PART A: Living History

<X-Com Base "Westland" Hangar Bay One>
        The Valkyrie's arrival over X-Com's underground base was heralded by the blaring of klaxons and sudden flickering in red status lights all over the base. Everyone was alert for the potential of intruders. The armoured hangar bay doors irised open to admit the returning fighter, and as the Valkyrie descended, the armoured doors closed above it. The klaxons stopped, and the warning lights switched back to a normal green. Scientists and agents relaxed and returned to the work at hand.
        In the hangar, the Valkyrie hovered gently above the deck, and the ground crew quickly moved a grav cradle into position. A called command, and the cradle's grav fields activated, adding their force to the Valkyrie's own internal agrav generators. The pilot, detecting the active cradle and the resultant rise in the Valkyrie itself, checked his visual monitors, and began shutting down the Valkyrie's systems. One by one the plasma display screens dimmed, and the dull red light of the cockpit faded to be replaced by the warm white glow of normality. The agrav drives shut down, and the Valkyrie dropped
slightly and settled into the cradle. The pilot looked around to make sure the Valkyrie was truly shut down, then pulled on the hatch release lever.
        The hatch popped open with a hiss, and the pilot heaved himself out with an effort. Chasing UFOs was hard work, and the amount of G-forces he had to withstand to avoid getting a disruptor ray in the face was more than he liked. Of course, the Valkyrie, like all military combat flyers, had internal force-compensators built into the cockpit to make G suits a thing of the past. But it took a split second for the compensators to kick in, and that split second without a G suit was very uncomfortable indeed.
        The pilot pulled himself up onto the catwalk, and gave a waiting ground crew member his helmet. He stretched his aching shoulders, and then headed for the stairs. As he reached the top of the stairs however he realized the base commander was waiting for him. A tall ash blonde, she had been at Cydonia and T'leth, thanks to cryogenics and nanotech. Her decade long stay in the primitive cryogenics of the 20th century however meant some nerve damage, and while her mind was still razor sharp, she had been "promoted" to being base commander when it came to assigning Xcom resources to the threat in Mega
Primus. Some say she was bitter about the paralysis inflicted upon her, resulting in the need for a permanent cyborg spinal implant which precluded her from front-line Xcom duties. Others say she was just born bad tempered.
        "And what did you think you were doing when you vaporized Cyberweb's corporate sky garden apartments ? " she demanded, her voice so frosty the pilot had to convince himself there was no condensation to check for. "I've been getting calls from just about every major org in this city. Nutrivend, Transtellar, Megapol, the Government, and even the Cult of Sirius. What the hell were you doing? "
        "Doing my job, m'am!" snapped the pilot, coming to attention.
         "Defending Earth from alien infiltration, no matter what the cost!"
        The commander looked at him sourly. "I know what the costs are very well, pilot. Eleven thousand for Nutrivend's unsaleable crop after you shattered their pressurized farm domes. Twenty seven thousand for Transtellar's people tube sections in the Elvis Presley district. Ten thousand for one downed Megapol cruiser hit by friendly fire. The Government demands we pay for rebuilding the roads burnt out as well as minor damages to city buildings. Cyberweb wants compensation for some priceless pieces of impressionist art vaporized in their apartments. Last and not least the Cult of Sirius wants your head on a platter for demolishing, with intent, their Cult holo billboards outside the Temple of Visitors. "
        "I admit I actually aimed at the billboards m'am. The rest were just shots that went wild. " the pilot crossed mental fingers, hoping that was the right answer. It had been a deliberate shot, but he was aiming for the temple itself. The commander's extreme dislike against the alien loving cultists were well known, and some recent raids on Cult premises were by disguised Xcom operatives. He had been shot at by a Cult hoverbike on the way to the UFOs, sowhen he saw the Cult building passing by below, he simply decided to snap off a shot. The explosion had been quite impressive, burning out some expensive holo projectors worth tens of thousands.
        Her eyes narrowed slightly, but then she smiled. "Well, I was not going to pay the Cult anyway. The Government will take it out of our weekly payment, and Megapol knows the risks. We've never paid Transtellar for those people tubes before, and we are not going to start now. Next time, try avoid annoying ALL of the major corporations. I'm afraid I will have to note this
incident in your record. Very well pilot, you're dismissed. "
        "Yes m'am!" the pilot saluted. "I understand. " The pilot hurried away. The captain grimaced slightly as the commander noted something down in her PDA.
        "Weren't you a bit harsh on him ? A black mark on his flight records?"
        The commander glanced at the captain, and replied with a shrug.
        "Well, since you thought I treated him to harshly, spread this bit of rumour around. Since our wonder pilot here compromised dome integrity of Nutrivend's farm building, I was able to negotiate the purchase of all the contaminated crops for three thousand. Nutrivend weren't going to be able to get those crops past the city standards, so they saw it my way. We will be having real vegetable for the next week. "
        The captain shook his head in amazement.
        "Sometimes I wonder if anything happens by incident in this place. Well, if you are going to insist on interviewing the rookie next, I better get those preparations you wanted ready. "
        "They better be ready." said the commander rather ominously. "If they aren't, you will have my office by this afternoon. "
        The captain snorted, and after checking his bearings, headed for the living area.
 
        Behind him, the commander adjusted her jumpsuit and checked her PDA for anything that required her attention. Things were looking up after the last few hectic weeks. She felt more relaxed now that she didn't have to send squads of untested rookies into combat, and the ammunition situation was finally reliable. Marsec had also promised her first pick in the weekly arms shipment to Mega Primus, with the relationship between the two organizations now a probationary "friendly". A very expensive friendship, she thought. Especially since she was their best customer.
        "Commander?" a voice interrupted her reverie. She turned around, and realized it was the sergeant of Group One. For a moment she felt the man before him blur and become the laughing American in blue personal armour she had known in another life time, but shook off the illusion to see the young sergeant again. What was his name? Ahhh yes, Dawson.
        "Yes, sergeant Dawson ?" she answered.
        "The troops are getting a bit restless. We've been in base for the last two days. They wonder if we can go and have a bit of fun somewhere. "
the sergeant was slightly apologetic. Promoted middle of last week, he was still unused to his position in X-Com. In the close confines of the base, command was a lot more personal and based on respect rather than the strict military hierarchy of Lunsec.
        "They want to go raiding ?" the commander's eyebrows rose slightly.
"Don't you people know the official city edict against corporate raiding ? We're not pirates you know. "
        "Well, they know, m'am. But since we're allies with Megapol and the government, they wouldn't mind us if we do a bit of damage to, you know, the other people. "
        "Well, tell the agents that unless they can come up with something definite other than the Cult, they stay here to train and watch sensorvision."
        "Why not the Cult m'am ?" the sergeant looked slightly put off. "We thought you wouldn't mind if a few cultists are, converted, to a new lease of life. "
        The commander shook her head. "The last few weeks have been rather hectic with all the raids on the Cult. They're beginning to suspect us. There have been so many complaints to the Senate that we've been told to scale back a bit, otherwise Megapol will really have to provide security to the Cult's premises. And we don't want THAT. Would put our allies in an embarrassing position. "
        "I understand. I'll explain it to the troops. But someone did suggest Osiron. "
        "Osiron? The criminal syndicate ?" The commander appeared to consider the idea for a moment. "I'll get the captain to look into it. If he says its possible, then I will discuss this with Megapol. "
        "Thank you m'am!" the sergeant hurried away, leaving the commander to her thoughts. The commander stood there for a minute or two, remembering. Then she pushed her grief to the back of her and steeled her heart for her next problem. She headed for her office. On the way, she passed through the cafeteria and snared a coffee. Whatever the City Edict against stimulants and additives were, there was still nothing like hot real coffee.
        She breathed in the aroma as she made her way through the base, and
remembered voices from the past:
        "Why are we sitting here drinking coffee, sir?"
        "Because you're a very pretty girl, and I enjoy taking pretty girls out for a cup of coffee. "
        "You're not serious!" she remembered her own giggles. For an ex-SWAT sharpshooter from New York, she had been very naive. She had no idea what X-Com was then either.
        "And because we are been followed, starting from the time we left the airport. We won't be leaving here until the backup arrives. " Davidson said this with a smile, but she heard the seriousness behind the laughter.
        The next moments would remain for her a blur. Shots being fired, tables being overturned, and sprinting through the narrow streets of San Francisco. Only later did she learn they had narrowly missed an assassination attempt by the agents of an alien subverted government.
        With a sigh, the commander finished her coffee and tossed the empty cup into a nearby recycler. All she had now was memories, and the silver filigree bracelet she wore on her left wrist. She slowed her steps when she noticed the troopers gathered up ahead. It wasn't often she saw normal troopers visiting the psi-gym. Most of them found it too disturbing. She made her steps light, and moved closer.

<The Commander's Office>
        The commander motioned for the rookie to sit down in the chair in front of her desk. She sat down as well, and leaned back slightly.
        "I have read your full records, Brehme. Impressive. "
        The rookie grinned. "Thank you m'am. I hope I have passed the checks and will be assigned to a squad ?"
        "Whoa, rookie. You passed the background checks. In fact, your records are quite detailed. Best I have ever seen. Born on Jovian Cloud Five mining station, educated by a Lifetree contractor for Solmine. Occupation listed as miner after fifteen. You joined Solmine enforcement operations after nineteen, and reached rank of corporal. Two years ago you were opted for early retirement, and registered with the mercenary board after six months when your discharge pay presumably ran out. In the last one and a half years you have become quite highly regarded as a top notch operative. "
        The commander had not referred to any notes so far, but she suddenly leaned forward and tapped the controls of her holodisplay. There was a slight whine as capacitors loaded up, then the personnel records for one rookie Stefan Brehme flashed into existence above the desk top.
        "It all seems pretty straight forward, a Solmine enforcer quitting the corp and becoming freelance for higher pay. That's right isn't it, rookie ?"
        "It happens every day m'am. The colonies are getting restless, and being an enforcer just doesn't pay well enough for anyone to risk a terrorist bomb in their locker. " Brehme shifted uncomfortably in his seat. The interview somehow wasn't going the way he expected.
        "That is all very plausible, Brehme. But there's something not quite all there about your records. I run into security blocks everywhere, and when I try find out the names of some people and cross check mercenary contracts,  get data non-existent errors. "
        The rookie was silent. The commander glared at him, her blue eyes unwavering. The records had not matched, and she had been frustrated by security checks she could not bypass without doing serious damage to the cyber archive systems. The safety of her base was at stake. She was determined to find out who Brehme was, and what he had been doing. While X-Com recruited from everywhere as long as they were good fighters or brilliant scientists, it was not the old French Foreign Legion. They did ask questions, and they intended to get answers.
        "I am sorry, commander. What you want is classified Solmine data. I can't tell you. " the rookie's expression was one of resolution. He raised his hands, and placed them flat on the desk. "I guess you better call Solmine and get the answer from them. Or just terminate my contract and get me out of here. "
        The commander stood up suddenly, and hit the alert panel. Immediately, two tough looking Xcom troopers came through the door and grabbed Brehme by the arms.
        "I don't think you understand how we work in X-Com, Mr. Brehme. There are risks inherent in an operation like ours, not the least of which is the threat of espionage. Alien containment can do more than simply xenobiological research. And our new biochemistry labs are staffed by people who can extract information from the most recalcitrant of guests. And for the security of our base, and your own continued existence, I suggest you cooperate with us."
        Brehme stared at her with a strange expression, then let out a wild shriek. With inhuman strength he shook off the two Xcom troopers and sent them heavily against the wall. His eyes blazed with golden fire, and muscles bulged. He bared his teeth in a snarl, and leapt.
        The commander was ready however. She ducked beneath the creature that had been Stefan Brehme and slapped a respirator over her face. The two troopers, already primed ahead of time, put theirs on as well. A moment later the room was filled with green gas. The creature spluttered, then the yellow light went out of its eyes. One of the Xcom troopers drew his stun grapple, and fired. The Brehme-creature gurgled, then fell over flat on its face.
        More Xcom troopers entered the room and two of them slapped tangler fields on the unconscious Brehme. With the commander's affirmative nod, the Xcom troopers carried the Brehme-creature away, heading down towards alien containment where a cell had already been pressurized and made ready.
        Back in the commander's office, the last remnants of the stun gas were drawn away by the ventilation system. The commander sat heavily back down in her seat, and looked at the captain and her two senior sergeants with weary eyes.
        "So your fears are confirmed, commander. " stated the captain.
        "Yes. Although I wished he had given me another choice. " she called up her holodisplay, and loaded up the city organizations chart. With a few gestures she moved Cyberweb to Unfriendly. She paused for a moment, and reassigned Solmine to the same category as well.
        "Captain, try procure as much elerium stock as there is on the market. Give me backup plans for raids on Solmine storage facilities. Get in contact with the Government, and make sure they check all records accessed with Cyberweb or Solmine credentials. We don't know how far the infiltration has progressed, but for them to be able to create a damn near perfect record like this, core web security must have been compromised."
        "Are you sure he wasn't just a Solmine spy, m'am ?" asked sergeant Dawson "He could've been programmed to resist interrogation. "
        "Didn't you see the eyes, Dawson? I could see them glowing even on the monitors. " snapped the other senior sergeant, Jonlan. Dawson was not the rookie from two weeks ago any longer, but sergeant Jonlan still considered him to be green - for a sergeant anyway. Dawson however was a good tactical commander well respected by the troops, leading to his almost meteoric rise in the ranks along with his impressive number and types of kills.
        "We will see what the biochemists have to say. We might even get a better understanding of how organizations are subverted and their humanity excised. Maybe we can then try develop a cure. " the commander said rather sadly.
        "Damn this is ugly. " said the sergeant. "Used to be only the human traitors we had to worry about. Now even a guy off the street who thinks crocodiles in the sewers is a myth can be our sworn enemy. "
        "Don't worry about it m'am. We'll take the war through the dimension gates and kick the living daylights out of them. " declared Dawson in an uncharacteristic display of fierceness. An ex-Lunsec officer, he was determinedly against treachery in any form.
        "That's the attitude, sergeant. " said the commander. "I want the soldiers to know why Brehme had to be taken, and I don't want any rumours or doubts on this. Make sure nobody gets any stupid ideas. No matter how friendly Brehme seemed, remember that this is not rookie Brehme anymore. In fact, we don't know what the hell he is now. Do you understand ?"
        "Yes m'am!" chorused the two sergeants.
        "You're dismissed. And tell Black to monitor anyone found near the alien containment facilities without proper cause. Sometimes truth has to be bite one's face off before it is believed. Happened back in the First Alien War. "
        The sergeants saluted, did an about turn, and marched out of the door. The captain turned to go, but the commander called him back.
        "Gallagher, what do you think ? Should I have left Brehme alone a bit longer until we have some real proof ?" asked the commander. She played absent mindedly with a pen, a testimony to a lapse in her usual iron self control. The problem of Brehme obviously affected her deeply.
        "You did right, Stella. Brehme was a threat that had to be taken down. I wish I had given you my full support from the beginning. " the captain sat down heavily in the chair so recently occupied by Brehme.
        "If you didn't point out how suspicious Brehme's records seemed I would've never suspected. Come to think of it, could the sabotage of Cloud Five station have been accidental ?" the captain thought out aloud.
        "Transtellar assures me nothing illegal have gone off planet. They probably used Cloud Five because it was convenient and would minimize amount of forging they had to do."
        "I hope so. If dimension gates start appearing in space, we won't have the resources to deal with the new threats. We shouldn't have left all that equipment on Cydonia. We shouldn't even have let them close us down after the First Alien Wars. "
        "Forget it Gallagher. We weren't there to stop it. And we couldn't have held out against the entire world. Commander Westland explained his reasons for our deep freeze. And he was right. "
        "I wish he had given us a choice. I know we were the best, but look what happened to you. Cryogenics was untested technology we jury rigged from the alien equipment. I can't believe we didn't have time to perfect the equipment. "
        "Forget it Gallagher! It's all in the past. And Westland is long gone. We're X-Com, and he chose us as his successors to fight the war he saw coming in the future. You and I both believed in the cause, and my nerves going dead are just a form of the price we pay for our belief. And you know they needed time to bury records of the facility deep enough to prevent the governments from taking that away from us as well. "
        "Those vultures. Their funding was pathetic, and they believe the few million dollars they paid gave them ownership of all Xcom resources. " the captain was quite bitter. He stood up, and began pacing back and forth in agitation. A sergeant before the freeze, he missed out on some of the more behind the scene politics. Stella however had finished as a colonel, and she
knew full well how precarious X-Com's position had been. One false step, and they would've been faced with entire armies. Human armies.
        "At least they only knew about the equipment we bought with their funds. Sometimes Gallagher you don't see the blessings in disguise until later. The First War is over, so let it rest. " the commander crossed her arms, and looked at the captain.
        "Well, if it wasn't for those ungrateful bastards ripping X-Com apart, you would still be with...." the captain was about to continue, but faltered when he saw the look on her face.
        "LET IT REST, CAPTAIN. THIS IS AN ORDER!" she snapped, her fury barely under control. The captain took a step back, unprepared for the sudden flare up.
        "I'm sorry, Stella...." he said softly.
        "Just leave me alone, Gallagher. " the commander buried her face in her hands.
        "Stella.... I shouldn't have mentioned..."
        "Just go, Gallagher. Just go. " the last words were almost a sob. The captain hesitated, then left the room quietly.
        The commander buried her face in her hands for some time, then looked at the bracelet she wore. She traced a pattern on her bracelet, and a part of the metalwork glowed then flipped up to reveal a snapshot. The young man in the picture had an arm over the young blonde girl's shoulder. Both were smiling, but something in their eyes seemed old. The two wore the old X-Com issue combat jump suits, with the fluro green Xcom insignia on their collars. The man's rank flashes proclaimed him to be a colonel, while the young woman was a captain. Behind them, to the left, on a concrete runway, was a saucer like Lightning
interceptor. On the horizon snowcapped mountains rose into the blue sky.
        Across the snapshot someone had signed, in a strong hand, "To Stella, Dave. "

PART C: The Name of the Beast

<X-Com Base "Westland" Primary Biochemistry Laboratory>
        The chief biochemist was very apologetic.
        "I'm sorry, commander. He seemed to switch himself off as we tried to start the interrogation. We tried saved him, but he was fading fast. Maybe we triggered some suicide mechanism. We did detect some weird readings, so we decided to perform emergency surgery to open him up and see if what was going on inside. "
        The commander looked up from her sheaf of printouts, and then nodded towards the suspension tank in which the body of Brehme was preserved. The sight was not a pretty one. With the body dead, and no funeral planned for the future, Brehme remained as he was after the scientists finished poking around his insides. They were more interested in how the nervous system of the human body had been penetrated by the organism tentatively named a "micronoid" than putting Humpty Dumpty back together again.
        "If I understand what your report says here, an alien organism supplanted, or in fact took the place physically of, the medulla and cortex ?" she asked.
        "That is correct. It goes a lot further however. There's traces of this organism in lesser concentrations throughout the entire body, mostly around the nerve pathways and in the bloodstream. But without the brain sections, Brehme will only be a zombie even if he by some miracle stayed alive. The creature had also become parasitic, or more accurately, symbiotic with the rest of his central nervous system. Neither could survive without the other. Brehme provided nutrients, and the alien organism the controlling entity directing his breathing and movement. "
        "Would you say this process is reversible ?" asked the captain, examining the corpse of Brehme carefully.
        "The alien parasite seems to focus first on the victim's brain and selected parts of the spine. Once the brain is gone, there is absolutely no hope of recovering the original personality. And the City Edict on cyborg construction would preclude any large scale re-implantation of sentient systems  into these zombie bodies. " the scientist pointed to the body, and pressed a control to rotate the specimen case.
        "As you can see, the damage caused by the symbiote is widespread. Its control extends even to the adrenaline glands as well as respiratory functions. If it were not for the stun gas, commander, I doubt the creature could be physically restrained by any unmodified humans. As it was, we had enormous problem actually even getting started on the interrogation you wanted. Several previously unexpected faults in the containment system are now being rectified. "
        "What about the organism that you removed from the body ?" asked the commander.
        "We can't show it to you now, it's being examined by Beta team. We only got very small samples of it, but it seems to be some kind of amoeba like organism with the potential of combining together to form sonme kind of a super gestalt. Some of our more sensitive equipment has picked up psionic activity, but we have not been able to duplicate the readings since then. "
        "I expect to have a detailed report within the week. " the commander did not make it a question.
        "You will. Even if it turns out to be quite a strong psionic, we do not foresee any problems with the research. And if possible,  interrogation. Our methods are very effective. By the way commander, Gamma lab believes they have a potential breakthrough in biochemistry. Some kind of genetically tailored toxin which will do devastating damage to the alien metabolism. Kill them in moments. "
        "Can it be done with the resources available? I don't want a repeat of the Eternity project. "
        "Definitely. We're calling it toxin-A for now. The others believe that using gene sequencers and nano simulations, we can have the first batch's formula finalized and ready for mass production within a few days. The engineers are thinking about a delivery system for it right now. Some kind of dart gun, I believe. "
        "Very well. Work on it. If we can take aliens down with one shot, the risks for us go down. Come along, Gallagher. The paperwork is building up. " the commander turned, and left the lab. The captain followed a moment later.
        The chief biochemist hummed cheerfully to himself, and patted the display case of Brehme in a friendly manner.
        "We'll see about your friend now, Brehme. Little slimy green bugger that it is... "

PART D: Price of Knowledge
 
<X-Com Base "Westland">
        The alert came in just as the troopers finished lunch. Red warning lights began blinking, and the troopers ran for the briefing room. Five minutes after the alert went on air, the commander began the briefing.
        "Alien UFOs were sighed near the Elvis Presley district dimension gate, and several more came through the dimension gate above Marilyn Monroe park as well. Our flyers intercepted them, and shot down two probes and three scouts. In addition, we have downed a class three that the physicists have tentatively labeled the alien transporter. Hovercars are bringing back the unmanned UFO wrecks, but preliminary reports say the aliens have not scuttled their type three yet, so recovery of the UFO maybe possible, with the onboard systems intact. "
        At this the troopers cheered. They all knew that if the UFOs could be recovered whole, then the scientists had a good chance of duplicating alien technology to use to kick alien butt.
        "We've got one chance. So don't stuff it up. Megapol has sealed off the area for us, so our job is to go in and neutralize all aliens to prevent them activating the self destruct. No heroics. Stun gas any new aliens you find, and see if you can bring it back for research. The scientists are getting slightly bored. "
        The troopers laughed, and there were several catcalls.
        "You heard that, Zack!" yelled one trooper. "NEW aliens!"
        "Shut up about it, Coldrum. So what if I haven't seen a mindsucker pod before! "
        "Nearly ate your face off too! " the troopers laughed uproariously, for all knew how Zack had thought the orange pods were somekind of exotic fruit. When the confusion had been straightened out, and the brainsucker shot off Zack Light's face, the result had been a compulsory tech update for all troopers, as well as the "Not a picnic" catchphrase used by troopers whenever they think someone is behaving dangerously or stupidly.
        "Quieten down! Get your armour and weapons. the Valkyrie is leaving in ten minutes. Group One, you have this UFO. Group Two, search the surrounding buildings for infiltration. And use this opportunity to force search Cyberweb HQ. It's only a block away from one of the crash sites. And don't worry about their security. If they resist, shoot. Government has officially recognized that Cyberweb is under alien control and no longer protected by the city ordinances. We have license to neutralize them with maximum force and extreme prejudice. "
        The troopers were silent. The loss of a corporation was a blow against X-Com. Without further comments, the troopers saluted their commander and headed for combat stations. Within minutes the Valkyrie was loaded with ammunition and armoured troopers. It took off immediately, heading for the crash site.
        The two Wolfhounds of Group Two also left the underground garage about the same time, and began speeding towards their targets. Wolf One was tasked to search buildings for infiltrations, while Wolf Two made a beeline for Cyberweb HQ. It's a fact of Xcom life that organizations protested very strongly about searches unless aliens have been recently flattening places
and generally demonstrating their hostility. The number of Cult sympathsisers were becoming disturbingly high, and Xcom bikes have been hunting down Cult transports and often finding evidence of their active participation in the spreading of alien spawn. Of course, they realize now the cultists had been turned into Brehme-type zombies with no sense of self. The troopers however
did not doubt the cultists met their doom willingly. During this operation the Cult was going to be raided too, with explosive ammunition, even if it was not the primary target.
 

<Marilyn Monroe Park, Crash site UFO 318>
                "We're encountering defensive fire from the UFO!" reported the Valkyrie pilot. "Prepare for combat drop! I don't want to be sitting there when those disruptors fire!"
        The troopers groaned. Combat drops involved a hatch opening underneath their feet and the restraints snapping back into their sockets. End result was Xcom troopers dropped out of the craft even as it skimmed across the ground. A moment later, a red light lit up overhead, and after two heart beats, the squads were dropped one after another onto the "soft" grass. Over the tac-com there was a chorus of groans and curses as troopers hit something harder than grass: the ground the grass is growing on.
        "Alpha, report!" commanded sergeant Dawson. Nearby troopers struggled to their feet, only to find the sergeant already behind cover and waving at them to take their positions.
        "Alpha here! Status green, all clear. " came the response. "This looks like one big ugly frisbee !"
        "Keep the chatter down, Alpha. Bravo, come in!" Dawson was all business-like once on the ground. His deferential attitude  had evaporated, and he was firmly in command.
        "Bravo here, status green, all clear. "
        "Gamma here, we have on rookie down with bad elbow. Hit a rock. "
        "Evacuate him to the west. Psi, you with us?" Dawson searched the surrounding area, saw the rookie staggering for the perimeter, but could not see any sign of Psi squad's distinctive purple striped helmets.
        "Sorry if we're not in sight, sergeant. The pilot dumped us in the UFO's touchdown scrape. We have the southern UFO exit in sight. Status is green, all clear. " In typical psionic fashion, Black answered the unvoiced question in the sergeant's mind.
        Dawson called up the overhead displays on his helmet HUD, and began  issuing orders.
        "Alpha, go north, and cover the northern exit. Bravo, go with Alpha. Gamma, you're coming with Command squad, and Psi, standby. "
        "On the way, sarge!" came the replies, and for the next minute or two there was only the sound of heavily breathing agents as they ran for their positions. Dawson's Command squad was the only squad equipped with Marsec flying units, and with the other two troopers being experienced veterans acting as bodyguards to the tactical commander, they were also equipped with
the power disruptor guns that the scientists have only recently figured out how to use. The Command squad however was more than just a HQ unit. If Dawson sees the need, he can also bring his squad into combat where their superior firepower and mobility may play a decisive role.
        The squads took up positions, using whatever cover was available, and trigger fingers rested lightly on the firing studs of the various weapons. The motion sensor troopers linked their displays into the total tac net, and every one was able to see the aliens move around inside the ship.
        "We got something coming out the north entrance." reported Alpha's squad leader. "Portal's opening..... shambler! "
        Over the bulk of the UFO Dawson could hear the sound of autocannons and sniper rifles. If the shambler came out too far, then the marsec 4000 grease gun troopers hiding beside the doors will gun it down from behind. The aliens have become increasingly tough to kill. It seems the more successful the Xcom operations are, the aliens come back with better weapons. Two days ago one of the agents had been badly wounded by some kind of moving explosive, and the Xcom troopers had to adopt a more cautious approach rather than relying on their Megapol armour.
        "Shambler's down. There's more behind it! Incoming! Take cover..." the last part of the transmission cut off suddenly, and the south portal troopers could feel the muffled explosion through the soles of their boots.
        "Report, Alpha. Come in!" Dawson's voice remained level, but was tinged with some anxiety.
        There was only static for a moment, then a new voice came on-line.
        "Squad leader Benton is dead, sarge! He tried to throw the cross thing back, but the thing went off. We've got smoke and stun sealing off the entrance, but the situation here is pretty hairy. "
        Another voice cut in. "This is Bravo. Alpha is out of action. The two squaddies are badly wounded, and medi-kit says their status is critical. " In the background those with sharper hearing could hear the beeps of the medikits as they worked frantically to save the life of the two squaddies.
        "The aliens have withdrawn back into the ship, " continued the Bravo leader. "I don't think they will try force an escape here yet. "
        "Get Alpha away from the doors. They know we're here. We're going to have to do this UFO the hard way. Psi, report to me. Bravo, move out of grenade range, and make sure nothing gets past your end. Forget about specimens. "
        "Do you want us to mine the entrance, sarge?" asked Bravo.
        "Do it. Keep out of harm. We're going in. " replied the sergeant.

        Even as the two Alpha troopers were carried to the perimeter to the rescue service transport waiting to take them back to X-Com, Dawson gathered the Psi and Gamma squads in preparation for a close in assault. The aliens knew they were here, and unless they hurry, the UFO was liable to blow up in their face.
        "Gamma will take point, on autofire. Command will follow. Psi, neutralize any hostiles you can sense. Mind control or stun, I don't care. I just want their paws off the trigger. "
        "Will do, sergeant. " affirmed Black. He adjusted the mind-bender he held in his left hand, and flipped down his HUD. With the HUD down, he could use a real time datalink from Gamma and Command to get an accurate fix on alien presences. Once he knows where they were, his troopers could get into position. "
        "Gamma, move up. " ordered the sergeant. "Let's make sure Benton has some alien butts to kick on his way to happy hunting grounds. "
        "Yes sir!" answered Gamma squad. Without hesitation they ran to the door of the alien craft, and leveled their weapons. Command followed right on their heels. From now on, speed was the essence.
        The portal hissed open, revealing a surprised anthropod. The three vengeful Gamma troopers did not give it a chance. They fired double handed, grease guns and lawpistols blasting through the shambler. It roared, then collapse in a heap. Behind it, multiworms lurked, but the troopers threw explosive grenades. They turned away slightly, letting their shoulder armour
take most of the blast, and the explosion filled the air with smoke. The end result however was three very dead multiworms. The resultant hyperworm broods were caught in the confined space and annihilated by a fusillade of shots.
        "Grav lift secured! " reported Gamma leader.
        "We're right behind you, Command"  said Black.
        Dawson led the Command squad in, and without a word led them up the gravlift. He saw immediately a spitter standing at the end of the corridor, and snapped off a shot even as it turned. The disruptor gun ray flew true, and punched a fist sized hole through the chest of the spitter. Green acid spilt out to sizzle on the curiously organic deck of the alien UFO. Behind him, senior squaddie Tatsuo opened fire as well, and was answered with the scream of another shambler.
        "Psi, hold the ground floor. Gamma, move up. " Dawson realized he needed more people. This floor of the UFO was too large to cover safely with one squad.
        "You've got something alive to the west, sergeant. " said Black, his voice eerily detached. "I can't get an accurate fix. "
        "Let's move. Charlie, take the south corridor. Bravo, take Psi squad's position. Psi, I want you guys up here. Move move move!" Dawson sounded as if he was frantic, but the troopers all knew time was of the essence here. If the UFO goes up now, then none of them was likely to survive. Dawson was just talking quickly, that's all.
        The Command Squad leapt into the air and flew onto the raised platform  on either side of the corridor. They saw immediately the life signs that Black had detected. Giant yellow pods that resembled the chrysalis of giant insects pulsed, and beside them multiworms slithered sickeningly.
        "Get the multiworms. The scientists might want a look at those pod things. " ordered Dawson. "Aimed fire only. "
        The two other troopers obeyed, and sent shot after shot into the multiworms. Within moments the multiworms were dead and the hyper-worms burst free from their dead parents. The third Command trooper dropped a stun gas grenade on the snapping alien worms, and a moment later they were still.
        "Works like a charm every time. Should we shoot them, sarge?" asked the trooper.
        "We'll leave it to the commander. Right now we better make sure all the aliens are cleared out. "
        Even as those words left Dawson's lips, Gamma reported in.
        "We got two of those shamblers in the south. Looks like they were trying to open somekind of chamber. The door was probably buckled in the impact. We didn't try stun grapple, and they never saw what hit them. "
        "Secure the south area, Gamma. We'll make sure the north is clear. Psi, is the site clear ?" demanded Dawson as he led the Command squad into the open area in the north to make sure there were no aliens hiding in the gaps.
        "There's still something left.... I think it's below us!" reported Ragulin suddenly.
        "Must be in the basement. Where the engine room must be. Bravo, drop stun down into the basement. "
        "Affirmative. " replied the Bravo squad leader. "One. Two. Three. Drop!" came the count down.
        A moment later, Ragulin and Black both reported: "No conscious aliens left. "
 
        Dawson smiled grimly. "One squad leader dead, and two seriously wounded. I hope the scientists do well with the ship. "
        One of the troopers sent down into the engine room reported back.
        "There was a popper down here.... must've been stunned by the grenades upstairs when we took out those multiworms. There are also two shamblers, but I think they were killed in the landing. Can't see a stun grenade doing that much damage to anyone. "
        "Looks like the UFO is cleared then. And we're still alive. Most of us. " summarized Dawson. He reached up and adjusted the comm frequency.
        "This is Group One, alien UFO is secured. You can send in the techs now. "
        There was a pause, then the voice of the commander answered him.
        "Good work, sergeant. Any casualties ?"
        Dawson looked out of the alien gunbay, and saw the meditechs carefully lay the shattered body of squad leader Aaron Benton on a bubble float.
        "Sorry commander, we lost squad leader Benton. Another of those Devil's Cross got him. The other two troopers in his squad were caught in the explosion. "
        "Damn. Bring Group One back to base. I guess we will have to cancel your raids scheduled for today. "
        "I'm sorry, commander. I wish I could've brought everyone back. "
        "Don't get too sentimental, sergeant. " the commander's tone hardened. "There are always going to be casualties. Benton will be coming home to X-Com as well. Over and out. "
        The sergeant turned away from the scene below him, and changed back to tac-net.
        "Okay, people. Back on the Valkyrie. Next destination, home base. "
        None of the troopers felt like arguing. There was no real elation at capturing the UFO. In the close knit Xcom community, the loss of even a single man was deeply felt. Unlike other corporations and organizations, X-Com did not have a near endless pool of reserves. They were all volunteers, and they knew their chance of surviving until a pension plan was slim. To kill as many of the invading aliens before they die was the common goal.
        Of course, in the depths of their heart, there was hope. Maybe if they kill enough aliens, the war would end.
 

<X-Com Base "Westland" Cryo-Vault>
        The commander watched as the coffin draped with the X-Com flag was lowered into its resting place. The sealed steel pod was released with a small clink as it made contact, and a protective glass shield slid over the womb-like hollow in which the coffin now lay. Even as Xcom troopers paid squad leader Benton their final respects, a glowing white mist filled the hollow.
Seconds ticked by, then the mist faded. In its place was solid ice. Here the coffin will rest with other Xcom personnel who had fallen in the line of duty during the weeks in Mega Primus.
        Only when the alien threat is finally dealt with would these coffins be disturbed again. They will be freed from their icy tomb, and taken aboard an Xcom Avenger. The Avenger will take the remains of the Xcom personnel away from Earth to Mars, where they will join their forebears in their eternal rest under the red Martian soil, beneath the pyramids of Cydonia. This was a tradition begun by Commander Westland at the end of the First Alien Wars, when none of the world governments would agree to publicly honour Xcom and allow the burial of Xcom dead in national war cemeteries. To the world government, X-Com was and would remain a covert organization. And when the threat was over, they were more interested in acquiring advanced Xcom equipment and technology than acknowledging that there was ever an alien threat. To X-Com's disgust, the Americans even claimed that it was their scientists who developed the advanced technology, and tried to steal the patents.
        Commander Stella Thornton watched the coffins laid to rest. She had been in chambers like this before, watching good men and women been laid away for eternity. Many cold white faces that had been smiling and joking the previous day simply gone the next, their life, their future, taken away during the night.
        In her mind's eye she remembered Colonel Davidson as his eyes blazed in righteous anger at the duplicity of his countrymen. They had been forced to stand by idly while the shadowy men from the world's secret agencies divided the hard fought for gains of X-Com amongst themselves. Gains that had been paid in blood by the eternal sleepers resting in cyrogenic coffins such as this. Sleepers who believed that their sacrifice had not been in vain, and that their contribution to the world will be remembered. A world that is free from alien enslavement, a world that is free.
        She could still remember Davidson, forcing a smile for her from the ground at the airfield even as the Avenger headed for the Antarctic. She had promised to see him in Atlanta when X-Com finished decommissioning, unaware of the icy trap which would swallow her and take away her dream. Davidson was long dead now, killed in one of the early battles of the Second Alien War when he tried to protect the passengers on his cruise ship. Survivors remember seeing the silver haired retired Xcom commander killing an aquatoid with his bare hands then holding the aliens at bay with the aquatoid's sonic rifle. When Xcom troopers from the underwater division arrived, they found Davidson dead, the captured sonic rifle empty, and the corpses of aquatoids and tasoths sprawled about him. Only in death was Davidson finally recognized by a reluctant country as a true national hero. He now rested in the Cydonia cactatombs, his sarcophagus in its rightful position as the first of X-Com's
losses immediately within the entrance to the Second Alien War Vaults.
        "Commander, they are sealing off the chamber now. " said Sergeant Dawson.
        "Very well, sergeant. " shaking her head to clear the tears, the commander whispered a quick prayer to whatever unknown deity that watched over Xcom, then walked briskly out the open door. Behind her, technicians made the final adjustments to the equipment in the room in preparation for refreezing.

<The Commander's Office>
        When she reached her office, she was ready for work again. As she sat down at her desk and turned on the holodisplay, she saw the familiar barrage of complaints.
        "Great, " she said out aloud. "Don't they ever learn ?" she adjusted the displays, and began reading through the complaints.
        "Cyberweb demands compensation...... the Cult demands X-Com stop interfering with their religious practices...... Transtellar wants compensation for damage to People Tube system...... the SELF and the Mutant Alliance demands X-Com stop discrimination against their constituents.... and what's this ? " she glared at the diagram floating before her, and asked the
thin air: "A special offer of the Buddy Holly Experience from Sensorvision at two thousand dollars a week ?"
        She thumped the communications panel. The comm-technician came on-line immediately.
        "Yes m'am ?" the technician looked at her expectantly, his visage floating in mid air before her.
        "What the hell is the Buddy Holly Experience offer doing in my mail ?"
        The technician glanced down at his displays, then turned bright red.
        "Sorry m'am ! It was from Sensorvision, so I assumed...."
        "You ASSUMED?!" it was almost a scream. "What are you going to assume next? That an alien sighting in the Senate is a prank call ? This commander has more important things to worry about than the fad for the 50s which seemed to have plagued this city. Do you want to finish the aliens quickly or stay in this godforsaken city forever ?"
        "As quickly as possible m'am!" answered the technician.
        "We better have an understanding here. If you want to leave this city, there's only two ways about it. Either you're totally incompetent, in which case you will be leaving in a box as alien bait, or we deal with the aliens, in which case we will be leaving with a ticker tape parade, with the bonus of doing it on our own two feet. So make an effort !" With that she terminated
the connection and sat back.
        A moment later, she started laughing. The Buddy Holly Experience indeed! The more she found out about Mega Primus, the more she thought the place was populated by people who would otherwise be institutionalized. Even in the midst of an alien invasion it was life as normal, with petty squabbles and financial affairs taking up the attention of the city's ruling factions.
Humanity indeed.
        She thumped the communications panel again, and called up the comm tech. Seeing it was her, the comm tech visibly blanched. Without waiting for his response, the commander snapped: "Get the Captain up here. And tell him to bring the raid plans on Osiron. "
        "He's on the way now, m'am!" replied the comm tech, visibly relieved at not getting another explosive lecture. Terminating the connection again, the commander swiveled her chair so she could look at the plasma display showing the real time map of Mega Primus. A button called up the Osiron owned properties, and she studied it carefully.
        Behind her, the door hissed open to admit the captain. Inspite of the short notice, captain Gallagher was still immaculate in his X-Com issue grey jumpsuit, and under one arm he carried his personal nanocomp.
        "Reporting as ordered, commander. " he saluted.
        The commander stood up and returned his salute.
        "What's your conclusion on Osiron's defenses ?"
        "Apart from some heavy launchers, not really formidable at all. If we send in Foxbat troop, they would have no trouble flying up and taking up a secure position on the roof. And from there, they could take out Osiron's guards with no trouble. "
        "Alert the squads. Group One will be raiding the Osiron warehouse in the James Dean habitat zone, while Group Two will make a sweep through the slums here. Detach Foxbat squad from Group Two and use them to make diversionary raids. Let's make sure Osiron doesn't know what hit them. It will also be good training for our people. "
        The captain hesitated, then asked: "Do we have any rules of engagement for this operation, m'am ? "
        "Rules of engagement? Of course we do! Shoot first and ask questions later. " the commander grinned ferally. "Any questions ?"
        "No m'am!" grinned the captain.

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 A Canine Works Project, 1997/8