Part 49: X-COM SOLDIER BRIEFING - COLONEL CLEARANCE LEVEL

X-COM SOLDIER BRIEFING - COLONEL CLEARANCE LEVEL

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO PSIONIC USERS

The loss of six of our most powerful psionic soldiers (plus Raptus) in one mission is an awful blow to our war efforts. Rest assured that the lives lost were not in vain, and that we now know more about the interaction between human physiology and psionic powers. The autopsies we performed on our soldiers, as well as study of the the surviving members have given us important data regarding long-term use of psionics as a weapon.

Of the seven psionic users, autopsies have shown that in five of them the arterial walls in their brains have thinned greatly. We knew that the body reacted to using psionics by increasing blood flow to the brain, but we did not expect this result. Many of those using psionic have much greater risks of strokes and/or hemorrhages the longer they continue to use their powers.

The second problem we have discovered has been named "Cooked Auto Syndrome" after we discovered the cause of his temporary loss of intellect and aptitude. After careful study and debriefing, psionic soldiers have described a "cold and empty" feeling whenever an alien under their direct psionic control dies. The best analogy was given directly by Cooked auto himself when he remarked "it's like a part of your soul dies with the alien". It appears the human mind has trouble coping with the sudden cessation of another mind that it is controlling. In the future, we recommend soldiers take greater care of any aliens under their control, and only eliminate them once psionic contact is broken.

A third condition has been discovered which we call "Zander Syndrome".



These devices found inside alien UFOs can cause havoc to a psionic soldier who is not prepared for the imagery the devices can generate. A soldier unknowingly under influence of alien entertainment can experience visual and auditory hallucinations indistinguishable from real life. Study of Otto Zander has shown that the effect can even persist after the soldier is removed from the entertainment environment. Preventing a repeat of Otto's episode can be accomplished simply by understanding the nature of the threat. Soldiers with psionic implants should avoid these rooms if possible. If not, they must remained highly focused in these rooms, and not allow their mind to wander and fantasize.

Two new alien species were captured from the Muton Battleship.




The 'Celatid' did not perform any kind of aggressive attacks during the mission. However, we have confirmed that the creature does have an acid-spit type of attack, with a range of a few meters when out in the open. The acid is extremely dangerous and corrosive, so Celatids should be taken care of from a distance.

A curious feature of the Celatid is its reproductive system. A Celatid can sometimes spawn a new Celatid even after death. Soldiers should note all locations of killed Celatids and check the corpses occasionally for signs of a new Celatid forming. Explosives can also be used to completely destroy the corpse and prevent new aliens from forming.




The second creature is a life-from long theorized but never before seen - a silicon based life form. For those who are not aware of the significance, allow me to give a quick briefing. All life as we know it (even alien) is carbon based. Carbon has a unique ability to from various kinds of chemical bonds to a large number of elements, in turn giving the basis for organic life. Silicon, being in the same periodic column as carbon, has carbon-like properties. It has been speculated and now confirmed that silicon can substitute for carbon as the basis of a life form.

The Silacoid is not a terribly dangerous alien, as it is slow moving and lacks a ranged attack. They have a naturally high body temperature, which leaves a trail of burn marks behind them as they move. Their powerful bite combined with burning hot temperatures does pose a threat if the Silacoid manages to get within melee range.

Each intelligent alien species we've encountered have a unique secondary non-intelligent alien type - Sectoids have Cyberdisks, Floaters have Reapers, Snakemen had Chryssalids and now Mutons have Silacoids and Celatids. It is odd that the most dangerous race (Mutons) are associated with the least dangerous secondary units. I personally get a chuckle imagining some kind of alien lottery which the Mutons lost:

: Sweet! We call Cyberdisks!
: Reapers!
: I think we'll make our own.
: Shit, what the hell does that leave us? A kidney and a rock? Screw you guys, we don't need secondary units.

On the technological aspect of things, our latest new technologies we hope will prove to be two of the most important we've ever developed.



We have finally been able to create a small anti-gravity device suitable for human use. A levitation module is attached to existing Power Suits, allowing the user limited flight ability.



Two blasts from this weapon nearly killed an entire squad worth of soldiers. The ability to use this weapon against the aliens will hopefully give us an edge that will forever turn the tides of battle in our favor. Take extreme care when using the Blaster Launcher since misfires or a blast area miscalculation can be as deadly to our soldiers as the weapon can be to the aliens. Two new recruits are currently being trained in blaster use - Nemo2342 in Area 51, and Walter "Cools" Andrews in Early Light.

X-COM Head Scientist,
Dr. Reis Markus



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