Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 5147536" data-attributes="member: 143">Yeah, the d20M project had a great model that I used for the reapers. I'll see if I can post a pic later.* * * * * Session 19 (September 1, 2008)Chapter 72“It looks like they came on foot over the desert, from the northeast,” Hallorand said.  He activated graphics that appeared on the map displayed on the big LCD as he gave his report.  “Nothing there but empty desert for about 200 miles.  We haven’t found where they landed, yet, but we’re still scouting out possible sites.”“Couldn’t you just follow the tracks left by that big bastard?” Hadrian asked.  “We’re on it, but it’s some rough country out there,” Hallorand said. “Of more concern is how they got inside our detection perimeter,” Wagner said.  “Our preliminary analysis indicates that the floaters had some sort of integrated device that seems like it was designed to confound our sensors.”“Okay, that not good,” Vasily said.  He was still a bit weak, but he’d insisted on sitting in on the briefing, even if he could barely remain upright in his chair. “Now that we know about it, we should be able to counter,” Wagner said.  “But it shows they are still a step ahead of us.”“They brought that EM generator all that way,” Jane said.  “Caught us completely by surprise.”“Our systems were hardened, but that pulse was… nasty,” Hallorand said in agreement.  “From what we’ve heard, Reno and Las Vegas are still completely dark.”“Well, we will definitely need to secure all of our systems against another burst like that,” Garret said.  “And a new alien species to add to our list,” James noted. “I saw it on the camera as they brought it in,” Garret said. “What’s next?” Drake snorted.  “Dragons and trolls?”Wagner brought up a picture of the carcass on the monitor, its body making the autopsy bay seem cramped and crowded.  “It is probably another genetically engineered creature.  Looks like it was designed for close fighting.  Tough, fast.”“Not fast enough for Alpha,” Garret said.  “Yes, well, I’d be more worried about how the aliens could infiltrate and break our security at will,” Drake said.  “Hopefully we’ll know more by morning,” Garret said.  “I’ve got the interceptors on alternating CAP duties until the main sensor array is back online.  USAF has agreed to scan the desert for us.”“Did seem small force if they intend to take out all of base,” Vasily said.  “Am wondering if this was just… test of new creature.”“From what I’ve seen of the alien devices,” Wagner said, “They couldn’t have hidden any more than that from our sensors.”“Vasily has a point,” Garret said.  “They certainly seem able to adapt.”“We shall just have to adapt faster, then,” Drake said, a grim thought that held them as they stared at the monstrous thing up on the monitor, even in death dwarfing the white-clad researchers that moved around it, beginning the work of learning more about what they faced. * * * The Alphas didn’t get much sleep that night, charged up from the battle above and the implications of the latest alien gambit.  Several of them met up in the firing range, where they practiced some more with the new plasma pistols, getting over some of the awkwardness of the alien weapons.  When they reunited in the briefing room at 0800, they found the department heads already there.  “Good morning,” Garret said in greeting as the Alphas filed in.  “We were just going over what we’ve learned.” He nodded to Doctor Wagner, who continued her report.  “The aliens came overland, from a landing site approximately seventy-five miles northeast of here.  As we noted earlier, the floaters were upgraded with an integrated device that sent out a jamming field effective against our sensors.  We can compensate, now that we know about the technology.”She nodded to Stan White, who stood and brought up a picture of the big alien they’d killed topside on the monitor.  “Wait, where’s James?” Jane asked.  “He left two hours ago,” Garret said.  “Doctor White, maybe you can best explain.”Stan nodded.  “We got this, last night, from Buzz Olloff, at the Advanced Aerospace Design Center.  Buzz has been working on the software for the Lightning project, and we sent him the Russian hard drive to see if he could help out on the decryption.”He typed in a few keys on the control screen, and an e-mail popped upon the large LCD. “The files we got included information about Russian experiments on using energy fields and alien DNA to stimulate cellular regeneration in humans,” Stan explained.“We found device marked like that in base,” Vasily said. Stan nodded.  “Apparently some of the experiments led to some nasty side effects, but there were also some remarkable breakthroughs.  It is likely that the OSNAZ agents that you encountered had been ‘enhanced’ through these processes, which would help explain why they were so difficult to kill.  While stronger safety protocols than those used by the Russians would be in order, our researchers may be able to use this data to begin work on regenerative serums that can eventually be used by X-COM field units.”“That would be useful,” Jane said. “Indeed,” Stan replied.  “There are a ton of useful applications, this could advance medical science by—” “Suffice it to say that we’re moving on this to get some useful field applications,” Garret interrupted.  “Doctor Allen’s hasty departure is for a meeting at the American National Institutes of Health in Maryland; there’s a team of scientists from the United States and the European Union there already, working on several projects derived from alien science.”“How long will he be gone?” Jane asked. “Hopefully, just a few days,” Stan said.  “Doctor White, for now, please continue with your briefing,” Garret said. Stan nodded and brought the image of the big alien back up on the screen.  “Our preliminary analysis indicates that they’re definitely an engineered species,” he explained, bringing up a column of data that didn’t mean a whole lot to the Alphas.  They already knew what the thing could do.  “Built for combat.  Fast, armored, and deadly.  We’re calling them ‘reapers’ for now.”“How droll,” Agent Drake said.  By the look on her face as she sipped her coffee, she hadn’t gotten any sleep last night either. Garret turned to her.  “Agent Drake, your update?”“I was going to report on this last night… before.  A source has provided a lead on a possible alien activity on U.S. soil.  We’ve set up a cordon… quietly… around an industrial park outside of Dallas.  The place is dead; business dried up in the crash of ’08.  Not much there now save for rotting buildings, mostly.”“What kind of ‘activity,’ you think?” Vasily asked.  “That’s why you’re here, Vasily,” Drake said without missing a beat.  “To find out the answers to those questions.”“The neighborhood is putting out a lot of energy for an ‘inactive’ region,” Wagner said.  She brought up a map of the southern United States, which rapidly zoomed in until they could see Dallas, and then closer, until they could see the buildings of the target zone in detail.  “This is an old satellite image,” she explained.  “Our preliminary scans indicate that something is going on there.”“Anyway,” Drake went on, after a look at Garret, “We’ve agreed to let X-COM take the lead in this investigation.”“If there is activity related to the aliens going on there, we need to find out, and learn what we can.”“Any indication of what kind of aliens?” Hadrian asked. “Hyperwave decoder shows nothing,” Wagner said.  “Although if they have jammers now…”“Assume it could be anything,” Garret said. “Right,” the Marine acknowledged.“Last night’s attack notwithstanding, the aliens have been too quiet of late,” Garret said.  “They’re up to something, and we need to know what it is, before it happens.  We’ve been playing catch up too much of late.”“The area should be clear of civilians,” Wagner said.  “If you do run into anyone, try to scare them out.  We don’t want collateral damage.”“Any human collaborators likely?” James asked. “I would have said no,” Garret said, “before France.”The Alphas shared a look, and nodded in understanding.  “You depart at 1200 hours,” Garret said. “Why the delay?” Hadrian asked. Garret shifted his gaze to Vasily.  “Before you depart, you have an appointment in Workshop 2.”</blockquote>

Verification