Not a single sound could be heard. The peace and quiet was comforting. After months of evaluation and filling in paperwork, the room he stood in was his reward. Its unfamiliarity dwindled after weeks. He had spent nights resting on the large bed at the other side of the room. It was his quarters.
He looked at himself in the mirror, making sure there was not a single wrinkle on his uniform. Henry had to go to the Situation Room soon. The last pictures were being taken for the XCOM Memoirs. The photos would accompany him for the rest of his time in XCOM and probably after—when the whole ordeal was over. He examined his military beret and his peaked cap. Henry was more accustomed to wearing a beret, but the peaked cap would better convey his rank. Bradford would send him back to his quarters if he did not choose the latter. After all, it bore his status the best—Commander Henry Avant of XCOM, king of the underground base that was XCOM HQ.
"All right, Henry. Gotta get ready!" he muttered to himself.
He turned to examine his left flank. His uniform suited him well. Henry looked away from the mirror; his gaze wandered to his computer. A file was open on the screen. It was a report, like none other. He had read it on many occasions, but the contents still shook him to his core. Humanity's worst nightmare had come.
Henry read the large heading of the classified document: "Alien Invasion".
Space, the seemingly empty void, was not what it once appeared to be. People had wondered if they were alone in the universe; or not. No matter the answer, both options were as equally terrifying. If aliens did exist, where were they? Humanity got an answer. They were here, and for war. The vast dark sky glimmering with stars; it was a sight defiled by outsiders who brought the sword.
"What would they want from us?" Henry murmured as he fixed his hair before putting on his peaked cap.
He looked at the clock before going back to the mirror, still in thought.
Alien activity had spiked all around the globe. Agencies were sent to deal with extraterrestrial threats, but that was not enough. All attempts at negotiation were shut down with human blood. The aliens did not come to make peace.
Militaries were capable of fending off attacks, but humanity as a whole was failing to counter their new enemy. Space agencies blew the whistle on the armada cruising towards the solar system. The defence front was fractured by politics that plagued its efforts. Bonds that held nations tight severed as they all scrambled their guns in self-preservation. They deployed their own military to defend against all alien incursions on their land, but they were blind to the bigger picture. At that rate, the world as it was known would have ceased to be.
Henry gave a final tug at his uniform's coat and walked to the door to his room. He pressed the button on the door panel for it to slide open, revealing a long industrial-style hallway. Whoever built the base must have really liked industrial architecture, he thought.
Outnumbered and outgunned, the nations of Earth miraculously came together and created the most elite military and scientific organisation in human history tasked with defending them from the alien threat. The Extraterrestrial Combat Unit, or XCOM, was created. Its unique feature was that it was bound to no single nation but rather all. Its headquarters was located in Canada, in a remote region in the Quebec province. It was in a location less likely to be plagued by political strife and well hidden from the alien invaders as it was underground and masked by a dense forest.
Henry remembered the years he had spent serving. This was where it had brought him. He was a soldier who rapidly climbed the ranks and displayed a tactical ability rivalling that of the other candidates for Commander. His mannerism in military strategy was picked as it was fitting of the dire circumstances. He was thus chosen as the leader of XCOM. Supervised by the Council of Nations composed of ambassadors, United Nations representatives, administrators, and the mysterious Spokesman, he had free reign over the war effort against the invaders.
Henry walked as quickly as he could to not be late. Everyone was waiting for him in the Situation Room. He pulled out his phone-like, XCOM-issued device while walking, to see if he had missed any messages from his colleagues. He scanned every detail on the device, looking for notifications. None for now. He still opted to walk faster. As Commander, it would leave a good impression if he was early for an important event that would shape humanity's future—the inauguration of the XCOM Project.
The elevator ride was quick. After another few hallways, Henry breached Mission Control and went to the adjacent Situation Room. It was cluttered with photography equipment. The camera crew checked Commander Avant off the list of individuals to wait for. Thankfully, it appeared that he had arrived earlier than most of his peers. It did not take long for the remainders to enter.
"Okay, everyone. Let's start taking pictures for your memoirs," the cameraman said. "So, the first group shoot with you all will be with... Commander Henry Avant, Dr Raymond Shen, Dr Moira Vahlen and XO John Bradford," he informed.
Those who were called walked up the 'X' on the floor.
Henry looked around and noticed his colleagues walking up with him. The man who stood to his right was Central Officer John Bradford—the Executive Officer of XCOM HQ. He and his team were in charge of keeping up with events from around the globe. He and Henry spent years serving together so their bond was strong. He trusted Bradford enough to appoint him as his second in command.
A woman in a lab coat stood to Henry's right. The science team was led by Dr Moira Vahlen, an astrophysicist who displayed great enthusiasm and showed a promising interest in finding ways to adapt the aliens' technology to advance scientific developments. The research output would have been useless without the engineering team led by Chief Engineering Officer Dr Raymond Shen. He was an invaluable asset to his department with decades of experience. He positioned himself next to Vahlen.
As soon as everyone was ready, they looked at the cameraman. A snap came from the camera, accompanied by a somewhat bright flash. Everyone blinked in response. Fortunately, the picture was taken before.
"All right! That's a good one. Next, I want the Commander to stay and the company leaders to step up!" the cameraman ordered.
The high-ranking soldiers walked up next to Henry and positioned themselves for the picture.
XCOM was given four companies of the world's most elite soldiers. Colonel Natalia Jacquemin gave a nudge to Henry's shoulder with her elbow before she adopted her rigid posture for the picture. She and Henry had also known each other for a long time. He trusted her enough to appoint her as the leader of 1st Company and squad Alpha-1. They were the elite of the elite—his bodyguards if need be.
2nd Company was led by Colonel Fergus Archer, a British officer that distinguished himself throughout his career. 3rd Company was under the command of Colonel Kristina Zuniga, a woman originally from a remote village in Africa who sought to make a place for herself in a hostile world. 4th Company was given to Colonel Yahya Myers, a middle eastern soldier who proved invaluable to the UN in establishing peace during troubling times.
The five of them squeezed into frame and waited for the professional to do the rest. The cameraman gave the thumbs up, rose his camera and quickly took a picture once he saw the ideal shot. After the bright light, he immediately turned to look at his laptop. He smiled in contempt at the picture.
"All good!" he said.
Bradford walked up to the Commander. There was still another matter to be taken care of. Henry silently complied and followed him into Mission Control. He would have loved to engage with his colleagues, but he had to make do with the months he had spent getting acquainted with them. After the event was over, he could do all the talking he wanted.
Bradford and Henry walked side by side until they reached the Commander's station in Mission Control that had a microphone connected to the entire base's intercom. The facility was filled with staff members. Not everyone in XCOM could fit in so only officers who would usually work in Mission Control could attend the event in person. The rest of the staff were in their designated workplaces, watching a screen that displayed the moment.
Henry took a deep breath. The colonels were at the back spectating their Commander. Colonel Natalia Jacquemin rose her fist in the air, encouraging Henry. Dr Shen and Vahlen Stood shyly in Henry's peripheral vision. They waited eagerly for the Commander to begin. He looked to Bradford and received a nod. The microphone turned on.
"I am proud to stand here, today, as Commander. Today is a day that will be remembered. Our actions, here, will shape our future forever. We are XCOM. Together, we will fight the alien menace with all of our strength. Every drop of sweat and blood will be for humanity. On this fateful New Year of 2020, let the Council of Nations declare that, as of today, the XCOM Project will fight for the survival of mankind! We will be watchful. We will be relied upon. And through our cooperation, we will end this menace and bring victory to humanity!"
The staff all raised their hands and applauded wildly. It was a short speech but enough to embolden everyone. Henry was content. It was a message filled with hope that contradicted those who would scream for the last. There was hope that there was a tomorrow. That tomorrow would lead to another until a more complete end came. As Henry walked away from the microphone, the staff in Mission Control cheered by yelling "Vigilo Confido". There were no other chants that would best fit XCOM. Despite its blandness, the celebrating officers cheered it with pride.
After the minutes of unceasing applause and celebration, the XCOM Project was declared active and the fight for humanity had officially begun.