It was quiet on the tram ride through Black Mesa that morning.  Gordon Freeman and Barney Calhoun sat opposite from each other, first gazing at the sky as the tram ran outside, then people-watching as it moved into the facility.  They had already engaged in the usual everyday chit chat, how are you, did you see the game last night, I hate mondays.  They had already run out of things to talk about, and the tram wouldn't arrive at their stop for another fifteen minutes.

As they passed through a large open room, Gordon looked through the opposite window at the stopped tram next to them.  There he was again, that strange man staring right back at him.  Without breaking eye contact with the man, he said to Barney, "Who is that guy anyway?"  Barney turned to look just as their tram entered a tunnel.  "Ah, you missed him."

Barney turned back to face Gordon.  "Who?"

"He looks like he's a CEO or something.  Always wearing a suit and tie and carrying a briefcase.  Really professional.  And he's always staring at me."

"Maybe he wants to hire you."

Would the administrator allow that?  To let someone from another company enter the facility to hire one of the workers?  Gordon didn't think so.  "It's not really that he's staring at me that's strange, it's the weird spacey look in his eyes.  It's almost..."  Gordon trailed off, not sure how to describe it.

Barney finished it for him.  "...Alien?"

Gordon thought.  "Noo..."  He chuckled.  "No, not alien."

"What?  You don't believe in aliens?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Well...The creation of life on Earth was such a unique event.  So unique that it shouldn't have even happened.  Such a rare event happening again elsewhere is...improbable."

Barney just stared at him.

Gordon got a feeling he had been too serious.  "Besides, we're out in the middle of nowhere in New Mexico, isn't this supposedly prime UFO-spotting land?  I haven't seen any."

After a minute of silence, Barney's only reply was "Heh."

"Why, do you believe in aliens?"

Barney hesitated.  "...I don't think we're alone."

Gordon smirked.  "Safe answer."

"I think the guy you keep seeing is a g-man."

"G-man?"

"A government-man.  The men in black.  People who've seen UFOs claim that the next day, these strange men show up at their door claiming to be from the government.  But they act strange.  Talk funny."

"But I haven't seen any UFOs."

"Yet."

Their tram came to a stop.  Both men rose, stretched, yawned, then exited the tram.  As they walked up to their entrance, Barney spoke up.  "How about this.  If we ever make contact with aliens in our lifetime, you owe me a beer."

Gordon countered, "All right, but if they're hostile, you owe me a beer."