Welcome to the Initiative.
All the news reports had started the same, "Recent attacks across the globe as wide spread panic, from what many are considering a planetary omen. " No matter where you looked, across the world people were beginning to find answers to the age old question…If we were alone in this universe. The threat came quick and the abductions and terror that spread with even faster. Nation after nation began to feel the fear of looking into the sky's and seeing the darkness foreshadowing another, seemingly random attack upon a populace. Though, one would assume that humanity would band together to stop this threat? You would assume wrong, the greed of humans is something we can never fully expunge and this greed would burn and turn into a roaring forest fire. "Conflicts have been arising everywhere as looting, murders and other crimes are on the rise." Though it was never enough, through conventional means the threat above outclassed us and it was all we could do as a species to simply get by…That was until we decided to pool our resources and fund a military outfit the likes of which this world has never known…The Xcom, brightest, smartest and most deadly warriors this planet has to offer…
"Come on Else! Don't be so uptight! We'll be fine!" The voice of her love rang out in Else's ear, she shook her head stoutly and looked up towards the sky. "Jamie, get serious, it's not every day an opportunity like this happens to come across our laps!" Else's demeanor didn't change a bit, a steely stare and head held high as she waited next to her lover/squad mate awaiting the transportation that would whisk them away to a new life. Else could tell that Jamie was getting impatient as she bounced back and forth on the balls of her feet, her short cut blonde hair bouncing ever so slightly as she looked to the sky and continued bombarding Else with random questions and conversation starters. "What do you think it'll be like? Do you think we'll be good enough? What about language barriers? I mean we'll be the first to fight….Ya know…them!" Jamie motioned to the clear blue Swedish sky, knowing her better than to interrupt Else let her continue on, blocking out most of the chatter with her own thoughts. "Listen well, there is nothing more that we can do for the two of you and you both have done more than enough for this country. I was asked to give a letter of recommendation to a program that would take you both to a much higher level, a level in which you not only help this country, this nation, but this world as a whole. You both have been accepted into the Xcom initiative, I expect you both to be packed and ready by 0800 tomorrow….Dismissed." The nervousness she had felt in that moment, the excitement, the fear, was something she hid well enough along with the honor of not only representing her squad mates and her country but doing it next to one of the only people she trusted with her life. Jamie's chattering was soon cut off by a loud roaring engine, a jet, one neither one of them had ever seen before, slowly started to descend towards them, the grassy fields seemed to billow and part before the draft emitted from the powerful engines. The monotone colors of greys and blacks seemed to absorb all the ambient sunlight casted upon it, wings turning slightly as it hovered and did a slow turn towards the two women. A large hatch began to open, Jamie shaking slightly as Else could only swallow trying her hardest not to show fear or any sense of nervousness, her knees on the other hand had an entirely different plan.
The wheels touched down and the engines cut, the silence almost eerie, as the hatch, revealing light blue symbol that read Vigilo Confido, slid open entirely and a man walked out of the jet. Else immediately sized up the larger man, a fit grizzled Asian man, she couldn't recognize any symbols or signs from the armor he wore and by the looks of it, it seemed to be a higher grade than anything she had seen before as well. The crew cut and soul patch didn't diminish from his cold stare, Else almost wanted to squirm as the silence and this standoff were making her quite uncomfortable. "Else Berg and Jamie Hagen?" His voice was like thunder, both of their heads nodding dumbly as the man smiled widely and all fear of him seemed to vanish. "It is a pleasure to finally meet the both of you! Sam Chang, welcome to the Xcom Initiative!" His hand shot out, Else left dumb founded her head shaking as Jamie grabbed it and shook it, her own hand almost vanishing into the massive paw that was this man's hand. "pl….ple…ple..pleasure is all ours." She stammered and he simply smiled, helping them with their belongings, he escorted them onto the jet. The interior was much like any helicopter Else had been on, seats that held you, if you so choose to buckle in, and a dim red interior lighting that illuminated everything and everyone's features just enough. "Buckle up you two, we have quite a ride….Next stop, Africa."
Else would have been fine with the silence of the long jet ride, the hum of the engine and the sense of reality roared loud enough in her ear without the bantering back and forth between Jamie and the one called Chang. "So what kind of jet is this? What is the Xcom program like? What do you do in it? What's your rank? How many of us are their?" Sam chuckled and put up a hand, "Some of those are far too long winded for me to ever just explain to you how about I give you the crash course?" Else's eyebrows perked, looking out of the corner of her eyes at him as she listened in. "This all began in 2015, crazy right? Just sometime around last year was our first x-ray…Alien, X-rays are what we call them, attack. We thought it was a peaceful meeting, something that would possibly progress both of our species…." Else notices how Chang's expression seems to shift, his voice getting lower and hands clenching around his weapon…as he shook his head and continued, "So secretly the Council of Nations formed the Extraterrestrial Combat Unit" or Xcom for short. The best scientist, the best soldiers.." She couldn't help but notice the smile as he motioned to all of them, from every nation then his face fell grim. "Man power wise, we've got it, a list of volunteers all from the top militaries and labs in the world, but the enemy…The enemies tech is leaps and bounds above our own, I won't lie, it's not pretty, it's not easy and it sure as hell won't be something you walk away from without scars or loss…So I ask you two are you still on board, we'll think nothing less of either of you…And you'd have already done your countries proud with the service already given…. You two still in?"
A lurch as the jet seemed to come to a stop, turning slightly as they were greeted with a loud hissing noise that seemed to imamate from the exterior of the jet, Else could only notice Chang's smile. "Ah, home sweet home, welcome ladies…" The jet bouncing slightly as it came to a halt and the hatch popped open, "to the Xcom initiative." The hustle and bustle of the base was amazing to the both of them, and even shocking still was that the ceiling wasn't a ceiling, but a cavern, hollowed out large enough to easily house scientists running about with clipboards, discussing and arguing, others or what she made out to be mechanics or engineers of some sort were busy tinkering with things in the halls, the smell of oil and burn marks on their clothes showed just how much into their craft they were. The Viligio Confindo symbol almost everywhere they looked, rotating on 3D displays, on uniforms, on the wall, really driving the point home with the saying. "Ah, right through here ladies, right through here." Chang motioned for them to step towards an elevator that lead even deeper into the cavern's below.
"We're….we're….in a giant cave…?" Chang simply chuckled at Jamie's fascination, "That we are, under sixty miles of dirt and stone, figured it was the best way to keep ourselves hidden and if an attack was sent directly from the X-Ray's we'd find ourselves with enough time to evacuate any personnel or files before any serious damage was done." The ding of the lift symbolized it's opening as he motioned them out into what appeared to be a huge common area, the people here walked around in entirely different sets of clothing then those on the upper ground. One woman, a darker skinned taller woman, stopped mid bite through her sandwich and stopped snapping to attention as she stood, her tank top and sweat pants not matching her professionalism.
"Lieutenant on deck!" All the other soliders in the immediate area, stopped and snapped to as well, a crisp salute directed at Chang as he smiled to each of them and nodded. "At ease at ease…Relax," he motioned for the initial woman to come and join them. "Ladies, I'd like to introduced you to my second in command Sergeant Sasha Luthuli of the 13th Dragoon Regiment." Jamie, was the first to offer her hand, shaking it nervously, still in awe of all that was going on around her as she swallowed a smile etched onto her face. Else simply watched, cold and unmoving looking over the woman, as she did her mental checklist…"French, steady hands…Sniper? Possibly, secondary subordinate, will have to see how she is on the field." It took her a moment to realize she was also being observed by the same woman "The pleasure is all mine, it isn't every day the Sarskilda operationsgruppen recommends two of their operatives so highly." Her hand was even more steady in Else's, as she was unsure who was moving whom's hand. The silent standoff was interrupted by a blaring siren that made both Else and Jamie jump and the thunder of Chang's voice,
"Yes commander, yes sir right away sir!" His hand going back to his side he looked over the three ladies, the flashing red lights and sudden burst of activity around them making Else antsy. "That was the man upstairs, X-Ray's western part of Brazil." Else and Jamie seemed to freeze in anticipation and shock, the attack so sudden and without warning. The collectiveness in Sasha's voice brought little solstice to them as she let go of Else's hand. "Should I mobilize Strike One sir?" Chang's head shook with a firm no,
"No no, these two aren't quite combat ready," the declaration almost a punch to Else's face as her expression must of shifted much more than she had wanted to let, Chang's eyebrow raising in response. "This isn't your typical enemy and I'd hate to have your talents go to waste and have you both either killed or crippled off the bat, I want you two to familiarize yourself with the gear, enemy and by the time we're back from this mission, be prepared to be introduced to the rest of your squad mates. Copy?" Jamie and Else snapped to and in almost perfect unison, "Sir yes sir!" Else having to hold back from saying anything to the man as she held her composure, even as the flashing red lights no doubt showed off the want to prove herself, Jamie simply amazed all of this was happening, Aliens?! Actual sci-fi creatures and she'd be the one to stop them? It was like something out of a superhero story.
Hey everyone NerdWithapen here just dropping you all a hello and a thanks, thank you for reading over the first chapter of my first fic on this site. I intend on writing about my full playthrough of my favorite strategy game Xcom Enemy Unknown (expansions included for those who know about the franchise!) And I want this all to be done before Xcom 2 hits the shelves so I can then start a playthrough/fic of that. Enjoy and any feed back would be greatly appreciated!