|
April 8
It was a busy day even after the important Devil's Hammer mission. The updated totals showed new leaders on our killboard, as not one but two soldiers leapfrogged Brodie into the lead position with nine confirmed ...
KILLBOARD
LCPL Brooke Carter -- 9
LCPL Su-Min Kim -- 9
LCPL Lily Brodie -- 8
LCPL Rebecca Burke -- 6
LCPL Yolanda Pena -- 5
SPEC Esperanza Guerrero -- 4
SPEC Benton Gale -- 4
SPEC Jace Hunter -- 4
SPEC Thozama Khumalo -- 3
SPEC Mac Roguru -- 3
SPEC Coffee Warlord -- 3
SPEC Amiyah Banerjee -- 2
SPEC Georgia Murdoch -- 2
SPEC Path Twelve -- 2
SPEC Sophie Deschamps -- 1
SPEC Naomi Foster -- 1
PFC Stephen Garner -- 1
SPEC Eman Hodzic -- 1
SPEC Didier Keita -- 1
SPEC Courtney Mason -- 1
SPEC Ches O'Peake -- 1
SPEC Eliana Soares -- 1
Dr. Shen asked to see me, and took the opportunity to wax on about the recent developments ...
'That hulk of flesh and metal troubles me. What do we risk by our own investigations into the melding of human and machine? Will we see a line in the sand and refuse to cross it? Or will we move forward, willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of total victory? I have to believe that is not our future, provided of course that the aliens' technology remains in the right hands. '
I think we would all be better served if he kept his overly moralistic philosophical ramblings to himself. The floaters trouble me as well, but only as the latest development in the war. I'll worry about the fallout when it's over -- that's a luxury of victors, not those fighting a possibly futile resistance.
News Headlines
** Reports of a firefight between unidentified soldiers and aliens at UFO crash site in Germany brings hope of a government response to threats
** Pressure mounts in Australia as their inability to monitor alien threats comes into question
** Reports indicate unidentified object shot down after prolonged aerial battle with unknown fighter craft
** Purported alien abduction in China stopped by mysterious military operatives equipped with 'advanced weaponry'
** Pressure mounts in India as their inability to monitor alien threats comes into question
The fact that XCOM has been unable to extend satellite coverage to the many nations requesting it around the world is beginning to have political consequences.
0736 -- About an hour after returning from Devil's Hammer, Dr. Vahlen presented her Xenoneurology report, dubbed Project Spark.
'After examining several alien brains, I believe we have found a weakness in their nervous system. We have designed a prototype new weapon, the Arc Thrower ... functions on the basic premise of neurological disruption, emitting a focused electromagnetic pulse ... it's safe to assume there might be unexpected results in the field ... it might be more effective to weaken the enemy first'
'constrained by our current power supply technology, which limits it's effectiveness to one shot per deployment. Any captives retrieved from the field will have to be housed in an Alien Containment facility. ... We will also need to autopsy members of that species before we can properly interrogate them.'
Certainly this is a more positive report than the first two research projects which gave us mostly just more trepidation about the enemy's capabilities.
Dr. Shen reports that at current capabilities, the Arc Thrower will cost 10m and require a 20-day production time. Meanwhile, the Alien Containment Facility will require only 14 days, but cost 20m and 10 kg of alien alloys will be needed as well. At present, there is nearly enough in the general fund to build the containment facility and one Arc Thrower, but we will certainly need more eventually. Work on both is initiated, borrowing slightly for the moment from the Air War fund, and once again power is becoming an issue. We now have less than 10% surplus, 49 of 55 GW being used.
Construction teams are extremely busy right now, with a satellite uplink and workshop being built in addition, and excavation ongoing as well.
Dr. Vahlen moves on to work on alien weaponry, which will require nine days and five weapon fragments. It is hoped that further developments in our weapon programs will result.
Later in the day, heavy UFO activity was reported over Australia.
|