouse, was operational within a year, after which Kleiner started fervently working on his project, utilizing Deupree's skills as a smuggler to get him the necessary supplies.