Journal of Randolf Snipes, CEO of X-Com
I was awake all night following the operation. We'd cleared up all the issues with the local law enforcement, and managed to reassure the French Government that a larger invasion wasn't likely. The soldiers had arrived home, and were spending their time lamenting their lost comrades, long before their bodies and the bodies of those who had killed them had arrived in the base. The "Sectoids" as the scientists had dubbed them, were gangly, wrinkled and grey, with large round eyes and oversized heads. They reminded my awfully of my father. What I had just seen was a million miles away from the world of accounting he had introduced me to.
The bodies of the aliens were shipped to some of our largest monetary contributors, to show them that their investment was worthwhile. We received increased funding later, on the caveat that we continue to send them alien artifacts.
One of our scientists approached me about the deceased soldiers. He said that he'd been involved in an experimental project prior to joining the team. He said, provided with some money, the bodies, some time, and no questions asked. They could be back on their feet within a few days, albeit with one or two side effects. I quickly mumbled an approval, as the rest of the science team walked in to show me their results.
They had developed sustainable laser weaponry. They assured me that they would have great combat potential, and an even greater market value. They were immediately put into manufacture.
January 10th
The dead soldiers returned today. They looked quite a bit different. I raised this with the scientist, who told me. "Just teething problems". When I pointed out that one used to be a man, that Anonomuss chap, he shrugged and went back to work.
If this wasn't a mission to save the earth I'd be dubious as to whether we should really be bringing people back from the dead.
January 13th
We picked up another contact on the radar today, which was brought down by our Interceptors above Sweden.
I was called away from the operations center by our architect who finally signed off on a plan for our base.
The operation was apparently over quickly. Trooper Cormac supplied the following report.
"We landed near the crash site. We could see the smoke plume miles away. It was another abandoned farm, one of our pilots told us that they had been directed to shoot the UFOs down near isolated areas to make any civilian reports less believable.
When we landed, we disembarked in stages, as we had been told. The tank left first and began to expand our operational intel.
Then our first four members moved out of the skyranger, they moved to surround the nearby farmhouse. They called that they had a contact, and moved to cover.
It turned out that disembarking in stages was a bad idea. While the scouts had surrounded the alien they found in the ground floor, another alien sniped at the next wave leaving the skyranger. Toastie collapsed, his skin blistering and blackening from the alien's plasma rifle. He was in shock and out cold. I tried to rescusitate him, but he died before he'd even left the skyranger.
The tank backed away and fired a missle at the alien sheltering in the top floor. It blew out the wall, and forced the alien to move downstairs. Where our troops were waiting, having destroyed any cover offered by the wall. That Anonomuss chick took them both down with two bursts.
Our tank moved off and found the UFO, turns out most of the aliens died in the crash. Good riddance I say."
21st January
We've expanded our research facilities quite substantially, using alien tech to fund our research into their tech. I have decided that one base is insufficient for our needs, as although Europe has experienced the greatest amount of alien activity that we have mostly managed to cover, Asia and America have also experienced some activity than have been too far away for our radars to detect. We will set up a secondary base in February, once our defensive measures are in place.
This morning saw our third UFO contact, it had landed in Greenland, and was a sitting target for our Skyranger crew. The chance of taking an intact UFO was too good to pass up and we scrambled our team, with an interceptor escort in case it'd take off.
I was once again able to oversee the mission, and enclose the audio transcipts, as well as some pict captures and the roster of agents who took part in the operation.
CEO_001: Skyranger, be advised. LZ is classed as an extreme environment.
SKY_000: Awknowledged CEO, operatives have been advised.
CEO_001: Best of Luck, Team. CEO on overwatch.
HWP_001: Moving out.
HWP_001: Be advised, we have been engaged. We have visual on our target.... Firing. Target missed.
SOL_001_Anon: Moving to engage.
SOL_001_Anon: Target eliminated.
HWP_001: Further targets up North. SOL_001, take cover by the landing gear.
SOL_001_Anon: Awknowledged, 003, moving to support. 002, taking cover behind HWP.
**The Squad spreads out, and the audio record holds details, as four aliens are singled out and dispatched. Below is the updated Aerial Intel, as the squad surrounded the entrance.**
SOL_001_Anon: Damn
SOL_006_Toas: What's up?
SOL_001_Anon: I have the wierdest feeling I've been here before.
SOL_006_Toas: C'mon let's get this done.
SOL_001_Anon: Alright, let's go.
SOL_001_Anon: My God, it's incredible.
SOL_006_Toas: Watch out!... Tango. *Gunfire*
SOL_006_Toas: 001 down. *Gunfire*
SOL_006_Toas: *Panting* Tangos down. We can go home.
**The incident passed off without further incident. Toastie was promoted to sergeant for his daring charge into the heart of an alien UFO.**
January 22th
X-Com's operations in Alpha base have come to an end. Our troops were home only a short while before the Alien's launched an attack directly upon our base. Our troops fought bravely, but were outnumbered, outgunned, and surrounded. My only regret is that we never finished our security counter-measures before the aliens attacked. Our soldier's sacrifice made the evacuation of the civilians possible, meaning a resistance may be mounted elsewhere. Find enclosed the security footage of the defence of our base that others may learn from where we have failed.
Trooped Cathy engages a "Cyberdisc", they appear to be impenatrable with normal projectile weapons, as Cathy hit it multiple times with Armor piercing auto cannon rounds to no apperant effect.
Aliens are able to penetrate our defences via the elevator shaft and via our hangar bays. Hangar equipment has also proved to be useful as impromtu explosives. Our tank design is vulnerable to point blank auto fire from plasma weapons.
When faced with almost certain death, the above two reactions, fear and anger are the most common. This can be avoided by avoiding such situations altogether.
Aliens appear to have the use of a mind control device also, as our men have turned upon themselves.
I have recovered a laser pistol, and intend to leave my office to engage the aliens. I do not expect to succeed, and as such I leave this message with a farewell to my parents, and my sweetheart Margaret, even if she didn't know it. I love you all. I only hope that I have done my duty.
--TRANSMISSION ENDED--
With the failure of the X-Com project he future now seems clear.
