The communication glitch was just that, a glitch…
(photos coming in an hour or so)
85th Mission: Ethereals in North Dakota
The USA COM Skyranger is barely airborne before it starts its descent to the North Dakota farmland. The short jaunt to the UFO crash site takes less than 30 minutes, and the men have to hurry through their equipment checks. The weather outside should be sunny and cool, a perfect day for combat.
Back in action after extended layoffs are both Illinifan V and AStott, both of whom have been out with wounds.
Wade Moore will lead us.
Our troops today:
Left Side:
1. Alf III (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)
2. Achilles (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)
3. Patman II (Blaster Launcher, Power Suit)
4. Illinifan V (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)
5. AStott (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)
Right Side:
1. Airhog II (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)
2. Wade Moore II (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)
3. Afoci (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)
4. Jeeber D (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)
5. Mr. Bug IV (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)
The Skyranger descends through the clear skies to the North Dakota farmland. The men inside scan the battle field below. We appear to be coming down on the edge of a farm complex. We can see three two-story buildings: one sits to our exit’s immediate right; one sits about 40 yards away, off to the right rear of our exit; and the last sits straight out from our exit, about 60 yards away. We’re coming down on the southwest corner of the battle zone; the areas to the left of the exit and towards the nose of the Skyranger are secure zones. The battle today will occur to the right and rear of our craft. We can’t see the UFO, yet.
The Skyranger touches down. The ramp drops away and hits the ground with a thunk. Silence. Our tank heads down the ramp, reaches the bottom, and scans for aliens: nothing. Alf III and Airhog II exit the Skyranger and take up firing positions at the landing gear while our tank makes a more extensive search of the nearby area. We’re hemmed in by the three surrounding buildings, so we can’t see all that much, but there appears to be nothing nearby waiting to kill us. Still, these buildings are perfect hiding places for enemies; we’ll want to clear them as quickly as possible. We deploy in force.
Jeeber D and Afoci exit the Skyranger and head for the building (a barn) to our immediate right. Once there, Afoci blows a hole in the outer wall so the two men can enter and begin their search. Achilles and Airhog II follow our tank alongside a stone wall that leads up to the building (a house) off to our right rear. Once there, Airhog II blows a hole in the outer wall and the two men enter. Illinifan V and Alf III head straight out from our exit for the most distant building (another house). They reach it without incident. These two men can now see yet another two-story building just past a hedged-in grove behind and to the right of this building. Man, this is some tight quarters. While Illinifan keeps and eye out for aliens in the grove and more distant house, Alf III starts into the house the two men have just reached.
X-COM agents move in on a North Dakota village. October, 2003. X-COM Archives Photo
While these searches are going on, Patman II exits the Skyranger and sets up a firing position with the Blaster Launcher near the nose of the Skyranger. Our tank pulls back to a small open field that lies between the first two buildings. AStott and Mr. Bug IV exit the Skyranger and join it there. The two men follow our tank in a slow advance through the field to a low hedge at the far end. AStott and Mr. Bug can now see the UFO, a crossed-shaped scout, lying in a field about 30 yards beyond the two buildings nearest us.
The first two buildings are cleared without any sign of alien movement, but Illinifan V reports that he heard a house door close in the fourth building, and AStott and Mr. Bug can hear the whirring of UFO doors. We’re getting close. Jeeber D and Afoci take up positions on the far side of the first building, just behind a stone wall overlooking the field that sits in front of the UFO. Achilles takes up a position at a window of the second building that overlooks the UFO and intervening fields. Airhog, who has just cleared the rooftop of the building, also moves towards the edge overlooking the field and UFO. Illinifan V and Alf III continue securing the third building.
Suddenly, Achilles spots an Ethereal, about 30 yards away, approaching the second building through a field to the left of the UFO! Achilles goes to fire, but the Ethereal is too quick! A plasma blast races for the house, cuts through the window and slams into Achilles’ shoulder, badly denting the armor and sending waves of pain through his torso. Achilles gets off two quick shots before the Ethereal retreats, but they both sail badly wide. Achilles ducks out of sight to catch his breath and shake his shoulder loose. Airhog, up on the roof, moves closer to the edge to try and pick up the Ethereal, but he can’t spot anything. In the field to their right, AStott preps a grenade and makes a long toss to the location we think the Ethereal retreated towards. AStott’s grenade goes off an instant later, sending a cloud of turf and smoke skyward. Right after the explosion, we hear the frantic screams of a dying Ethereal! Nice throw AStott! Good to have you back! X-COM 1, Aliens 0.
Back at the third building, Alf, who’s now on the roof, gives the all clear. While he moves close to the edge of the roof in order to try to spot movement in the fourth building, Illinifan V advances there along a hedgewall. We hear another door click open in there, so we know someone’s home. With action likely, Wade Moore exits the Skyranger and jogs forward to help. Come out and play, Mr. Ethereal!
Back at the second building, Achilles regroups and moves back to the window, just in time to see another Ethereal approaching through the same field to the left of the UFO! Before Achilles can get a shot off, the Ethereal puts a cluster of low trees between him and Achilles, and Achilles loses sight of the alien. Up on the roof, Airhog preps and tosses a grenade towards the area behind the trees, but the grenade lands well short of its target and explodes harmlessly. Eat more Wheaties, Airhog!
In the field just south of these two men, Mr. Bug IV, our tank, and AStott begin a cautious advance towards the UFO through the intervening field. They keep their eyes open left as well, in case the Ethereal, or Ethereals, draw any closer. If we can draw close enough to the UFO, we can toss some grenades into the craft through the damaged roof.
Just south of these two men, Afoci and Jeeber D start through the fields that run alongside the right side of the UFO. They’ll try to sweep around the right side of the UFO, so as to come up on the exit door, which must lie on the far side of the craft. On the way, they may be able to get some grenades in through the roof as well.
Suddenly, the Ethereal reappears in the field in front of Achilles. Once again, Achilles is slow on the draw. The Ethereal fires a rocket right at Achilles! The bomb slams into the outside wall of the house, right beside Achilles’ window, and goes off with a pop: stun bomb! A cloud of noxious gas fills the air, but not enough of it gets inside the house to affect Achilles. A fraction of a second later, our men are hammered by a ferocious wave of alien PSI-energy! Everyone stands firm, though! Way to go, men! Achilles and Airhog shake off the chills from the PSI attack and open fire on the alien in the field. It turns to take cover, but Airhog hits it in the back with a shot that drives it to the ground screaming! The alien dies a few seconds later. X-COM 2, Aliens 0.
We continue our advance, but waves of PSI energy are washing over us at regular intervals now. Finally, just as Alf, Wade, and Illinifan are ready to rush to the fourth building, Alf’s will power caves in. He panics, drops his weapon, and starts running away. Wade and Illinifan are forced to move on without him.
At the second building, Achilles exits and Airhog jumps off the roof. They move forward through the field and join our tank and Mr. Bug, who have cut over from the field to the south. This unit will advance around the left side of the UFO.
Meanwhile, AStott cuts toward the right of the UFO and joins up with Afoci and Jeeber D. This unit starts tossing grenades in through the hole in the UFO roof. A number of crashes follow, but none of them bring any alien screams.
Suddenly, an Ethereal flies up over the roof of the UFO and advances on Achilles, Mr. Bug, and Airhog! It’s 30 yards away and closing fast. Crap! I forgot they can fly! The three men dive for cover as plasma blasts tear up the ground. Patman II, back at the Skyranger, snaps awake, alertly plots a quick firing course with the Blaster Launcher, and pulls the trigger. An instant later, the Ethereal looks up in horror as a Blaster missile screams down on it. The missile is a direct hit: the Ethereal is vaporized in a massive fireball. Boo yah! X-COM 3, Aliens 0.
We resume our advance, but we’re still getting hit with strong PSI attacks. While Alf blubbers away in the field just short of the fourth house, Wade and Illinifan make a careful search. Strangely, they find no aliens in the building. The doors Illinifan heard opening must have come from some other location.
Back at the UFO, we close in. Our tank leads the advance around the left side, and spots a couple of semi-destroyed shacks just past it. Aha! This must have been the source of the door sounds we heard. With Mr. Bug and Achilles close behind, the tank works it way through the structures, but finds no aliens.
X-COM agents close in on an enemy UFO. October, 2003. X-COM Archives Photo
On the other side of the UFO, AStott, Afoci, and Jeeber D expend their supply of grenades on the hole in the UFO roof, but they get no payback. Finally, grenades exhausted, they continue around the UFO.
We’ll use our tank for cover, and set up an ambush at the door with Mr. Bug and Achilles on the left side of the UFO. Airhog, who already has a kill, will stay in reserve. The two men follow our tank around the back side of the UFO, but suddenly a wave of PSI energy hits Mr. Bug, snapping his will to fight. He panics, and then goes berserk! He opens fire in random directions! Achilles and our tank scramble around a corner of the UFO to get away from the fire. Yikes! So much for that plan. We’ll use the men on the other side of the UFO.
AStott approaches the entrance alongside the wall of the UFO, while Afoci and Jeeber D set up a firing position on the UFO door from behind a low hedge. While we wait, Achilles tosses yet another grenade through the roof of the UFO. This time, the explosion gets us a horrific scream! Yes! We got one!
And that is the last alien! Finally. What a long mission just for four aliens. Ethereals are bastards.
Kills: Achilles, 1; Patman II, 1; Airhog II, 1; AStott, 1.
KIA: None.
Wounded: None
Attribute Improvements: Achilles, Patman II, Airhog II, AStott, Alf III, Jeeber D, Afoci.
Final score: One-hundred something (forgot to write it down).
Mission Notes:
I’m happy I was patient with this mission. There were a lot of places where I was tempted to cut corners to make the mission go faster, but I stuck to doing things right. A little tedious because of the cramped terrain in those houses, but it paid off. No casualties, good experience for such a low-kill mission.
AStott is a rising star in the X-COM ranks. Among agents with more than 10 missions, his 1.31 kill/mission average (KMA) is second only to Klayman’s 1.38 all-time high. Only two other agents with ten or missions—Blade6119 III (1.18) and Shorty (1.00)—have had a KMA of 1.00 or higher. If past performance is an indicator of future gains, AStott may want to cool off. Klayman, Blade 6119 III, and Shorty are all dead.
Airhog II saw his bravery go up ten big points!