The Let's Play Archive

X-COM: UFO Defense

by GuavaMoment

Part 7: Chapter 7: The Act of Accidentally Firing Upon One's Own Contingent or Allies

: It was so hard to get any decent rest in the base in the beginning.



: Construction was going on non-stop, and you always knew in the back of your mind that an alert could go off at anytime, and you'd have to watch your new friends go into battle and die.



: The third UFO, the last one before I went into the fray myself, seemed to have the decency of not showing up in the middle of the night.



: I remember hearing the voice of the pilot, Concordat, I think, radio-ing in that this one was much bigger than all the ships we had seen before. I hadn't really talked to the guy much before, I had only seen him once at Skyranger pilot training. Even though I didn't know him too well, I could hear the fear in his voice here.



: He told us he was keeping an eye on the ship and chasing it towards the mainland. Dropping a UFO into the Atlantic wasn't going to do anyone any favors at this point. Once they reached the shores of England, he engaged.



: It seemed like the UFO was ready for this move. I had never seen a ship move like that before! It was making 90 degree turns at top speed, trying to get away from the Interceptor. These were moves that would cause human pilots to black-out, if not die from the stress. The Interceptor only carried six missiles, and none of them hit. The second Interceptor was launched, but it seemed futile. These ships had a top speed higher than our ships. It wasn't thanks to us that the ship was caught.



: It stopped over Denmark and landed. The Skyranger was launched. No one was saying it, but this looked very much like a trap.

code:

UFO 3, Jan 12, Denmark

Waddle Dee operating the tank

Sugary, Eddy-Baby, OhsH, Anticheese, Terashell, Pander18, Blackray, MrBims, Mr. Peepers, Jack Van Burace attending




Waddle Dee: Area's clear, doesn't look like a trap so far. Only one Sectoid sighted, I took care of it.



Waddle Dee: Ship's off to the northwest. Much bigger than the ones before, so watch out you guys.



Anticheese: You guys see that farmhouse ahead? There's a Sectoid just outside.



Blackray: That's quite a distance away. My time to shine-



Blackray: Wind's good, got a nice bead, one breath, squeeze the trigger-



Blackray: What the fuck, that was no where near the reticle! These piece of shit rifles! What I wouldn't give for a PSG, or my Barrett.

Terashell: Fifty-cals are for wusses! I've got photons!



Terashell: But that can't-

Blackray: Did you just miss with a laser?

Terashell: X-COM rifles pull to the right nearly half the time, I was just-

Blackray: YOU MISSED WITH A LASER BEAM?!

Terashell: Screw you asshole, I didn't go to fancy sniper sch-

Blackray: OH GOD I CAN'T BREATHE THAT WASN'T EVEN CLOSE.

Terashell: We're still in danger here, someone drop that alien!



Mr. Peepers: I'm still back in the ship, I'll never hit it at this range!





Mr. Peepers: OR WILL I! HA HA!

Blackray: Oh Terashell-

Terashell: I hate you all.



Anticheese: Still two more down there!



Waddle Dee: Let me! I've been waiting for this!



Waddle Dee: Aw, I was hoping to blow up the house.



Terashell: You know there might have been civilians in there?

Waddle Dee: Didn't stop you from firing lasers inside the house.



Terashell: SHUT UP. I am not taking any crap from you guys! And as for you - Mercy? You slimy, grey-skinned sunuvabitch, where was my mercy when you killed the rest of my squad?!



Terashell: A good solid Yippie-kie-ay, motherfucker.





MrBims: Hate to interrupt, but are we going to breach the UFO or not?



Anticheese: We're coming, don't worry.

MrBims: Make it quick, before-







Anticheese: Bims, no! Slow down team, we need to clear all the aliens outside first.





Anticheese: Burace and Pander, there's one still outside. I think it's by the door. Kill it!



Jack van Burace: It's still too far away, I can't hit it!

Pander18: Allow me then.



Pander18: These lasers were supposed to be powerfully lethal, right? I just gave it a goddamn suntan!



Eddy-Baby: No worries, I got you!



Eddy-Baby: YEAH! Got him! Pander, did you see that, I just - huh, I just-








Eddy-Baby: Well shit.



Mr. Peepers: Why do I have to go in first? I saw what happened to the others. Please God don't make me do this.

Anticheese: We're right behind, Peepee. Just open the door and do a leaping devastator into the corner. We'll come in and save you.



Mr. Peepers: *deep breath* Calm blue ocean, it'll all be ok, the seven Sectoids on the other side of this door aren't going to kill me. Oh God, CHAAAAA-



Mr. Peepers: AAAaarge?



Mr. Peepers: Huh. I'm alive. I wasn't prepared for that.



Anticheese: Good! Now you and Blackray head to the door on the left. The rest with me!

Sugary: Can I use my autocannon in here?

Anticheese: Only if it's absolutely necessary.



Mr. Peepers: Now let's see how you like going in first, jackass.



Blackray: I like it just fine! Oh look, another door, GUESS WHO'S GOING TO OPEN THAT ONE.

Mr. Peepers: Not fair! The room I entered was huge, this is a stupid storage closet.

Blackray: Hey, a door's a door, it your turn now.



OhsH: WHY? Why am I still carrying this stun rod? The containment chamber at the base isn't even built yet.



OhsH: PEEPER, BLACKIE! Open the door over there, I have this one distracted!



Blackray: Fine, I got it.



OhsH: Thanks for the save there. Engine room clear. The ship's ours boys.

Mr. Peepers: Hey, have any of you seen Eddy?



Eddy-Baby: The screams....I didn't mean to....I'm in SO MUCH trouble...



: We had captured a bigger ship, and the aliens only killed one of ours. The only bad news we could really take from this is that the laser pistols weren't the gift from heaven we thought it was going to be. And we were reminded that humans can still be the biggest threat to us.

code:

Casualties:

Pander18, MrBims, Jack Van Burace




Next time on Let's Play X-COM UFO Defense!  Pander18 makes a surprise return! 

SELECTED FAN ENTRIES BELOW

FredMSloniker posted:

1999 Jan 12

Dear Diary:

I had to wake up early this morning to pilot the RPV; UFOs don't keep to a schedule, unfortunately. At least unlike the people they crammed into the Skyranger, I had a chance to have some breakfast and brush my teeth before driving headfirst into danger.

The mission went better than the last one, a trend I hope continues. I took out three myself, and the only loss to the aliens was one that probably couldn't have been avoided unless I personally shelled the entire area around the UFO-- and I don't think I could convince the squad to wait that long. I don't know where they're getting these soldiers, but I'm guessing psychological stability isn't a requirement. It might even be a detriment.

Unfortunately, there was a friendly fire incident; some guy going by Eddy-Baby accidentally killed two of his squadmates trying to save them from a Sectoid. He was firing explosive weaponry and caught them in a blast-- a sobering reminder to watch where you shoot. So far, I've managed to avoid doing the same; I hope that happy trend continues.

Surprisingly, there were fewer Sectoids in the UFO, even though it was larger. I hope some of them didn't leave the landing zone before we arrived or something; the last thing we need are Sectoids vaporizing random German citizens right after we supposedly took care of the problem. Germany isn't a major X-COM funder, or so I've heard, but that kind of PR hit isn't good. Plus, you know, senseless waste of human life.

I wonder when the second RPV's going to show up? I was under the impression that I'd have a partner in tanky goodness.

Until next time,

Fred 'Waddle Dee' Sloniker

 

OhsH posted:

Dear Journal:

Motherfucking what?! Still a stun rod? I've put in an requisition for a laser rifle, normal rifle, hell anything that goes farther than my arms reach! What's the point of even having a stun rod?! All I do is hit them and pray somebody comes by and finishes it off! If this keeps up, and I don't get properly armed, I might just go test the effectiveness on our armory officer. This war sucks.

I'll never see you again journal: OhsH

 

Eddy-Baby posted:

I am at peace.

I had a lot of time to think about what happened. A lot of the guys aren't talking to me any more, and for a while then I was thinking about packing the whole thing in. For the whole ride back, the medical, the debrief, I was in shock. How could I have done something like that? How could I have let my team down like that?

After the debriefing, I sealed myself up in of the storerooms. To tell the truth, I was about ready to put my pistol in my mouth and go out just like Jack and Pander. Rearrange my brains all over the emergency bleach rations.

But I'm better now, much better. Just as I was at my lowest low, who should show up but Jack! I thought I must be seeing things, I was trying to apologise, but he's not mad at all! Apparently he and Pander are doing just fine. A little banged up maybe, but I was just doing my job, of course I was, hell if I hadn't done anything, the aliens would have got him. Would have got us all. He thanked me personally. Saved his damn life, saved the mission. I was ready to resign, at least, but he told me how important it was that I keep on going out there.

"Son," he says, "the fuckin aliens ain't gonna kill themselves. Someone's gotta pack the big guns to take em out and save the fuckin day, and if you don't do it, who will? Now quit your blubbing and make like a soldier!"

Straightened me right out. I'm saving lives out there. We all are. Jack says he's gonna be right there with me next time we go out. I can't think of anyone I'd rather have by my side.

End log. Jack, if you think you're gonna beat me at pool, you've got another thing co-

 

Terashell posted:

Playing Log - Private Dominic "Terashell" Maxwell - January 12, 1999 - XCOM Facility Early Light
===

Jesus fuck... I guess I could say that mission went better than previously, if not for the fact that I somehow missed with a goddamn laser, and Eddy managed to kill two of our guys. He's lucky the brass didn't just cap him when we came back. He seems a little... out of it... right now...

Still.. Managed to somehow get up to a sectoid without him capping me. He started babbling something about mercy, and I replied with a good ol' fashioned McClane standard.

Yippie-kie-yay, motherfucker.

===
End Log...
Log supplemental found, playing...
===

Seriously, I don't know what jackwad they have aligning these sights before and after missions, but I just took the laser I was using on the op down to the range and I still missed. I'm going to have to start modifying my pieces on the flights to the op zones from now on, just to make sure.

Haven't seen eddy for a while, I hope he's okay. *Unable to transcribe sounds of drinking* I'm not good with interpersonal bullshit, but maybe I should share the last of my whiskey with him.

Shit, I hope the brass don't buttfuck me for having contraband alcohol...
===
End Log.

LAAAASSERRRR!