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Half-Life 2 Hints
How can I cross the large square pool?
1 of 21: It's easy enough to get across on foot.
2 of 21: Either use the tunnel to the left that has the lambda symbol or run up the large slanting log near it to get up onto the upper ledge.
3 of 21: However, if you run along the ledge to get past the pool, you'll find a large lake of radioactive sludge that you couldn't possibly cross without the airboat.
4 of 21: But how are you going to get that big old thing up there? It can't go through the tunnel or up the log.
5 of 21: You're going to have to take it across that ramp that's bobbing around in the water, but there's no way the ramp will work at first (especially since you can't even get the airboat onto it).
6 of 21: Do you remember that area in the previous chapter where you piled cement blocks on one side of a lever-like board so you could run across it and jump to the other side? This puzzle is kind of similar.
7 of 21: There's nothing around that's heavy and numerous enough to set on the ramp's edge to make it hold itself up straight. Besides, piling stuff up on it would block the airboat from using it.
8 of 21: Try looking beneath the ramp device for a solution.
9 of 21: Dive into the small pool of water and explore around.
10 of 21: Underneath the ramp on one end is what looks kind of like a large box with the bottom missing.
11 of 21: Notice what's inside the "box."
12 of 21: Have you seen any more of those blue plastic barrels laying around?
13 of 21: They obviously float. Maybe a bunch of them down there would buoy up the ramp to where you could use it!
14 of 21: There's one blue barrel lying around right at the spot where you leave the pool and get back on dry land.
15 of 21: Push it into the water, then dive back in.
16 of 21: Grab onto the blue barrel and swim under the ramp's collection box while carrying it.
17 of 21: When you're under the box, release the blue barrel. It'll float upward and "stick" inside the box with the other one.
18 of 21: However, two blue barrels isn't enough. You need to find more.
19 of 21: Use the side tunnel with the lambda symbol (or the slanty log) to get up to where you can find two more blue barrels just inside the other end of the tunnel.
20 of 21: Knock at least one of them into the water and carry it under the ramp's collection box as before.
21 of 21: Once you have three or more barrels supporting the ramp, you'll be able to drive the airboat over it. (Make sure you back up enough so that you'll hit the ramp at full speed.)
