Research and Engineering IV
The Citadel, Situation Room
"An unfortunate ending to a rather successful mission," the Commander commented grimly as he shut off the armor cams and switched back to the screen displaying the time Fallen Sky was due back at the Citadel. "We need to determine a more optimal strategy for UFO assaults."
"What was that?" Herman asked, eyes still on the screen. The representative had remained quiet throughout the entire mission, mostly letting them do their job. Though he appeared completely enraptured by what was taking place.
Van Doorn raised an eyebrow. "They didn't tell you?"
"I thought so. Not everything, apparently," Herman muttered. "An oversight, I assume."
"An outsider," the Commander answered. "Named for itsresemblance to aliens seen in the Outsider Incursion. These ones are different, they're seemingly composed of energy and…well, they're not fully known, even to us." His tone hardened as he appraised the screen. "And they are one of the more dangerous aliens, as you can see."
"Indeed," Herman sighed. "I suppose Specialist Rodriguez will have to be discharged after such an injury."
"Very likely," the Commander agreed. "I'm surprised she survived at all. But I'll ensure she'll be taken care of."
"Artifact recovery is finishing up now," Bradford informed, looking at his tablet. "They'll be out of there soon."
"Good," Van Doorn answered, his lip twitching. "We don't want any more surprise civilians."
Herman raised an eyebrow. "I thought Specialist Trask handled that well."
"She did," the Commander nodded. "Though it was lucky she noticed before he shot. It would have ended badly otherwise."
"Yes…" Herman's tone turned deliberately neutral. "About that…Technically, allowing soldiers to fire on civilians isn't exactly…how do I put this…allowed."
The Commander turned his gaze to Herman. "I allow my soldiers to defend themselves. Are you seriously suggesting they should do nothing if fired upon?"
Herman clicked his tongue. "To be honest…if this was a regular military branch, no. But in this situation, I feel it could be resolved without resorting to fatal action," He rested his hands on the table. "XCOM equipment is designed to handle weapons of military capability. That man posed no threat to any in that squad. He could have been subdued without harm."
Van Doorn pursed his lips. "He does have a point. Shen designed the original armor to withstand automatic fire."
The Commander signed. Again, they were assuming the absolute best case scenario and not looking at the bigger picture. "In a perfect world, representative, I would agree that would be the best course of action. But the fact is, there are still issues with your solution."
To his credit, Herman did look more curious than annoyed. "Explain?"
The Commander pressed several buttons and brought up the map of the area on the holotable. He pointed at the house where the civilian had been house. "The main issues are time and exposure. Look how close the house was to the UFO," he pointed. "Doing it your way would greatly increase the likelihood that the aliens find us. An extended firefight is bound to make them apprehensive at the very least. Is it certain? Of course not, but removing the problem as quickly and efficiently as possible is the best way to ensure we aren't detected."
"Still, this isn't a criminal we're talking about," Herman pointed out, resting his hands on the holotable. "That man was probably terrified and the sight of our soldiers probably didn't help."
"I'm sure he was," the Commander sighed, looking down at the holotable. "So, do you think it would be worth the risk of blowing the mission to attain some sort of moral victory?"
"Perhaps not," Herman admitted, his face grim. "But there needs to be some reevaluation on your civilian protocols. You're not exactly…considerate towards them."
"Because I'm not," the Commander stated, fixing him with a stern glare to emphasize his point. "Civilians have no place in war and I will not change or compromise anything to give them special treatment. If they interfere with our operations, they will be dealt with. It's as simple as that."
Herman sighed. "And I suppose that is your way of saying you are not currently following the UN regulations regarding them?"
"Depends," the Commander shrugged. "I've not looked at the regulations in years. Maybe, maybe not. I don't fight a war on another's rules."
"Alright," Herman sighed as he straightened up. "Consider this your chance to educate yourself about them. Next time I probably won't find an excuse not to inform the Council." He looked around. "I'll leave you to it then, I have some other business to attend to." With that he left the room.
"Commander," Van Doorn finally said after he left. "Even if you don't agree with the UN mandates, it might not be a bad idea to not flat out say so. It's not exactly…helping."
The Commander's lips curled into a smile. "An idle threat. The Council cannot prosecute or remove me for opinions I hold. Until I actually do something that he witnesses that violates UN regulations, he has nothing to legitimately threaten me with."
"I still am not sure it's the best course of action." Van Doorn cautioned. "Blatant disregard will not win him over."
"If we're going to disagree, I'd rather it be openly," the Commander stated. "I'm not a politician and will not change my actual opinions to potentially make the Council less antagonistic towards me."
He didn't add that Herman knew he was the Commander and anything he said would probably not be a surprise, lessening that supposed threat even more. The Council knew exactly how he felt about controversial matters, what he'd said wouldn't change that. Not to mention that it wouldn't change minds. Those set against him would hold that view until he died or he removed them.
"Besides," he added. "This keeps Herman focused on the wrong things. Our operations that do violate the UN regulations are ones he'll hopefully never learn about."
"That is your prerogative, Commander," Bradford said tactfully. "Though I do agree with Van Doorn here."
"Noted," the Commander answered, leaning on the holotable. "Alright. Now that the good representative has left us, we can discuss the current state of our alliances."
"Right," Bradford looked down at his tablet. "Funding is steady and the Council is still continuing to support us, although several countries have noticeably reduced their funding and several more have increased it, which is essentially balancing out."
"China?" The Commander asked, frowning. That was the most obvious, though he was curious as to the others.
"Yes," Bradford confirmed. "Along with Canada and the United Kingdom."
"I would suspect that the UK didn't approve of our attempt to bar the Chinese from the wreckage," Van Doorn commented thoughtfully. "They heavily support the UN, so this would seem an unfair circumvention."
The Commander snorted dismissively. "I would say a loophole. There was nothing illegal about it."
"Except that you opened the door to a genuine contest," Bradford pointed out. "While XCOM might not have had any chance, the amount of countries involved will ensure it will be months before the issue is settled legally. I'd say that they don't like you exploiting the system."
"Fair enough," the Commander acknowledged. "Though if something this supposedly undisputed takes months to resolve, I'd say that's more of a problem with the system than me."
"Unfortunately, there isn't an easy, streamlined system," Van Doorn sighed. "Throw in different countries and it only gets more complicated."
"No," the Commander shook his head. "It's perfectly possible to create a more streamlined system that focuses on accuracy and efficiency. The issue is that too many people don't want that and the average citizen doesn't care enough to act."
"An issue for another time," Bradford interrupted. "The good news is that Russia has substantially increased their funding to us. Japan as well."
Well that was interesting. Not Russia; of all the countries, they were emerging as one of the most reliable. No, Japan was the interesting one. Hmm…"Japan huh. Interesting."
"Indeed," Van Doorn mused. "While your move might have concerned the UK, it seems it might have had the opposite effect on Japan."
"Interesting that they're willing to risk China's anger," the Commander continued, looking down at the map of the world. "An increase in funding exactly when China decreases? That's as close to outright disagreement as they usually get."
Bradford rubbed his chin. "That it is. They usually play nice with the Chinese."
"Everyone plays nice with the Chinese," the Commander corrected, eyes sparkling with interest. "Mostly because they don't want to risk their economy. So for Japan to do this is…encouraging."
"So how should we take advantage of it?" Van Doorn wondered. "Japan is taking a risk here and it might not be a bad idea to reward that."
"How?" The Commander asked, looking over at him. "If you're suggesting allowing them access to some of the alien tech, I don't think so. Even if their friendliness with China has diminished, they're still too close, not to mention it would bring on an onslaught of requests for the rest of the Council nations to increase the amount of alien tech they get."
"Requests that would be justified." Bradford pointed out.
"Yes," the Commander nodded. "They would be, much as I hate to admit it. Aside from which, if we send unaltered tech to another nation, the Council might figure out we've been giving them doctored tech."
"Which would not be good." Van Doorn finished, face turning grimmer. "Which means we can essentially do nothing practical for them."
The Commander paused. There actually was a way they could open a full alliance with Japan without worrying about the Council's response. The only problem was…well, the method itself. The Council was going to dissolve eventually, it was inevitable, especially with him in charge and its usefulness was coming to an end.
Perhaps now it was time to begin removing the Council from the equation. He'd held off discussing it since he wasn't convinced it was the right time, but this opened the door to convincing Bradford and Van Doorn that the Council had served its purpose. This wasn't a final decision, the rest of the Internal Council would have to be here as well, but Bradford and Van Doorn were key. Shen might be able to be convinced, but it would be more difficult. Zhang would support him as would Vahlen. So that meant that Bradford and Van Doorn were the swing votes, more or less.
"There is a way we could open an alliance without risking the Council," the Commander finally said. "There is only one problem."
"Which is?" Bradford asked curiously.
"Japan would have to leave the Council."
Van Doorn blinked, his tone heavy with surprise. "That's…that's very risky."
"But that might actually work," Bradford murmured, clearly not quite sure how to feel. "We would have no additional obligation to provide additional resources to the Council…"
"And gain the support of Japan,"The Commander finished, trying not to sound too pleased.
Van Doorn whistled. "True. Still…A nation leaving the Council wouldn't exactly reflect well on XCOM."
"Not necessarily," the Commander corrected thoughtfully. "There's nothing that states a Council Nation can only leave if they're displeased with XCOM. True, that's the most likely reason, but it's not the only one."
"So theoretically," Bradford followed with a nod. "Japan can cite any reason for leaving."
"Theoretically," the Commander emphasized. "Realistically, there aren't many plausible options. Aside from that, it might look suspicious if we immediately opened an alliance with them after they left."
"There is another concern," Van Doorn stated, his face grave. "This would open the door for other nations to follow suit, especially if we theoretically opened an alliance with Japan if they left. Some nations might consider it an opportunity to gain access to alien tech and follow suit. If enough nations leave…"
"It could lead to the dissolution of the Council," Bradford finished quietly.
Exactly. The Commander thought, hiding the smile he was feeling. He'd wondered for a while how best to remove the Council and out of all the options, this was the one he felt would have the best outcome. There was some justice and irony in the fact that the fall of the Council would be brought about by themselves.
And then all of them would be reliant on XCOM if they wished continued access to alien tech. And he'd be free of the United Nations once and for all.
Still, a bit early to celebrate. "We'd have to consider that very carefully," he finally said, keeping a moderate tone. "If it leads to the end of the Council…again, we'd have to plan very well."
"I'm not sure we should risk it," Van Doorn said. "In the theoretical event that we are even interested in this, I'm not sure losing the Council is worth it."
"Though that wouldn't necessarily be the end of XCOM," Bradford pointed out. "I'd expect that we'd still retain support, even if the Council were to disband."
Thank you Bradford. "Though even then I'm not sure it'd be enough," the Commander warned, keeping his tone neutral. Let them be the ones to convince him. "We run the risk of the countries focusing on their own military instead of XCOM."
"Which means we'd need to gather additional allies to keep the same level," Van Doorn advised. "Something we really should do anyway."
And that was a perfect breaking point from this topic. Let them think about that, the seed had been planted and something like this would remain at the back of their minds for a while. "I think the rest of the Internal Council should be here before we continue discussing this particular topic," the Commander said. "However, I do believe gathering more allies is important. Let's move to that."
"Agreed," Bradford nodded. "This should be discussed with everyone."
"A good idea," Van Doorn concluded. "Now, I do think there are some additional allies we could look into."
"Ok," the Commander nodded at Van Doorn and gestured at the map. "Go ahead."
"There are several South American nations we could court," Van Doorn pointed. "Nothing near the firepower of Russia or China, but combined their funding could equal a major country. Colombia, Peru and Chile are the three biggest ones."
"We'd have to see how much that would cut into our stockpiles," the Commander noted. "Three smaller countries instead of a larger one…it might be worth it."
"You would hold most of the negotiating power," Van Doorn reminded him. "These aren't exactly world players; generally, they're ignored most of the time. Quite a few would consider the Commander of XCOM taking an interest in them as an honor."
Hmm. That had merit and since it was unlikely they would have much contact with the Council, there was no reason for them to know exactly what he gave Israel and Germany. They would make do with what they got. Furthermore, the more countries allied with XCOM, the better.
He nodded. "A good idea," he looked over at Bradford. "Could you look into setting up meetings?"
Bradford gave an encouraging smile. "Certainly, Commander."
"Do you have a suggestion of your own?" The Commander asked.
Bradford hesitated. "I think we should consider accepting South Korea as an ally."
He held back a wince. That was a good idea in principle but…"That might backfire." The Commander answered slowly. "Not only would that antagonize North Korea…"
"But China might object as well," Van Doorn finished, coming to the same conclusion as the Commander. "They might use that as an excuse to either leave the Council or force restrictions on us."
"But South Korea would be a powerful ally," Bradford reminded him. "Not to mention the President wants to eliminate the aliens as much as us."
"Untrue," the Commander stated. "Even if he says so, the first priority will be North Korea. I have no doubt that any deal we make will involve us supporting their war against their neighbor."
"Which we wouldn't be able to do," Van Doorn pointed out, glancing down at the map. "As much as it may seem, we are not a political entity. We have no business getting involved in their war."
The Commander frowned. "Officially. But seeing as how we ensured Germany remained an ally, I wouldn't dismiss us becoming involved if the situation demands it."
"Except that the only two options were alien rule or human," Van Doorn pointed out. "This is a strictly human conflict."
"With an objectively right side," Bradford added. "The continuing war benefits no one."
"Technically subjective," the Commander amended. "Though I agree. But I agree with Van Doorn at the moment. South Korea is too risky an ally right now. If we secure additionally funding or North Korea invades…then it'll be considered."
Bradford sighed. "You'd think that an alien invasion would cause people to focus on the bigger picture instead of continuing their feuds."
The Commander shrugged. "It's human nature. Both nations have been mostly unaffected and even if they were…they're not going to stop because the other might take advantage. So the cycle continues."
"So it does," Van Doorn sighed. "Anything to add, Commander?"
"Actually yes," the Commander focused the map. "Turkey."
Bradford frowned. "Why there?"
"Several reasons," the Commander explained. "They're a moderately sized country and would be able to provide us with a decent amount of additional funding. Aside from that, their military is rather powerful and well-organized."
"They are one of the main contributors to NATO in terms of military power," Van Doorn nodded thoughtfully, stroking his chin. "Good idea. They would make excellent allies."
"Should I look into making arrangements?" Bradford asked, looking up from his tablet.
"Do it," the Commander ordered. "The sooner we extend our reach, the better."
"Will do," Bradford confirmed. "I suppose I should get to work now."
"We all should," the Commander agreed. "I have to speak with Vahlen and Shen. Zhang is also planning a major intelligence operation."
"I'll help Bradford set up the meetings," Van Doorn said. "My contacts in NATO should ensure we at least speak with Turkey."
"Excellent," the Commander saluted them. "Dismissed." They returned his salute and he walked out the room.
The Citadel
Yep, he was still the Commander all right. Herman was somewhat surprised the man was so…blunt, but then again, their introduction had implied as much. He could respect that; in fact, it made his job easier. The Commander knew this, so it was still odd for him to still speak openly about his opinions when he was around. Most people would put up and illusion of cooperation; but not him.
Well, if he wanted to call his bluff, he was certainly welcome.
In the meantime, it was time to get more familiar with the Citadel. The Research Labs would be a good place to start, he was personally curious what exactly was being developed there. Dr. Vahlen was also a person of interest as well. He didn't know that much about the woman, but what he'd heard was…concerning.
She appeared to be one of the types that would only go as far as allowed. Restrictions and rules could be worked with but given little supervision and accountability…they were perfectly willing to go far beyond what was considered normal or safe. Vahlen had been classified as such an individual and he suspected the Commander hadn't bothered placing any ground rules.
Vahlen was likely one of the smartest people in the world, she wouldn't have been chosen for XCOM if it were otherwise. But he wasn't entirely sure she was the right person chosen, especially with the Commander in charge. Left unchecked she could create something that might breedeven more trouble.
He felt the air noticeably change as he approached the research labs. Cleanliness and sterility slowly took over his senses, like a hospital, only far more potent. Well, he certainly wasn't complaining, the smell had never bothered him and told him that XCOM was good about keeping cleanliness standards.
The glass doors slid open noiselessly as he walked inside and shut behind him just a quietly. He looked around enviously at the rows of advanced technology. If only NATO was so advanced, they could do so much more. But he understood why it wasn't possible; this room alone probably cost billions of dollars.
A green pod against the wall caught his attention and he walked over, moving past several working scientists as he approached it. What was inside startled him. One of the sectoids stared back at him, the solid, unblinking golden orbs that were eyes making him uneasy.
Suspended in the green liquid, he wasn't sure if it was alive or dead. There were no wounds he could see, but he wasn't quite sure how it was surviving without any tubes or life support.
"Can I help you?" An accented voice asked.
He turned to see a woman in an advanced sealed white hazard suit minus the helm. She'd clearly been working on something messy judging by the brown and yellow liquid splattering the chest. Her gloves were also covered in the stuff. The woman herself had darker blonde hair neatly tied up that framed a stern and unblemished face.
Her eyes though were…unsettling. There was a detached manner to them as she observed him, like he was a specimen she was curious to dissect. Regardless, the description matched what he'd expected.
"Are you Dr. Vahlen?" He asked, inclining his head.
"I am," she confirmed with a small nod. "I also presume you are Representative Diederick?"
"Herman will do fine," he amended. "I figured it would be a good idea to learn about the research advances at XCOM."
"I suppose you'd like a tour?" She asked, cocking her head at him. "The lab is small, but I could improvise."
"Unnecessary," Herman shook his head. "I can look around myself. Besides, I don't want to interrupt…" he eyed her dirty suit. "Whatever you're doing."
She actually almost smiled at that. With a glint in her eye, she motioned him over with a soiled glove. "None needed, Representative. In fact, you'll gain a better idea of what we're working towards if I show you."
He complied and followed her through the lab where the scientists in regular lab coats and attire worked. Unfortunate that chemistry and science in general hadn't been a strength of his since it would help if he knew exactly what all this stuff did and what the arrays of formulas and markings actually meant.
They finally arrived at a sealed room with containing a table with one of the aliens splayed out with a harsh white floodlight fully illuminating the body. It was extremely muscular, with pink skin and was much taller than he was. Probably at least seven or eight feet. It had four large fingers and toes and an extremely bony and thick skull. Curiously, it looked like something had been removed from it's mouth, judging from the cuts and tears.
"Should I be in here?" Herman asked, looking at the biohazard sign in front of the door. "I wouldn't want to contaminate anything." Or get some alien illness myself.
"Stand back and you'll be fine," Vahlen advised as she placed the suit helm over her head again. Unlike similar suits, this one's helm had more in common with a riot helmet than a biohazard suit. It had a fixed curved glass shield over most of the face and the helm itself was white and hard.
Rather heavy-duty if he was being honest. She picked up a knife and observed the alien. Looking closer, Herman saw that she'd been cutting into it's chest. It was fortunate that he wasn't perturbed by the amount of blood and gore splattered around otherwise there'd have been…issues.
"This is a muton, correct?" He asked, looking to make sure he was right. It matched the images he'd seen, though without the armor.
"Correct," Vahlen confirmed as she began cutting. "An extraordinary specimen at that. This will likely be the last one before our autopsy can be considered complete."
He raised an eyebrow. "How many have you done?"
"At this point…" she paused, looked up, then returned to cutting. "Probably eight. We lost a significant amount of data at one point and much had to be recreated." More blood gushed out as she continued cutting deeper. "This is mostly to gain samples, since we've mapped out all the vital organs and skeleton."
Samples. Interesting. "Why do you need them?" He asked, looking at the creature curiously. "Creating some weapon to counter them?"
"Potentially," Vahlen explained, sounding more excited than before. "This alien species is almost perfectly designed for combat. Physically strong, conditioned, intelligent, and is extraordinarily difficult to kill."
She motioned at the skin with a gore-encrusted hand. "Their skin is resistant to sharp objects and acidic substances. I've broken several tools before I found the right blade. We've taken enough skin samples though," her knife flicked up yellow blood as she cut deeper. "I'm more interested in it's heart."
He frowned. "Why?"
"Simply put, because it's not the only one," she explained without looking up. "It has another; a backup of sorts. Another reason it's difficult to kill. I need to know how it works and to do so, I have to extract both hearts."
Huh. She said it so casually, like removing organs was something she normally did. Although in this case it probably was. Still, it was new for him. "What are you going to do once you extract it?"
"Simulate it working," she answered enthusiastically. "It'll be difficult, but if I can restart the heart, I'll learn so much about how it works."
He shivered, as the mental image of a heart encased in a glass tube pumping blood struck him as extremely disturbing. But as interesting as it seemed to her, he didn't see much practical purpose. "How is this useful information, exactly?"
She paused and looked at him incredulously. "Are you serious? To be the first to recreate the beating heart of a genus platomituos would be an achievement rivaling that of the Urgandu experiment. Not to mention it might prove Austin's theory of cell formation and transmutatione sanguinis correct! Furthermore this could remaster the Neuroparasitology field as we know it!" She eyed him suspiciously. "You do know what that is, right?"
Well, that outburst he hadn't expected. He had no clue what any of that was and wasn't sure he should be surprised or flattered that she apparently believed he might. "I'm afraid not," he answered shaking his head. "Those terms I'm unfamiliar with."
"Simply put, it will make future research easier," Vahlen answered, returning to the autopsy. "That tablet might tell you more."
Herman walked over and picked up the tabled with lists of formulas and sentences of English mixed with German. The English didn't make much sense since every other word was German and what he could make out either was a generic word or referred to some concept beyond him. Did she actually expect him to know what this meant?
Perhaps it wasn't completely her fault. She might just be not used to interacting with people who weren't as intelligent as her. A trait he'd seen before in scientists. Still, he wondered how the Commander dealt with it, provided she treated him the same way. "I appreciate the offer," he told her, setting the tablet down. "But I really can't…"
He trailed off as Vahlen was now wrist deep in the alien's chest. Her eyes blazing with intensity, focusing directly on her work, Herman watched in fascination as she lifted the two hearts out of the chest, both oozing yellow blood from the severed arteries. The hearts were connected, though it didn't appear by much, just a couple veins and valves.
Vahlen delicately placed the hearts into a small glass jar and Herman heard a quiet hiss and it sealed. Looking very pleased with herself, Vahlen looked up, a lot more at ease now. "Sorry, did you say something?"
He shook his head. "Never mind."
She stripped off her gloves and removed her helm. "Excellent. Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"Yes," he nodded his head back towards where they'd come. "That sectoid. I assume you're using it for something?"
Her face lit up. "Yes," she answered as she began removing the hazard suit. "That is my other project. I should begin the testing very soon."
"And what is this project?" He asked wearily, tired of how she appeared to miss the point of the question.
"A curiosity of the sectoids is that each of them is a perfect genetic copy," she explained as she threw the soiled suit into a container. "A clone if that term is easier. This presents us with an opportunity to strike a devastating blow against-"
He raised a hand. "How?"
She looked a bit miffed, but just shrugged. "It's simple. A targeted virus that will kill the sectoid species."
He blinked. A bioweapon was not what he'd expected, even though he probably should have. They were banned under United Nations convention, but he was fairly certain that regulations hadn't exactly been a concern when the Commander approved this. And the Commander had to know about this, else he was incompetent at his job. And Herman was certain that whatever the Commander was, incompetent was not one of them.
Still…there was a debate to be had about whether UN conventions applied to aliens. So technically there was a loophole that might be able to be used if he brought it to the Council. Hmm. He needed to know more about this virus first. "How does the virus work?"
She paused. "Since the virus is specifically targeted towards the sectoid genome, I've engineered it to be transmittable in every way possible."
"Isn't that risky?" He demanded, trying not to be too alarmed.
"What? No!" She emphasized. "There is no risk to humans, or any other alien species for that matter. Only sectoids will be affected."
"And how exactly do you foresee this being used?" He asked, thinking of possible scenarios.
"The usage of this virus will have several useful outcomes," Vahlen began, ticking the reasons off her fingers. "The most obvious is the removal of one of the more troublesome species. This will also put the aliens on the defensive as they try to figure out what's happening to the sectoids." Her lips curled up. "But what I am personally curious about is the damage to morale. It will be fascinating to watch the aliens deal with hundreds of sectoids dying in agony all around them, helpless to stop it. That would crush the morale of any human army, I wonder if the aliens will react similarly."
Herman swallowed. "And just…how does the virus kill the sectoid?"
"The final version will have an incubation period of about a month," Vahlen explained cheerfully. "Enough time to the virus to spread through most of the population. For the testing, I'm simply observing the effects once the virus starts. Is essence, I've designed it to…disassemble them genetically, for lack of a better word," she paused, looking up. "It's sort of like breaking a chemical bond; reducing the alien down to it's base components. I'm imagining the effect is similar to an ice cream cone melting. Eventually the sectoid will be reduced to mush," she shrugged. "That's the hope anyway. I'm estimating the effect lasting roughly three weeks. Though again, that's just an estimate."
Herman stared in shock. He personally wasn't against using a virus like that; the tactical advantages were clear. But…the method went far beyond cruel and unusual. Slowly reducing anything to mush over a period of weeks was incredibly hard to justify especially if the victims were sentient. It was inhumane, even when dealing with aliens.
He scowled. The Council would have to learn of this…but he wasn't sure how best to change anything without immediately becoming the bad guy. The issue was that this was alien and not human related, so shutting down or changing a project like this would run the risk of painting him, and by extension the Council, as alien sympathizers. Given that the soldiers had seen their friends die to these aliens, he imagined they would easily wish a painful death upon them, even if the method was wrong.
"Do you believe that's necessary?" He asked Vahlen. "Wouldn't it just be simpler to have the virus kill them quickly?"
"Of course!" She answered easily. "But half the benefit of this virus is the psychological factor. Even if the alien forces are emotionless automatons, their leaders aren't and this might force them to face their own mortality. Not to mention it will be useful for recruitment and propaganda. I'd imagine it'd encourage humanity once they saw the aliens literally melting before them," she raised a finger. "Finally, this will benefit XCOM as it will show the rest of the world, including the Council, that we are capable of fully repelling this attack. Once we eradicate one alien species, we will move on to the next."
She spoke of genocide so easily. No wonder the Commander kept her around, she had no qualms about anything she did. He wondered how much the Commander had influenced her and how much of this mindset she'd always had. But while he saw it as a genocide, he couldn't entirely disagree with causing it.
How screwed up was it when he was genuinely considering letting a weapon that would kill a species pass without question. He swallowed. "I see…thank you, Dr. Vahlen."
She gave a smile, her previous coldness apparently forgotten. "Anytime. Let me know if you need anything else."
He quickly exited the research labs and made for his quarters. Once he arrived, he sat on the bed, mulling over what he knew and what should be done. He laid back on the bed, thinking furiously. Shutting down the project was out of the question; the tactical arguments were too strong and he, and the Council, risked being labeled as pro-alien. A label that would call into question the Council's motives every time they wanted something done.
And that would give the Commander a very plausible and justified reason to refuse and cause more division. Not to mention he'd likely be able to do it with the full support of XCOM, further loosening the Council's influence. No, too risky to cite UN conventions. A compromise was in order.
He nodded to himself. He'd hold off contacting the Council at the moment. He would have to speak to the Commander to see if they could come to an arrangement of some kind. In fact, he had an argument the Commander might even listen to.
The Citadel, Engineering Bay
It was impressive how quickly Shen's engineers worked. Just in the past few weeks they'd added many additional areas throughout the Citadel. Shen and Vahlen had both requested areas specifically for studying and applying the MELD substance and he knew that both of them had been focusing on how best to use it.
He'd given them time to come up with some ideas. Now he was extremely curious to see what they'd been up to. The engineers were working hard in the main area, and the sounds of conveyor belts, power tools and mechanized equipment was as loud as ever. He paused, looking around for Shen.
After about a half-minute of looking, he still didn't see him in the fairly open area. Well, instead of wasting his time looking around it would be better to just ask someone. He approached one of the engineers that appeared to be welding some kind of…armor? It honestly looked rather hand-made, not like the rest of XCOM equipment. Probably a prototype of some kind.
The woman herself also seemed much smaller than normal, more like a teenager than an adult. He tapped her on the shoulder. "Excuse me?"
She paused and looked back and started. "Oh! Commander!" Her voice was much higher pitched and when she took off the welding mask he saw that his first impression hadn't really been wrong. She was a teenager, probably no older than fifteen. She quickly set the welding torch down and dusted herself off, looking up nervously.
He raised an eyebrow. "I am the Commander, yes. And you are?"
"Lily Shen," she answered, some confidence returning to her voice. Ah, right, he wondered when Shen's daughter would arrive. He gave her a smile, hoping to put her more at ease.
"A pleasure, Mrs. Shen," he greeted, extending a hand. "I'm glad you arrived safely."
"Thanks," she blushed, taking his hand. "I didn't think I'd actually meet you."
"Oh I would have come by eventually," he chuckled. "If only to see if you're as talented as your father."
"Oh God," she blushed again. "I'm nowhere near him. One day maybe, but I'm not my father yet."
He looked over at her project. "Maybe, but it looks like it hasn't deterred you from projects of your own."
"Well, it's the only way I get better," Lily shrugged, moving back over to her project. "Even if I can't use the major equipment, I still have ideas I want to try."
"Admirable," he nodded in approval. "So what's this?"
"You know Galia?" Lily asked, pulling on a strand of her short black hair.
"I do," he answered, inclining his head. "In fact, she just returned from a mission?"
"Is Aluma alright?" Lily asked, her face filling with concern.
Ah, he had an idea what she was doing now. "Aluma is fine," he reassured her. "She was very helpful as well."
"Oh, good," she sighed in relief. "I'd hate for something to happen to that sweet puppy." The Commander almost chuckled as he remembered that "sweet puppy" rip out the throats of several sectoids. Lily gestured at the armor. "Anyway, this is sort of my attempt at keeping her safe. That padding she wears isn't going to protect her if she gets shot. It's not fair that everyone except her gets special armor."
"Well, we haven't had canine soldiers before," the Commander pointed out ruefully. "Aside from which, it would cost us additional resources to create a special suit for one dog."
"Right," Lily agreed with a sharp nod. "That's why I'm trying to make a set." She glanced back at the armor. "Trying being the key word."
"It's not a bad start," the Commander complimented. "Although a bit crude."
"Only because I'm doing it all by hand; look at this," Lily motioned him over to another table and pulled out a rolled up blueprint. "I've already designed it a precisely as possible," she explained as she rolled it out. "But humans just aren't as precise as machines."
The Commander looked over, eyebrows raising in surprise. The document looked very well done. He wasn't exactly an expert on engineering work, but based on other blueprints and designs he'd seen, this one could fit in seamlessly. "This looks excellent," he stated complementary, looking over at her. "Why are you not using the machines?"
"Father forbade me," she sighed. "He didn't want me interfering or using XCOM resources without express permission. I get it, but it's annoying."
"Hmm." He looked over at her. "I assume this isn't the only project idea you have?"
"Oh no!" She exclaimed. "Just one of the easiest. I've got a lot more ideas up here." She tapped her head. "I can show you if you want!"
He was genuinely curious as to what she had. But he did have to speak with Shen. Still, he wasn't going to leave her with nothing. "Not at the moment," he apologized. "I came to speak with your father. But you're clearly an intelligent woman and XCOM needs as many like you as possible. You're cleared to use whatever equipment you need. If anyone gives you trouble, direct them to me."
Her face lit up. "You're serious?!"
He nodded firmly. "I am. But your father does have a point about resources. I'll trust your judgement for now, don't abuse it."
"I won't," she promised vigorously. "You won't regret this. Give me some time and you'll be amazed with what I can come up with."
The Commander smiled at her enthusiasm. "I'll hold you to that. I suppose you wouldn't mind if I came by every so often?"
"Of course not!" She exclaimed.
"Good, now do you know where your father is?"
She pointed to a door that appeared to have been recently installed. "In the Cybernetics Lab. He's been spending a lot of time there."
"Thank you, Lily," he told her. "Good luck with your projects."
She beamed and waved goodbye as he walked away. Allowing Lily to stay might turn out to actually benefit him. Shen hadn't mentioned her engineering skills, though it might have just been he was more concerned with her safety than what she could offer. Well, she seemed a determined woman; it would be interesting to see what she did.
The circular door slid open and revealed a large open room with three of what appeared to be construction sites of some kind, all with robotic assembly arms. At both ends were engineers working on what looked like prosthetics and outlines for suits.
Shen was at the far end, looking over blueprints on a workbench. He looked up as the Commander approached. He nodded respectfully. "Commander, I'm glad you've come."
"As am I," he answered. "I had an excellent conversation with your daughter. You should be proud."
"I am," he answered fondly, a smile on his face. "She's turning into a remarkable young woman."
"I'm fairly certain she's smarter than me," the Commander said. "Just so you know, I've authorized her using whatever she needs. She has some useful ideas and it'd be a waste to exclude her."
"I appreciate it," Shen thanked. "I did consider it, but wasn't sure you'd feel comfortable allowing a minor using our equipment."
The Commander snorted. "As long as she's competent and doesn't abuse my trust, I could care less about her age." He eyed the blueprints. "Now, what exactly have you been working on?"
Shen adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat. "There are several topics to discuss. The MELD substance had completely changed the field of cybernetics forever. I suppose I'll start with the first developments."
Shen reached over and pulled over a prosthetic arm. It was silver and clearly metal, but it wasn't a bad recreation. "With MELD, we can finally create a prosthetic that can fully replicate a body part without fear of the body rejecting it. Our prosthetics will soon be indistinguishable from the real thing if progress continues."
"You might have your first patient soon," the Commander said grimly. "I suppose you've heard of Myra's condition."
"I did," he nodded gravely. "And I'll do my best to help her if she wants it."
"Good," the Commander nodded. "What next."
"For more practical combat operations, I have several ideas," Shen continued, walking over to what appeared to be the skeleton of a suit of armor. "This is what we're calling an Exoskeleton suit, or EXO-suit. Once finished, it will augment a soldier's strength durability especially once armored."
"Sounds good," the Commander appraised the suit. "I assume there's a drawback."
"Yes," Shen sighed. "It's very slow and that makes the one wearing it vulnerable. A soldier would be severely hampered while using it. This can be mitigated by increasing the armor and weaponry available, but that might not be enough."
"Hmm," the Commander rested his chin on his hand. "Is there any way around this?"
"Yes," Shen hesitated. "But…well, I'll get to that. One way is direct neural interfacing." Shen motioned to spikes and holes in the armor where there might be tubes. "Soldiers using these suits will have to be wearing implants to even move at a reasonable speed. But the same issue is that there is too much biological interference. For a suit like this to truly be effective, it must be part of the soldier and not simply a suit of armor."
The Commander frowned. "How would that be possible?"
"Hold that thought," Shen held up a hand. "One way the EXO-suit could be reworked is as an augment to the armor we already have. It would slow the soldiers down a bit more, but not if we decided to leave it mostly as-is."
"So it would be the skeletal frame overlaying the armor?" The Commander asked.
"Essentially," Shen answered with a nod. "This would allow us to mount heavier weapons on them or add a small additional layer of protection."
"Refine it a bit and I think it'll be useful," the Commander nodded. "I'll trust your judgment on where you want to take this project." He looked Shen in the eye. "Now, tell me what else you've done."
Shen hesitated. "As I said, there is a way we can overcome the neurological issues of a fully armored suit." Shen motioned him over a bit and showed the Commander a massive suit. Ah, he remembered noting it on the way in. He'd taken it as some kind of robot, but he now noticed it was missing its head.
The suit stood about ten or eleven feet high and appeared to be a robotic recreation of a humanoid. Its chest was open and there seemed to be a space a normal sized human could enter. But the insides were filled with gears, wires and quite simply, didn't look remotely safe.
"Impressive," he commented. "I presume that this could be used by our soldiers. But I'm not sure this is going to be much faster than an EXO-suit. Aside from that…using it looks dangerous."
"It's not quite that simple," Shen explained. "This is what we're calling Mechanized Exoskeletal Cybersuit. Or just a MEC."
The Commander sighed. "So what's the issue?"
"The way to overcome the neurological limitations is simple," Shen paused and grimaced. "We remove the limbs of the pilots, rebuild the existing skeleton and fill the torso and brain with cybernetic implants. The result will be a pilot that will be able to…merge…with the MEC suit, for lack of a better word. They will become part of the suit. Or the suit will become part of them."
The Commander blinked as he looked at the robotic behemoth. He was impressed Shen had even considered this as a viable possibility. He'd have thought Shen would have issues with something like this. "The process to convert the soldiers…" he said slowly. "Could it be done safely?"
Shen grimaced. "Yes. With MELD, augmentations of this scale is possible and safe. But…I'm not sure the soldier would be the same afterwards. Losing that much of your body would be traumatic, even with functional limbs."
"How much of the brain would be modified?" The Commander asked, appraising the MEC.
"For this to work properly, the brain would have to be made to…" Shen scowled. "I hate using rely, but it fits best. Rely on the MEC suit to be whole. It's the cost of allowing the suit to be used as fluidly as our limbs are now. As a result, the soldier might become…muddled outside the suit. They'll be lucid, but not completely there mentally."
"Could that be alleviated?" the Commander asked, as he thought.
"Eventually, perhaps," Shen admitted. "But it's either-or now. We can't have both. An effective soldier or an effective MEC."
The Commander was silent for a few minutes. "This could be a major asset to our combat operations…but I don't think this is something that should be mandated. I feel the benefits are too great to ignore, but I want this program volunteer only."
Shen sighed in relief. "My sentiments exactly. Even then…" he shook his head. "We need to make sure they know exactly what they're doing. I doubt they'd be the same as before."
"Perhaps Myra isn't out of XCOM yet," the Commander muttered. "I'll have to speak with her."
"That would be her prerogative," Shen agreed. "And if she decides against it, I'll prepare for regular prosthetic additions."
"A sound plan," the Commander agreed. "Continue work on the EXO-suits and MEC projects. I'll speak with you soon. Excellent work."
Shen inclined his head. "Thank you, Commander."
The Commander saluted him and walked out of the cybernetics lab, the implications of the MEC program weighing down on him.
The Citadel, Training Area
Soran slowed the treadmill down until he was at walking speed. Interesting that even the most basic training equipment was so…computerized. There were more buttons than he really felt were useful not to mention it made it difficult to figure out where the necessary ones were.
Finally, he just stopped and let the treadmill carry him to the edge and he elegantly leapt down to the floor. He took a sip of water and sat down, not really winded. Physical activities had never been challenging for Soran, probably why he'd been selected for Japan's most physically demanding unit.
Looking around, he saw a few more soldiers working at various stations or lifting weights. Something flashed by one of the opposite walls and he cocked his head, trying to get a better look. He focused across the room and raised his eyebrow in interest when he saw who it was.
Wearing black XCOM fatigues, Carmelita was doing some sort of knife training; where she slashed and cut at dummy targets. Setting the bottle down, he stood and began walking over. Perhaps this was an opportunity to talk to her, once she was finished of course.
The machine she was training with was more sophisticated as he approached. At apparently random intervals, new mechanical arms holding targets swung out and she responded by slashing with fatal efficiency. Her blades were coated with a red substance, so he could see where she was hitting. Not all the targets were human, either; he saw several sectoid and muton targets, armored and everything.
He paused a few yards away from her, not wanting to get too close. Upon watching her style further, she was very coordinated and precise. Cold would be a better term, detached and mechanical. Somewhat different that the impression she had given. At least it reaffirmed his feeling she was dangerous.
Still he was curious. He wasn't convinced she'd always been this way and based on some comments she'd made, something had happened that had changed her. He was more interested in what that was.
She finally stopped and lowered her arms, breathing heavily. "Impressive," he told her after a few second. "Your coordination is superb."
She glanced over, not seeming too surprised he was there. "Appreciated," she answered as she placed her blades on a tray and began cleaning the red substance off them with a cloth.
"I'm curious," he said, leaning against a wall. "How long did it take to learn that?"
"Years," she answered wearily. "But I had a good teacher."
"You are part of the South Korea military, correct?" He asked.
"Yeah, part of it was with the 707th, the rest was on multiple black ops units," she answered neutrally. "So you can imagine the training I got."
He'd never heard of the 707th, but assumed it was a highly skilled unit. "Ah," he recalled in understanding. "I suppose you were one of the ones causing North Korea trouble."
She glared at him as she cleaned her blades. "You could say that. I presume that isn't an issue." Even if it was, her tone of voice made it clear she would take issue.
"No," he answered with a dismissive wave. "I don't have a stance on that issue. We're all together now, holding national grudges is pointless."
"Hmm." She looked away and finished cleaning his blades. "Soran, right?" She asked, looking up at him, the light illuminating the scar on her cheek.
"Right," he confirmed. "One of the newer recruits. We were on that South Korea mission."
"Yes, I remember," she recalled, sheathing her blades. "You did well."
"Thank you," he answered, inclining his head. "You were…efficient as well."
"I should hope so," she answered coldly. "My sole purpose is killing these creatures now."
He paused before continuing. "You really hate them, don't you? And not in the normal friend vs enemy way."
To his surprise, she didn't seem to take offense or react much in any way. "An interesting question, Soran. What prompted that?"
"It's just…" he paused. "It seems more personal to you."
"Personal," she mused, her tone neutral though danger underlined it. "Yes, you could say that." He noticed her right hand gripped the blade strapped to her chest. "I could name several instances where it became personal. Perhaps the bombardment of Hamburg or that massacre of civilians that followed. Perhaps the fact that our people are abducted by the thousands for whatever experiments the aliens are conducting."
He got that reasoning about the abductions, he agreed with it…but at the same time it was a little hypocritical. Especially since XCOM was doing the same thing to the alien bodies and captives. But it was understandable why humans didn't consider that worth mentioning; it was probably the same for the aliens.
"But for when it actually became personal for me," Carmelita sighed, her voice softening. "I lost someone I cared about. A lot. He died to one of the chryssalids; then he was shot again to kill whatever those creatures planted inside him."
He suppressed a wince. No wonder she felt this way. Death by chryssalid was a horrible way to go. At least she hadn't been the one to put him down a second time, at least for what she described. "I'm sorry," he told her simply.
"So am I," she muttered. "But I can't change that. All I can do now is ensure that the aliens die, preferably slowly and painfully. They deserve nothing less," She looked up at him. "That answer your question?"
He nodded. "Yes. Thank you."
"Why do you even care?" She asked, resting her arms on her legs.
He shrugged. "I like to know how people think; what drives and motivates them. I wondered about you, but asking was the only way to know for sure."
"Hmm," she appraised him. "So what do you think? What are your feelings towards the aliens?"
"They are the enemy, plain and simple," he stated firmly. "I will do whatever I can to fight them. Though I can't help but be…curious…" he glanced over at Carmelita, who was waiting for him to continue. "They must have some sort of society, history and culture," he continued. "I do wonder how they function, how they think and reason."
He sighed. "I don't know if I should be thinking of that when we're at war. But…" he shrugged. "It's something that I wonder about occasionally."
"I doubt they have much," Carmelita finally said. "I think the majority are slaves or tools to the sectoids or some other alien overlord. The mutons don't seem intelligent enough to think beyond a battle, the floaters are enslaved to whoever controls their machinery, the chryssalids are slaved to the sectoids and the thin men…" she paused. "Heartless killers and assassins that are used to fulfill whatever agenda is set."
"You think the sectoids are the leaders?" He asked, curious and glad she was at least discussing this.
"Maybe," she shrugged. "They're probably a hive mind of some kind since all of them are cloned and psionic." She pursed her lips. "I wouldn't get too attached to whatever you learn, as we'll destroy it once we win the war. Though I'll be sure to bring you a live subject some time. Perhaps one of the thin men, they'd probably talk the most."
He shuddered at the thought of torturing a thin man. That was not his thing. "I'll leave the interrogating to the people in charge."
"A wise plan," she agreed, standing up. "I don't expect you to understand how I, or the veterans feel, but you will. Everyone who enters XCOM eventually has their moment when they realize the only acceptable outcome is the eradication of these aliens. I'll be curious as to yours. Good day, Soran."
With that she left, leaving him alone.
The Citadel, XCOM Intelligence Control
The door slid open and the Commander strode in, hands clasped behind his back. Zhang and the agents across from him saluted as he walked by and took his place by Zhang at the holotable. There were four agents in total, all of which he'd seen or met before.
Ruth Shira, one agent who'd risen very quickly with Zhang and was one of the best agents in XCOM Intelligence. If she was involved, this operation was going to be important. Well, he'd known that as Zhang didn't personally make sure he was at every intelligence briefing.
The African woman, Akello he'd never personally met, but she'd proven herself as a skilled hacker and technical specialist. Kalonymous was another he knew by reputation. He was the best disguise artist Zhang had and was said to be able to impersonate anyone. Abby was also here, a woman he hadn't seen in awhile. Her transfer had come as a surprise, but he trusted she knew what she was doing, and that Zhang wouldn't take anyone he didn't feel qualified.
"This is your show, Zhang," the Commander told him, stepping back to let him take the center. "Begin when ready."
"Of course," Zhang nodded and faced the agents. "This operation will be the first official one against the entity known to us as EXALT," He pressed a button on the holotable and several shimmering holographic logos appeared. "From intel we've gathered, they operate through multiple shell companies and our main theory is that this is how they transfer funds and equipment."
"I assume we're going to investigate one," Ruth guessed, smiling.
"Correct," Zhang nodded in approval. "I've been monitoring all known ones and recently, this one has had a lot of interesting traffic at the primary factory." He pressed another button and all the logos vanished except one. "Cельскохозяйственные товары," Zhang stated. "A Russian agricultural company specializing in farm equipment. But based on photos from agents watching, it seems as though they're moving more than just farming equipment."
Zhang pressed another button and several photos appeared. Large black trucks loaded with unidentifiable cargo arriving and leaving. Staff interacting with suited figures wearing shades. Even if the Commander couldn't tell what was in the cargo, just based off the shape in size, it wasn't what was advertised.
"Do we know what they're transporting?" Abby asked. "Do they actually make farming equipment or is it a cover?"
"They do appear to have a legitimate client base," Zhang admitted. "Which helps us in showing just how different the cargo is for these people. Sadly, we don't know what the contents are since I don't want to spook EXALT yet."
The Commander nodded. Smart, they could always intercept a transport later, but moving in might cause an exodus or shutdown. "So is this an infiltration op?" Kalonymous asked, a wry smile on his face.
"It will be," Zhang answered firmly. "But we're not moving directly for the factory itself. Security is too tight and since we don't know the extent of it, we're going to do this the hard way. Take the identity of the worker and use it to infiltrate the building."
Ruth grinned. "And just who is the target?"
Zhang brought up the picture of a younger, brown haired man with a friendly face. "Madvay Vadim," Zhang stated. "Distribution assistant manager. He will be our target."
The image vanished and the holotable lit up with a map. Zhang pointed at a red dot. "Madvay has been in Paris the past few days on a vacation of sorts. We're not sure if this is the genuine reason, but we need to move before he leaves. He visits this bar every night, stays for a few hours, then leaves."
Zhang looked up at the four of them. "You four will be responsible for gathering his company ID and any other information on him. The more you gather, the more airtight our infiltration. How you do this will be largely up to your discretion, but we need his ID."
Ruth nodded. "Abby and I will conduct the actual operation. Between the two of us, I'm sure we can get him to show us his ID," her eyes twinkled mischievously. "Guys like to brag."
Zhang eyed her. "I'd prefer he wasn't killed."
Ruth snorted. "Please, getting men to talk is my specialty," she smiled and lightly punched Abby in the arm. "Though I think Abby could use some practice."
Abby sighed. "Wonderful."
"I'll secure the cameras and security systems," Akello said, looking around. "They won't even know we're there."
"Excellent," Zhang nodded. "I'll also have a combat team in case things go really wrong. Though I'm sure you can take care of yourselves without them."
"Of course," Kalonymous flicked his wrist lazily. "I'll stick outside as one of the locals. Watch for anyone suspicious and provide backup if needed."
"And what exactly will you do if EXALT is watching?" The Commander asked. "I would be surprised if he didn't have some kind of security."
"We'll scan the area before moving on him," Ruth answered. "I know what to look for. Akello can also watch the cameras for any suspicious activity."
"Once you have the ID, then what?" The Commander asked, looking at Zhang.
"We'll have a short window to act," Zhang answered. "Kalonymous will infiltrate the factory and gather as much information as he can on his own. Provided everything goes according to plan, I'll send in additional agents to set up a transponder to monitor everything going on inside the factory. Then we'll just have to monitor it for tampering. By the time EXALT discovers it, we'll hopefully have enough data to pinpoint a more direct EXALT facility."
Abby frowned. "What happens if we can't set it up in time before Madvay returns?"
"We kill him and Kalonymous will take his place for a short time," he grimaced. "It'll cause EXALT to discover they've been compromised more quickly, but it shouldn't hurt us that much overall. But I'd prefer for things to stay running as smoothly as possible."
Ruth looked at the other agents. "I guess we're ready when you are."
"Good," Zhang stated. "Because you're moving out now. Good luck."
Each saluted Zhang and left the room, leaving the Commander alone with him. "A good plan," the Commander complimented. "Though I hope Abigail will not compromise anything."
"She'll do fine," Zhang reassured him. "With Ruth looking out for her, I'm confident this will go well. I'm not anticipating much resistance, at least for the first part. It's the factory infiltration where things will get interesting."
"Speaking of interesting," the Commander recalled, moving the holographic map towards the Middle East. "I noticed you're taking a greater interest in Israel."
"They're planning something," Zhang informed, frowning as he also observed the holotable. "And the implications concern me."
"On how large a scale?"
"There are a lot of personnel, money and equipment being moved around," Zhang stated. "The Prime Ministerhimself is ensuring everything related to this is classified; that's the only way an operation on this scale could proceed with almost complete secrecy."
"I might have to speak with him," the Commander muttered. "Perhaps he needs to be reminded who is providing him his new technology."
"He'd just deny anything," Zhang warned. "He's smart and if you go without anything to back it up, you risk losing his support. Nowinski is one who would do that."
"Well, we need to know what's going on," the Commander insisted. "So I suppose you have an idea."
"The only plan that would work is a full operation on Israel," Zhang stated grimly. "Something I've been seriously considering of late."
"Risky," the Commander commented. "If it fails and Israel discovers us, we'd be screwed. Not to mention around half your force is former Mossad and Kidon. They might not go along with it."
"The loyalty of my agents is not what concerns me," Zhang shook his head. "If anything, they'll want to know what's going on as well. They are part of XCOM now and if Israel threatens to put us at risk, they are now a threat to eliminate."
"Awfully loyal," the Commander commented thoughtfully. "National loyalties aren't usually forgotten so easily."
"They believe their work will be the reason we ultimately win or lose this war," Zhang said. "Being responsible for the human race quickly turns ones viewpoint to the bigger picture. Why remain completely loyal to one nation when the world is at stake?"
Zhang's lip curled up. "XCOM Intelligence will be essential in this war. But it will not decide it. But telling them it does increases their effectiveness and willingness to obey orders they might otherwise question. Convince them it's for the benefit of the human race and you'd be surprised with what they will do."
"I suppose the Hades Contingency was a test of sorts," the Commander commented. "I did wonder, what did you do to convince them or make it easier?"
"I ordered them and they obeyed," Zhang explained easily. "I'd already been building up their importance in their head, but what I think helped was that each of them had a persona to play. It's psychologically easier to carry out an act like mass murder as someone else; giving them false identities, disguises and personas helped make it feel less…real."
"An application of the Stanford prison experiment," the Commander nodded. "Clever. Dehumanization is an effective method."
"It helps that a good portion of agents are Kidon," Zhang agreed. "People are more inclined to follow the crowd, even if the act is questionable. It's no different with agents. It's why I always include several Mossad of Kidon agents with the others. After a few operations, they don't question it and follow orders without question."
"Groupthink is an interesting phenomenon," the Commander agreed. "Of course, the trick is moving the group the way you want."
"That it is," Zhang agreed with a nod. "It's a delicate process, but I feel that the current method is working. Abby will be a test of this theory."
Interesting. "Is that why you wanted her? To see if you could change her?"
"Partially," Zhang corrected. "I meant what I said. She has the makings of an excellent agent. But emotionally and psychologically? She's a questionable pick at best. She's a doctor, compassionate, kind and empathic. Not useful traits."
"So you paired her up with one your most ruthless agents," the Commander nodded. "You think it will work?"
"I'm curious," Zhang admitted. "With Ruth, I think she'll relate well with her and that will be essential in influencing her. But I think she will change eventually. I have some ideas to encourage a more…emotionless approach."
"And if this social experiment doesn't work?" the Commander asked.
"Then she will die," Zhang shrugged. "People like her don't last in intelligence work. You adapt or die. No in-between."
"Keep me updated," the Commander told him as he straightened up. "You've got me interested in the outcome of your little experiment now. But I've got an appointment with Vahlen, good luck with the op."
"Appreciated, Commander," Zhang nodded as he saluted. "I'll be on call if you need me."
The Commander left the room, leaving Zhang looking over the map of Israel, plotting his next move.
The Citadel, Barracks
Patricia took a breath and tilted her head back and let the warm water rush over her. She needed something to stop her from shivering from cold. There was so much that had gone wrong and so much that had happened that she didn't know what even to think at the moment.
She was affected with something, and psionics or no, it was only growing stronger and worse. The headaches had worsened as they'd flown back, several times she'd suppressed screams as she physically felt the pain Myra was dealing with. It was only flashes, but it was enough to drive someone mad.
Now she could swear she was hearing voices that didn't exist. Words appeared in her mind, broken and incomprehensible…but she understood them. That wasn't, or shouldn't be normal. And what had happened when she'd launched the attack…they'd all followed her lead without her saying so much as a word. Almost as if she exerted some sort of influence on them…and the fact she'd simultaneously tapped into all their emotions at the same time seemed to reaffirm it.
She didn't know why, but everything had toned down now. But if the past few days were any indication, it would come back eventually. For once in her life, she didn't know what she could do. She'd considered going back to Vahlen, but was worried she'd be pulled or dismissed from duty and that wasn't something she wanted anymore. She couldn't afford to sit out while scientists pored over her since they would probably find nothing useful.
But she had to figure this out. By herself if need be. If she was psionic, there had to be a way she could control it or at least suppress it. She shut off the water and leaned forward against the wall, hands extended. Yes, that's what she'd do. Try to figure this out on her own and if nothing improved…she'd go to the Commander. He'd decide what to do with her then.
She stepped out of the shower and got dressed, wincing as a sharp pain in her head appeared and vanished just as quickly. It would probably start again soon. Pulling on a simple navy blue t-shirt she gasped as a wave of interest gripped her. Normally it would vanish a few seconds later but she wanted to try something.
Leaning against the bathroom sink, she looked into the mirror and instead of letting the emotion go, she focused on retaining it. The instant she focused on it a series of images hit her.
People at some kind of ceremony, no one she recognized…
Screaming as someone was subjected to a surgery or experiment, she couldn't tell what…
A woman who looked oddly familiar…
Patricia leapt back in shock as she noticed her eyes. Instead of their normal brown, her iris were a glowing purple. Upon closer inspection, it looked like there were borderline microscopic veins spider-webbing on the eyeball also pulsing a faint purple all leading to the iris. As soon as she lost whatever connection she'd had, the glowing slowly faded, leaving her eyes their original color.
She shuddered. That…she needed to be careful of triggering that again. Of course, she wasn't entirely sure what had caused it. Perhaps actively focusing on the emotion instead of letting it pass? This needed more experimentation.
Actually…she had an idea. Something that might help her figure this out. It might be worth asking him although she'd be relying on his discretion.
She exited the bathroom, calmer now that she had a plan, no matter how tenuous.
"Patricia?" She turned as Sarah approached her, looking concerned.
"Yes?" She answered, wondering what this was about. The woman bit her lip.
"How are you doing?" She finally said. "You seemed in pain on the way back."
Ah, so she'd noticed that. "Just have been having migraines lately," she answered, providing some truth as she shrugged. "Guess the stress on the mission was enough to trigger another one."
"Sure," Sarah sounded unconvinced. "Um, look." She moved forward. "I don't know if you noticed or not…but…you did something on that mission. Something that shouldn't be possible."
This wasn't good. "What?" She asked, curious what Sarah had noticed.
"When you…jumped," Sarah emphasized with her hand. "From the second story to attack the outsider. When you landed…something came out of you. It was like a purple shockwave or something."
That was something she hadn't noticed, though she'd not really been paying attention to her surroundings at the time. "What?" She frowned. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I'm sure," Sarah nodded firmly, putting a USB drive in her hands. "I looked at the armor cam footage. It's faint but it's there." She paused. "I don't know how much you know or not…but you need to talk to someone to figure this out. I'm no scientist, but that shouldn't be possible."
"I'll do that," she promised, thankful that was all she apparently had to say. "Thank you."
"Thank me if you come up with an explanation," Sarah shrugged. "I'd feel better knowing there's a plausible explanation."
Well…her current theory was plausible. However, Patricia got the feeling that it wouldn't make Sarah feel any better. At least she wasn't accusing her of reading her mind or something.
Pocketing the USB, she continued walked through the barracks until she spotted him reading a book. "We need to talk," she stated bluntly to Creed, not really caring how it came out. To his credit, he immediately put the book down and sat up.
"What about?" He asked, a perfectly valid question, but not exactly in the best place to get answers.
She motioned him to follow her. "Not here." She heard him sigh as he got up to follow her. She pondered where they'd go to have a decent amount of privacy. The Training Area should be pretty empty at the moment; yes that'd do.
Creed held back whatever questions he had, which she appreciated. Luckily there were few people, all of whom were too focused on their current tasks to really care about them. Patricia walked over to an empty corner.
"Alright," Creed finally said, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms. "I assume this is important?"
She sighed and leaned back against the wall. "Depends on how important you consider me. Suffice to say I consider it important."
Creed nodded and motioned for her to continue. "So what's this about?"
Patricia took a breath. "You were right when you noticed something was off about me."
"I did say you're a terrible liar," he reminded her with a small smile.
"Yeah, well," Patricia shrugged. "It's not something I've tried to cultivate. But that isn't important. During the Dreadnoughtmission…something happened to me. I don't know for sure, but I think it made me a psionic."
Creed straightened up in surprise, eyes widening. "How do you know?"
"I don't," she scowled. "But ever since the mission I've been able to know things I shouldn't, predict who's going to be somewhere when I shouldn't. Feel emotions that aren't mind. Words appear in my mind without context or meaning. If I focus, I can see glimpses of…I don't even know yet…memories or thoughts."
She continued explaining as best she could, telling about the symbols she'd seen when accessing the psionic network. Vahlen's theory that she was contacted by an alien and how that tied to her theory of how that explained the meanings behind the symbols. She finished by describing the previous mission and the strange occurrences that had happened.
Creed just listened, in disbelief or not she couldn't tell. But he was taking her seriously and not interrupting, which helped since she had to pause a lot to find the right words. She wasn't a fan of prolonged one-on-one conversations, especially when she was doing most of the talking.
"So now you know," she finished, sliding down the wall until she was seated on the ground, and wrapped her arms around her knees. "So how close was your guess?"
"Nowhere near anything like that," he answered slowly, shaking his head. "So…just how much can you…sense?"
She hesitated. "It's usually just one emotion at a time. Like anger, joy or terror. Normally it's not more than that. Though if I try to go deeper, it becomes clearer. Sort of."
"Shouldn't you talk with Vahlen or the Commander?" Creed asked. "I appreciate you telling me…but I'm not sure how much I can help you with."
"I went to Vahlen," Patricia reminded him. "I think she knows I'm psionic, but isn't telling me for some reason. Aside from that, I don't want to get pulled from active duty. A bunch of scientists are probably not going to be able to cure me."
"So why tell me?" Creed asked curiously, cocking his head. "You didn't exactly seem open to it last we talked."
She hesitated, not sure how much she wanted to say. She finally shrugged, she didn't see a point omitting stuff especially if he agreed. "I didn't know how you'd react. I don't know…" she scowled. "I guess I figured you'd find it very invasive if I told you I could read your emotions, even if it wasn't my fault."
"Have you?" He asked.
"Yeah," she admitted. "For a while it was only you for some reason. But lately I'm beginning to do it with others."
"Ah," he looked away. Mixed emotions on his face. She prayed her abilities didn't strike now of all times. Luckily, it didn't.
"I'm sorry," she tried apologizing. "But it just happens…I can't control it."
"I know," he sighed. "It's just a little disconcerting. There are things that should remain private. For someone to be able to penetrate a mind like that…" He shook his head. "It's scary."
"I know," she nodded, heart sinking. "But it's the same for me. I never wanted this."
"Probably not," he agreed, looking back at her. "But you have it now and I doubt it's going to change. So," he shifted to face her. "What are you planning? You do have one, correct?"
"Yes," she nodded, pushing a strand of her chestnut hair out of her face. "I want to try and learn to control this. It's the only way things will get better. I either need to control or suppress it," she paused. "If that fails, I'll go to the Commander and let him decide what to do."
She hesitated, then looked him in the eye. "But if I really want to do this, I'll learn much faster if I have someone to practice on."
He got it. "You want to practice on me," he stated with surprising calm.
"I don't want to," she answered emphatically. "I know what I'm asking and I wouldn't if I felt I could learn as quickly some other way. You don't have to agree either," she added quickly. "I'll figure this out on my own if you don't want to. But if there's anyone I'd trust to do this with, it's you."
He looked over at her. "Well, I'm flattered you think that of me, really," his tone turned wistful. "But…I suppose it's more of a personal thing for me. You'll probably learn things I've tried to keep under wraps," he looked away. "I don't talk much about myself for good reasons."
She also looked away. "I understand. I do and won't press further."
"I haven't refused yet," he reminded her seriously. "I'm thinking, not just for myself, but for you. Go into my head and you might not come out as well as I did," he shook his head. "I don't know if this goes both ways, but it's a risk you should know."
Patricia looked over at him. It occurred to her she actually knew very little about him. She'd never asked about his past and simply discussed the present and things they had in common. He'd never given the impression that he was carrying any sort of baggage. Although now that she thought more about it, that was probably deliberate and he'd just gotten very good at it.
"I guess that depends if you want to risk letting me see or not," she finally told him. "I'm willing to risk it if you are."
He looked at her intently for a minute, his face unreadable as he looked into her eyes. He leaned back into the wall, resting his head on the wall. "I became a SEAL to protect and help people. That applies to you and I won't back out because I'm afraid of what you might see. If I can help you control this power, I will do so."
She swallowed, wishing he had some way of knowing how much that meant to her. She knew she was asking permission for her to view his entire mind, and most people would refuse. Good, honest people at that. There was little she could think of that was more selfless than that, and just to possibly help her. It might even ultimately fail, but he was willing regardless.
He looked drained after that admission, his brown-skinned face much lighter than before. She stood and walked over to kneel down in front of him. "Thank you," she told him, trying to convey how important this was to her.
He gave a wan smiled and extended an arm which she grasped by the forearm and pulled him up. "Well, I suppose I'll let you take the lead here," he said. "I'm ready whenever you want to…practice."
"Don't worry yet," she reassured him. "I'll need some time to think about what might work."
"Ok," he nodded and flicked his eyes down. "You can let go of my arm now."
"Right," she realized she was still holding it firmly and let it drop. "Thank you again. I know how much I'm asking."
"I just hope it works," he answered.
So did she.
The Citadel, Research Labs
The doors hissed open as the Commander walked into the Research Labs. Everything was as he remembered, although there were a few more scientists than the last time he'd been here. A result of additional staffing and recruiting by himself, Bradford and Van Doorn. XCOM would soon be one of the largest scientific institutes in the world if recruiting kept up a steady pace.
Still, he didn't see Vahlen anywhere, which mean she was probably in the new Genetics Lab. To avoid a repeat of the Engineering Bay, he'd looked to see where the lab was installed and was pleased that it had been done discreetly. Walking up to the far wall, he lifted a simple black panel and placed his hand on it.
There was a satisfying click and the wall slid back, revealing a short hallway further in. The instant he walked past the doors, they shut behind him. Interesting. The hallway was well lit and he kept walking until he reached another automatic glass door which slid open upon his approach.
This was what he assumed was the Genetics Lab. It was fairly open, with workbenches, vials and other lab equipment scattered throughout in no particular order. The one difference being that much of the equipment looked much different than what was in the Research Labs. Probably specific genetic equipment.
In the back of the room was an odd contraption. Giant glass tubes tinted yellow, probably able to fit a large adult, were arranged in a circle and attached to a machine that seemed to be able to rotate them around. Other chairs were nearby, equipment with needles and monitors attached to them. The Commander didn't fail to note the restraints on them.
Something caught his eye and he walked over to a glass case and started when a massive spider jumped out at him. He scowled as the spider scurried around in it's makeshift habitat of dirt and leaves. Out of all spiders, he hated tarantulas the most because they were so…furry. He shivered as he watched that thing scurry away into it's little habitat. What the hell was Vahlen doing with those things?
For that matter, why were there other animals in the lab?
Looking up, he noted what appeared to be a hawk in a cage, along with a bald eagle and falcon. Looking at his feet, he also noticed a black cat with a white strip on it's nose nuzzling his leg. Smiling, he reached down and held the cat in his arms, rubbing it's head. The cat purred contentedly in his arms as he continued looking around.
Several sectoids, thin men and muton corpses were splayed throughout the room, some having equipment attached, some in body bags. It appeared several of the thin men (and woman, he noted) had been partially autopsied, mostly around the arms and legs.
"Commander!" Moira Vahlen greeted enthusiastically as she approached him, a tablet in hand. "I'm glad you're here."
The Commander set the cat down. "As am I," he answered with a smile of his own. "I'm very curious as to what you've been doing."
"The MELD substance had redefined genetics as we know it," Vahlen stated, eyes shimmering. "Thanks to it, I think we can improve and modify every part of the human body. We can mold the human body into whatever we wish, with enough time and resources."
Well, that sounded promising. "So, I assume you have some ideas on genetic modification?" He asked. "And may I ask why that," he pointed at the spider, "Is within the Citadel."
Vahlen smirked at that. "Oh right, the fearless Commander is scared of spiders."
He scowled. "Not scared. Just…"
"Paranoid?" Vahlen suggested, walking over and opening the lid to it's cage. Reaching down, she palmed the tarantula and walked back over. "Don't be scared. It's remarkably tame."
The Commander narrowed his eyes. "Bring that near me and I'll kill it."
Vahlen gave a dramatic sigh. "Oh fine," she set the spider back down and brushed herself off. "But as much as you scoff, that spider is the basis for one of my ideas."
"You want to combine spider genetics with humans?" the Commander asked incredulously. He did not like that idea.
"Yes," she nodded emphatically. "You know how spiders are able to climb walls and ceilings so easily?"
"Don't they have little tiny claws that hook surfaces?" the Commander recalled, thinking back to facts he'd learned decades ago.
"Hairs," Vahlen corrected. "Thousands of tiny ones allow a spider to climb almost any surface. Now, most of the hairs aren't as distinct as the tarantula, but I want to take this same genetic trait and apply it to our soldiers."
Ah...that was rather brilliant. He felt that an ability like that would especially come in handy for XCOM Intelligence agents. "You really think you could do that?" He asked. Then shook his head. This was Vahlen, if she had an idea she'd make it work, somehow.
"It's probably the most complex idea I have," Vahlen admitted, glancing down at the spider. "But I certainly think it's possible. No," she quickly corrected. "It is possible."
The Commander motioned further into the lab. "Continue."
"Right," Vahlen walked over to the cage of the bald eagle. "Human eyes are suitable, but compared to birds of prey like the hawk and eagle, they don't even match up. They can see up to six or eight times better than us. I shouldn't have to state the advantages of soldiers with hawk vision."
The Commander was slowly catching onto Vahlen's enthusiasm. The implications of the research meant they could overcome the limitations humans were generally restricted to. He imagined a squad of soldiers who could climb walls and had literal eagle eyes. "If you could enhance the clarity," he asked. "Could you also add additional traits like the ability to see in the dark like cats?"
She smiled. "Already have, I believe you already met my feline test subject," the Commander looked down at the cat nuzzling Vahlen's leg. "Unfortunately, I haven't been able to combine enhanced eyesight with night vision yet," Vahlen admitted. "It's either-or at the moment. Though in the future and with additional test subjects, I think we'll be able to overcome that limitation."
"Fascinating," the Commander murmured as he thought more. "Please, show me more."
"Right this way," Vahlen motioned him by the corpse of a thin man. "Aside from the animal kingdom, the aliens themselves are a wealth of genetic possibilities. The thin man species in particular has been fascinating to deconstruct. They are the epitome of genetic malleability. I've hypothesized that their original form is far different than their current one indicates."
"So what ideas do you have?" The Commander asked.
"The muscle density is the greatest advantage we can take," Vahlen explained, pointing at the sliced open legs. "They can leap from distances that would kill an ordinary human and jump similar heights. We can apply this trait to our own soldiers."
"Allowing them unprecedented mobility," the Commander muttered. "They wouldn't have to fear heights or jumps anymore."
"They could still risk getting injured," Vahlen cautioned. "But it will be much safer. Now, the thin man is highly resistant to toxins thanks to this gland," she pointed at the thin man with his throat ripped open. "That is another advantage we can give our soldiers. We could use chemical non-acidic weapons without fear of blowback."
If soldiers were able to proceed without fear of chemical weapons, that would open so many possibilities for more aggressive tactics. The future of combat was changing before his eyes and Vahlen wasn't even done yet.
Calm down. The Commander took a breath. Just because Vahlen said it was possible didn't mean it was guaranteed to happen. The modifications needed to be tested to weed out any side effects and she might discover some ideas just didn't work.
But if even some of them did…
"Anything from the sectoid?" He asked, nodding towards the gray corpses.
"Nothing really tangible," Vahlen admitted with a sigh. "Their main advantage is psionics and any genetic mods would have to relate to that at some way. I'm focusing on the more likely ideas before returning to the sectoids. However…" she waved him over to a muton corpse. "This alien has also proven rather useful."
"How so?"
"This was a creature bred for conflict," Vahlen explained, her face reverent. "It's skin is resistant to small blades, arms and chemicals or fire. I can see some very practical applications of this for our soldiers. They need all the protection we can give them." Vahlen walked over to a table and picked up a jar containing two…hearts.
"But what I found interesting is why the muton is more difficult to kill," Vahlen continued, bringing the jar over for him to observe. "It has a natural backup system. A secondary heart in case the main one is injured or fails. I think we could also apply this to our soldiers, it might reduce our casualties significantly."
The Commander whistled. "This is amazing, Moira," he shook his head. "You surpassed my expectations. Both you and Shen. Well done."
Her cheeks flushed pink. "Thank you, Commander. Though I do have to say that these ideas must be tested. I suspect you would agree that we should not test them on our soldiers."
"Well," the Commander smiled. "It's a good thing your shipment of test subjects came in."
"That they did," Vahlen nodded, her lips curling up. "It will be a pleasure to bring some worth to those wastes of human life."
"Where are they now?" the Commander asked, looking around.
"In the testing cells," Vahlen hooked his arm in her own and guided him towards the far right wall. Well, he wasn't going to complain. Vahlen put her hand on another pad and a door similar to the Genetics Lab entrance opened, revealing a blindingly white room.
There were twenty cells in total. All with thick glass walls and doors extending to the ceiling, allowing the test subjects to see each other. The room gleamed from white paint and harsh white lights. Each cell had a toilet, but no bed, just a blanket. White tile covered the floor, except for the drains in the cells and walkway.
The room seemed sterile and it would be, if not for the prisoners filling the cells. With one exception, all were men of various sizes and ages. Some were tattooed, others not. Some fit the stereotype of murderous prisoner and others looked completely normal. But the Commander wasn't fooled. These were all dangerous individuals who had committed horrific crimes and deserved no mercy.
The test subjects noticed them and started shouting, though no sound came out. He realized that the cells must have been soundproofed, a smart move. Each cell also had a switch and speaker, allowing communication within the cell. Out of pure curiosity, the Commander went over to a nearby cell containing a burly man with a long beard, a tattooed arm and raging eyes. His white skin seemed paler in the harsh light. The Commander flipped the switch.
"I'll give you one chance," the man hissed, utter rage in his voice. "You let me out now and I'll make sure your death is quick." The Commander raised his eyebrow in amusement as he continued ranting, struggling not to smile at the utterly ludicrous statements coming out of his mouth. Vahlen walked over beside him, also observing the man
"I swear I'll get out," he continued furiously. "Then I'll kill you, then that Nazi bitch!"
Vahlen stiffened at that and any amusement the Commander felt vanished. He fixed the test subject with the coldest glare he could. "No, you won't," he stated, then flicked the switch off.
He looked over at Vahlen and placed a hand on her right shoulder. "I'm sorry about that."
She reached up and her hand covered his. "You have no control over him," she said softly. "And I suppose I should get used to it." Her face hardened. "He'll be saved for last. There was a reason I had the cells made of glass. They will learn respect soon enough."
The Commander nodded in approval. "I have faith you'll administer justice properly."
"That I will," she promised, looking at the array of murderers and rapists before them. "I suspect some will wish they had died."
"Let's go back in," he suggested, putting an arm around her shoulder which Vahlen didn't object to and they both walked back inside. He let his arm drop as Vahlen closed the entrance to the room.
She took a breath. "I'm going to get started within the day. I should have some results soon after."
"I look forward to it," the Commander nodded. "Anything else I should know."
"Yes," Vahlen began tapping on her tablet. "Remember that soldier you asked me to look at?"
"Patricia?" the Commander recalled. "Yes, did you learn something?"
Vahlen pursed her lips. "I did; take a look at this." He walked over until her was directly behind her and looked at the screen. It showed two skulls, both with odd waves coming out of their heads.
He frowned. "Vahlen, you know I'm not as technically smart as you. What is this?"
"Brain scans of a sectoid and Patricia," Vahlen answered. "Back when I took one of the sectoid, I marked it as a psionic emanation since no other species we've recovered has been able to display it."
The Commander took a breath. "You mean…"
"Patricia is psionic." Vahlen finished with a nod.
The Commander immediately began plotting possible applications in his head. "How?" he asked.
"I believe she came into contact with alien technology on the Dreadnaught Assault," Vahlen answered. "It must have…awakened her."
"We need to replicate this," the Commander stated, thoughts racing. "If humans are psionically capable, we need to learn how to recognize one and awaken them," he shook his head. "This could allow us to truly take the aliens on. Psionics was something we had no defense for…but now…"
"I know," Vahlen agreed. "And I have a theory of how we could recognize a psionic," she hesitated. "But we should focus on only a few things. I honestly think genetic modification should take priority. Along with the sectoid virus."
"Are you ready to begin testing that as well?" He asked.
"Yes," she answered. "Today in fact. Should it prove successful, I'll prepare it for field use." She paused. "Herman also came by."
The Commander narrowed his eyes. "What did he want?"
"He had questions," Vahlen shrugged. "I simply played the incomprehensible scientist and steered him away from anything about the MELD substance. He does know about the sectoid virus, though he didn't tell me his thoughts. I'm not sure he fully approved of it."
Well, he had plenty of defenses for that particular weapon. Though he didn't think Herman would pick that particular hill to die on, though it was possible. "Should I call Patricia back in?" Vahlen asked. "Take more scans?"
"Not at the moment," the Commander shook his head. "Focus on the gene mods. If things worsen or change with her, I'm sure she'll come to me or you. Though I might have Zhang check up on her every once in awhile."
"Good to hear," Vahlen sighed. "As much as this excites me, I do miss having some time off. Working day after day nonstop is exhausting."
"I can agree with that," the Commander sympathized. "Though maybe we should make some time. I'm sure we can find it somewhere."
"I'll let you figure it out," Vahlen told him. "You're better at these things than me. I'll just get distracted by something I've forgotten."
He smiled. "Alright, but you have to come, no questions."
"You might want to get that in writing," she suggested lightly. "But don't worry. I'll look forward to it."
"Would there be anything you'd like to eat?" He asked, figuring it'd be a nice thing to do for her.
She looked up. "Rouladen," she finally said. "It was always my favorite back in Germany."
Rouladen. Right, he'd have to write that down before he forgot. He hoped it wasn't too complicated. "Alright. Thank you, Moira. You've done incredible work."
Vahlen put her tablet down and took his hands in her own. "I should thank you," she said softly. "We wouldn't have made it this far without you. You've allowed me to do so much more than I could have ever imagined."
The Commander stood there, just enjoying being near her. He reluctantly let her hands down. "I should let you get back to work," he told her quietly. "I'll speak to you soon."
"Of course," she cleared her throat. "I'm looking forward to it."
He left her to her work, feeling more optimistic about the direction was war was about to take. The next evolution of the human soldier was coming and he suspected the aliens had no idea what was in store for them.
