X-COM Season 2 - Journals

[ZombieSplitter53]

Security Video Recording, X-COM Shooting Range

The shooting range bustles with the talk of over a dozen soldiers, many of which crowd around an instructor as he fires at a target shaped like a sectoid. Richard Foulke stands away from the crowd, practicing with a pistol and a simple shadow-man paper target. Ayame Kasagi walks in, picks up an X-9 Assault Rifle, and calls up a target, standing between Richard and the crowd. Several of the soldiers smile and nudge one another, pointing at Ayame as she takes aim. She fires off several shots, only hitting the top of the target with the first shot and missing with the rest due to the recoil. The soldiers watching her laugh loudly as Ayame curses under her breath in Japanese. Richard walks up behind her. "Hey, Ayame," he says, "Glad to see you've recovered."

"Hey, F...Richard," she responds, flashing him a quick smile. "I'm kinda glad myself."

"I'm, uh, I'm sorry I didn't come to visit you." Richard says, avoiding eye contact. "I kinda have this thing about hospitals. Too many bad memories, too many strong people at their weakest points. "

Ayame chuckles lightly. "Its okay, really. Don't put another thought into it. Believe me, and I can not stress this enough, the less people that saw me in that pathetic state, the better. That you even considered coming is enough."

Richard smiles, saying, "Thanks, but I still owe you for helping me out. After all, it couldn't have been easy carrying me, considering you're so..." Ayame frowns, raising an eyebrow. "...so, um, unaccustomed to someone as heavy as me.

Ayame smiles, saying "Nice save."

"If I remember," Richard continues, "you did mention something about getting pointers with firearms, and we are in the shooting range."

"Well," Ayame answers, looking at her rifle, "I wouldn't want to impose, but most of the people I'm closest to here are either busy, they have little more experience then me, or they're....they...." Ayame momentarily chokes up, a pained look on her face as she looks away from Richard.

The pair stand in silence for several moments, as Richard seems to search for the right words. Finally, he clears his throat, and tells her "well, I'm not an expert, but I can give you some pointers. How much experience do you have?"

Ayame looks at Richard and smiles, wiping a tear from her eye. "Other then my X-COM training, practically none. The last gun I used before coming here was, uh...oh, it was a Fallschirmjägergewehr 42, I think." Richard raises an eyebrow but remains silent. "I passed basic training here at X-COM, but no one will give me further training, not even the instructors. I guess they figure I won't last long enough to be worth teaching."

"Well, then, maybe we should start with the basics." Richard picks up his handgun. "Here we have X-COM's standard issue X220 9mm semi-automatic handgun. This is probably not surprising, considering where our base is located, but our pistols are based on a SIG Sauer P220, particularly the Minebea P9 used by the Japanese Self-Defense Force. Personally, I would have gone with the M9, but I'm not charge, am I.....ahem, anyway, its a...decent gun, unlike that these useless X-9s, but it has a nasty kick to it. Let me show you the best way I've found to use it to compensate for the recoil."

The two spend the next hour practicing with a pistol, assault rifle, and shotgun, Richard explaining how they work and how to use them, patiently but sternly correcting Ayame's mistakes. Ayame fidgets in irritation whenever she is corrected, but holds her tongue and listens intently.

"I think we have time for a quick look at the sniper rifles," Richard says as the two walk to where they are held.

As Richard picks up a rifle and examines it, Ayame's attention is drawn towards a larger rifle on the end. "What's with this big rifle? What's it's story?"

Richard darts his eyes towards Ayame to see what she is referring to, then continues examining his rifle. "That's a Barrett M82," Richard answers, "Its a 50 caliber anti-material rifle, meant for taking out military equipment rather then enemy combatants."

"Why should that matter," Ayame asks, lifting the M82 with her left hand and a sniper rifle in her right, comparing the two. "Why don't we just use the bigger one? It'd blow away everything, wouldn't it?"

"Well, it would be like fox-hunting with mastiffs. Besides, I doubt X-COM could afford to use these in place of standard sniper rifles, they'd be completely useless in anything but long-range, and they're way too heavy to carry around as standard..." Richard turns to face Ayame, at which point he goes wide-eyed, looking at the M82 in Ayame's hand. Ayame suddenly drops the rifles, and grasps her left arm in pain. "Are you okay!"

"Y-yeah, I guess I just over exerted myself," Ayame answers, rubbing her arm.

"Not surprising," Richard responds. "I know you're stronger then you look, and I mean no offense, but someone of your...uh, light weight, shouldn't try to lift a gun that's almost as long as you are tall and is a third your weight with one hand."

"Yeah, sorry." Ayame laughs. "I guess I don't my own strength."

"Hey!" The instructor walks up to the pair. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Sorry, sir." Ayame bows her head respectfully, and she and Richard quickly put the rifles back where they belong.

A smug smile creeps onto the instructor's face. "From the looks of you, I'm sure that any of those rifles will end up being more valuable then you in this war."

Ayame folds her arms and narrows her gaze, one of her eyes twitching slightly. "'From the looks of you'?"

The instructor laughs loudly, and his entourage laugh with him. "You should probably try a gun that fits your age, kid. Maybe we can find you a derringer, or perhaps BB gun. Of course," the instructor kneels down, making sure Ayame knows the difference between their heights, "If I had my way, I would have kicked you out of X-COM the first time I saw you. If that mohawked-broad kicked the bucket the way she did, what makes you think you have a chance?"

Ayame's eye twitches erratically as she grinds her teeth. She clenches her fists at her side, blood dripping from them. Richard steps to the instructors side. "Excuse me, but is dishing out unprovoked insults against someone you're supposed to teach something a professional does, or a mature adult for that matter?

The instructor stands up quickly, turning his attention towards Richard. "I'm sorry, what did you just say to me?"

"Nothing, really," Richard answers, keeping a deadpan look on his face, "I was just thinking that you're supposed to be a teacher, but you're acting like a stereotypical, school-yard, douche-bag bully from a crappy Stephan King movie."

The instructor sticks his finger in Richards face, sneering at him as he yells, "you'll watch your fucking mouth if you want to stay in X-COM! I don't care if I call you a retarded pissant and her a underage Taiwanese whore, you'll remember your place." He returns his attention to Ayame, who is now fuming and trembling violently. "Whats wrong? You're not crying, are you? Oh, you're mad, huh? Why don't you take a swing? Come on, one free shot."

The instructor smirks and points to his chin. Ayame suddenly grabs him by the shirt, fury saturating her face. She reals back her fist, a thrusts it forward. She stops a few inches from his face, though, looking at him with contempt as he continues to smile. She lowers her fist, and the instructor shoves her off of him, causing her to fall to the floor. "Too bad," he says, standing up, "the two seconds of pain you'd have caused me would have been worth getting you thrown out of X-COM." He laughs loudly as he walks away, leaving the shooting range with the other soldiers following him.

Richard extends his hand to help Ayame to her feet, but she ignores it, getting up on her own. "That was big of you," he says, forcing a smile, "I don't think I could have kept myself from hitting him in your place, and I wouldn't have blamed you for breaking his nose. I know you have martial arts training, and we both know you could have...taken...all..."

Ayame rubs her eyes, and avoids looking Richard in the face. "Yeah, well, I promised a friend that I'd try to watch my temper." Richard tries to look Ayame in the eye, but she turns away from him. Her voice breaks slightly as she says, "I'm sorry, but I have to go. T-thanks for the lessons, a-and for standing up for me like that."

Richards face is concerned as he says, "Of course, anytime, why wouldn't I have. But are you going to be okay?" Ayame nods, but keeps her head turned away as she quickly walks out of the room. Richard solemnly returns the weapons they had been using to before leaving himself.

 

[BMPixy]

Name: Richard Foulke
Current Rank: Trainee
Mission Name: N/A
Mission Objective: N/A
Kills This Mission: N/A
Total Kills since joining XCOM: N/A
Status: Healthy
Promotion?: N/A
Journal Entry:

--April [REDACTED], Two Thousand and Fifteen--

Well, today was fairly interesting. Ran into Ayame at the range today, noticed her accuracy was....a bit sub-par. Some of the others, more douche-bag-ish, soldiers decided that it was worthy of a laugh. I considered giving a retort of my typical flavor of wit, but decided ‘gainst it. Instead, I decided to help Ayame out, after a bit of small talk and apology for my lack of visitation while she was recovering. It became a bit awkward after she nearly brought up the recent deaths.

As we pushed past that topic, I inquired into her firearms experience. She mentioned that the most recent gun she used before she arrived at X-COM was the Fallschirmjägergewehr 42. I might be wrong, but that was a WWII-era German battle rifle. If I remember correctly from what one of my old military buff friends said, it is very rare, with only a couple thousand being produced. Seems a bit suspicious to me, but maybe she knew a gun collector.

Anywho, after that I helped her along with the various proper weapons and the X-9. Gave her a good deal of pointers over two hours. Then, when I went to help her with the sniper rifles, that prat of a range instructor decided then would be a good time to try and stir something up. First the bastard went after Ayame, claiming that the rifles we were using were more valuable than her in this war effort. Then he decides to use the recently deceased Cpl. Dusk to put her down even further. This seemed to get the posse chuckling, and had Ayame enraged. At that point, I stepped in. First, an insult to his professionalism, followed quickly by a jab at his maturity. Attention retrieved. Fuming inside, personally, but luckily I am very good at restraining my emotions. Respond to his question with thought, backed by knock at his perceived superiority. Schweinehund decides to threaten my remaining in this Project, and a couple of poor insults. At that point he returns his attention to Ayame, who nearly punches his lights out. Instructor shoves her to the ground, then he and his thugs take their leave. Though, in posthumous response to his ‘two seconds of pain’ remark, if rumors are correct, those two seconds would be the last thing he felt.

I offered to help Ayame up, but she opted to help herself up. I remarked that we probably could have taken them all down in a fight, but she mentioned that she promised a friend to keep her temper under check. She thanked me for my actions, I responded that it was only natural, followed with an inquiry into her health. She briefly nodded, then left. I cleaned up the gear, before leaving, and heading back here. Sent off a report to the Commander detailing the incident, and a request that said instructor either be removed from his post or have....extensive psychological retraining. Thought there would be a bit more respect from the instructors to those whom will likely be fighting the alien menace, but, as always humanity disappoints.

I don’t know why, but the mention of that FG 42 is still messing with my head a bit. Just find it peculiar for some reason....

Bah, screw it, going to go make some rounds of the base, see if anybody is around and willing to talk. Foulke, out.

 

[Kadratos]

Name: Kael Kessler
Current Rank: Squaddie
Mission Name: Operation Crystal Pire
Mission Objective: Plant the transponders on the train
Once the transponders are in place, activate the train's drive control system.
Kills This Mission: 0
Total Kills since joining XCOM: 2
Status: KIA
Journal Entry:

I've decided that it will be easier just to wear a recording software while I'm out on missions rather than take the time to write up a journal when I'm back at base. I've been given the O.K. by command as long as they are allowed to have someone file through it and clear out the parts they have determined to be non-important before it is stored.
Pre-mission: I have to admit I'm looking forward to my first mission as a heavy. I think that I'll be able to better help people this way, even though it's an aggressive approach rather than defensive. I think Sarah might have been a bit worried, thinking that having bigger guns might make me a bigger target but something tells me no matter what I'll be a target, this just makes it easier to fight back. I don't know if it's just nerves but something feels off in my gut, I hope it will clear up after the mission is over. Anyways, I'm going to shut this thing off until the mission starts.
Mission: That feeling in my gut was right, usually we face a bunch of sectoids but this is almost entirely thin men. Something big also dropped from the sky. ~~ We’re getting poisoned left and right, Scruffson got a bit panicky after he shot that brutish thing, but even so he managed to take it out, I just hope he can get it together before too long. ~~ Holding your breath as you run through the poison clouds DOES NOT WORK, this poison must have something that gets inside you even if you don't breathe. ~~ Most of us are poisoned now, we need more medkits! ~~ Another one of those brutes fell from the sky, I was able to hurt it and… Aribeth finished it off. ~~ I just got poisoned again! Two more of those brutes just fell from the sky! This looks bad. ~~ I’ve got to hit that guy on the roof with a rocket, it’s going to be a tough shot, I can’t see straight through this smoke and this stupid poison is making me dizzy, here goes something… MORISATO NO! ~~ I’M HIT! A THIN MAN COMING UP ON THE RIGHT! ~~ Your life really does flash before your eyes… Sarah?- Recording end.

 

[ZombieSlayer85]

Name: Joseph Andrews
Rank: Trainee

I was watching the footage from the last battle (trying to avoid certain parts while doing so), and I'm interested in the big brutish aliens. The couter attack on us seemed a little hasty, and most of these new aliens were dropped right in the middle of our soldiers, as though they were only meant to slow us down, and even then they were terribly strong. I shutter to think what is going to happen when we have to fight a group of two of three of them when they are more prepared.

 

[jimark]

Right, fixed that damn door panel, some guy gave me a funny look though, hopefully nothing will come of it. Anyway, took a trip up to the range for a change, safe to say marksmanship isn't your thing as my job was in fact: to hit the side of a barn (full of rebels... with a missile) Saw that loco Japanese girl being shouted at by the instructor, shouting about Taiwanese Prostitutes. My third wife, Anya, was a Taiwanese erm... exotic dancer. I loved her before she died, I try not to think about it much. *pauses, looks morbidly for a moment* Anyway, safe to say that guy regretted it, I pretended to laugh, and walked out with him, we got round a corner, and I pushed ese hijo de puta into the rock wall, and punched him in the back of the head. I forget how many times. Nice trick I learned from a friend from Guantanamo, damages the hippi canpus or something, erasing the short term memory. Saw Foulke on the way back to quarters, might talk to him, looks mucho más saludable than he did when he came here.

 

[Frostlich1228]

Name : Anna Stone
Status : Better...

Non-Combat Log 20 :

I am feeling a lot better than I did yesterday, Aribeth's death really shook me, I had a talk with Ayame about it, we really cheered each other up,
I told her to smile whenever you think of her, so that when she looks down on you from wherever she is right now, she doesn't have to see you cry.
When I said that she looked up at me and gave me a hug, she told me that what I said was really beautiful.
After we talked she went down to the shooting range for some practice, I heard that some of the instructors were picking on her because of her size, Сволочи...
But she kept her cool and didn't let them get to her, she is really making improvements in controlling her anger, I am really proud of her.

Yesterday we were all sitting at a table eating food and talking when Ayame just gets up all of a sudden and scans the room, She startled that crap out of Me and Joesph, after a few seconds of scanning she just stares this new guy down, after that she sits back down and we keep eating, I asked her what that was about, and she told me she sensed some kind of Energy coming off of him.
I hope he is not some kind of Alien, Ayame assured me he wasn't, but...I don't know...

Sigh...You know, Aribeth wanted to have a "Girl's night out" where we would go to a restaurant and get some food, but we never got around to it, you know, I think Me, Joseph and Ayame should go to a restaurant around here and we can have a Dinner in honor of Aribeth, I think they would really like that idea.

Oh today I was on my way down to the shooting range when I ran right into this Scientist girl, I told her I was sorry and she said that it was okay, I asked her what her name was and she told me her name was Dr. Franziska Van Damm and that she was Leading a team of scientists who are working on learning more about the Cryssalids, after that she went on her way.
Maybe I should talk to her about what's going on with me...
I am just not sure if I can trust any of the Faculty here to keep a secret.

*End of Recording*

 

[Majora098]

Password required: EMPATHY
Welcome John
Please select log: LOG 2
Password required: Grief

BEGINNING LOG

Name: John... when I mentioned my name to some people, they, jokingly apparently, suggested that my last name might be Doe, I kind of like it however and shall use it, at least for these report, even though I don't get the joke.
Rank: Experiment sounds kinda... inhuman, but I cannot for the life of me think of anything else to call myself...

BEGIN RECORDING

[Camera flickers on, revealing John in an unreadable mood, the camera's positioning indicates in is a built in web cam on a rather large laptop, John is looking at the screen rather than the webcam, his eyes are moving left to right, it looks like he's reading something, occasionally his eyes flicker towards the camera, when he does so, the visual flickers and a hint of his current emotion can be felt]

"I am starting to realize just how inconvenient of a time for me to have...appeared. There is absolutely nothing worse for a empath then when everyone on the base is depressed, I can tell that most of these people are not normally this glum, but with the death of two soldiers, one of whom was a "everyone's friend" kinda gal, the severe lack of trust towards the Commander from the last mission, and the threat that an equally, if not harder mission, is looming as soon as the alien ship is in place, is bearing down on everyone's hopes, especially on those of the front-liners.

[he looks down and rests his head on his hands, sighing deeply]

"I watched the footage from the last mission, and I can understand the tension, and in a couple cases down right fury, that the troops are currently displaying towards Commander Odd. Even as a person who has no understanding of tactics, I noticed several mistakes, and his near lack of true emotion towards there death... is disturbing. I mean I can see where he is coming from, he is going to see a lot of his troops die, but this almost apathy will see even more dead....sigh....

[his eyes flicker towards the webcam and his cheeks redden, the colors distort and the screen tears. Insatiable Curiosity, justification]

"I...uh, remembered something else about me... I can't stand not knowing, and not not knowing truly why these people are grieved was killing me, ssoooo.... I uh.... hacked into some of Aribeth's and Kesslar's logs....

[His eyes move to the camera, colors go haywire, audio degrades to a low buzzing. Guilt: wrong, dead. Relief: know now. Anger: Commander, injustice.]

"He can view our logs, at his leisure and at anytime he wants to, that was how I was able to access them, by impersonating his account, I know it's a bit hypocritical to be mad at this, but the dead feel no privacy, the living do, several of the people on base have severe trauma, Anna comes to mind, or big secrets they don't want other to know, I would never dream of reading anyone else's, my existence invades their privacy enough already. The only reason I viewed their's was because I had to know them in some way, and no one would tell me about them, it was driving me nuts to feel as sad over the loss of people I didn't know as it I was their best friend. Anyways I making sure that all my new logs, this one included, will remain untouched by any hands other than mine.

Anyway... I talked with Joseph awhile ago, and confirmed my suspicions that I would like him as a friend, if not solely for the purpose of chiseling out his emotional issues, he is far to good a guy to have an inferiority complex. We talked for a while, he apologized for not helping me up earlier during lunch, and was curious as to why I sat alone, though I don't remember if he said that out loud or not, it can hard to tell with some people, I told that I didn't interact well with people who were experiencing something I don't understand. I asked him about various people I was curious about on base, he seemed a bit evasive with I asked about Ayame, perhaps her secret is bigger than I thought, hmm... As we conversed I slipped in a couple things that I know would help cheer him up, Its the least I can do to make people just that bit more happy, and he left the conversation with somewhat higher spirit.

I check out the research lab for the first time I can remember... It. Was. Absolutely. Amazing... the Alien technology is absolutely incredible, there is so much stuff we can learn, even from the fragments we have been able to advance laser technology leaps and bounds, and get this... We have an A.I. I practically fainted, its curious really, I could feel...something from it... not quite like a person but close enough, I think I might talk with it tomorrow...I think it will be an interesting experience for the both of us...

Well I'm tired, and I think I will go to bed now, good bye little camera.

END RECORDING

 

[ZombieSlayer85]

Name: Joseph Andrews
Rank: Trainee

Log Update:

I ran into Richard Foulke, whom I haven't seen since our talk in the infirmary. To my surprise, he approached me. He wanted to know if he could ask me a few questions, saying "you're one of the few people I've been able to talk to since joining X-COM. I guess I don't leave a good impression."

"Its just because no one else appreciates your dry wit," I said. "It reminds of my mother, how she would make jokes while keeping a deadpan look on her face. I have similar issues socializing, only my problem is my tendency to talk faster then my brain can work, resulting in me saying insulting things with out intending to do so.....damn, like I just did my comparing you to a middle aged woman!"

"Its okay, Joseph," he responded, "I chose to ignore that one. Please don't take this the wrong way, but I was actually hoping you can tell me a few things about Ayame Kasagi."

"Oh, sure," I said nervously, afraid I was going to say the wrong thing.

"Have you ever noticed how unusually strong she is?" he asked.

"I, uh, I'm not....what do you mean?"

"Well, someone of her diminutive physique shouldn't have been able to carry me to the med-bay, and earlier today, she picked up a thirty-five pound rifle with a single hand and held it like a toy. I mean, she dropped it, but I'm surprised she could lift it at all."

"I've...noticed she's strong, but not unusually strong. Maybe it has something to do with her martial arts training."

"Has she mentioned knowing any collectors of rear firearms?"

"No, I'm pretty sure she doesn't know anyone like that."

"Really? How odd. Then how would she have access to a rifle that was only made by Nazi Germany in the 1940s?"

"I don't, I uh, I..." DAMN IT! I thought, I knew I screw this up. I should have just grabbed my stomach in pain and run away. "I...she, sh-she n-never actually said, s-said anything." Damn it, I sound like my sister when she's upset. "But she, uh, she DOES have a lot of con, contacts. Like when we first met, she was able to get me an expensive bottle of Russian vodka like it was nothing!"

"Did she? Okay, one last thing. She mentioned something about promising to keep her temper in check. Was that with you?

"H-her temper? Well, I know she has anger problems, I know that from first hand experience, but she never said anything to me. She might have promised Anna some...wait, why? What happened?"

"We got into a scrap with a rather disagreeable instructor. He started insulting us for no apparent reason, and she almost punched his lights out, but ended up showing considerable restraint."

"Wait, was he a tall guy, American, bad attitude, smug face, uses childish insults, seems to put others down in order to make himself look bigger."

"Are you are familiar with him?"

"Don't spread this around, but my experience in the Marines was only that of a few months before I....deserted. Commander Odd was understanding in allowing me to join X-COM, but the instructors aren't so forgiving, and that guy has been particularly relentless. He was actually suspended for about a weak thanks to an.....incedent between us. Look, I'm wooried about Ayame, d-do you mind if..."

"Of course."

I left him then, and I've been looking for Ayame ever since. I can't find her, though. I can never seem to find anyone when I need them.

Alright, time for another look. Maybe Anna will know something...

*End Log*

 

[Meaningofbread]

Postmortem Message: 01....

Recipient: Anna Stone....

Video playback beginning.....

///

(An incredibly enthused face appears on the screen)

Hello Anna! Obviously you won't be in the greatest of moods when you receive this, but I hope some last words would be of some cheer. If you are still feeling glum, smile! Your not on camera! It doesn't matter!

(A cheeky smile fades into a more serious face)

Anyways, this log is going to be a mix of serious and not so serious.

First things first. The funeral. Don't make it a, and here we are to send away... blah blah BLAH BLAH. That is boring and overdone. Have fun! Celebrate life! Get excited! GET DRUNK! (Keep Ayame away from liquor please.) If I died tandem with someone else, check if they have made a postmortem log as well. They may have some ideas about funeral processions.

Next thing. In the words of Robert F Kennedy.

Don't get mad.

Get even.

I have been looking at the list of potential applicants and I feel that you may get called to service soon. Don't get pissed at anyone. Don't get mad at the C.O, the aliens, or even if it was my own brash stupidity. We took an oath, remember? And that oath said, if we die, we have fully acknowledged it.

So get out there and KICK SOME ASS!

Keep cool,


From: Aribeth

///

Video playback ending....

 

[ZombieSplitter53]

Name: Ayame Kasagi
Rank: Trainee
Status: Stressed Out

Audio Log, 10:12 p.m.

What a day. I was hoping to blow off some steam at the shooting range, but as I should have expected, I only ended up amusing some of the other recruits who probably enjoyed seeing "the little girl playing with the big guns" and sucking at it. I'm trained in practically every kind of hand-weapon there is, but with practically no firearms, and my extended time in the infirmary probably didn't help. Foulke was there, and thankfully, not only did he not join the others in laughing at me, he actually offered to show me the ropes as an apology for not coming to visit me in sick-bay. It was unnecessary, but an appreciated gesture, and he's a pretty good teacher. I just hope he believed my performance when I idiotically lifted that rifle without thinking about how heavy it would be.

Of course, the whole experience had to be ruined by some kusottare instructor who wanted to push me around. I could deal with him mocking my age, my height, even him calling me a whore, but he shouldn't have brought Aribeth into it. When he offered me a free hit, I almost took it, but in the end, I decided that he wasn't worth getting thrown out of X-Com for. Anna said she was proud of my restriant, but I almost feel like I betrayed Aribeth by no snapping his neck.....

As I left Anna's and headed back to my room, I felt that strong presence again, the same from the mess-hall. I peaked around a corner, and sure enough, it was that same guy, slowly walking down the hall. He suddenly stopped, and just stood there for a moment. He slowly turned his head towards me, and I ducked back. I heard a light chuckle, and then silence. I few second later I risked another look, only to find him standing right in front of me. He said, "Hello. You're Ayame Kasagi, right?" in a friendly voice, but I couldn't respond. That close to him, I could tell that the strong energy was definitely coming from him, and unprepared for what I should do, I decided on a tactical retreat......by which I mean, I turned tail and ran like a scared little girl running away from the boogie man.

I'm not entirely sure how to handle this. The only thing I hate more then someone I can't sense is someone who can sense me. I have had one too many bad experiences with psychics, telepaths, empaths, and other individuals with psychokinetic abilities. What is the nature of his abilities? How strong is he? Will he try to use what he learns from me like the last psychic I had to deal with? Will I.....

(Door slams open, and several armed soldiers walk in)

[Soldier] "Ayame Kasagi, I am afraid you'll have to come with us."

What, why?

"You are a suspect in the assault of an X-COM Range Instructor."

But I, I-I didn't touch him!

"It seems you already know who I'm talking about."

Y-Yes, but I didn't...

"He was last seen having a disagreement with you, witnesses say you did nearly assault him in front of them, and another trainee reported how verbally abusive he was to you."

I...but I didn't....h-how could I do anything to him? He's over a foot taller then me and probably over two and a half times my weight!

"The victim was reportedly attacked from behind, so you could have caught him by surprise. In addition, on your application to X-Com, you stated you have extensive martial arts training. It also states that you are intimately familiar with human anatomy, and the report shows that the victim is suffering from short-term memory loss, likely due to a direct attack to the hippo-campus."

I...but you can't...

"Your file also shows that you have a noticeably short temper, and are prone to violent outbursts. For these reasons, you are our prime suspect, and are to be immediately interrogated. Please, Ms. Kasagi, don't make us take you by force."

(The soldier raises a taser, while the other soldiers train their rifles on Ayame. Ayame lowers her head in defeat, and one of the soldiers fits Ayame with a pair of flex-cuffs, and she is escorted away)

*THIRTY MINUTE AUTO LOG OFF*

 

[Gahlo]

Name: Rick Warren
NCL 7

The bunks at XCOM HQ were never roomy, but this time was different. It was cramped. It was good cramped. Rick opens his eyes, groggily waking up and looking to the cause of the disturbance. Aribeth finishes shifting, her head encroaching further onto his shoulder till he can feel her idle breath against his neck. Her facial expression is one of serene contentment, topped with a disheveled blond mohawk. He slowly shifts the trapped arm, running his fingers through her hair with a soft smile on his face. This elicits a small tired groan as her blue eyes open barely half-way.

Aribeth: No, another half hour.

His smile grows a bit as he chuckles a bit, captivated by his companion

Rick: It's already past ten hundred, we need to get up. Well, you do anyway.

Aribeth: (sighing) You're right. Now that I think about it, I'm famished.

Sliding out of the bunk, Aribeth makes her way about the room collecting her half of the clothes, much to Rick's amusement. After taking one last kiss for the road, she makes her way to the door, stopping momentarily.

Aribeth: It's a shame we couldn't do this more.

Rick: Huh?

Aribeth: I've got a body bag to get back to.

Rick: Wh-
_______________________________________________

His eyes open finding himself huddled in the corner of a cell. His whole body is sore as he tries to make his way towards the food left for him earlier. He eats it slowly and joylessly, while mumble/singing in a lamenting tone.

Rick: And so it seems, only in dreams...



OOC:
Anything above the line is not observable unless you're one of the crazy voodoo people walking around base. If you are and want to react to it in some fashion, talk to me beforehand.

Full song that Rick is going on about:

 

[BMPixy]

Name: Richard Foulke
Current Rank: Trainee
Mission Name: N/A
Mission Objective: N/A
Kills This Mission: N/A
Total Kills since joining XCOM: N/A
Status: Healthy
Promotion?: N/A
Journal Entry:

--April [REDACTED], Two Thousand and Fifteen, Supplementary--
{Video Log Transferred from Famicom Personal Video Camera}

Richard Foulke sits on a bunk, directly across the across the small stretch of floor from the camera. He is holding a weapon fragment from an alien rifle in each hand.

So, Dr. Vahlen decided it would be wise to hand off a couple of the weapon fragments in storage for me to take a look at, rather than let me have a posting in the lab. One of these is some form of power source, the other a fragment of the barrel. Don’t know what I could do with these at the minute, considering I do not have access to any personal lab equipment, which means that such questions as ‘what did the power source use as fuel’, and ‘what material is the barrel made of’ continue to be mysteries. Much like a lot of things here at X-COM.

But, as with many things, some basic facts can be gleaned just by careful observation. For instance, the barrel would have to be made of a substance infinitely more heat resistant than most anything we know, as estimated temperature of the plasma puts it at nearly nine thousand Kelvin, more than enough to boil tungsten. Or, in different case, Mr. Andrews knows something regarding Ms. Kasagi, and is likely sworn to secrecy. Normally I would let such secrets slide as personal issues, but my long exiled scientific curiosity is returning. And, as petty as it might seem, I feel I must know. I sense it in my gut that this is one series of inconsistencies that is not some mere 'personal issue’.

Anywho, off from my likely near-religious pursuit of truth that will occur soon, other things have been happening around base. Like, for instance, my opening of that package that has been sitting in the corner for the last few weeks. In there, I found this....

Foulke grabs something from behind him, and holds it up. It is a dark green shield-shaped patch, with the profile of a running man holding a spear in the center of the patch. Above the man is printed the words ‘Jäger Squad’. Beneath the man, in a smaller font, is the words ‘Wir sind nicht die Gejagten.'

The old Jäger Section patch. Brings back memories of when I first received it. Hand-sewed it onto my uniform, despite the insistence of others. ‘We are not the hunted,’ was our motto. Took that phrase to heart until....the Incident. On that day, I realized that no matter how powerful we became, there was always a bigger fish. At the beginning, there was saber-tooths and wolves. Then, there was the tribe next door. Followed by the city, and then the nation, and then lastly Gaia herself turned against humanity. We fought her off, and now the next challenge arrives from the stars. And if this is the power displayed by our first extraterrestrial threat, what is next? We will always be the middle of the food chain.

--End recording.--

 

[Majora098]

Password required: EMPATHY
Welcome John
Please select log: LOG 3
Password required: Dreams

BEGINNING LOG

Name: John Doe
Rank: I really need to ask someone what my actual rank is...

BEGIN RECORDING

[Camera shows John sleeping fitfully, it appears to be still running from the previous log, the screens is intermittently going between static-y and normal before suddenly devolving into compete static, scenes play out on every other frame, they are difficult to comprehend and have an otherworldly property of dreams. A chrysalid chases her across a endless sea of rooftops; A beautiful girl, her lover, denouncing her, only to be executed shortly; Aribeth informing him that she is dead; Everyone laughing as alien brain matter is spatter across his face, his little sister having just pulled the trigger; Running, running , running as his teammates died; Slow motion of all the deaths that have accrued, and how he was responsible.]
[John shoots up, shooting incoherently, as he calms down, he looks over and notices the computer is still on, he gets up and walks towards it, as he draws closer, it is obvious there are tears in his eyes]

"How do these people sleep?"

He thumbs the mouse-pad, clicking a couple times

END RECORDING

Personal note: it seems I can transcribe dreams as well as emotions onto recording devices, this should warrant future study. This also brings up another issue, am I "Stealing" these dreams, or am I merely observing them? For their sake I hope its the first option, I would suffer these nightmares all night if it meant that most of the base gets some peaceful sleep... Maybe Ayame might know, I know she is a psychic, after our last encounter in the hallway, but she seems afraid of me, for some reason, so can I get her to trust me....... something i doubt she'll do if she senses me invading her dreams, even it is uncontrollable, for my sake I hope she doesn't, I have a feelling I don't want to get on her bad side

ENDING LOG

OOC: I'm going to leave those question to be answered by y'all

 

[Dahlexpert]

Name Alex Alcatraz
Status healthy

well a lot of crap is happening around here lately, let's see today I was in the shooting range I saw Ayame kasagi I think that's her name practicing with some of the guns,and doing a not to terrible job with her aim,thank fully Richard went and helped her, thank god to because watching her shoot all most brought a tear to my eye it was bad, I wanted to help but I den't know what to say,hi i'm Alex I saw you having trouble with your weapon can I help you......ou god damn it why didn't I say say that then, well it looked like they knew each other so she was in good hands and her aim did get a little better and it looked like they were having fun.


until some jackass instructor started disrespecting her and then he mentioned my mentor Aribeth,and I wanted to pop his skull, then he offered her a free punch I was hoping she kick his ass but she didn't and I have to say I don't know this women but she earned my respect,because I remember what my mom told me( it takes greater strength not to kill thin it is to kill) and I guess my meditation class is paying off,because when he went past me the old me would have used his sniper rifle like a bat and beat his brains in, but since Miranda rec amended that I start meditating iv'e been very calm lately so that was the start of my day.


The next part of my day was weird and the good or bad weird it just felt wrong,I went to the mess hall and talked to Zach and it fells good having him as a friend even though he has a fox's tail and ear then I talked to mama bear, I know I said I would avoid her but out side of my former mentor,Miranda,and that heated argument with Anna,I don't talk to much of the women her even Aribeth we just talked about medical stuff we never talked out side of the med bay,so after talking to mama bear I learned that the commander has a great mother and he needs to be careful with her on the battlefield,and then some thing happen I maid eye contact with this new solider and for a second it felt like my body was paralyzed, It wasn't long but just enough to fell some thing wrong I don't know what happened but that person is on my must avoid list.and then I saw armed guards around the base which is weird i'm not sure why there here but armed guards in a military base just smells trouble, I don't know whats happening here but it's not gonna be good. (OOC) if there is any thing that people I mention wants me to change please contact me on my profile page. thank you

 

[Presariov]

Name: Presariov Astaeri
Current Rank: Recruit
Mission Name: N/A
Mission Objective: N/A
Kills This Mission: N/A
Total Kills since joining XCOM: 0
Status: Healthy
Promotion: N/A

Black box log:
> [ why would I be?]
> [ All I ever wished was to help]
> [ and because i can't 3 have died]
> [ do you know it is like to have one propose in life and not be able to do it?]

>"[Well, assuming your telling the truth,]"
>"[is there anything I can do to help?]"
>"[I didn't know the ones who died very well,]"
>"[but it does seem like the Commander needs]"
>"[more help than he's letting on.]"
>"{I'm a former infiltration specialist,]"
>"[if that helps.]"

 

[Legion Crynet]

Name: Zhang
Current Rank: LT
Mission Name: Operation Crystal Pyre
Mission Objective: Use My Device And Find Ship
Kills This Mission: N/A
Total Kills since joining XCOM: 2
Status: Wounded (7 days)
Promotion: N/A
Journal Entry: Still in the doctors healing from that damm blast in the face, I heard that the mission of Crystal Pyre was bad, *sigh* and lost 2 people. I'm really starting to worry about the Commanders mother, if she dies....well...don't kown what I will do..but..I hope she won't.
Amway I will be telling the commander not be careful who to bring on that mission when they find that ship.
Also I really hope he thanks me for this all this.
It seem the commander's is also in the doctors with me....perhaps I should by her some flowers...if she died because of my device I brought back or on that ship mission..I..will feel very bad.

End Of Log

 

[Harley Sportster]

Name: Momma Bear

Current Rank: Lieutenant

Mission Name: Operation Crystal Pyre

Mission Objective: Plant transponder on the train
Once the transponders are in place, activate the train's drive control system

Total Kills since joining XCOM: 2

Status: Wounded 

Promotion: Lieutenant
This was a very sad, sad day; we lost two of our finest teammates - Kael and Aribeth. I was just getting to know them and now they are gone.... It's so hard to believe.


Morisato, our rookie, also was gravely wounded even though Aribeth tried to heal him he is still in critical condition. He is in the medical center with me, I will check up on him the best I can. I believe Zhang is still here too - I hear he provided the transponder device in the navigation system of the alien battleship that was coming for us. He hasn't emailed me back so I sure hope I can talk to him somehow, I wonder if he will see me... Or at least answer my email.

There were so many thinmen and “beasts” is what I call them. It scared the shit out of me when I landed beside one of those “beasts” or whatever, I thank Aribeth for taking him out and saving my life. Not to mention all the poison that everyone had to deal with.
Scuffson panicked a bit on this mission – he has so much going on in his life – maybe he needs more time before being sent into battle again – but that is definitely the Commander’s call…. Scuffson is an amazing sniper so I can see the need for his abilities, just worried about him is all.


This whole mission is just a blur, so much happened so fast, I know I managed to start the train and we got the hell out of there, I am so tired right now – just want to rest, have to make sure I call Scotty to let him know I’m still alive…
Even though I got a promotion - it doesn't mean as much with the loss of Kael and Aribeth, it would mean more if they were still with us....


I will keep Aribeth and Kael in my prayers tonight and always….
Momma Bear

 

[ZombieSlayer85]

Name: Joseph Andrews
Rank: Trainee

Video Log:

(Joseph fiddles with the recorder, still having difficulty working it. Satisfied that it is recording, he sits back)

I was looking at those...uh, mute, no, um, muttons? No, that's food...Muton's? Yeah, that's what we're calling them. A lot of people have been saying how Scruffy panicked because he's over stressed from too many missions, but what if those Muton's did something. I doubt they have the kind of psionic powers the other aliens have, but what if they've been, I don't know, enhanced in some way that powers that roar of theirs. If that's the case, we'll definitely have to worry about our soldiers willpower more then we thought.

I've been crunching the numbers...which is harder then I remember it being. I used to be good at math, and I figured it would be like riding a bike, but I'm finding its more like a foreign language, in that if you don't practice it, you quickly forget it.....sorry, didn't mean to go off on a tangent their.....wait, why am I apologizing to myself? Argh, this is why I prefer writing these logs.

...ANYWAY! I was crunching the numbers, and even if I use up the rest of the savings mom left me, and sold practically ever valuable thing I own, I still don't think I'd have enough for Jessica's plane ticket. Maybe I could ask for a pay advance.....Wait, how much ARE we getting paid, anyway? Are we...are we getting paid at all? Is it selfish to expect compensation for the defense of the world? Hm, well, they probably will compensate those of us who survive this, but I doubt they have the funds to give us anything now. (Sigh) Maybe if I ask Ayame reeeeeeally nice, she'll use her contacts to help me sell some of my organs on the black organ.

(Laughs loudly, then trails off as a worried look spreads across his face. He looks behind him, staring at Ayame's bed for several moments before turning towards the camera again) I, uh...I still haven't seen Ayame. I got back to our room late last night, and I expected to find her here, getting ready for bed, but she wasn't here, and by the look of her well-kept bed, she didn't come back at all last night. I know she can take care of herself, better then I can anyway, but I can't help but worry. I'd go out looking for her again, but I'm...this is gonna sound silly, but I'm a bit afraid of Richard right now. I wasn't the most subtle in my subterfuge, and while I might have been able to fool your average Joe, no pun intended, I could tell that Richard could see right through me. I doubt he'd try and water-board information out of me, but he seems smart enough to trick information out of me, and I'll have to be wary of that.

In the meantime, I think I'll go over these numbers again...

*End Recording*

 

[Cheesypower]

Name: The Farmer

Current Rank: n/a

Status: En Route

Ugh. When I go home, I'm taking a plane. Sleeping on the floor of a moving ship leaves your back ten kinds of sore.

Ran into the woman from the docks. Introduced herself as NCO Qin Liangyu, headed for XCOM to serve as an instructor for the new Officer Training School that they've opened. She's pretty much running the ship while the captain recovers from injuries he sustained, and I gotta say, she's good. Knows exactly how to get people to do what they need to without micromanaging or being overbearing. If all instructors at XCOM are as good as her, we might just win this war. Told her I was headed to XCOM to sign up, and she said she'd try and put in a good word for me.

Aside from boosting my chances of getting in to XCOM, Qin has proven absolutely invaluable. Turns out that thanks to the haste with which we left, she's one of the only english-speakers on board. Ended up sticking as close to her as I could in case I needed a translator, which I often did.

She translated the radio broadcast the whole crew is listening to for me. Apparently Hong Kong has come under attack from a massive Alien starship or something. Looks like we got out by the skin of our teeth. No sooner did she finish explaining the radio broadcast to me than a large aircraft of some sort flew overhead. Considering her comment about them "sending someone out," I suppose that the aircraft is XCOM's form of troop transport.

Kinda drove home how close I am. It's been what, a month and a half since I started out? And now I'm almost there. It's... rather surreal. Tomorrow we dock, and I'll go ask Commander Odd to consider recruiting me. Tonight?

Tonight I pray. For the people of Hong Kong. For my Family. For my friends. For God to watch over me as I embark on this chapter of my life.

 

[Eekthebear]

Name: Tyler Prohaska
Status: Worn out
Journal Type: Pen and paper


I watched and re watched the last mission. I am shocked that two of the soldiers who trained and worked so hard are gone especially two who were so talented and deadly. I remember Aribeth talking to her mother and father one day as I walked by the med bay .... and how hard she took it the last time someone died. The other death was a death I didn't see coming at all as well as Kessler went down , the enemies are bringing out the big guns and I guess that means it is time to get going or get dying. As terrible as that sounds those giant bastards they brought to the last mission don't mess around.

I heard rather than saw the confrontation with Ayame and the range instructor which makes my blood boil. I don't know Ayame well but at the same time we all have little to no room to be trying to piss off each other while these biologically designed death dealers are flung at us. So I attempted to stop by to see Ayame but she was still in seclusion due to her aggressive past. As I walked by I halted by Joseph's door and heard him talking to a recorder but couldn't understand what he was saying. I was tempted to knock and talk to him especially since he probably misses the company of Ayame.......but tonight seems to be better spent on self reflection. So I walked and ended up at the memorial looking at the three names up there.

This whole time I have been fixated on dying and on seeing my loved ones again or rather finally turning off this runaway freight train that keeps going in my head. When the end comes I don't know who will mourn for me because I don't have anyone to sit and write at my memorial. So tonight I will sit here for a while and keep the two newest additions to the after life company and wonder if in the end anyone will remember or care enough to sit with me when my time comes.