Moments before T'leth's Destruction....
Displacer-1, report in.
All mission perimeters within achievable levels, Chief Ops.
FFZZZTT - Not gonna make it! Finish the job-!
Shepard, come in Shepard!
He's gone, chief. We're going in deep.
Understood.
Sir, transmission from UN. Director Pravin Lal.
Sigh. Put him through.
How goes the mission, Mr. Korenzel?
We're doing fine, sir. T'leth is airborne but we've got the time to bring it down.
I'm sure I don't have to remind you if...
Cut the transmission. Fire team, how's it going?
Deep in shit. Prepping package D to take out the last pillar of whatever fucking shit is that, then we're out of here. *EXPLOSION*
Sir! We lost transmission!
Shit. Commander, come in! Displacer 1, report!
Termination of T'leth: Successful. Chance of successful evacuation of ground zero: 0.02%. Soldier's final moments recorded. Uploading...
Fucking...Get out of there!
I've lost the signal. sir. T'leth is losing altitude. Multiple explosions detected.
Any sign of Leviathan?
No, sir. Amplifying sonars...
Send in Stingrays for S&R. Now!
Yes, sir. All pilots, report to subpens. All pilots, report to subpens for S&R!
Minutes later...
Any sign of them?
No, sir. I'm sorry. There's a transmission from the UN.
Put him through.
I must congratulate you on your magnificent success, Chief Korenzel. We did not think X-Com would live up to its predecessor's achievement. Consider yourself....honored in the annals of history.
I owe it to the brave men and women, Director.
Yes...a public holiday and several monuments perhaps...But I've come to deliver another resolution...
What is it?
The war is over, Korenzel.
You don't know that...
After T'leth? No...I don't think you understand what the world thinks of X-Com.
Let me guess, you lost control of the media?
We've tried our best, the Americans...are somewhat freed from the influence. But the damage has been done...
We'll shove the truth down their throats.
Korenzel. You've done enough. Disarm. And no salvaging the T'leth. It must be destroyed. I will not allow X-Com to destabilize the globe...
Is this what it's all about? Power?
I don't like that tone. You have one week. Shut down the bases, send your men home, call off the search. Pravil Lal. Out.
Asshole...
One week later...
How's the search?
No sign of them...I'm sorry, sir.
Don't be. They knew the risks. Go take a break, officer...you've been on 16 hours shift. Media's been quiet for a while...still, would be nice if the world knows of our sacrifices.
Yes, sir.
Warning: Multiple inbound warheads detected. This facility is under attack.
What the hell?
Sonar detected multiple submersible crafts bit....it can't be!
What is it, officer?
IFF confirms it as UN nuclear subs. They did not trigger the proximity alarm. Warheads closing in...
What the hell is going on? Do we have any Stingrays?
They're all out in the sea for S&R...
Fuck. Get me Pravil Lal.
I've warned you, Korenzel...
The world will know of this...
The world will know that X-Com destroyed T'leth...and succumbed to a final counter-attack by alien forces. And the UN forces intervened...to save the day..finding no survivors...
Cut him off. Send the evacuation orders to other X-Com bases. Now! Tell the Lead researchers to make their way to Sub pen X. Set it on auto-announce. We're leaving!
No response from China Seas and other intercept bases...Atlantic acknowledges and is commencing evacuation. *Gets up from her seat.* Sir, you're not going?
Not yet...I've something to finish.
The base shook.
Warning: Hull breach on Sector 6 and 9.
Goddamnit.
Incoming transmission...
This is Admiral Riccitelo of UN Fleet. Surrender peacefully or you will be destroyed.
Huh, Electronics Arts of Warfare not good enough for you, Riccitelo?
Heh, unlike you, I know where the wind blows, Korenzel.
Cut the transmission. Get me Blakemore.
Acknowledged, connecting...
So it's happened?
As you predicted.
Hmph. Uploading coordinates. Try to make it in time. Seeya in the outback!
Time to move...those researchers better make it in time. Computer, initiate Zeta Protocol.
Voice Identification: Positive. Commencing Global simultaneous X-Com self destruct sequence countdown....Have a nice day.
Elsewhere, in the research wing....
Lead Researcher Avellone and Gaider, please proceed to subpen X for immediately evacuation immediately.Lead Researcher Avellone and Gaider, please proceed to subpen X for immediately evacuation immediately.
Hate to disturb you, Dave, but time's ticking.
I know that! But this is important. Is it done, Chris?
Just a few minutes...it's a few hundred gigs man..
What the hell is it?
DA3, motherfucker. All the blood, sweat and tears. I can't let Morrigan's babies and Zhevran's relationship go unresolved. And that hot white haired elf slavery..goddamnit.
The hell are you talking about? We have to leave now!
Warning. Impact. Impact.
The base shook and debris fall.
Holy shit! Are you okay, Dave?
Fuck. Fuck. I'm alive. Shit. Priestly?
NGhhhhhh.
Oh god, his legs are pinned under that rubble.
Guys...*gasp* I aint gonna make it, man *gasp* Take it, Dave...finish it...finish our dreams...*holds out a mini storage drive.*
*Sobs* Chris...oh god...you did it...you saved our baby. *Sobs*
Guys...we have to go....
We can't just leave him here! *Tears flow.*
Dave,...take it...take our baby and get out of here...please...NGHHHHhhhh. It hurts....I can't...
Shit shit shit shit! NO. Chris. I won't leave. All the nights we spent together plotting and writing all those romances and pick up lines. Juvenile scorns we endured and fat jokes thrown at us. *whimpers* NO. I'm not leaving without you! *Sobs.*
Dave...we gotta go...
TAKE THIS DRIVE. MAKE OUR DREAM REALITY!
What?
*Presses the drive into Avellone's palm* If anyone can do it, it's you, Avellone. I'm staying behind with Chris. Please...
I...I'll do it. I won't forget...*Starts running...*
Dave...I...*Sobs.*
Not another word, man...Just....call me...
Yes?
Warden.
W...ward..
Warning: Impact. Impact.
The walls collapsed, and a gush of water drowns away the two men's cries.
Sir, we have to leave.
No...keep the engines warm...we're not leaving without Avellone.
Sir..the countdown..
Huff Hufff Huffff
There he is! HAUL ASS, AVELLONE!
Another fireball rocked the walls behind Avellone, propelling him forward towards the open sub doors. He fell with a thud.
I MADE IT. LET'S GO GO GO!
Absofuckinglutely.
Neptune-1. Disembarking.
Gonna miss this place...
Heh, me too....*gets up*
Mmmhmm. What's that crushed drive on the floor?
Oh shit. I must've crushed...when I fell into the sub...
Anything important?
Hm....don't think so. I've got my data right here. *Takes out a black box.*
Outstanding, Avellone.
Sir, we're out of range of the UN Fleet. Stealth evasion successful. Where to?
Australian outback. I'll punch the coordinates when I get close. *Looks back at the base's general direction.*
Warning: water toxicity levels reaching abnormally high level. Atmosphere changes confirmed. Earth's biosphere in danger of contamination.
T'leth? Should we warn them?
*Chuckles* From now on, the world is on their own...I'm done.
The X-Com sub vessel disappeared beneath the seas...never to be seen again. Nearly 2 years after the Second Alien War, the world experience climate changes and severe contamination in the environment. UN officials continued to blame the debacle to X-Com operatives. Yet the public demanded a solution, not continued blaming of a dead organization. Director Pravin Lal put forth a new idea for a space ship to colonize a new habitable system in the 22nd century. But the infighting amongst the nations for scarce resources and technology continues to bog the Alpha Centauri program.
The program was finally abandoned after 86% of the earth's biosphere was rendered inhabitable and resources were deemed too valuable to spend on false hopes. A bio-dome was proposed, but many questioned the eligibility of citizens to inhabit a single city for an entire globe.
Humanity is losing its homeworld.
Rumors of a heavily armed band of soldiers with high-tech weaponry fighting off mutants in the Australian Outback continues to spread, but every nations' task force sent to investigate never returned. And once resources become scarce, no one dared to enter the area deemed as X-Zone.
THE END?