Part 51: Calm before the storm

Part 51: Calm Before The Storm



Well, now that you know everything, here’s the bad news. The alien mothership hovering over our world is too big to destroy. It would take a hundred nukes to down it and the impact would be like the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs.
Well, what the hell do we do with it, then?
We’ll handle it like the battleship over Zhang’s country: figure out a way to take it over from inside and get rid of it.
In the meantime, we have total coverage of all continents. If they send out any UFOS to abduct people, we’ll destroy them and raid them for more supplies.
Now would be a good time for me to finish as much research as possible.
As for our strike teams, take some R&R while you can. If you have anything on your bucket lists, any stupid requests you’d want from any government in the world, now’s the time to ask. The Council is able to pull a lot of strings.



I’ll volunteer to get that berserker gland in my brain. They said it might make me immune to fear and mind control, right? I’d… I’d love that.
Hey, you’re plenty brave already, Evie.
Not brave enough! Besides, I carry all the heavy weapons, I’d be the worst one to turn on the rest.



And now we wait…



Good news! I’ve got a hybrid of the Titan and Skeleton armor. It’s lightweight, angled to make shots glance off of it, has the grappling hook, makes its wearer immune to fire, poison and Seekers, and has a cloaking device! I’ve rather outdone myself, if I may say so.
Sweet!
There is one problem: its cloaking device is short-charge only and its particles will conflict with the cloaking particles emitted from people with Mimetic Skin.
Yeah. I tried to use it, and the armor disappeared but I didn’t.
Oi. Better just stick to flatting yourself against walls, then.



I’ve also studied what’s left of the Ethereal body. It has no eyes or auditory organs, its vital organs barely function, but its nervous system is overdeveloped. There’s no visible mouth… it must be fed intravenously. There’s no way its organs could sustain it normally. They must be using their molecular-control powers to force this body to function when they inhabit it.



Any useful traits?
None that we could splice into our soldiers, but analyzing the exact wavelengths this thing was meant to emit should allow us to create equipment that might partially jam incoming mind attack signals. It wouldn’t be foolproof.



Not many new discoveries from the giant alien tank, which we’re calling a “Sectopod.” We already have MECs of our own, and our own drones. Though this has given us insight into how the aliens build their devices.



And this creature is genetically identical to other mutons, but studying its armor and its loadout gave us insight into how the best alien warriors outfit themselves with plasma weaponry.



Now we’re trying to work out how to create another combination of human weaponry and alien weaponry, a sort of plasma ball launcher that could be fired like a rocket. This will take some time…

s*

The Furies have finished testing. There’s only one problem. According to this readout, their psychic powers are… limited.
Hey!
Sorry. We’ll have to put you guys on the C-team for now. It’s always best to have a backup for your backup anyway. If our main team dies we’ll need you.
Hey, worst-case scenario, you all die, and I save the world by blowing up all the aliens single-handedly!
Pfft. In your dreams, Duke Nukem.



Wow. This is, like, the first time ever it’s been all men in here. Feels weird.
Hmm, now that you mention it…
Anyway… General. You wouldn’t, like, rip my head off if I dated Eva, would you? She is your daughter now, so I thought I’d ask.
Ha! She’s getting berserker genes! You treat her wrong, I expect she’ll rip your head off herself.
…erk.
Hahahahahahahaha! Go for it, kid.



The tests are complete, Eva. How do you feel?
I feel… the same? Did it work?
Let’s run some tests. Mind if I draw a few blood samples?
Okay.
(Hmm… she’s not afraid of needles any more…)



So, what’s on your “bucket list request,” my friend?
Early review copy of Metal Gear Solid V. It comes out in September 1. That’s three weeks away! The world could blow up by then. I gotta play it before that happens. What did you ask for, a grenade launcher?
The commander seems opposed to that for some reason. Instead… I asked for a time capsule to put all our memories into. Something for my daughter to find, if the worst should come.
Don’t put a live grenade into it!
Please, I’ll pull the fuse first…
My bucket list request is Airwolf. Like, the actual helicopter. I will ride around in it, blasting its theme tune, forever.



I don’t feel braver at all! Bar-lev, try to scare me.
Uh… boo?
Ugh. I might need more upgrades. Maybe that adrenaline thing Mama Watkins got.
Whoah! I don’t know, too many hormones in your head might make you go crazy. One upgrade at a time.
You chopped off your entire body, don’t tell me about “taking it slow.” This could mean the difference between life and death out there.



Sir, Argentina is asking for a bunch of our proprietary flashbangs.
Flashbangs? That’s it? They’re not asking for plasma rifles or something? Can’t they make their own?
The believe that doing so would violate the Council’s pact if the plasma weaponry were to fall into the wrong hands or be used on other nations. This is safer. And ours are specially designed to disorient the aliens but not work on humans, remember.
Huh. Well, let’s make some more and ship ‘em.

*MORE TIME PASSES*



Cam and I have been playing that video game nonstop and at one point my jaw dropped.
Oh?
Get this. There’s a sniper in it. A recruitable enemy sniper woman… who wears cropped-down clothes because she breathes through her skin… turns invisible… and leaps to the tops of buildings. It’s me! Only mute and dressed like a ridiculous cheesecake sex object!
Oh, for goodness’ sake.
At first I was insulted, but then we both just laughed our asses off. And Cam said that if I was ever in a video game, I’d be much more badass. That was so sweet.
Aww.

*YET MORE TIME PASSES*



It’s complete! THE ULTIMATE WEAPON!



How ultimate?
This is a guided missile that can curve around corners and explodes like the power core of a UFO. This is the highest damage output we can possibly devise.
Jesus. How far away do we have to stand when we use it?
That’s the brilliant part! Its radius is highly controlled due to the dissipative effects of plasma. At point zero, it’s as hot as the sun. Fifteen yards away the heat falls to a fraction of a percent. It’s a micro-nuke! Though I haven’t tested it yet.
It’s untested?
Well, I can hardly use it in our underground base, can I? I suggest you test it on the aliens.
That thing could explode and kill us all. Who wants to go into battle with an untested, unlicensed nuclear device on their backs?
Uhhh… I’ll do it.
Holy shit, you have become fearless.



Well, we’ve just shot down a UFO, and thanks to our Hyperwave Decoder, we know exactly what’s on it. There’s an Ethereal on that ship. Make sure only those of you with brain spikes or Eva get close to it.



Here goes nothing. If you see a huge mushroom cloud over the US, you’ll know where it came from.
I’m sure it’ll be fine! Don’t worry!
Yeah, we’ll be fried to a crisp too fast to feel it, haha.

TO BE CONTINUED…