Introduction
Spoiler (click to show/hide):
The XCOM Project was founded as a joint black ops initiative to counter and defeat the growing extraterrestrial threat. It achieved much success in the endeavor, but it was mortally wounded in a surgical attack on its headquarters. Following that, the project would require immense funding to rebuild and replace all lost assets, including new technicians after many were turned by the pleasure provided by the alien.
A refounding occurred after many months and the XCOM Project was at full speed once again. Threats were appearing globally as the aliens were slowly emerging from the shadows. Most notably, Canada was amok with human sympathizers breeding hybrids for the alien army by the dozen. It wasn't long until much of Canada was overrun and the Prime Minister and the army concentrated its defense around Montreal, Quebec. Despite XCOM's best efforts, Montreal was overrun, and the Canadian leadership executed, and the females used as breeding stock.
Following this major defeat, and the permanent loss of a nation providing funding to the XCOM project, the division was halted. All members were disbanded until further notice. For all intensive purposes, XCOM was dead. XCOM had failed. The Council of Nations marked this defeat as too significant, despite the organization's other many successes. Now, that time has passed.
The aliens, after a hibernation, have re-emerged. The USA borders are closed and garrisoned by thousands of soldiers, most of which forced to serve by the recent federal draft. Sightings of alien movements have been reported, thousands, possibly millions, threaten to overrun the United States at any moment. Meanwhile, in Europe, a similar chaos has emerged. Towns and entire military bases have gone quiet. Alien raids have become more military in nature rather than abductory. Eastern Russia is practically off the radar, as all contact has been lost. France, Germany, Poland panic as their raids increase. China's northern half is besieged by roaming warbands of hybrids and mutons. On top of everything else, a pro-alien organization, named Exalt, has come forward and provided an alternative path of 'cooperation' and 'surrender' to the alien. XCOM is needed once again.
The otherworldly threat is no secret now. Though the Council of Nations still mandates silence on all matters regarding the aliens, news channels openly show helicopter and satellite feed of aliens to all who would watch. The new XCOM will be on official payroll and located in the beating heart of America: Washington, D.C.
After gathering and informing all soldiers willing to return, including new recruits, every soldier is flown out, bused, or otherwise brought on a train to the capitol of the U.S.A. When they arrive, the soldiers are led to a similar underground base, just outside the capitol city itself near the highway. It looks like a large storage shed, but when the garage door is lifted, a single hatch marks middle of the room, and beneath it, a ladder leading down to the bowels of XCOM. The recruited soldiers have to go down one by one, likely foiling any ground attack against the base that didn't involve plasma drills or massive explosions. The ladder leads the group down into a small room connected to the hangar, where the three former heads of XCOM greet them. Many engineers and maintenance workers go to and fro just as before, eager to prepare the interceptors and skyranger for combat.
The three familiar faces of Officer Tamara Bradford, Doctor Vahlen, and Chief Engineer Deidre Chen meet the XCOM soldiers arriving in the hangar. All maintained their beauty quite well. In fact, Vahlen somehow looked a few years younger. She was still a dirty blonde with a bust to die for. The red-headed XO Tamara Bradford still had her shoulder-length red hair and a firm body with an unbelievably toned and perky ass, admirable even through her grey suit. Chen was the shortest, and youngest, of the three, but still carried some impressive curves herself, even in her engineering uniform.
All three of them carefully watch the soldiers step off the ladder, bags, suitcases, or rucksacks in tow. The three of them wait for everyone to get off the ladder before speaking.
Vahlen eyes some of the newer soldiers with a bit of seduction and venom in her eyes, but says nothing, and instead allows Officer Bradford to speak.
"Welcome back, soldiers. I'm sure all of you are tired. We'll save the briefing for tomorrow. Most of you know the situations at hand, and for now, you can all take the day to rest, prepare, or whatever else you need to do. We'll provide squad assignments tomorrow as well. Those of you who were part of the former XCOM, help out the newcomers, this base has the same layout as the last one."
Chen clears her throat and says, "All personalized equipment and weapons left with XCOM will be found in the armory, for those of you who wish to practice, or prepare, as Bradford put it."
Vahlen interrupts and says, "More importantly, all of you have undergone genetic enhancement as part of your admittance. The select few of you are also capable of psychic power resembling that of the alien. Those of you with psionic powers, please come with me."
Bradford nods, "Everyone else, dismissed. Be ready for tomorrow."
She motions to a base map, much like the map in a mall, near the hangar exit. It shows all relevant areas and where the barracks is.
(Refer to the third post in the OOC thread for a list of areas in the XCOM Base)
Psionic people
Spoiler (click to show/hide):
Vahlen leads the few soldiers with psychic ability to an elevator that eventually stops after passing a number of floors. The hallway long, large, and with high ceilings. You pass many containment cells, some with actual aliens in it. From your training, you recall some of their names as mutons, sectoids, and even some of the most dangerous psychic ones: a pair of sectoid commanders catch your eyes as she marches past them without flinching. The hallway ends at a large office, which you think might also be her personal quarters. She sits down behind her desk and motions for the rest of you to take seats.
"Now, I am aware of your capabilities as I have each of your folders here. But, we must run a few more... tests."
