PART A: A Thousand Worlds Apart

<Lovecraft Block, Mega Primus Slums>
        Kowaji took a bite of his synth cake, grimaced, and swallowed it gamely. It had been fresh when the gang runners handed out the weekly food dump from the Inside, but it had spent the last few days hidden inside some cartons in a shady corner of the block. Usually the cakes lasted a week, no problems, in his cool hidey hole, but from the smell of the cartons, some jerk must've pissed on the them. In the damp, some rat grey mould had colonized the surface of the synth cake. Now it was very hard and sour.
        The young boy took another bite, and struggled to gulp it down. It tasted terrible, but it was his only cake left, and there were still two days left 'til the next food hand out. Maybe tomorrow he would find some scraps in the block's garbage when they fill up the Evonet dumpster for the Inside, he hoped. But the bigger kids usually beat up the smaller ones unless their victim agreed to run errands or nick stuff for them to sell. The only other place to get food was from the gang runners, but they could be real nasty, and some of them wanted more than just running errands. Usually they picked the girls, but Kowaji had heard about the back rooms. Better the sour mouldy cake.
        Something was not right.
        The air was still, and in the night, there was not a whisper of sound.
        The big fans were quiet, Kowaji realized. The big fans that drew foul stale air up from the underground levels. Entire families lived down there, and the fans blew a constant steady eddy of sickening smells up from the hell underneath. Kowaji himself had escaped the hot, close confines when he was seven, when he found out about the outside.
        But now the fans were still. Kowaji put his cake down, and took a small step towards the fans. He hesitated, then turned back and put the synth cake in his pocket, the only one in his tattered shorts that didn't have a big gaping hole. With that done, he turned once again to face the fans, and crept closer. The fans didn't usually stop, and when they did, it was because the block's only tech savvy man decided to put in some new oil or swap a few bits for less worn ones. Right now it was still dark, and the tech man was sleeping in his shack on the other side of the block.
        As he got closer, Kowaji heard some thing. Little scratching noises, as if there were rats running inside the vent pipes. The vent pipes were pretty big, and were so steep that even the rats couldn't run up them. At the bottom of the vents were usually huge piles of rubbish, and on the days that the tech man came over to stop the fans, kids would get a few pieces of cardboard, and then slide screaming  down into the darkness. At the end, they ended up covered in smelly slime, but it was cool fun. Of course, the kids only used the pipes which led down to the lowest parking level. The other, longer pipes were for the underground warrens, and kids know if they go down there they will get eaten by the ghoulish inhabitants. Kowaji knew better since he came from one of those places, and knew that if you go down there, the gang guards wouldn't let you back out again in a hurry.
        "Yo man !" Called out Kowaji. The scratching noises stopped. Kowaji edged closer, but could see nothing. "What you doin' down vent ?" Called out Kowaji again.
        There was no reply. The small boy scratched his head, then went closer to get a better look. As he came to the edge of the vent, the scratching noises started again, and as Kowaji narrowed his eyes, he thought he could see something down inside.
Crazy below grounder, thought Kowaji. The gang runners don't usually allow below grounders to leave, but if you can give 'em some cool trinkets or do 'em some favours they might let you go. Kowaji had fetched and carried for two miserable months before one day the gang runner, a big man who goes by "Green Horror", gave him the nod and told him to piss on off and don't come back. He'd gone so fast through the gate that he didn't even  think of saying good bye to his mother.
        And some dumb caver was climbing up the vent.
        "Need hand, man ?" asked Kowaji. He knew where a few plastic cables leftover from one of the tech man's jobs were left. He still got no response however.
        As the dark shape below came closer to reaching the top, Kowaji started getting real bad vibes. Something wasn't quite right. The thing in the vent looked yellow, and it had two arms and legs like everyone else, but something about the head... the shape of the head. It looked kinda long.
        "Shit... this no good... " muttered Kowaji. He backed away from the vent, then as fear gripped his heart, turned and ran like hell. Behind him, the scrabbling noises became louder, then suddenly there was this muffled explosion.
        Bits of the shattered fan streaked pass the running boy, one opening a deep slash in his right thigh. Kowaji gasped in pain, and fell over. He tried to get up, but there was something wrong with his leg. He rolled on his back, looked down, and to his horror could see bone. Blood was pumping out in spurts, and he could see torn muscle dangling weakly inside the deep cut.
        There was movement, and Kowaji looked up to see the thing from the vents float towards him. It had a hunched look to the set of its shoulders, and it "hung" in the air as if it was being held up by invisible strings. The thing itself was entirely yellow, and it had these gaps in its legs, but what scared him most was the face - two eyes widely set high on the forehead, and a round mouth that opened in a toothed snarl.
        The weird floating creature held this purple tube thing in its hand, and it hissed something with its weird mouth. Kowaji just stared in horror at the monster that had suddenly come from the bowels of the hells below, then drew breath for a scream.
The creature stiffened, then something shot out of the purple weapon's snout. It flew through the air, and before Kowaji could even scream, dived down onto his belly. There was this moment of total icy cold, then Kowaji felt  warm liquid splash all over the front of his body. Shocked, Kowaji scrabbled to try and get the liquid off, but then something began to burn.
        It started as the warmth he had felt, then intensified until it was an inferno of heat searing through his skin. Before his horrified eyes, Kowaji's saw the plastic fibres of his shirt and trousers began to melt away, then his hands, arms and belly began to peel. Smoke was curling up from his body, and the peeling skin wrinkled, turned a dull red, then blackened. Kowaji twisted as pain clawed at his body, and felt strips slough off onto the rough ground below to bubble and seethe on the harsh plascrete.
        "AAAAAAIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEE !" screamed Kowaji, his howl rending the night air.
        All about the Lovecraft Block, sleeping slum blockers shot bolt upright in their beds and came awake with terror in their hearts. They turned to each other with questioning looks, but could find no answer. Babies cried, then lights came on one by one, shedding a dull yellowish glow down onto the cold plascrete. Doors hissed open, and the gravlifts whined as the slum blockers hurried from room to room, checking, asking, comforting. A few of the braver blockers accompanied the gang runners down the grav lifts and into the cool night air.
        Immediately they smelled an unfamiliar stench. It was a  kind of broiled smell, but with an acidic taint to it that one slum blocker commented reminded him of Evonet's giant recycling vats, where bacteria and enzymes broke down organic materials back into soup to feed the food yeast. There was also the metallic taint of iron in the air, and a few more experienced blockers thought they smelt blood.
        "Damn, this is some nasty stink. " said another slum blocker.
        "Yeah, but what the hell was that scream ?" demanded another, looking more angry than scared.
        "Sounds like some kid to me. " declared a gang runner who had been awake and on duty on level two.
        "Bloody kids.. screaming their heads off middle of the fukking night.. " muttered the first slum blocker.
        "If I catch the little bastard I'm gonna tear his hide right off his backside !"  snarled the annoyed blocker.
        One of the slum blockers' boots kicked on something, and it skidded across the ground before hitting a pillar with a dull CLONK.
        "What's this cake doing out here ?" said the slum blocker.
        The others crowded around, and they all agreed it was a synth cake, down to the two bites that someone had taken out of it. It was pock-marked and looked as if something had mauled it, but it was still recognizable as an Evonet synth cake.
        "Must've dropped it when he ran. " suggested a slum blocker.
        "It's got crap all over it. Must've dropped it in this goo puddle. " pointed out the slum blocker who had come across the cake first.
        "What the hell is this crap ?" Asked a slummer. Another slummer nearby picked up a length of metal piping and poked at the puddle. To their surprise, the metal pipe dissolved as it touched the goo.
        "Strong stuff !" Exclaimed the slummer with the pipe.
        "Leave it alone. Ya wouldn't wanna step in THAT. "
        The other slummers agreed, and edged away.
        There was some comments about the puddle of evil smelling goo, and people wondering what the hell was going on, but the slum blockers, finding nothing, gave up and headed back up the gravlifts. Lights blinked out one by one, and silence descended upon Lovecraft Block once again.
        It was not until next morning that a slum blocker noticed one of the vent fans had been blown into little bits scattered about the place. In the resulting uproar over who should pay for the new vent fan the minor matter of the midnight scream and the evil smelling puddle of goo was forgotten.

<Utopia Mansions, inner city>
        The receptionist blew on her nails to dry her neon pink varnish, then picked up the nail file again. Of course, with nano cosmetic suites, a girl could programme her own "look" for the day and have it done within five minutes. Like other public relations girls who spend their days waiting for someone to come and request assistance, she had developed the art of manual manicure to something approaching a fine art on its own. So far she had managed to make each nail take half an hour, and she had heard rumours how certain receptionists could time it so their final coat of varnish is dry as their shift ended, in time for the night out. Right now she still depended on a few holos to pass the last two hours.
        She looked up as the front doors opened, and dropped her nail file in shock. Her hand crept towards the alarm panel, but she hesitated.
        The two Megapol officers, a man and a woman, were in regular Megapol uniform, but they also wore heavy duty flak vests with SWAT stencilled on the front and back. The woman carried a nano computer case under one arm, while the man, a captain, had an assault rifle slung over one shoulder.
        The two strode up to the receptionist's counter, and the captain flipped over his police ID.
        "Megapol SWAT operations. Please move away from your console please. " said the captain.
        The receptionist stared at the two in terror, because she knew that she was supposed to hit the alert button. It had been made quite painfully clear to her the end results of not following the owner's instructions.
        "Damn. " the Megapol captain noted the woman's indecision, took out a stun rod and tapped her on the shoulder with it. The receptionist sat bolt upright, then toppled from her chair with a glassy look.
        "Well, at least we know we're in the right building. " commented the other Megapol cop as she walked around the counter and sat down in the recently vacated seat.
        "She was definitely told to hit the alert. I think we could be in for some trouble here. " said the captain.
        The woman worked quickly and efficiently, flipping open the nano computer and plugging in the data jacks. A moment later, she powered up her system, and began overriding the building's internal maintenance network.
        "All the classic signs here, captain. " reported the woman. "Heavy duty firewall for outside cybernet connections, multiple overlapping fields of views for automated monitors.... and the alert button isn't wired to Megapol, it goes right up to the target's apartment. There's also some ICE, but mainly commercial ones. Nothing black. "
        "Martinez, how long do you  think it will take to set the conditions for Phase One ?" asked the captain, checking his wrist chrono.
        "No problems. From the outside, it would've taken an hour or two. But from here, it's easy. I've got the monitors looped, and yes... the building's communications are now on hold. One moment here... corridor alarms are now deactivated. The coast is clear, sir. "
        The Captain listened to the running commentary, then spoke into his headset.
        "All teams, execute Dark Light, Phase One.  I repeat, execute Dark Light, Phase One. "
        Immediately there was some commotion outside, and the sound of movement.
        A Megapol SWAT team in full black armour came quickly through the front door. The team leader made a confirm gesture to the officers at the receptionist's deck, then directed his team to the gravlifts. Within moments, they were gone, as if they had never been there.
        "I've managed to split the sensor feeds, sir. You can watch the whole operation from the holo displays. " reported Martinez, still tapping away. "The bad guys are getting just loops. "
        The Captain watched the SWAT teams begin to swarm the building. A Valkyrie had secured the roof, while SWAT troopers equipped with the Marsec jump pack flew up to cover the windows of the target apartment. Further out he knew expert marksmen watched the entire scene. Valkyries, hover bikes and hovercars were lurking out of sight, ready for any escape attempt. This was a high risk, high gain operation, and if the target escaped, the Senate was going to come down on Megapol pretty hard.
        "I've broken into the target's security net. It had a buffer, but I went in through the external sensor feeds. I'm uploading the apartment internal scenes to the SWAT operations centre. I don't see any problems with the inside. Some thermal traces which are probably people, but the boys in black can handle it. " said Martinez.
        "Initiate Phase Two when you are ready. " said the Captain over the comm link.
        "We've got the data, we're distributing it... we have the green light from all units. " reported SWAT operations. "We are initiating Phase Two. "
        More SWAT teams entered the building, then all through the building sleeping citizens were woken up, and curtly told to that they will have to leave the building. Invariably the rich self important ones (basically all of them) demanded that they call the officer in charge to come and personally explain to them WHY they were being disturbed at night, and couldn't they send notice in advance ? A few more extreme cases refused to budge at all, and were summarily stunned and carted out of the building.
        "Phase Two is complete. " reported SWAT operations.
        "Let's move it. Phase Three, activate. " said the captain.
        "All units, Phase Three is GO. I repeat, Phase Three is GO. " broadcasted SWAT operations. 

        SWAT team Sabre had been tasked the front door entry team. When the go ahead came, everyone was in position. With a gesture from the team leader, one of the troopers hit the switch and blew the apartment's door in. It had been a custom built armoured security gate, but the plasma charge blew right through the heavy gauge plasteel frames and with a solid kick from the lead trooper, the door crashed down.
        Stun gas grenades were hurled into the apartment, followed by a cluster of flash-bangs. Equipped with small oxygen packs, the Sabre troopers stormed into the stun gas cloud, unaffected by the swirling green mist. Almost immediately they encountered opposition. There was the rattle of automatic fire, and one of the Sabre troopers was hurled against the wall, riddled with autocannon shells. Others hit the deck, and returned fire.
        "PEGASUS GO GO GO !" yelled the Sabre leader over the tac-net.
        The SWAT team with the call sign Pegasus reacted immediately. Plasma swords arced, and smashed right through the plascrystal windows. More flash bangs and stun grenades were tossed through the broken windows, but when the Pegasus troopers went in, the casualties were even heavier. Autocannon shells punched easily through the Marsec torso armour and the tac-net was filled with screams.
        "WE GOT TURRETS ! WE HAVE MEN DOWN, AND WE'RE PINNED !" reported the frantic Sabre leader.
        "What the hell... where did they come from ? The scans didn't... " exclaimed Martinez.
        "They must've got word some how.... " muttered the captain.
        The building shook, the comm link stuttered, then SWAT operations came online again.
        "They've took one of the turrets out. Pegasus is still trapped on the balcony and the dining area... Sabre is trying to break through to them now. Claymore is coming down from the roof, but there's more guns there too ! The place is a death trap !"
        "Get Pegasus out of there ! Send in Tomahawk and Rapier !" ordered the captain.
        "On their way !" answered SWAT operations.
        The two new SWAT teams ran through the front door, and went up the gravlifts in a rush.
        "Pegasus disengaged. Casualties at sixty percent, and bio signs are dropping out. We need to secure area soon, and get medevac in there !" reported SWAT operations.
        "Martinez, see if you can turn on the lights for them. Turrets aren't affected by the dark !" ordered the captain.
        "I've got it.. shit, all the hardware ! They had the the security feeds layered  !" exclaimed Martinez as they finally got a real look at the apartment. The entire apartment was criss-crossed with power cables and boxes of ammunition linked together. But what caught their attention was the large orange crate in the middle of the living area.
        "That's a BOMB !" exclaimed Martinez.
        The Captain stared at the screen in disbelief, then yelled into the headset: "EVACUATE THE AREA ! THE PLACE IS WIRED TO EXPLODE !"
        The order was easier said than done, with cannon shells tearing at the walls and knocking down troopers as they tried to comply. Casualties were picked up and with dragged as quickly as possible towards the exits. Hovercars braved the storm of autocannon fire from the inside of the apartment to load up the evacuating SWAT teams, while others ran for the roof or escaped down the grav lifts. Some how, the apartment was abandoned within minutes to the turrets which were firing at shadows and smoke.
        "I think we better get out of here, captain.... that looks like some real hot stuff. " suggested Martinez.
        "Damn it ! The operation was supposed to be secure ! Give me a hand with the girl... let's go. "
        The two Megapol officers lifted the unconscious receptionist, and left the building as quickly as possible. Even as they made their way down the front walkway, they could see signs of the operation scattered about. A hovercar wreck burned in the rose bushes, while shattered plascrystal glittered on the lawn. Here and there were splashes of blood, no doubt from the flying Marsec troopers as they evacuated through the air.
        "Sir, we are getting real high thermal readings from the apartment ! You better hurry !" called out a Megapol technician.
        "Shit. " muttered Martinez, and they increased their pace a little.
        Even as they made it behind the sheltering bulk of a police cruiser and put the receptionist down, the bomb exploded.
 
        "Bloody hell. " said a SWAT trooper, his visor flecting a red glow from the explosion. Then the noise hit them, a ear bursting rumble that increased in intensity until everyone clapped their hands over their ears.
        "GET UNDER COVER !" yelled a more alert SWAT officer. "INCOMING !"
        Debris rained down, chunks of plascrete mixed with titanium. A Wolfhound suffered a direct hit, and went up in a spectacular explosion, taking several SWAT troopers and Megapol patrollers with it. Several unlucky Megapol cops were hit as well, and one was killed instantly when a section of a marble pillar landed on her head. Broken limbs and busted ribs were more common, and there was dust everywhere.
        Seconds ticked by, then the Megapol officers looked out cautiously.
        "Took out the entire upper half ! Hot damn !" said a trooper.
        "The Senate is NOT going to like this.... " muttered the captain. "But how did they know ? The whole operation was airtight from the time we got the call.... "

<The Senate, Department of Public Housing Maintenance>
        "I am sorry, but Senator Dupont is in a meeting and will not be available today... Would you like me to leave him a message ? "
        "You need the Department of Public Housing Allocation, please hold while I transfer your call...."
        "No, this is the Senate. The Nest of Vipers is extension 3421... "
        "Ma'am, that is what I have been trying to tell you. The Edict prohibits the keeping of ALL Mercurian fungi.. are you there ? Hello ? Hello ?"
        "We'll have a crew down immediately... please hold. "
        "No sir, we do not have any units that fit your requirements. Yes, you've told us you're licensed to carry hidden firearms as a part of your work, but we do not currently have any units that can be refitted into an indoor firing range. It is also against the City Edicts to discharge your weapons outside licensed training facilities... "
        "Aliens living next door ? Ma'am, the Alien Wars are long over.... yes of course, but there are currently no aliens in Mega Primus...  X-Com has been long disbanded... yes, I've heard the rumours... "
        "... Very well, but you do realize that early return of unit incurs loss of deposit ? Yes of course, but it's in your contract. We have it on record here... "
        One of the operators took off her headset, and stretched. She was to say the least, stunning. A brunette with shoulder length hair, she carried herself with a dignified air.
        "Out to water garden again, Marie ?" asked one of the nearby operators, a dark woman bedecked with beads.
        "Oh yes. " answered the girl. "It's really too dry inside here. "
        "My kind of place. " smiled the dark woman. "It was always damp back in the slums." she went back to answering calls.
        The young woman went over to her locker, took out a small hand spray, and went to the side of the vast office level which was made of entirely plascrystal. There flowers and all sorts of green plants bloomed, soaking up the sunlight. Patiently, she began watering the plants one by one. Water wasn't scarce here, and everyone liked the small garden she was keeping out here. A few others have even bought plants for her, since pot plants were quite rare in Mega Primus. These now blossomed under her care.
        Outside, one could see Primus Parkway, where an endless stream of midday traffic sped along, assisted by the anti-gravity circuits embedded in the road.

<Primus Parkway, outside the Senate>
        The Wolfhound APC painted in bright Megapol blue did not attract undue notice from the other vehicles on the road. Recently the media in Mega Primus had commented on the abnormally large number of police casualties revealed by a leaked Megapol internal memo, and had suggested that Megapol be given greater freedom in its choice of patrol vehicles. While the police cruisers were "pleasing to behold and a stylish statement of Mega Primus values", it was felt that maybe the police needed more protection and should have patrols of more than two officers.
        As a result, Megapol was authorized by the Senate to use Wolfhounds on patrol duties about the city, and since then the police cruisers have been relegated to duty in daylight hours. Day and night, specialist Megapol "SAFE" squads travelled along the roads of Mega Primus aboard such Wolfhounds as this, never more than five minutes away from any point within the city.
        This particular Wolfhound however was not owned by Megapol. Its passengers were not Megapol SAFE squad officers either. Instead, it was loaded with a full group of Xcom agents who were being transferred to Shiva Base. Unlike other occasions, there was very little chatter amongst the agents. This was because most of them were new rookies, and half of them have never been to Mega Primus before. Those who weren't Mega Primus citizens were too busy looking at their brand new surroundings to talk, while the others were more subdued, nervous with anticipation of entering the unknown. One rookie was reading a holo, but the other rookies eyed each other. All of them had passed the intensive X-Com screening process, and now they were being assigned to Shiva Base to bolster the operations groups there, since Shiva was concentrated mainly on research, and did not get called out to as many major sweeps as the Westland Base's battle hardened squads. This was all about to change however. Colonel Gallagher had reported an increase in alien activity in his sector, and had requested reinforcements to keep a tighter hold over the outer slums.
        Captain Dawson sat up near the front of the Wolfhound's passenger section. Unlike the rookies, he was not in a jump-suit but wearing Marsec powered armour, minus the helmet which rested on the bench beside him. Next to him sat Amy Nichols, now promoted to Sergeant and in command of Shiva Base's two Psi squads. Nichols, like Dawson, was watching the rookies intently, although she did it on a deeper level, using her psionic powers. Right now she was picking up anxiety, expectation and some bravado, but this was normal for rookies. From all signs she had observed so far, the off world X-Com operatives had done a good job of weeding out the cranks and misfits. And since the Commander had given this batch the go ahead, these rookies being assigned to her own base looked like they might amount to some thing.
        "So what do you think ?" said Dawson in a low voice.
        Nichols turned slightly, and smiled.
        "It's all a cool blue. I think Shiva Base just become more combat effective than Westland. "
        Dawson grinned, and shook his head.
        "Nichols, you know Westland kicks Shiva every time we have a linked training session. Remember how our Alpha squad just rolled over your entire Group Two ?"
        "How could we forget ? Galina gave us hell on that one, being the only one to survive. You sure she didn't leak our tactical plans to you ?"
        "Of course not. " Dawson said.  "You are just bad losers. You know as well as me that your squads were huddling and not using cover. "
        "There was no call for the missiles ! You were playing aliens, and aliens don't have anything with the kind of range and firepower of a heavy launcher. " argued Nichols.
        "The Commander ruled it fair. " answered Dawson.
        "And the Commander runs Westland. Of course she ruled it in your squad's favour !"
        "You know better than that, Nichols.... hang on, we're coming up to the Senate. "
        "Switch is on this side, I'll open the side vision slots. " Nichols flipped open the plastic cover, and tapped one of the keys.
        "Thanks. " said Dawson, as armoured panels in the side of the Wolfhound rose in their frames to let the light from the outside world shine into the dimly lit interior.
        "Okay, rookies, listen up... what you are about to see is the Senate, the seat of government in Mega Primus. " said Dawson, raising his voice so everyone can hear him.
        "For those of you who are from off-world, the Senate runs Mega Primus, sets laws, and also contributes to X-Com's running costs. We operate in Mega Primus with the Senate's permission, so don't EVER do anything to upset them if you can help it. Over to you, Sergeant. " Dawson nodded at Nichols.
        "Thank you, Captain. " Nichols cleared her throat.
        "You have all been assigned to Shiva Base, X-Com's second base of operations in Mega Primus. It's been online since the end of last month, and we're tasked with the security of the outer city slums as well as the north western sector of the city proper. Shiva Base serves as the primary advanced production facility for X-Com's Mega Primus operations, with two advanced workshops, but we also have an advanced lab in both fields of research to supplement the research effort of Westland Base. " Nichols paused, scanning each rookie with her psi sense.
        "The precise location of Shiva Base will not be revealed to you, but upon arrival you will be issued with a special item of equipment known as the Homing Pigeon. It's actually your standard Mega Primus People Tubes transit smart card, but with another added function. "
        Nichols held up a blue coloured smart card, with the People Tubes logo emblazoned on it.
        "This extra function is individually coded to your bio life signs. Upon insertion, it will ask for confirmation, and when that is received, you will be routed through the People Tubes at a very high speed with ultra priority until you arrive at Base. This is to be used only in an emergency.... "
        Dawson let Nichols' voice drift over him, while he looked out of a vision slot. No matter how many times he saw the Senate building, it always amazed him how people could bear to work in a building that looked like a cross between a giant toaster and a flying saucer.
        Something caught Dawson's eyes as they roved over the front facade of plascrystal. Something... green ? He focused a bit further, and realized that some one has been cultivating what seemed to be plants in one of the offices, and it glowed a light green in the sunlight. How odd. Not many people in Mega Primus took up gardening, since the parks were more than adequate if you wished to enjoy a close encounter with nature.
        With a start, he remembered that his fiancé also enjoyed keeping small pot plants. Back at Tranquility Base, water was strictly rationed, but she persisted in keeping her small cactus in the living room, and called it "Spiky". Dawson grinned at the memory, and wondered when he will see her again. They had been planning to mary in March, but that had been two months ago. He had decided to accept the offer to join X-Com, and while he could only tell her that he was on going on some out of Base assignment, she had understood. She had promised to wait for however long it took. Well, the Commander had the entire situation under control, and the aliens were bound to get the kicking they deserved within a few months. Then he could finally settle down with the girl he had first met in first grade.
        "Wow, what a lady !" whispered a rookie to another nearby, pointing at the Senate.
        Dawson followed the direction the rookie was pointing, and paled.
        "MARIE !" he cried out.

PART B: Rolling Thunder, Flash Lightning

<X-Com Base "Westland", Commander's Office>
        Those who had the misfortune to venture near the Commander's office hurried by as they heard voices raised in argument.
        "....Captain, there is to be NO contact. This is a direct order. " snapped the Commander.
        "But she can't stay ! Mega Primus is too... " argued Dawson.
        "The security guide lines are there for a reason, and there are  NO EXCEPTIONS. " the Commander glared at Dawson. "Captain Dawson, the next time you attempt to establish unauthorized outside communications I will have you SHOT. Is that CLEAR ?"
        The Captain gritted his teeth.
        "Just one message, and that would be it !"
        The Commander remained implacable.
        "You have two options, Captain. You can either blow your way into the communications center, or resign from X-Com. "
        Dawson was absolutely still for a few heart beats, as his sense of duty warred with his personal feelings. Then he made up his mind.
        "DAMN YOU. " Dawson hissed through gritted teeth. With one quick motion he ripped his Xcom rank insignia patch from his jump-suit and slammed them down on the desk. "I QUIT !"
        The Commander did not hesitate. She tapped the comm panel, and summoned security.
        "Mr Dawson is leaving the base within half an hour to return to civilian life. See to it. "
        The head of base security looked surprised, but knew better than argue. He nodded, and a moment later came personally with a security team to escort Dawson out of the Commander's office.
        The doors closed behind them, and the Commander sank back into her seat, exhausted.
        "I am sorry Dawson, but there's no other way. " she muttered, and hit the commlink activation panel.
        The commlink remained black as it bleeped the receiving terminal, but then the holo display came alive again.
        "Yes ma'am ?" said Nicki Black, the base's chief psionic. Still a sergeant, he was however acknowledged as the strongest X-Com psionic in both bases, and fulfilled the same role as "regimental sergeant major" in the old armies.
        "Dawson has just quit the team. You know what to do. "
        Nicki Black's large eyes narrowed slightly, then he nodded.
        "Yes ma'am. I was wondering why he was radiating like that. Usually the training I give them make sure that unless they know you are there, they can't sense enough of your thoughts to mind control you. "
        "Well, he is having some emotional problems. Just make sure that he is absolutely cleared. We can't afford to miss one single scrap of memory. He was a captain, after all. "
        "I am always thorough... " Nicki Black looked away, then turned back to the holo screen. "He's here, and they've got him up on the slab. If you don't mind... "
        "Not at all. I'll leave you to it. Dismissed." The Commander tapped the comm panel, watched the holo flicker out, and sighed.
        Mind scrubbing was an unpleasant experience. It was easier to create memory blocks, but someone with Dawson's level of mental discipline would find those blocks easily. The Senate had banned any form of tampering with human minds as part of its curbs on the hybrid population after discovering attempts to sway the population during elections. She agreed with the measures, but it also meant that a victim of mental blocks can go to a Sanctuary Clinic and have one of the few hybrid or human psionics licensed to use their skills within the city limits find out what was behind those blocks.
        X-Com was thus forced to employ mind scrubbing. Everything that has happened from the time the subject was approached by X-Com to him being "positioned" back into society will be be over written by a whole new set of  memories. The problem with Dawson was the girl, Marie. She was in Mega Primus, and had already proved a liability. Ideally they should use a bit of psi on her and persuade her to return to the moon. Marie however worked for a department of the Senate and that made mind scrubbing an outright impossibility. The public service was screened every day before they were allowed into their office, a procedure that Stella herself had proposed to the Senate.
        Stella looked at the time, then checked her personal schedule.
        "Damn, I am already late !" She muttered. She shut down all the nano computers, activated the security system and after carefully adjusting her jump-suit and gun belt, left the office. She was supposed to be in a tactical sim run over in the training room right now. She wished Dawson luck in her heart, and hoped that he and Marie will survive the war. And have more of a future than she did with Davidson.

<X-Com Base "Westland", Medi-Bay>
        Sergeant Nicki Black adjusted the bio-monitors to get it more secure, then stood back to check everything was running correctly. As a precaution, he checked the restraints. With the drugs currently running through Dawson's system, he doubted that the man could ever wake up without the antidote, but it was better to be safe than dead. One of the techs down in the biochemstry labs thought the live skeletoid specimen they had was too doped up to the eyeballs with stun gas to be of a threat, and had gone in there to take some quick daily readings without following standard procedure. The end result was a container full of tech bits, and a very valuable skeletoid specimen killed by the lab's containment systems. The Commander had been understandably upset, because the troops will now have to risk their lives to capture another live skeletoid for the scientists to finish their research.
        He locked the medi-bay doors to make sure that he will not be interrupted during this very delicate and highly classified procedure, then picked up the mindbender. So far nobody of above the rank of squad leader had left X-Com alive, and Dawson was going to prove a challenge because he had been in X-Com for quite some time and as an officer, had access to a lot of confidential internal operations information.
        Unlike combat psionics, where brute force was necessary, this type of work did not take a lot of energy. What it does need however is skill and patience. One wrong move, and you get someone who has suddenly forgotten his own name, his own identity, or a myriad of other things ranging from how to spell simple words like "xenopsychology" to more complicated skill based things like "astro navigation". Megapol has an entire department dedicated to "clean ups" after X-Com operations to ensure that the news don't cause mass panic, but they simply wiped short term memories , which was a lot easier than long term memories which was not kept in any discernible order. Most civilians don't notice it either.
        Black let his breathing slow to a steady pace, gripped his mindbender securely, then fed energy into it slowly. Its crystal elerium circuits glowed, then changed to a shade of purple signifying that it was charged. Without further hesitation, Black focused his thoughts and with the intensity of his mind powers amplified by the mindbender, entered Dawson's sleeping mind.

<Megapol Judgement Central, Operations Administration>
        The Captain of  SWAT Group 5 waiting in the reception area of Megapol's Mega Primus district operations supervisor was a tough professional. He had originally graduated near the bottom of his class with a not so positive evaluation. As a result he was assigned to the slums where officer attrition was high and where replacements were always needed. There he had surprised the administration by surviving his rookie patrols and then coming out alive during a vicious war between Psyke and Diablo when Megapol officers kept being caught in the crossfire.
        Five years onward, he had become one of the most respected Megapol officers on the rolls, and SWAT Group 5 was privately considered by some to be the Ops Admin's group of choice for the more important missions. Today however Group 5 was in disgrace over the disaster at Utopia Mansions, and had been "binned" until a full debriefing is conducted. Nearly half of the SWAT Group's tactical teams were out of action for reasons of death or injuries, and a number of Megapol cops had become casualties when the bomb took off the top of the luxury apartment block. Accusations were thick in the air, and right now, it was Captain Markus Ligatto's turn to come up before the man who decides the ultimate fate for Megapol officers within Mega Primus.
        "The Supervisor will see you now, Captain. " announced the young enforcer at the desk.
        The Captain picked up his cap with SWAT emblazoned across its front and stood up, adjusted his uniform slightly, then walked over to the door. He paused for it to open, then walked through. He came to stiff attention in front of his superior's desk, and saluted.
        "Captain Ligatto reporting as ordered, sir. "
        The supervisor did not return the salute.
        "At ease, captain. Take a seat. "
        Captain Ligatto sat down in one of the chairs, and waited for the supervisor to start.
        "Well, Captain. By now every one in the city has heard how the Utopia Mansions was blown up, and Megapol SWAT was involved. I've seen the preliminary reports, but I would like to hear from you before making my decision. " The Supervisor uttered each word clear and precisely, and his expression was unreadable.
        Markus kept his expression wooden as well.
        "I received the an Omicron directive from Ops Admin at 1100 yesterday with a warrant to conduct a search and seizure operation at Utopia Mansions, with the primary objective of arresting a suspected member of the Diablo leadership cadre, Oscar Narcson, AKA the 'Ogre'.... "
        The Supervisor raised a hand, signalling for the Captain to stop.
        "That is all in the reports, Captain. What I want to know, is WHAT the hell HAPPENED. How did a secure, short notice operation suddenly turn into the biggest foul-up this city has ever seen ?"
        "I believe that our objective was warned before the raid, with enough time to actually decided to set up a trap. "
        "Why do you think that it was a hastily set up ambush ? Maybe your information was faulty, Captain. Maybe you were careless ?"
        "Our information came straight from the intelligence branch. After receiving the authorization, I put a covert team on full time surveillance up until the time we initiated phase one, sir. We couldn't perform any external scanning because the building is scrambler shielded, but intel assured us the target was there. "
        "So it was intel's fault, Captain ? Bad information ? They were duped into sending SWAT teams into a trap ?"
        The Captain did no reply, but the Supervisor knew that the officer would not be prepared to comment adversely about the intelligence branch. SWAT depended on intelligence to plan their missions, and the fact that it went bad this time was no reason to bad-mouth their comrades in another section of Megapol.
        "So why did eleven SWAT troopers die, Captain ?" demanded the Supervisor.
        "There must've been a breach of security somewhere, sir. I've looked over all the security camera data we managed to download, and the apartment looks... lived in. The analysts attached to the Group agree that the gun turrets had been set up pretty hastily with no attempt at protecting the power cables. If we had been prepared, we could have easily disabled those turrets. But we had gone in expecting small arms fire and maybe some physical close combat, but nothing like military hardware that we encountered. "
        "Understandable. " The Supervisor tapped a stylus against his glass table top absent mindedly. "So you think we have a problem with security. "
        "No sir. " Answered the Captain.
        "No ? " The Supervisor was surprised. Usually officers tried to shift the blame, and interdepartmental rivalry along with the occasional back stabbing had become all too common with the amount of pressure that the entire Megapol contract crew for Mega Primus had been under lately.
        "I have confidence in our security procedures, sir. But our security is not as rigorous once beyond our immediate organization. The only explanation I can give for our failure is that maybe, the squeal was playing us off against Diablo. "
        The Supervisor looked at the Captain for a long time without speaking, and then nodded.
        "Very good, Captain. That was what the intelligence branch came up with. Very good indeed. Maybe we are over staffing the intelligence department. "
        The Supervisor leaned forward however, and lowered his voice to a whisper.
        "The problem with THAT particular theory is, the directive to launch the operation came straight from the SENATE. "
        "Oh SHIT. " breathed the Captain.
        "Well put, Captain. And the Senate wants someone's head for this mess. "
        "I am willing to take full responsibility for the failure of the operation sir !" answered the Captain stiffly.
        "No need. The Senate does not dictate our internal personnel management. "
        "Very well sir. Am I  on suspension and removed from command ?"
        "On the records you are. " The Supervisor adjusted something, and the lights of the office flickered momentarily.
        "This is entirely off the record. Your group has been reassigned, but you are still technically in command of the group with full operational freedom. Here's a list of other officers from SWAT Group 5 who have been also placed on suspension pending further investigation. " The Supervisor passed over a piece of paper. "Memorize it, then dispose of it in that recycler. These officers have all been briefed as to their current assignment. "
        The Captain scanned the piece of paper, and nodded. "So what is my new assignment ?"
        "We think there's something going on in the Senate, in particular Senator Mappelthorpe. We have always suspected, but never been able to prove, that he has contacts with the criminal organizations. Our contract forbids us from interfering with Mega Primus' political affairs unless we have clear evidence of guilt. "
        "So we're setting up a covert deniable operation, sir ?" asked the Captain.
        "Your primary suspect is Senator Mappelthorpe. Under no circumstances are you to undertake direct action against the Senator. But intelligence suggests that you might try contact the criminal organizations under the cover of arranging a cease fire. As officers whose units has just been severely mauled, they should not take much convincing that you want to minimize further bloody encounters like this. How you are going to go about doing this is entirely up to you. "
        The Captain nodded. "I will try my best sir. What if we are caught ?"
        "You better not. Megapol does not intend to have the service contract with Mega Primus terminated by the Senate. You are dismissed, captain. "
        "Yes sir. " The Captain saluted, about turned, and as he went by the recycler, tossed the scrap of paper in.
        Behind him, the Supervisor was tapping his desk again.
        "Mappelthorpe, you made a big mistake this time. " he growled. "We ain't just your cannon fodder. "

<The Senate, Senator Mappelthorpe's Office>
        The secretary cowered at her console as sounds of expensive furnishings being demolished seeped past the office doors. The Senator was in a terrible rage, and she knew that if the Senator thought of it, she will probably suffer some extremely unpleasant fate. She had no idea why the Senator was so angry, but she wished once again she had not been assigned to the Senator. If she ever breathed a word, to any one, about what people the Senator had access with, Senator Mappelthorpe will eventually hear about it and a quick death would be the last thing on HIS mind.
        Suddenly, the sound of things crashing against the walls stopped. A moment later, the comm panel bleeped. The secretary winced, but composed herself and answered the Senator's call.
        "Yes sir ?"
        "Put a call through to Diablo. "
        "But sir... "
        "PUT A GODDAMED CALL THROUGH TO DIABLO !" snarled the Senator.
        The secretary paled, and trembled.
        "Yes sir, right away !" she managed to get out past her clattering teeth. The Senator's holo display blinked off, and there was simply silence.
        The secretary was versed with some of the Senator's security rules, and what she had just been ordered to violated several of them. Before now, the Senator had always made sure that the calls are made only when security scans are not scheduled at any of the routers on the way, but right now it was touch and go.....

        "Explain yourself, Taylor. " snapped the Senator.
        "What is wrong, Senator ?" asked Diablo's Dragon.
        The Senator curled his lip in a sneer.
        "What is wrong, indeed.... I was kind enough to warn you of an impending raid... and you had the gall to try kill off the Megapol SWAT teams. That was NOT a smart move. "
        "But we kicked their butts, Senator !" protested the Dragon. "We taught them not to mess with Diablo !"
        "If your little pet Ogre had simply not been in the apartment, that would've been it. But you insisted on blowing the hell out of the SWAT teams and then spreading half the Utopia Mansions for five blocks. THAT has come to the attention of the Senate, and they are NOT happy about it. Neither am I. A full investigation is being launched, and I suggest you watch your back. "
        The Dragon's jaw dropped.
        "A full investigation ?"
        "Yes, you fool ! A full investigation ! You will have to ride out the storm by yourself. I am no longer going to cover your little tracks. In fact, I am feeling quite willing to release some names. "
        "Senator, I am sure we can come to some arrangement ! There is no..."
        "Shut your mouth, Taylor... I made sure you got to the top of Diablo, and I kept you there for a reason. But if you do anything without my permission again, I am going to make sure you and your little gang ends up in Megapol slammers faster than you can stick a psiclone up your collective backsides. Do you GET ME ?"
        "Yes, Senator ! I understand ! But..."
        Senator Mappelthorpe slammed his fist on the comm panel, and terminated the connection. Stupid bastard. All muscle and no brain. Goff Taylor was a tough goon, but his predecessor had been much more... politically aware. Which meant that the man was too smart for his own good, and had to be be replaced. The old Dragon however would've never done anything stupid like Taylor just did, drawing attention to Diablo in a big way. The Senate tolerated the gangs in the slums because they imposed a semblance of order on the poor there, but so far only Osiron has managed to expand into the city. Being mostly financial criminals however Osiron did not really upset the fabric of the city sufficiently to cause any crack-down. But an outright strike against Megapol like the Utopia Mansions fiasco demanded retaliation - the gang had dared to bring their violence into the city. DAMN that stupid bastard. Megapol wasn't going to sit idly by after their SWAT teams nearly got wiped out......
        Everything was falling apart ! Satsura was no doubt planning something, and his contacts with Marsec made the old man doubly dangerous. The gangs were becoming harder to keep in line, and this latest display of independent thought from one of his carefully cultivated minions elevated to leadership was disturbing. It's almost as if the idiot was striving towards suicide.
        Mappelthorpe opened a drawer, and took out his plasma pistol. It was fully charged, and capable of piercing any current known armour. The Senator smiled, and aimed the pistol at an imaginary kneeling Satsura begging for mercy on the floor.
        "Die, Satsura, and know at last WHO holds the true reins of power in the city. "
        His finger tightened on the firing stud, and the weapon whined as it charged up, then bleeped.
        "Safety is on." reported the weapon's nano chip.
        "Damn it, are you all against me ?!" snarled Mappelthorpe, and hurled the plasma pistol against the plascrystal wall. It bounced off with a CLINK, and clattered onto the floor.
        "Internal systems operational. Safety is on." announced the nano chip again. The Senator ignored it. It was time to attend to business. A few commands, some money transferred between accounts, and a suitable demonstration of the extent of his reach should be quite instructive as far as the city's criminal elements were concerned. Mappelthorpe smiled - planning someone's bloody demise was quite relaxing.

<Aldous Huxley Emporium, Benny Goodman Jazz Zone,>
        The manager of the Nutrivend supermall  looked on in relief as the last of the construction transports lifted out of the underground parking levels and headed off across the city. It had been a long two weeks, particularly since it was coming up to the Mega Primus Founding Week. The pressure to finish before the holiday week from the head office had been immense, and there had been hints that unless the mall was refurbished and back in business before the holidays, a new manager will be assigned and one of the vacancies that always turn up at the Recyclotoriums will be miraculously filled. The bill for repairs and compensation paid out to irate shop owners had been immense, but what made the manager really unhappy was the fact that there was no one to claim damages against.
        Fifteen shops had been trashed, expensive off world imports had been turned into slag, and customer confidence had gone underground after news of over a hundred killed during the firefight leaked out. The head office had paid for Sensovision to do some heavy duty damage control on their public relations, and now, with a fifty percent discount on ALL goods, there was a sizeable crowd waiting outside the main gates.
       Something flickered in the skies, and the manager smiled.
        "Right on time. " he commented, looking at his chrono. The hovertruck specially modified for this occasion was carrying a great array of holo projectors and a special Senate permit had allowed them to put on a display that will surely attract people for blocks around. Especially once they see that Amonsna Seri, the Venusian neo-jazz group, will be performing live. It had not been cheap getting them to Mega Primus on such a short notice, but the manager knew that a disaster like the one the mall just had required drastic measures.
        The hover truck came to a halt high above the impatient crowd, casting its shadow down upon the waiting shoppers. At first only a few looked up, then faces turned upwards in a spreading ripple until everyone was looking at the hovertruck parked above them. A few edged nervously away towards the edge of the crowd, afraid that the hovertruck had malfunctioned, but most stayed where they were, wondering.

        "You've got their attention, Jim.... better get the show started. " radioed the display director.
        Jimmy Kronos, one of the most experienced special holo effects technicians in Mega Primus, nodded to himself.
        "You've got it, boss.... the projectors are warmed up and ready to go. Five... four... three... two.. one... mark. " At that, Jimmy Kronos flicked a switch and turned the projectors on.
        High above the crowd, the hovertruck disappeared. In its place was a flaming ball of fire. Before the crowd had time to panic, the fireball changed into a swan and swooped down towards the crowd. Music blared from the speakers mounted discretely around the main gates, and the unique neo-jazz music of Amonsna Seri danced through the crowd. Before the swan reached the stunned crowd, it transformed into a glittering crystal rose and hovered a bare feet above the crowd. The crystal rose was the group's unique symbol, and it flickered through a series of colour changes, from blue to red, from red to violet, and then onto sheer gold. The rose then floated upwards, until it was right where every one for blocks around could see, and speakers mounted elsewhere on the mall began projecting the neo-jazz music outwards to the surrounding streets.
        "The show is running fine, Jimmy. Spectacular !" came the call up from the ground.
        Jimmy Kronos clicked the radio in reply, but couldn't be bothered to speak. He took out his holo-fiction, and activated it. One of the problems with his job was, once the special effects were put together and the show started, there wasn't much that he was supposed to do. He was supposed to monitor the power levels, and make sure that the image was running fine, but the nano computers monitored all those now and adjusted the power levels far more quickly than the best holo technician. He was basically there to mind the hovertruck as the Senate Edict requires, and that meant he was basically trapped up here for the next half an hour while the people below goggled up at the display.
 
<X-Com Base "Westland", Command Center>
        The duty technicians were feeling bored today. In fact, it had been quite boring for the past two weeks since the gangs all decided to attack the base. The aliens came, were shot down, and apart from a few dead rookies caught by a vortex mine explosion, the UFO recovery missions have generally being without incident and routine. The Commander had launched a few raids against Psyke to make sure they know who had the upper hand, but while morale was high, the base personnel was lethargic - after the adrenaline high of the base invasion, the day to day operations of the base was positively mundane. The soldiers and the scientists of course disagreed. The soldiers had recently been issued with a new type of biotoxin ammo for their toxiguns, and the troops were positively itching for the next alien mission to turn up and riddle the alien spawns with darts. The fact that the aliens didn't seem to realize that the darts went right through shields made hunting them much easier.
        The scientists by contrast were rather close-mouthed. The scuttle-butt was that they were working on some kind of new advanced X-Com vehicle, but so far nobody has seen any sign of it. There were guards stationed at the labs' entrances, and one overly curious technician had been sent to the medi-bay with concussion and a broken arm.
        In the command center however the technicians had finished debating what the scientists could be working on a few days back, and have now sunk into some kind of vegetative state where the only action was to press a few non-essential buttons and drink coffee. The Commander had remonstrated against their lax attitude, but the truth was, the only time that they actually pulled themselves out of their induced mental coma was when an alert came up, and they could actually do something useful. Some of the technicians even muttered that the androids might just as well take over, since no right thinking person would want such a boring job anyway.
        So when the  alert blared out, the technicians were like corpses that had suddenly been resurrected. Backs straightened, eyes widened, and everyone was all business.
        "Sector Two, energy levels abnormal. " reported a scanner tech.
        "Sector Six, energy levels abnormal. " called out another.
        "Inform the Commander... " ordered the chief duty officer, then the command center's door whipped open to admit the Commander.
        "What do we have ?" She demanded.
        "Two of the gates are active. Looks like the aliens are coming through. " summarized the chief duty officer.
        "Standard response, scramble the groups at those two gates. What is Shiva's response ?"
        "Shiva reports the same energy readings, and their tactical groups on alert. The Shiva fleet is ready to go as of now. " replied the communications tech.
        "Ma'am, the first just came through in sector two... it's a class four, Fast Attack Ship. " reported the scanner tech.
        "Bogey in sector six. Looks like a class three transporter... here comes another. Two transporters active in sector six. "
        The Commander nodded to the communications tech.
        "Tell Shiva to send out one of their air groups. They are closer, so they get air co-ordination. "
        "Affirmative, ma'am... Shiva acknowledges that they have command of sector air units. "
        "Two more just came through on sector two.. one probe, one scout.... "
        "Megapol cruisers are responding to the scout and probe in sector two !" reported a technician.
        "Scramble Group Blue to assist the cruisers. What is the status on the already deployed groups ?"
        "Group Red is hammering at the class four in sector two. Standby, we've got an emergency report.... "
        The tension in the command center heightened perceptibly. Usually the pilots don't use the emergency report priority transmission code unless something major has happened.
        "... Red Hawk One.. this is Red Hawk One.. some thing weird is happening here, Command. My scanners read more energy than there should be coming from the bogey, and it took a Retribution, no problems.... "
        "I am hit! I am hit ! " screamed another pilot suddenly, then one of the yellow icons blinked out on the main holo display.
        "Command, we just lost Red Hawk Two. Took one right between the eyes.... we're low on missiles, and the bikes say they are running out of elerium. I am going to try for another run... Red Hawk One out. "
        "Commander, we've got energy flux coming from the gate in sector nine... no, cancel that, energy readings are now ZERO. The gate is gone!"
        "What the hell... " muttered a technician, then another scanner tech called out.
        "We have a new gate in sector three ! And the readings are going up as well !"
        "Damn it, this is a big one. Get all the Groups into the air, and divert as needed. " ordered the Commander. "Have all the tactical groups on standby. We are going to need speed on this to get them before the self destruct. "
        "This is Red Hawk One, I need support ! I am out of missiles, and the laser isn't doing much damage. This bogey is tougher than we expected ! I think there's some kind of shielding... GEEEEEEZUS!"
        The command center held its collective breath... then the pilot came back on air.
        "The bogey just bought the farm ! It's crashed into one of the slum towers, and the whole place is falling down ! "
        "Oh god. " breathed the Commander.
        All the techs knew what had just happened - entire families had just been wiped out, and the death toll for civilians is going to be in the hundreds. The slums were crowded, and the UFO had gone right into them.
        "The bogey is still flying ! I repeat, the bogey is still flying ! " reported Red Hawk One with disbelief in his voice.
        "Standby, Red Hawk One. " interrupted a new voice. "This is Green Valkyrie leader, engaging bogey. "
        On  the main holo display, Shiva's ships converged suddenly on the lone red icon, and there was a flurry of activity. The red icon stopped, and the ships from Shiva stopped as well.
        "This is Shiva, Colonel Gallagher speaking. " interrupted a calm voice. "Sector two is clear, one probe and one scout destroyed, one Fast Attack Ship downed. Shiva tactical teams are on the way, Commander, your orders ?"
        "We've got alien UFO out from the new gate in sector three ! Type, unknown !" called out a scanner tech. "I think it's a new type !"

<Aldous Huxley Emporium, Benny Goodman Jazz Zone>
        "What the hell... " sputtered Jimmy Kronos as the hovertruck tilted, throwing him against the safety restraints. The holo- fiction he had been reading flew from his hands and the plastic casing shattered as it smacked into the side door, spilling delicate nanotronics onto the cabin floor.
        "What's going on up there ? That isn't part of the program !" yelled the radio.
        "What isn't part of the programming !?" called out Kronos as he tried desperately to bring the hovertruck under control.
        Something loomed on the windscreen, causing him to look up. Jimmy Kronos let out a cry, and put his arms up in a vain effort to wade off the oncoming monstrosity.

        The UFO that burst through the dimension gates a moment ago barely registered the impact as a shimmer on its shields even as  it knocked the hovertruck out of the air in a shower of sparks. The hovertruck plummeted from the sky, right on to the crowd below. Its impact crushed a score of spectators, but the explosion as the holo projectors' power banks short circuited splattered the facade of the Aldous Huxley Emporium with blood and body parts. A piece of shrapnel from the explosion struck the horrified manager in the throat, shearing through his skull. Even as the manager's corpse tumbled back, his face slid off in a cloud of  steam. The body jerked spasmodically for a few seconds, then became still.

<X-Com Base "Westland" Command Center>
        "Shiva, engage unknown in sector three. " The Commander paused, then turned towards the scanner tech responsible for sector six.
        "Sector six, report. " she ordered calmly.
        "One of the transporters is down.... Megapol is cordoning it off. We're holding... the other transporter is down, but reports indicate possible infiltration at Marsec Arms Factory One. "
        "Send tactical group one. No, cancel that order. Send group two. " ordered the Commander. Group One had been Dawson's group, and with their commander having just resigned the previous hour, the group still needed sorting out. They also needed a new officer, too.
        "Group two is on their way. " answered the communications tech.
        "Shiva here, we've got a scanner lock on the unknown bogey. "
        A second later, another holo display sprang into being in the command center as the data link was established. The craft was a rather odd looking one, different from all the other UFOs which had mainly been disc shaped, apart from the probes which were like some giant beetle larvae. This new alien craft however resembled a giant ice cream cone, although nobody actually made purple cones, and the ice cream don't usually have yellow inserts that seemed to be windows. And neither were they five stories tall, capable of powered flight, or armed with deadly energy weapons.
        "The bogey is hovering over the mall.... it's sending down aliens !" there was a sudden pause in transmission, then the pilot's voice returned.
        "There's some kind of wreck on the ground... and there's human bodies EVERYWHERE.... " the pilot's voice shook. The scanner tilted downwards, away from the UFO, and the people back at base could see the carnage.
        Two of the technicians were immediately sick, while a third fainted.
        "Get those three out of here ! And get replacements !" snapped the Commander. She had seen death before, but never so many in such a small area. There had been a crowd there, but from the looks of it, not many survived.
        The smell of sour vomit persisted in the air even after the a cleaner rushed in and did his work. The Command Center was an extremely unpleasant place to be right now.
        "This is Green Valkyrie leader, unknown bogey is down. Recovery possible. "
        "Get the tac teams on to it right away. Two groups for the unknown. " ordered the Commander.
        "Ma'am, Shiva's Group three is mostly new rookies with the psi squad, and our group one is on your orders staying back at base. " said the chief duty officer.
        "I'll lead them myself. " With that, the Commander left her seat and left the Command Center.
        Behind her, the techs looked at each other. A few of the more adventurous ones wished they could go as well, but most of them just wondered if the Commander will come back. There's nothing quite as dangerous as the interior of an unknown UFO. Squads of  X-Com soldiers had lost their lives penetrating the dark and some how "alive" interiors of the alien UFOs, and many never knew what hit them.
 

<X-Com Base "Westland" Living Area>
        The troopers still in the living area were all from Group One, formerly under Captain Dawson's command. They were all geared up in Marsec flying armour, but there was a noticeable lack of excitement. The sudden departure of the Captain had been a severe blow to their morale, especially since none of them really understood the reason for their Captain's resignation. Dawson had been a tough and able officer, willing to lead from the front when needed, and had proved himself time and time again. They were all veterans, used to working as a team, and now suddenly they were bereft of leadership.
        When the Commander came in, the troopers' first reaction was one of surprise, then they all snapped to attention.
        "At ease. " said the Commander curtly. She was also in full Marsec armour, with her helmet under one arm and a devastator cannon slung over the other shoulder.
        "I see the group has been too depressed to keep up with the news with the holos. "
        "Are we going on a mission, ma'am ? " asked a trooper. His tone was a flat, and sounded drained.
        "We have a crashed unknown UFO type, and all the groups are out dealing with other known types. A group from Shiva is going, but they are mostly rookies. "
        There was silence from the troopers, then they shuffled to their bunks and lockers to start picking up their equipment.
        The Commander glared at them.
        "This is X-Com, people. Not Lifetree !  Dawson was a damn good commander, but there were things he thought more important than X-Com. Right now we've got an alien ship down, one that we have never seen before. I don't CARE whether you miss the Captain or not. This is X-Com, so let's go and get this job done, and do it well. Otherwise you guys might all sign the resignation form right here and NOW. Who is actually GOING to go on this mission ?"
        The troopers were still silent, then Tatyana Speransky took a step forward, and picked her helmet up from her bunk.
        "I'm game to kick some alien butt. "
        "We go together !" called out Karin Krausse, and also picked up her equipment and joined Tatyana.
        One by one, the troopers made up their minds. The androids were the next to gear up for the mission, then Astra, followed by Kochev, until all the members of Group One were ready to go. There was a sense of grimness, and the Commander surveyed her troops.
        "Very good. I expect great things from this group.... Let's GO!" Ordered the Commander.

<Crash Site 601>
        As usual Megapol had been quick and efficient, setting up a secure perimeter and then bringing up the holo projectors to hide the crash site from casual eyes. Megapol psionics were conducting a systematic search for all witnesses within the region to give them a severe case of short term amnesia. For the next few days a few citizens will be wandering around with a vague feeling that they had forgotten something, but couldn't be sure what. Out of sight but not out of hearing were the rescue transports, over at the Emporium, although in most cases the only thing they could do was collect the body parts and with a quick gene check, decide which body bag a particular bit should go into. A few badly injured civilians were already cryo frozen and being airlifted to the medical clinics to be put into nano medibays. For something like this, Nutrivend will share the costs with the Senate - After all, it happened on their property.
       The Megapol lieutenant greeted the Xcom contingent from Westland with visible relief.
        "What's the situation ?" asked the Commander, anonymous behind her Marsec helmet.
        "Well, the UFO landed upright, and we had a quick look. Don't know how they manage it, but the doorway is on the side in the trench the ship gouged out. None of the aliens have showed up yet, although snipers report that they can see movement in those yellow windows up there. "
        The Commander considered this, then noticed a huddle of X-Com troops over near the trench.
        "I guess the mission has already started. Get your men behind cover, lieutenant. We're going in. Nobody, not even Megapol personnel, should go beyond the projector screen. If they do, the casualties will be your responsibility. "
        "Yes ma'am. We'll expand the perimeter security. "  The Megapol officer saluted, and hurried away to carry out the Commander's orders.

        The Commander could identify the rookies easily. They had been issued with Megapol armour, which while being heavier, provided a lot more protection, and as they were unfamiliar with the personal disruptor shields, gave them a chance if their shields burnt out. X-Com squaddies were give Marsec armour as standard, which was light and less cumbersome. In addition, it allowed them to fly. The rookies however would need more training before being trusted with an expensive Marsec agrav unit.
        The rookies had been stationed further back, on both sides of the trench, in small groups, each armed with a disruptor. The veterans were well forward, flat on the ground, their toxiguns out ahead of them and fixed on the UFO's entrance. One of the Marsec armoured troopers noticed the Commander coming, and combat crawled until safely out of the entrance's line of sight.
        "Sergeant Nichols reporting, ma'am !" saluted the trooper.
        "Good set up, sergeant. How are the rookies holding up ?"
        "I can hear them from here, ma'am. One of them is itching to rush in and get himself killed, while the others are wondering if they made the right choice. We've got the place secured. A quick scout of the area and a psi-scan turned up no  aliens outside the ship. There's no other way for them to get out either. "
        "So we are going to have to go in the only way they can come out. " mused the Commander.
        "Looks like it ma'am. But my squad will cover any assault, even if we don't have clear line of fire. We'll take out anything that gets in the way and hang it out for your troops to shoot at. "
        "Very good. Captain Dawson's Group is our best  detachment, and I'm sure..."
        There was a sudden commotion from the Shiva troopers, and disruptors fired along with the distinctive pneumatic hiss of the toxiguns.
        "POPPER !" yelled a trooper, then there was a massive explosion.
        "Shiva Alpha, report !" snapped Nichols.
        "Umm... no problems. " coughed a trooper. "The critter got close, but the ground took most of it. Damn smoke !"
        "Get your motion sensor out, Alpha. What do you think you are doing here, having a picnic ?" said Nichols, sounding annoyed.
        "It just rushed out and headed right for us sarge !"
        "Well, being such a good snaps player you should've had no problem. Keep sharp !"
        "Yes ma'am !" answered the trooper, chastened.
        "Looks like you really have everything under control, Nichols. " said the Commander. "No alien is going to get out of that doorway alive. "
        "I hope we get in before they blow it up though. Over to you, ma'am. " said Nichols. .

        Within minutes, Group one from Westland had two squads joining Shiva's psi-squad on the lip of the trench, watching over the entrance with toxiguns. A third group was down in the trench itself, a fair distance from the entrance, positioned so they can see into the UFO if the aliens opened the door. After they were in place, Nichols' psi-squad moved down to join them, leaving the two veteran Westland squads at the front line watch of the entrance. Tatyana and Karin however were not assigned to a squad, and were held back from the main deployment, being busily employed in spray painting the alien UFO's window blocks. When they finished denying the scrabbling aliens inside a view of the outside world, they flew down to where the Commander was waiting.
        "You two know what I have in mind for you ?" asked the Commander.
        "Yes, ma'am. " replied Karin. "We're going to go point. "
        "Right into the alien ship. " added Tatyana.
        "Right. I don't want you two rampaging through the UFO however. I want it secured level by level. You move in, secure a level, the others move in, and then you continue. Got that ?"
        "Loud and clear,  ma'am !" Answered Karin.
 
        Tatyana checked her toxiguns to make sure they were both fully loaded. She had seen the scientists demonstrate toxin B, and the anthropod had collapsed like a sack within the blink of an eye after Professor Fermi shot a single dart into it. The new toxin was rated to be fifty percent more effective than the original ammo, and having mastered the art of using two pistols at once, she was quite ready to go in there with both toxiguns blazing. Karin however was more circumspect. She preferred to use a powersword along with her toxigun.
        Even as they checked their equipment, there was activity at the entrance to the alien UFO.
        "Anthropod coming out !" warned a trooper.
        "Anthropod is dead. " added another. "The new ammo really does work !"
        "There's a skeletoid.... hang on, it's disappeared !"
        "Just shoot at the entrance !" ordered the Commander suddenly. "It's gone invisible ! SHOOT! "
        The troopers did not question the Commander's words, but opened up with everything they had. Most of the shots passed through the air to detonate or shatter against something patently not alien flesh, but there was a shimmer as a shield overloaded, then a skeletoid dropped out of the air to crumple in a heap beside its anthropod partner.
        "Now you see it, now you kill it. " muttered Karin.
        "What do w have on the motion scanners ?" demanded the Commander.
        "Some movement, but it's all higher up. " reported the trooper with the scanner near the entrance.
        The Commander turned towards Karin and Tatyana.
        "Okay, Dagger team, get ready. Looks like the lift area is clear. " Said the Commander. "Kochev's squad will back you up all the way. "
        "Yes ma'am. " answered Karin, then led the way to the edge of the giant furrow the UFO had scraped in the ground.
        "Let's dance. " muttered Tatyana, then leapt down into the trench.
 
        Karin followed right after, then as the more senior trooper, went forward. She kept her toxigun on the two alien heaps, and kicked each one to make sure they were dead.
        "Some vortex mines... devastator, disruptor. Nothing dangerous. "
        "You sure there's no boomeroids ?" asked Tatyana.
        "If there was, we'll be dead. No, hang on... there's one, but it's not primed, I think. "
        Karin reached down, and picked up the little device.
        "Not primed. "
        "You've got movement inside, Dagger !" reported the motion scanner man.
        Karin grinned at Tatyana, then primed the boomeroid by twisting one of its limbs. The thing began vibrating, and Karin stepped up to the door, waited for it to open, then hurled the bio-weapon into the darkness beyond. Even as the device left her hand, Karin took a quick side step, then back-pedalled to get out of the way. Tatyana was on her knees, both toxiguns ready, but there was no need.
        Even as the front door of the alien UFO opened again, the boomeroid obviously caught up to the alien. The anthropod literally exploded out of the doorway, and skidded for metres on the ground beyond, scattering bits of offal along its way. Tatyana blinked as her shield shimmered a bright blue, but her helmet HUD indicated that her shield unit was still eighty five percent ready and recharging.
        "HOOOOAH !" shouted a few Xcom troopers at the spectacle, and there was some cheering from the rookies.
        "The shambler looked like it had a rocket up its... " said a trooper before his comrade gave him a solid thump on the helmet, motioning towards the Commander.
        The Commander however did not seem to notice. She merely nodded towards the Dagger team, and made a "Go" motion.
        "Okay, show over. Let's go in there. "  said Karin.
        "Soddin' smoke.. " coughed Tatyana, but she nodded and gestured that she was ready to go on.
        Dimming her visor to get her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting that the aliens preferred inside their ships, Karin took a deep breath, then ran lightly through the shattered doorway. As she went inside, the suit allowed the visor to regain full transparency, so her vision was not affected by the transition.
        "Clear !" reported Karin.
        Tatyana dimmed her visor as well, and went through. She threw herself forward and had both toxiguns aimed squarely at the glowing yellow lift column.
        "Clear !" she responded. "I can see the top of the lift from here. "
        Karin nodded.
        "I'll make a rush for the other side. " she said, and ran forward, diving by the lift column. She pitched forward in a controlled roll, and came up with her back against the far wall of the lift, toxigun aimed upwards.
        "Looks clear... I've got it covered now. "
        "Coming up. " answered Tatyana, and picked herself off the ground in one smooth motion and went to join Karin.
        "This is Dagger. The bottom of the lift is secure. " radioed Karin.
        There was a pause, then Kochev came on air.
        "We see you, we're coming in. "
        A moment later, three X-Com troopers took up position beside Dagger.
        "What's next ?" asked Kochev.
        "Wouldn't have a clue. " laughed Karin.
        "Cut it out, Karin... " muttered Tatyana.
        "Okay. I am going right up. Cover my back when I clear the lift, okay ?"
        Tatyana nodded.
        Karin went up the lift, first, with Tatyana right below her. As Karin reached the first level, she swore.
        "Worms !" She warned, followed by the sound of her toxigun spitting darts.
        Tatyana did not hesitate, and came up and out of the lift facing the opposite direction.
        She immediately saw two chrysalis pods, and did not wince as her shield flared, incinerating a spatter of poison that had been aimed at Karin. Tatyana returned fire, and with a slight twist of her wrists, brought the line of darts together in a motion which raked both pods with the deadly biotoxin. One of them immediately exploded in a spray of ichor, while the other seemed to convulse before something humanoid burst from its leathery cocoon and twitched out its last moments on the slowly pulsing alien floor. Tatyana turned to the right, where the poison had come from, and saw a spitter. She fired with one toxigun, and watched in satisfaction as the creature fall in a spasm of death.
        "Hyperworms hatching !" called out Karin.
        Tatyana rolled to the left, and came up facing the way that Karin was. There had been two multiworms, and Karin had pumped the sick beanbag like creatures full of toxin B. The hyperworms however still burst from the corpse of their parent, and were charging head one towards them.
        The two agents fired as one, then only Tatyana was firing.
        "Out of ammo !" reported Karin, then her plasma sword flashed with plasma fire before she brought it down on the leading hyperworm. The creature tried to writhe out of the way, but Karin was too fast. The elerium fuelled plasma set the worm alight, and the alien spawn whipped about desperately even as it died, trying to get away from the deadly flames.
        Tatyana killed five of the hyperworms in a spray of darts, then had to dance backwards to avoid the snapping jaws of the last one. Karin kicked out with her armoured boot, connected, and knocked the creature into the wall of the chamber. The hyperworm however did not let up, and shot towards them again, its jaws gnashing determinedly.
        "Little twerp. " declared Karin, and as the hyperworm reached her, stamped down hard. There was a SQUISH, then the creature's body fluids sprayed in all directions.
        Tatyana surveyed their new domain, then called out to the X-Com troopers below.
        "Area's clear.... you can come up now !"
        "That was quick !" Muttered one of Kochev troopers. When they saw what been on the level however, the trooper let out a whistle of surprise.
        "My shield is slightly low, does some one have a replacement ?" said Tatyana. The poison had depleted it to dangerous levels, and there were still more of the UFO to go.
        "So's mine... multiworm spit. "
        Kochev nodded.
        "As you two are doing all the work... you are welcome. "
        Kochev reached over into his backpack, and took out the disruptor shield unit.
        "It's full up, thanks to you two. " He handed it to Karin.
        The trooper who had whistled handed his unit to Tatyana in exchange for hers, and muttered.
        "Don't fry it okay ? It's my lucky one !"
        Tatyana smiled, and adjusted the unit's parameters to suit her size before placing it in her backpack.
        Kochev signalled for the his troopers to spread out and cover the lift, and he took up position by one wall.
        "Some thing wrong with this unit... " muttered Karin, as she tried to adjust it. "The field is... rippling ?"
        "Let me have a look at that. " said Tatyana, and she tried to adjust it as well.
        "Hey, Kochev ! What's wrong with this unit ?" called Karin.
        "What ? It was fine when I was using it... " Kochev said as he came forward, and took the shield unit again. "Hmmm... weird. Is it supposed to be doing this ?"
        "INCOMING !" screamed out an X-Com trooper.
        The three X-Com troopers gathered at the lift hurled themselves away from the lift, and a disruptor ray flew up to hit something upstairs. There was a roar of pain, then an anthropod sprawled across the lift, held up by the anti-gravity field.
        The missile it fired however was not done.
        The horrified X-Com troopers watched as the thing changed its flight path, and curved towards Karin.
        "Guided !" exclaimed the one who had called out the warning.
        "What the.. " said Karin even as the missile impacted. Everybody tensed, expecting a huge explosion like a heavy launcher missile. The missile however simply splattered against Karin's armour, and viscous slime dripped down onto the floor.
        Kochev was the first to speak again.
        "Dud ?" he asked.
        "Looks like it.... Lucky for me I guess. " commented Karin. "Now I've got all this alien crap all over me. "
        "Better get it cleaned off when we finish.... lemme get some of it off....  " offered Tatyana, then she stopped in mid sentence. "Karin, your suit is smoking !"
        Karin looked down, and realized that Tatyana was right. And right before her eyes, she saw the plasteel begin to run as if it was chocolate on a hot day.
        "Armour's melting !" she cried out. Then she shrieked, as something burned into her arm.
        "Get your suit off !" ordered Tatyana, without waiting for Karin to react, she reached out and flipping up a armoured cover, hit the emergency release button. Tatyana caught her friend as Karin fell backwards, then watched in horror as the flesh melted off Karin's right arm. Bone showed through before it too was digested by the alien slime.
        "Oh shit... " Muttered the watching Xcom troopers as the slime made its deadly way up Karin's arm.
        Karin was still screaming, but was incoherent now. Tatyana however saw the powersword lying on the floor where Karin had dropped it, and knew what she had to do. Still holding Karin, she knelt down, picked up the powersword.
        "What are you doing ? Speransky, don't... "
        Tatyana ignored Kochev, and turned the powersword on. The weapon glowed with plasma fire again, then Tatyana brought it sharply on Karin's upper arm. There was the smell of burnt flesh in the air, then Karin's screaming stopped.
        "You killed her !" cried an X-Com trooper.
        "Don't move !" snapped Kochev, aiming his devastator at Tatyana.
        "She's just fainted, okay !" called out Tatyana. "I had to stop the slime from eating the rest of her. "
        The Xcom troopers lowered their weapons as they realized that Tatyana was right.
        "Who's got a medi-kit ? She's still in pretty bad shape. " said Tatyana.
        The Xcom troopers looked at each other, but nobody had thought to bring a medi-kit.
        Kochev made up his mind.
        "Rogers, you and Speransky carry Krausse down. " He ordered. "I'll tell the Commander we need back up. "
        "Yes sir. " answered Rogers, and went forward to help Tatyana.
        "Commander, Krausse is down. Some kind of corrosive slime got her, and Speransky had to amputate her arm. " Reported Kochev.
        "Corrosive slime ? What's her condition ?"
        "She's out of it, but needs medical attention fast. Speransky and Rogers is bringing her down right now. But we will need more people up here to finish securing the UFO. "
        "Gamma squad is on their way. Shiva's Psi squad is also coming. Hold on tight. "
        "Yes ma'am !" answered Kochev.
        "Umm... " said the other X-Com trooper suddenly. "That slime is still going... and it's chewing through to her backpack. "
        The explosion caught them by surprise, and hot shards of Marsec armour clattered off their suits.
        "That was one of the frag grenades on her belt !" exclaimed the X-Com trooper.
        The grenade had broken the armour into more bits, and they could now see the vortex mine that Karin had in her backpack. The two X-Com troopers realized the danger, and as one, jumped towards the access lift.
 
        Even from the outside the waiting Xcom troopers could feel the UFO shudder from some massive internal explosion. Rogers and Tatyana had just reached the entrance with their unconscious load when the shock wave hit, and it knocked them to the ground.
        "Kochev, report !" demanded the Commander, though she knew that the two Xcom troopers left behind were probably dead. "Damn it, Kochev, report !" She got no response.
        The Commander looked at the UFO, then drew her toxigun. She discarded the devastator, then strode forward.
        "Gamma squad, follow me. " She said with icy calm. Even as they started moving, she was down in the trench, and before the troopers could protest, she was through the entrance.

        Stella walked through the narrow entrance, ignoring the frantic calls from Nichols over the tac-net. She had her toxigun out in front of her in a two handed grip, and she moved quickly and steadily, disdaining the use of cover. She went up the grav lift, and saw at a glance the two dead Xcom troopers crumpled in a heap against the wall. Blood seeped out from their shattered armour, and the walls were splattered with their blood. The explosion in such such a contained space had easily overloaded the shields and the shock wave had hurled the troopers against the wall with immense force. The Marsec armour had crumpled under such an assault, and the troopers did not stand a chance. Kochev and the other trooper, an off worlder called Heinlein, were both dead.
        "Come on you bastards... " breathed Stella. A movement caught her eye, and she turned, and fired. The dart punched through the air, and penetrated the skeletoid's exoskeleton. The creature tried to bring its weird purple shaped weapon to bear on the human it saw, but the toxins ravaging its system worked fast. The alien creature let out a hiss, then died.
        Stella did not hesitate. She jumped into the gravlift, and willed it upwards. She saw the anthropod immediately, and double tapped a pair of darts into its hide. She felt the movement behind her, and ducked. A brainsucker sailed over her, and she tracked it with her toxigun then  fired one lethal dart into the creature.
        Another anthropod roared behind her, and something hit her shield, causing it to flare a bright blue. Stella pirouetted, knowing that the alien's energy weapon took time to recharge between each shot. Even as the anthropod roared in frustration, she brought her toxigun up and sent a dart into its face. The expression on the alien's face was indecipherable, but it looked almost comic as its features scrunched up as if in concentration. Then the toxin kicked in, and the creature died.
        Looking about her, Stella saw an alien egg. It squirted poison at her, but Stella stepped aside with ease, and returned fire with her toxigun..
        Stella breathed heavily, and scanned around for more aliens to kill. There was nothing. Then she saw something odd out of corner of her eyes with a patch of floor. While the other  parts all undulated slowly as if alive, this part was still. Stella grinned, a terrible feral expression, and raised her toxigun. She turned, and held down the trigger. There was a shrill hiss, then the skeletoid materialized out of the air and fell down, dead.
        Stella surveyed the UFO's control room, and felt the rage that had gripped her melt away.
        "Commander, are you alright ?" asked Nichols, concern in her voice.
        "Sergeant, is the area secure ?" said Stella quietly.
        Nichols paused, obviously scanning the area with her psionic powers.
        "It's clear ma'am ! No aliens in the area. "
        "Tell the troops to start the clean up. And you know what needs to be done for Kochev and Heinlein. "
        "Yes ma'am... damn the aliens. " affirmed Nichols. "They were good men. "
        "They always are, Nichols... That's why they are there in the first place. " said the Commander. She went over to the lift, and headed down.
 
<Outside the UFO>
        The troopers policed up the battlefield and made sure that there was no loose items of ammo lying around. The alien corpses were also put in specimen bags of various sizes and taken aboard the Valkyrie to be put in the bio-transport module. When the area was cleared to the Commander's satisfaction, she brought the disassembly case out from the Valkyrie, and set it down a few metres from the UFO's hull. After checking to see that the nanos were running properly, she set them loose.
        The sight was actually quite creepy. Like some living carpet, the nanos flowed out from the case and crawled up to the UFO. As they reached the foot of the alien craft, they climbed straight up the sides. When they reached the top, they started working. It was as if some one had turned a laser on the UFO, and it simply melted. The nanos disassembled the entire ship atom by atom, and formed a "bucket chain" to the Valkyrie's cargo hold. There, the nanos left the atoms, and within ten minutes, one entire UFO had been transformed into loose powder which filled most of the cargo hold.
        The nano dissemblers had recorded the position of each atom as they pulled it away from the main structure, and the scientists back at base could choose which particular part they wish to be resembled for study whenever they wanted. Once scanned into the main nano computers, a working UFO model could be holographically reconstructed and experimented on without actually needing to rebuild the UFO. Of course, to save time, most of the equipment stripped off the UFO which were usable will be immediately reconstructed back at base and put into storage. Disassembling was a quick process, but while putting Humpty Dumpty back together was now possible, it still took time.
        To save space, the more common elements in the UFO structure such as oxygen and hydrogen and other common earth elements were discarded and used to fill up the furrow the UFO had carved into the ground. It was an ingenious system, much more efficient than the old method of pulling an UFO apart panel by panel.
        When the nanos finished, they crawled back into the case, and shut themselves down. Once back aboard the ship, they will be recharged from the ship,
        Stella was the last to return to the Valkyrie, and the loading ramp was raised behind her. The atmosphere inside the passenger section was grim. Two body bags will be accompanying them home, while Karin was already on her way back to base with Speransky as escort. They had expected casualties when cleaning out a new type of UFO, but it was still hard to take. Shiva's complement had already left, and their mood had been sombre as well.
        "Pilot, get us out of here. " ordered Stella.
        As the Valkyrie lifted off and sped away from sight, the Megapol police officers turned off the all-concealing holo projectors and allowed the first of the reconstruction vehicles to enter. The Megapol lieutenant looked at the crater, and wondered how on earth was he going to explain that away to the press. The first of the media crews were already rushing forward to get holo tapes of the disaster scene. While such occurrences had become increasingly popular, Megapol psi-squads and a tight grip on crash sites meant that most civilians still had no idea what was going on. Thank god for small blessings, thought the lieutenant. He sighed, then prepared for the media onslaught.
 

<People Tube Terminal AF7, Capitol District>
        Captain Markus Ligatto came out of the access lift, and headed for the newstand. He tossed a credit chip to the young woman there, and took a can of MegaCola. He had spoken to several of the officers who have also been "suspended", and they were all ready to play their part. Now it was time to go home and get some rest. He flipped open the can, and waited a few seconds for the chemical coolants built into the can to work their magic on the luke warm contents. When he finally drank from the can, it was icy cold MegaCola. He took another deep gulp, and surveyed the others on the platform out of habit.
        Most were office workers, with a sprinkling of shoppers amongst them. One young man in his early twenties however caught his attention. Sitting on a bench, the young man was eating a donut and reading a news holo. From the distinctive pattern on the holo reader the young man had, he identified it as one of the latest Cyberweb "PAD-Pal" models. They weren't particularly rare, but the PAD-Pal series was favoured by successful businessmen who needed a powerful and secure personal management system, a requirement shared by mercenaries.
        Mercenary work wasn't illegal, but Megapol discreetly monitors mercenary activity as much as possible. It helps to avoid conflicts with legal contracts which could lead to unnecessary casualties. From instinct Markus could tell that this young man was probably a mercenary, and his careful movements and his low toned appearance led him to conclude that he was watching a thorough professional.
        As if aware that he was being watched, the young man looked up and saw the Megapol captain watching. The young man locked eyes with the captain, shrugged, then went back to his news holo. The encounter confirmed Markus' suspicion. This particular mercenary was utterly confident and experienced, with no qualms about his job. Markus considered this new piece of information, then filed it away in his mind for later use. He tossed the finished can into a nearby recycler, and stepped off the platform. The control systems detected the new passenger, and set the agrav fields in motion.

        The young man returned to his PAD-Pal, and finished scanning the last piece of news. Some thing about the recent spate of "incidents" around the city nagged at him, but he dismissed it as of no consequence to his work. The man who had been looking at him was an off-duty Megapol enforcer, but as a registered member of the mercenary guild, he wasn't worried. He entered a password into his datapad, then allowed the system to perform a quick retinal scan on him to confirm his identity. The check done, the PAD-Pal switched the holo display to private uni-directional display, and projected the personal management menu.
        The datapad bleeped, signifying that he had some new email. He pressed the "access" icon, and was slightly surprised by the amount that had accumulated, all yet unreplied to. A few dated back to two months ! Most were offers of employment, but he smiled when he saw that a few were from Marie. He scanned through them, and realized that he had not checked his email for some time because he had been so busy on an undercover operation for Lifetree, posing as a student. It was a pity his cover had been blown when he ran into a psiclone deal in progress, but that was one group of psiclone peddlers who won't be returning to the Plato Institute in a hurry.
        As he came to the latest of the emails, he realized with a start it originated from within Mega Primus, instead of Luna. Marie was in Mega Primus !
        "Damn. " He thought out aloud. "She must've been worried that I didn't write.... "
        Well, now that he was no longer playing the role of a student, he could get back together with Marie. He checked his credit balance, and smiled again when he saw that Lifetree had not quibbled on the payment. Not that it was particularly wise to argue over a mercenary's fees when he proved himself perfectly capable of taking on five armed men barehanded and win without a scratch. Who knows, maybe your security guards won't be enough if the mercenary was sufficiently unimpressed with the final amount.
        With the healthy bank balance he had now, he could well afford to buy two tickets to Tranquility Base and live comfortably for a year or two, or even buy an apartment in the city and settle down. Mega Primus wasn't such a bad place when you got used to it. It was clean, there was a lot of space, and you didn't have to worry about water rations. Sure, Lunsec employees get extra benefits, but as far as Lachlan Dawson was concerned, Mega Primus had more to offer. Most slum dwellers were unskilled and too stupid to be of much use to the tech centred corporations of Mega Primus, but skilled mercenaries were always in demand as contract security. For some corporations however "security" had a more, pro-active role than most. Well, Marsec paid well, and had enough clout to silence any inquiries into their operations.
        Maybe Marie wanted to live in Mega Primus as well. It was sure a lot "greener" than Luna. Or maybe Mars... he had heard that the terraforming was ahead of schedule and they were encouraging colonists now along with the miners. With a laugh, Dawson flipped off his datapad and turned his thought to the night ahead. Find a good hotel, and get some decent sleep was what he needed right now. Tomorrow he will find a suitable gift and then pay a surprise visit to Marie.
 
<Nirvana Mansions, Primus East>
        Oscar Narcson took a swig of his drink, and felt the fiery liquid burn its way down to his stomach. Real firewater like these were hard to get in Mega Primus unless you had contacts, but the off worlders didn't have to bother about the Senate's prissy edicts. He took another big gulp, and hugged the pretty girl beside him close to plant a alcohol laced kiss on her lips. The girl coughed, but tried her best to look seductive. She wasn't exactly stunning, but had nice eyes and big firm breasts, which was pretty much all that the "Ogre", terror of the Diablo slums, wanted in a woman. The Ogre however didn't like the latest fashion of face paints.
        "Go to bed and wait for me there. " growled Oscar. "And get all that green crap off ya face !"
       When the girl had gone, Oscar stood up and stretched. At six foot five, he wasn't particularly tall, when compared to some of the bigger spacers living on low gravity belt stations, but he was all muscle and solid bulk. He had kicked and punched his way his position as one of Goff "The Ripper Man" Taylor's lieutenants, and he made sure that all the little enforcers and psiclone runners knew who was boss. In return, the boss allowed him to live in luxury, and had got him out of a pretty nasty situation which had ended in his old apartment being blown to bits. Damn those Megapol shits were getting heavy with the firepower.
        There was a burst of loud discordant heavy synthi music, and Oscar frowned. It was fukkin eleven at night, and some craphead was pressing on the door buzzer and wanted in. Must be someone important who the receptionist, a real fukkable blonde, recognized. Otherwise she would've made sure he knew who was coming or just sent them away.
        "Get the bloody door, Hammer !" yelled Oscar.
        Hammer, the bodyguard, groaned and hauled himself out of the sofa. He already had a few drinks, and was dozing off to sleep when some idiot schmuck started hitting the door buzzer.
        "Yeah boss, I'll see who the hell it is !" he yelled back.
        He grabbed his auto shotgun, and lumbered over to the doorway. He pressed the panel, and saw the vidscreen light.
        "It's da boss !" yelled the Hammer. "The Ripper himself !"
        "What the... don't make him wait, open the door !" roared Oscar as he struggled to shake free of the alcohol induced stupor. It wasn't good to let the boss see you shit-faced. Man might not give you all the good jobs then.
        The Hammer shook his head, then remembered how to open the door. He hit a number combo into the lock, then turned off the alarms. When all the locks had disengaged, he swung it open and stood back to let the boss in.

        The assassin shook his head sadly as he flicked off the holo of Goff Taylor. These Diablo goons were really gullible - he could hear their bellowing all the way through the door. One shot deposed of the bodyguard, and as the surprised hulk fell back in a spray of blood, Oscar "Ogre" Narcson appeared in the foyer. The big man had his mouth open to call a greeting, but his eyes widened in surprise as he saw an unfamiliar figure standing in the doorway.
        The silenced pistol fired again, and the bullet punched through Narcson's nose to bury itself deep in his brain. There was a pause, then the bullet exploded, decorating the foyer walls with blood and a greyish pink goo. By the time the headless corpse hit the deck, the assassin was no where in sight.
        The girl that Oscar had paid for to spend the night with discovered the dead Diablo gang members ten minutes later when she crept out of the bedroom to find out where the Ogre had gone. But it was not until the next morning, when an Energen manager left for work that the deaths was first reported to Megapol. At the same time they discovered  the dead receptionist carefully placed under her desk, her throat shot through. When Megapol arrived and tried to access the security camera info, they were amazed to