Part 13

Broadcasting from Megavision Two, it's the 6:00 evening news report for this the 14th day of March, Two-thousand Eighty Four. I'm your host, News-Bot 4.0.

: Tonight's special report - X-COM - Savior or sinner? Starting with the destruction of T'leth, X-COM has become increasingly militaristic and near-sighted. X-COM continues to fight aliens here on Earth and out in deep space in the Frontier. But are they still needed? Are they fighting for the wrong reasons?

Tonight we have an exclusive report behind the scenes of X-COM to get to the bottom of this once and for all.

: As we have been showing you throughout the day, a series of explosions rocked the main Sirian Temple as X-COM brazenly attacked it. This happened shortly after an explosion in the low-income housing sector nearly destroyed three housing projects. While X-COM claims they were not responsible for the attack on the Senate, they are taking full credit for this unprovoked attack on the Sirians, murdering hundreds.

Here at Sensovision we're determined to get to the truth. We've been in contact with X-COM through the Government, and all parties have agreed to let one of our reporters film an X-COM mission in an effort to show us, the people, how they really operate. X-COM says they have nothing to hide, and are trying to help the Mega-Primus. So why all the secrecy? Why the attacks on our own city? Our on-the-spot reporter Linda Diotte was sent to a secret X-COM facility to video the truth about this organization.

Thank you News-Bot. I'm Linda Diotte. For the first time ever, X-COM has allowed a civilian reporter into their secret base to film their actions.

When I arrived at their base, deep underground in a secret location all of the soldiers were away. I was told they were on a mission to the Meteor Kings gravball stadium as they, quote "missed some the last time". They issued me an armored vest and showed me through the base.

When the soldiers returned, we were told to head to the nearest Police Station for another exclusive. It seems that MegaPol has discovered the identities of those who attacked the Senate, and wanted X-COM there with the media to clear their "good" name. I suspected a ruse.

As soon as I got off the ship, something seemed wrong. There were no cops around. A soldier who I can only call "El M" told another soldier, a Mr. "56" to keep me safe while they looked around.

56 and I soon discovered where everyone was. There were aliens inside the police station!

56 told me to get behind him and stay low while he took the alien out.

When we emerged from behind the wall, the alien was gone. 56 went on ahead to investigate.

Once 56 opened this door, he screamed an expletive, said something about a popper and began priming grenades. I asked him if it was a good idea to use an explosive indoors in a police station, but he threw the grenade without answering or acknowledging me

The explosion knocked me off my feet.

When I finally came to, another X-COM soldier code-named "Sally" came into the room and began firing at something.

Another soldier, named "Ace" came in behind Sally.

I heard something to my left and saw an amazing sight - a large pink creature with a funnel for a head launching mucus into another room. I froze. I was only jolted from this state by a horrible scream I heard to my right.

X-COM warned me about these "brainsuckers". A creature that X-COM says is like psionic warfare of the old days. Contact with these creatures clears the mind of a soldier, making them see the truth - namely the evil and hypocrisy of X-COM, and makes them fight with the aliens.

So there I was - My protection, Mr. 56 was brainsucked. Aliens to my left and right. Explosions shaking the building! What was I to do? Our exclusive report continues, after this.

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We now return to our special report.

When we left off, I was surrounded by aliens and hostile X-COM forces.

Armed with only my holocamera, I ran into the nearest empty room.

X-COM forces eventually found the police officers in the building and killed all the aliens. Soldiers "56" and "Sally" were cowardly killed by their own men after liberation from the brainsuckers.
: Did you find out anything about the MegaPol conference and the identities of the terrorists who attacked the senate?

Unfortunately no, and MegaPol has rescheduled the conference for 9 o'clock tonight.

: Any clues as to why the aliens were in the police station?

Yes. We suspect that the aliens are coming to the police for asylum. We believe the aliens are peacefully trying to communicate with us, and X-COM keeps murdering them. The aliens have nowhere else to go, and limited means to defend themselves. MegaPol appeared to be hiding the aliens in the station for their safety, and unfortunately X-COM discovered them.

: So the official word is that X-COM considers all aliens hostile and refuses to negotiate, even with peaceful aliens?

That is the general feel that I got from my time with them.

: You have it here first viewers - X-COM is once again attempting to ruin the future of humanity by refusing the help of peaceful aliens. We have more on the X-COM menace, after another word from our sponsors.