Update 26: Cold FusionAfter the Terror Ship was recovered, no UFOs were detected until the end of March. The month-end briefing was the only thing of note for the rest of the month.
X-COM SOLDIER BRIEFING (JUNE)
CLEARANCE LEVEL: COLONELSCIENCE AND ENGINEERINGFirstly, we have completed the autopsy and study of the specimens of aliens encountered in the alien base. The “Reaper”, so named because of its terrifying appearance, is an alien creature possibly intended to be used as a terror weapon, much like the Chryssalid. However, the Reaper is not genetically engineered in any way, and as far as we can see, appears to be perfectly normal, at least for aliens. Thankfully, these creatures were captured or killed before they could be used in a terror attack.
The most important discovery of the month was by far the new alien weapon, recovered in the Floater base attack. The ‘blaster launcher’, as it is called, is one of the most complex pieces of technology, just behind the UFOs themselves. It is essentially a man-portable guided missile launcher, which fires blaster bombs that can be guided to any point in a 100 meter radius with almost pinpoint accuracy. The blaster bomb itself is also highly-destructive – it is able to penetrate the external hull of a UFO. We believe that only the higher ranks of aliens are issued this weapon, limiting its use against X-COM soldiers.
The engineering department has invented a new hovertank with the Blaster Launcher as its primary weapon. While the tank can carry more rounds than a single human, the powers of its fusion shells are lesser in comparison to the Blaster Launcher.
We have adapted fusion technology for use in aircraft-mounted weapons. The Fusion Ball Launcher is a scaled-up version of the Blaster Launcher, offering unparalleled destructive capabilities. However, the ammunition for this weapon is difficult and expensive to manufacture, and since the Plasma Beam has performed well so far, these weapons will not be built.
Another advance in the field of battle armor is the Flying Suit. As the name implies, the Flying Suit incorporates a small antigravity unit built into the suit, giving the wearer the ability to hover and fly in the air. Unfortunately, the Flying Suit is (again) prohibitively expensive in terms of money and Elerium to mass-manufacture, and thus only selected soldiers will be equipped with it.
Finally, the Engineering Department is proud to present the ultimate in combat aircraft: the Avenger. The Avenger is the most complex machine ever built, utilizing several recently discovered alien technologies. It is equipped with two weapon hard points like the Firestorm, but also offers much better protection in the form of thick armor. More importantly, the Avenger also doubles as a troop carrier, but with the capacity to hold 26 soldiers. The Avenger, when launched, will help us achieve air superiority of much of the globe, as it is more than capable of taking down every UFO we have encountered so far.
The Avenger is currently under construction at Morning Star. Due to the difficulty of constructing such a complex ship, it is estimated that the Avenger will be completed on the 27th.
COMMANDDue to the destruction of an alien base and prevention of the terror attack in Siberia, most of our funding countries are impressed and have agreed to increase our funding.
Attached is the list of our soldiers’ psionic abilities. Our most powerful psionic is Richard Muller, with a Psi Strength and Skill of 93 and 58 respectively.
Also attached is the graph of reported UFO sightings around the world, with the top three regions and Siberia indicated. As you can see, Southeast Asia has had a sharp decrease in sightings since the alien base in Sakhalin was destroyed. Activity in Siberia is notable, as there was little scouting of the area prior to the attack. North America and Europe have inexplicably less sightings as well, though far away from the alien base.
TOP SECRET – COLONEL LEVEL CLEARANCEDespite the destruction of an alien base, the aliens seem undeterred, and continue to operate without fear. Eyewitness sightings have confirmed the landing and takeoff of UFOs from the vicinity of the base, suggesting that they might have evacuated most of their “staff” before our attack. Whether this was because they knew of our attack beforehand or because their mission had been completed remains to be seen.
We have confirmed reports of the Martian base from the aliens captured in the base attack. We are currently scanning the surface for the location of the main base, and also observing for signs of alien spacecraft launching.
Capture of a high-ranking alien is your top priority for this month, as they are likely to know the exact location and functions of the base. The Avenger is capable of interplanetary travel, although the Elerium consumed would constitute much of our stock.
Good luck in your battles, Soldier!
X-COM Commander,
Gen. Charles Brooke