Underground Railroad

The Resistance Canal Network is a series of resistance safehouses that were created to help refugees escape City 17.

The Safehouses
There were many safehouses in the Canals, a drainage network in City 17. Almost all safehouses contained a radio, supplies, and items necessary for the resistance soldiers to live there. These safehouses were called stations, and whenever a refugee came through, the resistance members stationed at the safehouse would provide supplies, weapons, and help orientate the refugee to the next safehouse.

Because of the heavy presence of Civil Protection patrolling the canals and rivers, safehouses were located in secret areas, to avoid detection. However, once in a while, a safehouse was found, and its personelle would be killed.

One large safehouse/outpost housed an Airboat, an amphibious vehicle that was lended to refugees to cross the last half of the journey to Black Mesa East. This last part of the journey contains stretches of toxic waste material, and made the airboat necessary for crossing it.

Half Life 2
During Half Life 2, Gordon Freeman made his way through the resistance canal network on his way to Black Mesa East, and was the last refugee through.

The End of the Network
Following Gordon Freeman's journey through the Canals, Civil Protection, who had been tracking him, came down hard on the Canal Network, searching for safehouses. Almost all safehouses were raided and destroyed, its personelle lined up outside and shot. Gordon had been the last refugee through.

All safehouses in the sewage tunnels were destroyed by the use of Manhacks, flying machines with whirling blades.