Independence Day
Larry Mann
Back to X-Com Page
"X-COM: UFO Defense" and "X-COM: Terror From The Deep"
Copyright (c) 1994 MicroProse and Mythos Software

"X-Com Saga" Copyright (c) 1994 Russ Brown
"X-Com Saga II: Tales From The Deep" Copyright (c) 1996-97 Larry Mann

ASPECT NINE:: Independence Day

- - -

SIGSBEE DEEP, GULF OF MEXICO

	The Abyssal Zones of the Earth's oceans are a world of total 
darkness and crushing pressure, where very few creatures can exist, and 
those that do either create their own light for hunting, or do without 
eyesight altogether. It is a world untouched by human presence, Earth 
science not capable of designing a machine able to withstand the pressure 
of those black depths.
	Now, however, the blackness of the Sigsbee Deep was being broken 
by faint light, light which did not come from the bioluminescent lure of 
any Earth fish. Pairs of glowing green eyes glided through the darkness, 
gathering together. The closely spaced eyes of smaller creatures 
cruised alongside the farther-apart eyes of bigger creatures, forming a 
school of luminescence, pushing inexorably onward. And downward.
	Deep down into the blackness, which, after a time, began to 
become brighter, the waters starting to take on a faint blue glow. The 
glow began to reflect off the approaching school of creatures, revealing 
their yellow aqua-plastic alien nature.
	Silhouetted by the blue glow, which reflected off the ocean 
floor, a giant black shape rested, various colored lights dotting its 
surface. To an observer seeing the black behemoth from its front it 
might look, with its myriad black spiky towers and domed structures, and 
glowing multicolored beacons and causeways, like a giant undersea 
megacity.
	The massive ion thrusters on the rear would put the lie to that.
	The Molecular Control Net was a bustle of activity here, the 
strongest and most clear of the signals emanating from, and returning to, 
this place. Every creature who came here could feel the immense power, 
growing stronger and stronger, calling to the children, to the loyal.
	It was nearly time.
	From the Dreadnaught leading the mighty school of alien 
submarines, a signal beamed through the waters, toward the black city.
	Tulu m'holec ak'then. O'hwen.
	A'kh'lash, answered a stronger, much more powerful signal. 
M'holec t'lats'k stha. The Molecular Control Net abruptly became 
silent as all other communication was halted for a priority transmission.
	%Tsunami% k'klat'chk, %Atlantia% k'klat'chk. N'dat th'kral 
%X-Com% t'kal, a'br %Elemental% a'br Tulu'kt, %Steffie%. Iak'h 
k'latz'hk, g'hala ts'ia t'latz'hk stha.
	P'hak k'latz'hk, O'hwen. A'kl'hash, confidence and 
satisfaction resonated throughout the network, and again all minds 
listened for the message.
	A'k a'kl'hash: *D'HA TZO N'DAT IAK'H ET'NRALA TS'IA KN.* 
*S'TRA T'LATS'K K'LATZ'HK, E'DAT D'HA'LA KN D'HA.* Kh'am'al.
	That is not dead which can eternal lie. And with strange eons even death may die.
	The waters of the Earth's oceans resounded with the cries of 
approval and anticipation. At long last, it was time.
	Rha tzo, p'hak, the commanding mind rumbled. Kh'am'al.
	A'k.
	A rumbling could be heard and felt throughout the nearby waters 
as the blue glow intensified considerably. A moment later it was 
complemented by a brighter white glow as the thrusters activated for the 
first time in 65 million Earth years.
	T'Leth a'kw'akh. K'Tulu a'kw'akh, the mind boomed loudly. 
%TERRA% SH'N T'LATS'K STHA.
	T'Leth awakens. K'Tulu awakens. AND TERRA SHALL KNOW.
	Blasting a huge cloud of sand and debris up into the waters in 
its wake, the ancient colony vessel T'Leth, the Black City of so many 
legends, rose from its watery grave.
	And at the heart of the ship, the Great Dreamer, K'Tulu, began 
ever so slowly to stir.


FIFTEEN MINUTES EARLIER
SOMEWHERE IN GREENLAND

	The icy cold sea air stung Lyudmila's face as she stared silently out 
at the endless blueness which was the Atlantic Ocean, lost in many 
thoughts, and torn by many feelings. All coming back to the grave danger 
the human race was in now.
	At every sound of the waves lapping against the shoreline her eyes 
darted from one place to another, part of her expecting something to come 
crawling up out of the water at any moment, another part of her knowing this 
was foolish but unable to block the flow of anxiety. If there were any bugs in 
the immediate area, she would know.
	That of course did not change the fact that the enemy lurked 
underneath the waters in vast quantities, and they were all across the globe, 
as the Tsunami geoscape maps had reported in their last moments of 
functionality. The Aliens' plans were some 40 years in the making, and they 
were far more prepared for this day than the humans were. Lyudmila 
wondered if the supreme commander of X-Com, during the First Alien War, 
had felt the same sense of being overwhelmed by the Alien hordes. 
Perhaps, but it hadn't stopped him from succeeding at Cydonia.
	But could she do as well against T'Leth?
	A presence behind her. Human, and powerful, like her. She turned to 
see the familiar and welcome face of Otto Zander coming to join her at the 
coastline.
	"Just got word from the emergency session of the sponsors," Zen 
said as he reached her. The sunlight briefly glinted off the shiny metal of his 
new Commander's rank badge. "The promotions have all been officially 
approved. Congratulations, Captain."
	Lyudmila snorted, a little amazed that the bureaucracy had 
accomplished anything so quickly. Not that it would have mattered. As far 
as the troopers were concerned the bureaucracy could go to hell: Lyudmila 
had become Captain as soon as Collignon's life had ended, and the troopers 
had readily accepted the change of command, believing that if anyone could 
salvage this disastrous happening, it would be the Elemental.
	Fingering her Captain's badge, regarding the angry visage of the 
golden skull set into the middle of the anchor, she could only hope their faith 
in her was not misplaced.
	"What's our status?" she asked tiredly.
	"Good news and bad news," Zen replied. "The good news is, the 
Leviathan is still deep-seaworthy, and we have three Displacers -- two 
sonics and one PWT -- at 100% readiness."
	"And the bad news?"
	"The bad news is, we only have 5 combat-ready troopers. You, me, 
Marcelle, Himiko, and Escobar. Dujardin had a relapse; Takaya says it'll be 
a while before he can walk again. She won't certify Ramirez or Quevedo 
either."
	"Damn."
	"Maybe it's just as well," Zen shrugged, trying to offer some 
consolation. "Those two had low psi ratings, and Dujardin's unstable at 
best; they'd probably be more of a liability in the end."
	"It's still three less bug killers," Lyudmila grumbled. Her options 
had worn thin and a difficult decision was now confronting her. "I don't want 
to go in with any empty space in that submarine."
	"Me neither. But who else do we have that's combat-certified?"
	"I think it's less a question of who's combat-certified and more who's 
combat-capable."
	"Are you sure you want to do that, Lyu?" He knew exactly who Lyu 
was talking about and wasn't particularly sanguine about the idea.
	"I don't think we have much choice, Zen," Lyu said distractedly, her 
attention focused on the growing roar of an approaching aircraft. Zen turned 
to see what looked at first glance like an old UFO approaching their location, 
but it quickly resolved itself into the familiar saucer design of a Firestorm 
interceptor. Farther back, another craft silhouette could be seen on 
approach, and Zen was fairly certain it looked like an Avenger.
	"What do you know," Zen said, almost smiling. "Maybe we do have 
a couple tricks left up our sleeves."
	"Maybe. Come on, let's get moving." Lyudmila turned around and 
walked back toward the tiny, unassuming research station which disguised 
the entrance to the underground base. Zen lingered for a moment to watch 
the Firestorm pass overhead and then followed.

	In the first war, Icehouse Base had been an emergency landing site 
for interceptors and other craft from the North American and European 
combat theatres, and after the war it became a holding tank for X-Com 
personnel who had been frozen. It was never intended to be a full-scale 
operations center for X-Com forces, and this was reflected in its lack of 
facilities: it had only spartan living quarters with minimal climate control for 
only a few people, and what little Stores space there was existed mainly for 
holding cryochambers. (Marcelle referred to the place as "the Rebel base 
on Hoth", garnering him more than a few dirty looks.) There was only one 
hangar, oversized in order to house multiple craft. Currently it held one: the 
Leviathan from Tsunami.
	With a loud mechanical whine, the overhead hangar doors slid open, 
and the engines of the old Avenger sent a thick wave of cold air blasting into 
the base as it settled on its landing struts, angling for the far side of the 
hangar to make room for the much smaller Firestorm, which nestled itself 
between the corvette and the Leviathan. It was a very tight fit, the hangar not 
having been meant for holding more than two craft at any given time, but 
between the skills of the pilots and the ships' onboard computers, they 
managed.
	Lyudmila and Zander arrived at the hangar just as the Avenger was 
powering down. The seal on the rear hatch broke with a hiss of air, and the 
hatchway folded downward, forming a ramp. Lyudmila thought she could 
make out the oscillating green lights of a Displacer within the ship's 
darkened interior, but her attention was focused on the gray-haired woman 
waving at them as she emerged from the craft.
	"Hello Captain, Commander," Deborah said to the two with a hint of a 
smile, saluting. Technically she had been higher on the chain of command 
when Tsunami was destroyed, but had refused promotion to Captain, 
believing Lyudmila to be a better candidate for supreme command of X-Com 
than herself. (Lyu was, after all, far more combat-capable than Deborah 
could hope to be; Deborah almost wished she'd been frozen as well.)
	"I see we still have *some* war materiel left," Zen observed dryly, 
regarding the Avenger and Firestorm.
	"We did keep a small stash of fuel and equipment stowed at Area 51. 
Not even the funding council knew about it, otherwise we'd've lost it too," 
Deborah nodded. "We also had our main psionic training facilities there... in 
case something happened to Tsunami." Evidently not everyone had agreed 
with Collignon's strategy, and that might well have saved their asses, or at 
least bought them some extra time.
	"Well, what do you have for us, then?" Lyu asked, glancing up at the 
Avenger. "Hopefully something we can actually use underwater."
	"Well..." Deborah turned back toward the Avenger. "Tank: out. 
Forward to my location." The warbly hum of an ion engine could be heard, 
and a Displacer floated out of the corvette, descending to ground level and 
floating up alongside them. It had a PWT launcher for a turret. "We have 
this Displacer, for starters."
	Lyudmila nodded, looking the SWS over; it seemed to be in good 
shape, and its torpedo launcher was fully stocked. "This is good. Our 
offensive power just went up a little." Four Displacers -- two of them with 
heavy weapons -- would help quite a bit, though Lyudmila would still have 
preferred four armed troopers to one armed tank.
	"We also have four troopers who were still in psi-training at the time 
of the strike," Deborah went on as the four soldiers in question filed out of 
the Avenger, formed up and saluted sharply. "Ensign Michael Connors, Able 
Seaman Javier Centeno, Seamen Tracey Marillo and Naomi Nakajima. 
They're all rated at P-10 or higher."
	"Good. The less vulnerable people we have, the better." She 
returned the troopers' salute and addressed them directly. "I want you all to 
keep your armor and equipment on hot standby and ready to go at a 
moment's notice. Are we clear?"
	"Yes ma'am!" Connors replied.
	"Good. Dismissed." Lyu was turning her attention back toward 
Deborah when she noticed the other people emerging from the Avenger. A 
few technicians and scientists, but among them were two rather familiar, and 
aged, faces. "...Claude? Laura?"
	"Hello, Lyu," Claude said quietly.
	"What are you doing here?" Lyudmila pressed, although she already 
had a very good idea why they were here.
	"We know she's here," Laura said anxiously, and then to Lyudmila's 
surprise Laura's voice echoed in her head. We have to see her. Please.
	For a moment Lyu wished there was some way out of this, but she 
knew there wasn't. She knew this would happen sooner or later. Sighing 
heavily, she put a hand on Laura's shoulder. "Come with me. This may be 
unpleasant for you."
	May? she thought to herself. Hell, it *will*...

	"You will find this to be one of the quickest routes to the core of the 
vessel," Rann said, tracing a webbed finger across a two-dimensional map 
he'd created with the assistance of the technical personnel. The human 
techs had at first been a bit wary of working so closely with a Gillman, and 
were also more than a little curious about Steffie. Understandable, of 
course, but Lyudmila had laid down the law in no uncertain terms on these 
matters, and as such Rann had received the assistance he needed, and 
Steffie had been left alone. At the moment they were all clustered around the 
planning table with all the troopers who weren't occupied elsewhere, 
planning strategy. "There are dozens of transporters throughout the vessel 
but these are the three closest to each other and to the core."
	"I don't know about that second level," Escobar remarked warily, 
tracing a path of his own across the map. "It's like a maze. Gonna take a 
long time to wind through that area."
	"Create your own doors, then," Rann answered. "The walls there are 
not particularly strong, and I suspect time is a luxury we don't have... ah, 
water, if you would..."
	"Me too, please..." Steffie chimed in, her gills flaring due to lack of 
moisture. While both their species could breathe air easily enough they 
were still sea-dwellers first, and couldn't go without water for extended 
periods of time.
	Escobar picked up a spray bottle of salt water sitting on the table and 
sprayed a fine mist over Rann's skin. He passed the bottle to Dujardin, 
sitting in a wheelchair next to Steffie, who accepted it and applied the same 
treatment to Steffie. Steffie craned her head back, flaring her gills as widely 
as possible and sighing in audible relief as the oxygen-rich seawater 
washed over them and moistened her own skin.
	It was then that she became aware of the new, and familiar, 
presences drawing nearer... although it was not so much in mind as it was in 
voice: "oh my god..." Opening her eyes and turning to the sound, she saw 
Lyudmila approaching with Commander Zander... and behind them...
	"...Grandma? Grandpa?" she said as she got to her feet, more 
surprised than anything. "How did you get here?"
	They stared back at her. The thoughts they had were protected from 
Steffie's casual senses by the psionic shields they wore, both artificial and 
natural. Their emotions, however, were more easily discerned: fear, 
sadness... a touch of anger, though not directed at her. They came closer. 
Her grandmother reached out a trembling hand to touch her face; she 
seemed to be just barely keeping her feelings in check. Reflexively Steffie 
reached up to cover the hand with her own, suddenly all too conscious of the 
webbing between her now-clawed fingers and the blue color of her own skin.
	Then her grandmother fainted.
	"Grandma!!" Steffie cried, reaching out to catch her at the same time 
as her grandfather. Lyudmila rushed to assist them, and they managed to 
set her down in the chair Steffie had occupied.

	Claude was barely hanging onto his composure as he straightened 
up; he could barely bring himself to look at what had become of his 
granddaughter. "Lyu, I beg you," he pleaded in a hoarse whisper. "Isn't 
there something... *anything*... we can do for her?"
	Lyudmila said nothing, looking toward Rann.
	Rann shook his head slowly. "No, I am sorry," the Gillman said 
evenly. "Only Starspawn science could possibly undo all that has been 
done to Stefanie--"
	"*You're* Starspawn," Claude growled with sudden hostility, glaring 
at the Gillman.
	"No, I am not," Rann replied. "I am native to this planet, as are you. 
And even if I were Starspawn, to undo what has been done here would 
require genetic and surgical knowledge and training which I do not possess, 
and which neither your race nor mine can even begin to comprehend."
	"Damn you," Claude grated. "There must be *something*--"
	"Grandpa..."
	The soft voice, echoing not only in his ears but in his mind, caught 
his attention straightaway, and he found himself looking into the black orbs 
which were Stefanie's eyes. Laura, who was recovering her own sensibility, 
also heard the sound and looked up at her granddaughter. They both felt 
Steffie's presence, dozens of times more powerful than they remembered, 
gently pushing its way into their psyches.
	"Grandpa... Grandma..." Steffie said quietly, reaching out to gently 
touch each of them. "Please don't be sad... it's all right. I... I know I can't go 
back. And... I don't think I would want to anyway."
	"What?? But--" Laura started.
	"Please, please understand, Grandma. In a strange way..." She 
looked down at herself. "...you could say they did me a favor. I can see 
things... feel things... *do* things...I could never have done in my old body. 
It's like cotton was taken out of my head, and everything is so clear now...... I 
want it to stay that way. Please."
	They didn't have to ask, they just knew as they looked at her: despite 
all that had happened, despite everything the aliens had done... this was 
still Stefanie Dreyfus, still their precious granddaughter who loved the water, 
loved the seas, more than anything in life, and had always wanted to be 
closer to the sea. Indeed, were it not for the horrific circumstances 
surrounding the transformation, this could well be considered a dream come 
true for her.
	"Steffie..." Claude choked, and this time he did lose his hold on his 
composure, reaching out to hug her and sobbing quietly.
	Steffie returned the embrace and reached out to soothe his anguish: 
Don't be sad. Please don't be sad. She could feel the emotions welling 
up in her grandmother as well and sent the same messages of reassurance 
to her. Please don't be sad. Perhaps it was meant to be. It was very 
easy for her to do with her new powers, and they were quick to relax under 
her soothing thoughts.
	"It is true," Rann said quietly. "That Stefanie represents the `ideal 
species' which the Starspawn plan to create for this world. Of course... they 
would have only minimal free will..."
	"And neither of *our* species could expect much status above the 
level of laborers and battle thralls," Lyudmila replied. "I for one have no 
interest in being a slave of any kind."
	"Nor do I," Rann said. "Which is why it is so critical that we succeed 
here."
	Lyudmila nodded. "And we will need all the help we can get."
	Steffie disengaged from her grandparents. "Do you want me to go 
with you, Elemental?"
	"Steffie!" Laura blurted. "It's too dangerous!!"
	"Grandma..." Steffie said. "This is our planet -- our oceans -- we're 
talking about. She said they need all the help they can get. I can help 
them."
	"Her ability to control the aliens and protect us *would* be an 
extremely valuable asset," Lyudmila confirmed.
	"They are right, my friends, and I hope that I may call you my 
friends," Rann added. "If these people should fail, it will all be for nothing. 
Civilization as we understand it will cease to exist and neither of our races 
will know freedom ever again."
	Steffie nodded agreement, and all of them knew that she had made 
up her mind about this. "Elemental," she said, turning to Lyudmila. 
"Whatever I can do to help you, please t--"
	That was when the sudden cold jab of black fear hit her, and also hit 
every other esper in the room. Indeed, even the non-espers felt a distinct 
sensation of unease.
	"What is it??" Escobar demanded. "What's going on?!"
	"It has begun..." Steffie whispered.


THIRTY MINUTES LATER

	Black spikes shot up from the churning waters of the Gulf of Mexico, 
stretching farther and farther into the sky, presently joined by the domes and 
rails, and then the primary hull of T'Leth as it reached the surface, its solar 
arrays activating and beginning to gather energy for the Reawakening. 
Across the world, fleets of dreadnaughts, battleships and cruisers rose out of 
the waters and began to move toward the land, positioning themselves over 
the major cities of the world and awaiting the First Command, which would be 
issued by the Great Dreamer on his awakening, and seal the fate of this 
planet once and for all. Worldwide panic was quick to happen, coaxed into 
being more rapidly by the cold, unnatural fear which every other person had 
experienced from the moment the Black City had awakened: the Ultimate 
Evil, told of in so many legends worldwide, was coming, and they were 
powerless to stop it.
	On all sides of the great colony vessel, USOs burst out of the water 
and took to the skies, taking up guard formations on all sides even as their 
own detection systems began to pick up the signatures of human aircraft 
bearing down on them. The missiles they were equipped with were woefully 
ineffective against all but the smaller USOs, and so most of the guarding 
fleet did not regard the Earth forces with any real measure of concern.
	So it came as quite a shock when several beams of green fire tore 
through the air and blew one of the battleships in half. The Avenger corvette 
and the Firestorm interceptor leading the strikeforce took full advantage of 
the momentary confusion their arrival had spawned to send more plasma 
beams tearing into nearby battleships, sending them spiraling back into the 
ocean in pieces. Meanwhile the conventional aircraft sent their missiles and 
cannon fire streaking toward the smaller vessels, doing their own share of 
damage as the skies around T'Leth quickly became total chaos.
	Meanwhile, a silvery almost-alien vessel sliced through the topmost 
fathoms of the water, its ion displacers wide open, bearing down on the 
Black City. No vessel in the alien fleet even noticed it at first, partly 
because of the troubles up above but also because it didn't show up on their 
scanning devices. Of course it would not remain so anonymous for long: 
from the twin PWT cannons mounted on either side of the hull, the Leviathan 
spat four balls of glowing red death in rapid succession, which tore through 
the water and impacted with the armored hull of the City. The outer armor 
first buckled, and then collapsed completely, as the detonations blew a 
sizable hole in the wall.
	Firing its ion thrusters in a carefully controlled pattern, the ship 
slewed laterally through the water, drag bringing it to a stop right next to the 
hole it had created. As it did this, the portside hatch snapped open and 
another ball of death shot from the muzzle of the PWT Displacer inside, 
shrieking into the interior and touching off another explosion which was 
punctuated by the unearthly screams of Aquatoids.
	"Okay! GO!!"
	At the shout of their commanding officer, the strikeforce disgorged 
through the Leviathan's hatchway and into the opening. The Displacer which 
had fired the PWT went first, followed closely by Marcelle and Himiko. A 
Sonic Displacer followed along with Connors and Nakajima. Behind them 
came Escobar, Zander, Lyudmila, and wearing a suit of Aqua-Plastic Armor 
for better protection, Steffie. (Lyu had wanted to give her a set of Ion Armor 
like all the others wore, but it had proven too restrictive for Steffie, designed 
as it was to keep water out rather than in.) Finally, Centeno and Marillo and 
the remaining two Displacers emerged, bringing up the rear. Having 
accomplished its task, the Leviathan immediately spun and rushed away 
from the City, preparing to engage the still-submerged vessels of the alien 
fleet in combat.
	"Okay people, remember," Lyu said as the group took in their 
surroundings. Those who had been on the raid to the communications fort in 
the Mediterranean recognized the almost-human environment on sight. 
"We've got a lot to do and not much time to do it. Tanks 1 and 3 on advance 
point, 2 and 4 on rear guard. Defensive diamond formation. Steffie, I need 
you to pinpoint the enemy whenever you can and shield us the rest of the 
time."
	"Understood," Steffie nodded, looking ahead, her grip on the Blasta 
rifle she'd been issued tightening a bit. Even though she had never held a 
gun in her life before she carried the rifle with the skill of a trained soldier; 
she had her implanted memories and skills to thank for that. "There are 
three nearby, not moving... they feel like Aquatoids."
	Lyudmila loaded a shell into the DPL she carried, and primed her 
Heavy Thermic Lance. "Right. Everybody be on guard for doors; they're 
easy to miss. The transporter's 100 meters southeast of here according to 
the intel we got. Take out anything that gets in the way, grab any ammo you 
can carry. Move out!"
	As one, the squad began to move forward. They had barely taken a 
few steps when an Aquatoid popped out from a dark corner wielding a DPL. 
It was on the point of firing when it stopped for a moment, confused.
	"I got it!!" Nakajima chirped excitedly from behind her MCD. 
Unfortunately this broke her control over the creature and it began to raise 
its weapon again. Then a sonic blast from Tank 3 separated the creature's 
head from its body and it went down.
	"Keep your focus, soldier!" Connors snapped at his subordinate as 
Marcelle scooped up the ammunition from the downed Aquatoid and stuffed it 
into his rear pack.
	"Lyu," Marcelle called. "Where are the others?"
	Lyudmila turned to Steffie, who concentrated. "Ahead... and to your 
left... about 25 meters... and there are more nearby, coming closer!"
	"Right!" Marcelle replied, hearing everything. He programmed 
waypoints into the DPL and hit the fire key. The red ball shot from the 
weapon, streaking down the corridor and turning a corner, out of sight. A 
moment later a bright flash lit up the area, followed closely by a bubble-filled 
shockwave and the sound of screaming aliens. Steffie winced briefly as the 
screams tore across her mental awareness, but quickly regained her focus: 
"They're all gone."
	"Right! Move!" Lyu ordered, and the squad surged ahead. Two more 
Aquatoid soldiers challenged them as they drew closer to their objective, but 
both were dealt with quickly by single blasts from Tank 3's cannon. "Steffie, 
anything else nearby?"
	"I can sense several Aquatoids and Tasoths in the area..." Steffie 
replied. "But they don't seem to be heading toward us."
	"Must be working the ship controls," Zen mused.
	"No time to worry about that," Lyu responded, looking down the 
corridor. In the center of a small chamber up ahead sat a 4-person lift, large 
enough to accommodate a Displacer. "That lift should take us up to the 
transporter. Tank 3, scout ahead, clear the area if necessary." The tank 
obediently floated forward, settling on the lift and rising up into the ceiling 
and out of sight. Lyu watched through her HUD as the tank rose up, found 
itself face to face with a Tasoth, and promptly shot the creature. The tank 
swept its visual sensors around, spotting no other aliens in the brightly lit 
chamber. "All right, area is clear. Groups of four in the lift, get on the 
transport pads quickly, and get ready for a reception committee down 
below!"

	The disorientation of transport came and went, and the squad found 
itself in a much different environment: this area of the vessel looked more 
like the interior of the alien colonies they had encountered in other parts of 
the world. Surprisingly, there was no reception committee, as they had 
expected, but the psis were all more acutely aware of the more intense 
background roar of MolNet emissions, particularly Steffie, who winced briefly 
at the sudden rise in their mental volume.
	"Are you all right?" Lyu asked her.
	"Yes," she answered, her gills flaring more rapidly as she forced 
more seawater through her respiratory system, calming herself. "But the 
power levels down here are more intense... it will be more difficult to see the 
enemy."
	"What now, Captain?" Escobar asked, gesturing toward a door at the 
end of a central corridor. "It's gonna take a long time to get through this 
maze."
	"And that's time we don't have," Lyudmila replied, bringing up the 
visual scan of Rann's map on her HUD and studying it quickly. "Everybody 
get down and brace." Activating her armor's ion displacer, she floated 
upwards and over to a portion of the southeastern wall. Unclipping a Pulser 
from her belt she primed it and wedged it into a nook in the rubbery wall. 
Dropping back to ground level she crouched and said "Tank 1, target my 
grenade and fire!"
	The PWT Displacer obediently floated upward, swiveled its launcher 
around and programmed a single waypoint. The torpedo shot through the 
water and collided with the Pulser, causing both to detonate spectacularly. 
The resulting explosion blew the fragile aqua-plastic wall apart and startled 
a Lobsterman which had been standing just behind the wall, on the upper 
level. Before it could overcome its surprise and shoot back, fire from three 
different troopers had perforated it.
	"All right, let's go!" Lyu called, hooking an arm around Steffie and 
lifting them both upward as the other troopers and tanks also floated upward 
and into the corridor. "Tanks 1 and 2, take the advance guard and blow a 
path straight to the southern quadrant; that's where the transporter is. 
Everybody else into echelon right formation, Tank 4 on rear guard, 3 on 
point! This is going to attract attention!"
	The two PWT Displacers floated ahead, firing their weapons at the 
walls blocking their path, shredding them like tissue paper. This did indeed 
attract attention as aliens emerged from doorways on all sides. Centeno 
was startled when a door right next to him opened and a Lobsterman came 
charging out, slashing at him crazily with its huge upper claws. Fortunately 
for him Escobar was quick on the draw with his Thermic Lance, which sliced 
through the monster's carapace quickly and efficiently. Marillo took a hit 
from a Deep One, but her armor took the force of the blow and she perforated 
the thing with a sonic blast. A Tentaculat which had been concealed by the 
Deep One now leaped to the attack, only to be speared by a well-placed stab 
from Lyudmila.
	This is too easy... Lyudmila thought as the PWT Displacers blew 
another wall apart and continued inexorably forward. Why haven't they 
thrown anything serious at us?
	Tank 1 passed through a double door and was rewarded with the 
sight of the glowing golden transport platform. Unfortunately it was guarded 
by a Xarquid, which immediately spun and fired three blasts at the offending 
Displacer, crippling its ion drive. The tank's expert system quickly 
assessed its condition: immobile, down to one torpedo, and likely to be 
killed by the next enemy shot. Having reached these conclusions, the tank 
programmed a single waypoint into its launcher and fired its last missile, 
destroying both itself and the Xarquid in the ensuing explosion.
	"Damn! Just lost Tank 1!" Escobar growled as the tank's marker on 
his HUD changed to four white crosses.
	"It was out of ammo anyway," Lyu replied. "It did its job; we've got a 
clear path. Everybody get down to the transporter!"

	The disorientation came once more, but this time it didn't quite go 
away once the transport cycle was finished. Even as the squad noticed the 
signifcant difference in their surroundings -- the golden color of the walls and 
flooring, plus the sword-holding alien statues, being the most notable -- but it 
was the psis who noticed the change the most. For a moment Steffie almost 
sank to her knees, and Lyudmila felt a bit wobbly herself.
	"Guh..." Lyudmila gasped. "It's *strong* down here... we must be 
close to the core."
	"We are..." Steffie mumbled, shuddering, her eyes beginning to glow 
faintly. "I can't sense them anymore... there's too much noise now."
	"Oh shit..." Zen said abruptly. "Lyu, check your map."
	Lyu engaged her HUD and was presented with a disturbing picture: 
except for the markers identifying her troopers and tanks, the image was 
completely black. "Oh hell. We must be too deep-- WATCH IT!!"
	Connors and Marcelle spun in time to see two Lobstermen rounding 
the corner of the entry foyer, heavy weapons poised for immediate use. 
Connors immediately lunged forward with his Thermic Lance as Marcelle 
opened up with his Sonic Cannon. Both found their targets, and trumpeting 
howls signaled the success of their attack. Connors bent over the 
Lobsterman he'd taken down, picking up the DPL it had dropped. 
Unfortunately, he did not notice the Tentaculat hiding directly above.
	"CONNORS! WATCH--" Marcelle started to shout, but it was already 
too late. The Tentaculat dropped like a stone and sent its beak stabbing 
through the neck joint of Connors' armor. He fell, twitching. Marcelle 
unslung his own Lance and charged the monster, slicing it in half. Then, not 
giving any opportunity for the venom to do its evil work, he drove the 
weapon through Connors' back, killing the former human instantly.
	"Shit! Tanks 3 and 4, forward!!" Lyudmila snapped. The two 
Displacers rose above the rest of the squad and floated out of the foyer. 
Almost immediately they were accosted by two Tentaculats, who pecked 
ineffectually at the shiny armor (and were promptly dispatched), and drew 
the fire of at least three unseen enemies. The sonic shots were far more 
effective than the Tentaculats' beaks, and Tank 4 wobbled and fell to the 
floor, little more than spare parts now. Marcelle darted around the corner, 
spying the source of the troubles, and let fly with a Disrupter before ducking 
back out of the kill zone. An explosion followed by alien screams signaled 
the success of his attack. A quick scan of the area by Tank 3 revealed it to 
be cleared of hostiles.
	"All right, let's move!" Lyu snapped. "Keep your eyes wide open!"
	The squad moved forward, quickly but cautiously. Passing through a 
large metal doorway found them in a large hallway populated by hostiles. 
Tank 2 fired off one of its remaining Disrupters and cleared most of the 
hostiles out of the immediate area, but two of the Lobstermen remained 
standing, and one squeezed the trigger on its Shok Launcher. There was a 
flash of light, and Escobar, Marillo and Nakajima collapsed.
	"Shit! Damn Shok Bombs!" Himiko grated as she struggled to stay 
on her feet and shoot at the offending Lobsterman. Her aim was horrible, 
however, and the shot sailed harmlessly over the creature's head. 
Frantically she tried to find her aim again as the thing loaded another Shok 
Bomb into its launcher and prepared to fire again. But before either of them 
could shoot, a sonic blast sailed through the air and landed squarely in the 
creature's chest, followed closely by another which knocked down the other 
Lobsterman. Himiko looked around to see Zander standing there, lowering 
his Sonic Cannon.
	"Thanks Zen," she said wearily.
	"Can you move?" he asked without preamble.
	"Yeah... just give me a minute..." she said, leaning against the 
closest wall.
	"Me too," Marcelle seconded, still standing but not sounding very 
lively. "I caught the edge of that blast."
	Lyudmila exhaled sharply through her nose. That left herself, Zen, 
Centeno and Steffie as the only reliable people. Down to four troopers, just 
like that. "All right, Tanks and anyone who didn't get hit, let's move. Himiko, 
Marcelle, stay here and see if you can get the others back on their feet."
	"What about you? You'll be outgunned!"
	"And you'll be killed if you go with us now."
	Himiko opened her mouth to say something, then sighed in 
frustration. Lyu was right, she was no longer in any condition to fight, and 
Marcelle probably wasn't much better. "All right, but for all our sakes be 
careful, Lyu!"
	"Always," Lyu answered, with a little more confidence than she felt. 
"Tank 2, Tank 3, forward, line abreast. Let's move."
	The two tanks floated forward and down the hallway as the surviving 
troopers followed. No more aliens appeared to oppose them, though no one 
harbored any illusions about the progress of the battle so far. Lyu wondered 
how the aerial battle was faring, not that it would matter if things went wrong 
here--
	She shook her head to clear it. This was no time to be having 
negative thoughts.
	Presently, the group arrived at another metal doorway, one which 
was too narrow to admit either Displacer. "I think we have a problem, Lyu," 
Zen remarked.
	"Everybody back," Lyu answered. "Tank 2, target the doorway and 
fire."
	Once everyone had retreated a safe distance, the Displacer 
calculated the appropriate waypoints and launched a torpedo. The impact 
blew the door to shreds and caused the golden bricking along the nearby 
walls to collapse, revealing the metallic support members beneath. But it 
had no effect on the metal itself.
	"Oh shit..." Centeno said. The tanks would not be able to navigate 
the passageway.
	"I concur," Zen replied. This was not good. "Now what?"
	Lyu was silent for one moment. "Tanks 2 and 3, guard this 
perimeter. We're going on."
	"Captain, this is crazy!" Centeno gasped. "Can't we at least wait for 
the others?"
	"No, we cannot, soldier," Lyudmila glared at him. "Time is a luxury 
we do not have. Every second brings that... thing... closer to waking up."
	"And we don't have much more time," Steffie added nervously. 
Indeed, the roar of the psi waves was growing stronger with each second 
now.
	Neither Zen nor Centeno needed to be reminded of what would 
happen if that monster awakened. They couldn't afford to waste any time 
now. "I'm with you, Lyu," Zen said.
	"...Me too," Centeno seconded after a moment. It sucked, but Lyu 
was the Captain, and she did have a point.
	"Good. Diamond formation, I'm on point. Zen, you take rear guard."
	The troopers passed through the remains of the door, and found 
themselves in a long hallway. Another doorway could be seen at the far end. 
There were no bugs to be seen, but the support columns on either side made 
for good hiding places. "Stay sharp, people," Lyu said. "Watch those columns."
	This warning proved to be accurate, for as they neared the end of the 
hallway, two Aquatoids armed with Sonic Cannons jumped out from their 
hiding places behind the columns. Centeno and Lyudmila saw them and 
fired. Lyu managed to take her target down, but the other Aquatoid had time 
to snap off a shot and hit Centeno in the leg before Centeno's blast blew the 
creature in half.
	"Damn it!" Lyudmila snapped as Centeno groaned and sagged to the 
floor in obvious pain, blood flowing through the gash his armor and turning 
the surrounding water red. She reached for her medi-kit, but Steffie was 
already kneeling beside him, resting her hands on the bloody wound and 
closing her eyes. A moment later the bleeding stopped, and the pain left 
Centeno's face as he looked up at Steffie, surprise and wonder on his face.
	"Th... thank you," he said.
	"Can you walk?" Lyudmila asked without preamble.
	Slowly Centeno got to his feet, not looking all that steady. "Yeah..." 
he said, testing his leg and wincing. "Ow... but I don't think I'm gonna be 
much help anymore."
	Lyudmila sighed. "Get back to the others. Nothing more you can do 
here."
	"Yes ma'am," Centeno sighed, and turned back toward the door 
they'd come through.
	I think we're a bit outgunned, Lyu, Zander remarked in Lyu's head.
	Eh, we've been through worse, Lyu replied offhandedly in attempt 
to be flippant. It didn't quite work. Come on.
	The doorway at the end of the hall led into another long hallway, 
which in turn led into a small antechamber which had a double door on its 
opposite end. Neither had contained any bugs, and this plus the ever 
increasing roar of psi-waves, now approaching deafening, made them 
increasingly uneasy. They knew, instinctively, that they were close. Lyu 
found it increasingly difficult to fight off the anxiety which was growing 
increasingly strong in her guts. What right did she have to come here? 
Shaking it off yet again, she keyed the door open.
	And they knew they had arrived.
	The doorway opened into a vast, vaulted room, dominated by a great 
coffin-shaped pedestal which raised up and descended into the ceiling and 
floor, respectively. Surrounding the pedestal were eight metallic columns, 
each containing a glowing transparent midsection, in which could be seen a 
floating alien foetus, connected by its umbilical cord to organic control 
systems within the tubes. Rann had told them that these eight foetuses 
were the Great Dreamer's primary link to the Alien armada, power conduits 
which held the entire armada in thrall. They were multiply redundant: so 
long as even one existed, K'Tulu's hold on his army would remain firm, and 
his source of power would remain in place.
	The objective, then, was simple: destroy them all.
	The sight of the target -- and the apparent lack of any hostiles to deal 
with, much to their surprise -- filled them with renewed purpose. "All right, 
Zen, start shooting!" Lyu ordered. Not needing to be told twice, Zen turned 
his gun toward the closest tube and pulled the trigger. The sonic bolt 
shattered the midsection and the foetus inside. Lyu trained her own gun on 
a column on the opposite side and terminated its occupant, as Steffie took 
aim with her own gun. Screeches of agony split the ether for one instant as 
each foetus was aborted, but they blotted them out. It was either them or the 
aliens.
	STOP.
	There were only two conduits left when the voice boomed into their 
minds like a sonic wave. Zen and Lyu jerked as if they'd been punched in 
the face, and Steffie shuddered.
	YOU KNOW NOT WHAT YOU DO.
	Recovering her composure a bit, Lyu turned toward the coffin-shaped 
column in the room's center, where the mental emanation had come from. 
K'Tulu, I presume?
	CORRECT. In their minds they could see him, a towering yellow-
skinned creature with black orbs for eyes, which glowed with a faint red 
color. His mouth was not visible behind the mass of tentacles which made 
up the lower half of his face, but the tentacles writhed as he spoke.
	We know *exactly* what we do, Lyudmila replied, firmed in her 
resolve by the sight of him, by the sight of the evil which burned in his eyes. 
We are preserving our race.
	YOUR RACE IS INFERIOR IN ITS CURRENT CONFIGURATION. WE 
ARE ATTEMPTING TO RESOLVE THIS.
	You intend to destroy us.
	WE INTEND TO REMAKE YOU IN OUR IMAGE. THE FUTURE OF 
YOUR SPECIES STANDS BEFORE YOU NOW. SURELY YOU REALIZE 
THIS.
	Involuntarily, Lyu and Zen both glanced at Steffie, who glanced back 
at them nervously.
	THIS CHILD IS THE FUTURE OF THE PEOPLE OF EARTH, THE 
IDEAL FUSION OF THE TWO SENTIENT SPECIES OF YOUR PLANET. THE 
WHOLE OF YOUR PLANET CAN LOOK FORWARD TO THIS POWER: THE 
ABILITY TO EXIST IN BOTH MAJOR PLANETARY ENVIRONMENTS, AND THE 
OPENING OF YOUR MINDS TO THE INFINITE POSSIBILITY OF THE 
UNIVERSE... INDEED, THE _MULTIVERSE_. SURELY YOU MUST REALIZE 
THIS.
	I *realize* that we will all become mindless slaves of your empire, 
Lyudmila snapped, aiming her gun back toward the live conduit closest to 
her. No enlightenment is worth that.
	YOUR SPECIES HAS THE POTENTIAL, BUT WITHOUT GUIDANCE IT 
CANNOT REACH THE END OF THE PATH. YOU HAVE THE POWER TO GUIDE 
THEM; THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE COME HERE PROVES YOUR STRENGTH. 
YOU, ELEMENTAL, HAVE THE POWER TO LEAD YOUR PEOPLE, JUST AS 
STEFANIE HAS THE POWER TO TEACH THEM. YOU ARE BOTH SHINING 
EXAMPLES FOR YOUR RACE. YOU CAN SET AN EXAMPLE FOR ALL THE 
WORLDS IN THIS SECTOR OF THE UNIVERSE, AND BEYOND.
	For a moment, Lyu actually seemed to consider it. Then she raised 
her cannon and blasted the seventh conduit. No.
	The water suddenly seemed to grow much thicker and hotter, as 
palpable evil swirled around them and the hum of machinery in the room 
grew louder.
	I *CAN* MAKE YOU SERVE ME, WORMS.
	Lyudmila jerked as if struck, then fell to her knees.
	No!! Steffie cried out. Great Dreamer, stop this!!
	IT IS UNAVOIDABLE, CHILD, K'Tulu answered. I HAD HOPED 
THAT YOU WOULD ACCEPT YOUR STATUS FREELY, GIVEN YOUR LOVE 
FOR THE OCEANS. BUT IF YOU MUST BE MADE TO SERVE, SO BE IT.
	I will not serve you! Steffie replied angrily.
	THEN YOU WILL DIE.
	Steffie froze, dropping her weapon. She felt as if her mind and body 
were being gripped in an iron vise. Like puppets being pulled on tangled 
strings, Zander and Lyudmila got jerkily to their feet, fighting the Great 
Dreamer's control every step of the way, their eyes glowing bright red. 
K'Tulu... stop... this!! Lyudmila shrieked as she watched herself raise her 
gun toward Steffie.
	ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, YOU AND YOUR EARTH SHALL BE MINE, 
ELEMENTAL. RECONSIDER. NOW.
	No... please... Steffie heard her friends on the verge of begging as 
they took aim at her head. From one of Lyudmila's glowing eyes, Steffie saw 
a tear roll.
	No. No!! Steffie growled, galvanized by the sight. Her own eyes 
began to glow brilliantly as she focused the sum of her willpower, the fury of 
her anger, and the strength of her loyalty to her planet and her people, and 
she channeled it all into one powerful blast. ***D I E***!!
	Across the room, the foetus within the last remaining conduit 
exploded, and the tube exploded along with it. Sudden shock and terror 
rippled across the ether, replaced in the next second by a howl of impotent 
rage as the mental vise gripping them was abruptly cast off.
	NOOOOOOOOOO!!!

	In the air, the surviving craft were surprised when several vessels in 
the alien fleet began to waver, list, and then drop from the sky like so many 
stones. Across the world, armies reported a similar phenomenon as ships 
in the air crashed to the ground or back into the sea, or exploded outright, as 
alien troopers on the ground began milling aimlessly about, quickly 
becoming targets of human bullets.

	The hum of machinery in the ship began to drop off, and the lights 
dimmed. For one instant there was an ominous stillness throughout the 
vessel.
	And then a mental howl reverberated through every single mind, 
psionic or not, in the area. FOOLS YOU WILL ALL PERISH! NONE SHALL 
ESCAPE!!
	The decks of the ship began to rumble, and the tortured sound of 
twisting metal began to echo through the corridors.
	Oh SHIT! pretty much summed up everyone's thoughts on this 
development.

	The groaning sound was even worse outside, where it could travel 
unmolested through the air. As the pilots of the various aircraft watched, the 
huge bulk of T'Leth began to list to one side, and small explosions began to 
rock its surface.
	"My god!" one of the aviators gasped. "I think they did it!!"
	"SPEARHEAD TO ANY X-COM FORCES! ZERO-ONE, *ANYBODY*, 
WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!?"
	The shout nearly blew out the headsets of anyone who'd heard it, but 
it was still the voice of their Captain, and the X-Com personnel were quick to 
respond. "Yuri Andianov, Avenger Three reporting in, Captain! Awaiting 
orders!"
	"Get down here, Three!!" Lyudmila shouted. "We need pickup! 
Home on my signal!!"
	"On my way, ma'am!" Andianov answered, and took the Avenger into 
a steep dive toward the listing bulk of the vessel, tracking the signal sent by 
Lyudmila's transceiver. He found the group of troopers, some standing, 
some injured, on an emergency transport pad on the surface of the vessel. 
Setting the Avenger down as best he could on the violently shaking surface 
of T'Leth, Andianov keyed the rear hatch open. The Captain and her 
ambulatory troops fairly lunged into the corvette, bodily hauling the infirm in 
after them.
	"THAT'S IT! GO! GO!! GO!!!" Lyudmila hollered as the Avenger began 
leaning dangerously to one side. Needing no further encouragement, 
Andianov hit the CLOSE button on the rear hatch and threw the thrusters wide 
open, and the corvette leaped into the air. Lyudmila clambered into the 
copilot's seat and grabbed the radio. "Attention all forces! Get clear of the 
big ship! Repeat: *GET CLEAR OF THE BIG SHIP*!!"
	The myriad aircraft did not need to be told twice, turning tail en 
masse and bolting away from the dying ship at full afterburn. Behind them, 
the tortured black hull of T'Leth continued to writhe in its death throes. More 
explosions began to rip through the hull with increased frequency and 
ferocity, as the more fragile parts of the vessel began to break off and fall 
into the water. The Black City continued to shudder and list, until the 
explosions reached the central fusion powerplant. Beams of radiant energy 
shot from every rend and hole in the vessel as the reactor went supercritical, 
and then...


 * * * W H A B O O M * * *


	When the light had died down, and the violent shockwave had 
passed over them and gone away, Lyu sagged back into the seat, relaxing 
visibly. The pervasive darkness, the background unease which had been 
there since the war had started, was finally gone. Reaching out to the radio, 
she sent a subdued message to anyone who could hear:
	"Mission accomplished."


	With the destruction of the controlling mind, the surviving Starspawn 
were thrown into chaos. Those that did not die outright quickly became 
mindless drones, and were easy targets for mopping up. More than one was 
the victim of bloody revenge by civilian mobs, and the military did little to 
intervene, even aiding them sometimes. Some of the lesser creatures, such 
as the Xarquids and Hallucinoids, simply reverted to their normal wild state 
and became relatively docile animals once again.
	Expeditions to the remnants of the Starspawn colonies (of which 
there were many) were quickly organized, to make sure any remaining 
Starspawn creatures, particularly the Tentaculats, were eradicated. In 
addition the colonies would be occupied by the Gillmen, who had already set 
about rebuilding their shattered civilization. Both Humans and Gillmen 
would work together to maintain the Molecular Control Net, which had not 
been destroyed and which had proven itself an extremely valuable 
technology, for it allowed people the world over a greater understanding of 
themselves and each other, enabling many conflicts to be avoided more 
easily. Peace began to spread across the globe, both above and under the 
oceans, and it was hoped that Humans and Gillmen could be brought 
together and learn to share the planet which was theirs.


FIVE DAYS LATER
U.S. NAVY PATROL BOAT PT-307
SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN

	"Will you be all right, down there?"
	Steffie smiled softly. "I'll be fine, Grandpa. It's been 65 million 
years since most of these people had anything resembling free will. They'll 
need help to get back on their feet. I can help them."
	"What she says is true," Rann nodded, standing a discreet distance 
away with several members of his race. "This will be a challenging time for 
both our races, and we will need all the help we can get. Her knowledge and 
powers make her much-needed in our society, just as people like the 
Elemental are much needed in yours."
	"Besides, the ocean is my real home now," Steffie shrugged, though 
anyone could see that she personally viewed this as a dream come true.
	"But you will visit once in a while, won't you?" Laura asked.
	"Of course, Grandma," Steffie giggled. "Don't be silly!"
	"I wish you well, friends," Lyudmila said to the Gillmen. "And I hope 
the future works out for all of us."
	"As do I, my friend," Rann nodded, reaching out and touching 
Lyudmila's shoulder in the Gillman equivalent of a handshake. Lyu returned 
the gesture. "And now, I believe it is time for us to go."
	Steffie nodded, and went about the business of saying final 
goodbyes, giving many hugs to her grandparents and touching shoulders 
with her newfound friends in X-Com, finally reaching Lyudmila. "Thank you, 
Elemental, for everything. I hope that all goes well for you, and that we will 
meet again someday."
	"Likewise," Lyudmila answered, and instead of touching shoulders, 
she hugged the young Dreamer gently. "Take care."
	Steffie nodded once again and pulled away, joining Rann and the 
other Gillmen. One by one, they dove over the side of the boat and into the 
water, until only Steffie was left. Turning back, she took one last look at the 
people waving to her. She smiled and waved back at them one last time, 
and then leapt over the side, expelling the air from her lungs as she fell.
	The cold seawater rushed up to meet her, and she inhaled deeply, 
flooding her lungs and forcing the oxygen-rich water out through her gills, 
feeling a rush of energy as she did so. She moved easily through the 
waters, no longer hindered by the breathing equipment she had always 
needed before. All around her she could see life in all its myriad glory. All 
around her she could see the forms of Gillmen moving gracefully through the 
water. They were smiling at her. She smiled back.
	Yes, she thought. This was the way it should be.


END NINE


END