ADVENT | History
The Damascus Negotiations II
"This better have been worth it."
- Commander Laura Christiaens
DAMASCUS – Days of negotiations between ADVENT and the Ethereal Collective have concluded in what both parties call a mutual and successful agreement. While ADVENT remained non-committal during the days of negotiations, usually providing no indication to press outlets on the pace and status of negotiations, it appears that they have succeeded in securing the concessions demanded.
"ADVENT has come to an agreement for the return of the Second Guardian," ADVENT said in a recently released statement. "We have secured the return of all captive soldiers, and the remains of any that are in Collective possession, territorial returns to ADVENT, a complete moratorium of units deployed from Paradise Station, and multiple ceasefires across the world."
This statement did not provide details on numbers or locations, though an ADVENT spokesman confirmed that ceasefires included those in North America, Southeast Asia, and Europe, with territory returned in all of those. They also confirmed that the ongoing conflict in South America, Korea, and Africa was not included in the agreement.
The Ethereal Collective also released a short statement, saying "After multiple discussions with ADVENT and XCOM officials, we have come to a satisfactory agreement for the return of the Second Guardian unharmed and unmodified. We expect these terms to be held upon confirmation examinations."
Neither the Zararch nor the Ethereal Collective could be reached for additional comment.
Quisilia provided an unofficial statement to the press, saying: "I am quite pleased that the Battlemaster was able to successfully persuade ADVENT and XCOM to not kill one of their most mortal enemies. That was a display of tact and guile I did not expect from him, and I applaud his efforts to deprive ADVENT of what was clearly an easy decision. #owned #JustBattlemasterThings."
Editor's Note: The Battlemaster unfollowed Quisilia's account after this post, though could not be reached for additional comment. ADVENT and XCOM also declined to comment further.
The news of the successful negotiations has received a mixed reaction, with no clear lines and camps. ADVENT allowed a number of soldiers and officers a chance to speak candidly on their views, and their names will be anonymized upon request.
"I was almost hoping the negotiations would fail," one Officer said. "Probably shouldn't hope for that kind of thing, but I've fought her before, and knew a few people who died to her. Put a bullet in her and be done with it. Don't really care what they got, it's not going to be worth the coffins she's going to create."
"In the grand scheme of things, I get it," Infantry Gaia Pinkerny said. "I really do. But I can't help but feel nothing but irritation. What are the chances we're going to capture another Ethereal? What are the chances I'm going to get killed by her? I served in Utah, I could have easily been killed."
Multiple conversations provided by soldiers have revealed an overwhelming distaste for the agreement negotiated by ADVENT, though they are split between those who admit they understand the argument, and the remainder who believe that this was a clear mistake, and some a betrayal.
Polling conducted in conjunction with ADVENT oversight has shown that a supermajority of soldiers believe that the Second Guardian should not have been returned, with only a minority approving of the negotiations. "It's a risky move," one sociologist said. "ADVENT is making a calculated decision here, and it's going to affect how they are going to be seen by the rank and file, and even by the upper ranks of the military. It remains to be seen what kind of impact this is going to have on unofficial policy going forward. I am afraid that it may become standard that aliens are killed instead of captured."
"ADVENT is going to have to sell the negotiations better than they have so far," one expert in media affairs shared. "ADVENT thinks they made a good deal, XCOM thinks they made a good deal, I don't think anyone else outside of the leadership thinks that. At best they're split, at worst they're hostile."
Reactions from the public have trended towards more positive than those in the military, though the result has been polarizing. "This was the worst deal in the history of hostage deals," one citizen wrote. "Maybe ever. We had an Ethereal. We should have killed her then and there."
This sentiment was a common refrain, with many advocating for the execution of the Second Guardian, and condemning any effort to use her as a bargaining chip. While no one has given air time to true xenophobic content, there is no denying that this news has been met with a swift punctuation of anti-alien sentiment, which the AEGIS Division has worked to counter.
"This was a concern we raised to ADVENT," one AEGIS official shared. "We expected there would be a spike in anti-alien resentment, and no matter how justified they may feel, we will be doing our best to monitor and push back on it wherever seen."
Still, there were others who were supportive of the deal. "Personally, I think it's a positive thing," one man shared. "Talking is always better than fighting all the time. The Battlemaster seems a bit more honest than the others, and I trust ADVENT knows what they're doing. We beat the Second Guardian once, if she wants to get captured again, she's welcome to try."
Those who had family returned as part of the agreement are also highly supportive of the negotiations. "ADVENT didn't have to do any of this," one woman whose husband was returned shared. "They could have not brought it up at all, or they could have backed out. Everyone was telling them they should, but they stuck to it, and did the right thing. They'll have my gratitude for what they did forever."
ADVENT has stated that they will be releasing more details in the following days, and arranging town halls and discussions open to the public to discuss concerns. Commander Christiaens has ordered a mandatory address to the entire military to address concerns. The Oversight Division has also announced they will be releasing a memo in support of the negotiations, and confirming that there was sound reasoning behind accepting the agreement.
It remains to be seen where all will stand when the dust settles, though it can be certain that this will likely be seen as one of the most controversial decisions made by the young administration.
- Article | "Despite Success, Opinions Sharply Divided on Negotiations
To Quisilia and Harbinger Trask,
Per the official signing of the Damascus Agreements, both ADVENT and the Ethereal Collective have come to an understanding regarding the Second Guardian. ADVENT has agreed to return her unharmed and unmodified to us, in return for a number of material and strategic concessions.
The negotiations were primarily conducted by the Battlemaster and myself, and both of us worked together to determine an agreement which was acceptable for us, and that ADVENT would be inclined to accept. This work was largely successful, and our objectives were achieved in this scenario with nearly all concessions agreed to be able to be naturally reversed without breaking the terms.
A brief breakdown will follow.
IMMEDIATE IMPACT OF AGREEMENT: ADVENT has immediately released the Second Guardian to us, and she is currently in the process of receiving a medical examination. While this has not been completed, there is no indication that she has been permanently affected by her capture, nor modified in any way or injected or implemented with any nanotech or cybernetics.
Multiple ceasefires have been implemented, primarily across North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia, and certain pieces of territory have been returned to ADVENT control. Collective forces are moving to the newly agreed front lines, and are beginning to establish new permanent fronts.
We have begun processing all Human captives and any remains in our possession to ADVENT custody, and expect this process of returning current captives to take no more than several days. We have explained that it will take longer to return all Human remains, and they have acknowledged this. This release of Human captives applies to all soldiers on and offworld. It also includes any soldiers currently captive by the Sovereign African States.
Finally, we have arranged for a significant amount of primarily rare or refined materials to be transferred to ADVENT, specifically multiple grades of Alloys and elerium. This transfer will take several days due to the volume, and be done through several Sectoid Transport ships.
MILITARY IMPACT OF AGREEMENT: Per the Battlemaster's assessment, this will put an immediate halt to over half of ongoing Collective military operations. He has assured me that this will not be a permanent stoppage, and that it will allow the fronts in the affected areas time to regroup and reassess their strategy, as well as prepare to put it into motion when the ceasefires are lifted.
He acknowledges that this similarly gives ADVENT time to prepare, though he estimates that ADVENT will either maneuver themselves into a position to launch a counter-offensive, or they will focus on defense. As he is confident that Collective posture is sufficient to deter ADVENT forces, it is extremely possible that ADVENT launches a failed attack, which will be defeated and make for an easy push forward.
The Agreements did not affect ongoing operations in South America, Africa, and Korea, which are led by the First Guardian, Macula, and Harbinger Trask respectively. Those operations are still ongoing, and directly managed by their respective commanders.
It is worth noting that ADVENT did force a moratorium on the deployment of all units derived or associated with Paradise Station, which hurts our efforts in Southeast Asia, as Senorium will have to be recalled from combat, and deprives us of a significant force multiplier. The Battlemaster intends to supplement this loss by utilizing more Sectoid units and leveraging Mosrimor's capabilities.
IMPOSED CONCESSIONS: The conditions that ADVENT imposed on us are a minor hindrance, but they are costs that we are able to largely absorb. The materials demanded did not significantly drain our stores, and will be replaced in a short time. It is unknown what ADVENT will use the materials for, though it is likely they were requested for a specific project, which could range from new armor, to vehicles, to starships. We will be watching for new construction sites, or lack thereof.
The demand to release all Human captives will free up prison resources, though it will deprive us of Human language and cultural experts, as well as leaving several projects unfinished. While Humans did sometimes contribute to manual tasks, their loss is negligible in comparison to the services they provided to our forces. We have also lost a reliable pool of subjects for tests and experimentation. It should be noted that this agreement did not preclude future captives from being acquired.
The territorial concessions, while in some cases significant, are not incapable of being recovered in future operations and the Battlemaster has provided assurances of this. Similarly, the ceasefires are just as useful for our forces as ADVENT. While these remain concessions, they are not ones that cannot be recovered from, and considering it resulted in the return of the Second Guardian, are justified.
ADVENT PERCEPTION OF AGREEMENT: There is a notable divide between how ADVENT leadership perceives the Agreements, and how the wider public perceives the Agreements. The ADVENT leadership, primarily driven by Chancellor Vyandar, believes the negotiations were a success and are very satisfied with the concessions extracted. This is a view held by a majority of her cabinet, as well as XCOM leaders including the Commander.
However, this is not reflected in the wider population. While a majority of media entities have fallen behind the ADVENT line, and are supporting the agreements, there is a notable amount of disagreement in the general population, leading to genuine disagreement and resistance against the official ADVENT line.
This is one of the few instances where ADVENT has made what can be characterized as an unpopular decision. Polling released indicated that there was widespread support for retaining the Second Guardian, and in some cases executing her. There has been an uptick in xenophobic sentiment, which ADVENT is being forced to deal with.
ADVENT has begun a public messaging campaign to reassert control over the narrative, though are being cautious in how they are presenting it to avoid appearing that they are silencing dissent. ADVENT Intelligence and PATRIOT appear to be working to employ damage control measures by algorithmically elevating supportive voices, and deranking dissenting ones. We expect the next phase will be an influencer campaign through their vast networks.
We expect this to be a pressure point for at least three months, the length of which will change depending on ADVENT aggressiveness in handling internal dissent.
ASSESSMENT OF NON-ALIGNED ETHEREAL ACTORS: This will briefly assess the non-Collective Ethereals that participated in the negotiations, specifically Sana'Ligna and Aegis, the former of whom operated in a mediator capacity, and the latter participating under XCOM.
Sana'Ligna was aligned with us in her desire to see an agreement reached and for the Second Guardian to be spared. It is almost certain that she was concerned that continued captivity in ADVENT would lead to her execution, which likely compelled her to participate in the first place. While she made an effort to be balanced in her negotiations, she pressed ADVENT to accept our concessions at times, and did not appear biased towards the Humans position, though she was aligned with the Humans on several key proposals, particularly relating to Paradise Station.
Aegis appeared to have a similar goal, which was to prevent the execution of the Second Guardian. It remains unknown how he viewed the importance of the concessions, as he largely left such arguments to the Human negotiators. This appears to imply that his primary purpose was to lobby the Humans to accept the agreements, out of concern of Ethereal execution. It is notable that both he and the Commander appeared in agreement the entire time, though the Commander was at the forefront of several of the major concessions.
In the case of both Ethereals, both of them appeared to be primarily motivated by ensuring that the Second Guardian would live, even if it meant returning her to us. The Battlemaster stated that Aegis outright revealed that ensuring the Second Guardian lived was his priority. It is possible that this could be done in the event of future Ethereal captives, though it is unlikely ADVENT would be as willing to do so in the future, especially with more infamous or dangerous ones.
PROPOSED LEVERAGING OF AGREEMENTS: The relative unpopularity of the Agreements presents a unique opportunity to encourage popular resentment against the current ADVENT government. This should be done to prolong disagreement, exploit existing resentment and xenophobia, preferably through trusted figures in the media and military.
The goal of this should not be to succeed – we must understand the large-scale dissent will be cracked down upon, and overt violence and illegal demonstrations will be used by ADVENT to completely delegitimize the movement. We understand that ADVENT does not want to overtly move against dissenters, but will do so if they judge that they have begun wielding outsized influence or are backed by outside factors.
The purpose of any leveraging should be to prolong any popular resistance, and force ADVENT to devote additional resources to covertly dismantling it. Quisilia can prove to be a particularly deniable asset, as ADVENT has shown reluctance to take down his social media pages due to a perceived intelligence gain. If this is handled with some delicacy, Quisilia can prove instrumental to keeping the resentment of the Agreements active.
FUTURE IMPLICATIONS: The negotiations have placed us in a position where we are slightly handicapped for the immediate future, but soon we will be able to almost return to our full capabilities. While the loss of units from Paradise Station will be felt in our larger operations, this can be supplemented by Mosrimor and Sectoid forces.
We should ensure that we are following the terms agreed to, as we do not want to give ADVENT any messaging victories, or potentially deter them from future agreements. This was an important development in that it shows that ADVENT is willing to negotiate if they perceive that they can achieve some of their long-term objectives.
ADVENT was a notably respectful partner in the negotiations, and realized demands which were excessive or did not realistically have a chance of being implemented. We returned the favor, and as a result, the agreement was made, and it is likely that while we perceive that the negotiations were a success, they view it the same way. They may be open to future negotiations, and we should not discount this avenue if we can more easily achieve our own objectives.
With this understood, we should not put ourselves in a position where we are making the majority of concessions. It remains to be seen if ADVENT is similarly willing to go to additional lengths to recover important personnel, or only when they perceive they have the negotiating advantage.
We should also prepare for the possibility that ADVENT may engage us for agreements unrelated to personnel, such as additional ceasefires, prisoner transfers, or other lower-level negotiations. If they perceive that we are open to this, it may be attempted, and we should prepare a potential response so we are not caught off guard should it happen.
- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary
THE DAMASCUS AGREEMENTS
OVERVIEW
PRINCIPAL PARTIES: This agreement is primarily made between the ETHEREAL COLLECTIVE, represented by the BATTLEMASTER OF THE ETHEREAL COLLECTIVE, supplemented by ZAR'CHON'RAVARIAN'VITIARY and ADVENT, represented by CHANCELLOR SAUDIA VYANDAR, supplemented by CHIEF DIPLOMAT FIRDAS HASSAN.
ADDITIONAL PARTIES: Supporting PRINCIPAL PARTY ADVENT, is the EXTRATERRESTRIAL COMBAT UNIT (XCOM), represented by the COMMANDER OF XCOM, supplemented by ETHEREAL AEGIS.
MEDIATOR: This agreement was made through the mediation efforts of ETHEREAL SANA'LIGNA, an unaligned party operating on Earth.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF PURPOSE: All parties major and minor acknowledge the above is accurate, and there are no other interests represented within the scope of this agreement.
NOTATION: Additional details of the following sections are included as DETAIL ATTACHMENTS, and this document is to provide a high-level overview of the agreements.
SECTION 1 | PERSONNEL REPATRIATION
THE SECOND GUARDIAN: The SECOND GUARDIAN currently in the joint custody of ADVENT and XCOM will be released to the ETHEREAL COLLECTIVE upon the signing of this agreement. It will be assured that the captive in question has not been harmed, nor has been modified in any mental or physical way.
PRISONERS OF WAR (ADVENT): All current prisoners of war currently held by ADVENT, specifically, Runianarch, Lurainian, and Andromedon captives, as well as any medical or non-combatants will be systematically released to the ETHEREAL COLLECTIVE at a determined and controlled point.
PRISONERS OF WAR (COLLECTIVE): All current prisoners of war currently held by the Ethereal Collective, which encompasses all ADVENT military personnel and civilians, are to be systematically released to ADVENT at a determined and controlled point.
PERSONNEL REMAINS: For any party that currently holds personnel remains, this is to be immediately released to the respective party they belong to, regardless of condition. This will be over a phased period, and conducted at determined and controlled points.
EXCEPTIONS: This section DOES NOT apply to any intelligence personnel, specifically from ADVENT INTELLIGENCE, XCOM INTELLIGENCE, and the ZARARCH. All prisoners of war or remains from PARADISE STATION are also exempt from this section's requirements. All remains and captives directly involved in ongoing projects are also exempt from repatriation.
STATEMENT OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: All parties acknowledge the expectations and requirements for SECTION 1, and acknowledge the agreement is binding.
SECTION 2 | MILITARY CEASEFIRES
NORTH AMERICA: Upon the signing of this agreement, an immediate ceasefire will go into effect in the NORTH AMERICAN Region, which explicitly includes the ADVENT nations of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, CANADA, and MEXICO. This ceasefire will last approximately FOUR WEEKS from the signing date, and can be extended through separate agreements.
EUROPE: Upon the signing of this agreement, an immediate ceasefire will go into effect in the EUROPEAN Region, specifically including the ADVENT nation of UKRAINE. This ceasefire will last approximately THREE WEEKS from the signing date.
ASIA: Upon the signing of this agreement, an immediate ceasefire will go into effect in the ASIAN Region, specifically including the ADVENT nations of THAILAND, CAMBODIA, and VIETNAM. This ceasefire will last approximately FIVE WEEKS from the signing date, and can be extended through separate agreements.
STATEMENT OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: ADVENT and the ETHEREAL COLLECTIVE acknowledge the ceasefire, and intend to abide by all the above requirements, while keeping an open line between military personnel to reduce risk of violations. Any personnel found to have intentionally violated the ceasefire will be subject to internal removal and punishment to be determined by the respective party.
SECTION 3 | TERRITORIAL CONCESSIONS
NORTH AMERICA: Upon the signing of the agreement, the state of MINNESOTA, and the region of MANITOBA will be immediately ceded to ADVENT control, and other minor territorial changes are documented in SECTION 3 ATTACHMENT. A buffer area will also be established around SALT LAKE CITY, ALBUQUERQUE, and SINOX FALLS.
EUROPE: Upon the signing of the agreement, all UKRAINIAN regions with the exception of the CRIMEAN PENINSULA, as well as ALL TURKISH, GREEK, and BULGARIAN territories will be immediately ceded to ADVENT control, and other minor territorial changes are documented in SECTION 3 ATTACHMENT.
STATEMENT OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: The ETHEREAL COLLECTIVE acknowledges this requirement, and will comply with the agreed upon concessions and begin withdrawal immediately upon the signing of the agreement and complete the withdrawal in a timely manner. ADVENT acknowledges this acceptance, and are forbidden from striking or moving in on the ceded territory until the Ethereal Collective has fully withdrawn from the area.
SECTION 4 | UNIT MORATORIAMS
PARADISE STATION: Upon the signing of this agreement, under no circumstances will any unit, machine, or entity from PARADISE STATION or otherwise under the influence or control of the BRINGER OF PARADISE have any participation against ADVENT and XCOM, nor serve or otherwise fall under the command of the ETHEREAL COLLECTIVE. All entities from Paradise Station are forbidden from entering any part of Earth for the duration of the conflict.
STATEMENT OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: The ETHEREAL COLLECTIVE acknowledges this restriction, and will enact efforts to ensure that it is not violated.
SECTION 5 | MATERIAL TRANSFERS
MATERIAL OVERVIEW: Upon the signing of this agreement, the ETHEREAL COLLECTIVE will immediately begin transfers of the determined amount of materials to designated ADVENT sites. These materials will not be tampered, sabotaged, or otherwise modified from their original purpose. All materials are subject to inspection by ADVENT personnel, and all materials determined to be defective must be replaced. All defective materials must be returned and replaced, and ADVENT cannot maintain control over materials determined inferior.
STATEMENT OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: The ETHEREAL COLLECTIVE acknowledges this requirement, and will ensure that materials are provided free of issue. ADVENT acknowledges their rights and ability to inspect the materials, and reject those determined to be inferior or otherwise problematic.
SECTION 6 | CONCLUSION
STATEMENT OF ACCEPTANCE: All parties have reviewed the agreement and subsequent attachments, and agree to fully abide by them exactly as determined in the above sections and accompanying attachments.
SIGNED
- The Battlemaster of the Ethereal Collective
- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary
- Chancellor Saudia Vyandar
- Chief Diplomat Firdaus Hassan
- Director Ian Powell
- Commander Laura Christiaens
- The Commander of XCOM
Transcript of XCOM Soldiers following the completion of the Damascus Negotiations
[Lacy Sable]: "Sounds like they really did it. News is saying there was an agreement."
[Fakhr al Din]: "Damn shame."
[LS]: "Next time we go for the head."
[Seok Myeong]: "No, next time we don't bring Aegis along to fight an Ethereal."
[FD]: "Yeah, that's much better. Think the orders were still to capture her though."
[LS]: "Don't ask me, I wasn't on it. Any of you?"
[SM]: "I wasn't."
[LS]: "Neither was I. Carmelita was, though; more or less said the same thing."
[FD]: "Hate to be around her right now."
[LS]: "I'm surprised they did it."
[SM]: "Seems short sighted. What did we actually get from it?"
[LS]: "Uh…let me check…yeah, some prisoner exchanges, a few territorial concessions, a few ceasefires, and a bunch of resources that are probably all going to...well, whatever superproject ADVENT is working on next."
[FD]: "Thunderbird 2.0!"
[LS]: "Something like that, probably."
[SM]: "So basically nothing that the Collective can't go without."
[LS]: "Basically."
[SM]: "Damn. Don't think it was worth it then."
[FD]: "I wouldn't go that far. ADVENT got prisoners back. That's important for them."
[SM]: "Not to diminish that, but they aren't really important in comparison to an Ethereal. If I was captured and the only way I'd get free was to exchange myself for an Ethereal, I'd say to kill the Ethereal."
[LS]: "There's a bit more… I guess Bringer soldiers are banned from combat."
[SM]: "Right, I imagine that will last until the Imperator wants to tighten the noose. Who exactly negotiated this? A xenophile?"
[LS]: "Aegis had a large voice."
[SM]: "Figures. We shouldn't have allowed aliens into the conversation, not when it's something like this. I don't care if he's an Ethereal, this is our matter. Of course he's going to advocate not killing one of his own."
[FD]: "I wouldn't even say we should have killed her, just stored her away, put a bomb or six in her head."
[SM]: "I would. Literally no one here is squeamish about putting an Alloy Cannon to her head and pulling the trigger. Giving her back is just…"
[LS]: "Insulting?"
[SM]: "In a word. I get what the Commander is going for, but trying to rehabilitate Caelior and giving back the Second Guardian is not what we should be doing."
[FD]: "Eh, Caelior's not so bad now."
[SM]: "He threw an aircraft carrier into Japan and his kill count is in the thousands. He's a useful weapon, but he's not some innocent child."
[FD]: "Can agree on that, but I don't think the Commander is using him as anything more than that. Plus Manchurian Restraints. Aegis is a slightly different case, since he has actual input into policy."
[LS]: "Yeah, that's the crux of it."
[FD]: "You going to talk to the Commander about it? Write up a complaint?"
[LS]: "Considering it, honestly. Doesn't feel like he did a lot of consulting with people here, which isn't like him. Whatever concessions he got out of it, the fact is that we had the opportunity to kill an Ethereal, and we gave her back. I don't like that."
[FD]: "Neither do I, honestly, but I don't know if I'd attribute it to malice."
[SM]: "Absolutely not malice, no, but I think Aegis is getting a bit too comfortable interfering in our affairs."
[FD]: "I will point out ADVENT also agreed to this. It wasn't just XCOM."
[SM]: "Let's be real, if XCOM wanted this, ADVENT was going to agree. Commander would remind Saudia of that."
[LS]: "I doubt there was a lot of debate, but yeah, not one of the better moments from the Commander. Hope this 4D chess move ends up working out. Probably going to ask for a meeting or something, maybe I'm just missing it."
[SM]: "Unofficially though, we should make sure that next time, the next Ethereal suffers a more fatal injury."
[LS]: "Can't give them back if they're dead."
[FD]: "Technically…"
[LS]: "Ok, technically they can send back the corpse. I'm fine with that. Far as I know, they haven't figured out resurrection."
[SM]: "Maybe burn the corpse first then."
[LS]: "I'll support that."
[JULIAN]: "Both of you realize I am always listening, correct?"
[SM]: "Yep, obviously joking here."
[J]: "Ah yes, I too casually joke about intentionally killing when it is not strictly necessary as revenge for something I didn't like my superior doing."
[LS]: "You, uh, do that though."
[J]: "A fair point."
[FD]: "Whatever, I'm sure you get the general sentiment anyway. Do pass this up the chain if you're so inclined."
[J]: "I will ensure someone is appraised of your grievances."
[FD]: "Well, guess we'll have a bit of a break from this. Hopefully XCOM will use it right."
Transcript ends.
Transcript of interview with a returned civilian
[Anchor Eritra Iann]: "Good morning, and thank you for taking the time to speak today."
[Gloria Anderson]: "Of course, thank you for having me on."
[EI]: "Now, for the viewers and readers, you were one of the captives of the Ethereal Collective, correct?"
[GA]: "I was. Civilian, captive from Los Angeles when it fell at the beginning of the war. I guess I was one of the first captives when it started."
[EI]: "If you don't mind, what was that like?"
[GA]: "Initially? It was…oddly normal. It was closer to martial law than captivity. They even let some of the shopkeepers and store owners run their places, though more for food distribution. Only difference was there were Mutons everywhere and soldiers everywhere you saw. Aliens, which freaked a lot of people out at the time. It's…disquieting to see a Borelian up close."
[EI]: "So lockdown at first."
[GA]: "At first. A week or so, and they started processing people. I don't know the exact mechanic for how they did it, but every day they'd bring out a bunch of people. We didn't know what they would do then. Some of them disappeared, others were released."
[EI]: "Did you ever see the ones who left?"
[GA]: "No. Never again. I doubt they're alive."
[EI]: "Continue when you're ready."
[GA]: "Right. They mostly just asked basic things. We stood in lines, watched by guards, and they had Vitakarians at tables who asked us our name, family members, age, stuff like that. They took a few scans, and a blood sample. I don't know what they did."
[EI]: "Did they treat sick people differently?"
[GA]: "A few people were sick, but they were moved to a clinic and treated by some of the medics. Honestly they had some good medicine. At the same place they took the medical data, they also gave me several shots. They said they were 'medical preventatives', along with vaccines, so they said. I figure they were telling the truth, since I never got sick while I was captive."
[EI]: "Did anyone try to get out?"
[GA]: "Some tried. Some talked about it, and they were gone the next day. I don't know if any of them got out, or were shot. Some nights you heard the plasma rifles firing. I doubt everyone escaped, sadly. A few people tried running in broad daylight, and…"
[EI]: "Take your time."
[GA]: "No, they actually didn't shoot them. They didn't get far until they ran into a Muton or two. Knocking them out cold. One time a Cobrarian jumped on someone fleeing, and wrapped her up like a constrictor. Scariest thing I'd seen, I thought she was going to eat her. But yeah… that was the early days."
[EI]: "Until they moved you off-world."
[GA]: "Me, at least. It was in batches. A few thousand people would disappear at a time. We wondered if we were being systematically killed since we never saw ships leaving. Turns out it was just Gateways. We went through it, and entered one giant prison."
[EI]: "Was it a space station, or a different planet?"
[GA]: "Space station. On the long walk to the main pens, there was a walkway that looked outside. It looked like the station had been built in the middle of nowhere. The Collective overseer told us that this was built beyond the edge of a system, where the only way to get to it was through Gateways. Basically saying there was no way to escape."
[EI]: "No ships or anything?"
[GA]: "Don't know, but if there were, there weren't a lot. Even if someone managed to get a ship…there was nowhere to go. No outpost, no way to get through the Gateways, nothing. Suicide mission, basically. Was effective."
[EI]: "So to be clear – the Collective has a space station just for housing prisoners. Were there any aliens there?"
[GA]: "Never saw an alien captive. I can't say if the prison was built just for us, or repurposed."
[EI]: "What was life like, in the prison? Was anyone mistreated?"
[GA]: "Don't know if ADVENT wants me saying this, but…no, not mistreated. We were fed, we had places to sleep, we had clothes. Some of the homeless joked that it was actually an improvement for them. But we were always afraid. Some days people would just be approached and removed. We never saw them again, and there wasn't anything that explained why they'd been moved."
[EI]: "No idea at all?"
[GA]: "No, they weren't troublemakers. All of the orphans were eventually removed, for example. Though that was the only group I think was completely taken away, it seemed like random people everywhere else. I don't want to think about what happened to them, or why the Collective wanted them."
[EI]: "What did they have you do?"
[GA]: "Nothing, really. They had a library that had a lot of alien literature… which no one could read. So most of the time we were bored. Which was fine with us, we talked amongst ourselves, and the majority of the alien wardens couldn't speak English or Spanish. Only a few aliens actually understood us."
[EI]: "No work at all for you?"
[GA]: "Not exactly. Eventually, I think a month or so after I showed up, they began instituting 'volunteer work'. A lot of it was mentoring aliens in English and Spanish, as well as actually teaching us Ethereal Script and the Vitakarian dialects to translate things. For people with computer skills, they had positions for doing data work. I know it sounds weird, but it was actually volunteer work. They didn't force anyone into it."
[EI]: "Then why did people do it, if they did at all?"
[GA]: "A couple reasons. The first was to do something, instead of being bored indefinitely. The second was that if we helped out, we thought there was less of a chance we'd be disappeared."
[EI]: "Was that true?"
[GA]: "No one who did work was ever removed. Not that I saw."
[EI]: "Did you?"
[GA]: "I did. Worked on tutoring Vitakarians in Spanish – I was in higher demand since there were enough English-speaking prisoners. I got a lot more officers and Zararch than the regular soldiers. I'd hoped that I'd get some insight into how the war was going if I helped."
[EI]: "Did you?"
[GA]: "Yes, sometimes. I heard about Aegis, and Caelior, and Paradise – that one the aliens didn't bother hiding at all – and in fact, after that went down, they made a statement assuring us that no one would ever be transferred to 'Non-Collective institutions'."
[EI]: "And did you pass this to the others?"
[GA]: "Yeah. A few of us got together, and determined what we would all politely ask our 'students'. Someone would ask about North America, some South, some about ADVENT, XCOM, and so on. Then we'd regroup, share it, and as a result we had a pretty coherent idea of how the war was going. It gave us hope."
[EI]: "The Collective didn't mind you knew this? Or didn't know you did?"
[GA]: "I doubt they didn't know, but I don't think they cared. It wasn't as though we could do anything with it."
[EI]: "So you knew the negotiations were happening."
[GA]: "Yes – but we didn't know that we might be going back because of it. There were some rumors, but no one was really sure."
[EI]: "The Vitakara you mentored, what were they like?"
[GA]: "I don't want to say professional but…they did treat me at least better than I expected as a prisoner. They're weirdly adept at languages. I had a 'class' that was able to get the basics in a few months."
[EI]: "How did that work? Teaching aliens who don't understand the language?"
[GA]: "There was usually a translator, who gave a general overview of how to prepare a 'lesson'. But usually they didn't do much. After the classes, there would be more tutor-like sessions with interested officers. That's usually where I got most of my information, so I did as many of those as possible."
[EI]: "How would you say that all of this affected your view on the Collective?"
[GA]: "They invaded our planet, ripped us from our homes, and I'm sure killed thousands of us. They are our enemy, none of us forgot that, like I said, one major reason we did the work for them was so we wouldn't be shipped off to die somewhere. However…the aliens themselves I can't fully hate. They're on the other side…but they are people like us. Which I'm glad that ADVENT understands. Some of the officers I talked to mentioned the AEGIS Division. I was surprised ADVENT would even do that. I want to tell you that the aliens are aware of stuff like that. They talk about it. It makes them question. ADVENT shouldn't go back on any of those policies, easy as it would be to demonize the aliens themselves."
[EI]: "And in your opinion, where does the blame primarily lie?"
[GA]: "With who it always does – with the people in power. The commanders, admirals, Ethereals, Zararch, they did this, and they bear the blame and punishment for their invasion."
[EI]: "So with that understood, you are aware an Ethereal was returned as part of the negotiations?"
[GA]: "Yes, I am. And I'm thankful that ADVENT thought us worth demanding in return for her. I won't say if my life was worth an Ethereal, but I can say that I, nor the thousands of others who were returned, will forget what ADVENT did for us. No matter what else they got, I hope they realize how important what they did was."
[EI]: "I'm sure they are grateful that you were returned safely. Thank you for sharing this with us, what will you do now?"
[GA]: "Don't know – thinking I may enlist myself, or join AEGIS. I picked up a few things of their language, so ADVENT might find that useful. I'll be doing my part, I promise. There's still a war, and I'm going to help make sure we win it."
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