Date: 28 January, 1999
Location: XCOM Base, Alps
The Skyranger landed and 13 new recruits descended from the ramp. Well, new to XCOM. They each came with years of experience. None of them had any experience with the current war, however, so they were all given the XCOM rank of Private.
Captain Miguel Jimenez met them at the bottom of the ramp. "Welcome to XOM. Each of you has a tremendous amount of skill and experience from your respective militaries. I'm here to tell you that you all will have to learn an entirely new set of skills and gain experience quickly if you are going to survive."
One of the new privates, Johann Waser, objected to that statement. "I've got 15 years' experience and have been in some pretty deep shit. That's why I was chosen."
"The worst shit that you have seen and been through will pale in comparison to what you will face on your first mission." Jimenez response was cold and distant, but also very matter of fact. It had a chilling effect on the group and there were no more comments as he led them to the briefing room.
Sergeants Tomiere, Lancer and Kalto were waiting for them in there. Kalto was still suffering from two broken ribs from the last mission. He was off rotation, but fit enough to brief the new arrivals.
The rookies sat in the first two rows, while the veterans sat on the stage, facing them.
"Meet your Team Leaders," Jimenez pointed to each in turn, "Sergeant Tomiere will be leading Alpha Team and Sergeant Kalto will eventually be leading Beta Team."
"Eventually?" Private Charles Jones, from Nigeria, asked.
"I was shot by one of the Aliens on the last mission. Even though I was wearing armor made of the alien alloys, I still received two broken ribs and suffered internal bleeding."
"Are the weapons really that powerful?" Private Tom White, also from Nigeria, asked.
Sergeant Lancer looked at Captain Jimenez, who nodded, then moved to the podium.
"We were going to discuss this later in the brief, but since you asked, Private, here is the two part answer. Short answer: Yes."
"And the long answer" Private White asked.
"Our scientists are currently researching the weapon that we first encountered. It is called a Plasma Pistol. It is the weakest of the alien weapons, but it is more powerful than our rifles, the M-18, which is the most advance infantry rifle we have. It is essentially a small, handheld particle accelerator. It creates an internal gravity field, which accelerates the particles, the accelerated particles are then fired out in a bolt of green plasma. The result is deadly. The first person to ever face the aliens was shot in the chest and the plasma bolt cut clear through his Kevlar armor, killing him instantly."
Eyes went wide when she mentioned that.
"We have lost three people in as many missions to these weapons. Our scientists and engineers have created a new form of armor, called Personal Armor. It is made out of the alien alloys. That helps mitigate some of the damage, but not all, as Sergeant Kalto can attest. To make things even better, the aliens have a more powerful version, the Plasma Rifle. The Personal Armor can still stop a bolt, but it will still mess you up inside, quite a bit."
"Any questions?" the Captain asked. Everyone shook their heads and Michelle sat back on the edge of the stage. "Ok, next, Sergeant Tomiere will brief you on the aliens we've encountered and then Kalto will brief you on the Personal Armor."
On cue, Sergeant Tomiere took the stage and the screen showed a picture of the Sectiod from the autopsy as well as notes from the report. "This is a Sectoid, named by Ms. Lancer due to its Human-Insectoid appearance. We managed to catch a live one and 'interview' it a few weeks ago. These aliens are small, only three feet in height. Their heads are abnormally large for their bodies, while their arms and legs are abnormally small. They use Plasma Pistols, probably because their arms are too small for Plasma Rifles, although that is only speculation."
"They don't look very intimidating, Sergeant," Private Vera Borisovich noted.
"When one shoots you square in the chest with a Plasma Pistol, it can be very intimidating" The Sergeant replied and then continued. "They are very intelligent, if they were human, they would be called arrogant. They look down on us as primitive and think it was luck that brought down their scout ships. They move fast and are very aggressive. That being said, they are not very strong and can be killed with an M-18. Don't let their small size fool you though, they can be deadly if you are not paying attention or if you let your ego get in the way."
The screen changed and the autopsy picture of a Floater was displayed next.
"Ok, this is a Floater, so named because these aliens actually float in the air. That metal sphere with the tube going into the body is a sort of anti-grav device that has been surgically grafted into the alien."
"Wait, these things actually fly?" Private White was incredulous.
"The float high up in the air and pick you off with their Plasma Rifle from above. Make no mistake, these guys are fierce. More so than their Sectoid partners. Kill enough Sectoids, the lone remainder may or may not panic. These guys will fight to the last one. Some of them are armed with Plasma Pistols, but most are armed with the more powerful Plasma Rifle. Also, they take at least two shots from our own laser pistols to bring them down."
Sergeant Tomiere sat back on the stage, and Captain Jimenez stood up. "Any questions on the enemy you'll be facing?" he asked.
"Are those the only two types of aliens out there?" One of the privates asked.
"That we know of," Captain Jimenez replied. "The captured Sectoid mentioned 'The Ethereal Ones' so there is at least one more type. There may be more, but we have not encountered any except the two we briefed you on."
Another private raised her arm. The Captain acknowledged her and she asked, "Can you tell us more about the laser pistols we'll be using?"
"Yes. You all will be checked out on the laser pistols and laser rifles before you carry them on your first mission. The laser pistols were developed soon after this project went live. They are slightly more powerful than the M-18 assault rifle. The laser rifles are just on coming online. We're hoping they will help against the Floaters. Any other questions?"
Private White raised his arm again, "When will we know our squad assignments?"
"After your first mission," the Captain responded. "The four of us will take six of you out and see how you react and operate. We'll take the remaining four on the next mission and then we'll dole out the assignments accordingly. As I've told you, what will face out there is unlike anything you have ever been up against. We were all caught off guard on our first mission. Our briefing you and guiding you is not a knock on your abilities, it's our effort to keep you alive."
The briefing and the mini-lecture at the end had a sobering effect on the group. The bravado was gone, and each of the new soldier was left to wonder how they'd fare in the face of this new enemy.
Date: 29 January, 1999
Location: XCOM Base, Alps
The new group of privates had just finished getting checked out on the laser pistols and the entire team needed to be checked out on the laser rifles. They only had four, but the manufacturing team was working hard to produce more. Fortunately, they had ten full sets of Personal Armor, so each team member would be afforded some protection.
The soldiers were surprised by both the light weight and lack of recoil of the laser weapons. It took a little adjustment to their thinking, but eventually each one managed to get the hang of the laser weapons.
They were just putting the weapons back in the armory when the alarm klaxons went off. Captain Jimenez instructed six of the privates, his two team leads and the medic to don the personal armor and meet him in the briefing room. He made his way to the radar center.
When he arrived, the place was a flurry of activity. The Alert-5 had already been launched and the Alert-15 pilot was climbing into his aircraft. The Major was already there and had a look of deep concern on his fact.
"What is it Major?" The Captain asked.
"If this radar picture is right, the UFO is much larger than any we've seen before."
His assessment was confirmed a few minutes later by the Alert-5 pilot.
"Control, this is Interceptor-1, this UFO is bigger than anything we have seen to date. I recommend launching the Alert-15."
"This is control, roger, launching the Alert-15. Close to Avalanche range and open fire."
The men in the radar center watched the battle unfold. They heard the repeated calls of "Fox-1!" and watched each Avalanche missile strike its mark. The aircraft closed to Stingray range and immediately came under heavy fire. He was ordered to stand-off distance until Interceptor-2 arrived on the scene.
"Control, this is Interceptor-2. Closing to Avalanche range…Fox-1!"
Like Interceptor-1, Interceptor-2 fired all three Avalanche missiles. Fortunately, the six missile launched against the UFO was enough to cause it to crash nearby. The INTERCEPTOR fighters marked the location and returned to base.
Briefing Room – 15 minutes later
Captain Jimenez wasted no time in getting started. "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the largest UFO we have seen to date. I'll be the first off the SKYRANGER, along with Private Felicity Smith, who will be our medic. Whittaker, Xavier, Rodriguez, you will be with Sergeant Tomiere, Gamma Squad Lead. Valich, Lorenzo Loquin, you will be with Sergeant Lancer, Zeta Squad lead. Sergeant Kalto is still recovering from injuries and has not been cleared from this mission. Each of the privates will carry laser pistols and grenades for this mission. Your squad leaders will get you situated in the Skyranger. I will armor up and meet you there. Any questions, you can ask enroute. Dismissed!"
Date: 29 January, 1999
Location: Serfaus, Austria
As the SKYRANGER passed over the landing site, the pilots got a good view of the crashed UFO. It cut a swath through the jungle as it crashed. Unfortunately, the SKYRANGER had trouble finding a suitable spot nearby. Although, when it did land, it managed to point its rear door towards the UFO, in order to make it easier on the team.
The rear door opened, and the ramp descended. Captain Jimenez got on his comms, "Control, Alpha-1, we're ready to disembark."
In response, the HWP came to life and rolled down the ramp. The turret swung from one side to the other and then the HWP rolled forward out of the way. Captain Jimenez got about halfway down the ramp when two green bolts of plasma were fired in his direction. The first missed and hit the ramp. The second one struck his leg. The armor absorbed the impact, but his leg buckled and he fell off the side of the ramp, landing on the leg that had been shot.
He recovered quickly and scouted the area. Private Smith, on seeing the plasma, got down on her knees and looked around. She found the offender. "Floater! Seven O'clock!" She fired off three shots with her laser pistol. Two went wide, one hit the alien.
Jimenez looked up and found it. He fired off three shots with his laser rifer and struck the alien twice. The Floater let out a piercing cry and crashed to the ground with a loud thud. Smith was next to the Captain seconds later, tending to his leg. Sergeant Lancer was by his side a moment later.
"How do you want us to proceed, Gento?" she asked.
"Like we briefed, your team scouts around the UFO, Tomiere and his team enter the craft. I'll join you in a few minutes."
"You're not joining anyone, sir." The medic replied.
"Yes, yes I am."
"Sir," the medic insisted. "Your leg is in bad shape. You need to remain behind."
"Yeah, and I'll prolyl regret it later. Still, give me some pain killers and a stimulant," Gento ordered.
"Yessir," the medic replied, with a mixture of irritation and respect.
Gamma Squad – Crashed UFO
The squad made it to the UFO without incident. Tomiere and his team scouted the immediate area and then he called the Captain. "Alpha-1, this is Gamma-1. Area around the UFO is secure. This one is huge. I estimate about thirty-five feet in diameter. Three stories high, easy. There is a door on the south side and a door on the west side. Which should enter?"
"Gamma-1, enter through the west door. Break. Zeta-1, meet me at the south entrance, we'll enter through there."
"This is Zeta-1, roger out."
"This is Gamma-1, roger out." Tomiere turned to his team. "You heard the Captain, let's move."
Gamma Squad moved to the west entrance of the UFO. Tomiere took up one side with one of his soldiers, and the other two went to the other side. He then moved his hand over the small oval next to the door and the door disappeared. They waited a brief moment for any enemy fire. When none came, Tomiere peeked his head around the corner.
He saw a short hallway, about six feet wide and twelve feet long. There were no doors leading into or out of the passageway, but there was an odd glowing red square at the far end. Tomiere pointed to his team in the order they were to follow him in and then entered the UFO.
Zeta Squad – Crashed UFO, South Entrance
Zeta squad met the Captain and the medic at the UFO. "Ok, Sergeant, I'll go in first, you and your team follow close behind," the Captain began.
"Excuse me, sir," Sergeant Lancer interrupted, "But I respectfully request you allow me to lead my team in, first, you're injured, second, it's my place to lead my team."
Captain Jimenez looked at her, then her team, then back at her. Finally, he nodded. "Ok, Smith and I will stand overwatch and protect your six. By the numbers, Sergeant.
"Yessir!" she responded. She took up position on one side of the door, with her team falling in behind her. The Captain and the medic were on the other side. Captain Jimenez looked at Sergeant Lancer, "Si, Gento" she said. The Captain moved his hand over the oval and the door disappeared.
Sergeant Lancer counted to five and then peeked her head around the corner. Her view was obstructed by a wall, she quickly entered and took cover next to the wall that was directly in front of the entrance. There was another wall to the left of the entrance. Lancer stood with her left shoulder pressed against the wall directly in front of the door. She saw three large, clear cylinders, filled with a translucent fluid that was light blue in color.
She looked back at her team, pointed to one member and then one of the cylinders, then the next and another cylinder, than the third team member and the third cylinder. Once each of her team members had taken cover behind a cylinder. Sergeant Lancer was able to view the room. There was a large table in the center of it, which appeared to have various instruments on each side. A large four legged animal was on its back, hooves up in the air, with its midsection cut open.
Then she saw the floor. There were two dead Floaters. She had to repress a yelp at what she saw next: Private Whittaker was lying dead, the scorch marks of a plasma bolt on his neck and face.
Gamma Squad – Inside the Crashed UFO, a few minutes earlier
"Sergeant, what is that?" Private Xavier asked.
"I'm not sure, Miriam. To be honest, we have never encountered this before." Sergeant Tomiere stepped onto the red pad. He looked up and could see the next level. "It appears to be a way up," he said. As soon as the word "up" left his lips, he started to rise. He was on the next level a moment later. Ok, he thought to himself, how do I get down? As soon as he thought the word down, he descended back to the first level.
"How'd you do that Sergeant?" Private Whittaker asked.
"I'm not sure. I think it reads your mind. Think 'up' and you go up. Think 'down' and you go down. Hang on."
Sergeant Tomiere thought, "up" and he rose up to the next level. "Ok, each of you try it."
While he waited for his team, he looked around. He was in a square room. The north, west and south walls each had a door in the middle, the east wall was solid. When his entire team was with him, he sent Private Xavier through the south door, Private Whittaker through the west door and had Private Rodriguez follow him through the north door.
Private Xavier went through the south door and found what appeared to be a corner room. The far wall was the curved hull. There was a straight wall to her left that went all the way to the hull and the wall with the door she pass through went all the way to the hull. The two walls were the same length and met at a right angle. There were two viewports on the curved wall, otherwise the walls were sparse.
The room was empty except for a red pad in the middle. Private Xavier walked over to it and thought, "up." Nothing happened. She thought "down" and descended back to the first level. She found herself in a room that was exactly like the one above, except there were no viewports on the far wall of this one. She looked around briefly and, still on the red pad, thought "up" and ascended back to where she was and returned to the middle room.
Private Whittaker went through the west door and saw three viewports directly in front of him. Immediately to his left was another wall. To his right was open. He moved to the corner and slowly peered around the edge. He saw five large canisters. Four of them had a clear blue fluid and one of them appeared to have some animal parts.
Right in front of him was Sergeant Tomiere and Private Rodriguez. Suddenly, one of the canisters shattered, clear blue fluid covering the deck.
Sergeant Tomiere and Private Rodriguez went through the north door, staying close to the wall. They kept the wall to their right. On their left were five large canisters filled with a clear blue fluid. Sergeant Tomiere kept his shoulder pressed against the way and peered around the corner. There was a Floater with its weapon pointed right at him!
Sergeant Tomiere pulled back just in time. The Floater fired at him, but missed, hitting one of the canisters instead. Blue fluid poured all over the deck. Tomiere dropped to one knee, took aim and fired his laser rifle. The Floater went down with a loud scream.
"Nice shot, Sergeant!" Private Whittaker called from behind. The Sergeant jumped.
"Don't do that!" he ordered emphatically.
The group was joined by Private Xavier a moment later and took stock of what they were facing. There were three doors on the eastern wall. The middle door was on a wall that jutted out about a foot or two and appeared, at least from the outside, to house a bigger room.
"Ok, Rodriguez, you take that far door. Whittaker, Xavier you take the middle one. I'll take this one. Wait for my signal, we'll all enter at the same time."
The squad broke up as each member went to their assigned door. Sergeant Tomiere held up three fingers and silently counted down to zero. Private Rodrigez opened his door and found himself face to face with a Floater. Fortunately, she was quicker. She leveled her laser pistol and fired three shots at point blank range. The Floater let out an ear-piercing shriek and fell to the ground.
Private Whittaker was not so lucky. He rushed through the door, only to find that there was no floor. The door opened into a large, open bay and was, unfortunately on the second story. With no floor to support him, Whittaker fell and landed hard. He landed between two Floaters who seemed started and confused, but the recovered quickly. One of them shot Whittaker in the neck with its Plasma Rifle, killing him instantly.
That Floater was gunned down from above by Private Xavier. The second Floater fired back, but Xavier pulled back and the shots missed. The Floater fired three more shots through the open door, but none of them connected. Private Xavier fired three more shots. Only one of them connected, but it caused the Floater to fall over, smashing its head on the examination table. It fell into a crumpled heap without making a sound.
Zeta Squad – Crashed UFO, Examination Room
"Medic!" Private Antoni Valich called out.
Private Smith came running in a moment later. She looked at Private Whittaker and then at Sergeant Lancer, who shook her head slightly.
"What happened?" Smith asked.
"He fell!" Came a shout from above.
Zeta squad all looked up and saw Private Xavier standing in a doorway that lead to an open space above them.
Sergeant Lancer looked around and saw the two Floater bodies. "Did you…?"
"Yes, Sergeant, but I think one of them may still be alive," Xavier replied from above.
Lancer and Smith briefly looked at both Floaters. Neither had any training in xenobiology, but both of them were able to tell a live alien from a dead one.
"Private Smith, pump that one full of sedatives. Privates Valich and Loquin will help you get it back to the Skyranger. Lorenzo, you're with me." Lancer ordered. Then she turned towards Private Xavier. "How did you get up there?" she asked.
"Go into the west UFO entrance, I'll meet you there," she replied and then disappeared.
Private Smith shot sedatives into the still alive Floater, then Loquin and Valich picked it up and carried it to the Skyranger.
Sergeant Lancer and Private Lorenzo went around the UFO and through the west entrance. They saw the red pad at the end of the hallway and looked at each other in confusion. Sergeant Tomiere and his team were up in the room above them.
"How do we get up, Jaques?" Lancer asked.
"Stand on the red pad and think 'up' and you will come up," he replied.
Sergeant Lancer did as instructed and was extremely surprised when she was raised up to the next level. Especially when she found herself standing on a red pad, when she hadn't seen it from below. She quickly moved to the side so Private Lorenzo could come up. To everyone's surprise, Captain Jiminez followed them up as well.
"Sir, your leg!" Lancer protested.
"I'm fine," he claimed, then he turned to Tomiere, "What've we got?"
"First to levels are clear sir. There appears to be a third level, with two access points. You saw what happened to Private Whittaker?"
The Captain nodded.
"Ok, everyone avoid the middle door. I recommend we split up into two teams."
"I agree," Sergeant Lancer said. "Captain, with your permission, Lorenzo and I will accompany you, while Tomiere and his squad take the other side."
The captain nodded. "Lead the way," he said.
Each squad went to their respective sides and went up one level. Each found themselves in a room similar to the one below. The squad in the north room had a door on the south wall, while the squad in the south room had a door on the north wall.
"Gamma-1, this is Zeta-1. Your call."
"Three…two…one…NOW!" came the response.
Both teams burst through their respective doors. There were two tables with four chairs each. Three Floaters were manning various consoles on the walls. The team got the drop on them and opened fire. One of the Floaters was hit and went down with a scream. The other two returned fire. Private Lorenzo, who had killed the first floater, was hit and went down with a scream. Private Rodriguez killed one and Sergeant Tomiere killed the other one.
Sergeant Lancer went to Lorenzo, who was wounded, but alive. The rest of the team fanned out on what they assumed was the bridge of the UFO.
"Clear!" Tomiere called.
"Clear!" Jimenez called. Then he turned to Sergeant Lancer. "How is Lorenzo?"
"He took a hit in the arm. No internal bleeding as far as I can tell, but he arm might be broken."
"Ok, take him back to the Skyranger." The Captain ordered. Then he turned to Tomiere. "Take your squad and do a brief recon of the area. Let me know when it's clear."
"Tomiere nodded and left with his team."
The Captain helped Lancer get Lorenzo to the Skyranger. Once inside he fell into a chair, winced and let out a breath. Smith went over to him and checked on his leg.
"Sir, I think it's broken, if it wasn't when you fell, walking on it may have exacerbated the injury."
"S'ok, we completed the mission," he said.
"Alpha-1, this is Gamma-1, area secure. No other hostiles present, recommend you make the call."
"And we secured the site," the Captain added with a half smile. Then he made the call, "Control, this is Alpha-1 site is secure, one team member KIA, two wounded. Seven enemy corpses to bring home, one live one and some more weird artifacts. Recommend sending a salvage team for the enemy craft. Out."
Date: 29 January, 1999
Location: XCOM Base, Alps
The Major took up his usual position, sitting on the stage in the briefing room. Seven of the soldiers from the previous mission were there. Captain Jimenez and Private Lorenzo were in Sickbay and Private Whittaker's body was in the morgue.
Sergeant Tomiere started briefing the Major. "Sir, that UFO was massive. Probably not the battleship our captive mentioned, but it was still pretty big. Three stories big. It only had a compliment of eight Floaters, but it looked like it could handle more. One of them was waiting for us when we landed, but it ignored the HWP."
"Interesting," the Major interrupted. "Is that how Captain Jimenez was injured?"
"Yessir. The HWP went down the ramp, looked around and found nothing. Then the Captain started down the ramp and was shot in the leg. The shot knocked him right off the ramp. He took out the Floater, but his leg was messed up pretty bad. Still, he insisted on carrying on the mission."
"Was he treated?"
"Yessir," Private Smith answered. "He insisted on pain killers and stimulant to keep going. I tried to protest, but he insisted."
"Thank you, Private. You did very well on this mission."
"Sir." The Private nodded.
"Major," Tomiere continued. "My squad made for the UFO while Zeta Squad scouted the area. We found there were two entrances into this UFO. My team took the one on the western side and here's where it gets interesting. The have lifts in their UFOs, but there are no controls for them. They seem to read your thoughts as to whether you want to go up or down."
"Really? That's interesting," The Major interrupted again. "Please continue."
"Well, sir, my team went up to the second level. It looked like a storage level. Huge canisters filled with a weird blue fluid. Not sure what it was for. We came under fire by one Floater which I managed to take out. We saw three doors. Two of them led to lifts. Private Rodriguez here came face to face with a Floater, but maintained her composure, got the drop on it and killed it. Unfortunately, Private Whittaker was not so lucky. Apparently his door opened to, well, nothing, sir."
"What do you mean, 'nothing'?" the major asked.
"There was no floor behind it. It opened to a large bay of some sort. I didn't see it, but Sergeant Lancer can give you more details. Anyway, he fell and landed hard between two Floaters. One of them got the drop on him and fired point blank. Whittaker didn't stand a chance, sir. Private Xavier here dispatched both of them, although I think one of them was still alive. Sir, I'll defer to Ms. Lancer, she can give more details on this portion.
The Major nodded and Sergeant Lancer started her portion, "Sir, we didn't find anything when we scouted the area, so I'll jump ahead to the UFO. My team entered through the south entrance and half the UFO was open. There was an examination area that was two stories high. That is what the door lead to. I'm not sure why the aliens put a door to nothing, sir."
"They float, what do they need floors for?" Private Xavier mentioned.
"Anyway, sir, we found Private Whittaker and two of the aliens. Lorenzo called for a medic, but there was nothing Smith could do for him. He died instantly when he was shot. Private Xavier had pretty good aim though. One of the Floaters was dead. The other appeared to still be alive, so when Private Smith got there, I had her shoot it full of sedatives. Then Valich and Loquin brought it back to the Skyranger."
"How much sedative?" The major asked.
Private Smith was a little sheepish. "All of it," she replied. "I'm no xenobiologist and I didn't want that thing coming back to life like the Sectoid did, so I used all I had."
"Well it worked, the Floater is still out. Our scientists will have a field day once it regains consciousness. Good work." The Major added.
"Sir, having established communications with Gamma Squad," Lancer continued, "The Captain, Lorenzo and I joined them on the second level. We each took one of the lifts. They led up to small rooms on the third level. Apparently both rooms lead to the bridge. There was no cover, so we bum-rushed them."
"You bum-rushed them? Not the soundest of strategies." The Major said. He kept his criticism light, but the Sergeants were both a little embarrassed.
"No sir, it's not, and Lorenzo was wounded as a result, but it worked. Lorenzo got one of the Floaters, Tomiere and Rodriguez got the other two. After that brief gun battle on the bridge, Tomeire went right and the Captain went left. Both called clear. Once the UFO was secured, Tomiere and his team ensured the site was secure and Captain Jimenez made the call."
"Thank you Michelle, and thank you Jaques, for your frank and open account of what happened. I would recommend more caution in the future, given what you all face out there, but you all have learned some very hard lessons in a very short time. Most of you were effectively rookies when this mission started. None of you are now. Each of you needs to take what you learned and use it to help the others. We fear this will be a long war and we're going to lose more of you before it's over, but hopefully, with the lessons we've learned so far and the additional protection we can give you, we'll see everyone coming back alive."
The Major took a deep breath. "Ok, now for good news. Tomiere, Lancer, you are both being promoted to Captain. Tomiere, you will lead Alpha Team and Lancer, you will lead Beta Team. Congratulations to both of you."
"What about the squads, sir?" Tomiere asked.
"We need squad leaders, yes. Both Rodriguez and Xavier showed remarkable calmness and level headedness. I'm authorized to promote both of them straight to Sergeant. Both of them will be on Beta Team. Xavier will lead Gamma Squad and Rodriguez will lead Zeta Squad. Jaques, you will have Kalto to lead Gamma Squad and Corporal Littlefield will lead Zeta Squad. Alpha Team is fully manned, but we're short a medic for Beta Team. Japan has agreed to send four soldiers and we've requested one of them be a medic. Captain…no, excuse me, Major Jimenez will draw up the roster and brief you all in a few days."
"Whoa, Gento really is becoming Jefe," Tomiere observed. Michelle laughed, but rest of the team had no idea what he was talking about.
The Major, for his part, let out a chuckle. "Yes. All of you have come a long way in a short time. The nature of this war has necessitated this. We are building an additional section for living quarters and another for storage. As your teams grow, so will your responsibilities. Major Jimenez is about to find his responsibilities increasing greatly. Are there any questions or anything else to report?"
"Sir," newly promoted Captain Lancer asked, "Any word on the Plasma Pistols?"
"Yes, our scientists finally cracked the code. They are just figuring out how the clips make them operate and then we'll be able to level the playing field. They'll tackle the Plasma Rifles next and then we'll start researching the UFOs. If this last one is any indication, we are going to need to up our game in the air as well as on the ground."
Base Infirmary – 15 minutes later
Major Copperfield walked into the infirmary. Three of the beds were occupied. He made his way over to the one Jimenez was on and slid a chair over. "How's it going Miguel?" he asked.
"Ok, sir. Leg appears to be busted."
"No need for that 'sir' stuff anymore," the Major replied.
Miguel looked really confused. "Am I being dropped?"
The Major laughed at the assumption. "No, quite the opposite, in fact. The Commander is promoting you to Major. You've shown a remarkable knack for tactics and keep a cool head, even if you are a bit stubborn sometimes." The major motioned to his leg.
"Yeah…doc gave me a good lecture about that. Says I probably made it worse, but this was a tough mission sir. Stubborn or not, there was an enemy trying to kills us."
"Easy, fellow, I'm not here to criticize. That's doc's job. I'm here to tell you that you have impressed the Commander and I. Also to give you some friendly advice. You will be in a position where your responsibilities will be greatly increased. You won't get as much field time, and you will need to delegate more."
"What do you mean?"
"My role has expanded since we've gone online. The base is expanding as is our roster. We're trying to bring more scientists on board to help get through some of that treasure trove y'all keep bringing back. I've sort of become the Commanders de facto deputy. He wants to make that official, so he's giving you my role. You'll be in charge of all the soldiers, team assignments, new recruits, living arrangements for the soldiers, mission assignments, etc."
"Whoa, that won't leave hardly any time for getting out in the field, sir."
"No, it won't. That's why I haven't gone on a mission. I've been in a supporting role from Day 1. You may still get out in the field some, but you're moving into the supporting role now. That's why you need to delegate more."
"Delegate?"
"Yeah, think about this…who briefed the last group of recruits, you or me?"
"I did." Miguel replied.
"Why?"
"Uhh, cause you ordered me to?"
The major laughed. "Not ordered, delegated. I could have given that brief myself, but the Commander needed me for other things, so I delegated it to you. And if I recall correctly, you delegated part of it to your team as well. You let them do portions of the brief instead of doing it all. You'll need to delegate some of the field decisions and some of the base decisions as well. Trust me, it will burn you out and you'll be wishing to face a squad of Floaters."
Major Jimenez could only nod in response. His mind was racing. He was a grunt. He was used to following orders, charging out and taking down the enemy, making things happen. How would he adjust to his new role? Supporting and delegating would be a massive change for him.
Base Barracks – Later that evening
Major Jimenez entered the barracks long after evening chow. Tomiere was the first to see him. "Jefe!" he screamed.
Jimenez smiled, "You heard?"
"Of course. You're not Gento anymore…you're jefe now."
"What's 'gento'?" Corporal Xavier asked.
"I was the first of the team to be promoted to Sergeant," Jimenez began. "Came with some good natured ribbing. Given my native land and tongue, they asked how to say 'sergeant' in Spanish. I told them Sargento. They shortened it to 'gento' and my nick name was born."
"How about you, Captain Lancer?" Corporal Rodriguez asked.
"Wait, Captain?" Miguel asked.
"Yup, Jaques and me," Michelle answered. Then she turned to Montse, "I was the team medic. We had a wiseguy named Lazlo Dimas. A pain in the ass but good soldier. He claimed to have a thing for me, but I think he just liked that I was a woman. Anyway, we were on the Skyranger and he shouted over, 'hey nurse! I think I need a full exam!' and so the team started calling me 'hey nurse' and eventually just 'nurse.' It stuck and that's my nickname."
"What happened to him?"
The room went silent. Michelle took a moment before answering. "He was shot on our third mission. Just before getting his armor, too. He was a pain in the ass and a braggart, but he turned out to be a good soldier.
Corporal Valich tried to lighten the mood. "Captain Tomiere, why don't you have a nick name?"
"I'm too badass."
"Damn, Jaques, you are becoming an American!" Michelle exclaimed.
"Bite your tongue, nurse."
"How about gento?" Miguel asked. "I couldn't think of a better soldier to pass the torch to. You were there with us from the beginning."
For all their bluster, Tomiere was actually touched. "I'll be honored."
There was a short moment of reverence that was shattered by Private White. "We should all get nicknames," he said.
"Only if you're a sergeant," Rodriguez quipped.
"What? Why?" White complained.
"You haven't even been on a mission, yet Tom. Let's see how you handle yourself, and then we'll all come back and judge you."
"Oh, I got one for you, Montse. Icequeen." Xavier said with a laugh. "I saw you take down that Floater. You didn't even flinch. Just fired point black. Bam! Dead Floater."
"That make you a huntress the way you took down those two, Miriam?" Rodriguez replied with a twinkle in her eye.
Brief moments of somber reflection, interrupted by bluster and banter. That was typical of how the soldiers of XCOM blew off steam when off mission.
Date: 30 January, 1999
Location: United Nations, Office of XCOM Funding, Geneva
The council of funding nations was gathered to discuss the results of the first month of the XCOM Project. The XCOM Commander was on a conference line with them to show the accomplishments and, of course, request more funding.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," The Commander began, "We have detected and shot down a total of four UFOs. We have successfully deployed handheld laser weapons, including both pistols and rifles. We have analysed the alien alloys that their UFOs are made from and have successfully created Personal Armor for our troops. This has reduced the casualty rate dramatically. Soldiers who would have been killed instantly survived with minor to medium injuries."
"Still, Commander," The representative from Brazil cut in, "You have lost a total of four soldiers, at least one per mission, no?"
"Yes, Ambassador, but I would like to point out that three of those losses were before the Armor was deployed and that three of our soldiers survived as a direct result of the Armor."
"And one died because you could not produce it fast enough. What are you doing to rectify this?" The Brazilian ambassador was a little harsh, but it was a Brazilian soldier that died as a result of his armor not being ready in time.
"Honorable Ambassador, we have already begun construction of additional living quarters. This will allows us to not only expand our soldier roster, but hire more engineers. This will ensure a maximization of our workshop space and quicker deployment of weapons, armor and we hope new aircraft to combat the UFOs."
"New Aircraft? Are the interceptors insufficient?" The Japanese Ambassador asked.
"The Interceptor aircraft have performed phenomenally, Ambassador. We have no reason to believe they will fail us in the future. That being said, the live alien we, umm, interviewed, claimed to have bigger and stronger UFOs. We are researching the various systems of the captured crafts in an attempt to reverse engineer them, so that we would be ready should such a threat emerge."
The Japanese Ambassador kept his expression neutral, but acknowledged the Commander's response.
"Tell us more about these laser weapons," The American Ambassador, changed the subject.
"Sir, they are still no match for the alien's plasma weaponry, but they are more powerful and more accurate than even our best ballistic weapons. I will have our scientists forward a complete report to the council."
"Very well, thank you Commander. Your brief has been very informative. Give what we are up against, you and your team have performed admirably. We will reach out and let you know of our decision by tomorrow. Stay strong."
"Thank Ambassador. Ladies and Gentlemen, Good day."
The Commander disconnected call and the council got down to business, how more they would fund the project for the next month. Brazil was still smarting over the loss of their soldier, but agreed to keep the funding level even. Russia and Italy also kept the funding level even. The rest of the countries agreed to increase the amount of funding, except Australia.
"The Commonwealth of Australis is most displeased with the lack of assistance provided by this project. Alien activity has increased across the continent. Our people are terrified and we have seen zero response from the team or the project."
The American ambassador was taken aback. "We started this project with limited resources, and agreed in the beginning that the first base should cover the most countries."
"Yes, we did, however we must now insist that something be done to stem the tide or rising activity in our country, or we will have no choice but to continue reducing our contribution each month, pulling out all together if necessary."
"We could establish a second base," The Chinese Ambassador stated. "If we place it in Indonesia, it could provide coverage for Australia, India, China, Japan and the Pacific Islands."
"The Commonwealth of Australia offers to host such a base. If placed strategically, it could still provide adequate coverage." The Australian Ambassador replied.
"I motion that we set up a site survey in Indonesia and in Australia to determine the location of the second base," The Japanese Ambassador stated.
"I second," concurred the Indian Ambassador.
"All in favor?" The American Ambassador asked?
The decision was unanimous. A first for the council. They would deliver the directive when they delivered their funding report to XCOM.
Date: 1 February, 1999
Location: XCOM Base, Alps
Colonel Copperfield and Major Jimenez both sat in the Commander's Office. The three of them were around a small round table that the Commander used as a conference table. The Commander was lamenting the directive that had come along with the funding.
"Most of the council agreed to increase their funding, but it still does not cover the expansion we were forced to make in the first month. And now, they want us to start construction on a brand new base! Our stores are overflowing, we're short on personnel and now they want a new construction project?"
"Sir, if I may," Major Jimenez began. The commander nodded and he made his proposal. "What if we can, how do you say? Kill two birds with one rock?"
For all his stress, the Commander chuckled at that. "With one stone, yes, how?"
"What if we were to sell some of our stores to the funding nations? We have items we have no use for, examination rooms, damaged UFO parts, alien bodies, plus some artifacts we have not even identified yet. We could even manufacture some laser weapons and sell them."
"You want to turn us into black-market dealers?" The Commander was incredulous.
"Sir, it won't be a worldwide sale, just to the funding nations. The Americans are already extremely interested in our laser weapons. How long until they demand we just hand some over? We might as well set a price while we can. Plus, how much our world's technology came about from the competition between American and Soviet space programs? We could spawn a new technological revolution by selling some of the alien artifacts."
The Colonel agreed with the Major, much to the Commander's surprise. He thought about it for a moment, looked as if he was about to turn the idea down, but finally nodded in agreement. "What is our shop working on now?"
"They are finishing up the last of the Personal Armors so we have a few spare sets." The Colonel replied.
"Very well, instruct them to manufacture ten more laser rifles next and put out some unofficial feelers with the funding nations and see what level of interest there is."
By doing so, the Commander ensured that XCOM would be fully funded, no matter what the council decided each month.
Date: 4 February, 1999
Location: XCOM Base, Alps
Major Jimenez had gathered all his soldiers in the Armory. There were twenty-four total, including him. He still walked with a cane, the doctor insisted, but the other two wounded soldiers were cleared for duty.
The Major held up a weapon and began his lecture. "Ladies and Gentlemen, and Kalto," he said to a few laughs, "I give you the Alien's Plasma Pistol. It is small, lightweight yet more powerful than our M-18 Rifles. This piece of technology is more powerful, and more accurate, than the best infantry weapon mankind created. It is more powerful than the Laser Pistol our scientists created, and, according to them, almost as powerful, but more accurate than our own Laser Rifles. Observe."
Major Jimenez turned towards a target that was tacked on a wooden backstop and fired. The target and backstop were obliterated, wooden splinters flying everywhere.
"If you think that is destructive, imagine what it will do to you…or them. I personally witnessed a plasma bolt cut through Kevlar Armor like it was nothing. That was what spurred our scientists to focus their efforts on the alien alloys and resulting Personal Armor that we all now wear in the field. Each of you will be checked out on the Plasma Pistol and then we'll start carrying them on our next mission."
"Sir, how did you fire it? I don't see any trigger." Corporal Valish observed.
"It's biometric." The major pointed to three glowing circles on the handle. "These detect the heat and pulse from your fingers, then you simply squeeze slightly to fire. Squeeze and hold for multiple shots." To demonstrate, the major held the Plasma Pistol, with his fingers extended. He pointed it at another target, wrapped his fingers around the handle and squeezed slightly, firing off a shot that obliterated another wooded target.
Alien Containment Facility – Later That Day
A small table and three chairs were placed in front of the lone occupied containment chamber. Three scientists sat in the chairs, looking intently at the Floater, wondering how to communicate with it.
"Do you speak English?" One of the scientists asked.
The Floater stared blankly at them.
"How are we going to communicate with it?"
The lead scientists stood up and approached the canister. The Floater flinched, slightly.
"We won't harm you," the scientist said. "We can help you."
"No, nobody can help me. I am abandoned. I am alone." The Floater spoke in a deep, guttural voice.
"You are not alone. We are here. We can help. Are you hurt?"
"I sustained a concussion, and my grav unit is damaged."
"A concussion? Are you a doctor of some sort?"
"I am a medic in the third consort of the fourth legion." The Floater replied.
"How many legions are there?"
"I do not have access to such information. It is outside my caste."
"Your caste?"
"Yes, each race is its own caste. Those you call 'sectoids' are scouts and navigators. We are medics and scientists, though we also navigate. The mutons are the shock troops of the Ethereal Ones. They do the military planning and organizing."
"Wait, what are these 'mutons'?" the scientist asked.
"Just as I said. They are the shock troops of the Ethereal Ones. Once we determine the suitability of your planet for sustenance, they will come and make the transition."
Before it could continue, the Floater let out a piercing shriek, grabbed its head and fell over. It laid motionless on the floor of its cell.
"Damnit! Not again!" The lead scientist screamed. We need to talk to the Commander, ASAP.
Date: 6 February, 1999
Location: 30 Miles NE of Mueller Ranges, Australia
The Chinook helicopter was flying low. Instead of troops, it was carrying survey equipment and geologists. They were scouting for a possible location of the new XCOM base, although they were told the survey was for backup location of the Svalbard Seed Vault. The pilots, backups for the XCOM project, were aware of their real mission however.
The plan was to use a mountain, like the first base in Europe. The region had no shortage, but they needed to ensure they weren't going to be digging through hard rock, like granite.
They were five minutes out from the peak they were investigating when one of the pilots noticed something unusual. He changed course to investigate.
"Outback-1, this is control, you are off course, is there an emergency?"
"Control, Outback-1, negative. We've discovered an unidentified object on the ground, moving to investigate, over?"
"Roger, your orders are to stay on mission, over?"
"Roger, control, standby…"
"…Control, Outback-1, it appears to be a landed UFO. It's roughly sixty feet long, and looks almost like a fat '8.' Request permission to investigate further, over?"
Before the Chinook could get a response, the UFO took off, moved to the northeast and quickly climbed out of the atmosphere.
"Control, Outback-1, belay my last. UFO has left the area. I say again. UFO has left the area. I see activity on the ground, moving to investigate, out."
The Chinook landed nearby, but the observed activity had ceased. The co-pilot and one of the loadmasters left the aircraft and searched the area. They found a crevice between two large rocks, which appeared to lead to a small cave. Once the entered, the rock turned to metal, and suddenly, they found themselves in a room with a green glowing floor.
Before they had a chance to make any real observations, a Sectoid appeared in front of them. They both took off running, with the Sectoid following close behind. As the aircrew exited the cave, the co-pilot raised his hand up in the air and made a twirling motion with his finger. The pilot immediately spun up the Chinook.
As soon as the co-pilot and loadmaster were onboard, the pilot took off. The co-pilot got on the radio, "Control, this is Outback-1, mark our location. I say again. Mark our location. We have identified what appears to be an Alien Base, over?"
"This is control, roger. Your position is marked, evacuate the area immediately, we'll relay to higher. Out."
The Chinook did not get very far, a few blasts from a plasma weapon destroyed one of the engines. The Chinook crashed, killing all onboard.
Author's note: The original XCOM was pretty brutal, although now that they have Personal Armor, we may see less death and more wounds. No promises for base defense or base assault missions (should they occur). Next chapter will deal with some of the politics behind the project, so it may not be as exciting.
EDIT: I combined this with a short chapter to explore some of the things that were a mystery to me in the original XCOM. What caused the countries to decide about funding? Also, who were these mysterious "XCOM Agents" who discovered Alien Bases? The Next Chapter will involve the Alien Base assault and the Alien's reaction...
Special thanks to PRAKNASTY for your review and comments!
Also, I'd like to periodically post a roster of the soldiers, but I'm not sure how to make the formatting work. If someone could message me and let me know, I'd appreciate it...thanks!