Zara Zimmerman

Zara Zimmerman was a neighbour of Nathan Johnson.

Backstory
Zara was born when her mother, a human named Indiana Oakley, had sex with a dog named Duncan, resulting in Zara's birth. Zara therefore had human genetics and was able to think, act and speak like a human.

The Combine occupation
During the Combine occupation Zara was employed at the City 17 Office, and worked there for twenty years, gradually climbing up to working as one of the board of directors. Before her retirement (which was two weeks prior to Gordon Freeman's return), she promoted her neighbour and employee Nathan Johnson to a management position within the company. She then settled down at Number 3 City 17 Street, although briefly left the city during the Uprising and hid out at the White Forest Bunker. She returned to City 17 following the Combine's defeat.

Following the Uprising
Zara continued residing at Number 3 City 17 Street. She later entered into a romantic relationship with charismatic salesman Richard Woods, until it was discovered he was a conman looking to steal from her. He attempted to murder Zara by pushing her from Mount Outland, but she survived. Despite trying to convince others that he tried to kill her, nobody believed Zara.

Zara later began to date Scooby Doo, who was investigating a murder case in City 17. But Richard came between them by painting Zara as deluded and a troublemaker, and Scooby departed City 17 shortly after.

Zara reconciled with her old love interest Jed Connolly, and they secretly married. She was widowed when Jed passed away after battling with cancer, and later discovered she was pregnant at the age of 22. She gave birth but feeling she was too old for a child, she gave her son up to adoption at Blackstone's Orphanage in City 22. She returned to City 17 shortly after this, and chose not to disclose her parentage.

Death and Legacy
Zara passed away at her home, just under a year following Jed's death. Her neighbours, including Nathan, were devastated.

Zara would be frequently mentioned. On the first anniversary of her death, a depressed Nathan took an overdose of drugs and hallucinated Zara, who was stood up on her hind legs and carrying a cane. She urged Nathan to keep pushing on and that things will get better. This helped Nathan to survive his overdose.

A portrait of Zara hung on Lord Newton's wall, showing that she was once an artist before the Combine occupation, and that she even designed Combine propaganda posters during their occupation on earth. Her portrait was spotted by Nathan seven years following her death, and he was surprised about her previous job.

Eleven years following her death, Zara and Jed's son, named Herbert Zimmerman, arrived in City 17, having tracked down his family's roots. He was upset to discover both his biological parents were deceased. He waged a war against the opposing forces of City 17 who were engaged in a power struggle, hoping to take control himself and to honour everything in his parents' name. He killed Richard Woods, knowing what he had done to Zara, and also planned to murder Nathan Johnson as he had originally neglected her during her retirement. Nathan chased down Herbert and killed him at the City 17 Docks. When dying, Herbert hallucinated Zara meeting him, and they departed to the afterlife together.

Sandbox World
Over ten years following her death, Nathan traveled into a pocket reality known as the "Sandbox World", which contained many characters from the past, both alive and deceased. The Sandbox version of Zara was recently resurrected by a zombie Wallace Breen and allied with him and The Mole to hold the "Server" for ransom, which put them into conflict with the Resistance Agents and a small Clandestine Crew run by Dark Freeman. After a stand-off the Mole was killed by Agent X, who then managed to prevent the server from going into meltdown. What came of the alternative reality Zara after this is unknown, as Nathan departed the Sandbox World to return to reality.

List of appearances

 * City 17 Street
 * Half-Life Era
 * "Surprise Return"
 * "Preparation"
 * City 17 Street 2008
 * "Sarah is hit by a truck"
 * "The Illusive Richard Woods"
 * "Fall"
 * "Secrets and Lies"