XCOM: The Atlas Protocol

by Xabiar

After the destruction of the dreadnought, tensions between XCOM and the Council are higher than ever. Despite growing opposition and oversight, the Commander doesn't hesitate to push humanity further into uncharted territory, as well as dealing with an ancient global conspiracy, and a growing number of countries looking to take advantage of an invasion that is only just beginning.

17. Failed Experiments

Failed Experiments

---

The Citadel, Situation Room

Herman watched as the Commander shut off the video from the armor cams of the soldiers. Despite the retreat, he wasn't sure if he, or the Commander, would really count this as a defeat. True, they'd had to pull out but that had clearly been some kind of chryssalid breeding ground the aliens had set up. There was no way that would be taken out conventionally with only six soldiers, even XCOM ones.

Well, maybe if the Commander had a few more of those MECs, the outcome might be different. Speaking of which, that particular project needed to be discussed. Though not at the moment.

"We're going to have to find some new soldiers," Bradford sighed sadly. "At this rate losing one or two per mission isn't helping our roster."

"I have some lined up," the Commander answered absentmindedly. "We'll have more shortly."

Herman rested his hands on the holotable. "I assume this is the first time they've set up a breeding ground like this?" He looked around questioningly. "At least I assumed that's what it was."

"It couldn't have been anything else," Van Doorn agreed. "Not with how many were attacking."

"Agreed," the Commander nodded, turning back to the holotable. "Though I wonder if these chryssalids differed from the ones we've fought before. Vahlen said that chryssalids have a genetic timer that kills them after an hour or so, and I highly doubt all of those were newborns."

"That…Queen was probably the source," Van Doorn suggested. "Perhaps the aliens had a few in captivity to use for such a purpose. It would follow that the offspring would retain the same lifespan."

"Makes sense," Herman agreed. "Hopefully they don't have too many of those."

"I'm sure they have as many as they need," the Commander noted with a resigned glance towards the holotable. "They might be able to just clone another one. But at least we've prevented an outbreak."

"Yes…" Herman agreed slowly. "Though I don't think the Council is going to be happy with you razing the port."

"Not if they're smart," the Commander shrugged noncommittally. "There was no other solution. Overwhelming force was the only other alternative and hundreds would die before that nest was destroyed. Much safer and more efficient with an airstrike."

"I agree," Herman nodded. "But I'm warning you that the Council may not see it that way."

The Commander looked predictably displeased at that notion, though not entirely unsurprised. "Then that is their own fault."

Herman could guarantee that sentiment was not going to win any favors. In this case though, the Commander was right. Razing the port was the best solution and two soldiers had died to ensure that the surrounding regions were safe. True, it wasn't an ideal outcome, but it was far better than the alternative.

"A shame we couldn't have gotten a visual on the nest itself," the Commander muttered, more of as an afterthought. "It might shed some more light on how they reproduce naturally."

"Vahlen would be very interested in that," Bradford agreed. "But we'd have to find some safe way of non-explosive neutralization."

Chemical weapons was the obvious choice, and that was probably going to be the Commander's first answer. Perhaps the most effective, but not the safest or even best means. "Perhaps an air-dispensed sedative?" Herman suggested quickly, glancing over at the Commander. "Has that been tested?"

"No," the Commander answered, giving him a nod of approval. "I'll speak to Vahlen about the viability of implementing that. Though I'd prefer we test it in a controlled environment. Not in the field."

"Perhaps if Vahlen has a breakthrough on her chryssalid project?" Van Doorn suggested off-handedly. "Provided it's successful, we could test it on her grown-"

"What chryssalid project?" Herman demanded incredulously. It was clearly a slip-up by Van Doorn, but if they were actually growing these things…

"Don't get too upset," the Commander interrupted wearily, clearly anticipating his completely justified reaction. "Vahlen's conducting research on chryssalid reproduction. Provided it's successful, we might develop a way to counteract or kill the egg implanted in the body. And yes, this will most likely involve growing a chryssalid in some fashion."

Well, that was better. "And just how are you going to grow a chryssalid?" Herman asked. "Why do you even need to in the first place? Couldn't you just experiment on the egg itself and test ways to kill it without risking an outbreak?"

"In a vat, of course," the Commander answered neutrally, eyeing him oddly calmly. "Ideally, I'd prefer testing on a human subject. A prisoner if that makes you feel any better. But since the UN and you would likely have…issues…with that line of research, vat grown will suffice. As for why? You'd have to ask Vahlen that, she could answer better than I."

Herman furrowed his eyebrows. "Are you certain it's really necessary? Because I wouldn't put it past Vahlen to perform a procedure like this just to prove it can be done."

"She most certainly would," the Commander agreed immediately. "But she wouldn't do anything to impede XCOM's progress or risk our lives. And if that is her motive? I have no issue with it, provided it doesn't interfere with more important matters."

Which was exactly what he was afraid of. No wonder the Commander retained such loyalty if he let his subordinates do whatever they wanted. The thing was, he didn't know if this was some tactic the Commander used to gain their loyalty, or if he genuinely believed it. He could see it go either way, and it was likely a combination of the two.

Hmm. How best to illustrate that letting Vahlen do whatever she wanted was probably not a good idea? Because taking the obvious path of "Look at what she's done before!" would probably backfire, as the Commander was likely aware of Vahlen's past works. He might even support it. Playing to efficiency was probably a safer bet.

"While I respect the autonomy you allow her," Herman finally said, keeping his voice as respectful as possible. "Wouldn't it be better for XCOM if she was solely focused on approved projects and her side activities lessened until the war is over?"

"Except that all her work does relate to the alien threat in some way," Bradford pointed out slowly. "She's not going off on random tangents or unrelated theoretical studies. Even if we can't see it now, her unofficial work might come in handy later."

"Exactly," the Commander nodded. "The Sectoid virus is a result of one of her side activities. I think we'd all agree that something practical came out of that line of research."

Of course it was, and that was the problem. Because Vahlen didn't stop once she reached a certain point; should something capture her interest, she would take it as far as she was allowed. His main fear of Vahlen continuing her chryssalid experiments, was that the next step was growing chryssalid soldiers to use against the aliens. As ludicrous as that idea was, Vahlen might be able to make it happen, and then would probably want to actually use them. There was no conceivable way that could end well.

Well, he had to hope if something like that ever did get brought up that everyone would do the sensible thing and kill that idea before it got any legs. In the meantime, the only thing he could really do is offer his perspective, as outnumbered as he was here.

Bradford had his hand up to his ear, clearly listening to someone on his headset. With a nod, he lowered it and turned to the Commander. "We have an incoming call from the Council."

The Commander cocked his head at Bradford. "That was fast."

"I don't think they were expecting us to blow the port," Bradford suggested with a shrug. "Should I have them patched through now?"

"Might as well," the Commander answered, pursing his lips. "Best to get this over with."

Ah, this was going to definitely be a productive meeting. In all seriousness, Herman was interested to see how things played out from the perspective of the Commander. Having spoken with councilors and the Speaker, he suspected that the Council would retain the secrecy it showed when dealing with the Commander.

The Commander stood in front of the screen, Bradford and Van Doorn flanking him while Herman sort of stood behind Van Doorn, feeling like in an unwelcome accessory. But the fact that the Commander was letting him listen in meant he was slowing gaining ground. Best to take the victories when you could.

The screen flashed and revealed a silhouetted bald man, shadowed in cold blue light. Well, it was a lot more dramatic than he'd expected. He'd thought that the Council would like to keep itself anonymous, but not the Speaker. And certainly not by using a painfully stereotypical poorly lit room. Even still, something about it did seem to just…work.

"Speaker," the Commander greeted, inclining his head. "I presume the Council wants an update."

"Correct, Commander," the Speaker answered, his voice almost the same except for some synthesizing. It definitely added to the dramatic presentation. "The Council was not expecting the port to be…destroyed. They would like an…explanation, to put it lightly."

"Of course," the Commander nodded. "We deployed a squad to the port thanks to the information the Council provided. Unfortunately, the port was overrun with chryssalids, we believe the aliens had established a nest which was guarded by…let's say a much larger chryssalid. We lost two soldiers and simply didn't have the forces to take on potentially hundreds of aliens. The only responsible solution was to leave and raze the area to prevent an outbreak," the Commander paused. "As I'm sure the Council agrees, a chryssalid outbreak would be nothing short of a disaster. Far more so than the destruction of a shipping port."

Interesting. The Commander was being rather cordial, which in retrospect, wasn't that surprising. The Commander was a professional, and likely wouldn't get too emotional when dealing directly with the Council. Still, he could detect nothing really hostile in the Commander's tone, although that last line was definitely loaded. But it didn't seem directed at the Speaker himself.

"I see," the Speaker nodded, as he clasped his hands together. "While you no doubt did what you believed was prudent…the Council would prefer that you refrain from such drastic measures in the future without consulting them first." It was interesting that the Speaker didn't sound entirely…pleased? With what he said. His tone was still as neutral of ever, but Herman got the distinct impression he wasn't happy.

Neither was he, for that matter. Still, he wanted to hear the Commander respond before making a comment. "There wasn't time," the Commander explained calmly, his lips twitching. "Had I waited for your approval, the chryssalids could have dispersed and spread, rendering the strike useless. It was an unnecessary risk."

"But a majority of the Council does believe protocols should be followed," the Speaker answered. "And they consider ordering airstrikes as something that permission should be required for, regardless of the circumstances. They would like to remind you that XCOM, and you, ultimately answer to them."

"Of course, how could I forget?" The Commander answered, not even bothering to hide his sarcasm. "Speaker, had I not ordered the airstrike and an outbreak had occurred, the Council would no doubt also pin that failure on me as well. I would also like to remind the Council that they are not dictating the course of this war, I am. That is why you installed me, is it not?"

That was blunter than Herman would have put it, but he couldn't really fault the Commander in this instance. Whatever councilors were behind this were acting like children just looking for a fight. "Speaker, I stand by the Commander's decision in this case," he said, stepping forward. "An airstrike was militarily the only responsible course of action. For anyone to say otherwise would mean they are ignoring the facts, knowingly or otherwise."

"There is a consensus," Van Doorn agreed. "I would advise the Council to consult their own military advisors for what they would have done in this situation."

"The area was clear of civilians," the Commander added. "The only casualties were alien."

The Speaker was silent for a few moments. "The Council sees your…point…Commander. This will be…overlooked…this time. But the Council cannot guarantee the same should there be a repeat. There may be consequences in the future."

"Duly noted," the Commander answered coldly. "Though I am curious, just how many councilors feel this way?"

While he could understand the motivation, Herman doubted the Speaker would answer in a satisfactory way. "Ten countries," the Speaker answered. "This issue spearheaded by the councilor of Canada."

Herman blinked. That…was a lot more specific than he'd expected. While he knew the Speaker was supposed to be neutral and answer questions on both sides, he expected such questions that dealt with the Council directly to be avoided at best or refused at worst. Very interesting, and going off how none of them seemed surprised, he figured that the Speaker's candor wasn't unprecedented.

"Thank you, Speaker," the Commander answered, some of the ice in his voice thawing. "Please convey to Councilor Meredith of Canada that I did not intend to damage a vital part of the Canadian economy. That being said, please also convey that I will not blindly follow the orders of a man who has never served in the military a day in his life. You may also convey that point to the rest of the Council."

The Commander nodded at Bradford who ended the call.

Herman blinked, the last few seconds still processing through his mind. Oddly enough, the second most prominent thought in his mind was that the Commander also seemed to have a knack for the dramatic, since that ending couldn't have been better timed.

The most prominent being that the Commander knew the name of a Councilor, and if he knew one…

"How did you know his name?" Herman demanded.

"Councilor Jonathan Ennor," the Commander answered, deadpan. "We had a nice chat and he told me all the names of the countries that have been causing trouble."

Herman scowled. "It was a serious question, Commander. I'd ask that you answer as such."

"Fine," the Commander turned directly to face him. "What you just saw was more or less what I've had to deal with ever since I've started. Instead of sitting back and taking it, I decided to find out exactly who I was dealing with. Thanks to some mutual friends, I know everyone on the Council, and will be updated of any changes should they panic and replace everyone." His eyes bored humorlessly into Herman's, the Commander's tone growing much harder. "How I acquired these names is none of your concern, suffice to say that I broke none of your laws to see it accomplished."

He hadn't expected the Commander to give a detailed answer, but he wasn't walking away from this without something. "Leave out names if you want," Herman conceded. "But if you could learn the names, others could. This poses a security risk, not just to the Council, but to XCOM as well. Because if someone could get to the Council, they could also learn the identities of certain people within XCOM."

The insinuation was clear, but surprisingly, the Commander gave a wry smile. "Have no fear, Representative. The method of acquisition will not be replicated by anyone else. You have my assurance on that."

Herman pursed his lips. "Then I hope the Council feels the same way, since I am obligated to report this."

"Go right ahead," the Commander nodded. "Warnup will believe you at least."

That seemed an odd endorsement, but he'd sort it out later. "I'll leave you to your work," he finally said. "But after I speak with the Council, we have some…other matters to discuss."

"That we do," the Commander agreed, turning to the holotable. "Give your report to the Council. We'll speak after."

With that, Herman turned away, wondering just how best to handle this situation.

---

"I wouldn't have been quite as blunt," Van Doorn stated once Herman had left. "Antagonizing him is not going to help, regardless of how justified it is."

The Commander snorted. "That was not antagonizing, he asked and I answered. Just not to his satisfaction."

"I agree," Bradford nodded. "I doubt this will change his opinion overmuch. I'm more concerned about you revealing your knowledge of the councilors names. Was that really a wise move?"

"It'll distract them," the Commander explained as he picked up his tablet and began typing. "Aside from that, it'll make them more wary about what we actually know. The ones against me will no doubt blame the other side who will push back against that. The immediate outcome is that the Council will be focused internally and not on us."

"Unless Warnup decides to reveal your meeting," Van Doorn pointed out.

"That would help us more than him," the Commander answered noncommittally as he kept typing. "He has no proof, not to mention he's made his opposition to me very public. "Revealing" our meeting would not only look fabricated, but desperate as well."

Bradford rested his hands on the holotable. "Let's hope things play out smoothly then. We also need to decide our plans for Russia soon too."

"Vahlen, Shen and Zhang are on their way up now," the Commander informed, setting the tablet down. "There are some things we need to discuss, Russia being among them."

Van Doorn glancing over at him, raising an eyebrow. "Something else has come up?"

The Commander's lips twitched. "You could say that, but I don't want to explain it twice."

"Should we be optimistic or worried?" Bradford asked consciously as he adjusted his headset.

"More optimistic," the Commander suggested. "But being cautious in this case doesn't hurt."

"In the meantime, we should decide what we're going to do with our EXALT friend," Van Doorn said, clasping his hands behind his back. "I would prefer we use this opportunity to influence the Council and turn him over, since there's little I believe we can learn from him."

"Jackson's still working on the computer," Bradford added, picking up his own tablet. "Though as we suspected, it was wiped and she's trying to salvage what she can."

"So we probably won't gain anything," the Commander sighed. "Van Doorn, we still don't know much about EXALT except that they're powerful and widespread. Even something as simple as names can be useful."

"Let's hope he talks," Van Doorn muttered. "It'll get messy otherwise."

"Zhang has Ruth working on him," the Commander reminded him. "We'll know how susceptible to pain he is when I go down there. Which I plan to do today."

"Perhaps we can press him on the Solaris connection," Bradford suggested, glancing at the Commander. "Although, we really don't have anything to incentivize him to cooperate with us."

"Which is a problem," the Commander admitted. "This will be one of more challenging ones if he's resistant to pain."

"What do you plan to do if that's the case?" Van Doorn asked.

"If we can't get anything, I'll give him to Vahlen as another test subject," the Commander answered neutrally. "At the rate she's going through them, it might actually be more beneficial that way."

"Speaking of that, I would check up on her progress," Bradford suggested slowly, his tone becoming concerned. "I spoke with one of the scientists. It seems Vahlen isn't exactly being…how should I put this…considerate with the test subjects."

The Commander gave him the most unimpressed look he could muster. "Really. And this should be concerning why? If I wanted them to be comfortable, I wouldn't have put them with Vahlen, would I?"

"I'm saying that you should check up on her," Bradford defended. "There is a line between uncomfortable and sadistic. And Vahlen might not recognize when that line is crossed."

He debated contesting why he should care further, as he had a few thoughts on that particular subject. But it would really accomplish nothing except an unnecessary debate. He fully intended to go down and see Vahlen any, and if anything, he was more curious what she'd done in the weeks since he'd had her start.

The doors hissed open and Zhang and Shen walked through, and both quickly took their place opposite him at the holotable. "Anything new with our prisoner?" The Commander asked Zhang.

"Ruth and Abby are working him now," Zhang answered emotionlessly as clasped his hands behind his back. "Initial testing seems to indicate that he's trained in at least some interrogation resistance. However, how extensive it is has yet to be determined."

That was good, wearing a subject down was possible, and once he spoke with the soldier in question, he'd know how best to extract the information. "Why do you have Abby working on him?" He asked, more out of curiosity.

"So we know how far he can be pushed, should it come to torture," Zhang answered neutrally. "Aside from that, she will also prescribe drugs that might be effective to break down his mental barriers. I would suggest we use this opportunity to refine our interrogation methods, since all indications are that this is a fairly low-level operative."

"Noted," the Commander nodded. "Though I'd prefer we at least try to interrogate him before using him as a test subject for various techniques. Speaking of which, you might have to compete with Vahlen as she'd no doubt want him for her own work."

"I'll discuss it with her, should the interrogation fail," Zhang agreed. "In the meantime, I presume you requested us up here for a reason."

"Yes, and once Vahlen arrives we'll begin," the Commander answered setting his tablet on the holotable since he wasn't using it. "I expect she'll be here shortly."

"How is Myra doing?" Bradford asked Shen, focusing on the elder engineer.

"She's coping," Shen answered with a sigh. "I don't think she minds, or is bothered by the procedure. But unfortunately, I think some of the possible side effects are manifesting. Namely, emotional and personality degradation outside the suit. She also appears to be suffering some kind of blackouts on occasion, resulting in a low-level manifestation of retrograde amnesia."

"Can this ever be corrected?" Van Doorn asked quietly, pursing his lips.

"With Myra, unlikely," Shen admitted. "We're still trying to determine what areas were affected that strongly by the procedure. I'm not sure we will ever come up with a foolproof solution."

"At least she isn't in pain," Zhang noted grimly. "And also as self-aware as ever. There are worse fates."

"She understood the risks," the Commander sighed, feeling a little sad that things hadn't worked out. But at the very least, Myra's sacrifice would never be forgotten and might make the procedure safer for future participants. "But I suppose we have no choice but to move on and utilize her as best we can."

"I'd also be careful who she interacts with," Shen cautioned, frowning. "One thing that's been noted with both Myra and our other test subject is that both are highly suggestable to outside suggestion. To some extent, their pasts do influence who they trust and interact with, but they seem to lack the critical thinking skills to see through obvious lies. Someone could go up to Myra with fabricated orders from you and she'd likely believe them."

"Isn't that only because they're disconnected from the suit?" Bradford asked, shifting as he recalled what he knew about the MECs. "Would reconnecting restore their higher brain functions?"

"We're still working that out," Shen continued. "But in the meantime, as much as I hate to suggest this, isolation might be the safest thing, security-wise."

The Commander frowned, not quite sure what to do. He was against the idea on principle, as Myra was still a soldier who still retained some portion of her individuality, and quarantining her simply because she might pose a security risk didn't sit right with him. The last thing he wanted to do was ostracize her further, even if she didn't care.

But Shen did have a point, but the main flaw he saw with that argument was that the Citadel was an isolated location, the only people here were XCOM and none would abuse Myra that way. Had XCOM personnel been mixing with various armies, that would be a different story, but just among XCOM? No, no reason to limit her freedom, whatever of it she retained anyway.

"Keep observing her," the Commander instructed, crossing his arms. "But don't quarantine her unless there is proof of abuse. I doubt we have much to worry about here."

Shen actually looked relieved at that. "A good point, Commander. But I thought you should be aware."

"I appreciate that," the Commander answered sincerely. The door behind Shen hissed open and Vahlen finally walked through, a tablet in her hand.

"Apologies for the wait," she said hurriedly as she rushed over to take her place beside the Commander. Her hair was put back up, officially signaling she was in her Head Scientist mode. "There were some issues with one of the test subjects."

"I assume it was resolved?" Van Doorn asked.

"Of course," she answered, almost sounding offended by the insinuation that it wasn't resolved.

"How is your genetic modification projects proceeding?" Bradford asked.

Vahlen gave a radiant smile. "Quite well! I'd imagine more practical application could take place within weeks. We're simply ironing out some minor issues at the moment."

"I'll check on that later," the Commander said, not wanting to begin a long discussion on Vahlen's work just yet. "In the meantime, we have a few things to discuss."

"I think we should hear this new development first," Van Doorn suggested, as he leaned against the wall. "Then move onto Russia."

"I'm in favor of that," Bradford agreed. "You've kept us in suspense long enough."

The Commander took a breath. Right, time to do this again. At least he would be able to prove it had happened. "The short version is that I was…contacted…by one of the aliens."

Zhang frowned, more emotion than usual for him; Shen blinked in surprise while Bradford and Van Doorn both exchanged a look, the faces bearing surprise and concern. "How?" Van Doorn demanded incredulously. "And when?"

"Last night when I was…dreaming," the Commander continued, not happy with how ludicrous this sounded. "A kind of lucid dreaming if you would." He raised a hand. "Yes, I know how it sounds, but this did happen. I can prove it."

Van Doorn eyed him with concern. "Please do."

"During our talk, the alien somehow transferred the alien language to me," the Commander continued. "Simply put, I can understand, speak and write it fluently."

Bradford blinked. "You're serious."

The Commander was tempted to make some sarcastic comment, but didn't think the mood was right. Instead he grabbed his tablet and pulled out a stylus and started writing "[Completely serious, Bradford,]" he continued, speaking the alien language as he wrote. "[I think this should be proof enough.]"

Shen flinched when he started talking and Van Doorn and Bradford's eyes widened as they listened. Zhang was visibly interested, far more so than concerned. He handed the tablet to Shen. "Any of this look familiar?"

"Yes…" Shen said softly after looking it over. "This shouldn't be possible."

Van Doorn snorted. "You could say that about half the stuff we develop," he shook his head in disbelief at the Commander. "Why would they give you this?"

"A very good question," the Commander answered, pursing his lips as he exchanged a look with Vahlen. "The alien said it was an 'experiment' or could be considered a test. I doubt that's all though."

"With this we've practically been given the keys to the alien code," Zhang muttered, not able to keep the amazement out of his voice. "I wonder if they realize what they've given us."

"It's a rather melodic language," Vahlen noted absentmindedly as she looked at the Commander. "Fascinating to listen to, far different than what we've heard the sectoids or mutons use."

"I think we're overlooking exactly what was discussed," Bradford pointed out. "What did you and the alien discuss?"

"The alien mostly tried to convince me to surrender," the Commander answered. "He appeared as a thin man, though I doubt that he was actually one. The terms of surrender were surprisingly generous, far more so than I would have expected. Which makes me think this wasn't a sanctioned discussion. I honestly think this alien was just curious."

"It must be a leader than," Zhang guessed. "Otherwise, that is a surprising amount of autonomy that we haven't seen from the alien forces before."

"I think the more important question is if you learned anything from the alien," Van Doorn said, looking down at the holotable. "I don't suppose he let anything slip."

"Actually, yes, depending on how reliable we consider him," the Commander answered, resting his hands on the holotable. "It seems as though this invasion isn't the alien's number one priority, though I'm skeptical of that. However, they do seem to control at least a small number of planets, though I couldn't get more details than that."

The Commander paused. "As for why the invasion is happening at all, the alien claimed that all this is to…I suppose uplift us, similar to the other species."

"They certainly have an interesting way of accomplishing that," Bradford muttered. "There are easier ways."

"I doubt they expected this to last as long as it has," the Commander supposed. "We're putting up a fight, which is more than they expected."

"I think we should be asking how this happened in the first place," Shen pointed out, frowning as he looked at the Commander. "I hate to suggest this, Commander, but are you certain the alien is…gone?"

"Not for certain," the Commander admitted. "But very sure. The alien admitted that he might be able to take control if he wanted too, but I got the impression that it might be more trouble than it's worth. Regardless, I do want everyone paying attention and making sure I don't behave…erratically."

There were nods around the room. "The contact most likely happened psionically," Vahlen added after a few moments. "As such, I'm going to be reopening dedicated research into that field in the near future."

"A good plan," the Commander agreed. "Vahlen, Zhang, I'll meet with you later and we can begin putting the alien language to use."

"Jackson would be useful as well," Bradford reminded him, tapping on his tablet. "She is a lead on the decryption project after all."

"You think she can be trusted with this?" The Commander asked seriously.

"Yes," Bradford said without hesitation. "Quite honestly, I'd say she's earned the right to be here with us."

"I'll consider it," the Commander promised. "But that wraps up the new development."

"One of the most bizarre to date," Bradford muttered.

"But also one of the most useful," Van Doorn reminded him. "Although I'm worried there's some catch we're not seeing."

"Agreed," the Commander nodded. "Which is why we'll have to proceed carefully. Bradford, it might be a good idea to see if we can acquire a linguist. It would make the organization of this language go quicker."

"I'll look into that," Bradford nodded. "I'm sure we can find one from one of the Council nations."

"On that note, we move into our second matter," the Commander said, transitioning to the next topic. "Russia."

Bradford tapped some buttons on the holotable and a glowing blue map of Russia and the surrounding countries appeared. "I suppose we should actually decide if we want to unofficially ally with them." Bradford said, straightening up.

"The benefits outweigh the risks," Zhang stated firmly. "Russian backing would allow us unprecedented financial independence. Not to mention the support of an international superpower."

"Though following that line of reasoning, it also means much of the independence depends on Russia," Van Doorn pointed out. "And should Russia be pressed, President Savvin would utilize every advantage."

"We won't become reliant on Russia," the Commander stated firmly. "They would be an ally, nothing more or less. As long as we hold up our end, Russia will not pose any problems."

"And what if the Council should discover this," Shen asked worriedly. "I doubt they'd take kindly to Russia of all countries gaining a technological edge."

"Probably not," the Commander agreed. "Which is why we'll have to be extremely careful in picking the countries for Russia to work through."

"There really isn't an option, I suppose," Bradford admitted. "Passing this up would be a massive wasted opportunity."

"Agreed," the Commander nodded firmly, looking each of them in the eye. "Are there objections?"

"Are you certain that we can trust them?" Vahlen asked hesitantly. "Russia hasn't exactly been a team player, what happens should they fail to follow through?"

"Worst case scenario, we emerge with the alliances of several additional countries, cut off the excess of whatever was supposed to go to Russia, and should they continue, we expose them and emerge as a party that exposed international Russian corruption," the Commander answered instantly, a small smile on his face. "Russia will not risk themselves like that."

"Then the next question is where the best place to open alliances are," Van Doorn said, glancing down and observing the map. "We have to be cautious in choosing where."

"Yes," Zhang nodded. "Picking blatant Russian puppets will appear highly suspicious. Moderately sized countries without outright hostility to Russia would be ideal."

"Ukraine seems to be a good option," the Commander pointed at the country. "They border Russia and don't overtly hate each other at the moment. And given that the President practically suggested that to me suggests he has people inside working for him."

"It's also a moderately sized country," Bradford noted. "Opening an alliance wouldn't attract much suspicion from the Council. Much less provocative than Israel, at any rate."

"We would also be wise to avoid NATO allied countries," Van Doorn pointed out. "Many of them specifically joined NATO because they fear Russian influence. It would be significantly harder for Russia to work within them, if not impossible."

"So that rules out Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania," the Commander muttered, appraising the map. "The support for Russia in Belarus is high enough it might as well be considered a puppet state, so that's ruled out."

"Mongolia might not be a bad choice," Van Doorn pointed towards the country. "They don't have many anti-Russian sentiments."

"That is right by China," Vahlen pointed out, frowning. "You think the Chinese would be fine with us allying with a nation on their border?"

"No," the Commander shook his head. "They wouldn't, Mongolia is too close to China and at the moment, I don't want to antagonize them too much yet."

"Probably a good idea," Van Doorn agreed. "Though we're running out of viable countries."

"Perhaps Armenia?" Zhang suggested pointing to a small country south of Russia. "It's a stable region and maintains good relationships with their neighbors."

The Commander appraised the country. "The issue I have with using Armenia is that it's a very small country. The Council might wonder exactly why we'd ally with someone so…insignificant."

"Landmass isn't everything," Bradford noted. "Israel is a pretty small country and they didn't mention the size when discussing it with us."

"To be fair, Israel is something of a special case," Van Doorn admitted, furrowing his eyebrows. "But perhaps the size of Armenia could be advantageous to us. It's insignificance may cause the Council to not pay as much attention to it as they should."

"It's worth taking a chance," the Commander nodded to him. "Two countries so far. One more should be enough for Russia to work with."

"Could Finland be used?" Bradford wondered, as he rubbed his chin. "They're a moderately sized country."

"Unlikely," Van Doorn shook his head. "Russia-Finnish relations aren't always the best, thanks to Russia invading and annexing them over the centuries. Things are somewhat cool for now, but anti-Russian sentiment is pretty high at the moment."

"Which would admittedly make it an excellent choice for infiltration purposes," the Commander said, looking at the country curiously. "No one would ever suspect them of being a proxy."

"Perhaps I can have some agents look into the current state," Zhang suggested. "The anti-Russian sentiment can be bypassed; all the Russians need are some sympathetic people in the right places to transfer the tech. It might be worth looking into."

"Agreed," the Commander nodded. "Send some people in, get names and potential opportunities."

"I hope you're not thinking of performing a similar operation like in Germany," Van Doorn warned, eyeing the Commander warily. "Unlike them, Finland is not under threat of alien control. Manipulating the current government is such a way is us becoming involved in international espionage. For Russia no less."

"Germany was bad enough," Shen added, clasping his hands together. "But it did perform it's purpose. But here we wouldn't be doing anything except making it easier for another country to grow their influence."

"I'm not suggesting assassination," the Commander defended coldly. "There are other ways to remove people in power. But this would be necessary. Russia is an ally and will help us defend Earth. Finland is not, and sometimes, choices have to be made. Operations against other countries were inevitable and we can't afford to avoid them simply because of our arbitrary political neutrality."

Van Doorn pursed his lips. "XCOM should not become involved in international issues, period. How long until we decide to violently remove countries that either openly refuse to cooperate or are simply not conforming to what we want them to be?"

"That is a completely different topic," the Commander stated, turning to face Van Doorn. "And one which the exact same arguments would apply. XCOM may not be a political entity officially, but it's going to change very soon."

"You didn't answer my question," Van Doorn stated tightly, narrowing his eyes. "At what point do we draw the line once we become involved?"

Ah yes, the line that liked to get thrown around so often. Implying that one existed for him. The Commander pursed his lips. "We do what is necessary to preserve humanity, General. If that involves becoming involved internationally, then so be it. I will not have XCOM sit by and watch the world burn and not get involved for the sake of political neutrality."

"And what then?" Van Doorn demanded. "You want XCOM to be the new United Nations."

"No," The Commander stated flatly. "All I want XCOM to be is the spearhead against the alien threat. A military alliance only. A new United Nations would be ideal, but XCOM is not the right organization to become it."

"Don't act like we could stay neutral forever," Zhang commented, staring pointedly at Van Doorn. "The writing is on the wall and the Council will disband at some point, at which other nations will see us as a threat. We might as well do what we can now to ensure that the world is as unified as possible before it happens."

The Commander glanced at the three quieter members. "Vahlen, Shen, Bradford? Anything to add here?"

"Van Doorn is right," Shen stated firmly. "Even if you believe it will happen eventually, XCOM should not be the first to get involved. We have enough to worry about from the Council without the possibility of espionage being discovered."

Not really a surprise. "We have to consider what will be best in the long run," Vahlen finally said, tapping her finger on the holotable, her expression hard. "And enabling Russia to support us is better for XCOM and humanity than maintaining our neutrality. Zhang is right. XCOM will have to pick sides in the future and I don't see it getting easier from here."

All eyes turned to Bradford, who didn't look pleased with all the sudden attention. "My position is simple," he finally said. "XCOM should not become involved in international espionage unless it is absolutely necessary and in this case, Commander, I don't believe it is. A nation is not being threatened by alien influence, nor is really in danger at all. Interfering would only serve to make it easier for us to maintain a borderline illegal alliance and I don't believe it's worth breaking our neutrality over that."

A stalemate. The first time it had happened in fact. A vote would be split three-three, and as the Commander, technically he could force the decision his way. But he could see their points, and it wasn't worth alienating Van Doorn, Bradford and Shen over a minuscule nation like Finland.

Better to wait for an incident where it would be much harder for them to defend staying neutral. They would come around, eventually, and then realize that political neutrality was nothing more than an arbitrary restriction imposed by a Council that feared their growing influence.

In an ideal world, XCOM would be apolitical. But they were not in a perfect world. He was charged with defending humanity from extinction, and if that involved forcing the countries in line by force, he would do so, no matter the cost. The independence of one country was nothing compared to the species as a whole.

But that was a discussion for later.

"Very well," he finally said, clasping his hands behind his back. "We're at a stalemate if this comes to a vote. So, for the moment, there will be no operations in Finland."

He saw Shen let out a sigh of relief and the expressions of Van Doorn and Bradford soften as they realized this wasn't going to be contested any longer. "That being said," he continued, fixing his gaze on Van Doorn. "We still need another country for Russia. Van Doorn, Zhang, find me one that will be suitable and make sure we don't have to interfere to make it viable." He turned to Bradford. "Begin contacting Armenia and Ukraine. I'll go visit them myself in the near future."

"Yes, Commander," all of them affirmed and the Commander let out a sigh, not entirely pleased with how this had gone. "Good. Dismissed."

---

The Citadel, Herman's Quarters

Herman leaned back in his seat as he waited for the connection to establish. A security breach this potentially dangerous was too much to be swept away like what Tamara would likely recommend. Thus, Warnup was the more responsible bet this time, since he'd at least take it a little seriously.

Though he hopefully wouldn't go too far, but at least it wouldn't be ignored. The screen on his laptop flashed and the face of Jonathan Warnup appeared, expressionless, so Herman couldn't tell what was going through his mind. "Representative, I'm pleased you decided to contact me," his voice was much tighter than the first time they'd met. "I presume something has come up to warrant a meeting so soon after your…" he gave a pointed pause. "Previous meeting with Councilor Tamara."

"Yes," Herman acknowledged, wanting to get straight to the point. "I'm unsure that the Council listens in whenever the Speaker and the Commander speak, but you should be aware that the Commander knows the identities of every councilor, and potentially more."

Ennor's lip twitched. "Yes, the Council is very aware and alarmed by the news. I'm pleased you informed us so quickly."

Herman inclined his head in thanks. "This is a massive breach, regardless of how he got it. It would be devastating if EXALT or the aliens were to learn as well. You should take this opportunity to redo your security protocols."

"I don't suppose the Commander told you how he acquire our names?" Warnup asked, lacing his fingers together, eyebrows furrowed as he was deep in thought.

"Not satisfactorily," Herman answered grimly. "He joked that you gave him the names, but otherwise provided nothing revealing his sources. He assured me that the process wouldn't be replicated, so take that for what you will."

Ennor's face hardened. "For him to not reveal a breach this dangerous is irresponsible of him, regardless of his "assurances." The Council may have to impose more restrictions if this gross negligence continues."

And that was the exact opposite of what he wanted to accomplish. "Councilor, I would strongly recommend against that," Herman stated calmly, soothingly. "I'm doing my best to smooth relations, and quite honestly, I was making some headway. But I must say that your childish response to the Newfoundland mission is not reflecting well on you, nor is it making my job easier."

Warnup rubbed his forehead. "You're missing the bigger picture here, Herman," he said wearily. "Technically, yes, it was the right thing to do militarily. But this is the Commander who's giving the orders. There needs to be some kind of check to make sure he doesn't decide to use it against a council nation who gets on his bad side. If the Commander believes we pose a threat to him, he will use whatever tools he has, and quite frankly, the thought of him ordering airstrikes with no oversight is terrifying."

"You're not exactly doing much to dissuade that notion," Herman stated bluntly. The man needed to wake up before he was killed off by the Commander or his own blind hatred. "I've worked with the Commander a bit now, and you're absolutely right. If you posed a threat to XCOM or humanity, he will do what he can to remove you. So let me ask you this Councilor; are you trying to provoke the Commander?"

"We're trying to ensure that the law is upheld," Warnup responded. "We're trying to hold a man accountable for his actions. We're trying to maintain some kind of integrity in the deteriorating war and yet people still feel the need to jump to the defense of a war criminal."

That was most likely directed at him. "You sent me to do a job," Herman stated, his own voice growing harder. "You either trust my word or you do not. I've not reported anything illegal taking place but it seems my word isn't good when it doesn't line up with your preconceived notions."

"Perhaps because I misjudged you," Warnup responded, narrowing his eyes. "I thought we agreed that you would report to me. Yet the first thing you do is instead contact Tamara, a woman who supports the Commander, no matter what he does. She even has the gall to blame this leak on our side."

"I'll contacted Tamara because I thought she would handle the information I received more responsibly," Herman explained as best as possible. "That is my directive. She delivered my report, did she not?"

"She delivered her report, yes," Warnup answered, emphasizing her. "How much she altered or cut out we'll never know."

"That worry could be applied to you as well," Herman pointed out. "Had I spoken with you, Tamara would have said the exact same thing."

"So I'm curious then," Warnup said, leaning back. "Why contact me now?"

"For the same reason I contacted her," Herman patiently answered. "You will handle this information better than her. This security breach cannot be ignored, and I believe there's a good chance it would be downplayed had I spoken to her."

"You're straddling a thin line," Warnup warned. "You will need to take a stance in the future. Your neutrality, while admirable, will not last nor should it. You will have to decide what kind of XCOM you want defending humanity. One that does whatever it takes to win, no matter the cost; or one unified with integrity, who will win this war with a united world behind them."

"I'm not here to be a spokesman for your side or Tamara's," Herman responded coldly. "I came as someone who watches, listens and works with XCOM. I have no agenda beyond ensuring the law is kept and the XCOM wins this war. I want the Council and XCOM to work together, not plotting against each other. Neither of you are completely right or wrong, and until something drastic changes, I will fulfill my duty, with or without your approval."

"Your views seem to have changed dramatically from when we first spoke," Warnup noted calmly, appraising Herman. "That you would be willing to defend him surprises me."

"Maybe because he is not my enemy," Herman answered, frustration creeping into his voice. "The War on Terror is over. You had the chance to punish him for his crimes and instead decided to use him. Times have changed and I can safely say he's more worried about the aliens than you. Your personal vendetta is childish when compared to our impending enslavement or extinction."

"Forgive me for not being as trusting," Warnup commented sarcastically. "But you're naïve to think that the Commander hasn't devoted time trying to figure out how to remove us."

"And you're naïve to think the Commander is simply going to follow your rules should you pass them," Herman shot back. "Come to the Citadel sometime. The Commander has the full support of the soldiers. He's fought alongside them and led them to victory after victory. You greatly overestimate how much influence the Council actually holds here."

"That would change should they learn who he is," Warnup pointed out.

Would it? That was a question the Herman had wondered over the past few days.

And the fact that he no longer knew was worrying. "I don't know," he shrugged. "At this point, I'm not sure how many would even care."

"I suppose we have different opinions in this case," Warnup noted, as he shifted in his seat. "Regardless of our difference, I do thank you for bringing this to our attention so swiftly. Don't forget what I said."

The screen went blank, leaving Herman looking at his own reflection.

He looked tired as hell.

"Yeah, you don't forget mine either," he muttered at the screen. If things kept escalating, he didn't see Warnup and the Commander ever settling their differences peacefully. Either Warnup would cause an XCOM civil war, or the Commander would remove Ennor, and by extension, the rest of the Council.

Neither one would be beneficial, and yet he still couldn't wholeheartedly support Tamara either. Allowing anyone unlimited power was unwise, and the Commander wouldn't just use that power, he would use it well. With no restrictions he could legitimately shape the world however he wished with XCOM as his tool.

Would he do so? It was a distinct possibility, but what worried Herman was that if the Commander did begin to use XCOM more radically, it wouldn't be because of power, greed, or any regular motivation of a power-mad individual.

Worse, he would do it because he would think he was right.

Relations with the Council had to be normalized before they did something turn the Commander from a shaky ally to an enemy. He had to make sure they remained normalized and still remember he had a job to do.

He groaned and leaned back in his chair. This was exactly what he despised about politics. No one was completely right, no one was completely wrong, but both sides refused to cooperate with the other and instead focused on each other instead of the true threat. And he was stuck directly in the middle of it.

On the bright side, he could safely say that this job wasn't boring.

He sat there for some time, trying to think of ways to improve this situation. A knock on the door distracted him. He glanced over and frowned, he wasn't expecting anyone. At least he didn't think he was expecting anyone. "Come in," he called out half-heartedly. It was tempting just to be silent, but did have a job to do.

The door slid open to reveal the Commander. Herman straightened up immediately, although the Commander no doubt knew he'd been caught off guard. Still, he was not expecting him at this point in time.

"Bad time?" The Commander asked, almost sounding amused, though to Herman, it sounded wearier and resigned.

"No," Herman shook his head, and relaxed a bit. "I just wasn't expecting you here. And now for that matter."

"Fair enough," the Commander shrugged and took a seat by his bed. "Your meeting go well?"

"As well as can be expected," Herman sighed, thinking the Commander didn't need to know the details. "I gave my report and that was that."

"Good to hear," the Commander answered, looking aimlessly into the far wall. "Nice when meetings go well."

He was likely still irritated over the Council's reaction, which was understandable. "Don't completely blame the Council," Herman suggested, trying to see what he can salvage. "They're civilians. Sometimes we forget that not everyone is like us."

The Commander fixed him with an intense stare. "Do you honestly believe that?"

"For some of them? Yes," Herman shrugged. "Not every politician is evil, nor is every military general always right."

"I do admire your commitment," the Commander admitted, clasping his hands together. "I sometimes wish I had a country or organization I could actually believe in."

Herman looked over curiously. "You don't anymore?"

"I prefer putting my trust in people, not nations," the Commander answered. "It's more reliable, and no, I don't. It's somewhat ironic, since I practically started the War on Terror because of my country."

"You're American, correct?" Herman recalled, his full attention on the Commander. "What changed?"

"I was," he admitted wearily. "As for what changed? Everything, though very slowly over time. The longer the war continued, I realized I wasn't fighting just for my country anymore, but for the everyone else. Then came the Vice President and of course it culminated with my little chase with the US military. I suppose what I got out of it was that the United States was the same as every single government. They aren't driven by intelligence, logic or justice, but by emotion, money and power."

The Commander pursed his lips. "I may have been born in America, but I no longer consider myself one of them. I'm a soldier, and that will never change."

He was wondering what had prompted the Commander to say all this. It wasn't what he'd expected. "I suppose I can't blame you," Herman finally answered. "I'd probably feel the same way in your position."

"It's interesting how so many people take pride in where they come from," the Commander continued. "How much does it really matter in the context of the human race?"

"It's never been a big deal for me," Herman admitted. "Although I can certainly see why some would have pride in their country. America, England, Russia, China, all have made contributions to the world and I don't see why their citizens shouldn't be proud of that."

"I can see the point," the Commander nodded. "But I wonder if that concept hasn't outgrown itself. Should we win this war, the world will be changed forever. Are we going to go back to the old ways and rivalries we had before this?"

"I honestly haven't thought that far ahead," Herman admitted. "There's enough to worry about in the present."

"Very true," the Commander agreed. "Anyway, I believe you wanted to discuss something with me?"

Ah, right. Herman turned his seat to face the Commander. "So, when were you planning on telling me about the MEC?"

"When it was ready," he answered simply, his face expressionless. "There are quite a few projects going on that will not work out. The MEC was one of them. Besides, having seen it you might have raised objections that I didn't want to deal with."

"Namely you amputating the limbs of your pilot," Herman stated. "I suppose it's fortunate the procedure went well."

"Both Vahlen and Shen worked extremely hard to make it as safe as possible," the Commander stated, his tone hard. "I don't like risking the lives of my soldiers unnecessarily. I'm sure you can understand that."

"So she was the only one?" Herman asked skeptically. "You didn't test this on any before her?"

"No," the Commander stated firmly. "No soldiers were tested or experimented upon. The Council tends to frown on that."

"Which you clearly care so much about," Herman commented sarcastically. "But if you would, I would like your files on the MEC project and any other…potentially controversial projects you have going. It worked out this time, but keeping me in the dark is not going to improve your standing with the Council."

"And wouldn't that be a tragedy," the Commander muttered. "You do your job well, and I believe you're trying your best in this situation. But I doubt it's going to improve, and no matter how much I cooperate, it will never be enough."

"But that can change," Herman insisted. "I think that you don't want trouble with the Council any more than I, but like it or not, the burden is on you to maintain the relationship. You do have much to answer for and some council nations will always be suspicious. Keep cooperating and things will change."

The Commander humphed. "We'll see," he said, standing. "I'll send you the files on the MECs. Perhaps you'll have some suggestions of your own. But I appreciate the talk. Until next time." With that, the Commander exited the room, leaving Herman alone again.

Despite what he'd told the Commander, he could help but think the Commander was right in that things weren't going to improve. But that just meant he had to work harder to keep relations cordial, since if he failed, people would die.

Of that, he was certain.

---

The Citadel, Holding Cells

The Commander strode down the brightly lit hallway. It had been a while since he'd been down here, and it did strike him how little this looked like a place to hold prisoners. If he hadn't known better, all of them looked like rows of office doors. He wondered if that had been intentional.

Irrelevant now. Time to see what he could get from their guest. Zhang was conversing with Ruth and Abby in front of the second holding cell, all falling silent as he approached. He motioned for them to continue. "Don't stop on my account," he said, walking up.

All of them gave his salute which he returned quickly. "Commander," Zhang greeted. "Good timing."

"What's the verdict?" The Commander asked, looking at Ruth.

"Mixed," Ruth answered, handing him a tablet filled with physical information about the subject. "He has a high pain tolerance. Abby has made some estimates on what that threshold might be, but it's theoretical. At the very least, we know how far we can push him physically without killing him."

He saw Abby purse her lips. "I'd recommend not going that far though. When the body is pushed to that extreme, I can't guarantee you won't kill him anyway."

It appeared Abby still wasn't completely comfortable with interrogation. That was fine, as long as she did her job and it seemed she had. "Noted," he acknowledged. "I don't think it'll be necessary to push him to that point. I'll stop long before we have to worry about his life."

"If you do decide to use torture, I've mapped areas that will be effective and won't cause permanent damage," Abby added, nodding towards the tablet. "He's also burned extensively. Be careful if you decide to use that, otherwise infection will set in and kill him."

He looked over, impressed. "Good work, Abby. Has he said anything?"

"I think he said one word in Chinese," Ruth shrugged. "But otherwise has been silent."

"The Chinese demographic in Russia is rather small," the Commander noted. "Interesting that one would be involved in a Russian EXALT cell."

"I'm curious about that as well," Zhang agreed, glancing towards the cell. "Sadly, I doubt he'll give up that information easily."

"Then let's get started," the Commander nodded, looking to the two women. "Both of you remain here for now. We'll call if you're needed."

Both women nodded. "Yes, Commander." With that he and Zhang opened the door and walked into the cell.

Just as last time, there was one table with two chairs facing each other. The prisoner was sitting on the table, his hands resting on it. His tan skin and Chinese features were stoic, clearly trying to give the illusion of normalcy. Though judging from the extensive burns on his arms and legs, he was likely in agony.

While his pain tolerance was impressive, it wasn't completely a bad thing. If his mind was so focused on blocking out the pain, it might be easier for something to be let slip. The Commander took a seat opposite him, clasped his hands together and rested them on the table. "Greetings. I am the Commander of the XCOM project."

The prisoner just glared back at him, his stark blue eyes filled with fury. No response. Typical, but not worth worrying about. "I presume you know how this works," the Commander continued, keeping his voice level. "I have a few questions to ask, you answer them. Cooperate and you'll be extradited to Russia for trial. Refuse and you'll wish you had died."

"疼痛会不会对我的工作, 联合国傀儡," the man hissed through his teeth. "你什么都没有跟来威胁我."

"Pain will not work on me, UN puppet," Zhang translated. "You have nothing to threaten me with."

The prisoner glanced sharply over at Zhang, clearly not expecting his words to be repeated. "Really?" the Commander smiled. "UN puppet? I've been called many things, but a UN puppet has never been one of them."

He waved his hand. "Regardless, you're right. I don't have anything to threaten you with except pain. So to be honest, I'm not expecting you to coordinate," the Commander leaned forward. "Fortunately, we don't need your cooperation. We just need to learn your breaking point. EXALT soldiers have a standardized training regime, correct? And that would include interrogation resistance. So we'll learn what we can from you, and know exactly how to break the next soldier we capture."

The prisoner's face twitched in several places. "你不会伤害我, 您的法律禁止它." He spat.

"You will not hurt me," Zhang translated, the corners of his lips barely moving up. "Your laws forbid it."

The Commander shared in Zhang's amusement. Well, at the very least EXALT didn't know much about the internal structure of XCOM to make such a…presumptuous statement. "You have no idea who I am, do you?" He asked, smiling.

"没有," he said shortly.

"No," Zhang confirmed.

"Fair enough," the Commander nodded. "You are aware of the War on Terror, yes? The Commander?"

The prisoner gave a brief nod, clear suspicion in his eyes. "是,"

No translation needed there. "Well," the Commander leaned back. "I was one of his subordinates. A rather high-ranking one at that."

The prisoner blinked in surprise, his lips parting slightly. A better reaction than he'd anticipated. He calmed down after a few seconds and glared at the Commander suspiciously. "证明给我看." He demanded, tension in his voice.

"Prove it," Zhang translated.

He supposed it was smart not to take it on faith. "Fine," he nodded at the prisoner. "How?"

The prisoner leaned forward. "Who was the second-in-command to the Commander?" He asked, his voice not nearly as accented as the Commander expected.

The Commander frowned. That was an oddly specific question, and something that this man should not know about. He wouldn't be surprised if EXALT command knew, but for this man? "Ethan Delger," he answered.

The prisoner let out a sigh, confusion on his face. "I see," he said.

"My turn," the Commander demanded. "How did you know that?"

"Unimportant," the prisoner said. "But it is interesting, nonetheless."

"Then you know I'll follow through," the Commander reminded him. "Consider this your last chance."

"Nothing has changed," the prisoner stated coldly, looking him in the eye. "We both are part of something bigger than ourselves and both of us are willing to die for it. Torture me if you want, but you will get nothing."

The Commander stood and appraised the prisoner before him. He'd brought up quite a few new questions that needed to be answered, but this was a rare situation where he felt that he didn't have the upper hand. He could torture him, yes, but he felt it would just be a waste of time. The prisoner's eyes were filled pain and fear, yes, but also resolve. He'd seen enough from the War on Terror to know that he would probably go mad or die before revealing anything.

He was sure the prisoner would have quite a bit of interesting information, but nothing critical. The Solaris lead was the clearest next link to EXALT, and wouldn't require this man. Furthermore, he figured they would encounter more EXALT soldiers in the future, and gain some more prisoners that way.

One would break eventually. And the more prisoners who didn't, the more refined their techniques would be. The Commander glanced over at Zhang. "Find out how to break his interrogation training, use whatever methods are necessary. Do not kill him though. Once you finish, turn him over to Vahlen."

"Understood, Commander." Zhang nodded and eyed the prisoner humorlessly.

The prisoner looked somewhat surprised it was over. "You're wasting your time," he called out. "We cannot be broken."

"You might not be," the Commander answered over his shoulder as he opened the door. "But can you say the same about your friends?"

He didn't wait for a response and closed the door. Abby and Ruth snapped to attention as he walked over. "How did it go?" Ruth asked, clasping her hands behind her back.

"Torture would be a waste of time and we have nothing to threaten him with," the Commander answered bluntly. "I've instructed Zhang to figure out how to break his interrogation resistance. Abby, you'll be needed on this. Are you up to it?"

She visibly swallowed. "Yes, Commander."

He nodded firmly. "Good. Get to work. I'll have Zhang begin working on the Solaris lead in a few days."

The two women went over to the cell to talk with Zhang and the Commander turned to walk back to his office. What he found interesting was why the soldier had reacted so strongly to his revelation that he had "worked" for the Commander. Did EXALT have some special interest in him?

No, during the War on Terror, he'd probably interfered with their plans unknowingly. He supposed it would make sense that they learned all they could about him. At least they didn't know he was alive.

He sincerely hoped they hadn't taken his soldiers who'd been sent to trial and extracted the information from them. If he found they'd done that, he'd be sure to find the leader of EXALT and hang them from a cross as retribution.

He might have failed to protect his soldiers, but he would be damn sure to avenge them.

The Citadel, Hallways

He found it interesting how recognizable he was no matter where he went. He didn't feel the need to display his rank anywhere and just wore the standard black XCOM military fatigues. But everyone recognized him and always felt the need to salute. Well, that particular military trait was never going to die, so he'd gotten much better at responding quickly.

Before he went to check on Vahlen, he had to check his office and make sure nothing important had come up. Judging how this day was going, he wasn't sure if he wanted to find out. Which was partially why he was saving visiting Vahlen for last. He wanted to end the day on a positive note.

Unless Vahlen had run into unsolvable problems of course. Wouldn't that by typical. Nah, there was no such thing as an unsolvable problem for Vahlen. She wouldn't let him down, she never had.

"Commander?"

He turned to see one of the soldiers approaching him. Carmelita. Hmm, he wasn't expecting to see her. Still, he was interested in what she wanted. He stopped and turned to her. "Yes, Specialist Alba?"

"If you have a moment, I'd like to discuss something with you," she answered intently, looking up at him.

The Commander motioned forward. "Walk with me, we can talk on the way."

"Right," she nodded and they began walking.

"What did you want to ask?" The Commander glanced over at her after a minute of walking.

"How long has the MEC been in production?" She asked.

How best to answer. He wouldn't have thought Carmelita to be the one to raise this issue. "A couple months. Most of which was spent designing the prototype."

"Works well, I'd say," she nodded. "You plan to make more?"

"Should we find suitable candidates," the Commander answered cautiously. "We're still trying to determine the side effects of the procedure and negate them."

"I figured," she said. "But you're going to need people."

"True," the Commander nodded, getting a sense of where she was going. "The MEC program will be volunteer only, and even then after extensive screening. Myra was not asked lightly."

"I doubt you need to look far, Commander," Carmelita shook her head. "All of us want to do whatever it takes to eradicate the aliens. Including me, which is why I want to volunteer."

The Commander raised an eyebrow and looked down as her while she stared straight ahead. "I'm glad you're willing, Carmelita," he finally said. "But I'm not sure you know what you're asking."

"One MEC almost single-handedly took out an entire facility," Carmelita reminded him, venom tainting her voice. "If I can turn that on the aliens then that's all I care about."

The Commander considered for a minute. Carmelita would likely be a fine candidate for the MEC program, but she was driven by her hatred of the aliens, and until the kinks of the MEC conversion were fully determined, he didn't want to kill that fire. Not when there was an alternative coming up soon that would need volunteers.

"We have no plans for more MEC soldiers for the short term," the Commander told her slowly. "We're improving the design and the procedure. But if you are interested in volunteering for…experimental procedures, one program will need volunteers in the near future."

"Then let me know," Carmelita said firmly. "Whatever it takes."

"I appreciate that," the Commander nodded. "You'll be the first to know."

Carmelita stopped, inclined her head towards him and gave his salute. "Thanks for listening, Commander."

He returned it. "Anytime, Carmelita." He watched her walk off and after standing still a few seconds, continued onto his office. Once inside he sank into his chair and began checking up on the current state of affairs.

Fortunately, all seemed to be working normally. There wasn't much that was changing on the financial and resource level. Their supply of alloys, MELD and weapon fragments was still high, though hopefully they'd shoot down a UFO soon to give them something of a boost when they began opening alliances with the proxy countries.

The advantage with controlling the entirety of this technology was that he could give as much or little as he wanted and they would have no choice but to accept. Now, he thought the arrangements that were made now were fair, but if they ever hit dire straits, it was a good safety net without worrying too much about losing alliances.

Several more satellites were in production, and would hopefully be finished within the month. Once South America was fully covered, Europe was the next continent. Or perhaps Asia, with Raven airstrips in both areas, both were feasible.

His computer pinged, indicating someone was outside. He frowned and thumbed the door to be unlocked. He wasn't expecting someone here now. The door slid open to reveal one of the soldiers.

The Commander appraised him for a moment. Ah, he recognized him now. Soran Kakusa, one of the newer soldiers. He'd acquitted himself well and had been on some high-profile missions including the first contact of EXALT and most recently, the Newfoundland mission.

He waved him forward. "Come in." Soran nodded and walked forward and took a seat opposite him.

"Apologies if this is breaking protocol," he said, his English surprisingly well, with barely a trace of an accent at all. "Some of the soldiers told me that you wouldn't have an issue with unannounced visits."

"I don't," the Commander assured him. "What do you need?"

Soran hesitated. "It concerns Overseer Trask."

"Patricia?" The Commander frowned. "Is there a problem with her?"

"Not exactly," Soran answered slowly. "It's just…I've been noticing some odd things about her lately," he paused. "As hard as this is to believe, I think she's psionic."

Well, well, wasn't that interesting. Not that Patricia was psionic, but that others were noticing. It meant she was either training on her own or she was improving unconsciously. "Why do you think so?" He asked, curious.

"It was mostly on that last mission," Soran explained, resting his arms on the armrests of the chair. "She and I somehow were coordinating…with not talking whatsoever. I shrugged it off at the time, but she made a comment on how she expected the warehouse to be empty even before opening it. Then she blasted that shark apart even when we had no idea what was inside it."

"Both those could be lucky guesses," the Commander pointed out.

"Maybe," Soran shrugged. "But the odd coordination happened again once we were retreating. You must have seen those chryssalids go down within a few seconds. I was acting without even thinking about it. Then she just yelled for the aliens that were advancing to stop and…they did."

The Commander was silent for a moment. "Interesting. You're right. We confirmed Patricia to be psionic a while ago, but she wasn't using anything you described. I suppose I should figure out what's going on with her."

"Watch the mission again," Soran suggested. "You'll see it better than I can explain."

"I'll do that," the Commander promised, thinking. Yes, he would definitely need to speak with her soon. If she was consciously training herself, that should be done with his knowledge. Not to mention he needed to know exactly what she could do now.

"That's all I wanted to say, Commander," Soran said as he stood up. "Thanks for your time."

"Anytime," the Commander nodded. "You've done well here. Keep it up and we'll win this war."

"That's all I want," Soran answered, giving his salute. "The sooner the war ends, the better for everyone."

He left the Commander alone in his office again. Now that it was brought up, he did recall Patricia giving an exact number of EXALT soldiers inside the facility. He didn't know if adrenaline or simple oversight was the reason he'd not wondered how she knew that, but she'd been right and he'd promptly forgotten about that.

Which was really odd. A detail like that didn't usually slip his mind. Well, he knew about it now and would definitely be bringing it up with her very soon. Tomorrow soon. Because now, he had a visit with Vahlen. Time to see what she'd been up too.

---

The Citadel, Experimentation Labs

There were multiple scientists within Vahlen's Gene Lab, running tests, working equipment and having civil conversations with each other. It was almost a one-to-one ratio between the regular Research Labs and the Gene Labs, with a few more scientists being in the Research Labs.

He didn't pay too much attention to what they were doing, though he did note there were a few more animals than last time. Something rubbed against his leg and he looked down to see that cat he'd encountered the last time. It glanced up at him, meowing and purring.

He sighed and knelt down to take the cat into his arms and it purred contentedly as he looked around for Vahlen. Hmm. Not here, so she was probably in the Experimentation Labs, working on the test subjects themselves. He walked over to the sealed door and before he could, the cat jumped out of his arms and dashed away.

Convenient. He shrugged and punched in his code and the doors slid open with a hiss. He quickly stepped inside and looked around as the doors closed behind him at a place that would probably be described as Hell by a good portion of the population.

The thing in the cell directly to his right could barely be described as human. Tiny black furs covered every inch of exposed skin and the Commander couldn't tell if it was male or female. The hairs almost looked like bristles and appeared to cover everything, even the eyes. The corners of his lips twitched. Based on the sight of the thing curled into the corner, shivering, he suspected it wasn't exactly a pleasant experience.

He took a few steps further and looked into a cell to his left. Inside was a man spread out on the floor, his limbs contorted in odd angles. But the thing was that it didn't look…broken. The left leg was curled like a noodle inward which should have cracked the leg, but instead seemed kept in one position. It looked like all his bones had been turned to jelly or some kind of liquid.

Interesting, but likely not painful.

He kept walking, ignoring the perfectly normal unaltered humans who shrank against the wall at his approach. A stark difference from a few weeks ago. One subject in a nearby cell was screaming and clutching her eyes, though the soundproofing let nothing out.

The Commander looked curiously inside, trying to see what had happened. After what seemed like an unnecessary amount of time, the woman lowered her hands, revealing her eyes. Curiously, it seemed like there were two sets of pupils, one semi-imposed on top of the other, though not symmetrical at all.

The eyes were red from crying, but other than that it didn't look like she'd been hurt. Failed experiments, he assumed. Though even a failed experiment was still useful, and he hadn't expected that she'd get it right the first time. Better now than on him or one of his soldiers.

Another female test subject was up against the glass, banging on it trying to get his attention. She didn't appear to have been altered yet, but he walked over anyway, his face blank and dispassionate. In contrast, she was practically sobbing, her lips moving soundlessly.

The Commander put a finger to his lips to signify to be quiet as he stood in front of her. She gulped and went quiet. One of the younger ones, she was likely lower thirties. Tangled brown hair framed her face, and her bloodshot brown eyes held nothing but terror. How ironic. He pulled out his tablet and began looking through the list of test subjects, trying to find her.

While that was going on, he pressed the button to allow them to speak. "You want to say something?" He asked calmly, as he kept going through the records.

"Yes," she sobbed. "Please get me out of here! I'll do whatever it takes! Just get me out!"

He glanced up at her, pursing his lips. "Shouting will not change anything…" he glanced down at the tablet. "Casey Reinstar. I do not think you're in a position to be making requests," he glanced down at the tablet again. "Let's see…you were charged with infanticide of your son and subsequent murder of your boyfriend. On top of that, you tried to pin the murder on someone else and would have gotten away with it had your "new" boyfriend not stepped forward and confessed everything." He lowered the tablet, glaring at her. "I believe that's murder, framing and perjury all wrapped up in one nice case. As far as I'm concerned, you're getting exactly what you deserve."

"What do you want to hear?" She almost screamed, bursting into tears again. "Yes! Yes I killed them! Is that what you want to hear? I'm sorry! I wish I'd never done it! You have to believe me!"

The Commander felt whatever miniscule amount of sympathy fade as she kept going. What a fucking shock. "Of course you are," he practically hissed, his voice sounding harsh, even to him. "Everyone is sorry when they get caught. Everyone is sorry when they realize their actions have consequences. It makes me sick to think you almost walked free."

"Then just kill me," Casey begged, pressing her palms up to the glass. "Give me whatever punishment you deserve. Just don't leave me with her. I don't want to become one of those things."

By her he assumed Vahlen, and by things he assumed failed experiments. Pity he didn't exactly feel sorry for her. "Make no mistake," he told her harshly. "You will die. But before that happens you will make something out of your worthless life. Your death will ensure better men and women live, perhaps you can take solace in that."

"You're a monster," she hissed, pure hatred in her eyes. "Decent people don't do this. Only those who delight in causing others pain."

"You're right," he told her coldly. "Decent people don't. But don't mistake my lack of sympathy for delight. Your participation in these experiments are necessary, but I take no pleasure in it. Were it up to me, I would carry out a summary execution. But that would be a waste now, not when your life could be used for a better purpose."

He paused and glanced down at her. "Are you religious, Casey?"

"I wasn't," she muttered, tears streaming down her cheeks as she sank to the ground.

The Commander nodded. "Christians believe that anyone can repent, no matter what their crimes or deeds. All they have to do is accept Jesus and their one and only savior," he waved his hand. "Of course, that varies from denomination to denomination, but there is a general consensus than anyone can be forgiven."

The Commander paused. "Now I would personally hope that's not true, since it seems wrong for a murderer to go to heaven simply because they realize they screwed up and decided to repent." He glanced down. "But then again, I am not God, so I can't say one way or another."

Casey looked up at him, her face filled with confusion. "The point I want to make is this," the Commander stated, looking pitilessly down upon her. "Beg God for forgiveness, Casey. Because you'll find none here."

He switched off the intercom and stepped back, leaving the broken woman on the floor. He would never understand people with her mindset, but he supposed it was better that way. Though this whole experience was bringing up concerns he'd had about himself.

Was he really that different?

These people killed innocents; he'd killed innocents, probably more than all of them combined. Did he regret them? No, but he regretted that they'd had to take place at all. He and Ethan had a long conversation about it after they'd hung those child soldiers on crosses.

Throughout it all, he'd then come to a conclusion that did make a difference. He killed because it was necessary, while these criminals killed for selfish reasons. He never took a life without cause, and only when more people would be hurt if he did nothing. The majority of the people he killed deserved death, but the ones who did not were unfortunate casualties of war.

He didn't want them to die, but he had no choice and it was sometimes called for.

Necessary. That's what set him apart.

He only did what was necessary, nothing more.

He felt a hand on his back and turned to see Vahlen behind him. "Commander?" She asked, eyeing him with concern.

"Ah, Vahlen," he turned to face her fully. "I see you've been busy."

She pursed her lips. "Yes, the first trials are always messy. But thanks to them I believe I know what to do for the next round of testing."

"I'm curious," the Commander nodded towards the cells. "What exactly prompted these changes?"

She pointed at the fur-covered test subject. "That one was the result of attempted spider gene splicing. I wouldn't exactly call it a 'failure,' per-ser. It just worked a little…too well. Not a setback, I was expecting it to be harder, actually."

Ah, that made sense. "And what of that one?" The Commander nodded, turning to point out the man with the jelly-like limbs.

"An attempt at fusing thin man and human genetics," Vahlen explained, tapping her chin as she looked at the test subject. "And it did have the intended effect. We've tried dropping him from up to forty feet and he still lived. Sadly, for reasons I have yet to determine, it also made his bones as supportive as skin and just as flexible. Since his skeletal structure has effectively collapsed, he can't support himself." She sighed. "It might take a few subjects before I figure this one out."

"And her?" The Commander asked, looking over at the double-pupiled woman.

"A near success," Vahlen smiled. "I know exactly what went wrong and how to fix it. I'm confident our first gene mod will be enhanced vision."

"Good to hear," the Commander said, pleased progress was being made. "Can you remove gene mods from the subjects and use them over again?"

"No," Vahlen admitted, licking her lips to wet them. "Gene mods are permanent. Once I have everything I need from a subject, they'll be terminated and I'll strip what MELD I can from their bodies."

"At least we get something back," the Commander said. "So why is she alive?" He asked, referring to the female subject.

"Because only a small part of her body was affected by the MELD," Vahlen explained, eyeing the woman. "I can use the rest of her body for other genetic modification. Though this is perhaps the only exception. I will have to remove her eyes though, so the MELD doesn't accidentally contaminate another gene mod."

"Anything else?" The Commander asked, looking down the rows of cells.

"Yes," Vahlen began walking towards the end, motioning him to follow. "Our final test subject has been housing a secondary heart, which I hope will increase the chances our soldiers live should they suffer an otherwise fatal injury."

They stopped at the end cell, where a prisoner was secured to the wall with another scientist inside. His face was contorted in pain and sweat glistened on his body, dripping onto the slick floor.

"There are two issues we're running into," Vahlen explained, pursing her lips as she appraised the test subject. "The smaller heart seems to be in an uncomfortable position, almost painful I'd say from the data we've gathered. The other being that we're not having much luck getting the heart to work. Right now it's not doing anything, so we have no recourse but to see if a traumatic event jumpstarts it."

"How?" The Commander asked as Vahlen moved to open the cell door.

The scientist stepped aside as Vahlen approached. "It's simple," Vahlen stated, as she pulled out a small pistol. "We shoot him."

The Commander frowned. "That might kill him," he pointed out.

"Potentially," Vahlen shrugged. "But we've got all that we can out of him. This is all that remains." She flipped the grip to him in a surprisingly smooth motion. "You wish to do the honors?"

He took the pistol in his hand and eyed the test subject. "Of course,"

Vahlen nodded at her partner. "Begin monitoring," she looked up at the Commander. "Shoot his heart."

"Understood," he confirmed, lining up the shot. "Ready?"

"Fire at will," Vahlen confirmed.

The shot rang out and blood immediately spurted from the wound, the man screaming in agony as he writhed in his restraints. "Monitoring begun," the scientist informed. "Nothing so far…"

The Commander sighed and reloaded as blood began to pool on the ground. If nothing happened it was best to kill him quickly. No point in his suffering if it didn't have a purpose.

"Wait," Vahlen insisted, sharply raising a hand. "Give it a few more seconds."

The man was clearly fading, his thrashing going limper and his screams becoming quieter. "Hey! I think it's trying to work!" The scientist exclaimed and thrust the tablet towards Vahlen.

The Commander glanced over and saw a 3-D replication of the internal organs. The heart had a great gaping hole, but the smaller one next to it was pumping erratically. Even he could see it wasn't working properly. "Keep watch on him and monitor everything," Vahlen ordered. "I want to know how long he lasts and compare it to similar injuries."

"You're still going to let him die?" The Commander asked, curiously as he followed Vahlen out of the cell.

"We can't repair the damage to his heart from the wound you dealt it," Vahlen explained. "But now that the secondary heart is somewhat working, I should be able to fix my mistakes for the next subject."

"So where do you think you went wrong?" The Commander asked as they walked to the main gene lab.

"I made the mistake of treating the secondary heart as an…attachment of sorts," Vahlen explained, almost sounding embarrassed. "What I needed to do was modify the existing heart and also reduce it somewhat in size so both can fit in comfortably in the chest." She had taken a pen out of her pocket at some point and was twirling it between her fingers. "The hearts also need to work in conjunction, waiting for a traumatic jumpstart is unreliable and might provide some more advantages to our soldiers beyond survivability."

"A linked heart would increase stamina," the Commander noted, nodding as he thought about it. "Good job."

"I do my best," she smiled up at him. "Come here, I've also got something to show you."

They exited the Experimentation Labs and Vahlen practically dragged him over to a table that had a vial and within it…some kind of embryo? "I think I've done it," Vahlen stated, clear satisfaction in her voice. "A chryssalid embryo, remodified with MELD and traditional genetic modification. I've changed it's…parameters so to speak, to target anything non-human."

"How?" The Commander demanded incredulously.

"Humans exhibit certain pheromones," Vahlen explained as she set the vial back down. "The chryssalid was…programmed... to specifically prioritize them over anything else. The thing is, chryssalids are dangerous, even to the aliens. Chryssalids will go after humans first, but once humans are gone? They go after the aliens since they're attracted to the pheromones they excrete as well."

"Ah," the Commander nodded. "So how did you fix it? You just prioritized the alien pheromones?"

"That was the obvious," Vahlen agreed. "But then we'd run into the same problem, and unlike the aliens, we don't have dozens at our disposal and might want to use chryssalids multiple times. So instead, I made it so chryssalids ignore human pheromones and treat us like plants or any other kind of non-threatening object."

"Amazing," the Commander shook his head. "You outdid yourself this time. I assume it needs to be tested though?"

"It does," Vahlen confirmed. "And with your permission, I want to begin."

"I assume you'll be careful," the Commander said. "So consider it officially granted. Let me know the results as soon as possible."

"Will do Commander," she agreed vigorously. "Thank you for letting me do this."

He placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled. "Quite honestly, at this point I doubt you need my permission. I trust you."

She put her fingers over his own on her shoulder. "I'm glad you think so. But it would feel…wrong…not to ask first."

"I can understand," he empathized, letting his hand drop reluctantly. "I'll let you get back to work. But we should take a break sometime. Just talk, it's been awhile since our last."

She gave him a wide smile. "I'd like nothing more," she suddenly scowled. "Except maybe figuring out that issue with our boneless test subject."

He chuckled. "I'll see you later," he said, walking away and she turned back to her lab equipment.

He smiled to himself as he walked out. Yes, it had been a good idea to save this visit for last. He had a good feeling about what the future held now.