Part 57: Humanity's Hope...
XCOM Part 57: Humanitys HopesNo I know Carols mind was destroyed when we destroyed the Alien Base!
Anything that can be copied once can be copied more than once, Cam. Anything can be quantified, and nothing is precious. Eating Allen to become Allen was very enlightening.
Stop! Stop talking in her voice!
Cmon. Im as much a part of the Uber Ethereal now as my old DNA is a part of you. And thats what its all about, isnt it? Swapping bodies and minds, trying to better ourselves all the while.
Youre trying to make something healthier than your current body that can still sustain psychic powers, and you think humans are the perfect missing link.
Ding ding ding! Yes. Yes.
Well, it wont work. Weve got your hyperwave decoder. We have copies of your weapons and are trading the technology to other countries as we speak. Very shortly, everyone on earth will be a match for you.
Really. Tell me, Cam when you touched the device in the Gollop Chamber, you had visions of the past and future, right?
I did
Well, for me, its like that all the time. Ever since we built our Device, Ive been able to see into the future with perfect clarity.
Not very well. Weve been kicking your ass.
Yes. Youve shown us just how powerful humans can be if granted our technology. And those tasty meld canisters we brought to each battle site those were the perfect bait. Now we have all sorts of ideas for how to mutate humanity into a servitor race while we work on our Avatar Project.
Good luck with that.
Oh, were not so bad. Most of the other races were animals or savages before we found them. And there are horrors lurking in the depths of the cosmos that would make us seem like angels. Crystaline entities that reproduce by spreading nanomachine dust on planets. Giant jellyfish that evolved to shatter nearby sapient minds. Telepathic microbes that devour whole dimensions.
I dont care if youre the least shitty alien conquerers out there. Its too late to colonize Earth. Were all strong enough to stop you. Im only one person granted SOME upgrades, and eventually there will be a lot more like me. We can take you all on.
Oh? I just told you I can see the future. So, buddy, how far do you think we can see into the future? Five minutes? Ten? A day? A week? A year?
Wait no.
You saw all the bodies disappearing on this ship when you killed them.
Everything on this ship is an illusion a mental projection. Maybe the ship itself!
Maybe this entire planet. This isnt the present, Cam. This is the future. One possible future that hasnt been set in stone yet. You wondered if you were still in the Gollop Chamber, touching it and seeing a vision? From one point of view, you are. And from my point of view Im still touching mine, long ago.
The Orphan, your commander, had a similar but much more limited ability that let him guide his troops through battle, sustaining almost zero fatalities. Even now, hes been lending his mental strength to your squad, without quite knowing it.
Bullshit. What we did, we did on our own!
Nobody ever accomplishes anything on their own. Without strings, puppets do not move.
Ive learned almost everything I can from this reality. Once Im done draining data from your friends minds and stripping your body of useful genetic research, Ill collapse this potentiality. From your point of view, a singularity will consume the earth but Ill be sitting pretty at home, ready to decapitate XCOM back when we first arrived on Earth.
Not if I kill you first!
Please. Youre talking to a finger puppet. The real me is greater than you can imagine.
Its summoning up copies of other Elites and Ethereals! Guys, we need to kill it now!
Guys?
I have severed your connection to the Orphan. Their minds are unspooling. Regressing to nothing. All the character development they got working for XCOM has been erased. They wont move for you anymore.
I cant quite do the same to you, buuuut I am a master of illusion. Theyll see what I want them to see. And right now, they see you, pointing a gun at them.
Shes under mind control. We need to kill her.
Yes. We need to kill her to stop the aliens.
What?! No Im not! Wait!
AUGH! STOP! Im on your side, dammit! Youre supposed to be mind-control-proof, Eva!
YeeeeAAIIIIgggghhhh
Goodbye, Cam.
Goodbye, XCOM.
.
..
nnnn not yet Not YET!
My hearts still beating. Im not dead yet!
Hmm. Some roaches need to be stepped on twice before they die. Give it up.
My will isnt broken yet. Everyone has faith in me. I can still feel them. That means !
This isnt a shonen manga, Cam. This isnt an anime. You cant win just by trying really hard or wanting it hard enough.
Ahahaha. What did you say? This isnt anime? The real Carol Allen would never say that.
You said it yourself. Im like a human ethereal now. I can replace the commander I can restore my friends minds! We can beat you! Watch this! Leroy! Bar-Lev!!!
Everything I do its for the good of the country.
All that matters is keeping up appearances.
Bullshit! So you were both spies. So what! You both woke up and realized what really matters. You fought together, bled together, fell in love, realized there were bigger stakes.
Colonel Ms orders
Colonel Ms a short-sighted asshole! Remember what you gave up when you became a cyborg? NOTHING! You got rocket boots and rocket fists, you fucking love them both.
Thats that right!
Leroy! Jogging buddy! You designed my wedding armor, remember? We all fought in pink!
Thats right, but I want what did I want?
You wanted to marry Mimi. You wanted to be a mother!
Im going to be a mother!
Cam! What the fuck, youre hurt! Let me heal you!
Impossible
I knew it! Mom! Hilda!
I can never tell Cam how much it hurts Im too busy saving the earth.
Im a sniper a government assassin I dont deserve to be loved.
You both deserve all the love you get and more. Mom! You remember kicking Exalts ass in South Africa? Diplomatic immunity!
Its just been revoked! Hahahaha, that was awesome!
Hilda! We fought EXALT together lots of times once as a tiny two-person team! And once you beat them with no weapons, armor or clothing!
Hahahaha! That was so uncomfortable, but whenever I think about it now I just laugh how the fuck did I forget that?!
Cam! Honey!
Im back in action!!
Just one left! Eva!
Whats the point of trying? Everyones better than me.
Nobodys better than blowing the shit out of aliens than you! You have a goddamn rocket launcher and a heavy plasma machine gun and you can use them better than Zhang!
Im so nervous
Because you care!
My family hates my face
Your old family can go to hell. Youve got a sister in Hilda, a father in Van Doorn, a sister in law with me, and a boyfriend in Hugo! We all love you, because youre so full of love yourself! XCOM is your family now, literally!
Everyone!
You cant foil someone with the power of love! This is ridiculous.
No. This is XCOM. I know youre not the real Carol Allen because the real Allen is alive, in me!
Yeah!
Concentrate fire on the leader! Everything else on this ship is an illusion. Once we kill the boss, we win!
You got it, honey! One double-tap coming up!
No! This is not what you were meant for! This is not what XCOM is supposed to be like!
Look at us. You said that this isnt an anime? Were a team of color-armored soldiers with superpowers. XCOM IS ANIME!
So long, Ethereal!
We got it!
I I shall survive, on another plane of existence! You shall perish in this one! Jokes on you, Cam! Im a load-bearing boss!
Uh oh. The device is doing something.
Shit! It said itd collapse this version of earth! The ships creating a singularity!
We need to get out of here!
Yeah. You do.
Cmon, Eva, hustle!
Running, running, running!
goodbye, Cam.
Mom! What are you doing!?
You have to protect the earth, Cam. But as a mother, its my duty to protect you. Youre not the only psychic here. I can pilot this ship.
Wait!
GO!
Gaah!
Cam. By the time you get this recording, I might be gone. Ever since I became psychic, Ive been having dreams of the future. But my own future seems to stop after we complete our mission.
I see myself in water. Forever, possibly. But Ive been seeing other things that give me hope.
I see you and Hilda in a sweet little cottage. I see Leroy and Bar-Lev in big frilly wedding dresses.
I see Zinchenko tossing water balloons to his kid, Dina. Van Doorn playing darts with Zhang. I see Eva dancing around in a circle with Hugo. I even see Shens anklebiter playing with him. Nice things.
I also see what will happen if I dont give myself to the water. Everything ending. So. Ill do what Im supposed to do, to stop that from ever happening.
Central, were bugging out. Latisha Rhino Watkins is not on board we waited as long as we could.
I cant see too far into the future, but I really hope humanity doesnt use this technology to turn on itself like before. Im hoping the next generation can learn not to do that. Thats you, Cam.
Well gotta go put this recorder where youll find it after the mission. Thanks for being a good sport, kid. Love you lots. Bye.
Thats so like her always has to show off more than anyone else.
Cam
Ill be fine. Ive just got dust in my eyes