75th Mission: Danger in Denmark
Word of the victory in London reaches the ASIA COM Skyranger as it begins its descent to the medium scout in the Danish countryside below. The mood inside the Skyranger lifts considerably: terror missions have been some of our most deadly, and to survive with only one loss is a minor miracle.
Captain Astott will lead our troops into battle today.
The Skyranger begins its descent…
Our troops today:
Left Side:
1. Alf III (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)
2. Render II (Blaster Launcher, Power Suit)
3. Thomkal II (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)
4. Illinifan V (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)
5. Fonzie II (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)
Right Side:
1. Glengoyne (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)
2. Split Personality III (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)
3. Qwikshot II (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)
4. Astott (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)
5. Condors II (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)
The Skyranger will be landing on the north side of the rural battlefield on this cloudy, cold Danish afternoon. We can clearly see the UFO as we descend. The craft will lie to the left of our exit, about 10 yards to the left of the nose of the Skyranger. The UFO exit door lies directly in line with the nose of our Skyranger. We can see two other structures. A small, wooden shack lies about 40 yards to the left of our exit; a two-story house lies directly beside our Skyranger, on the right side of the exit. Elsewhere, we see only fields and fences. The area directly out from our exit is secure ground. With both the UFO door and the two-story building facing our Skyranger, we’ll want to exit fast and come up on these structures as quickly as we can in order to avoid getting pinned down near the Skyranger exit. Let’s hope our tank survives the ramp run.
The Skyranger touches down. The ramp falls outward and hits the soft grass below. Silence greets us as a wave of cold air fills the Skyranger bay.
We send our tank down the ramp. It reaches the bottom safely, scans the area near the Skyranger: nothing. We turn it left and then left again, to head up towards the UFO door. Still nothing. Alf III and Glengoyne exit the Skyranger. Glen goes right, and takes up a firing position at the right landing gear. Alf III goes left and takes cover at the left landing gear.
We hear a door swinging on hinges, but we can’t tell whether it’s coming from the shacks (we can now see that there are two of them) off to our left or the house to our immediate right. Damn.
We send our tank towards the shacks, and bring Condors II out to follow behind it. As they race towards the shacks, a bolt of plasma comes slamming into our tank, punching a hole in the turret. The tank stays functioning. Condors looks and spots a Muton right in front of the back shack, about 30 yards away! Both Condors II and Alf III go for their weapons, but Alf III is a fraction of a second faster. Plasma blasts race towards the building. The Muton tries to duck back inside the shack, but Alf is dead on target. Two blasts hit the Muton in quick succession. The creature wails and falls to the ground. X-COM 1, Aliens 0.
On the right side of the Skyranger, Split Personality III joins Glengoyne, and the two of them quickly advance on the two-story house right near our Skyranger. Glen heads to the back entrance, which faces us, and Split starts to loop around the left side of the building.
On the left side of the Skyranger, we pull our tank and Condors II back, to get them in line with the UFO door. Astott exits the Skyranger and runs to the tank. We’ve now got a good firing position set up on the exit, but our flank is badly exposed to fire from the shacks. We decide to bring out the heavy artillery. Render II—from inside the Skyranger—plots a firing route to the shacks and pulls the trigger on his Blaster Launcher. The rocket comes flying out of the rear of the Skyranger, twists its way towards the first shack, hits it, and goes off with a thunderous roar. The blast tears the two buildings apart and sends a ball of flame 25 yards into the sky. Shrapnel and wood planking come littering down on Astott and Condors II. Oh no! AStott gets bonked on the right arm by a three-foot chunk of heavy steel pipe! It drops him to the ground in pain, and his right arm now has a second elbow. This is ugly! Condors II quickly pulls out his Medikit and stabs him with a freeze nupe that locks up the bone structure, but his right arm is trashed for the day. Condors II quickly helps him up and gets him on his way back to the Skyranger. Fonzie II quickly exits to take his place. Also, in an effort to get as many agents experience as possible, we send Alf III back inside the Skyranger and bring Illinifan V to take his place at the Skyranger landing gear.
Friendly fire disrupts an X-COM advance on a UFO in Denmark. October, 2003. X-COM Archives Photo
On the right side of the Skyranger, as Split works his way up the left side of the house, Glengoyne hears a soft click of a door opening inside the house. Glen slowly opens the back door and peeks inside…
Muton, 10 yards away, exiting the front door at the other side of the house! Glen has this guy dead to rights if he can hit with his first shot. Glen lifts his heavy plasma and fires…
Direct hit! The plasma blast blows a section of the Muton’s upper back away and drops him to the ground, dead! Way to go, rookie! Glengoyne then steps into the house. Qwikshot II exits the Skyranger and makes his way to the house to help out. X-COM 2, Aliens 0.
An X-COM agent kills a Muton exiting a house in Denmark. October, 2003. X-COM Archives Photo
Suddenly, a Muton comes around the left side of the house, right in front of Split. Split freezes while the alien aims its heavy plasma and fires. The blast tears right over Split’s shoulder and sails off towards the Skyranger, where it catches Illinifan V in the back! The blast punches through his armor and cracks his spine like a toothpick! Illinifan V falls forward to the ground as blood comes welling up from his tattered back. The Muton turns and runs back around the corner of the house. Split races forward, goes around the corner, and comes face to face with the alien! Split jams his heavy plasma into the alien’s gut and pulls the trigger: the alien’s stomach explodes in a rush of green! Way to get some payback, Split! X-COM 3, Aliens 0.
X-COM agents battle for control of a Danish house. October, 2003. X-COM Archives Photo
Back at the Skyranger, Thomkal II races out of the Skyranger and hurries to Illinifan V. Once there, he checks for a pulse: still alive! Thomkal pulls out a Medikit and starts slapping patches on Illinifan’s back. Within a minute, the medicine kicks in and the bleeding stops.
Suddenly, we catch sight of a Muton advancing on our position through a wheat field by the nose of the Skyranger! Thomkal II breaks away from the Skyranger, drops to a knee, and joins Qwikshot II, Condors II, and Fonzie II in firing on the creature. A hail of plasma sails towards the Muton. In less than ten seconds Qwikshot II hits twice and the alien falls, dead. X-COM 4, Aliens 0.
And that is the last alien! We quickly load Illinifan V into the Skyranger and head back for ASIA COM. With lots of luck, Illinifan V might pull through.
Kills: Alf III, 1; Glengoyne, 1; Qwikshot II, 1; Split Personality III, 1.
KIA: None.
Wounded: Astott (19 days), Illinifan V (critical).
Attribute Improvements: Alf III, Glengoyne, Qwikshot II, Split Personality III.
Final score: 131
Mission Notes:
Astott gets knocked out of action for the second time in less than a month.
Whether the Illinifan family will be our first family to give five men to save the planet hangs in the balance. Let’s hope the doctors can save him, and that he can return to combat soon! Be sure to break out those juju beads for Illinifan!