Chapter 3: Magazines and Ceremonies

Huge break again, I know… Had a few life problems to deal with before I could go back to writing.


"Chryss! Can you please stop chasing the butterfly!" Lidney screeches, at a Chryssalid pursuing a flying insect.

"Huh?" The Chryssalid stops the chase, and looks back.

"I need you to design the next ship!" Lidney shrills.

"Okay, Boss! I'm on it!"

"And Ryansalid! I need you to keep an eye on the radar! XCOM is still out there, remember!" Lidney shrees.

"Got it!" Ryansalid shrieks.

"Entomology Weekly?" Chryss shrutters, stopping at the magazine rack outside the break room. He opens the magazine titled Entomology Weekly and is immediately confronted by a picture of a colorfully winged insect.

"Butterfly!"

"How is there a butterfly in the building?" Lidney shrieks, "Who is on guard for them?"

"I am!" Helsalid shrills.

"Please go stop Chryss before he destroys the building, then!" Lidney screeches.

"Lidney! We just got the shipment of the new magazines!" Salidan screes.

"Never mind that!" We have approximately one hour before the grand opening of Chryssalid Ships's Earth branch! We need to make sure we are ready… and having a building destroyed is not ready!" Lidney shrills.

Chryss skitters out of the building, covered in paper scraps, shrieking, "The butterlies are attacking!"

Helsalid quickly follows, screeing "Who in their right mind got an Entomology Weekly magazine?"

Lidney turns to Salidan, glaring at him. Saladin skitters, nervously.

"You have ten seconds." Lidney screeches, angrily.

"For what?" Salidan fearfully shrills.

"To run."

Salidan skitters off, shrieking in terror.

Meanwhile, a Chryssalid is on the ground, rolling around. A butterfly lands next to him, right as all the paper is off.
"I will have my revenge!" Chryss shrills, pouncing on it, tearing it apart.

"Can somebody get rid of the Entomology Weekly magazines!" Lidney screes.

"On it!" Lidna screes.

Lidney shakes her head, annoyed.


"And here we are at Chryssalid Ships's Grand Ceremony! This is bound to be a historical moment, as better civilian services are brought to the populace of Earth!" Secthomas announces to the news service. "Here we have Mutony, a Muton who has been eagerly awaiting the opening of this place. Now, what do you think about finally being able to buy a ship?"

"Well, it's simple. I came here with the colonization ships, but now, I can gain a ship of my own! It's intangibly exciting!" Mutony growls.

The Commander shuts off the transmission.

"What was that about?" he turns to Tygan.

"It appears the Elders are actually turning this planet into an outpost of their empire." Tygan responds, calmly.

"Just another reason to stop them, Commander." Bradford states.