RP XCOM: The Story of Defiance.

[ZombieSplitter53]

Calling Home

"Hi, sunshine!" Morrigan smiled brightly at her computer.

"Look, mommy." Brigid held up a reading test with a big Smily-Face sticker on the top. "Mr. Murphy said I got the top score."

"Good work, dear." Morrigan's eyes shined with a liveliness that had dimmed over the last few months. "Are you adjusting well? How do you like staying with grandpa and grandma."

Brigid scrunched her nose. "They like to yell a lot, at the T.V., at their neighbors, over the phone, at eachother. But they always smile when they're yelling. I think it's strange."

"That's... just the way they talk." Morrigan raised an eyebrow. "Do they yell at you?"

Brigid quickly shook her head. "They said I am, uh... the picture... of a perfect child. Mommy, what's spoiling?"

Morrigan frowned. "Why?"

"Grandma said you would be upset because I am spoiling."

Morrigan shook her head. "She means she's spoiling you. It means she's giving you everything you want."

"Ooooh." Brigid shrugged. "You wanna see my new kitten?" She asked, seemingly forgetting the last topic.

"Of course," Morrigan answered, dropping the subject and smiling wider then ever.

----------

"Of course," Sunny answered, trying not to roll her eyes. "Everyone has been very excepting."

"I'm sorry," the silhouetted figure on her screen said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I just need to be sure. It is my job, you know, or at least it was until you took that job."

Sunny smiled. "Well, the guy that took over your job w-wasn't really happy about it, and he was kinda mean. But now Ayame is watching me, and she is much nicer."

The man nodded. "Good to hear. But... you're sure you're alright. You seem... different."

"I am different." Sunny pointed to her head. "Upgrades. Wish I could say more..."

"But for security reasons, you can't talk about them over the conputer." The man shrugged. "Same here, unfortunately." The two sat in silence, searching for something they could discuss. Finally, the man said, "Why don't you tell me about the friends you've made?"

"Okay!" Sunny answered in an excited tone. "Well, there's Emily, Atka, Ammelia... oh, and then there is Jessica and..."

----------

"Jessica and Modya, sitting in a tree," Francis shouted over his mother's shoulder.

"Mooooom!" Jessica whined. "Why didn't you tell me he was in the room?"

"Oh, just ignore him." Veronica leaned forward, almost like she was trying to get closer to Jessica herself. "Just tell me more about this Modya. That a... German name?"

"Russian, mom," Jessica corrected, rolling her eyes.

"Well, why didn't you tell me about him as sonn as you met him?" Veronica tapped her fingers in frustration.

Jessica folded her arms. "Is that motherly mom talking? Or gossip-loving mom?"

Veronica pouted, momentarily resembling the less mature of her daughters. "Why... can't it be a little of both?" Returning to her excited look, she asked, "So is he handsome?" Jessica nodded slowly, blushing. "Cuter then your step-dad?"

Jessica rolled her eyes again. "Mom, that's gross. Don't ask me that."

"How old is he?"

Jessica bit her lip. "He's, uh, twenty...two."

Veronica nodded her head. "So about twenty-five, twenty-six, huh?" Jessica sighed, and Veronica gave her a reassuring smile. "Hey, it's alright as long as he treats you right. Though I always figured Alexia was more into older men. Guess she's rubbing off on you."

Jessica face reddened even more. "Why does everyone like embarrassing me! Even my own mom!"

Veronica laughed. Her smile momentarily wavered. "Do you two... have a physical relationship?" Before Jessica could answer, her mother added. "And don't forget, I can tell if you're lying."

Jessica let out another deep sigh. "Um... y-yeah." Jessica looked down, hiding her guilty expression.

"Hey, don't look like that." Veronica said sympatheticly. "I wish you would have waited a bit longer, but you're a grown woman. And if you really like this man, and you're safe, then..." She smirked. "Then have a little fun." She raised a finger. "But I would like to meet this man." Her eyes darted back and forth, as though she suddenly remembered something important. "Does Modya know about Alex?"

"W-well... about that..." Jessica smiled, looking at the screen.

----------

Ayame smiled, looking at the small picture in her hand. It featured a young boy and girl, a man resembling an older version of the boy, and a woman with her face roughly scratched away. Ayame's eyes focused on the boy, who was leaning ever so much towards the girl. She let out a sigh, then glanced up at the clock. Realizing that she'd be late to her first day of training if she didn't hurry, she quickly stuffed the picture into her coat pocket and headed out.

 

[ZombieSplitter53]

Recruitment: Part One

X-COM Headquarters, Somewhere in Siberia

Ayame raced into the main lift, looking at the paper with her instructions with a bit of confusion. Was there always a sixth basement floor? She looked at the elevator controls, and sure enough, there was a B6 on it now. She hit it, and stepped out of the lift, looking in wonder at the expansive room before her. It was at least 90 meters long and 75 meters wide, the walls, floor, and ceiling completely black.

With a light whistle, Ayame quickly ran forward, stepping into a space between two other recruits and letting out a sigh of relief that she wasn’t late. She looked to her left at the burly, dark-skinned man standing next to her, giving him an odd look.

Ryan looked to his right and raised an eyebrow at the Asian girl. “What is it? You know it is rude to stare, don’t you?” He said in his deep voice.

Ayame shook her head, giving him an embarrassed smile. “Uh, nothing, sorry. I’ve just not been around… um, never mind. Don’t mind me.”

Ryan smiled at the awkward girl. “I don’t mind, I am used to looks by now. What might your name be?”

“Kasagi. Ayame Kasagi.” Ayame extended her hand. “And sorry. Didn’t mean to stare.”

He took her hand and shook it lightly. “Ryan Gregory.”

Ayame shook her head again. “You know… you hate the worst parts of your parents personalities, but no matter what you do, they stick with you, and you have to fight them, even in adulthood.”

“I always tend to think parents are here just to spite you. My mother never wanted me to do a military career, she wanted me to be a lawyer or doctor, but I enjoy what I do.” He looked over the entire room. “So, you know what is going on?”

“I’m… not sure,” Ayame answered, looking down at a sensor by her foot. “Isn’t this one of those holo-projectors? Maybe this is some preliminary training thing. I’m guessing you want to join the soldiers too?”

Ryan nodded. “I might as well, one of my buddies have been training me from time to time and I thought it best if I helped out with something other than a plasma torch.” He said hopefully.

“Well… good luck.” Ayame frowned a bit. “To the both of us…”

Ryan nodded. “We might need it…”

At the front of the room, everyone’s attention turned to a tall woman. Her facial features made her look Japanese, but she had blond hair and bright blue eye. Her jacket had an insignia for both a Corporal and a Lieutenant. She turned her head towards a young girl to her right, who looked like her but in her early teens. The girl pressed a few buttons on a computer pad, and the lights dimmed throughout the room, until only the woman could be seen.

“My name is Lieutenant Brea. You are all here because you wish to join the ranks of the X-COM elite soldiers. I am here because the Council has grown worried about the significant loss of soldiers we have experienced. As such, you will only join us if I deem you fit to face the challenges ahead. As you all know, we face a terribly strong foe, and as I am not in the business of sending young men and women on suicidal missions, I will only pass you if I think you won’t be killed the moment an alien sees your pretty little head.”

“Ooo, strict,” Ayame muttered under her breath.

Ryan nudged his arm on Ayame’s and slowly shook his head with a hard face. “Don’t…”

Ayame quickly clamped her mouth shut. The Lieutenant started pacing back and forth. “Now, I am aware that many of you had fairly high ranks before joining us, but you all start as Specialists. Just be glad that you don’t start out lower. I myself was the same rank as the Commander, and I had to start as a Private First Class, and work my way up. And you will do the same, as your ranks mean less in terms of how many people you have to listen to and how many people have to listen to you, and mean more in terms of how prepared you are to face future difficulties. Of course, I am sure there are many of you now have little in the way of a rank. There are even a few of you who have little combat experience. Know that everyone get’s an equal chance, and if I believe you are prepared, I will gladly take you over a high ranking veteran who I have no confidence in.”

Ayame opened her mouth to say something, but instead kept quiet, smiling at Ryan.

He smiled back and looked forward once more. At least she has the sense to follow advice.

“Now, you’ll run a short simulation so I can weed out the weakest of you first. You’ll be running in pairs based on your projected performance, which is based on medical reports, your physical fitness, and any service record. When your name is called, take your position at the east end of the room. Everyone else to the side.”

The lights came on, and the Lieutenant walked to the north end of the room. The young girl looked down at her pad in cried out, “Chapman and Xing.” Two of the recruits took their positions while everyone else followed the Lieutenant. Ayame sighed as she walked. “So, uh… what do you think our chances are?” She asked Ryan.

Ryan shrugged. “Depending on how well they work together it is hard to say.” He crossed his arms.

Ayame nodded, but said nothing. She watched in silent awe as the room lit up, projecting a real looking obstacle course throughout the room. Brea blew a whistle, and the recruits ran forward, Chapman clearly faster than Xing. He reached the other end of the room much faster, and watched the other recruit with a smile that said he was happy for the breather. When Xing arrived, gasping for air, the young girl handed them weapons that looked like modified laser pistols and a pair of vests. They quickly put the vests on, and the hologram changed to an urban environment. “You need to get to the other side with taking as few hits as possible,” the girl said. “Keep your head low.”

The two rushed forward, Chapman again faster, but a sectoid poked it’s head around a corner and shot him. A small electrical crackle came from his vest, and his eye widened with pain. He and his partner fought to the other side, and Chapman arrived first again, but had taken seven hits to Xing’s one. As the hologram dissipated and the girl called out the next pair, Ayame starred forward, unable to hide the worry she was feeling.

Ryan put a hand on Ayame’s shoulder. “Don’t worry too much alright. Those two weren’t a good pair. Just stay calm, you will get through this just fine.” He said confidently.

Ayame’s expression lighten, but she immediately looked worse as the hologram reformed. “Uh… is the obstacle course different. I guess that means we can’t memorize anything, huh?”

“Can’t make it easy on us. That wouldn’t make things interesting. Hopefully the second part isn’t too hard for them.” He looked intently at the pair, studying their movements.

As the pair finished their run, having taken even more hits than the first, Ayame studied Ryan’s expression. “Damn… I wish I could be as calm as you. You must be pretty confident. What’s your secret?”

“Well, lets just say I had a good teacher…” Ryan took a deep breath, wondering just how his run would turn out. “He told me to always watch your opponents, learn their patterns, learn from their mistakes and exploit them if possible.”

Ayame nodded. Her expression turning to determination as she watched another pair of soldiers run the course, looking for mistakes and anything she could learn from. She smiled as the stepped away. “I think I got it. If a I watch a couple more, I might just…”

“Gregory and Kasagi,” the girl yelled out, and Ayame sighed.

“Well, onwards to victory, or something cheesy like that…” He put a hand on her shoulder and the two proceeded to the start.

The hologram quickly formed and Ayame took a deep breath, refusing to let her nervousness get the best of her. As the whistle blew, she took off, quickly tackling a rope and climbing a fifteen foot wall.

Ryan followed just right behind her and clambered onto the rope, his strength helping to pull him up but he was falling behind the smaller girl.

Ayame clambered over the wall, quickly dropping down and diving under and over a series of low and high hanging obstacles. She reached a ‘mudpit’, and as she prepared to sing over it, she looked back, and noticed Ryan falling behind. She bit her lip, preparing to swing, but instead just waited, holding out a rope for Ryan.

When Ryan reached the low and high hanging obstacles he picked up some momentum, jumping over and sliding beneath them much faster than he did the rope. He sprinted to the make believe mud pit. He thought for a second and had an idea. “Climb on my back, that way we both get across.”

Ayame laughed. “Uh… sure, why the hell not.” Ayame grinned, doing as she was told.

Ryan could carry the girl with relative ease as his hands tightened on the rope. He took a step back and ran, letting their momentum swing them across the pit. Ryan let go of the rope and landed on his feet, stumbling forwards a bit but overall stable. “See, wasn’t that faster?”
Ayame climbed off him and laughed even louder. “Sure was. Come on.” Ayame ran forward, ducking and weaving through a series of wooden pulls with spinning arms, moving quickly but being sure not to run ahead of Ryan or spin an arm and hit her partner.

After getting through the pulls, the duo was faced with the last obstacle, a wall with no handholds and was too tall to just grab the end. “Get down on a knee and help me up. Once I pull myself up, I will grab you, okay?”

“You got it,” Ayame knelt down. Ryan stepped on her hands, and Ayame pushed up, grunting a bit. “You’re… kinda… heavy… big guy…”

He jumped up and grabbed the top of the wall, pulling himself up. He turned and let down a hand. “Years in the Navy and steel industry do that to you, it is all muscle.”

Ayame shook her head. “Whatever you wanna tell yourself.” She grabbed Ryan’s hand, and he pulled her up with ease, like a father lifting a child. On the other side of the wall, Ayame grinned. “Okay, I guess it’s muscle.”

 

[BMPixy]

Collaboration between ZombieSplitter53 and BMPixy

White Bird
X-COM Headquarters, Somewhere in Siberia
Primary Mess

Jessica smiled as she placed another spoonful of pudding in her mouth. She had noticed the food was a bit better lately. She wasn’t sure if this was because of some new chef or supplies, or if she was just getting used to it, but she wasn’t complaining.

Sliding out of the mass of personnel, Albert approached the table Jessica was sitting at, taking up a position across from her. A tense look was on his face, as he asked, “Miss Lockheart, I presume?”

Jessica’s eyes darted back and forth, the spoon still in her mouth. Pulling it out, she answered, “Uh… yeah. But you can call me Jessie, Mr…?”

“Albert Foulke,” the Specialist replied, “Listen, I have a few questions, Jessie, do you mind if I take a seat?”

“Yeah, sure, tell me what’s on your mind, Mr. Foulke,” Jessica said with a smile.

Albert took the seat across from Jessica, steepling his hands under his chin. “Well, it’s been said around base that we happen to have a rather cooperative captive kept in containment, and that you’re seen quite often leaving that area, so, I’ve been meaning to ask…” The man trailed off, half for dramatic effect and the other half to gather his words.

“Well, when you put it that way, it makes it sound like I’m having some kind of fling with the alien.” Jessica put on a stern expression. “I can assure you, our relationship is completely professional.”

Albert’s face pulled back in disgust, as he exclaimed, “W-what!? No, that was not what I was going to ask! No no no, not at all!” He took a quick breath to collect himself, and continued, “No, I was just going to ask whether or not you had the permissions to allow someone into the Alien Containment to speak with it. I have questions for it that only it can answer.”

Jessica thought for a moment. “Well, I don’t have permission, but I do need a soldier to escort me whenever I go to see it. And you aren’t the first one to ask me… I guess I can get you in, as long as you promise you won’t do anything that will get me in trouble.”

Albert shook his head. “No, if it answers the way I believe it will, it will just be a few quick questions. And if it answers the way I fear it will, then I will have… other things on my mind than getting into trouble.”

“Uh…” Jessica bit her lip, but nodded. She stood up, and nervously said, “Follow me.”

Albert stood, and replied, “Thank you for this opportunity, Jessie.”

Jessie escorted Albert to the alien Containment facility. Like Ammelia, she informed the guards that Albert was her escort, and they waved her through. As they reached the cell, the Thin Man looked up from a book it was reading, awkwardly holding it in its large hands. “So, you have brought me another curious guest, I presume,” it asked, looking down at Albert. “Do you wish to satisfy something that you have been wondering about me as well?”

“Yeah, a couple things,” Albert replied, nonchalantly pacing across the cell. “So, how good is your memory?” he asked.

“My memory?” The Thin Man rubbed its chin. “Nearly perfect.”

“Can you remember the faces of those you have killed?” Albert continued, as he began to fish around in his pocket for something.

"I can, if I saw their face." The Thin Man knelt down. "Is there one human in particular that you wish to ask me about?"

“Yeah, there is,” the man said, as he pulled out his wallet, and retrieved a photo from inside it. “I need to ask if you were the one who killed my brother,” he said, displaying the photograph to the Thin Man. The photo showed two men, one Albert, and the other his brother, playfully posing for the photo.

The Thin Man studied the photo intensely. After a few moments, it looked up to Albert. “This one does look familiar. I am not sure if he died by my hands, but I do believe I faced him in battle.”

Albert grimly nodded, doing his best to keep his composure. “One last question,” he asked, “Are those who were with you still alive?”

The Thin Man shook his head. “I can not be completely sure. But the last I was aware, there were two of them left. Both were stationed in India.” The Thin Man rose to its feet. “I suppose you wish to take your revenge, yes?”

Albert clenched his fists, crumpling the photo. “As much as I’d want to be the one to blow what passes for your brains out, I recognize that it’d be a suicidal action here.” He pointed a meaty finger at the Thin Man, and continued, “But if you ever stop being useful to us here, I’ll try to be in your firing squad. Got it?”

The alien nodded. In a low, almost sympathetic sounding voice, it said, “I envy you, human. I have lost many of what you could call my brothers. And yet, because of my mental conditioning, I feel little for their lose. But, such conditioning has worn off enough to know that… I should feel something. You have a right to be angry. Should the time come when my time is finally up, tell me your name, and I will be sure you are the one that finishes my life.”

“Albert Foulke,” he muttered, turning away from the Thin Man, “I’d ask you to take care remembering that, but I know how good your memory is. Thank you for your time.” Slowly, Albert began making his way out of the containment cell.

Jessica quickly followed behind as Albert walked out. “I-I… I’m sorry about your brother, Mr. Foulke,” Jessica said. In a cautious tone, she added, “But I think he’d be proud of you, holding you temper like that.”

“Yeah, of course he would,” Albert replied, “But that knowledge is useless. I’d rather him be ashamed of me forever over him being dead…”

Jessica nodded. “I’d… imagine you would.” As the stepped out into the hallway, she asked, “Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?”

“No, you’ve been enough help already. After all, without you, I wouldn’t have been able to find one of Richie’s killers.” Albert leaned back against the wall, eyes closed, and added, “Now I just have to live with the knowledge that it’s under the same roof as me.”

“Okay.” Jessica cautious walked away, figuring Albert wanted time to think. Before rounding a corner, she called over, “But if you do need anything, just find me again.”

Albert nodded in reply, and waited for her to leave, before making his own way out, back towards the barracks. As he got out of sight-range of the guards, he finally remembered the crumpled photo in his hand, and gently stowed it in his pocket. “I’m sorry, Richie,” he whispered as he took a fork in the hall.

 

[DarkGemini24601]

“Life Marches On” – XCOM Cast for DarkGemini24601

Thomas Burrick walked into the medical ward, bringing Atka some lunch. “Snuck you some bar food, so you should enjoy it.”

Atka nodded. “Thanks, Tom. What’s that?” she asked, looking at a piece of paper he was also holding.

The assistant manager of records laid down the tray on the ‘table’ sliding piece on the medical bed, and Atka sat up. “Letter to you fromToronto. From a friend, I think,” he said, and then left Atka to read it in privacy.

The Inuit woman picked up the letter, which was already opened for her, and folded it out as best as she could with her one good hand.

“Dear Atka,

I was informed that you were snapped up by some military organization to fight these aliens, but the guy in the business suit that finally got around to telling me where the heck you went said he couldn’t give me any further details. What, did you join the men in black or something?

Anyway, I’m writing to give you an update on what’s happening back home. The Canadian military has been more active than it’s ever, ever been. They’ve increased their surveillance of the skies, strengthened patrols, and even seem a little paranoid of our red-white-and-blue neighbors. I’m not too worried yet; I think everyone is just scared. Toronto is still peaceful for now, but there is an undeniable tension in the air, especially after that one UFO landed in Alberta. I heard rumors that a military team cleared it out, and that it wasn’t us…was that you guys, by chance?

You’re probably not supposed to tell me, huh? Anyway…I trust that all he people fighting back will keep us safe, and I know that includes you. If Toronto is ever attacked, I know you’ll come to help us.

P.S. – Don’t forget to write back every once in awhile now that I can finally send letters through.
P.P.S – Send me pictures of Taqukaq!
P.P.P.S – I can pass on information to your military buddies if I get a chance to contact them so they know how you’re doing.

Your friend, Melissa”

Atka smiled. "Sounds like her...stay safe, Melissa. I'll make sure to get better soon so I can keep you all safe."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Modya took a deep breath, worried about his father. The last time he had contacted him was after Moscow, and the former tank commander swore he would have to get involved. After steadying himself he

*Dialogue is translated from Russian*

A strongly built man in his late forties, with graying brown hair, wearing military clothing appeared on the computer screen. Stanimir looked up to see his son on the other end. “Modya. Good to see you again.”

Modya sighed. “You actually did it, father? I told you…”

Stanimir chuckled. “Relax, son. I’m not fighting on the frontlines, or even a tank most likely. They told me I would be better suited to directing forces as an officer than actually get shot at my age.” He sighed. “I do miss being there to have everything get blown away by my own tank, but I’ll manage somehow,” he said with a grin.

Modya shook his head in amusement. “So, what did they put you in charge of?”

“They told me these exact words,” Stanimir began. “Considering you have experience with our armored cavalry, you can command the tank forces. And since you’re already here, do it in St. Petersburg?”

The rocketeer raised an eyebrow at his father. “They’re fielding tanks to defend the new capital now? I imagine that might make people more than a little nervous.”

Stanimir shrugged. “Maybe, Modya. I would like to think it would ease their worries to know that they have armies defending our major city centers, but I do understand that it’s going to make civilians uncomfortable to have so many of us around.”

“As long as you don’t start behaving like the KGB in army form, I think we’ll be fine,” Modya joked.

Stanimir smiled. “And the rest is up to you and this organization you joined up with. We can defend cities, but I’m sure you can get to locations that need defending more quickly than we can. Don’t let me down.”

Modya nodded. “Try to stick to what they told you to do, and not get yourself in the line of fire. Mother wouldn’t forgive you if you got hurt.”

The officer laughed. “Katya’s already said her peace about me running off to help the military. I won’t risk her ire by doing anything risky.”

“I’ll make sure to keep in touch,” Modya said. Stanimir nodded, and the connection was cut.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So let me get this straight…your grandfather’s sprinklers got damaged by the neighbor’s dog, and he went and did the same to theirs?” Thomas asked his sister, who was 16, 6 years younger than him.

The black-haired girl smiled. “Oh, don’t be so mad at him. Water is very important in Phoenix, you know.”

Tom nodded. “Of course I do. It’s plenty dry up here, but a hell of a lot colder?”

“Ooooh, are you telling me things you’re not supposed to, Tommy?”

“I told you not to call me that. And no, I’m only saying what I can tell from people going up onto the surface in winter clothing. In late spring,” Tom replied. “I don’t even know where we are exactly in the first place, Sofia. I’m not sure anyone here except Commander O’brien knows.”

Sofia’s face brightened, easily sidetracked. “She has a sweet-looking kid right? Wish I could meet her…”

Tom shook his head. “Don’t even think about it. I’m not buying you a plane ticket right now, it’s too dangerous…”

Sofia pouted. “Jeez, you’re so strict sometimes…”

“At least I’m acting my age, Sofi…” Tom said, and started to grin.

Sofia gave him a flat look for a moment. “Don’t make me bury that geometric wood-carving you spent so much time on.”

“You wouldn’t-” The connection ceased, and Tom ran his hands through his hair. “I hope she’s joking…”

 

[Adrammalech]

// OLD AND NEW //
Emily Fischer
X-COM Headquarters – Barracks #4
Siberia, Russian Federation
9:09 AM

Emily walked with her duffel towards the barracks, feeling like she was new all over again. Over a week she’s been laying still, being doted on and cared for. She knew beyond the door was waiting a powderpuff party where everyone looked at her as if she was made of porcelain, or everyone would be angry and disappointed at her for escaping not once, but twice from the infirmary. All she wanted was to be on another mission, to prove she was healthy and battle-ready…but the missions don’t work that way. She had to face the music, however it sounded.

As she walked through the door, Nika looked as if she had the Soyuz itself strapped to her back, launching towards her and wrapping her up in a hug.

“You’re ok!”

“Yep, I’m fine,” Emily said, hugging her back.

“I’m so glad, if anything happened…”

“Don’t worry about ifs. I’m alright.”

She backed up and smiled at her. Emily noticed Dallas standing behind Nika, waiting for his turn.

“Good to have you back,” he said, giving her a modest hug.

“Good to be back. Where’s Ammelia and Sunny?”

“Sunny rushed off to Engineering, she seemed excited, well, at least as excited she gets around us. I’m not sure about Ammelia, breakfast maybe.”

“Sounds like we should get in on that soon,” Emily said, walking to her bed and setting down her bag.

“Absolutely,” Nika said happily.

Emily looked around at the beds, all of them pretty much unchanged other than Billy’s which had been stripped clean during her stay in the infirmary. She looked a little sad at the sight, but it was something she was accustomed to. She opened her duffel and tossed her clothes onto the floor, putting things back onto the dingy stand by her bed. She loosely organized things into shirts and pants, leaving it in a pile for now, in no mood to be folding and stacking.

The door slid open again, a rugged looking blonde man walking through. He silently looked over at the three soldiers, nodding subtly towards them. He looked over their beds before his eyes fell on Billy’s empty one. He walked over to it and placed his bag onto the sheets. The Soyuz rocket fired up again and flew towards him.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” Nika shouted, looking up at him and pointing angrily.

“Sorry,” the blonde man said in a Dutch accent, “this bed is taken?”

“That’s no business of yours!”

Dallas grabbed Nika’s shoulder and pulled her back a little.

“My name is Sven,” he explained, holding up a folded letter, “I’ve been assigned to this room. You don’t recognize me?”

“I don’t know who you are,” Nika growled. “This is Billy’s bed.”

“The soldier who stayed behind. He was brave,” he said coolly. “I am the soldier who was with Van Doorn, during your mission in America.”

Dallas tapped her back gently, as if to remind her not to blame him.

“The wounded one,” she said. “Are you going to be useful next time?”

“Nika!”

“It is fair,” Sven stated, holding his hand to Dallas. “But you should know I was protecting the general for days before I was wounded. I’m as good a sniper as you can find.”

Nika still looked angry, but much calmer than she did before. “I look forward to seeing if you’re worth it.”

She turned and walked away, leaving Dallas and Emily looking at him awkwardly.

“She’s still grieving,” Dallas said nervously.

“It does not bother me,” Sven replied. “I don’t need anyone to like me to do my job.”

“Fair enough, I suppose. Care to join us in the mess hall?”

“I’d rather just unpack, if it’s all the same to you.”

“Alright then. Emily?”

“Let’s roll,” she replied.

Emily, Dallas, and Nika left to go to the mess hall, leaving their reticent teammate to his own devices.


Emily Fischer
X-COM Headquarters – Mess Hall
Siberia, Russian Federation
9:28 AM

Emily grabbed her tray and sat down with the rest of them, beginning to eat instantly. Military rations weren’t the best, but they were miles ahead of infirmary rations.

“So, that new guy, interesting fellow,” Dallas said.

“Meh, we’ll see if he’s any good.”

“You should be nicer to him.”

“I am being nice, if I wasn’t, I would’ve killed him by now,” Nika growled.

“You know you wouldn’t kill anyone.”

Nika stuck her tongue out at him and grabbed a biscuit from her tray, biting off an abnormally large portion of it and looking away. Dallas turned to Emily.

“How’s the heal?”

“Good as new, other than the stiffness. Some of my muscles are now a week old instead of 28 years old…gotta get them caught up.”

“At least you’re not hurting anymore. I was worried you might be done, after the memorial.”

“They said they had to rebuild everything there. Muscles, tissue, skin…I don’t know how they did it, but it feels fine.”

“Eating,” Nika grumbled. “Can we not talk about your insides here?”

“Fine then, princess,” Emily teased, “maybe you can catch me up on what’s going on around here. Not much gossip in a hospital bed.”

“I heard that girl, Atka, got sent on some mission to kill human terrorists,” Nika noted, “all by herself, too.”

“Even I heard that,” Emily grumbled.

“Desmond got a robotic limb to replace the one he lost in Ammelia’s last mission,” she continued.

“He lost the arm?”

“Yeah, you got off easy compared to him.”

“Jesus. I hope Ammelia’s been talking to people, at least. That couldn’t have been easy for her to see.”

“She’s tougher than she looks,” Nika smiled.

“I heard that that green-haired scientist girl is dating the Russian guy,” Dallas mentioned casually.

“W-what?” Nika stuttered.

“Jessica and Modya?” Emily whispered. “Didn’t see that one coming.”

“Whatever, that’s just rumor,” Nika grumbled, “nothing important.”

Emily finished her tray, looking around idly as she grabbed the sides. She quickly mentioned she wanted a refill and hustled back to the other side of the room, looking for more food to eat.

“Did you get through to your brother?” Nika asked Dallas.

“Nope. I saw his CO for a while, though, so I’m sure he’s fine somewhere out there. I’ve been in this long enough to know when a man’s covering up a casualty. How about you?”

“I got to talk to my mom for a while. It was nice, but I couldn’t really tell her anything. And the things I could tell her, I mostly didn’t want to tell her. I just said I made some friends and that I was safe.”

“It’s a shitty burden to lug around, but it’s usually worth it.”

“Yeah…”

Emily sat back down with a renewed tray of vegetables and bread, eagerly chomping down on more of it as she looked between her two squadmates.

“Miss anything?” she said.

“Nah, just more rumors,” Dallas stated coolly.

“Like what?” Emily asked.

“Well,” he thought momentarily, “have you ever seen the Commander since the first day?”

“Nope.”

“I heard she actually has a crazy thick accent, and this cat who makes decisions for her.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Nika said, chomping on another biscuit.

 

[MarineAvenger]

Recruitment Part 2

The pair ran to the end, grabbing their equipment as the city-scape formed. In a low voice, Ayame said. “Gotta be honest. I was more afraid of this part then the other. I mean, I’m no push over, but I’m not all that familiar with how these things fight. Haven’t been here from the start.”

Ryan checked the weapon. “Well, most important thing is…” He put a hand on her head. “Keep this down. We can either move together or take different sides, you choose.”

“Uh,” Ayame thought for a moment, wanting the back up, but her pride winning through. “Let’s… take different sides.”

Ryan nodded and took the right side of the street slowly as Ayame moved up the left. They moved about 10 feet when Ryan saw something in one of the buildings above Ayame. “Ayame, get down!”

Ayame ducked, a holographic beam of plasma flying over her head. She aimed at the building and fired, hitting a sectoid. As two more appeared and fired at her,she dropped behind a car and yelled, “Uh, Ryan! I changed my mind! Moving together sounds like a lot of fun right now!”


Ryan looked at the incoming sectoids. “Stay there and give me cover, I will move to you.” He peeked over the car once more and planned his route as the sectoids approached.

Ayame took a deep breath, and jumped to her feet. Laying her body across the hood of the car, she fired repeatedly at the sectoids, missing both but making them separate.

Ryan popped up and ran towards Ayame. The sectoid had ran out into the street and took pot shots at the alien when he ran. He missed but he had made it to the girl. “Well hi, you called.”

Ayame nodded, ducking back behind the car. “So… not used to such conditions to be honest. Mostly used to fighting foes that… don’t know that I’m there, if you catch my drift.”

Ryan shook his head. “Don’t matter to me how you fought before, just make sure you can fight now.” He popped up and hit a sectoid, quickly popping down to avoid the fire of it’s friend. “Point proven.”

Ayame grinned. She reached down and grabbed a piece of metal. She ducked to the right running towards the alien and chucking the metal at the side of the car the other sectoid was hiding behind. As soon as it stuck its head up to fire at the perceived threat, Ayame fired, nailing it between the eyes. “How was that?”

“Good, now lets get it done.” The two moved up and proceeded down the street.

Ayame ran forward, quickly scanning the room as she neared the end. Remember your training. Hasn’t been that long. Watch the shadows, remember where the rest of your squad is, keep an eye out for quick cover, and don’t SHIT! Ayame dove to the side as three Thin Men jumped out of cover and opened fire.

Ryan got down on a knee next to Ayame and started to fire onto them. “We have to move, if I remember correctly these guys have poison.” He popped back out and killed one, causing the rest to scatter. “You okay?” He said to the Ayame, who was on her belly.

Ayame nodded. “Yeah, just… a little surprised.” She shook a little, and Ryan noticed a small spark dance across the back of her vest.

He looked down at the girl. “You okay? I don’t think we can stay for long.” He said scanning around for the aliens.

“I-I’ll go left.” Ayame quickly stood up, running to the left as Ryan went left just as a cloud of poison appeared where they had just been. Ayame fired as one of the aliens fired at her, the other aiming for Ryan. Ayame’s target fell as she landed behind a car.

Ryan fired multiple shots at the Thin Man but missed them all as he narrowly avoided the shots. “Alright. I suppress while you move up?” He asked

“Uh… y-yeah… s-sure.” Ayame shouted shakily from behind her cover. As Ryan fired and then Thin Man took cover, Ayame pushed forward, sneaking behind the Thin Man and firing. Hit but not out, it turned it’s back to Ryan and fired at Ayame.

Ryan saw the girl being pinned down and used the distraction to move up and charged the Thin Man. The Thin Man turned towards Ryan at the last second, managing to hit him twice, but Ryan slammed into the aliens and shot it while it was down. The pain sparked through his chest causing him to fall to a knee.

Ayame ran over to Ryan. Reaching out a hand, she said between gasps, “You… alright? Come on. L-let’s finish this.”

Ryan got up and the two limped to the finish, both using each other for support. The crossed the finish line, and Ryan let out a sigh. “That was a little hairy.”

As the next pair was called, Ayame and Ryan walked up to the Lieutenant. “Not bad, you two. Good teamwork. Ryan, you’re in. Ayame… I’m not so sure of…”

Ryan held up a hand. “It was Ayame who pulled us through. She was the one who had the idea to get on my back and when she wanted to stay together, I was the one who wanted us to split up…” He held up his hand to Ayame. “If anyone deserves this it is her.” He said in a genuine tone.

Ayame looked at Ryan with surprise. Lieutenant Brea rubbed her chin. “Is that so? Alright, very well. I’ll take you both.” She tapped Ayame’s vest. “But you better learn to be more honest when you’re hit.”

As Brea stepped away, Ayame gave Ryan a confused look. “Why did you do that? What if she took me and dropped you? That would have hardly been right.”

He shrugged his shoulders when he took off his vest. “Cause we make a good team, wouldn’t be right if I got in and you didn’t.” He put the equipment down and waited for Ayame to finish.

“Geez… thanks man.” She pulled off her vest. “That was really cool of you.” She extended her hand. “Guess I owe you one.”

He took her hand but shook his head. “You don’t owe me anything.”

Ayame raised a stern finger. “Now now. I always repay someone who does me a service. If you choose not to call in that favor, that’s fine. But it’ll always be on the table.”

Ryan smiled. “I will be sure to remember that. Now how about a drink? I am quite thirsty after that.”

Ayame nodded. “Make it something strong, and you’re on.”

 

[DarkGemini24601]

“Pajamas” – Elene Exalt and Vee
EXALT Headquarters, Unknown Location
May 18th, 2100 Hours, Local Time

Elene’s Quarters

Vee walked up to the door to Elene’s room. I hope she isn’t asleep already. 157 knocked on the door. “Hey, Elene, can I come in?”

“Yes,” came the reply.

Vee opened the door, seeing Elene sitting on her bed, typing on an I-pad. The black-haired clone in the doorway held both of her hands over her mouth, desperately suppressing a laugh. For Elene was wearing an unusual two-piece set of button-up pajamas. They were a light orange, with images of circular slices of oranges on them. They were made of soft cotton, as well. Vee couldn’t help herself, and started to snicker and then laugh openly.

Negative Zero looked at Vee uncomprehendingly. “What is it you find humorous?”

Vee wiped a tear from her eye, smiling. “I just never expected to see a grown woman wearing something like that.”

Elene raised an eyebrow. “I enjoy the taste of the fruit pictured. Do people not wear things that are related to what they enjoy?” I don’t believe it is in bad taste.” Elene thought for a moment. “Oranges…bad taste…irony. Heh…” she said in the same tone as before, her amusement not apparent in her tone.

Vee looked at her creator confused. She has a sense of humor, but it’s kind of creepy…

Elene composed herself, not needing to do much for that. “What was it that you needed?”

“I heard that you were helping Avanix design an avatar. Can I see it?” Vee asked as she walked over.

Elene nodded. “Ironically, that is what I was working on just now…”

Vee kicked off her shoes and hopped onto the bed, looking at the screen. “Have you been researching irony or something lately?” She asked as Elene brought up the holographic design for Avanix. The daughter of Lusett looked away. An admission of guilt! Vee concluded.

 

[MarineAvenger]

You’ve got a Friend in Me Part 1 (MarineAvenger and ZombieSplitter53)

Desmond and Ryan were making their way through the halls of the base, coming back from a lunch break and a very long debate. “Look all I am saying is, I don’t really like the fact that humans are fighting other humans in this conflict, I just don’t see the motivation behind attacks like that.” Ryan said.

Desmond walked beside him, trying his best to keep calm. “I am sure they have their reasons, but is that really any reasons to go out and try to look for them?” Desmond shook his head. “Look, let’s just get back to the lab and try to make some progress…”

As the pair walked into the lab, they found the lights already on. Across the room, Sunny sat at the main computer, studying the 3D model of Desmond’s cybernetic arm, her fingers flying across the keyboard as Ayame simply watched.

Desmond and Ryan stopped at the door and looked at each other at the same time. Desmond leaned into Ryan’s ear. “What is the point of a hand scanner if anyone can get in?” He asked.

Ryan looked over the little girl at the keyboard and noticed that Ayame was with the girl. “If I am correct that is Sunny. She is one of XCOM’s top engineers…”

Desmond raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Then explain to me why she is in here then.” Ryan looked him in the eye and waved his hand in the girls’ direction. “Go ask.”

Desmond took a deep breath and walked forwards. “You know, that scanner on the door is there for a reason.”

Ayame jumped at the sound of Desmond’s voice, but Sunny remained still, as though she knew they were there the whole time. “I know,” she said. “But I programmed the AI that controls everything here, including the locks and scanners. I can’t get him to open every d-door for me, but I can get into anywhere that h-has anything to do with engineering.”

Ayame glanced at Ryan and grinned. “‘Sup, buddy.”

Ryan gave a half hearted grin and waved a hand. Desmond walked up to the girl at his computer and crossed his arms. “So, what is the meaning of this...completely unexpected breach of privacy?” Ryan pulled up a stool and sat near one of the desk on the other side of the room.

Sunny looked up at Desmond and swallowed, taking a deep breath. She put on her war face, or at least the closest thing to a war face she could accomplish as Ayame stepped back, joining Ryan. Sunny pointed to the screen and asked, “What is the m-meaning of this breach of privacy?” She scowled at Desmond, something she obviously wasn’t used to doing. “W-where did you get these plans?”

Desmond smiled on the inside at the rather silly face the girl was making and looked up at the wall. “Alice, I thought you would have told her…” He said, pulling off the jacket he was wearing and revealing his metal arm.

A small projector lit up, and the holographic girl appeared, bashfully peaking over the side of the computer. “I… I’m sorry, Dr. Randolf. I gave them to him. He said he wanted to improve on his arm on his own.”

Sunny looked between Alice and Desmond, surprised. “W...When did this happen? Who authorized it? I-It couldn’t have been… did you trick my hologram?”

Desmond held up his hands defensively. “No I didn’t trick her, I got the okay from Jessica, and Alice here was supposed to let you know when you recovered.” He said looking at Alice.

Alice smiled coyly. “I-I… wasn’t sure if I was supposed to… and I didn’t want to get in trouble.”

“B-but…” Sunny scratched her head. “Wouldn’t Cheshire have know?”

Alice ducked her head back down. “H-he said… it would be funny if I didn’t… tell you.”

Sunny glared at Alice, not having to force an angry look now. As she stared daggers at the timid projection, both the holographic arm and Alice started to become fuzzy and distorted.

“Wow… I’ve never seen her so mad,” Ayame mumbled to Ryan. “I don’t think I’ve seen her mad at all. Didn’t know she had it in her.”

Ryan looked over his shoulder. “Yeah, Desmond has that effect on people I guess.”

Desmond walked over to the desk a put a hand on the hologram. “Look it is no big deal Alice, just a misunderstanding.” He looked over at Sunny. “If you want someone to be mad at, be mad at me.”

Sunny looked between Alice and Desmond for a few more moments, then let out a sigh. As the holograms regained their stability, she said, “I-
it’s… okay. But you.” She pointed at Alice. “T-tell me everything from now on, no matter what the cat says. And you.” She moved her finger towards Desmond, and lowered her eyes. “I-I’m… sorry I… accused you…”

Desmond waved a hand. “Don’t worry too much about it.” He looked over Sunny again and noticed how young she looked. “How old are you anyway? You definitely don’t look like the other people I know.”

Sunny looked herself up and down. “I don’t look… I-I’m eleven. Why? What do I look like?”

Desmond’s face hardened. “Who in the right mind would let an eleven year old do something like this?” I thought I had it bad as a child. “What is your story?”

Sunny flinched. “I… I’m sorry. I was experimented on when I was younger, and now I have implants in my head… a-and the Council told the Commander to take me, a-and I asked her for a chance to prove myself… and… a-and… and I… control the… th-the SHIVS… M-Mr. Walker…”

Desmond gave the girl a soft look. He had gone through the same stuff and looked how he turned out, and she was still young. “I know how you feel...more than you know.” He put a hand on the back of his head and rubbed it. “I guess I have you to thank for also saving me back in Moscow. I would have bled out otherwise.”

Sunny nodded. “I-it was mostly thanks to Ammelia finding you, b-but I did what I could to watch over you.” She gave Desmond a cautious look. “A-are you… still upset with me?”

He gave her a smile and patted her head. “Of course not, they were...technically you plans but I just had to make sure…” He stopped himself from saying anymore.

Sunny frowned, looking down. “You had to make sure… you could still use your abilities?”

Desmond gave off a flinch but he closed his eyes. “Yes, that or at least attempt to use my left arm with them again.” He held up his arm and stared at it.

“I’m sorry. I-I didn’t mean to pry. I just stumbled across the information.” She looked at his arm. “So… does it work? Can you still use your powers?”

Desmond concentrated and his arm took on a red glow. “All I can do for now…” He held up his other arm and the orb appeared in his hand. “At least this still goes strong.”

Sunny smiled. “I-it’s a start, right. And maybe, i-if you are willing to share your research with me, I can try and help. But… only if you want the help…”

Desmond put his arms down and looked at Sunny. “I have Ryan with me so I am good for now, if I need to make the tech however, I will be sure to call you.”

 

[ZombieSplitter53]

You’ve got a Friend in Me Part 2

Sunny nodded. She looked over at Ayame and Ryan. “Can, um… can I have a m-minute alone with Desmond?”

Ayame raised an eyebrow. Leaning closer to Ryan, she asked. “He’s okay to leave alone with kids, right?” Ryan looked at Ayame with a look of disbelief and shook his head smirking, taking her arm and leading her out of the room.

Sunny looked up at Desmond. “I unfairly learned your secret, so I wanted to show you mine. Only the Commander... and Dr. Shen and Dr. Vahlen know about this. Even Ayame doesn’t know about.”

Desmond pulled up a chair from one of the desks and sat down. “What is this secret, can’t be too bad…”

“Not unless yours is.” Sunny looked around the room. “Do you have a piece of equipment, or a machine? Something complicated, but not too complicated?”

Desmond thought for a moment and walked over to a locker, pulling out a simple car Ryan had made in his free time. “Will this work?”

Sunny nodded, and took the car, placing it on the ground. She looked down at it, and a few moments later it started driving in a circle on its own, its movements relating to Sunny’s eye movement.

Desmond smiled. “Impressive, you're not the only one who can do something similar to that.” He picked up a handful of nuts on a near by table and tossed them into the air, a red glow surrounding them and Desmond moved them around individually.

“I know, but mines a little different. I can control machines, robots, any technology with a computer, no matter how simple. A kind of technokinesis. But it still h-has it’s limits. If I try to control anything too big or complicated, my head really starts to hurt.” The car suddenly slowed to a stop, and Sunny frowned. “And then there’s that. I’m guessing the battery just ran out. Without power, I can’t control it.”

Desmond smiled. “Interesting...I can see that being helpful.” He looked down and back at Sunny. He got up and shut the door to the lab. “There is one other thing though…”

“If I could develop some kinda… electrokinesis, I…” Sunny noticed Desmond shut the door. “Um… w-what is it?”

Desmond turned towards Sunny. “You said you had implants right, how did you get them exactly?”

Sunny looked down. “These people… a group called ‘Philosopher's Stone’. They wanted to control the world through computers. Th-they kidnapped me right after I was born, and started experimenting on me as a baby. They wanted me to be a human c-computer…”

Desmond nodded and slowly walked to Sunny. “You certainly are special Sunny...close you eyes, I need to show you something…”

Sunny nodded, closing her eyes and covering them with her hands. Desmond sighed and pulled off his shirt and knelt down in front of Sunny. “Put your hand on my head and feel around for a bump.”

Sunny extended her hand and felt around. “Right here?”

Desmond nodded. “You are not alone Sunny, I have been in the same place as you before. My implants are not as sophisticated but...I have had extensive surgery...you can open your eyes.” He said standing up”

Sunny opened her eyes, flinching at the sight of the scars covering his bodies. “I’m sorry. Th-these must have hurt really bad…”

He looked down. “At first, but even today they still seem to carry a little pain in them…” He put his shirt on and sat back down next to Sunny. “The world is not a very good place, but it is nice to see that it is still a little sunny…” He said smiling.

Sunny smiled widely. “I… thank you…”

A knock came from the door. “Ya alright in there, nerd?” Ayame called.

“I’m fine.” Sunny said. She jumped to her feet and told Desmond. “Don’t forget to call me if you ever need any help, okay?”

He smiled and nodded once. “And you don’t be afraid to come talk to me if you ever want to talk to someone.”

Sunny smiled back and took off, opening the door and leaving with an awaiting Ayame as Ryan walked back into the room.

“Well, you aren’t dead so I am guessing things went well?” Ryan asked.

Desmond nodded, going to the computer and getting to work.

 

[Euan]

I haven't gone back to training in ages.

I don't know why, but I've just stopped. I've been doing anything to avoid it - sleeping in, staying behind to help clear up after meals, even offering help at engineering (though I was refused). I've been doing nothing for ages. In fact, it only just hit me - I'm bored.

Since the extraction mission I've been craving conflict. The heart-thumping, hair raising, terrifyingly exciting tension of a firefight. The way your mind shuts down to simple tasks, focusing on the here and now, not thinking twice and always seeming to make the right decision. God, I miss it.

I've been staying up late. Not intentionally, but it's just kinda happened. Just lie in my bed, looking at the guy sleeping above me, remembering that one shot I missed, going through it over and over and perfecting it. I read once that imagining yourself achieving something is more than half of actually doing it. If that's true, I could ace that mission now, or any given to me. I need to be given a class. I need to prove myself. I need to show them Raiden Black is the best soldier they ever had.

I've been thinking about that offer Dragomirov gave me - about that high-tech arm he suggested. I'm gonna follow him up on that. I might be interested after all.

 

[ZombieSplitter53]

Seraph

"Come on in," Morrigan said, pushing her paperwork aside. Lt. Brea walked into the Commander's office, her sister following closely behind. The lieutenant sat down in a chair before Morrigan's desk while Eve sat on the couch on the side of the room. Shalquoir jumped on Eve's lap, and she giggled as she pet the cat.

"Commander." Lt. Brea bowed her head slightly. "How are you..."

"Oh, cut the formalities, please," Morrigan interrupted with a smile. "I got tired of it on the first day, but I have to put up with it. I won't put up with it with an old friend."

Aya shook her head. "Still getting too close to your soldiers, huh?"

Morrigan shrugged. "There's a couple of them, but they're all too formal." She grinned. "One of them had to nearly die just to call me by my first name once."

Aya smiled back, folding her hands. "Speaking of soldiers in danger..."

Morrigan nodded. She stood up, slowly walking around her desk. "Yes, your training of the new recruits. I not only want every new soldier to start off as a Specialist, I want them to go out on their first mission like they're experts." She sat down next to Eve. "How are ya doing, lass?"

"Good, Miss... um Morrigan." Eve smiled brightly, scratching Shalquior's belly. "Not much I can do with my degree yet, though. Doesn't help that I look like I'm in my mid-teens..."

The Commander chuckled. "I know a few people here that can relate to you. But don't worry. Your sister will have a lot of work to do, and she'll be counting on you for help." She stood back up, slowly walking over to Aya. "You see, I'm afraid I didn't just promote you for the sake of training soldiers. I'd like to say I only did it because we're friends, but you know I don't show favoritism."

Aya glanced at the picture on Morrigan's desk, knowing what was on it despite it being turned away from her. "So I've heard." She scowled at the Commander. "Why exactly isn't she on base?"

"The main reason you were promoted," Morrigan said loudly, ignoring the question, "is because I need a go-between. There are too many soldiers on this base for me to give as much attention as I'd like." She waved her hand towards the pile of paperwork on her desk. "I have so much crap to do, 90% of the soldiers haven't seen me since the first day. How can I expect them to follow a leader that is practically invisible?"

Aya nodded. "It is hard to get personal with a project this size, especially with how personal you like to get."

"I need you to be there for the soldiers when I can't be. You know, hand out promotions personally, give out officer rankings to worthy soldiers, and solve disputes that I'm too busy for." Morrigan tapped her head. "You know how I think, so I think I can trust you to do what I would do."

"Can do." Aya gave a quick salute. "Anything else I should know?"

Morrigan raised an eyebrow. "Those... ahem, abilities of yours? It would probably be a silly question to ask if you still have them."

Aya sighed, raising her index finger, a small flame appearing over it. "I do. They're a bit rusting. I've avoided using them for a while, but I started practicing when I've had the time alone."

Morrigan nodded. "Keep practicing. I know you don't care for them, but we need every advantage we can get." She walked over to her desk, grabbing two sheets of papers and handing them to the lieutenant. "I want you to keep an eye on these two. They've manifested abilities that remind me of yours. Honestly, they're lucky I know you. Otherwise, I would have probably had a much more negative reaction to them then I did."

Aya glanced over the sheet. "Do their abilities come from... the same place as mine?"

Morrigan shook her head. "No, I really don't think so. But they have them none the less. I'd like them to give them a chance to work on their abilities on their own, but that doesn't mean they couldn't use some advice from someone who has had as long to get used to their powers as you." She turned to Eve. "Have... you manifested anything... special?"

Eve nodded. She closed her eyes, and a second later, her body slumped to the side. Shalquoir looked around for a moment before jumping off the couch and onto the desk. She tapped her paws against the keyboard, then pushed the screen to face the Commander. Morrigan read the words 'Hello Morrigan', chuckling. Shalquoir looked around in confusion, and Eve sat back up, shaking her head.

Morrigan smiled at her nervously. "That's... interesting. Just don't... do that unless it is absolutely... absolutely necessary."

"Of course, Commander." Eve gave Morrigan a frank look. "So... where is she?"

Morrigan rubbed her eyes. "Listen, I don't..."

"Where's Brigid?" Aya asked, folding her arms.

"She's with my parents."

"And why isn't she here?" Aya stood up and walked over to the Commander.

"I've been over this with Bradford. Because I can't show special treatment to my family over everyone else. It wouldn't be fair to..."

"This isn't about being fair, you moron!" Aya grasped Morrigan's shoulders. "What happens if one of the soldiers lost their child? They'd be devastated, probably have be pulled off the project, at least until they came to grips with their loss. It would be terrible, but we would survive." She shook her friend lightly. "But what if you became incapacitated. Even if we could survive, the need to replace the Commander of the entire project would be an incredible upheaval. Morale would be crippled, and we'd have to get used to a new CO in the middle of the war!" She released Morrigan, turning around. "As I see it, you're putting the entire project at risk by not having Brigid here."

Morrigan signed. "Even... even if you were right, I doubt the Council would authorize a pick-up for a six year old girl."

Eve rubbed the back of her head. "But... after all you've done for them, I'd think they'd owe you some kind of favor."

Morrigan laughed. "Dear, you don't know the Council like I do..."

 

[Frostlich1228]

Frostlich228 & DarkGemini24601
The Price of Leadership.

XCOM Headquarters, Somewhere in Siberia
May 19th, 0900 Hours, Local Time
Medical Ward:

Atka was thankful to finally be able to move her right arm again. She stood in front of a mirror in a medical ward bathroom, clenching her fist experimentally. The action sent daggers of pain shooting through the still-healing limb. The Inuit woman grimaced from the sensation.

"Still not back to normal..." Atka muttered, looking down at where the EXALT laser had pierced her upper arm. A faint, circular line of pale skin attested to the large hole that had once been there. "I just hope my power still works."

The Inuit scout held her right hand open. AN icy helix wove up from her palm, made of blue psionic energy. Atka did not feel much pain from the action. "I guess its only half mind and half body then, or at least something like that."

Atka remembered that information, as Desmond would probably want to know her guess. "Give it a few more days, and I'll be ready for duty aga-" Atka began, but stopped silent, looking at the mirror. She leaned closer in surprise. The young woman's eyes, once a cool brown, were looking more like a mix of brown and blue now. That's new..." Atka said under her breath. Could it be from the psionics, perhaps?

Knowing she wouldn't get an answer for now, Atka sighed, and went back into the room. She sat down on the side of her bed, trying to think of something to do.

A soft knock came from the door and it cracked opened, a voice behind it spoke in a feminine tone, "Atka? are you dressed?"

Atka looked up from the medical bed. "Yeah, you can come in....Ammelia?" she guessed.

"Mmhm," She nodded as she entered the room, "I'm sorry I couldn't see you sooner, between training and lectures I haven't had much time to visit friends..."

Atka smiled, waving her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. I had plenty of people to keep me company, but I'm glad to see you now."

"Are you okay?" She asked, concerned, "I heard you almost died..."

Atka tapped her right arm and her chest with her left hand. "They shot me through the arm and in the chest, but the alloy plating I was wearing saved my life, and the strike team played no small part in that either."

"I heard that the Commander was considering me for that mission," Ammelia took a seat next to Atka, "If I had went instead of you, you might not have gotten hurt..."

Atka shook her head. "Like I said, you're too quick to put the blame on yourself. The reason you didn't go is because you'd have been at more risk than I was. And if something were to happen to your eyes while you were there..." The scout shook her head. "I was the best choice, I just got unlucky. Not your fault in any way."

"Yeah, I wish there was something I could have done..." she replied sadly, "I haven't gone out since Moscow, maybe the Commander thinks I'm too traumatized to fight."

Atka looked over at Ammelia with concern. "Seriously, Ammelia, that's not it. You're just as good as the rest of us, don't tell yourself any differently. You were the second lance corporal, and the only one after we lost Megumi. You haven't gone out so that other people can get as much field experience as you."

She sighed, " You're right, maybe I'm being too selfish. I just don't like sitting in base while my friends are getting hurt, or worse..."

"It's no better when they die under you..." Atka said slowly. "Look, Ammelia. The future's uncertain, and I don't know what will happen to us. That means we shouldn't mope around while we're safe here." She smiled gently, though was worried. I'm not sure if she can handle more people dying...and it's likely we'll lose even more as time goes on...

"I want to help my friends!" she responded quickly, " I don't want to be safe if they're not!"

"You have to understand restraint, though," Atka said coolly. "You can't go on every mission. I've only been on two, same as you."

" The whole reason I came here was to help, my friends, my family, even complete strangers, it doesn't matter! I could understand if I was hurt and needed time to recover, but I'm perfectly healthy..." she retorted, "If I wanted to sit in my bed while everyone I love dies, I would've stayed home!"

Atka clenched her fists, gritting her teeth at the pain shooting through her right arm. "You're not listening to me, dammit! You're here to fight, all right, and to do that you have to follow orders. If you don't get sent on a mission for awhile then deal with it, we all are doing the same...don't act like you're the only one, or that you have it worse than..." Atka trailed off.

Ammelia stared at her silently, unsure of what to say.

Atka sighed, looking away from Ammelia. "Look, I know its hard, but don't push the entire world onto your shoulders. That's the job of commanders and officers, not people like you. You and everyone else shouldn't have to bear that burden like the Commander and I do."

" Are you trying to say that I shouldn't care about my friends getting maimed!?" she said, raising her voice more, "And don't say that like I'm not the same rank as you... I'm just as responsible for what happens to people as you are!"

Atka looked back at Ammelia. "If you think that's what I meant then you're not understanding my point at all. You ARE the same rank as me, I'm not denying that, Ammelia."

Atka's expression hardened. "But you haven't commanded other soldiers before. You don't know what it's like to do that, or lose people under your command..." The Inuit woman's expression weakened. "And I don't want you to have to."

" Well I... I..." She stuttered, once again unsure of how to respond. I can handle that though... C-Can't I?

Atka laid back over the bed. "I'm sorry, Ammelia. You came here to visit and I've just been awful to you."

"We're all just stressed, especially now that we are fighting on two fronts... I guess I should just suck it up and deal with it, but I'm tiring of sitting and waiting..." She said, calming herself down.

"I'm sure you'll get your chance eventually," Atka said. "Just promise me that if more bad things happen I'm not going to lose the Ammelia I know..."

She wrapped her arms around Atka, being careful to avoid any injured areas. " I promise..."

Atka smiled. "That's all I need to hear."

 

[DarkGemini24601]

DarkGemini24601 and ZombieSplitter53: “Psionic Ties that Bind”
Part 1

X-COM Headquarters, Somewhere in Siberia
New Holo-Training Room, Floor B6
May 21st, 2200 Hours, Local Time

Atka stood in the elevator, heading down to floor B6 to take a look at the new holo-training room. She stretched, glad to be free from the medical ward at last, and allowed to move about. The elevator made a soft “ting” sound, and the doors opened to reveal the room.

As she stepped out into the large black room, Eve looked up from her chair, against the wall to Atka’s left. “Hello. Are you Atka… I… Ipa…”

Atka nodded. “Atka Ipiktok...though you don’t need to remember my last name,” she said gently.

Eve smiled. “Alright then. How are you feeling by the way? Little stiff, maybe. We don’t need you hurting yourself if you don’t feel up to it.”

Atka shook her head. “I think I’ll be fine as long as we’re not talking live-fire. The MELD works wonders for healing…” Atka explained. I still wonder if that’s a good thing. “What did you need me for?” And...two kids on base? Is she a genius like Sunny?

“Well, my sister wanted to talk to you a little bit.” Eve stood up, lifting a computer pad and pressing a few buttons. “She wanted to test out your abilities.”

“As long as you feel up to it, of course,” Aya said, stepping out from the darkness that engulfed most of the room beyond the elevator.

Scary. “A combat simulation?” Atka asked, thinking it was her combat abilities Aya wanted to ask about.

“Of sorts.” Aya smiled. “Though I’ve seen you in combat, and your ability to use firearms isn’t of concern. I was more interested in your… other abilities.”

Atka raised an eyebrow. “And who told you about that?”

“Mor… I mean, the Commander,” Eve answered. “Don’t worry. Your secret is still a secret.”

Atka breathed a sigh of relief. “Alright then...but how exactly did you intend to go about testing those abilities then?”

Aya rubbed her chin lightly. “Well, I guess that all depends on the exact nature of your abilities. I’m afraid the Commander was a bit vague on that. How exactly do they manifest? What is it you can do?”

“Well, it’s been awhile since I’ve had a chance to really work on them, but thus far…” Atka began. “...I can use telepathy, and an ability I’ve come to call ‘mindfray.’” She held out the palm of her right hand, and a helix of blue psionic energy, looking as if it were made of ice with a spike on the far end, wound itself up from Atka’s hand. She curved it around her arm, and then back into it’s smaller and straighter shape. “With this, I can damage an enemy’s mind, weakening their abilities and making them more open to telepathic suggestion.”

“Hmm… a mental attack. Interesting.” Aya slowly paced towards Atka. “You said it been a while, but you have been working on them, huh? How do you strengthen them? I hope you aren’t going around, using it on people when they aren’t looking.” She grinned to show she was only half serious.

“Mainly just patience and redefining the shape and the structure of the attack. So far I’ve only been able to prove its effects by using it to gain locked-away knowledge from our tall friend,” Atka replied. “I was wondering if there was a way to make the icy helix physical, but I’m not sure how I would go about doing that.”

Aya shrugged. “The best way would be to practice against targets. As you do so, your mental strength will increase, and as it does so, you’ll find it easier to manipulate your energy. Would you like to give it a try?”

Atka nodded. “I would.”

Aya nodded. “Good to hear.” She turned to Eve and said. “Could you get a program set up?”

Eve started typing on her pad. “Right away.”

Looking back at Atka, she said, “While we wait, I’ll need to see exactly how strong you are myself.”

“What do you need me to do?” Atka asked, not understanding perfectly.

“Like I said, I need to personally see how strong you are.” Aya pointed at her head. “Feel how powerful you are.”

“Are you sure that’s safe?” Atka protested with concern.

Aya chuckled lightly. “Well, I don’t want you to go nuts on me. Maybe hold back if you can. But don’t worry, I’ll be fine. You’re not the first one to punch me in the mind, believe me. And we’ll never be able to move forward if I don’t know exactly what we’re dealing with?” She placed a hand on Atka’s shoulder. “I’m gonna need you to trust me, so I’m gonna start by showing that I trust you.”

Atka nodded slowly. “Alright...if you insist.” She recreated her mindfray, and steadied her right hand with her left, shooting the spike-tipped icy helix at Aya’s head like a harpoon. It connected and Aya could feel her senses blur or dull, and images and memories jumbled around her head, making it hard to think or move. She took a moment to look around, rocking her body back and forth as though testing her surroundings. After a moment, she shook her head violently, and slowly blinked her eyes.

“Are you okay?” Eve asked, a small look of worry on her face.

Aya nodded. “Yeah, I’m okay. Though if I was normal I’d probably be on the floor right now.”

“Was that sufficient?” Atka asked, the blue energy disappearing back into her palm.

“It was. About how much power would you say you put into that one?”

“The normal amount,” came the reply. “Nothing more, nothing less. I could probably do stronger, but I didn’t want to risk dealing any permanent damage.”

“And I appreciate that.” Behind her, the room lit up, and a holographic city appeared, far more expansive than the one Atka had fought in before. Aya walked to the wall and grabbed a training vest and rifle, bringing them over to Atka. “Now, we’ve worked with Dr. Randolf and her AI to program the holographic aliens to react to various levels of psionic power. All I want you to do is fight like you normally would, and occasionally try your mindfray. Even if it isn’t ‘really’ hurting them, having an enemy to actually test it on will go a long way to increasing your power and experience.” She looked at Eve and, taking a moment to think about the level of Atka’s attack, she said, “Set their level of susceptibility to… level three.”

 

[ZombieSplitter53]

DarkGemini24601 and ZombieSplitter53: “Psionic Ties that Bind”
Part Two

Atka nodded, putting on her gear. Let’s see how this goes… she thought to herself, walking into the holographic city. Before her was a nighttime landscape with two streets, a center section, various cars and tall buildings. Atka went to cover behind a car, and looked around, scanning for contacts. From behind buildings on either side, two groups emerged. Both had two aliens, though the first was a Sectoid and a Thin Man, and the second was a Drone and a Floater.

Simple enough...though I’m definitely outnumbered here. Atka started moving to the side, taking cover behind the wall of a building, and opened fire on the first Sectoid with her laser rifle. It was scrambling for cover, and could not reach there in time, being impaled by a laser beam. Now to foul up a certain sharpshooter’s aim… Atka opened her palm, and launched the mindfray harpoon at the Thin Man. It curved to slam into its head, and made contact.

The alien hissed in agony, dropping to its knees. Atka dropped it dead with another shot. Nice combination. The Drone and Floater were quickly closing in, the drone heading up and then at Atka, while the Floater went for a typical flanking maneuver. Atka started to fire at the more immediate threat of the cyborg, but as she did she heard skittering in the alleyway behind her. You’ve got to be…

Two chryssalids emerged from around the corner, madly dashing at Atka. Shit! She scored a deadly hit on the Floater, and then chose to ignore the drone. Can’t worry about him, my armor can handle that...these guys though… The Inuit scout opened fire on the first chryssalid, dropping it after several hits. The surviving savage alien and robot were almost upon her, though, and to Atka’s horror, an Outsider appeared from around the corner where the Floater had almost gotten.

Atka held out her hands, and icy psionic spikes formed on her palms before twin mindfray helixes shot from them. One hit the chryssalid, the other the Outsider, and there was a strong response. The chryssalid dropped to the floor, its legs twitching in odd directions, while the Outsider’s ‘mind’ seemed to be scrambled, and it stumbled backwards. The simulation detected a minor physical contact with the force-fields holding the holograms together, but it was mostly insignificant.

The drone shot Atka in the shoulder, causing red lights to light up where the damage would have been sustained. As the Outsider tried to recover Atka ran over to it and shot it in the head, and turned to face the chryssalid, hitting it with another mindfray, and then gunning it down as it slid to a stop inches away from her. The drone realized its predicament and retreated as the simulation ended.

Aya and Eve ran to Atka’s side. “A-are you alright?” Eve said, looking Atka up and down. “I hope that wasn’t too intense. I was hoping if you felt like you were in danger…”

Atka wiped the sweat from her forehead. “Well, if anything, you were right. I haven’t tried two at once before.”

“You did great. Better than expected by a long shot.” Aya placed a friendly hand on Atka’s shoulder. “And now you have a good idea of how to get stronger. But when you do increase those abilities, remember what is important, okay?”

“Hey, I’m not going to turn into a Sectoid or anything,” Atka said with a smile.

Aya smiled. “I know, just remember that with power comes the opportunity to abuse such power.” Her smile widened. “But something tells me I won’t have to worry about that with you.”

Atka nodded. “By the way, I’m guessing that you can do something as well if you know so much about psionics…”

Aya’s smile wavered for a moment. “Yes, I can do something, but mine is a bit different.”

“You don’t have to show me if you don’t want to,” Atka said. “I was just curious.”

Aya shook her head, stepping away from Atka. “No, you showed me your. It’s only fair. Eve?”

Eve hit a few keys, and four chryssalids appear twenty feet away. As they charged towards Aya, snarling and screeching, Aya’s eyes glowed with a faint blue-green, then red as a flame engulfed her right hand. She extended her arm as the chryssalids reached her, leaping forward, and in a dazzling burst of flame, the chryssalids were ignited, the computer simulating their charred bodies falling to the floor before disappearing.

Atka looked surprised and impressed. “I didn’t think psionics could allow for the creation of fire…”

“They can’t,” Aya muttered, almost to herself. “At least not now.” She turned back to Atka. “My abilities come from more than just a mastery of the mind.” She smiled gently. “Though that’s not to say I’ve ‘mastered’ anything. I’ve just had a lot of time to practice.”

“Alright,” Atka responded. “It’s useful, whether its psionics or not.”

Aya dusted herself off. “At any rate, you did well today. And if you ever have any questions or concerns, come find me.” She extended her hand. “Lieutenant Aya Brea, by the way.”

Atka shook her head. “Atka Ipiktok, but you already knew that. Glad to hear that the Commander has some help in the commanding department, sir.”

“I’ve got a bit of cleanup to do.” She gave a salute. “But I hope to see you again soon.”

Atka returned the salute, and headed for the elevator. As the doors closed, Eve ducked inside. “Um, can I talk to you about something?” she asked as the lift started moving.

“What do you need to talk about?” Atka asked, raising an eyebrow slightly.

“It’s about the simulation.” Eve showed Atka the energy readouts from the fight. “See these spikes in power? They occurred whenever the holograms came in contact with anything, like the vehicles, or the laser from your weapon. This spikes are from you using your mindfray on the Thin Man, not very big because you didn’t actually hurt it, since it didn’t have a mind to hurt. But the second time you used the mindfray…”

Atka looked at it in surprise. “You’re saying there was physical contact from my psi helixes?”

Eve shook her head. “I’m not sure, but the computer seemed to think so. These are the same readings you’d see if one hologram forcefully hit another.” She looked into Atka’s eyes. “I take by your tone that nothing like this has happened before?”

Atka shook her head. “I was hoping for something like this but I didn’t think I could actually achieve it...if I’m getting a physical manifestation of my powers that’s going to make the mindfray helixes even stronger.”

Eve nodded. “Then I think congratulations are in order, huh? Drinks are on me?” She grinned, nudging Atka’s arm.

“Aren’t you a little young for that? And I don’t really drink, anyway…” Atka responded.

“I’m older than I look,” Eve said with a smile. “But I was kidding anyway. Aya would wring my neck if I did get a drink.” She grasped Atka’s right hand with both of hers. “I’m Eve, by the way. It’s nice to meet another person with such an interesting ability. I hope you and I can get along.”

Atka smiled. “I’m sure we will.”

 

[ZombieSplitter53]

Friends in High Places

X-Com Headquarters, Somewhere in Siberia
The Commander's Office

Morrigan was rapidly typing on her computer. For the first time in what felt like forever, she was almost caught up with her work. Just a few more strokes of the keyboard, and she might actually be able to step out of her office. Just before she hit the "enter" button, however, her screen went completely black, save for a line of yellow-green running horizontally across the monitor. She tried pressing enter as she had intended. Nothing. Escape? Nothing. Even the tried and tested Alt-F4 had no effect. Just as she was about to give up, however, a voice, deep and obviously heavily modified, came from the speakers.

"You can keep pressing all the buttons you like, Commander. It'll get you nowhere."

Morrigan practically growled. "I swear to God, cat, if that is you, I will wring your neck. I don't know how, but I'll find a way!"

There was a chuckle, the line on the screen moving in response to it. "I'm not your cat, Commander. I don't have the teeth to pull off a smile like that. I'm a... colleague. I thought it was high time we had a little chat."

"A friend, huh?" Morrigan narrowed her eyes at the screen. "Alright, friend, but you seem to have me at a disadvantage. You seem to know who I am, but who are you exactly?"

"A question many have asked. A number know the answer, and yet no one knows the answer. My existence is only known by those who wish to contact me, either for my business, or the purpose of ending it. That is why your Council gave me an offer at the beginning of this war." The line curved in the shape of a smile, grotesque in it's sharp curve. "For my business. They, along with the others who know of me, call me the Overseer. A pleasure to finally speak to you, Commander O'Brien."

Morrigan tapped her fingers against the desk, unsure how to react. After a few seconds, she said, "Alright, Mr. Overseer. What is it the Council has you do for them... exactly?"

There was a noise similar to the sound of someone shrugging. Through the voice changer, it sounded more like a frog croaking. "Collect information. My job has remained unchanged by the alien invasion in that regard, but nowadays I only report to the Council. Death is as bad for business as it ever was. So, I help them. Help you. Surely you don't think the accuracy of your Hologlobe is due to a few unorganized informants in each country, do you?" When Morrigan didn't respond, he continued. "I'm the spider in this web of information, Commander. I organize the threads and send them through to your people." His tone grew darker. "And now, on the insistence of the Council, I'll be sending them directly to you. I'd prefer to keep back as I have since the beginning, but with the arrival of previously unforeseen enemies..."

There was a gap before the Overseer began talking again. "Enough of me. Now we get to business. I must confess that I have an ulterior motive to calling you, beyond the simple 'My superiors told me to.' I have an... offer, for you."

"An offer, huh?" Morrigan grinned. "By the sounds of things, my shadowy friend, you seem pretty set. So I'm not sure if I can do anything for you, but I'll try. What is this... offer?"

"As someone involved in the more highly classified areas of this project, I have access to your systems. It's how I disabled your computer and locked your door. I also then have access to records. The people you hire are an interesting bunch, but there is one in particular that I wish to discuss. One of your new arrivals, a Miss Penny Anderson. I would consider it a... favor to me, if you could ensure her safety for the duration of the project." The Overseer cut in before the Commander could say anything. "And yes, I'm aware that her role is non-combatant. All I ask is that you keep her alive. In a related vein, I understand that you have a daughter who is not on base. Brigid, was it?"

Morrigan's eye twitched, her nails digging into the desk. "Aye. What does she have to do with this?"

The Overseer seemed to realize a little late that his tone may not have been the best one to use. "Apologies if that sounded like a threat, Commander. In my line of work, threats are commonplace. As I understand it, your daughter is living with family right now since you refused to bring her on base, or give her any kind of special treatment. I am offering to set protection for her - a few of my better operatives as a sort of unobtrusive guard. Should she be threatened, they would defend her and her carers." There was a pause. "Assuming you have reconsidered your earlier stance on the level of safety you wish for her to have, that is. If not, I will merely keep an eye on her."

Morrigan tapped. her fingers in thought for a moment, remembering her talk with Aya, as well as several discussions with Bradford over the last few months. "Let's say... I had reconsidered that stance. Do you think you could get her here safely. The idea of you being able to comfortably transporting a small child to this base seems a bit farfetched, but if you could do this... and you could get the sanctioned by the Council... then I'd be obliged to protect whoever you asked." Morrigan bit her lip, afraid she was being selfish, but held her tongue, waiting to see how her new associate would respond.

The Overseer was quiet for a moment. "Actually bringing her to the base safely would be time consuming and disruptive to her, were it to be done with the least degree of risk. However, it would indeed be possible. If this is what you want in exchange for... my request, then I would be obliged to do as you ask. Mind you, I highly doubt that she'd just go overseas with a group of heavily armed strangers. Her compliance would be necessary, something I think only you could accomplish."

Morrigan nodded, despite being unsure if she could be seen. "When could you get this arranged?"

"As soon as you wish. I will send my people two days after you call her to let her know that she will be brought to you. Tell her to ask for Yokolov, he should be leading the group. If he is not present, then they are not my people. I have discovered numerous leaks within my web, Commander. Most of them EXALT. I understand that this is important to you, and I will do everything in my power to ensure that this trip remain confidential, but until I can completely secure my organization there is a risk that those less sympathetic to your cause may find out. Again, tell her to ask for Yokolov. With him, she will be safe."

"Yokolov, got it." Morrigan quickly wrote the name down. Morrigan frowned. "You seem awfully generous for someone you've just spoken to for the first time, especially considering all you are asking for is for me to keep safe someone whom I need to protect anyway, as it is my job. Ms. Anderson must be important to you, though I get the impression you wouldn't be willing to tell me why."

The Overseer grunted. "I keep promises, Commander. If you remember one thing about me, remember that." With that, the moving line disappeared and the normal screen returned, the files still awaiting confirmation. Over by the door, there was a faintly audible 'click'. And for a moment, there was silence.

Morrigan closed her eyes in thought, unsure how to take everything that just happened. "Did you get any of that flea-bag?"

"Only what I heard over the speaker in your intercom," Cheshire's voice said, coming from the computer. "Whoever he was, he's good. Completely blocked me from the computer, and I don't think I have to tell you how difficult that would be."

"Can we trust him?"

"Hard to say." Cheshire cat chuckled lightly. "I could not trace his signal, but I could tell it was on the same carrier signal as the Council. He likely allowed me to find this on purpose to prove he could be trusted."

Morrigan sat in silence for a few more minutes. She eventually reached for her computer and opened her video messenger. After a few moments, her sunshine appeared on the screen. "Hello, mommy!"

"Hello, dear." Morrigan's face beamed. "How are you?"

"I'm bored, mommy," Brigid answered with a pout. "Somebody said they say one of those monsters, and they canceled school. And grandma and grandpa don't have the cartoon stations..."

Morrigan nodded. "Well, love... how'd you like to go on a little adventure? And when you're finished with it... you'll get to see where mommy works."

 

[ZombieSplitter53]

Checkup

Jessica sat in the small infirmary room, shuttering slightly. Jeez, even in an underground base where the temperature is constantly regulated, a freezing cold doctor's office is a freezing doctor's office...

A male doctor walked in, in his late forties, with a dark complexion and short black hair that was starting to grey. "Good afternoon, Ms. Lockheart. I'm Dr. Moore." He extended his hand. "How are you feeling today? What brings you in?"

Jessica shook his hand, but her face reddened a bit. "W-well, it's kinda... embarrassing to be honest. I was thinking I might have an easier time with a female doctor... but knowing me..."

Dr. Moore gave her a reassuring smile. "Ms. Lockheart... Jessica, I've been practicing for twenty-seven years. I doubt very much there is much you can say that'll surprise me. Besides, doctor-patient confidentiality, remember?"

Jessica scratched the back of her head. "Well, I've started a relationship with someone on base. And the two of us have gotten... close."

Dr. Moore nodded as he slowly examined Jessica's face, looking in her ears and eyes. As he looked down her throat, he asked, "You're talking about an intimate relationship, yes? Do you believe you are pregnant, because you wouldn't need a full check up to..."

Jessica quickly closed her mouth in surprise, nearly biting the ophthalmoscope. "N...N-NO! I-I mean, I wouldn't hate it, b-but I'm not... I-I mean I don't think..." Jessica's face quickly started to turn the reddish hue it so often was these days.

Dr. Moore raised a hand in defense. "I'm sorry, Jessica. I didn't mean to embarrass you. So why don't you tell me why you're here, and I'll be quiet until you're finished."

As he led Jessica over to the scale, she sighed. "I-it's just that... I work in the genetics lab, and I've spent a lot of time with alien materials. I've done what I can to stay safe, but I've been in direct contact with the Meld stuff on more then one occasion. I just want to be sure I... haven't caught any weird alien diseases. I'd hate to... t-to infect Modya with some extraterrestrial STD..."

"That's fair." Dr. Moore gave her a reassuring smile. "But we anticipated this as a possible risk, and we've been screening people for this very thing from the beginning." He puts on his stethoscope. "I need you to remove your top, please." Jessica blushed again, and Dr. Moore chuckled. "Come now, I'm a professional, and quite loyal to my wife. I could go get her if you'd like."

Jessica shook her head, slipping off her shirt and bra, and bashfully covering herself with her arm, for what little it did with her skinny arm and large bust. Flinching at the cold stethoscope against her bare chest, she asked, "S-so... with all this screening, have you..."

"No, dear." Dr Moore shrugged slightly as he lightly poked her stomach and sides. "There have been a few colds, flues, and a strep throat or two, but nothing alien." He moved behind her and placed the stethoscope against her back. "But just to be sure, I'll take a blood sample, and with our equipment, we'll know in about an hour..."

"Blood!" Jessica shuddered. "I-I was hoping... isn't there... another..."

"Come now, Jessica, surely a woman of science like you isn't afraid of a small needle." Dr. Moore walked over to counter to grab a syringe.

Slipping on her clothes, Jessica put on her bravest face. "O-of course not. Bring it on." Despite her fearless words, she still looked away as she held out her arm, cowering a bit.

As the doctor prepared her arm, he chuckled and asked, "So have you heard the rumor you can unlock psionic powers, just like the aliens, by squeezing you right ear, as long as you've been exposed to Meld?"

Jessica laughed. "No way... really?" She lifted her hand to her ear and squeezed gently. "Ouch. I don't think..."

"You have to squeeze a little harder."

Jessica tried again. "Ouch! I don't think it's working."

"Oh, it worked." Dr. Moore held up a small glass vial. "You didn't even notice me take your blood."

Jessica frowned. "I bet that trick works on all the little kids..."

Moore shrugged. "Kids, adults, battle hardened veterans. You'd be surprised how many people hate needles." He stood up, extending his hand. "Now come on. I doubt you'll need anything as big as a MRI or X-Ray, but if it will ease your worry..."

Jessica smiled, taking the doctor's hand and exiting the room with him.

 

[ZombieSplitter53]

X-COM Infirmary Files
Medical Results for Jessica Lockheart
From the files of Moore, Jacob, PHD

The patient requested a full screening out of fear of possible infection from the handling off alien materials and passing such an infection to her partner.

All testing for the presence of any infection, viruses, bacteria, or anything else of extraterrestrial origin was negative. I small amount was detected in her system, but as it has not been refined or processed, it will likely breakdown completely with in a week. Aside from that, there were three irregularities to note:

1) Patient showed early signs of pneumonia, and is lucky it was caught so early. Patient was given antibiotics and instructed to take a few days off of work.

2) Patient showed an increase in white blood cell activity, likely due to her bodies initial attempts to fight off the pneumonia.

3) The activity of the patient neurotransmitters is abnormally high in the superior parietal lobule, particularly in the precuneus. The initial diagnoses attributed this to the patient's unique mental condition, as the need for neurotransmitter activity would be higher to compensate for a this condition. However, comparing her test results now with her tests from when she first came to X-COM show that her neuro-activity is high, even for her. She isn't the first one, either. Similar results have been found in a number of other individuals. There does not seem to be any correlation between these individuals, as they are of various ages, sexes, and departments. The only thing that can be said is that they all seem to be from civilian staff and security, with no one from the solider staff. Further analysis will be necessary to determine what could be causing this and if it is of any concern, but those afflicted have not complained of a health problems as of yet.

 

[DarkGemini24601]

Lucid Reminiscence (Thomas Burrick)
Dream takes place in asterisks, before the start of the XCOM Project. The rest is before Operation Silent Threat.

"The sun, it buuuuurns!" Sofia Burrick said melodramatically as she ran inside. She looked around, the 16-year-old expecting to see her grandfather make a sarcastic comment in the living room. Instead, she saw her brother standing nearby. Accompanying him were two children she had not seen before: a 15-year-old girl with blonde hair, and a young Chinese boy that was perhaps twelve or thirteen.

Sofia looked at the two curiously. "What's going on, Tom?"

"I have a new line of work that's going to require me to be away from home. I don't know how long," Thomas answered seriously.

"Top-secret government stuff?" Sofia asked. Although she didn't know it was the CIA, Thomas had worked for the government before. "Maybe to do with the aliens?"

"Maybe," Tom said cryptically. "Needless to say, two of my colleagues don't have anyone to take care of these two. Mind introducing yourselves to my sister?" he inquired of the two children flanking him.

"Marabelle Connor," the girl said brightly. "Nice to meet you, Sofia," she added, revealing her Brooklyn accent.

The boy shifted nervously. "M-my name is G-Golin Wong," he said quietly.

"So Marabelle and Golin are going to staying here?" Sofia guessed, smiling gently at the two.

Thomas nodded. "Treat them well. And help Golin with his English."

Sofi punched Tom lightly in the shoulder, not gently though. "You wound me, Tom, you really do. Of course I will."

Tom allowed himself to smile."And don't worry, I'll be back. I promise."

Sofia bit her lip indignantly. "You'd better."

Thomas was woken by his alarm, set to the tune of a familiar show. He yawned, sitting up and stretching. "You worry too much, Sofi..." he said to himself. "I'm not the one risking my life here. I have the soldiers to do the hard part," he muttered. And they have, at the cost of many lives so far. Let's hope the next mission goes well...whenever that is.

 

[ZombieSplitter53]

Written by DarkGemini24601 [Thanksgiving Backlog]

Comprehension - Nightmare III
Dream of Atka Ipiltok

"Do you understand?" It asked.

"Of course not!" she replied.

"Understandable. Just as we cannot."

There was no reply.

The being in glasses sighed. "Not exactly, but you do not comprehend the gift."

"The gift?"

"The power to manipulate reality. It resides here." It tapped its head.

"I thought you said..."

"That we cannot comprehend? That is because we cannot possess it. You fail to understand because you cannot yet experience it to the fullest."

"Is that why...?"

A reptilian grin. "Yes... you begin to understand why."

"But they can..."

"They are cowardly slime!"

A hardened expression. "As if you aren't YOU aren't for what you're doing to me, to all of them!"

"You could not understand my position. Perhaps... when we are done."

"If you have anything of a heart, please don't..."

"Irrelevant."

"Please... maybe we could save your people... you could escape this role..."

"You cannot ascend on your own. Even if you could, it is too late for us." A shake of the head. ENOUGH! "Forgive me," it said to the sky.

"Who are you..."

COMMENCE! She was given no answer, and it left the grey cowards to their work, feeling uneasy. Its pace quickened to leave behind the screams.

 

[MarineAvenger]

“Catching Up” MarineAvenger and DarkGemini24601 [Takes place before latest missions]
XCOM Headquarters, Somewhere in Siberia
May 21st, 1900 Hours, Local Time

Modya sat back in the lounge, thinking to himself, but mostly just relaxing. He looked up to see an approaching Thomas Burrick in his typical business suit.

“Good morning, Modya,” the assistant manager of records said, yawning.

“Thomas...you realize it’s the evening, right?” Modya said, looking at him incredulously.

“Your evening is my morning,” Tom replied. “So, what are you doing sitting around here?”

“Well, Jessie’s busy...and I don’t really have much else to do,” Modya replied simply.

“Have you even talked to anyone besides Atka after that mission?” Thomas asked.

“...should I have?” Modya said slowly.

Tom shook his head. “I told you to be friends with Desmond Walker. Go on, do...something.”

Modya sighed. “Alright, Burrick.” He got up, and went in search of Desmond.

Desmond was putting away all of his files and saving what he could from his computer to pack up for the night. He tried his best to go to sleep but it had been hard for him to,even when he was having a good day. Elizabeth had tried her best to help him, but it did little good altogether.

After finishing up with his packing up he walked out the door of the lab and locked it behind him. He turned around to see a familiar looking man walking down the hall. Desmond tipped his head to his Russian friend. “Modya…”

“Hello, Desmond. How have things been?” Modya asked as he walked over.

Desmond rubbed his face, trying to wipe away his sleepy face. “I have been doing a lot of work lately, I just can’t sleep as of late.”

“What for?” Modya said. “Not like you’re Tom…”

He smirked and shook his head. “I have just been helping out with some research and development, I guess you could say.” He looked over at Modya. “How have you been holding up since...then?”

“Alright...Atka got out of the medical ward the other day, so that’s something to be happy about,” Modya mentioned.

“I heard, I wanted to go see her, but well, life has been a little hard lately.” He put an arm on Modya. “Let’s go get a drink or something, I need some coffee.”

“We can do that,” Modya replied. “Lead the way.”

The two walked to the rec room to go see if they could find accommodations for their needs. “You know, I have you to thank for pulling us through that mission. Without your support we might not have made it to Atka in time.”

Modya looked at Desmond in disbelief. “I didn’t do any more than anyone else,” he protested.

“You're too modest Modya, learn to accept a compliment. I went in thinking it would just go smoothly but something has been gnawing at me since that mission and it drives me insane.”

“What is that?” Modya asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

“The whole nature of the mission. I don’t like the idea of someone like them attacking us…”

“Other humans, you mean? It’s not like most of us haven’t fought in combat like that already,” Modya countered.

What if they were you metaphorical brothers, would you still think that… “Not like that...at least not without some sort of reason.” He took a sip of his coffee, letting the warmth fill him up with energy.

Modya shrugged. “Who knows what that is...but it must be a pretty strong one, or at least a fanatical one.” The Russian shuddered. “Those engineers...they weren’t afraid to blow themselves up for a chance at stopping us.”

Desmond shook his head and looked down. “There are times I wonder why I fight, what purpose I have for being a warrior. A person I knew once told me that fighting and killing were not the same thing but I seem to think they are two sides of the same coin…”

“I suppose that depends on why you fight…” Modya said, half to himself. “Were we right to be in the Ukraine? Russia, I mean. I’m not so sure...but I know I was in the right in cleaning St. Petersburg out from that crime syndicate. And the same goes for fighting the aliens and this “EXALT”, my friend. We’re fighting to protect humanity, and unless they just don’t realize that then they shouldn’t be fighting us.”

Desmond turned to Modya. “What happens if it turns out that we are just as bad as them…are we any different from EXALT or the aliens?”

Modya shook his head. “What makes you think that? Because the Council is suspicious? We are not them.”

Unfortunately, that is not as true as you would like to think. “I just hope we don’t travel down the same highway to hell. I once heard a quote that said ‘Soldiers don’t die, they just go to hell and regroup’, I just hope our road is not the same as our enemies.”

“Well…” Modya lowered his voice. “Atka’s a loyal person, but even she does not agree with the things the Council could do. If they start acting like the aliens, then I have a feeling that a lot of us, and the Commander, are not going to go along with it.”

Desmond’s face hardened. “I can drink to that.” He took another sip of his drink. “So...depressing stuff aside, what is bothering you?”

“Nothing really, I was just told that I should probably talk to my friends more. Good advice,” Modya said with a chuckle.

Desmond rolled his eyes. “Look at you going out into the world and spreading sunshine and rainbows, at least you are trying…”

“If I ever sound like that, please punch me in the gut,” Modya muttered.

“Sorry, but I don’t feel like pissing off a Russian…” He finished off his cup of coffee and put the mug aside. “So...what is this about you and Jessica, I never knew you had it in you.” He said sarcastically.

Modya looked away from Desmond. “Uhhh...yeah…things are going well.” You have no idea what is going on in my life, Walker.

He smirked, “Well, welcome to the couples lounge buddy, who knows, maybe one day I will be your best man…”

How would that work with two… “Maybe. What about you and Elizabeth?” Modya said quickly, silencing his thoughts.

“Who knows, she is a persistent one I will admit that...maybe you will be my best man one day instead.”

Modya finished off his coffee. “I’m probably going to go train, and then see if Jessie’s done with her work.”

Desmond put a hand on Modya’s shoulder. “You do that, it was nice having a chat over coffee...seems like a bad indie movie.”

“I’ll make sure to talk more in the future...we both have something shared now besides what we just talked about,” Modya said, nodding and turning to leave. He looked back over. “We both get to blow things up,” he said, his accent becoming a bit more noticeable than usual, and grinned, walking off.