Chapter 13: Operation Remembrance
"We are gathered here today to say goodbye to a dearly departed friend, Nigel" Lieutenant David McCormack stood at the podium at the front of the XCOM briefing room, addressing the assembled crowd come to pay their last respects. "Many of us have known Nigel going back almost to the very beginning of the XCOM project. In that time, we fought side by side with him. We've shared barracks and we shared foxholes, we've shed tears and shed blood together. But we are not here to remember all that we have done, but to remember why we must carry on in his stead. We fight not for gain or personal glory, but to protect the people we know and love. We fight for those who without us would have no home to go back to. And in that regard, I think we can all agree that Nigel was the best among us"
A reserved display of applause rose up from the crowd.
"He was never one to complain. He never wavered in his resolve, never once gave ground to the aliens without making them pay for every bloody step. While he had no known family of his own, I think it's fair to say after all that we have been through together that there isn't a person in this room who wouldn't call him their brother"
McCormack glanced down at the podium. "Now, while it may be unsettling for some, we wanted to provide some closure by playing back the footage of Nigels last moments. I hope this will assure all of you that he gave his life for a worthy cause and shall be remembered forever as a hero"
The main viewscreen activated and the video feed began playing automatically.
Two XCOM operatives, an Assault and a Support stood pressed against either side of an open door. One dared to make a fleeting scan of the pitch-black room beyond before darting back into cover behind the wall.
"Is it clear?" the assault asked.
"I think so" the support operative replied.
"Nigel" the assault turned towards the camera, presumably Nigel. "Go check it out"
Nigel simply advanced without a word, passing the threshold into the oily darkness ahead of them. The camera automatically switched to night vision to compensate for the low light. The room beyond was a wreck, the walls scarred by flames long since extinguished and lingering marks of alien weaponry. The room looked to be part of a larger open plan office, the operation taking place at night contributing to the lack of bodies which usually followed in the wake of the alien's attack. Nigel continued to press deeper into the room, passing another row of overturned desks and crossing a floor strewn with papers and files from the-
An explosion erupted in front of the camera, instantly overpowering the sensitive night vision camera and deafening the audio with a primal roar. As the video returned and the audio ceased screeching the feed was turned up towards the ceiling, the operator or at least the camera having been thrown to the floor by the force of the explosion.
Muffled curses could be heard over the lingering sounds of the settling debris. "I thought you said it was clear!"
"I said 'I think so'!" another voice countered.
"Bollocks" the first voice cursed again. "Someone grab something to scrape Nigel off the floor"
The video ended to be replaced by the XCOM insignia.
"Per Nigel's wishes, his body will be donated to support the on-going XCOM programme" McCormack continued. "May he continue to serve faithfully in death as he did in life"
Another mournful round of applause rose from the crowd.
"After a respectful period of mourning, I would like to welcome our newest Strike Team member, Nigel 6.0" at McCormack's que the latest S.H.I.V., fresh from the Foundry, rolled onto the stage to a hail of applause from the gathered crowd.
XCOM Rule 476: While XCOM command appreciates the sentiment, holding eulogies for destroyed S.H.I.V.s is considered a bit much
476a: Stop referring to rebuilding damaged S.H.I.V.s as 'reanimating the dead'
476b: Refurbished S.H.I.V.s are not inhabited by the souls of dead aliens seeking vengeance. They will also not start killing during the full moon
476c: Reports of ghostly machines wandering the halls are S.H.I.V.s on assigned security patrol
476d: Can whoever wrote 666 in binary (1010011010) on the wall in motor oil please report to maintenance to be issued a bucket, cleaning fluid and a toothbrush
476d: Please stop repeating the phrase 'There's no such thing as S.H.I.V.s', they are a vital part of XCOMs arsenal
476e: Stop pouring salt around your bunks to keep the S.H.I.V.s away
476f: While XCOM respects the religious beliefs of its staff, brandishing out a crucifix and reciting scriptures when you encounter a S.H.I.V. is not helpful to anyone
476g: Reports of Lt. [REDACTED] being found dead covered in tread marks were an exaggeration. It has since been revealed Lt. [REDACTED] was sleeping off a hangover in the base corridor, across the S.H.I.V.s pre-programmed patrol path
476h: While XCOM values the artistic creativity involved, the creation of a shot for shot remake of 'The War of the Worlds' with the invaders replaced with S.H.I.V.s is not helping
476i: It is not recommended to stop rogue S.H.I.V.s with 'A shot to the head'. In the highly unlikely event of a S.H.I.V. malfunction XCOM operatives are instructed to disable it by any means necessary to minimise casualties before securely transporting it to engineering for analysis
