Hey, everybody else has started a let's play and abandoned it. Lets Play X-Com!

[Kane]

There is only one solution.
WITCH HUNT!

The question is, which style. Do we want to turn people against one another with paranoia, letting suspected people get torn to death by angry mobs. Or do we want to go for the aloof aproach. An elite group remaining seperate from the masses, "Vanishing" suspects, only having them appear for show trials if at all.

How 'bout the far-future one that involves flamethrowers and blazing prometheum?

Of course, I might have to change the spelling of my name.

[Flickerdart]

Huh. Well.

Spoiler

Show

If I do play Terror from the Deep, the plan is that X-COM, with no government oversight, no ethical restraints, and, due to holdings in the outer colonies, has been going further and further into "Bad idea" territory, and after a few of the projects made on a weekend bender get loose, the science team members in the secret undersea base are now desperately trying to cover up their involvement in the whole matter. As cheaply as possible.

You mean, aside from "blame it all on Copper"?

[Rockphed]

You mean, aside from "blame it all on Copper"?

Obviously Copper isn't available for blaming.

[chiasaur11]

Obviously Copper isn't available for blaming.

One way or another.

[Cubey]

Clearly, one of our science team member is a traitorous traitor.

I have an alternate theory.
X-Com technology is so superior, aliens copy us instead of the other way around.
But if you find any scientist witches, then go on - do what you want with them. Maybe throw them into Copper's locked warehouse, but that sounds like too harsh a punishment even for a traitor. Maybe you should just make them sit through a lecture on loyalty (performed by Eldan, for example) AND make their salaries for this month arrive at my account instead.

[Kane]

Scientist Witches... Whoa.... I wonder if they float?

[BRC]

Scientist Witches... Whoa.... I wonder if they float?

Their Scientists, so we better do the 'ol Sink or Swim test in some sort of chemical. Perhaps Hydrochloric Acid. That's scientific.

[Thanatos 51-50]

How 'bout the far-future one that involves flamethrowers and blazing prometheum?

Of course, I might have to change the spelling of my name.

I approve of this idea. I also propose that we have our witch-hunters be supermodels wearing tight-fitting armourweave clothes and we bless the promethium. (Because power armour is unsexy)

[chiasaur11]

Two raids, no issues, 100 E-117.
Snakemen might be my new favorite species. I really wondered why Chumbley worried that they were being deployed.
Their generous gifts of Elerium were quickly put to work.

Flying suits for everyone and

a new gun for the interceptors. This thing had promise. More range, power, and accuracy than anything we'd seen before. The skies suddenly were looking a lot friendlier.


As the funding council left, I went to go talk to Chumbley. Figured I might as well find out what was going on with that old alien ship. Might as well know what would try to kill us with lobsters.
"Well, I don't know much, sir. Apparently an old colonization vessel was lost millenia ago, complete with the most dangerous research projects we had. Even, legend has it, a high 90s Psi, whose gaze could drive men mad. The colony, T'Leth, was solar powered. Assuming the stars were right, it could keep going forever. "
"Stars right, madness and terror, lost city with an Eth in it... I think I've heard this song and dance before."
"Doubtless. The ship had a distress beacon working on the same principles as the mind probe. Through the centuries, hints as to the nature of the thing would slip into the public consciousness. This ship is probably the most valuable cultural artifact not currently on a highly secured death world. No wonder my former allies are working so hard to recover it."
"Well, if the Snakemen are their elite troops..."
"Sir, I dearly hope that bravado will prove itself well founded."

And time passed. Reaper races, attempts to weld a plasma cannon to a busted Cyberdisk, letters to the secret antarctic base mocking Professor Standard's speech impediment...

Life was good. So good, in fact, that the security on the alien containment got lax. Not surprising really. Chumbley's a nice guy, and most of his fellow Sectoids aren't too bad when they aren't trying to kill you, and Reapers aren't at all bright. No reason to expect a break, except that new Snakeman Navigator, and a half built hyperwave system that might be able to send out a signal or two, if somebody was desperate enough to try.

Fortunately, the heavy security on storage (to prevent Copper from escaping) prevented any casualties from the attack, but some signal got sent before Knight recaptured our prisoner.

"Alright, son. Why'd you break loose? You should know that just lets Knight try the prod on you more often."
"Hhh. Hhh. Mammal, I just authorized a terror strike. If you surrender now, we may permit some of you to survive."
"Heard that before. Knight? You seen 'Cannibal Holocaust'? Give our visitor an introduction to the finer points of Earth culture."

And that was that, bar the hideous screaming. At least until the Egyptian government called us in, saying they'd lost contact with Cairo. I grabbed BRC from the infirmary.

"From each according to his ability, pal. Here's the Psi Amp you have the ability to use. Which means you don't need to be able to walk."
"With this we can encourage the proletariat of the oppressed Floater masses..."
And suddenly, I understood why the flight suits had independent mutes for each trooper's com link. I used it and dragged the Sgt. to the ranger.




Lopez scouted for the first bit, and the snakemen he spotted continued the job.

When suddenly one of our brainjacked buddies got a facefull of something that looked like HR Giger drew the smiley face. I called Chumbley.
"Black carapace?"
"Yeah. Jet black carapace, lobster claws, and the happiest smile you ever seen. Stood back from the snakeman for a second like it was checking for something, then it lit up like a kid at Christmas and ripped the soldier I was controlling to happy meal sized bits."
"Run. Burn the city to the ground. Call in the most powerful weapons you have. That, Commander, was a Chryssalid. Worlds have died to them."
"Yeah, but I figure Egypt won't be too happy with us nuking their country off the map. We're technically heroes, Chumbley, and that means we have a legal obligation to at least try to kill anything that gets in our way."
I clicked another channel off on the Com.

I decided to go for it. These things probably had minds, and if they did, I might be able to crush said brains like so many wads of bubble wrap. It worked.
Fast, nasty, and seemingly... unarmed? Oh. Joy. These things ripped people and Snakemen apart with just their claws. I tried to sort through the memories this thing had to see how to make it kill. The results weren't pretty.
I sent it over to the shopping center. I really wanted to try this thing out.

The Snakes seemed a mite opposed to these things breaking loose. Three rounds of Plasma and a grenade, even to the point of killing their own troops? Huh. Maybe these things were even worse than they looked. Lopez had been right near the barrage, but he shrugged it off. If he'd accept it, I'd put him down for promotion.

Unfortunately, some of our favorite new breed of nightmares were less cooperative.
"Alright. Ready mass fire. Copper, charge in and distract it. We'll probably level the city, but it's... Alright. Where'd Knight go?"

There he was. Colonel Knight had just charged the new species, a being basically built to kill at close range more brutally than almost anything on Earth, to stab it with his bayonet.

Then he proved the almost in the previous statement correct by ripping the thing in two with one quick slice. The phrase "Suicidally overconfident" seemed almost as relevant to Knight's performance as the phrase "Killing machine", but he did get results.
"See? That's what we expect, at minimum, from Colonels. Be very glad, dirtbags, you have not been promoted that far."

We fanned out to the sky to clear out the remainder of the area, but it seemed Knight had dealt with the last of these things. A few Snakemen were still around, but they went down fast enough.

And Chumbley said to nuke the site. Awfully silly of him.

We got an autopsy of the new creatures soon enough.

Cubey summed it up after the mission.
"Basically, what we have here is the perfect killing machine. Fast, reproduces well in combat conditions, the skin is a match for most of our current armor plating... if I was interested in biotech, this is basically what I'd be trying to make."
"Did you say laserproof?"
"Basically. I mean, some shots may managed to circumvent the plates, and enough force would drop it, but it is remarkably tough. Our best technology wouldn't last long if these things took a whole city. I can see why Chumbley recommended nukes."
"Knight stabbed one to death. "
"We do not pay him enough."
"Probably true. But as long as he doesn't know, we can get away with it."

[BRC]

...Knight, You get free drinks for a week at my illicit bar hidden in the living quarters. Just don't tell the Commander, I give him $75 in drinks every week to keep him from shutting it down.

[Alex Knight]

"Knight stabbed one to death. "
"We do not pay him enough."
"Probably true. But as long as he doesn't know, we can get away with it."

What they don't know is that I'd pay THEM for the chance to inflict this kind of carnage.

(OOC: I actually beat a Chryssalid in melee combat? Great hopping horny toads!)

[Tengu_temp]

I wonder what that "civilians killed by X-Com operative" part means.

Also, I think the solution to Australia's concerns is simple - nuke'em! build a new base there!

[BRC]

This called for
X-Comic 3
No Respect

Spoiler

Show

Lopez's Writing career will be explored further in later episodes.

[Alex Knight]

Hey now, I always respect Lopez!

[Tengu_temp]

5? Where'd 3 and 4 disappear to?

[chiasaur11]

We all respect Lopez, really.
Ace scout, crack shot, raconteur...

[Artanis]

BRC, I'm loving the comics. Keep 'em coming!

I wonder what that "civilians killed by X-Com operative" part means.

It means pretty much exactly what it sounds like: some agent or another killed a civilian while on a psychopathic killing spree with a stray shot or grenade or something.

[chiasaur11]

BRC, I'm loving the comics. Keep 'em coming!



It means pretty much exactly what it sounds like: some agent or another killed a civilian on a psychopathic killing spree with a stray shot or grenade or something.

I might have been a little trigger happy near the gas station when I saw a Chryssalid. Or a lot trigger happy. And there might have been a chain reaction.

[Swot]

Some of the best X-comm soldiers make use of their environment.
The Chryssalid died, that's what is classified as a success!

[Cubey]

Is Alex Knight wearing a Chryssalid hat?

[Gralamin]

I might have been a little trigger happy near the gas station when I saw a Chryssalid. Or a lot trigger happy. And there might have been a chain reaction.

I'm pretty sure there is no such thing as overboard when it comes to Chryssalids.

[Eldan]

Is Alex Knight wearing a Chryssalid hat?

Oh, I wondered why he suddenly looked so much like Eldan.

Not that I'm half-chrysalid or anything.

[Alex Knight]

Is Alex Knight wearing a Chryssalid hat?

He challenged my hand-to-hand superiority!

[Alex Knight]

Oh, I wondered why he suddenly looked so much like Eldan.

Not that I'm half-chrysalid or anything.

Of course you're not. Chryssalids put up a challenge when I thump 'em.

*beats Eldan unconcious again*

[Cubey]

Well, the maniacal, psychotic grin smile fits completely.

[Alex Knight]

Well, the maniacal, psychotic grin smile fits completely.

Yes, yes it does.

(No beatings for you. Science team got me my bayonetted rifle)

[Oslecamo]

Yes, yes it does.

(No beatings for you. Science team got me my bayonetted rifle)

So just imagine the fun good deeds you could get if you had a chain-axe-rifle!

[BRC]

So just imagine the fun good deeds you could get if you had a chain-axe-rifle!

NO! Don't say the C-Word around Alex! He'll spend the next ten minutes drooling. Then we have to sedate him before he charges into the science labs.

[Cubey]

I'm glad it will take us more than 50 years and another alien invasion to research combat usable vibro-blades then.

[Johnny Blade]

Bah. Vibro-blades and chainsaws, that's nothing.

I say, if we can manufacture laser handguns, we can also make a laser chainsaw.