X-COM II: The Earth's Revenge (Part VII)

[Chief Rum]

The assistant moved along the hall of cloning tubes, mking marks on his chart to show the continuing progress of all manufactured humans there-in contained.

Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he caught a flash of movement in one of the pods near the end of the hall. That's weird... All humans are kept sedated during this process, as being awake would emotionally scar anyone trapped in a tube for an extended period of time. He wandered down the hall to the pod where he thought he saw the motion.

Hmm...no movement now. It appears to be a young man, about 25, in pretty good shape. The readings seemed to check out.

He fired up his laptop and did a check on the pod. DNA Source: Chief Rum. Not much other information, just physical and mental characteristics, and the training program, which seemed heavy on methods of killing all living things and using any and all weaponry. He must be somekind of soldier, the assistant thought.

He knew that X-COM had an account with the cloning firm. A couple clicks confirmed this individual was indeed a prt of this account. In fact, this is the second clone from this DNA. The first set was grown and left months ago, no doubt to a grisly death at the hands of aliens. The assistant grimaced.

He returned tot he pad to take a closer look. The readings still looked fine, although the pod temperature seemed a little higher than normal. He was just fiddling with the controls when the yeys of the pod's occupant snapped open. The immobile man surveyed the pod glass and beyond for just a moment before beginning to shake and arrtle in the pod.

With a great grunt that could be heard even through the thick pod glass, the man struck the pod interior with great force, shattering the glass in all directions, and forcing the assistant to stumble to the ground. Wires and electrodes broke and snapped off of him as he stepped from the pod.

"My brother is dead!" he yelled with a great roar. The assistant quailed in fear. The man looked mad, and he was big enough to crush him like an insect.

The wild and furtive look on the man's face faded as he began to take in the surrounding area, and the man before him. The assistant was amazed as the man's face actually grew a grim smile as he approached the fallen man and extended an arm.

"Are you well?" the large man asked.

"Y-yes, I believe so," the assistant said. His eyes shifted over the big man's shoulder to the ruined cloning pod. "I can't believe you just did that. I can't believe you were even awake."

"I have been awake for three months," the man replied evenly. "As for the pod, that's just kindling to what I am designed to be able to do."

Looking at the man's muscular form, the assistant silently agreed.

"Three m-months?" the assistant struggled out. "But...how? The emotional damage...oh God, how can you be sane?"

The corners of the large man's mouth raised just a bit, in a cruel imitation of a smile. He didn't answer the question right away.

"Check your programs," he said. "You'll find it that way. X-Com likes its clones with an edge. The program is designed to wake me months before I am set for release. It tends to result in a little...unbalance...or so I understand."

The assistant gulped.

"You fear me," the man said. It was not a question. "Don't. I am no danger to the good people of Earth, my own people. Nor to any who aid them. It is our enemy, the aliens, that have need fear me."

"Your brother...", the assistant stammered. "Is he...?"

"An X-COM agent?", the man finsihed for him, knowing full well that's not what the waifish runt of a man meant at all. "Yes, he was. He just died, moments go, the victim of a cowardly act involving a distance weapon. They couldn't kill Sergeant Chief Rum II face-to-face. He had repeatedly proven to be too much for them. So they used that which he could not counter, a surprise attack from a distance with large explosive weaponry. They are cowards...and they will pay."

"Pay" ended in almost a guttural growl that faded away into the silence enveloping the clone pods.

"But...how do you know?" the assistant asked.

The big man grinned again and tapped his head.

"It's all in here," he said. "That will be in your program, too. Us Chief Rums are trained to be psionic with one another. We have a mental link, as strong as any Sectoid psi attack. We are great soldiers, my family. And my brother was maybe the greatest. Nine kills on 13 missions. Three on his very first mission. He made sergeant, and was almost a captain. He survived the first ever alien base attack, only to die on the second. Remember him. Remember me. And remember X-COM."

With that, the big man walked toward the exit, where he could find a change of clothes and some identification. The assistant didn't budge an inch.

A few paces away, he stopped and looked back at the other man.

"Oh...do you still have my father's DNA on file?" he asked.

"I don't know, but I would assume so," the assistant said.

"Good. If not, you should be able to get some off of the electrodes in my old pod," the big man said. "Start up another clone."

"Why?" the assistant asked, barely believing he would dare to ask. "You're here now. Will it be necessary?"

The man's face became hard to read before forming into that queer little half-smaile again.

"Let's hope not. But do it anyway."

Rookie Chief Rum III reporting to the waiting list, sir! I wish to avenge my clone brother and my clone father as soon as possible, sir. I was also traine dlonger than the past Chief Rums, thanks to the lengthy career of Sgt. Chief Rum II, so please only high quality skills for me, sir, even if it means I wait a callup or two. Thank you.

Chief Rum

[3ric]

Outstanding job! Bloody, but really outstanding. Glad I could take a bullet for someone. Oh well, see ya in my next incarnation, 3ric IV.

[Swaggs]

or 4ric?

[AStott]

*gulp* Ok, I'm in.

[Rich1033]

Id love to go on the next mission. However if my low bravery will not stand up against the PSI attacks I am prepared to wait for the next chance to kick some alien ass.

As always, excellent job GB.

[Lokugh]

Originally posted by Godzilla Blitz
Ring, ring, ring

Calling Mr. Bug IV, Lokugh II, Aesyrqwe, Sir Fozzie, Wolfpack, Breeze, and Japherwaki II.

Your planet needs you to fill some dead men's shoes (post here to let me know your ready for action).

Lokugh II hears the phone ringing. "My phone, ringing? I didn't even know I had a phone," he thinks to himself, digging through the mass of books and spare blaster parts towards the ringing sound. "Hello?" he answers.

"This is X-Com command. Your application for the X-Com forces has been approved. Report immediately." Click. The phone disconnects.

"X-com Command? Hmm, that was that stuff Dad was into, back before he died. He never said much, but he always brought home such neat toys," he thinks, cleaning the barrel of his favorite 'toy'. "I bet if they let him brong those home, they have even better stuff they don't let out. I'm in." With that, he packs up his toybox, slaps on the "Fragile. High Explosives" sticker and heads for the airport.



I'm in.

[Lokugh]

BTW, I'll volunteer for the base mission, if I get in soon enough.

Lokugh

[Swaggs]

So, I guess they did not break the mold when they made Chief Rum?

[Wolfpack]

In a small house in suburban Michigan, a phone rings. The occupants check the Caller ID. "Unknown Caller," it says. The occupants ignore it. The wife mutters about telemarketers again and suggests that the husband answer next time and tell them to take the household off whatever list they have.

The phone rings again. "Unknown Caller," it says again. Sigh. Fine. "Hello?"

"Is this a...uh...Mr. Wolfpack?"

"Yes. And can I save you the effort? I'm not interested and I would appreciate that you put me on your "Do Not Call" list."

"Mr. Wolfpack? Sir? This is not anything like that. This is X-Com. Several weeks ago you put in for joining the group. We're calling to let you know that through attrition, a space has opened up for you if you are still interested."

"Yes, I am. When and where do I go?"

The person on the other end explains the needed steps.

"Okay. I'm on my way."

[JeeberD]

Woot! Only a minor injury! No one's going to get my spleen yet!

Good teamwork, Patman. That's what X-Com is all about, working together to tear apart alien scum.

If I'm healed I would be honored to be chosen for the Germany base assault. I hate seeing what those bastards have done to my former homeland...

[Kodos]

Great writeup, GB. Proving once again why this is the best dynasty on the face of the earth. I am ready for the next mission if you require my services.

Oh, and Coffee. No problem. Maybe you can return the favor some day.

[JeffNights]

I'll sign up for this one, feet first!

[Japherwaki]

I'm here! Put me in coach!

I don't know if I'll show up in time for the Germany base assault, but if I do, I'll volunteer for that. You know, since the last one went so well for me and all.

[illinifan999]

I want to go on the base mission!

[Godzilla Blitz]

Update

Random stuff, in no particular order...

Good news! Patman II survived! The stomach replacement surgery went well, and now that he's got 3ric III's intestines inside him, he should be ready to get back in action in about two weeks! Way to hang in there, Patman II!

Also, Crappy's men successfully attached Airhog's arm to Fonzie's right arm. It should work pretty well, but apparently Fonzie cut off Airhog's left arm by mistake, so if he holds his arms out straight with the palms down, both thumbs point to the right. Not sure how this will affect his fighting ability, but it will definitely take getting used to when typing. Fonzie's becoming quite the mutt, actually. He's got Cam's index finger on his left hand, and Airhog's left arm attached to his right elbow. A couple more random body parts, and Frankenfonz will really be a good nickname!
__________

Let's see, Aesyrqwe and Breeze are AWOL. Mr. Bug IV, Lokugh II, Sir Fozzie, Wolfpack, and Japherwaki II are on their way in. We need two more people...

Ring, ring, ring

Calling Ravenhawk II and Condors II. Your planet needs you!

__________


I'm getting hit with the back end of the project I'm working on again, so I may not be able to make this Sunday again for our next mission. My guess is that I can have it up a week from today at the latest, but if the mission is a short one (e.g., a scout UFO), I should be able to make our Sunday posting.

Our plan for the next few days of game time is to prepare for our next base attack, which should be a bitch, as it's against Sectoids for sure. We're pretty depleted after this last mission (seven agents either dead or badly wounded), so I may wait a week of game time to let our replacements get in, and then try to send mostly rookies on an easier mission to get them some experience so we can take a handful of them into the next base. Ideally, we'll get two such easy missions quickly and then hit the base. We won't wait long though, as we absolutely want to knock the German base out before the end of the month (game time), and it may take two tries to get it right. We're low on blaster missiles too (Sachmo II and Blade 6119 were a bit trigger happy on that last misison), so we've got to let Sterling Ice's men catch up in production. Lastly, we'll move our seriously wounded troops to South America to let them heal in peace. We've now got six men on the rack for ten days or more. Yikes. We're taking a beating.

___________

Men: Thanks for volunteering! We're making a list, and checking it twice. It'll be a while before we make a final list, as I want to take a look at some of the stats of the rookies coming in, but we should be able to put together a good team! And although I mentioned people have 48 hours to volunteer, feel free to volunteer at any time if you haven't already done so, as it'll probably be a little while in real time before we get after that next base.

Tasan: There actually were a couple of people that had cakewalks on the last base mission too, if I remember correctly. I'm going to try to get you on the next base mission as well, so you should expect some action there.

Anxiety: Considering your stats, I think you did very well in your brief tour. Let's hope Anxiety II will get better stats. Our waiting list is getting shorter and we've got another base attack coming up soon, so you probably won't have to wait long. Do you want to "opt up" again if the opportunity arises?

Swaggs: 4ric? Very funny.

RealDeal: I'll make that name change in the next update! And thanks for volunteering for the German assault. We'll need you, and I'll do my best to keep you alive.

Chief: Great writeup! Classic! Chief Rum III sounds like just the type of agent we need! I'm glad to see the breeding program is working well!

Swaggs, Sachmo II, Tucker, Rich, Kodos: Thanks for the compliments!

_________

I'll be a bit busy in the next couple of days, but will try to move the game forward a bit if I can. I'll keep people posted.

Go FOFC X-COM!

[The Afoci]

I think I may have already, but I will again, send me in to the base. I would make a wonderful human shield!

[MrBug708]

Yay!!!


It's been about 3 months or so....lol

[thirdandlong]

GB,

Any chance I can sign up to be one of your minions. I currently only have a single incarnation, but I am sure you can correct that. I am slowly catching up to your current thread. I am on the second thread on the old board. I find it hard to believe Jfbbis is still alive. That is a good thing, well now that he is apparently consistently hitting what he is shooting at.

I admire your policy of not shooting your mind controlled minions. In my games that is a death sentence, you get mind controlled, and all the sudden you volunteer for everything. I once read about a guy who had his mind controlled guys kneel down in front of a veteran, who would "Cap" them from behind.

[Godzilla Blitz]

Update

September 4-6

We reshuffle our troops, send our injured to South America, and anxiously await reinforcements to arrive. Four new men slowly trickle in during these couple of days: Katon, Illinifan V, Blade III, and Mr. Bug IV. X-COM command is quite impressed with Illinifan V and Blade III; these guys look fearless and have nice quick reactions. Katon looks pretty good as well, although both Blade III and he clearly need some work on the firing range.

Mr. Bug IV is another story. When Katon dropped his suitcase on the floor with a bang, Mr. Bug screamed "Aliens!?" and dove for cover under a nearby table. Ten minutes later we convinced him it was only a suitcase, and he came back out. Although he did redeem himself with some amazing shooting on the range a little while later, we have Sterling Ice just use Post-It notes to label his X-COM gear.

Early on the morning of the 6th, in the midst of these preparations, EU COM and ASIA COM radar track a large UFO heading for Europe, and we prepare our Skyranger to head out on assault. Sure enough, the UFO heads right for the German base and touches down. We get as many new faces on board the Skyranger as we can and head out. On board:

Jeeber D, Blade 6119 III, Wade Moore, Jeff Nights II, RealDeal III, Coffee Warlord II, Afoci, Tucker, Illinifan V, and Tasan.

We leave Kodos and Sachmo II at home to guard the base and get some rest.

We'll try to hit this supply UFO at dawn, right before it takes off, but when there's enough light for our troops to see.

I'm going to try to play and post this mission by Sunday. If I miss that, it will most likely go up next Thursday. I might try to make a quite stat update before posting this next mission as well.

_______________

Originally posted by thirdandlong
I admire your policy of not shooting your mind controlled minions.

Ah, the noble course of action. That didn't last forever. Reality set in.

And yes, I've got you on the waiting list. Welcome! I could have sworn I posted that somewhere before. Sorry if I missed it. The pressure must be getting to me.

[JeeberD]

Glad to see that I'm recovered from my chest wound and will be going after the alien slime in Deutschland.

Hopefully if I continue to show strong nerves I will be allowed to go on the base assault in Germany as well.

I want revenge for that scar on my chest...

[AStott]

Good luck on the first mission, all you "new faces". Don't bite the big one [b]too[/b[ quickly.

[Godzilla Blitz]

Updated Stats...
X-COM II Troop Master List (After Mission 60)

USA COM

ID   Name              Status     Rank      Miss.  Kills  Medals
15.  Rich 1033         Active     Squaddie  14     12     K-1Y
19.  Revrew            Active     Sergeant  16     13     -
37.  The Time          Active     Sergeant  13      3     -
39.  Thomkal II        Active     Sergeant  13     12     -
41.  Fat Football II   Active     Sergeant  12      6     -
70.  Naiwf             Active     Squaddie   9      4     -
73.  CTHomer           Active     Squaddie   5      6     -
78.  Render II         Active     Squaddie   7      5     -
95.  Katon             Active     Rookie     0      0     -
98.  MrBug IV          Active     Rookie     0      0     -
 

EU COM

ID   Name              Status     Rank      Miss.  Kills  Medals
10.  Kodos             Active     Commander 17     18     D-1S;H-1
14.  Wade Moore        Active     Colonel   18     21     D-2B; F-1B; G-1
35.  Jeff Nights II    Active     Captain   14      7     -
50.  Sachmo II         Active     Squaddie  16     12     -
54.  Blade 6119 III    Active     Squaddie  11     13     -
66.  Tasan             Active     Squaddie   8      3     -
89.  RealDeal III      Active     Squaddie   1      0     -
90.  Coffee Warlord II Active     Squaddie   4      3     -
91.  Tucker            Active     Squaddie   1      1     -
92.  Jeeber D          Active     Squaddie   1      0     -
93.  Afoci             Active     Rookie     0      0     -
96.  Illinifan V       Active     Rookie     0      0     -
 

ASIA COM

ID   Name              Status     Rank      Miss.  Kills  Medals
31.  BYU 14            Active     Sergeant  15      9     -
43.  Achilles          Active     Squaddie  11     11     -
45.  Danny VanHalen    Active     Squaddie  12      8     -
52.  Qwikshot II       Active     Squaddie  12      7     -
55.  Sublime II        Active     Squaddie  10      6     -
61.  Rawisdan          Active     Squaddie   9      6     -
74.  AStott            Active     Captain    9     13     -
84.  Split Pers III    Active     Squaddie   2      3     -
86.  Klayman II        Active     Squaddie   5      3     -
94.  Data King III     Active     Rookie     0      0     -
97.  Blade III         Active     Rookie     0      0     -

SAM COM

ID   Name              Status     Rank      Miss.  Kills  Medals
2.   jfbbis            WND (22)   Captain   17     14     D-2B;G-1
46.  Patman II         WND (10)   Sergeant  15      9     -
59.  Daimyo II         WND (20)   Squaddie   5      5     -
71.  Wignasty          WND (9)    Squaddie   4      3     - 
75.  Alf III           WND (15)   Squaddie   4      2     - 
76.  Fonzie II         WND (10)   Squaddie   5      7     -

Medals Key: Medals listed by letter code then number of times received.
            A = Order of Mega Mighty Mojo; B = Order of Mighty Mojo;
            C = Order of Mojo; D = Star of Terra;
            E = Badge of Kahunas; F = Angel Wings;
            G = Purple Heart; H = Kodos Doh Award;
            J = Cam Edwards Pin; K = Pin of Cowardice.
Following Number: G = Gold; S = Silver; B = Bronze; Y = Yellow; Bl = Black

X-COM II Troop Attributes

      
     Name              TU’s  Stam  Hlth  Brav  Reac  Fire  Thrw  Str.
2.   jfbbis            74    77    57    30    35    82    58    51
10.  Kodos             76    86    56    50    61    78    72    49
14.  Wade Moore        76    79    56    30    59    87    70    66
15.  Rich 1033         74    67    41    20    55    53    70    60
19.  Revrew            73    60    51    30    36    62    59    55
31.  BYU 14            64    77    49    50    44    54    55    44
35.  Jeff Nights II    63    68    48    60    31    63    58    47
37.  The Time          68    72    47    40    62    49    56    47
39.  Thomkal II        67    87    57    30    54    49    61    44
41.  Fat Football II   69    68    41    50    38    68    73    50
43.  Achilles          64    68    52    10    45    77    79    50
45.  Danny VanHalen    71    74    41    10    40    59    78    45
46.  Patman II         74    67    50    60    47    52    79    51
50.  Sachmo II         63    59    44    50    40    51    84    47
52.  Qwikshot II       65    78    42    10    58    75    65    47
54.  Blade 6119 III    67    76    43    40    35    62    60    46
55.  Sublime II        65    66    39    10    39    70    75    49
59.  Daimyo II         61    60    43    30    47    69    64    42
61.  RawisDan          67    49    33    60    37    67    74    44
66.  Tasan             58    52    39    50    39    59    56    45
70.  Naiwf             68    67    46    50    40    59    68    41
71.  Wignasty          64    45    37    20    38    61    72    44
73.  CTHomer           68    67    38    10    58    45    62    46
74.  AStott            71    54    47    50    55    68    62    53
75.  Alf III           58    47    34    40    52    48    55    42
76.  Fonzie II         64    72    46    20    42    61    79    42
78.  Render II         66    52    40    50    57    69    67    36
84.  Split Pers III    58    58    37    30    39    63    67    38
86.  Klayman II        61    62    44    20    33    50    81    48
89.  RealDeal III      60    67    29    60    44    62    68    40
90.  Coffee Warlord II 66    69    39    50    37    70    69    33
91.  Tucker            54    42    26    20    35    53    75    30
92.  Jeeber D          53    54    34    20    30    55    74    29
93.  Afoci             52    49    25    30    40    44    54    39
94.  Data King III     57    46    27    50    36    51    58    27
95.  Katon             56    55    40    30    51    41    57    28
96.  Illinifan V       50    44    40    50    55    52    66    36
97.  Blade III         57    66    39    50    59    44    62    30
98.  Mr. Bug IV        58    62    38    10    33    69    64    29

Key: Tu's = Time Units; Stam = Stamina; Hlth = Health; Brav = Bravery
     Reac = Reactions; Fire = Firing; Thrw = Throwing; Str. = Strength

Support Personnel

Head of Research: Craptacular (Current researching focus: Alien Origins)
Head of Engineering: Sterling Ice II (Current manufacturing focus: Power Suits, Blaster Missiles, Stun Bombs)
US Interceptor Pilot: Superman   (0 kills)
EU Interceptor Pilot: CapnMorgan (7 Kills)
AS Interceptor Pilot: Toddiec IV (5 Kills)

Attribute Leaders (After Mission 60)

Time Units: (76) Wade Moore, Kodos
Stamina:    (87) Thomkal II
Health:     (57) Thomkal II, Jfbbis
Bravery:    (60) Jeff Knights II, Patman II, Rawisdan, and RealDeal III
Reactions:  (62) The Time
Firing:     (87) Wade Moore
Throwing:   (84) Sachmo II
Strength:   (66) Wade Moore

Attribute Doggies (After Mission 59)

Time Units: (50) Illinifan V
Stamina:    (42) Tucker
Health:     (25) Afoci
Bravery:    (10) (Six tied)
Reactions:  (30) Jeeber D
Firing:     (41) Katon
Throwing:   (54) Afoci
Strength:   (27) DataKing III

Top Ten Kills Leaders

1.  Wade Moore        21
2.  Klayman (KIA)     18
2.  Kodos             18
4.  Shorty (KIA)      16
5.  Jfbbis            14
6.  Astott            13
6.  Revrew            13
6.  Blade 6119 III    13
9.  Rich1033          12
9.  Thomkal II        12
9.  Sachmo II         12

Waiting List

ID   Name              Base         Status     Rank     LBrvOK?  OptUp?
99.  Lokugh II          -           In Transit Rookie   Yes      Yes
100. Sir Fozzie         -           In Transit Rookie   Yes      No
101. Wolfpack           -           In Transit Rookie   No       No
102. Japherwaki II      -           In Transit Rookie   Yes      No
103. Aesyrqwe           -           AWOL       Rookie   Yes      No
104. Breeze             -           AWOL       Rookie   Yes      No
105. Ravenhawk II       -           Called     Rookie   Yes      No
106. Condors II         -           Called     Rookie   Yes      No
107. Zippy II           -           Called     Rookie   Yes      No
108. Marmel             -           On Call    Rookie   Yes      No
109. Swaggs             -           On Call    Rookie   Yes      Yes
110. Cam Edwards IV     -           Pilot Call Rookie   Yes      No
111. Travis III         -           On Call    Rookie   Yes      No
112. Thirdandlong       -           On Call    Rookie   Yes      No
113. Chief Rum III      -           On Call    Rookie   Yes      No
114. 3ric IV            -           On Call    Rookie   Yes      No
115. Airhog II          -           On Call    Rookie   Yes      No
116. Anxiety II         -           On Call    Rookie   Yes      Yes
 

The Hall of Heroes

ID  Name                 Status     Rank      Miss.  Kills   Medals
1.   Cam Edwards          KIA        Rookie     1      0      J-1
3.   Patman               KIA        Captain    5      1      
4.   Fat Football         KIA        Sergeant   3      3      F-2B
5.   Sublime              KIA        Sergeant   6      3      K-2Y
6.   Blade 6119           KIA        Rookie     1      1      
7.   Jeff Nights          KIA        Rookie     1      0      
8.   Render               KIA        Sergeant  12      9      
9.   Kerillini            KIA        Sergeant   6      5      D-1B
11.  Toddiec              KIA        Squaddie   3      1      
12.  Illinifan            KIA        Squaddie   4      2      
13.  MrBug                KIA        Rookie     1      0      E-1B
16.  Thomkal              KIA        Squaddie   2      5      D-1B
17.  Shorty               KIA        Captain   16     16      D-1B; G-1; H-1
18.  Klayman              KIA        Captain   13     18      G-1; K-1Y
20.  Travis               KIA        Squaddie  10      6      
21.  Schmidty             KIA        Rookie     3      1      
22.  Al Hill              KIA        Squaddie   6      2      H-1
23.  Sachmo               KIA        Squaddie   3      3      
24.  Data King            KIA        Sergeant   6      4      
25.  Alf                  KIA        Rookie     1      2      
26.  Mr. Bug II           KIA        Squaddie   5      1      K-1Y
27.  Daimyo               KIA        Squaddie   3      0      
28.  3ric                 KIA        Squaddie   2      1      H-1; K-1Y
29.  Raven Hawk           KIA        Captain   15     11      -
30.  Sterling Ice         KIA        Rookie     1      0      
32.  Chief Rum            KIA        Squaddie   4      3      
33.  Qwikshot             KIA        Rookie     1      0      E-1G; F-1S
34.  Cam Edwards II       KIA        Squaddie   7      7      -
36.  Blade 6119 II        KIA        Rookie     1      0      
38.  Split Personality    KIA        Rookie     1      0      
40.  Toddiec II           KIA        Squaddie   4      3      
42.  Blade                KIA        Sergeant   5      4      
44.  Airhog               KIA        Squaddie  11      7     -
47.  Illinifan II         KIA        Squaddie   4      2      
48.  Fonzie               KIA        Squaddie   4      5      
49.  Lokugh               KIA        Sergeant   9      8     -
51.  Kerillini II         KIA        Squaddie   8      3     -
53.  Alf II               KIA        Rookie     1      2      
56.  Schmidty II          KIA        Rookie     1      0      
57.  Split Pers. II       KIA        Sergeant   4      4      
58.  3ric II              KIA        Squaddie   5      1     -
60.  Illinifan III        MIA        Squaddie   2      0      
62.  Data King II         KIA        Squaddie   3      2     -
63.  Mr. Bug III          KIA        Squaddie   5      3     -
64.  Japherwaki           KIA        Rookie     3      0     -
65.  Al Hill II           KIA        Sergeant   3      2     -
67.  Chief Rum II         KIA        Sergeant  13      9     -
68.  Toddiec III          KIA        Rookie     3      0     -
69.  Zippy                KIA        Squaddie   9      5     -
72.  Coffee Warlord       KIA        Rookie     1      1      
77.  PsychoCop            KIA        Rookie     2      0     -
79.  Blade II             KIA        Rookie     3      0     -
80.  Illinifan IV         KIA        Rookie     3      0     -
81.  Andone               KIA        Rookie     3      1     -
82.  Condors              KIA        Squaddie   6      3     -
83.  Travis II            KIA        Squaddie   4      3     -
85.  Cam Edwards III      KIA        Squaddie   2      4     -
87.  3ric III             KIA        Squaddie   5      6     -
88.  Anxiety              KIA        Squaddie   2      2     -
 

[Godzilla Blitz]

Ring Ring Ring

Calling Zippy II. Your planet needs you!

[Katon]

Originally posted by Godzilla Blitz
Katon looks pretty good as well, although both Blade III and he clearly need some work on the firing range.

What're you talking about? I was aiming at that lightbulb. Obviously a camoflauged alien listening device.

[The Afoci]

Originally posted by Godzilla Blitz

Attribute Doggies (After Mission 59)

...
Health:     (25) Afoci
...

WooHoo! I am winning something!

[Calis]

I'm ashamed to admit this, but I never looked at any of the X-Com threads until today.

Wow! Don't really know what else to say, I've only read through a few pages, but I'm hooked! Outstanding job GB, now I've just got to find the time to get caught up with everything! That's a lotta reading.

Add my name to the volunteer list!

Once again, unbelievable dynasty, and just from reading a few pages I'm seriously considering trying to nab a copy of this game. I'm just worried if I can get into an "older" game, I have no problem going back to old games I played, but starting new is another story.

Sounds like too good of a game to pass up though, even after all this time.

[DeToxRox]

This is BLASPHOMY!

I am the second most experienced man in Asia, and I am being SHAFTED LIKE SKY LOPEZ!

I demand respect.

I only shot Kodos once..

.. And he had it coming, he was being boisterious.

[jfbbis]

I find it hard to believe Jfbbis is still alive.

Me too

[Godzilla Blitz]

Quick Update...

I doubt I'll make this Sunday's post. Most likely the mission will go up on Thursday of next week, but there is an outside chance for Tuesday. After that, I should be able to get us back on track, so I think I can make next Sunday for the following mission.

Ring ring ring

Calling Marmel, Swaggs, and Travis III.

Your planet needs you.

____________

Katon: Not to scare you or anything, but I think you've got the lowest marksmanship rating we've ever had.

Afoci: Congrats! Actually, don't worry about that rating so much. It tends to go up fast if you survive some missions. Just don't get hit and you'll be fine.

Calis: Welcome! The graphics are definitely retro, but they are more than serviceable. After a half hour you don't even notice them. If you try to pick up the game, be sure to get the Collector's Edition. It has updated versions of the games that work better on newer computers.

DVH: You are destined for stardom. Don't worry. Be happy. We'll find you lots more caves to clear.

Jfbbis: I am amazed you're still alive too. You've been wounded quite a few times, though, haven't you? It's more than two, right? The nice thing about the wounds is that you're safe when you are out of action, so you'll survive at least another three weeks. You just keep going and going.

[Chief Rum]

Hey, GB, I probably should have made it more clear in my story about Chief Rum III.

But since he stayed a bit longer in the ole development tube than most, he is extra developed. So I would only accept higher bravery, and if the OptUp means better all around stats, that fits as well. Just thought I would let you know that's what I was looking for for Chief Rum III, even if I have to wait a little to get back into duty.

CR

[Godzilla Blitz]

Chief: Got it! I'll fix it. We're cycling right through the waiting lists now, so it shouldn't be long even if you do draw a crappy guy.

[condors]

Condors II ready to go!

[Swaggs]

Ring, Ring, Ring

Swaggs, somewhat startled, shook awake and drew in a cold breath. Quickly, he grabbed his cellphone and answered.

Sitting with his knees drawn in tight against a large brick building, with a heavy winter coat drawn tight against him, he answered the phone.

After listening for a few seconds, Swaggs grunted, in a husky voice, with a single sentence. "I will be there shortly."

Swaggs bit his lip a bit, but for a brief moment it was apparent that he had smiled. He had been waiting a long time for this.

As he rose from his seated position against the building, he drew in one more cold breath and walked around the corner and into the X-Com headquarters to report for duty.

[Marmel]

Reporting for Duty, SIR!

[Abe Sargent]

I would like to not opt-up this time, since the list is shorter I'll wait awhile.

-Anxiety

[Travis]

The sky is dark, the land barren and covered by a thick layer of snow. The wind howls across the flat expanse of land unbroken, save for one tiny speck.

Upon closer examination, that speck turns out to be an igloo with a team of dogs huddled together for warmth outside.

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRING!

The sound of the wind is broken by the shrill ring of a phone, and not one of those ridiculous downloadable tones either.

Shortly, a man dressed in a heavy parka crawls out of the igloo opening, a hand clutched to his head as he stands.

"Sorry, the reception inside is brutal, what did you say?"

A pause while a few of the huskies look up, wondering what's disturbing their slumber.

"Yessir, I'm Travis III. I'll be there as soon as I can."

A quick flip and the cell phone is closed and returned to a pocket, the man turns, returning the gaze of the dogs.

"Get ready boys, time for one last run."

[Breeze]

Breeze is available when needed. Didn't hear the phone...must have been in the shower or bathing the babies

[sterlingice]

Originally posted by Godzilla Blitz
September 4-6
Mr. Bug IV is another story. When Katon dropped his suitcase on the floor with a bang, Mr. Bug screamed "Aliens!?" and dove for cover under a nearby table. Ten minutes later we convinced him it was only a suitcase, and he came back out. Although he did redeem himself with some amazing shooting on the range a little while later, we have Sterling Ice just use Post-It notes to label his X-COM gear.

I do what I can when stumbling around outside the lab

Hey, will you guys stop using up those rockets like they were going out of style. I can't just make them with over the counter parts, no funding, and in a matter of seconds. Use those nifty little heavy plasma guns to shoot stuff for once

SI

[zippy256]

Zippy II reporting for duty

[Coffee Warlord]

Originally posted by DeToxRoxDVHStyle
This is BLASPHOMY!

I am the second most experienced man in Asia, and I am being SHAFTED LIKE SKY LOPEZ!

I demand respect.

I only shot Kodos once..

.. And he had it coming, he was being boisterious.

Hey now, I hate aliens as much as the next guy, but I live because of that particular alien.

That Cam Edwards guy, though. I'm sorry I missed him. Me and him together were just bad luck. I mean, geez, our ancestors have shortest lifespan awards named after them! At least the aliens took care of it, though.

[Godzilla Blitz]

Skyranger Transmission

This just in from the Skyranger...

Pilot: Um, I think everyone is kind of mad at me. When we left the base, you guys told me to "Hurry back." And then you said to "Wait for dawn before you land." Well, they seemed kind of contradictionary to me, you know what I mean? I mean, how am I supposed to "hurry" if I'm "waiting"? Anyway, I figured since you told me to "hurry" before you told me to "wait", that the "hurry" was more important than the "wait". So--

X-COM Command: Get to the point!

Pilot: Huh? Oh, ok, well, I figured that we'd just kind of zip in and land while it was still dark, you know? Figured that it would be harder for the alien buggers to see us, right? Makes sense, doesn't it? So I took the craft in, and put her down right near the UFO about ten minutes ago. That was, let's see, um, big hand on the 4, little hand on the 3, add ten. Um, about 4:30 in the morning. It's real dark out there, and I figured everyone would be really happy, you know. I mean, they should get to get back early and everything. But everyone sounded really pissed back there when I dropped the landing gate. Wade kind of yelled at me. He got even madder when I told him I blew out the resitor jets on landing, so I couldn't make another straitght-up-and-down landing. Well, anyway--

X-COM Command: You realize that the aliens have much better night vision than we do, don't you? Didn't they tell you that in the training missions?

Pilot: Training missions? Oh, you mean the neat sci-fi movies we watched? Those were real? Well, I'll be damned. Anyway, I promise not to do it again. But you know, it's real pretty out there when they fire back and forth. I can see lots of green lines going back and forth from the UFO to our Skyranger. Can't see much of anything else. One of them hit us too. It went BANG, and I nearly pooped my pants. I tell you. It's--

Kablam!

Pilot: Whoa! Neat! Look at that tank turret go! Up...down. Crash! Wow. That was cool looking! This is better than the fireworks when I was a little kid in Fat Fork, North Dakota! Wow! That burning tank sure looks neat---

Transmission terminated.

[JeeberD]

I don't like fighting in the dark...

[Blade6119]

i dont like our pilot...but we have some top vets and rookies, so this could be a solid mission...lets hope he oesnt have any grudges against me from asotts dynasty

[Coffee Warlord]

Look on the bright side.

At least our radios seem to be holding up a bit better.

[sachmo71]

I would like to open a tank-making business on the side.

[Godzilla Blitz]

Originally posted by sachmo71
I would like to open a tank-making business on the side.

Yeah, don't you know it? I'm starting to think that it might be more fun to just use rookies for scouts. Those tanks cost $400k+ each, and it seems like I'm always buying new ones. A fully equipped rookie only costs us probably $100k if we lose him. We could send out 14-man teams, and use our wimpy rookies like Russian peasants in Stalingrad.

Happy birthday, by the way!

Coffee: I'll have you know we buy only the best Turkish made radios available on the black market in Constantinople, which I think I spelled wrong.

Blade 6119: Nope. I never hold grudges. Hey, did I forget to give you a weapon this mission? Damn. Oh, wait. Here it is! Whew! For a second there I thought I forgot to equip you with our new, high-tech plastic dining fork.

Jeeber D: I don't like to give stuff away, but you've got lots of light around you: you were standing right beside the tank when it went up. If you could open your eyes, you'd be able to see fine. Ooops. There I go. Said too much again.

Anxiety: Got it. I'll change that. I'm glad that it doesn't look like people will have to wait that long to get in the game any more. Wish I could play at a faster pace, though.

Condors, Swaggs, Marmel, Breeze, and Zippy: When someone goes AWOL and misses a phone call, I call the next people in line, and take whoever reports first out of everyone on AWOL and everyone called. In this case, we needed three people, which means Condors, Swaggs, and Marmel are on their way to the base. Breeze and Zippy, I'll hold your spots right at the top of the list, but put you back "on-call" for the next call up. Sorry for the extended delay, but it's the easiest thing I can think of to make sure that we don't call up people that aren't around any more. It shouldn't be much longer though, so stick around, as we'll have another base mission real soon, and we'll probably need some replacements after this current night mission. By the way, it sure looked light enough on the world map when I sent that Skyranger in. Another oops. Another few deaths. Just a typical day at X-COM.
___________

As for posting the next mission, I should be able to finish playing and post this mission on Thursday, as I plan to take most of the day off from work. The big project is esentially finished, and I just have a couple of little things to do on Thursday. I'm also going to try and play the next mission as well, so we can get back onto our "every Sunday night" schedule.

[JeeberD]

Originally posted by Godzilla Blitz
Jeeber D: I don't like to give stuff away, but you've got lots of light around you: you were standing right beside the tank when it went up. If you could open your eyes, you'd be able to see fine. Ooops. There I go. Said too much again.

Ummm...I can't open my eyes because the flames are too bright, right?

If I was dead my eyes would be permanantly open. I think. I hope...

[Godzilla Blitz]

Sorry, just couldn't resist splitting this one into two parts...

61st Mission: German Supply Ship!

The EU Skyranger hightails it northwest towards the German base and the alien supply ship that has landed nearby. The skies are still pitch dark, and our plan is the standard one: circle the landing sight until dawn, and then strike just before the UFO takes off.

Inside the Skyranger, the men quickly run through weapons checks. The ride takes less than 2 hours, and it takes a while for some of the rookies to get everything straightened out. With five agents in the team with one or less mission’s worth of experience, we made need all the help we can get.

The skies are still dark when the Skyranger begins its quick descent to the German countryside. Wade Moore, the commander for today’s mission, calls up to the Skyranger pilot for confirmation that we’ll wait till dawn. The pilot replies ambiguously that everything is ok, but the skies sure look dark outside. We’re not carrying any electro flares, so we must avoid landing in the dark…

Left Side:
1. Blade 6119 III (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)
2. Jeff Nights II (Laser Pistol, Power Suit)
3. Afoci (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)
4. Illinifan V (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)
5. Jeeber D (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)

Right Side
1. Wade Moore (Heavy Plasma, Stun Launcher, Power Suit)
2. Real Deal III (Blaster Launcher, Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)
3. Tucker (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)
4. Tasan (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)
5. Coffee Warlord II (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)

The Skyranger drops the final few hundred meters to the dark landscape below, and now the men inside are starting to wonder what’s going on. We can see that we’re coming down on the northeast corner of the active quadrant, with open fields running left of the exit, and a large hedgewall at the nose of the Skyranger. To the right and rear of the exit, we have secure ground. It’s hard to tell in the dark, but we can make out what looks to be the bulking shape of the supply ship about 100 yards to the left of our exit. Just as Wade is ready to make a move up front to confirm that we’ll wait to dawn, the Skyranger accelerates downward, stops in a hover just a few meters above the ground, then drops the final few feet to land with a thud on the hard German soil. The ramp drops away with a crash. What the hell are we doing?

The men can see the dark countryside stretching out in front of them. All is quiet. The pilot’s voice comes over the intercom, “All set. Here you go guys!”

Wade presses the transmit button, “What the hell are you doing setting us down in the dark like this? We’re supposed to wait for dawn.”

“Early to rise, early to bed, sir! X-COM command told me to ‘Get a move on!’ so I thought we’d get right to work. Anyway, too late to change now. I blew our resistor jets on landing, so if we go up, we can’t do another vertical landing. Good luck!”

Wonderful. Where do we ever get these guys?

Without much of an option, we send the tank down the ramp into the darkness…

Nothing. Dead quiet. We spin the tank left, and head for what we can now see is the massive, three-story UFO, sitting about 100 yards off to the left of the exit. We shuffle our troops in the exit bay, and send Afoci out the door and right. Once there, he begins a slow advance on the hedgewall that the nose of our Skyranger is butting up against. Illinifan V also exits. He heads left and takes up a position just behind our tank.

We edge our tank slowly into the field left of the exit. Movement! Just in front of the UFO! Illinifan V raises his plasma rifle and pulls the trigger. Green streaks sail toward the UFO and light up the night. We can see the small figure start to run, but a green streak slams into it and drops it to the ground. We hear the high-pitched death scream of a Sectoid! My it has been a while since we’ve faced Sectoids. But what a shot by Illinifan! Nice job, rookie! X-COM 1, Aliens 0.

Things go quiet for the moment and we devise a plan. We’ve got the UFO off to our left, and we can make our lives a lot longer if we can set up a firing position on the near exit door, which should be just around the left corner of the craft as we look at it. Also, we’ll need to clear the large area at the nose of our Skyranger, and send some troops to clear the area to the right of the UFO as well. We get moving.

Illinifan V breaks away from the tank and heads slowly across the fields towards the right side of the UFO. Tucker exits the Skyranger and follows a few steps behind. Jeeber D exits the Skyranger and rushes to the tank; together they start a slow advance towards where we think the UFO door should be. Tasan exits the Skyranger and follows Afoci as he resumes his advance on the hedgewall. Real Deal III exits the Skyranger, heads the opposite direction from our men, and sets up a firing position with the Blaster Launcher.

Suddenly, more movement, and incoming fire! A plasma blast streaks towards our position and slams into the side of the Skyranger. There! A Sectoid is sneaking through the field just to the right of the UFO! Illinifan reacts instantly, twisting and firing a shot that sends a long arc of green towards the enemy…

Direct hit! The Sectoid screams and drops to the ground! Illinifan is on fire! Way to go! X-COM 2, Aliens 0.

We resume our movement. Jeeber D and our tank get about 50 yards from the UFO door, when suddenly Jeeber spots shuffling movement near the UFO corner! Looks like two Sectoids! Before we can react, they open fire! Green blasts of plasma race toward the tank and Jeeber! A few go streaking by, but one shot hits the crack between the turret and the tank body; the shot penetrates our tank, which explodes, sending the turret ten feet in the air. It crashes to the ground a few feet away. Just as quickly as it started, the enemy fire stops. Jeeber D is stunned by the blast, but otherwise ok. He peers through the darkness from behind the ruined tank body, but sees nothing. Damn it. He crouches down, preps a grenade, and makes a long toss to the area where he thinks he saw movement.

Kablam! The grenade goes off and shatters the night silence. We hear a Sectoid screaming! Yes! Nice toss, Jeeber! Within a few seconds the creature falls quiet. The question is, did we get both of them, or just one? X-COM 3, Aliens 0.

Why wonder, when you’ve got the security of a blaster launcher? RealDeal III plots a course to the near UFO exit area, and pulls the trigger on the launcher. The rocket soars up over the Skyranger, then loops around and slams into the UFO. The evening explodes with the impact. A 50-foot area around the exit is consumed in smoke and dirt. Unfortunately, we don’t hear any alien screams. Maybe Jeeber D got a pair?

Over the next few minutes, things go quiet, except for the constant whirring of UFO doors. We expand our position. Afoci and Tasan make it past the hedgewall and into an orchard that lies behind it. They continue on and search the fields that lie further on, but there are no aliens over here. They turn right and starts toward the near UFO door. About 50 yards away, they come to a low hedge and fence, and here they take up firing positions on the near exit.

As this is happening, Jeff Nights II exits the Skyranger and joins a Tucker and Illinifan V as they sweep the area to the right side of the UFO. Quickly they come upon some shanties, which RealDeal subsequently blows apart with the blaster launcher. The lack of screaming aliens lets us know that these buildings were empty. The three men continue around the backside of the UFO, and reach the far corner within a few minutes. Here they get ready to come around the corner to come up on the far door from the back of the UFO.

While all this movement is going on, Jeeber D sits in the field, about 40 yards from the UFO exit, waiting for signs of movement. Blade 6119 and Coffee Warlord II exit the Skyranger and advance to the near corner of the UFO. They reach the wall there, and wait for things to develop.

Back at the Skyranger, RealDeal III keeps a ready Blaster Launcher and Wade doodles graffiti on the wall of the Skyranger.

With almost all the exterior of the UFO searched, we prepare to assault the UFO. Because RealDeal has already blown a hole in the near door, we’ll go in through that one first. Jeeber D, Afoci, and Tasan start edging across the fields to get closer to the door. Coffee Warlord II sneaks around the corner so that he is at a right angle to the opening in the near door, and trains his heavy plasma on the opening. Blade 6119 sneaks up to the edge of the corner, right behind Coffee.

At the far side of the UFO, Tucker, Illinifan V, and Jeff Nights II work their way around the far corner, but hold just short of the final corner that would allow them to see the far door.

Suddenly, a Sectoid pops out of the far door, turns and opens fire on Coffee, way down by the near door! The plasma blast races alongside the UFO, but catches the metal wall and ricochets wildly away. Coffee reacts brilliantly and drills the Sectoid with a stomach shot that knocks the thing to the ground with a screech! X-COM 4, Aliens 0.

We decide to push it. Coffee gets up and rushes the final few feet to the hole in the near door. He plunges into the UFO…nothing. These supply ships consist of two, three-story octagonal sections that are joined by a narrower section. On the interior of the first floor, there is an outer corridor that runs around a walled central engine room. Coffee finds himself in this outer corridor. He breaks left towards the section of the UFO that connects with the far octagonal section and the far door that lies on it. He spots no aliens. Blade 6119 III follows quickly on Coffee’s heels. He enters the UFO, turns right, and starts along the outer corridor in the opposite direction. Jeeber D rushes to the door as well, but as he approaches, another Sectoid exits the far door! It turns and gets off a shot at Jeeber D, but it slams into some debris by the near exit and misses Jeeber completely. Tasan, cutting across the field, opens fire on this alien. His first shot hits and blows the Sectoid against the side of the UFO, where it slumps to the ground dead, just as Jeeber D safely enters the UFO. X-COM 5, Aliens 0.

Tucker, at the far corner, comes around the corner to within a few feet of the far door, and gets ready for anything to pop out of the UFO. Illinifan V and Jeff Nights II edge closer to the corner. Afoci and Tasan continue to move slowly across the field in front of the UFO doors, keeping their weapons trained on the still unsecured far door.

Just as I’m wondering where all the PSI-attacks are, we are washed over with a wave of PSI-energy. Coffee Warlord starts singing Barney’s Favorite Children’s songs and twitching uncontrollably! Fortunately, he gets himself under control long enough to respond to Wade’s quick order to drop all his weapons and exit the UFO. Coffee obeys immediately and starts back to the near exit. Jeeber D quickly takes Coffee’s spot along the corridor. Blade 6119 III heads around the first interior corner and rips open the door to the central engine room…

Nothing. He resumes his search of the corridor. Jeeber continues along the corridor in the opposite direction as Blade 6119. He makes it through the joining section and approaches the far door…

Nothing! But suddenly a Sectoid comes around the far corner, about 20 feet away! Oh no! He’s got a blaster launcher! Jeeber lifts his heavy plasma to fire, but he’s too slow! The Sectoid fires. From point blank range, the deadly rocket comes whooshing towards Jeeber D, who closes his eyes and prays.

(to be continued!)

Be sure to turn in later tonight for either Jeeber D becomes a Rorschach Test or Horrible Death of an Agent inside a UFO!.

[JeeberD]

Damn you and your cliffhangers!!! You're worse than revrew!

Oh well. If it has to end at least I got a kill or two...

[Swaggs]

Duck Jeeber!