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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 5355211" data-attributes="member: 143">Thanks for the praise, guys. Today's post covers the end of the last session, when the group returned to Earth after the Mars mission. Friday I'm going to post the players' own end-of-campaign aftermath posts, and then I'll have a short epilogue for next Monday.I'll also post some more on what I'm working on in my other fiction. I have two novels and a novella posted now, and should have a few more things coming out in the near future. * * * * * Session 30 (November 24, 2008)Chapter 144Thirty days after blasting off from Cydonia, the Avenger descended from orbit around the Earth, entering the atmosphere of the blue planet.  With the spacecraft low on fuel, Ken took them in on a straightforward descent, the ship streaking through the atmosphere over the northern Pacific, coming down toward the west coast of the United States.  They’d been sent coordinates for landing, not at HQX, but at San Francisco. “Looks like we’ve got a bit of a welcoming committee,” Ken said, as he guided the Avenger to a landing site located within the Presidio.  A series of white temporary buildings had been erected there, and as the ship landed in their midst, settling onto a pad of reinforced concrete, mechanical arms extended a plastic tarp over the entire site. The hatch opened to reveal a familiar face, if one obscured within the transparent hood of a biological containment suit.  “Well, look who’s back!” Grace said.  “I know you’re eager to be out and about, but we’ve got decontamination set up for you first.  After that, I think there’s some other folks who want to talk to you.”“Lead the way,” Catalina said.  The decontamination process was through but quick, taking less than an hour altogether.  They were given fresh clothes, and were directed by armed security personnel to a door that led to a grassy park, an open space surrounded by low buildings, with the towering majesty of the Golden Gate Bridge visible in the background.  Hundreds of people were visible, and they broke into applause as the Alphas appeared.  The ground rose into a low hill opposite them, where a footpath turned into a stone staircase that led up to a paved area above.  A number of people were waiting for them there, but before they could head in that direction, three people stepped forward to greet them.“I suppose we should get our chance to congratulate the heroes, while we still can,” Doctor Wagner said. “Yes, I suppose there will be a line, shortly,” Joan Beauvais agreed.  “You guys did it too,” James said, once they had exchanged hugs and tears.  “You made this possible.”“Good job, team,” Chief Hallorand said, with a grin.  He glanced over his shoulder up the hill.  “I guess you’d better not keep them waiting.”They headed out on the path.  Most of the crowd gave them space, but the applause only intensified.  A few familiar faces were visible as they made their way across the lawn.  Catalina stopped before one of them.“Hey there, Cat,” Jürgen Ritter said.Catalina reached up to pat his cheek, and gave him a brief kiss.  “They didn’t go for nothing,” she whispered. “Thank you,” he said, his eyes wet.Jane spotted someone else they knew.  “Hey, Vala, good to see you made it,” she said.  The agent’s smile was wry.  “Well, I’ve got a bit of a limp.”  She blinked in surprise as Jane hugged her, then laughed and returned the gesture.  Another familiar face was waiting for them at the base of the steps.  Agent Drake’s lips tightened as she regarded the Alphas.  “Well.  I suppose you did it, after all.”“You told us to, remember?” Vasily said.  Jane hugged her as well, but the most she got out of Drake was a slight grimace that might have been something close to a smile.  “Who’re the nobs?” Catalina asked, looking up at the people gathered along the paved area at the top of the steps.  Several stood apart from the rest, waiting patiently for them to approach.  “Hey, is that the American president over there?” Mary asked.  They made their way up the steps, facing the VIPs, who were arranged in a rough half-circle facing them.  This close they were instantly recognizable, as they included several of the most famous leaders of the human race.  The noise of the crowd died out as the Alphas reached the top of the steps, and one of the waiting leaders stepped forward to address them, and those gathered.“Members of X-COM,” President Barack Obama said, “On behalf of the people of Earth, we owe you a debt of gratitude that we can never repay.”There was a surge of applause and cheering at that, which the President let continue for a few moments, before he raised a hand.  Again the din silenced, and he continued, “We’ve got a lot of hard work ahead of us, to be sure.  We’ve got to rebuild our cities.”Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon added, “If there’s one thing this attack has done for us, it has united us as one people, one race.  The human race.”Obama nodded in agreement.  “Yes.  Together, we will rebuild our shattered planet.”“Except for the French,” James added, under his voice.  General Graves, standing in the front rank of dignitaries, echoed the doctor’s comment, shouting, “Yeah, and if those Chinese and Frenchies don’t like it, well, we’ve got the Elerium!”The Secretary-General rubbed his forehead.  “Ah… yes.”President Obama came forward and shook the hands of each of the Alphas in turn.  “Good work,” he said, as he took James’s hand, at the end of the line. “Thank you, mister President.  And keep up your good work.”“You know,” he said to James, “My surgeon general was in New York when the bombs hit.  I’ll be speaking to you, Doctor Allen.”“I’ll look forward to that conversation, mister President.  Medicine is going to be revolutionized by the alien advances.”Another of the leaders came forward, a sad and heavy look on his face.  “Agent De Farrago,” he said. “Minister Miliband,” she said.  “You got the short straw, sir?”“I was about all that was left, sadly.  We’re going to see something new; not quite the UN, something… well, we’re still working it out.  Britain’s going to need a seat at the table.  I hope I can count on your support.”“As long as I don’t have to get my fingernails broken, sir, then yes.”“Wonderful.”The Secretary-General came up to Mary Ramna.  “Doctor Ranma,” he said.“Yes sir,” Mary replied. “We’re going to be putting together a new world agency dedicated to dealing with the aftermath of the alien invasion.  Health issues, biological impacts, environmental problems.  It seems that you would have a unique perspective on that.”“Oh, me?  Thank you, sir!”General Graves quietly pulled Hadrian aside from the group.  “Well, Marine, no need for sappy stories here, right?”“Sir,” Hadrian replied. “We’re going to need good men, going forward.  And damned if we aren’t going to have to redo our entire war manual.  I need a man who can coordinate between these here alien experts and our boots on the ground.”  Hadrian only nodded, so the general continued, “We’ve got a big job left ahead of us, as you know.  So, Marine, can Uncle Sam count on you?”“I’m not really a desk jockey, sir,” Hadrian offered cautiously. Graves laughed.  “Desk jockey?  Hell, son, you’re going to be my man on the front lines!  Unless you think that those Frenchies and Red Chinese are just going to clap their hands and say all’s forgiven?”“I see,” Hadrian said.  “And I’ll be that there’s still an alien or two out there waiting to be found.  You’re going to train our boys to deal with them.”“Wherever the Corps sends me, I’ll go, sir.”Graves shook his hand.  “That’s what I wanted to hear, son.”“Semper Fi,” Hadrian said. Jane turned around as Vala Night came up behind her.  “So, Jane.  Seems you might be out of a job soon.  I happen to know some people who are very interested in someone with a can-do attitude, and a creative approach to problem solving.  And governments can’t solve every problem, of course.”Agent Drake walked up next to her sister; that close, the familiar similarity was evident.  “If you would prefer to stay with the United States government, miss Swift, we’d be glad to have you as well.”“Bah,” Vala said.  “Those starched suits are no fun.  My organization pays well, and you get to do a lot of good.”“You may not like me,” Drake said, “but don’t turn down a chance to help a lot of people.  We could use someone with your expertise.”  “Who said I don’t like you, Inise,” Jane said, with a  smile.  “I’ll talk to you later, both of you.”Both women nodded, sharing a quick and not entirely friendly look at the identical gesture.  But they withdrew, talking in low voices. Vasily watched each of the side conversations.  When his turn came, and he heard the voice clear behind him, he turned to see Michael Garret standing there, dressed in the same eternal black suit.  “Vasily.”“Director.”“You know, this has been an… interesting… few months.”Vasily nodded in wry agreement. “But I think I’m done.  I’m resigning as head of X-COM.”The others had turned to listen.  “Oh, sorry to hear,” Vasily said.“You… all of you…  you’ll continue to be a part of our organization, even as you go on to new opportunities.  But we’ll need someone to take up the reins.  X-COM needs to continue to exist.  If only to keep planning ahead.  We need a man who can lead.  A man who can do things… unconventionally, at times.”“Who can snore boldly where no one has snored before,” Catalina said. Neither Garret nor Vasily betrayed any reaction at the comment.  “In short, Vasily, it’s your job, if you want it,” Garret said.  “Go for it, Vas, they need someone with an arse that looks as good in a pair of combats as yours does,” Catalina said. “Vas, you are the man for this!” James added.“Hah.  Well,” the Russian said.  “We see how that go.  Okay.”“Vasily the head of X-COM?” Mary said.  “Oh no, more pushups, more crunches.  Please let me go home now.”They all laughed, and kept smiling as the President spoke up.  “We’ve all come a long way,” he said.  “The world has changed, no doubt about it.  We can no longer be secure in our uniqueness.  We are part of a universe that has just gotten a lot larger.”He met each of their eyes in turn as he continued, “We survived this round, but we’re going to have to face the unknown, and a future where old assumptions may no longer apply.  But with people like those gathered here, I know we will face it successfully.  Tomorrow is going to be a tough day.  We cannot afford to be divided any longer.  But let for now, let us enjoy the victory that X-COM, and Alpha Team, has brought for us.”The applause was thunderous, and for a moment the Alphas just stood there and experienced it.  They each knew that Obama had been right, that the road ahead would be a difficult one for them, and for Earth.  But as they stood there under the bright sunlight and the open skies above, they knew that the future at least offered hope.</blockquote>

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