I’ve just realised, but “Eli Vance” sounds like “elephants”. A bit. If you squint.
Anyway. I made it all the way through Nova Prospekt, including a few bits where I got to place some turrets of my own (before Alyx activated them). Found Eli, although couldn’t actually release him at first, until I made it to a teleporter and Dr. Mossman went loopy and did a runner with him.
Eventually got my turn in the teleporter, and Alyx and I ended up back in City 17 at Dr. Kleiner’s lab – a week after we’d teleported out! All sorts of things seem to have happened now, and I’m about to set foot back outside in the city with Dog…