X-COM II: The Earth's Revenge (The Final Encounter)

[Kodos]

In the wake of the annihilation of Chicago, I immediately hopped on a plane from Europe to meet up with Godzilla Blitz in the U.S. to help finalize the plans for the assault on Mars. After an interminable sleepless night that was plagued by constant jarring turbulence, the red-eye flight finally touched down at La Guardia in New York, and I groggily stepped off of the plane and began to make my way toward baggage claim. After a quick visit to the men’s room, I stopped for a moment to rub my weary eye. Though I was exhausted, I drew strength from the knowledge that we were on the verge to taking the battle to the aliens. As I opened my eye, my vision slowly came into focus on The New York Times headline in the vending machine that stood directly in front of me. In oversized block lettering, The Times declared: “U.N. SURRENDERS TO ALIEN ALLIES!”

What the fuck?!?

My whole body shaking in disbelief, I hastily fished the cell phone out of my briefcase and activated it. A single tone notified me that there was a voice message in my mailbox. Hardly able to concentrate, I punched my way through the menus and put the phone to my ear. It was Blitz. He was trying to sound calm, but I could tell that he was flustered. The aliens were coming to take out the bases. He had ordered the men to abandon the bases without resistance. I, along with everyone else, was to go into hiding immediately.

X-Com was going down without a fight.

Godzilla Blitz’s command to disband the resistance forces and flee for our lives came as a bitter shock to me. With a chance to destroy the aliens’ home base on Mars tantalizingly just out of reach, the world had surrendered and turned their aggression on us. X-Com, the Earth’s final flickering hope in this madness, was being snuffed out by the very people that it had fought to save for so long. Now, instead of becoming the one of the world’s saving heroes, I was a fugitive…

-------

This was bad. World-coming-to-and-end bad. If Blitz was right, the aliens and the authorities were probably already working to track me down. Luckily, nobody on this side of the Atlantic but Blitz knew that I had already left Europe, so at least I had that working in my favor. Still, my green skin and single giant eye would make me pathetically easy to pick out. I had to disappear now if I hoped to elude capture.

Abandoning any thoughts of retrieving my luggage (and my sidearm), I slipped behind a newsstand and watched for an opportunity. Minutes crawled by, but finally an airport worker came in through the nearby staff-only access door. As he disappeared around the corner, I caught the door and slipped out onto the tarmac.

Doing my best to look like I belonged, I strode over to one of the unattended vehicles and got inside. Fortunately, the keys were in the ignition, so I started the car and quickly drove off.

Using the access roads, I made my way out from the terminals and towards the maintenance hangars. Once there, I ditched the vehicle and climbed into a dumpster that was located toward the back of the lot. Now shivering and buried in garbage, I miserably waited for nightfall to come…

-------

I woke up under a cold, starry sky. The moon was but a sliver, and the darkness acted as my ally. Staying low to the ground, I made my way toward the outer fences of the airport, and then escaped through an underground sewage pipe.

-------

The next two days followed the same pattern. Hiding during the day and driving on back roads at night, I slowly made my way toward Bloomington, Indiana. That was the where I had agreed to meet up with Blitz if the proverbial shit hit the fan.

I reached the Indiana border around 11 p.m. on Sunday, December 14th. Just a couple more hours and I would reach the campus of Indiana University.

-------

Entering the outskirts of Bloomington, I cautiously made my way towards the designated rendezvous point. I wound my way around the campus, keeping an eye out for the aliens and other authorities. To date, the aliens had focused their efforts to round up people in the major cities, so I had given Indianapolis a wide berth on my way south to Bloomington.

I ditched my car at Wright Quad and made my way on foot behind the Library towards the HPER. From there I crossed over to the Student Union. I wound my way left around the building until I saw my destination: Beck Chapel.

I pushed the door open and stepped inside the tiny chapel. Inside, I sat down on one of the back pews, and bowed my head down, as if in prayer. A few minutes later, exhausted from the journey, I fell asleep…

[Godzilla Blitz]

Update

December 15 (0100 hours)

Outskirts of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

I pull the Civic off the double-lane road about three miles before Yellowknife, and head onto a snow-covered track that leads to a small abandoned brick warehouse looming ahead of us on the dark field. I check my GPS: right on the button. Despite the constant night and frigid cold, I’m feeling better now. We were ahead of schedule enough that we stopped at a motel early yesterday afternoon and got six hours of badly needed sleep. We also had our first decent meal in two days: hot roast chicken and veggies that were surprisingly fresh.

Now eight hours later, resfreshed and somewhat alert, we bounce down the last few meters of the trail. I bring the car to a stop to the side of the warehouse.

I look at Miss Terry. “End of the road.”

We get out. The night is cloudless, the moon is full. The moonlight and snow give us plenty of light to see. I grab a black canvas bag of equipment from the trunk and stuff the GPS in it. Miss Terry gets her small suitcase. We walk through the snow to the wide, metallic double doors on the warehouse. The thick lock on the doors is encrusted in ice. I grab the thing, smash it back against the door of the warehouse a few times. The ice falls off in small chunks. I take off my right glove, punch in the combination on the lock, snap it open, and pull it out of its holder. Miss Terry and I give a push on the ten-foot high doors. They swing inward with a metallic screech. The inside of the warehouse is one large room. Sitting in the middle of it is a modified twin-engined Piper Cub, equipped with a turbo engine, skis, and reserve fuel tanks.

Miss Terry looks at me “You know how to fly this thing, right?”

“Yup. Weather’s good and the sleep brought me back to life, too. Shouldn’t be a problem.”

We head for the plane.

Twenty minutes later we’re airborne, traveling low to the ground, heading north as fast as the aircraft will take us. The landscape below is white and barren. We are completely alone.

The good weather holds for us, and four hours later I bring the Piper Cub to a landing in a snow field twenty miles outside of Resolute, Canada, on Cornwallis Island. Beside the field is a warehouse similar to that of Yellowknife, but different in two critical ways. Instead of a Piper Cub, inside is a sleek, X-COM-built, plasma-powered helicopter. Instead of doors to accommodate an aircraft, the roof of this building retracts to allow a chopper to take off.

By 630AM on December 15th, we’re airborne again. This time we break north-east, toward the northern tip of Greenland.

By 930AM, we’re hovering less than ten feet over the frozen wasteland of northern Greenland. As far as the eye can see in the moonlit scenery, everything is white ice and snow. We’re at least 100 miles away from the nearest person, and only 300 miles from the North Pole. I double check my GPS: we’re on the mark. I reach for the radio in the helicopter, set the internal, short-range frequency, and press the communicate button. I speak one word. “Kreig.” I wait.

Ten seconds later the reply comes. “Blitz.”

“Open up.”

Thirty seconds later, the snow and ice in a 50-meter square below the helicopter creaks and strains, then begins to drop away from us. A minute later, the dark opening is clear, and I ease the helicopter into X-COM’s secret sixth base…

[Godzilla Blitz]

Update

December 15 (1000 hours)

X-COM Base Six, the northern tip of Greenland

Miss Terry and I are sitting in the base briefing room. The commander has spent the last fifteen minutes briefing me on the base’s condition and what’s happened here over the last three days. We’re finishing up now…

“Yes, that’s right. It’s set, Mr. Blitz. Finished on schedule. Same time as SAM COM would have finished.”

“Can we retrieve the men?”

“The tails are on everyone, sir, except for Commander Kodos. Our men lost him in at La Guardia a couple of days ago.”

“I know where Kodos will be. What happened to Jfbbis?”

“Jfbbis is still in a coma, sir, but he’s safe. A staff member got him into a hospital in St. Paul under a fake name. You’ll need your first alternate to replace him, though.”

“How about the Plasma Harriers? Can they get to everyone?”

“Set to go. The scramblers are working perfectly, sir, as are the cloaking devices and exhaust mufflers. The aliens won’t have a clue unless they’re right on top of ‘em.”

“Let’s hope that doesn’t happen. How long will it take to bring the men in?”

“Those Plasma Harriers are fast as hell, sir. I still think you should have risked the radio communication to have us get you in one instead of you going through all that rigamarole getting here. In any case, we can have the men here in two and half-hours, once we pick ‘em up. With luck, we could have ‘em all here by dinner.”

“Commander, if there had been any problems getting here, I would have risked the call, but I do appreciate your concern for our well being.” I think for a minute, considering all the information the commander has told me so far. “Any reason this won’t work, technically speaking? Any possible compromises?”

“No, sir. You gave us this mission seven months ago, and the men and women here that put this place together have worked every day since then. Nothing has been compromised in quality or secrecy. The only person outside of this base that knew of this operation is you, and now your companion here. All the construction equipment, all the machinery, everything, was routed here through X-COM bases around the world by you. Every pilot that flew in supplies was one of our own. You can be sure if the aliens knew about this place, they would have been buzzing all over it by now, and we haven’t seen any UFO activity up here at all. They’re all down south, around the cities. No, sir, everything is ready. You gave us a job to do, and if I say so myself, we did a fine job. Even with all the alien base-construction technology to help us, this was one incredible engineering accomplishment.”

“Yes, I agree, commander. You and your people have done an outstanding job, and if we pull this off, humandkind will owe you all a debt of incalculable gratitude.”

The officer beams. “Thank you, sir.”

I lean back in the chair, take a deep breath. Can we do this? Is now the time? I spin my chair to once again look through the glass windows behind me. I look out on the busy hanger floor below. In the middle of the floor is a large white spacecraft, with “Avenger II” emblazoned on the fuselage. Men and women are busy in and around the craft, running every conceivable test for what must be the tenth time. Racks of equipment run along the walls of the room: Heavy Plasmas, Blaster Launchers, Flying Suits, Grenades, Medikits, everything. Hovertanks sit in the corner of the room, their engines gently buzzing, fusion balls in neat piles beside them. It’s all here. I turn and look inquisitively at Miss Terry. “Anything you can tell me?”

She shakes her head. “No, Godzilla. I’m sorry. I can’t see this mission or anything helpful past it. It could have something to do with the distance to Mars. The inability to see there might be blocking events after that. I’m not sure. It could be that there are too many possibilities right now for one to stand out. And quite often I just don’t see things. My talents are quite limited. You think if I had more power, I would be been running a rinky-dink fortune-telling shop in Fargo, North Dakota? I can’t help you now. I’m sorry. It is your load to carry.”

I force a smile, nod. “I just hope your inability to see after this doesn’t mean that there isn’t going to be an ‘after this.’” I look back on the hanger. In the grand scale of things, there really isn’t any other option. I spin back towards the commander.

“The mission is a go. Bring the men in, commander. Have your tails deliver this message.” I produce a slip of paper from my pocket, slide it across the table to the commander. “Note the password and response. To get Kodos, I need to send a message to a contact of mine in Bloomington, Indiana and then we’ll need to send a Harrier to a County Airport outside of town to pick him up. I’ll give you the details in a moment. Commander, let’s get those Harriers airborne ASAP. I want the men here by 1800 hours. I’ll have an equipment list for the Avenger II ready within the hour. We’ll need to prepare these rooms for briefings. And we’ll need a dinner set for 22, yourself included, and make it good. If these men are going to die for their planet, they should at least get a fitting send off.

“It’s time to go to Mars and kick some ass.”

[Kodos]

I felt a hand on my shoulder, gently shaking me and pulling me from a deep sleep. I lifted my head, expecting to see my trusted leader, Godzilla Blitz. Instead, I found myself looking at a reverend who I’d never met.

“You appear troubled, my son.”

“I am, Father. I was supposed to meet a man here about a matter of grave importance.”

“Is this man’s name Blitz, by any chance?”

“Yes! Yes, Father. Is he… here?”

“No, I’m afraid not. But I just received a couriered message from my old friend Godzilla a few minutes ago. Inside of it, there was another envelope addressed to ‘Ahman Green.’ You look like ‘a man, green’ to me,” he said, handing me the sealed manila envelope.

“Yes father. Thank you.”

“No problem, my son. May God be with you. And may Godzilla be with you.”

“Thank you, Father.”

“If you’ll excuse me now, I have some prayers to attend to. I’m sure you understand.”

“Yes, Father.”

With that, he left me alone to read Blitz’s message. I ripped the envelope open and read the short message in the dim light of the chapel.


Commander Kodos:

Report to Monroe County Airport at 1400 hours on December 15 (today). Look for a black, unmarked Harrier jet. Go up to the plane and nod to the pilot. He will say ‘John.’ You are to reply ‘Carter.’ Say anything else, and I have instructed the man to shoot to kill.

Get on the plane.

It is time.

- Godzilla Blitz


1400 hours on December 16th? Today? What time was it now? I looked at my watch: 11 a.m. My god, I had slept for almost 10 hours. I only had three hours left.

----------

I stepped out into the daylight and paused briefly to survey my surroundings. The campus was for the most part empty, due to it being winter break. Nobody seemed to be around, so I started walking back in the direction of Wright Quad. I was troubled by the fact that Blitz had not arrived to meet me, as we had planned earlier in the case of a breakdown in our original plans. Why had he not come? Maybe he had, and the aliens had already found him. Maybe I was being set up.

I found my way back to my car, and then drove out of town to the stone quarries. They were isolated enough that I would be unlikely to be found there if anyone was looking for me. With about two hours to burn until I would have to head to the airport, I parked my car deep in the woods, and then put my seat back down to rest and consider my options.

---------

It was an uneasy rest. I still didn’t know whether to trust this message that had supposedly come from Blitz. Nagging questions kept popping into my head. Why hadn’t he met me like we planned? What could he possibly want with me, now that all of the bases and weapons had surely been destroyed? What could we possibly do to stop the aliens now?

1400 hours crept closer as I debated whether or not to go. Finally, around 1 p.m., with time running out, I made my decision. I realized that there was really no point in not going. I was going to be captured and killed soon even if I didn’t go. I couldn’t hide forever. It was better to go down swinging if you had to go down. With a new resolve in my heart, I turned the key in the ignition, and started on my way to Monroe County Airport.

---------

I followed the worn road through the Indiana countryside on the way to the small airport, still not knowing if I was making a mistake. Around 1:50, I finally saw the Monroe County Airport sign up ahead. I pulled into the small parking lot in front and shut off the engine. The place seemed deserted. Nobody was there. Taking a chance, I got out and walked around to the back of the building.

There was no plane there. It was a trick.

Sure that an ambush was about to hit at any moment, I continued to walk further around the building, my hope slipping away with each step. And then I saw it. A black shape waving in the haze, about a mile down the runway. Could it be a plane?

I broke into a jog. If this was an ambush, I was running right into it. As I drew closer, I could see that it was indeed a plane. I picked up my pace, trying not to get my hopes up too much. It was still most likely a trap. But I didn't care anymore. If it was a trap, so be it.

A few minutes later, I reached the plane. It was a black Harrier jet, just as I had been promised. There was a pilot inside, eyeing me. I nodded to him. The canopy slid back with a hydraulic hiss.

“John?” he asked.

“Carter,” I replied.

“Climb on up, Commander. And, sir, try not to slime the wing, please.”

With that, I carefully climbed onto the wing and got inside the passenger seat behind the pilot. The canopy hissed shut around me...

[thealmighty]

Now that's what I'm talkin' 'bout!!!

[thealmighty]

dola...

...if you need some trainee to do any sabotage or subversive shit back here on earth, Almighty II is your man.

[JeeberD]

Carter!!!

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


YES!!!!! We're back, baby!!!

Sergeant JeeberD ready for duty, Sir!

[AStott]

‘Carter’

[illinifan999]

I walk around confused, I had thought it was over, I thought we were done. Then I got the message and got here as fast as I could.

I see the harrier and walk up to it. I give a nod to the pilot.

Pilot, "John."

Me: "Carter."

Pilot, "Hop on."

[Coffee Warlord]

Arriving in a metallic mint green caddy, one CWII arrives, the name 'Carter' on his lips, and a rack of ammo at his belt.

It's time.

[Lokugh]

From the Diary of Lokugh III:

Dear Diary,

Well, we have surrendered. After Dad and Graddad's sacrifices, it seems such a waste. I am furious, but what can I do? I had to get rid of my X-COM FORCES barracks cover...people were spitting on me when I wore it. A few even took swings at me, but those guys should have known better than to mess with an X-COM agent, even one with only one or two missions under his belt. I'm sure they'll be healed up in time to walk onto the Martian transports. Wish I could see their faces when they find out what that "To Serve Man" book Sectoid Leader is passing out really is...

But they aren't the worst. Those folks are open in their hostility and I can avoid them. The worst are the weirdos who keep coming up to me trying be friendly. Most of them end up trying to "show me the light" and bring me back from my "evil warmongering ways". Idiots.

Of course they are still better than the idiots who seem to have just gone insane. This helicopter keeps showing up wherever I am at. I finally wandered up to it but all I could get the pilot to say was "John". He kept shouting it over and over, like he thought I'd find some meaning in it. I think he's given up on me though and gone to harass someone else. I've not seen him in a couple of days. Probably was a government agent. I've heard a few of the senior guys have just disappeared. Sigh. This sucks. I never thought the high command would just give up this way. We had the Avenger almost ready. We could have launched...oh well. Time to go see if that cave near Billings is still stocked up. Going to be a long winter.

[Thomkal]

Thomkal II was settling into his new home in Kenya when the unexpected letter came from Godzilla Blitz. X-Com Intel had done a tremendous job establishing new identities and "safe" hideouts for the men. Thomkal II has chosen Africa. The aliens had largely ignored the continent, with so many "juicier" prizes out there. Intel had somehow got him a job as a game warden in one of Kenya's biggest game reserves, outside the city of Nairobi. It wasn't wise to question Intel's methods, so he didn't and went along with it, though he had never been much of an outdoorsman. I mean he'd probably gone camping about twice in his lifetime. So he was suddenly supposed to be an expert in wilderness survival? Whatever. It was far better than being a prisoner of the aliens he was sure.

He watched the news with growing despair until the alien influence reached even this remote area and became the "All-Alien, all the time" network. He had a few contacts himself that he stayed in touch with on carefully monitored and shielded radio communications. None of the contacts had told him about expecting a package at the door.

The delivery man seemed unmoved by the gun pointed at his head. "A letter from Blitz for the Sergeant" was all he said before disappearing into the Kenyan early evening dusk. Some balls that guy had. I probably should have made him stay until I had opened the letter, who knew what was in it. It could have been some sort of alien agenda. But an unexpected letter from Godzilla Blitz was enough to make me lose my focus. Eagerly ripping through all the tape, Thomkal opened the letter to reveal.

"Report to the abandoned aiport outside of town at 1400 hours on December 15 (today). Look for a black, unmarked Harrier jet. Go up to the plane and nod to the pilot. He will say ‘John.’ You are to reply ‘Carter.’ Say anything else, and I have instructed the man to shoot to kill. "

Get on the plane.

It is time.

- Godzilla Blitz.

Hot Damn! He should have known Blitz would have some plan in the event that the cowards at the UN caved in. Hot Damn! It took him a few moments to figure out what the hell 1400 hundred hours was in Kenyan time, less than 2 hours away!

He jumped in his game warden jeep and drove as recklessly as he dared to the deserted airport, more like one runway and a tower, he'd been told to stay close to if he needed an emergency evacuation or X-Com needed his services again. He got there with time to spare and did some recon. Nothing there but pavement and a seemingly empty tower. No engines idling either It grew closer and closer to the time the letter mentioned, and still nothing....

Wait! Right there in the the middle of the runway a sleek black harrier jet appeared out of nowhere! Ah god old X-com technology! Must be some sort of cloaking device right out of Star Trek.

But could this be an alien trick of some sort? It seemed too far elaborate a plan when they could have scooped him up from his Kenyan home with no one the wiser. Throwing caution to the wind, he ran out to the plane and quickly found himself on the recieving end of a nasty looking gun pointed at his head by the pilot. John? was the single steel toned word that came out of his mouth.

Ah that clever Commander Blitz. John Carter was of course the main character of a series Edgar Rice Burroughs books about ths guy going to Mars and having all sorts of adventures. That or he was a closet fan of ER's main character. "Carter" was my equally steel-toned reply. I was quite relieved when all I heard in return was the hatch on the plane sliding open to let me in, not a gunshot that would have been the last thing I heard.

I didn't want to be a game warden anyway...

To Mars!

[Vince]

Brilliant!

[Poli]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

Arriving in a metallic mint green caddy, one CWII arrives, the name 'Carter' on his lips, and a rack of ammo at his belt.

It's time.

I had some trouble finding the airport just outside Galesburg, but I followed CWII there.

"Carter".

Let's get this party started.

[JeffNights]

Captain Nights II deftfully rounded the small hangar, he was being careful, in his heart he prayed that the message was indeed genuine...he peeked aroudn the corner, looking at the reserve tarmac..and there it was..the all black harrier......not wanting to get overjoyed just yet, he slipped hus silenced MP5 submachine gun into his long winter coat, he approached the jet...he saw the pilot's eyes locked onto him the seconbd he was in view...now 15 feet sepereated them ......"John? said the Pilot.....Captain Nights Smiled, beaming he said "Carter"

[Wolfpack]

December 15th, 2000 hours

I was one of the few survivors of the base attack in England, the one that seemed to precipitate the destruction of Chicago and Earth's surrender. It's not everyday you have to come to grips with the fact that your actions may have triggered the death of 8 million people, the destruction of one of the great cities of the world, not to mention having the nuclear fallout from the attack blow into lower Michigan where your wife and newborn daughter reside. As soon as the bomb hit Chicago, I did manage to get word to my wife to head north to escape the fallout. I stressed that she shouldn't head south and further into the US in case the aliens were planning more attacks on major cities in America and that the less populated areas of either the UP or Canada would be better for them both. After the UN surrender, I felt even more relieved that she had gone north, since the proximity to Detroit would likely mean she and the baby would be corralled sooner rather than later, though I imagine there were enough people in Ann Arbor who were only too happy to have the aliens come and take things over (the fools).

After word came down from GB to disband and get the hell out of EU COM, I've spent a harrowing few days moving north, away from the more populated areas of central and western Europe. Fortunately, I generally look like any western European so I blended in fairly well. I managed to work my way across Germany to Denmark and then across the Skaggerat under darkness into Sweden.

The whole time I felt like I was being followed, but I couldn't be sure. When you're running for your life, it is difficult to know what is real and what isn't. Everyone could be after me or nobody.

Throughout the next day, I was heading north. I didn't know or care where. I was thinking whether Lappland up in Finland would be far enough away. Would I ever get to see my family again? Were they still alive? Most of them live in Charlotte and North Carolina has a high concentration of military bases, so I'm sure the aliens were at the very least invading Raleigh, Fayetteville, and Jacksonville, breaking up the state government and destroying Fort Bragg and Camp Lejeune. At any rate, I was heading to Goeteborg and from there to who knows where.

Early on the morning of the 15th, as I was checking out of the hostel I was staying at for the night, the clerk behind the desk handed me a sealed package that he said came during the night. Funny, how could anyone have known I was here? As I got into my car and let it warm up for a second, I ripped open the envelope and studied its few typed lines:


Study this name and memorize it. You will need to know it later. Your life depends on it.

"John Carter"


Along about 8 that night, driving on a country road leading up to the city, I was suddenly enveloped in a light from overhead. I was panicked. They had somehow found me! I guess being a redhead makes me too much of a stranger in a land of blonde nordic types and someone noticed and turned me in. The light came down to road level, blocking my path and blinding me in the process, causing me to stop. The craft then drifted over to a field next to the road.

No longer blinded, I studied the craft that had landed as well as I could in the dim moonlight. It looked like a military jet of some kind, rather than an alien craft but I wasn't certain. I got out of my car. As I approached it (I figured no point in running since the craft had found me to begin with), it flashed its wing lights briefly and I began to recognize the shape of a Harrier jet, which was odd since I heard virtually nothing on the craft's approach. My heart was up in my throat as I came up beside the plane. The canopy hissed open and the (I guess) human pilot bellowed, "John!" Almost without thought, I replied, "Carter!"

"Are you the X-Com agent known as 'Wolfpack'?"

"Yes!"

"I'm here to give you a lift. Get in!" I clambered up the side of the jet and into the RIO seat behind the pilot. I strapped on my helmet and mask and strapped in. My thoughts were positively racing at this point.

I heard the pilot's voice over the intercom as the canopy closed and the jet began to lift off. "Greetings, Sargeant! I've been sent by Commander Blitz to pick you up and fly you to Greenland!" Greenland! ...Greenland? WTF?

"You did say Commander Blitz sent, you, right?" I asked.

"Yes, I did!"

"Good! That's all I needed to hear!"

Greenland! It seems there is more going on with X-COM than any of us knew. If I'm being taken there, then there must be...a hidden base and...a spacecraft waiting for us to go to Mars and win the war! Is it possible? I was alone with my thoughts, though the pilot was doing his level best to distract me by racing over the Scandinavian countryside at just below Mach 1 at a scant 150 feet off the ground. Soon we were blasting over the frigid northern Atlantic, and the pilot punched the burners and we were moving at a fantastic rate of speed, probably around Mach 4, but with nothing but water around it was hard to know.

Greenland...it's not over yet. I may yet get to see my wife again and see my newborn daughter for the first time.

[sachmo71]

Carter, boyeee!

[revrew]

I've only got one thing to say....

CARTER!

[wade moore]

I wander the streets in town for several days in shock about what has happened. My crew, all gone. The team, disbanded. I have attempted to contact Commander Kodos to no avail. I imagine he is in deep hiding because of his high position in X-Com.

I suppose I should to.

Instead I wander. I walk solid for 3 days, only breaking for sleep. I haven't shaven, I stink, and the rats have eaten away at my clothing as I lie in the streets. I suppose they do not even recognize me as I look like some sort of drug addict.

But then someone does. I note is passed to me....


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


Report to the abandoned aiport outside of town at 1400 hours on December 15 (today). Look for a black, unmarked Harrier jet. Go up to the plane and nod to the pilot. He will say ‘John.’ You are to reply ‘Carter.’ Say anything else, and I have instructed the man to shoot to kill.

Get on the plane.

It is time.

- Godzilla Blitz.


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

A gleam reaches my eye, I look up, and the strange man is gone. I immediately eat the note so that no one knows.

I head out of town on foot. Running. Running.

It's far.

I don't care.

I run until I see the jet.

Oh that sweet Jet.

The man says, "John."

I say, "Carter."

And so in an eery ER moment, I step onto the plane and the beginning of the beginning. Or the beggining of the end? starts...

[Swaggs]

December 15th, 2000 hours

Waiting until dusk, Swaggs quietly emerges from the wooded hills of Northern West Virginia. Reflectively, he quietly uncovers an unmarked grey Jeep. Pulling the last branch from it, he hears a twig snap behind him. Turning quickly, he pulls his weapon just in time to see four deer run out from the woods.

Turning back to the vehicle, he opens the door and hears another twig crack. Dropping to a knee, he quickly turns again, pointing his weapon at the figure standing at the outskirts of the woods.

Dropping the gun to his hip, he looks down for a moment as his eyes gloss over with a hint of tears. Bowing his head for just a moment longer, he returns to his feet and approaches his wife quietly. He hugs her one last time and softly pats her belly, before silently returning to the Jeep and driving down the valley toward Hart Memorial Airfield.

Arriving at the Airfield, it only takes a moment to spot the black, unmarked Harrier aircraft. He quietly approaches the pilot with a nod and is greeted with a business-like, "John." Without breaking his stride, Swaggs cooly replies, "Carter," and enters the Harrier.

[Fonzie]

Pilot: "John."

Fonzie: "Carpenter. Carter! I meant Carter!"

[Raven Hawk]

Raven Hawk II started getting weary of the road. He had been driving for 12 hours straight since he left EU COM. Within 2 hours, he would be entering France. He needed to be rested and astute when he hit the French border. He was sure that there would be a road block there and he would need all of his wit to get him past.

Raven pulled over to the side of the road and curled up underneath the blankets in the back of his Volkswagon station wagon. The night air was cool and bit into his skin, even under the blankets. Soon enough, though, sleep came over him.

"Raven? Raven? What are you doing?" came a familiar voice.

Raven Hawk II looked around. He was buck naked, surrounded by dead X-Com agents. In his hand was his father's antler hunting knife. Blood poored from the agents' bodies.

"What are you doing, Raven?" the voice came again.

Still puzzled, Raven took a moment longer to aprise the situation. The blood on his knife was red, not green like the blood of a sectoid. Upon further investigation, he noticed that the agents were all bleeding from knife wounds.

"What are you doing, Raven?" the voice came again.

"I . . . I'm avenging . . . X-Com . . . and . . . my father?" Raven replied not sure exactly what he was doing.

"You are killing X-Com. You risk everybodies life, mine included. You must not go."

Raven then identified the voice. It was Godzilla Blitz.

"You cannot go to France, Raven," GB continued, "Your appetite for vengeance must be sated elsewhere."

Just at that moment, one of the bodies at Raven's feet woke up.

"You must not go to France."

Another body chimed in, "You must not go to France." Then another chimed in, then another until it was an unholy canon of dead voices preaching to him.

"Nooooooooooooooo!" Raven shouted.

"Time for dinner, Raven." said another voice from behind him.

"Mom?" Raven questioned turning around to see his mother's kitchen as he remembered it when he left. The bodies were gone and a plate of chiken, corn and stuffing now sat in front of him. "What's going on, Mom?"

"The end of danger begins at the head of the avenue," his mother continued.

"What?"

"The end of danger begins at the head of the avenue . . ."

Raven woke up. It was dawn.

"What a weird freakin dream! I need more sleep." Raven laid back down.

The words kept going through his head. "The end of danger begins at the head of the avenue." What did that mean.

"Wait a second!" he thought. "Somebody is trying to tell me something. GB was in my dream and he loves those damn cryptic quotes or whatever the hell they are! Maybe this means something. 'The end of danger begins at the head of the avenue.' The end of danger is 'ger.' The head of 'the avenue' is 'the aven.' Put those together and you get . . . 'The Avenger!' They didn't get it!"

Raven climbed over to the front seat and noticed a small package stuck under his wiper blade. Raven opened his window and pulled it in. It was from BMG Music Service.

"Holy shit! These guys got the dirt on everybody!"

Raven opened the package and he found the new Godsmack CD that he had ordered 4-6 weeks ago. He opened up the jewel case and stuck it in the CD player hoping for a little voodoo music. Instead he got this:

Report to the abandoned aiport outside of town at 1400 hours on December 15. Look for a black, unmarked Harrier jet. Go up to the plane and nod to the pilot. He will say ‘John.’ You are to reply ‘Carter.’ Say anything else, and I have instructed the man to shoot to kill.

Get on the plane.

It is time

Raven stepped on the gas and turned around heading for what would have been the nearest town. Sure enough, it had a small private airport there, barely large enough to handle any aircraft. Raven did, however, see a black harrier on the helicopter pad. Raven pulled up almost next to the harrier and got out of the car. He nodded to the pilot.

"John" said the pilot.

"Carter" said Raven.

"Hop on in, we're running late."

Raven popped the CD out of the CD player and stuck it in his coat pocket. He hopped in the harrier and it lifted off. Raven was particularly surpised at the power of the plasma harrier, that blew the Volkswagon over as it took off.

"Where are we headed, pilot?" asked Raven.

"Greenland, sir. Greenland."

[JeeberD]

Originally Posted by Fonzie

Pilot: "John."

Fonzie: "Carpenter. Carter! I meant Carter!"

Pilot: BOOM!

Fonzie: Argh!!! I was...only...kidding... *gasp*

Pilot: Commander Blitz, we're going to need another alternate, Sir...

[Godzilla Blitz]

Update


December 15 (1900 hours)

X-COM Base Six, the northern tip of Greenland

Our agents have been arriving over the past two hours. The last one—our Avenger pilot, Sachmo IV—arrived twenty minutes ago. I must admit, I did enjoy seeing the stunned expressions as they looked at me, then saw the gleaming white spacecraft behind me, the racks of weapons, the Hovertanks, and the men and women busily getting things ready. For men whose hope had been shattered 72 hours before, the outbursts of joy that filled their faces is something that I will never forget.

We’re now assembled in a large briefing room, and I am about to speak to the men as a group for the first time. It’s ironic that for a room full of men who are about to embark on a mission in which they stand a high chance of death, everyone is smiling—literally beaming.

I clear my throat. “Good evening, men. Um, thanks for coming. I should probably explain.

“I knew that there was a good chance that some of you would be captured in the course of the war, and that once captured, the aliens would get you to talk. Because of this, we realized that there would be a good chance that the aliens would learn of our Avenger project, and we also suspected that they would resort to nuclear means to accelerate the war if they sensed such a threat to their command center on Mars. We knew that they would not want to go nuclear on us because of the loss of “food” that millions of human deaths represent and also due to the risk of radiation contaminating their food supply. However, we also knew that they would act to preserve their command center by all means if they sensed a direct threat. Given the potential for nuclear attack on Earth and given the likelihood that the Earth would surrender when it occurred, I realized that we needed a contingency plan—a last resort as it be.

“I was the only person that knew of this base outside of the people here working on it. It was a risky move, but a necessary one. Sterling Ice wondered where some of his supplies were going, but he was so busy and there was so much captured alien material coming in that it was easy to siphon off the funds needed to build and staff this place. And here it is. Our insurance policy. A fully equipped base, built secretly in a glacier in Greenland, designed for one purpose only: a offensive strike on the alien command center on Mars.

“I can say that our plan has worked perfectly. There is no sign that the aliens know of this base or of the fact that we are 12 hours from launch. The element of surprise should be complete, and our odds of success have gone up tremendously. The battle will still be ferocious, and against the best troops the aliens have, but at least we will have a chance. If we had launched on the 14th, given the aliens’ awareness of our plans, there would likely have been three times the number of troops present at the Command Center. It is likely that none of you would have even made it below the surface. Now they have returned to a basic guard force at the Command Center: still formidable, but at least a winnable battle.

I pause.

“Tomorrow morning, gentlemen, the 18 of you will attack this command center and destroy the alien brain that controls every sentient alien in the system. And this is what that mission entails…

[Godzilla Blitz]

December 15, 1915 hours

Mars Briefing, X-COM’s Sixth Base

“Men, the mission has only one goal: destroy the underground brain that controls alien thought and activity in the entire galactic system. This brain is what makes them such a formidable opponent: it allows aliens everywhere in the system to react instantly as one organism. However, it is also their greatest weakness: without the brain, they cannot function. If that brain is destroyed, every alien in an oxygen breathing environment will cease to function. Every Sectoid, Ethereal, and Floater on Earth will drop dead. Every one of their ships will reverse course, and begin the long trip back to their home system. They will not be able to mount an attack on Earth for another 100 years. Our victory will be total.

“To accomplish this goal we have to do three things on Mars. Get there, get underground, and then hit the brain with enough weaponry to kill it. The ride there—which will only take a few minutes thanks to our hyperdrive—is Sachmo IV’s responsibility and we’ll brief him later, so let’s start with step two, the surface of Mars.

“Once you land and the gate drops, all hell will break loose. The place will be crawling with PSI-capable enemies, and they will be striking fast and hard. To counter this, we’re bringing two Hovertanks that will initially use half their payload to carpet bomb the immediate surface of the planet near the Avenger. That should create enough space so that we can get you out of the Avenger. Second, our Decoy Ducks—we’ll select those tomorrow morning—will disembark and begin scouting for enemies. Be aware that the surface of Mars will be in total darkness, which means you’ll need to take electro flares. Use them and reuse them to light the way in front of you. Once are ducks are out, we will deploy our regular units, and fan out to find the entrance to the underground base. By the way, the Flying Suits that each one of you will wear have been specially modified to allow you the same sense of gravity you experience here on Earth: there isn’t enough time to train you to take advantage of a low-gravity environment. In any case, when you are on the surface, move fast, people. Cydonia is peppered with pyramid-like structures. We believe these to be enemy pillboxes. Expect snipers and other nasties to be holed up in them. Don’t mess around with these things: blow them apart with blaster missiles and keep moving. Once one of you finds the underground entrance, activate the special button on your HUD. The flashing purple signal means to converge on it’s origin. Go as fast as possible. Remember we don’t need to kill everything on the surface, just find the entrance and get the hell inside that base. Once you’ve got all your survivors from the surface in the grav-lift, drop down into the enemy base.

“We know less about the underground portion of the base, but once again, expect brutal PSI attacks the whole time you are inside. Fan out in pairs, find the brain, and blow it apart. Don’t pussyfoot around inside: use blaster launchers to wipe out hot points and keep moving. Speed is of the essence, as we expect reinforcements to converge on the brain as soon as the attack is reported, and who knows what hell will break loose here on Earth.

“Lastly, if you are down to only a few men, if things seem grim, don’t give up. It only takes one man to save the Earth. And whatever you do, don’t die with a blaster missile still in your launcher: fire the thing somewhere and pray.

“Once the brain has been destroyed, resistance on the planet will stop. Grab some souvenirs and get the hell back here. That’s it. Any questions?”

No hands are raised. The men look much more serious now. “Very well. Bring in the food.” Assistants with carts stacked with delicacies roll into the briefing room. There is veal, filet mignon, sushi, caviar, cheeseburgers, desserts for any taste. Beverage carts are next in, stuffed with every imaginable drink: beer, wine, whiskey, water, soda, goat’s blood. It’s all there.

“Enjoy your meal, men. Toast each other. Write any messages to loved ones. Leave a note for prosperity. Make what might be your final statement to the world. And do remember to enjoy yourselves. Lights out at midnight, which is four and a half hours from now. We’ll wake you up at 0800, and we’ll launch at 1000 hours tomorrow, which is 14 hours from now. The hyper drive in the ship will get you to the surface of Mars in less than 14 minutes, so you’ll want to be ready to fight once you’re on board the craft.

“That’s all. Enjoy. I will see you all tomorrow morning.

I pause, and realize that perhaps I should add something. The men are still looking at me. I don’t think they need any more motivation, but I suppose I could say a few words. I pause, collect my thoughts.

“Winston Churchill said of the pilots that fought the Battle of Britain that, ‘Never has so much been owed by so many to so few.’ What you will do tomorrow will make that look like an insignificant street brawl. Tomorrow, you will fight a momentous battle that will either live forever in the annals of human history, or fade to ignominy and take the annals of human history with it. If you lose, our race will be a sidebar in alien history texts. The 5.6 billion people currently living on Earth—every man, woman, and child—will die. Hell, every life to be born for the next 100 years rides on your shoulders. Everthing—the past, the present, and the future of the Human Race—is in your hands. Never has there been a battle for which the stakes are higher.”

I pause, consider my feelings toward these 19 men that stand in front of me. The emotion of the moment is getting the better of me. I choke back a tear, take a deep breath, compose myself. I’ve got to stay steady.

“I cannot tell you how sad it makes me to realize that even if we win, it is likely that more than half of you will die in the mission, and how proud it makes me to see you approach your fates with such valor and determination. Even more incredible for me, it to realize that for each of you here, there are three more that would have cut off an arm to get on that Avenger. Regardless of our fate, It has been an honor to fight this war with each and every one of you.

“Enjoy your meal. See you in the morning.”

I walk out of the briefing room, leaving the men to enjoy their feast and to make their final statements…

[Coffee Warlord]

Just remember gentlemen.

If it's worth shooting with a plasma rifle, it's even better shooting with a blaster launcher. There is no such thing as overkill.

That is all. Where's my steak and lobster. And go find the Guinness keg.

[Poli]

Dear Mrs. Ardent,

I know you've questioned my motives and why I always made my decisions based on the Magic 8-Ball. I'll admit it's probably got me in more trouble than it was worth. I can't tell you where I am now, what I have been doing, or what I'll be doing in the very near future. I can tell you that I've destroyed that Magic 8-Ball.

You're the only girl I'll ever love
And I'd do anything not to give you up
If I could only stop the world
When you're standing by my side
See I'm having the time of my life
Yes, I'm having the time of my life

I'll see you soon. If not in person, in Heaven.





Dear Mom,

I think I found my calling. When I come home, no matter how far, I'll run through the doors and into your arms. Home is where I'm loved, and where I belong. I know you'll be there, when I come home.





Dear Tubby Enthusiast (Ardent's brother),

You suck. I hope you're the first one taken.

[Qwikshot]

It was supposed to be so easy.

We were ready, we were succeeding.

Then the bombs fell, first Moscow, then Chicago, and then the resistence fell.

We dispersed into the shadows, skilled enough in tactics, reflexes and paranoia to keep away from the agents sent to destory us.

The constant moving, the constant fear.

I remember the long nights, going over the day's drills, or the previous engagement, in my head. Waiting for the final battle, unsure if I would live to see it.

The thoughts of my father and his sacrifice.

The thoughts of all my brothers' sacrifices, those that went before, and those alive and fighting.

None of us thought it was over.

The message gets to me, through one of my trusted contacts. And my heart begins to beat faster with every line. The password burns in my brain, I hold it tightly, reading it silently with my lips. Then I burn the letter, the ashes fade away into the breeze as warships fly through the darkening skies.

Days later I make it to the destination, sure of losing any counter X-com agents...so funny how the hunters become the hunted, but I have the skills and I am sure my brothers have made it too without too much difficulty.

The word leaves my lips, with great exhiliration.

"Carter"

It is time.

We shall put forth in our darkest hour, the greatest effort to save civilization.

We shall fight valiently so that even if we fall the enemy will curse and know our ferocity, and if we should succeed, our names will echo throughout the galaxy.

To die saving the world would be a good death, to live saving the world would be divinity.

It is time!

[Raven Hawk]

To Whom It May Concern:

A man's last thoughts are something that is precious to him. Nobody really knows what will go through your head when you take in that last breath. I can only theorize. I've heard that one's life flashes before his eyes. I hope that is not so. Sometimes a life can sum itself up at the moment of death without taking into account a person's past misdeeds. Nobody faults a man for the follies of his youth except for himself. Being reminded of my youthful errors as I draw that last breath would be an unbearable torture for me. I can only hope that the good Lord spares me from such reflections when my time comes.

And my time is coming. Tomorrow morning I leave for Mars with 17 of the bravest men this world has known. Our task: Save Earth. Although the rewards of such a task would seem high, it is not for the rewards that these men risk their lives. We walk forward into almost certain death, for what? A world that wars amongst its own on a regular basis? A world where children starve in the streets? A world where men and women can be persecuted for having different beliefs? No. These men risk their lives for something better than that.

Hope. Certain events in history change the course and the attitudes of mass populations. I believe that this may be one of them. As evil as the aliens are, they have brought human beings one thing: Unity. It is the hope that this unity will prevail that drives us. We hope that when the aliens leave this planet, they take all the bigotry and hate that this world embodies with them. For once we are all known as Humans, not as Americans, Iraqis, Germans, French, Russians, and so on and so forth. Today we are all Humans. Tomorrow will we be the same? I hope so. That is why I risk everything that I have and more if I could. It's worth the sacrifice.

With a firm retrospective of my life and my world in hand, I head into battle with the aliens. Upon my reflections, I realize that my life may not have been spent serving the good Lord and his children as I should have. Perhaps, in death, I will.

Sincerely,

Sqd. Raven Hawk II

[RealDeal]

After Earth surrendered, I got on a boat and went to Costa Rica. Just been tooling around there, so I'm ready to go.

Carter

[kingfc22]

KingfcII sits in his old beat up Volkswagen bug. I was on my way to SAMCom when the bomb was dropped on Chicago. When I finally arrived for guard duty later that day, all our forces were telling me that I had to evacuate as soon as possible. I had just arrived. "What is goiing on", I asked?. One of the Avenger engineers answered, "The UN surrendered and GB has ordered us to flee before we are captured and tortured by the incoming wave of UFO's". Damn. Damn. Damn. I wanted that chance to avenge my father's death by a PSI-controlled agent. I hop back on the jet that I arrived on and ask the pilot where we are heading. He tells me that we are headeing south towards the horn.

Back to the present. It's just me and my bug. I'm still hoping and praying that this is not the way that I will spend the rest of my life. Living in fear that aliens are still trying to hunt me down. Why didn't that psychic see this coming? Why didn't she warn GB? Every time I turn on the radio, I hear the aliens broadcasting some bullshit. They are promising "freedom from your mind" if you come and join them on a trip aboard a UFO. Don't these people get it? They are going to use you as a protein source!!!

As I put my head down to sleep, I rememeber the few times my late father sent back letters after his missions. He seemed so happy to serve human kind and I never got that chance. Knowing there is no hope now, I glance over at the barrell of my Colt .45. Over the past few days I've pulled the trigger a few times, but the single bullet has never exited the gun. Maybe tongiht is my lucky night. I grab the handle and push the cold metal to the side of my head. I squeeze the trigger....








Nothing. Damn. Another day on this shitty planet. I hope for good news tomorrow because I don't want to pull that trigger again.

[Kodos]

To paraphrase a movie scene of some note:

My name is Kodos. You killed my planet. Prepare to die.


Now pass me some of that goat's blood!

[Fonzie]

Originally Posted by Kodos

Now pass me some of that goat's blood!

Psssst...hey Kodos, careful with that stuff. I hear AE peed in it.

[Poli]

Kodos takes a sip of the goat's blood, and spits it out quickly.

"Who put urine in my goat's blood?!? Who put urine in my goat's blood?!?"

The entire X-Com unit bursts into laughter.

[Kodos]

Originally Posted by ardent enthusiast

Kodos takes a sip of the goat's blood, and spits it out quickly.

"Who put urine in my goat's blood?!? Who put urine in my goat's blood?!?"

The entire X-Com unit bursts into laughter.

"Everyone who will be allowed to carry a weapon tomorrow, please raise their hand."

Looks at ardent, whose hand remains down.

[Fonzie]

Originally Posted by ardent enthusiast

Kodos takes a sip of the goat's blood, and spits it out quickly.

"Who put urine in my goat's blood?!? Who put urine in my goat's blood?!?"

The entire X-Com unit bursts into laughter.

::Freeze frame in the middle of guffaws.::

::Roll closing credits.::

[Coffee Warlord]

If I might suggest something Commander, I've been experimenting with something known as the Ardentapult. It involves a proximity bomb, a catapult, and, well, you can guess as to the last ingredient.

Stores easily inside the Avenger, and is machine washable!

[Poli]

Come on, you guys enjoyed the urine in the goat's blood joke.

[Swaggs]

While sitting in the dining hall, Swaggs wonders to himself how much longer AE will be known as the FOFC Survivor.

[Poli]

Well I've been taking
It all for granted
Everything that I, have been given
Now it is the day, to start this mission
It's been a long time a comin'

There are many, searching for answers
Tell me who am I, to keep it to myself?
I've grown weary of my own fears, yeah,
It's been a long time a comin'

Well I've been running just like an outlaw
And I am willing and I am able
To give you something that you can believe on
It's been a long time a comin'

X-Com'ers,
Have been staring, up into the sky
Waiting for Blitz's call
And I know one day
The clouds will roll down
It's been a long time comin'

Well I've been running just like an outlaw
And I am willing and I am able
To give you something that you can believe on
It's been a long time a comin'

LET'S GO X-COM!

[Fonzie]

We sailed away
We walked two thousand miles and then we slipped away
We looked so hard
But couldn't seem to find just what the world was for
Now we know
Just what the journey's for
Looking out to the stars
Think about what you are
What do they think of you
Animals in their zoo
They haven't got the time
Landing is not on their minds
How do they have the nerve
We're animals in preserve

They watch us all
They're only making sure that we don't trip and fall
They looked so hard
But they can't tell us why they're here and just what for
Because they don't know
Who opened up the door

How can we find out more
Who owns the keyless door
Where does the circle end
Who are the unwatched men
Where do we go from here
Faith is a fading fear
Life is a waiting room
I hope they don't call me soon

How much more do you really think you know than a flower does about who's behind the door!

[Kodos]

Highway to the Danger Zone,
Gonna take it right into the Danger Zone!

[Kodos]

Looks like Sammy Hagar forget the lyrics about kicking the Sectoids' asses when he wrote this:

Here we go marching to Mars
On a rainbow bridge
It doesn't seem so far
Steppin' into our universe
Moving towards life
To solve the problems on Earth

Everybody's marching to Mars
Gonna settle down there
Get me a house and a car
Save each other from ourselves
Poke our heads out of the sand
Sayin' Here I am!

Marchin' to Mars
We're marchin' to Mars

Hollywood's marching to Mars
For a grand new movie
With some brand new stars
Plastered on the silver screen
Gonna bring it on home
So you won't have to leave

Is there life in the universe?
Yeah, there's life in the universe!
We'll find God in the universe!
We'll find God but we'll find life first!

Marchin' to Mars!
Marchin' to Mars!
We're marchin' to Mars!
Marchin' to Mars!

[Breeze]

Good Luck Gentlemen! Wish I was going with you.

[SirFozzie]

"Carter"

(even tho I'm not on the &$22&$ mission

GOOOO XCOM!

[3ric]

*raises a toast*

"May you be in heaven a full half hour before the devil knows you're dead!"

Goodspeed and good luck, soldiers.

[Poli]

I've created a musical monster!

[Godzilla Blitz]

Update

December 16 (0948 hours)

X-COM Base Six

The Avenger II is hissing steam behind the 19 men that stand in front of me. Everything is set. The Avenger is loaded with equipment. The men are dressed in flying suits. The Hovercrafts are set to be rolled up into the bay once the men have boarded. It is time. After nearly one year of this hellish war, the end has come. I look at the 19 men.

“Men, the time for words is over. It is a time for action. A time for war.

“Go forth and kick some ass.”

And with that, it begins...

The men board the Avenger, take their seats in the crowded bay. The Hovertanks are turned on, and guided up the ramp. Up above the hanger, the base launch hatches begin to open with a slow grinding roar. Once the tanks are in, the technicians hit the hydraulic switch on the ramp. It slowly rises into place, then locks with a heavy, metallic click. The airseals shut tight. The craft is ready. Above us, the final hatch slides away, revealing a starry night sky high above us. This close to the winter solstice, there is no daylight up here at all. Frigid air starts to fill the hanger, but we’ve dressed appropriately.

We move to the side of the craft. We see Sachmo IV give a thumbs up. The engines kick in. We can see him talking to base control over his headset. We move back, but it isn’t necessary. The kick from the jump jets used for initial lift off is mild. Slowly the craft begins to rise through the takeoff tunnel. About halfway up, it begins to accelerate slightly. The lowest hatch of the base begins to slide back into place once the craft is clear. Less than a minute later, the hanger hatch is completely engaged. The base is back to normal. We go to the command center, to wait and listen.

The men on our mission today:

1. Commander Kodos
2. Colonel Wade Moore
3. Captain Revrew
4. Captain Jeff Nights II
5. Captain AStott
6. Captain Qwikshot II
7. Sergeant Fat Football II
8. Sergeant Thomkal II
9. Sergeant Achilles
10. Sergeant Swaggs
11. Sergeant Coffee Warlord II
12. Segeant Jeeber D
13. Sergeant Wolfpack
14. Squaddie Raven Hawk II
15. Squaddie Illinifan V
16. Squaddie Ardent Enthusiast
17. Squaddie Real Deal III
18. Rookie Tasan II
_____________

(I’ll be playing this mission as often as I can throughout the day, and will post it in a bunch of segments, I think. I don’t have a good idea yet how long it will take to play and write, or how often I will update. I’ll post here again as I have a better idea. As a rough guess, I expect it won’t be until late tonight that the mission is finished and completely posted, as I’ve got to stop a few times to handle work and family matters. I’ll do my best to post it all today.

As another aside, I intend to play this mission as I have every other mission: no restarts, no cheating, no advantages to me. If we win, so be it. If we lose, so be it. I can only guarantee that I will be playing my heart out to win.)

[sachmo71]

Sachmo IV keys the mic for internal communication.

"I hope everyone is strapped in. This is going to be one HELL of a ride!"

With that, he pushes the throttle to full power. The Avenger responds like a wild beast and screams into the atmosphere.

They have to get into space as fast as possible. Stealth is no longer an option. He tries not to think about all of the alien craft that even now are probably scrambling to try to turn the Avenger into a ball of flaming, twisted wreckage. He tries not to think about that fact that the craft that they are going to cover millions of miles in space in has never been tested. All he thinks about is the destination.

Mars or bust!

[Raven Hawk]

Does this thing have enough fuel to get us back to earth if we are successful? Or is this one of those one-way trip dealies?