Orwell

thank you nazz

Corpses like these line the beach heads of Senegal. DAKAR, SENEGAL - Sergeant Preston Koch stuck his hands deep into the muck clinging to the coastline around Dakar. In the distance, civilian and military craft descended in between the massive skyscrapers left behind from the invasion. "I've got a hold of it. Step back a little." Knee deep in the sinking tide, we were happy to oblige. Troopers with Moritas at the ready from the coast watched us. Sergeant Koch pulled up a waterlogged corpse of a Neon; its skin was tumorous and covered in lesions and it slipped right off the bone as he hefted it up for the camera. The smell was sickening. "Ah, that tends to happen. Makes the cleanup more difficult, as you can imagine. We get about fifty or more of these, every day." Sergeant Koch and his men from the 101st Moritas have been recently assigned to the West African Theater. Here in Senegal's capitol, civilization has begun to take root once again as more and more Terrans return to the list of cities that have been 'cleared' by SICON. Sergeant Koch's commanding officer Cpt. Daniel Adebo is in charge of purging the waterways and sewers of Neons, both alive and dead. "A few weeks ago we were doing similar cleanup jobs on the Nile. Even saw the Pyramids. Of all the things to survive, it's those bloody tombs. Can you believe they're still standing?" We spoke with Captain Adebo, a Terran himself by means of Lagos, Nigeria. "Everything has to be replaced, essentially. The water treatment systems we had in place before the war won't be adequate as long as we still have aliens- alive or dead- floating around. People are subsisting on bottles until we make the call that it's safe." Mobile Infantry march through a sandstorm near Benghazi, Libya. Nearby, the reconstruction of an array of five superhighways leading into Dakar commences. "Supposedly, they're not running into as many difficulties with Lake Chad in N'Guigmi, so we're keeping our fingers crossed that everything works out so we don't have to keep on importing clean water from off-world. If we can get it through utilizing repaired infrastructure, even better." Dakar was chosen by SICON to be targeted for resettlement largely for the relative lack of damage sustained during the Fall of Terra. Many of its immigrants are from all over the world, but mostly displaced people from Africa returning from Sanctuary and Karrus. This is not to say that Dakar is not without its problems. In addition to to a tainted water supply, several gas lines and refineries were destroyed; massive amounts of chemicals were spilled onto the land and left to fester for two years resulting in an ecological crisis for the coast of Senegal, which could potentially be carried by the sea to affect the Gulf of Guinea. "We've been working with a lot of NGO's and Federal contractors to contain what we can, but... The conservative estimates are at least eight years before things are back to normal in Dakar. Every day we find more things that have been somehow affected by the Neons, which increases our workload. Right now, it's one step at a time." Outside the ruins of the Cathedrale du Souvenir Africain de Dakar, the signs of adaption were underway. Fried fufu, Vietnamese stir fry, and empanadas were being marketed by the cosmopolitan denizens of Dakar. The city was bustling with workers in reflective jackets, directing construction equipment and re-paving roads. Migrants from Niger were plucking on electric guitars, singing the songs of the Taureg. "The civil war put me out of work, you know? Used to run a construction firm on Samson, but we were forced to evacuate. The Federation reached out to me afterwards, promised me work- and boy, did they deliver. I've always wanted to see Earth, but I just wish it hadn't been like this." Vakar Meyers is 52 years old, coming from a long line of fisherman from the shores of Samson. Once Earth began to be reconquered, his entire firm was contracted out by SICON to help with reconstruction on crucial components of infrastructure in cities like Dakar. "They're lucky here, really. A lot of the bigger cities that I've seen have been completely leveled. Practically wiped off the map." Indeed, many urban mega centers like Amsterdam are nearly unrecognizable; the destruction of the massive dykes and seawalls surrounding the city from the open sea and the River Amstel have resulted in most of the city being underwater. A caravan of settlers and supplies going from Constanţa to Babadag, Romania. The UCF-CV121 Tours looms above. With many peoples' homes having been destroyed, returning Terrans are sometimes left with no place else to go. Resettlement efforts are underway across the planet to account for displaced persons, but many of them are becoming overwhelmed. Captain Adebo spoke about some of the problems in Dakar. "We've got people from all over the African interior in Dakar. Not only that, but we have people from Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Americas as well. Even more so, we have had an influx of colonials who are interested in either resettling, or who are sympathetic to the cause and want to lend a helping hand. In short, we have too many people and not enough infrastructure to ensure that every single person is getting what they need." Outside, horns blared as more trucks loaded with construction supplies and goods rolled down the recently cleaned Boulevard du President Habib Bourguiba; rubble and dead Neons flanking the sides of the road. The atmosphere in Dakar is dripping with ambition; the people seem to be eager to take the steps necessary to fashion a new home out of the destruction. Dakar's story is only one of many reflecting the conditions and troubles of resettlement efforts all over Terra. THE TIME TO REBUILD IS NOW EVERYONE MUST DO THEIR PART THINK YOU'VE GOT WHAT IT TAKES TO LEND A HAND? CONTACT YOUR LOCAL ENLISTMENT CENTER AND ASK ABOUT RELIEF EFFORTS FOR TERRA AND THE SOL SYSTEM WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW MORE?

can we retcon rocco's death to immortalize him on a trading card heres his faceclaim

Sending and receiving information is pretty part and parcel for telepaths, so it would apply to the "minor abilities" that they would be able to perform within (for a specialist, say) 18 feet without requiring a roll. The range would change depending on rank. Think of it like a Vitruvian Man's range around said specialist that provides a more stable measure for them to do their job. This doesn't mean of course that you can't rp complications if you don't want to. the new numbers are updated on the roster, so the changes are in effect. i'd like to keep the thread open so any of you can give input if you're so inclined on how you think the new numbers are faring. This is just a telepath thing for now.

09/12/2298 Neon clearing operations continue; Operation Manifest encounters difficulty in American and Canadian Rockies. Operation Oni encounters difficulty in Hokkaido and northern Honshu. Combat portion of Operation Dreamtime nears completion. Combat portions of Operation Desperado and Operation Crocodile have concluded. NEW DEVELOPMENTS: - Widespread efforts to reclaim the cities of the Amazon underway under Operation Jaguar, commencing next week. - Troops have been diverted from Operation Sepulcher and Operation Dreamtime to liquidate Neons on the Indian subcontinent under Operation Akasha, commencing next week. - Troops from Operation Manifest have been diverted to the Malay Archipelago for thoroughly routing out remaining Neons under Operation Parang, commencing next week. - Mobile Infantry and Fleet have encountered difficulties on the Tibetan Plateau and Himalayas. - Cuba has been expunged of Neons. - Taiwan has been expunged of Neons. - Hainan has been expunged of Neons. - Reconstruction of superhighways from Buenos Aires to Colorado Springs underway. - Major urban centers on the North American Eastern seaboard and Europe are being thoroughly searched for remaining Neons. - With the help of Terran and Colonial partisans, Mobile Infantry and Fleet were able to reclaim Port Elizabeth, South Africa, and push North to as far as Sumbe, Angola. - Testing for chemical weapons designed to disable Neons en masse have been confirmed; Intelligence is currently conducting experiments on proving grounds on Roku San and Rhohan. - Mobile Infantry have been encountering difficulties fighting Neons in Western Sub-Saharan Africa. - Mobile Infantry have been encountering difficulties fighting Neons in the Andes Mountains. - Mobile Infantry have been encountering difficulties fighting Neons in Patagonia. - Mobile Infantry have been encountering difficulties fighting Neons in the Hudson Bay.

So, this is what the distances would look like in game, and who would be able to do what. How does this look to you guys? Is this too much, is this too little? Keep in mind, If they are within range but separated by a THICC wall, the telepath in question would have to roll, even if it is within their range. The exception being if the person they're trying to talk to is someone they've already communicated with psychically in the past, effectively giving the telepath a 'signature' that their brain is familiar with, therefore requiring less exertion, or the wall itself is flimsy and thin.

The following amendments to the MIPOD system are going to be made: -Roll bonuses are going to be rolled back to their previous values with minor adjustments being made regarding Specialist+ and to the lower ranks. -Specialist+ is now meant to be a rank(s) associated with a level of veterancy and reliability; if you make it to specialist, you exhibit a consistent and reliable modus operandi for using your powers. As such, the roll bonus for specialist and upwards is going to be BEEFED UP to compensate for this. This is done to give the newer psychics something to strive towards, and it decreases the margin of error for a psychic specialist that, at that point, should not have a deflated brain for trying to send a telepathic message to someone ten feet away, something they've done countless times before. It doesn't make much sense to be able to tie your shoes one day and then have get a concussion the next day when you try to do it. - Skin-to-skin contact negates the need for a roll. Psychics can use skin-to-skin contact for CONSENSUAL transferral of information. If it is non consensual, they need to absolutely roll for the outcome. Having skin-to-skin contact establishes a consistent safety net for newer psychics who may want to practice without risking brain fatigue. - With specialists+, depending on how close a telepath is to their intended target (ragdolls used for measurement, need to determine quantity) and whether or not they are in their line of sight negates the need for a roll. The range at which a telepath can send information without requiring a roll increases with rank (10, 15, 20 feet, etc). For example, if Telepath A wants to send a message to Telepath B, and they are within say, 4 feet of one another, Telepath A doesn't need to roll, especially if Telepath A has already had prior psychic communication with Telepath B. Hypothetically, Telepath C wants to send a message to Telepath D, but Telepath D is separated from Telepath C's line of sight by a concrete wall. Although they may be close enough to one another, this is where line of sight becomes a deciding factor for rolling. However, an exception is presented if Telepath C and Telepath D have had prior psychic communications, or the wall is flimsy and thin. (or perhaps it is a wooden door.) Honesty is paramount for this system to work, so falsifying information or lying will earn you a ticket back into the regular MI ranks. Here's the table for the new roll bonuses. The goal being that veterancy (basically specialist +) allows for a more consistent success with using powers, while still allowing for a margin of error. As the ranks go lower, the margin of error increases a la riding a bike IRL. You do it for the first time, you suck ass, but you do it more and more and gradually become more experienced, the margin for error decreases. The ultimate goal for these bonuses is this: Keep more established and experienced psychics from experiencing brain fatigue from minor tasks while still allowing for a margin of error. Said margin of error will gradually decrease as rank increases. Originally, the bonuses were meant solely to keep psychics from having their brains fizzle out, but I think a more substantial bonus for middling-to-higher ranking psychics is warranted. Please keep in mind, the distances for proximity need to be worked out by myself so we can all agree on what's reasonable or not. The roll bonuses are liable to change until we can arrive at figures that satisfy our weird little faction. If the system doesn't work, there's no reason to keep it around! So let's figure out what works best. LT- 40+ TSgt- 35+ MSpc- 30+ SSpc- 25+ Spc- 20+ 2Spc- 10+ 3Spc- 0+ Please, give me your feedback! Are you happy with these numbers? Are you happy with these changes? What is missing? NOTE: Please keep in mind the rolling range, and how in reality it would be an incredibly rare occurrence with these roll bonuses for somebody to a PK or long lasting trauma from overexertion, especially with the roll bonuses, unless it were some extraordinary circumstance. That being said, if you try to go to toe to toe with a Skinny, you can expect to get your ass handed to you. Use common sense. Keep in mind the original wording of the post:

i won that screenshot contest and nobody ever put my photos up

AMENDMENT: Hey guys, I'm gonna be retooling the roll bonuses over the weekend to accomodate the more experienced members of the faction while still allowing for some risk. It's gonna be a process, so feel free to reach out to me for input so we can make a system that everyone is satisfied with. I'm pretty busy with classes and exams this week and the next, so bear with me please! Further on that line of thinking, psychics no longer have to roll when it comes to retrieving/sending information via skin contact as long as it is CONSENSUAL. If the other party resists, the psychic does indeed have to roll. But if you want to tell your brain friend you love them with your mind, you do not have to risk your mental health to do so.

Hey guys. I just want to make it abundantly clear that any time you are in the field, you absolutely positively have to roll for the success of whatever it is you're attempting. I will reiterate that the roll bonuses apply for psychic antics only, and your regular roll bonus belonging to your corresponding infantry rank is meant to be used in PVP scenarios, and what have you. ON THAT NOTE, the roll bonuses have been nerf'd, as they only exist to keep more experienced psychics from having their brains turned into soup by an unlucky roll (this doesn't mean you will not be adversely affected, though) Here are the bonuses as follows: Lt. +5 MSpc. +5 SSpc. +4 Spc. +3 2Spc. - +2 3Spc. - 0 Why so low? See the above, and reference the rolling range here. I'm placing this here in this thread again so both MIPOD and admins have a clear understanding of the guidelines. @Heresiarch Grimm ♥

"You sure? They're from Rhohan. The tobacco there's got a different flavor from the soil." "Not for me." "Suit yourself." He pulled down his scarf, fit a cigarette between his lips, and lit the end. The night was cold and snowy, but the prefab provided shelter and warmth. Outside, a flurry battered the encampment. "To me, it seems like you're damned if you do, damned if you don't." Dropships were coming in from the Rockies and setting down nearby. Outside bustled with troopers moving to and fro. "...Nobody wants to have to deal with that sort of thing, especially at a time like this. Too messy." "Did we get a response from the Church?" He nodded, ashing the cigarette. "They're not affiliated, haven't been for quite a while now. Their rep' said he'd stay in touch, help us fill in the details once we figure out who's who." Outside of the window, a cavalcade of armored vehicles began to roll by. "Hands off, huh?" "For the most part. They're cooperating, at the very least. They took a similar stance during the hubbub on Terra Neue, remember?" He nodded. "You're one of them, aren't you?" "Hard not to be, when you're from St. George. Foot of Zion." "You taken any time to visit since you've been around?" "No. I know what happened, me seeing it and soaking in it won't do any good. Why do you ask?" "That area, near the Great Salt Lake. What's so special about it? It's a desolate hellhole. Even back when it was first settled. Why crawl back there of all places? Surely there's better land for the taking." "We went west because there was no place else to go. We had been chased out of our communities in the east. Built something out of nothing, made our own promised land." He ashed his cigarette, listening. "...A testament to triumph in the face of adversity." "Your kind were never exceptionally well-received anywhere, were they?" "I'm no historian, and I'm not the best Mormon, but I can't think of any time where that wasn't the case." "Do you agree with them?" "...No. I think that kind of thinking is... not practical, at this point. They had to have known that it would've come to a head at some point, and they probably have some kind of a plan. That's what worries me. It's a stubborn line of thinking for them. I just hope they'll realize it's not worth adding more bodies to the pile for. "For their sake, I hope you're right. I knew Colonel Sikorsky before he was commissioned." "What was he like?" "A little odd, but he was sharp as hell. Cool as a cucumber. We fought in the civil war together. We ran into a really rough patch on Faraway. He always told everyone to treat the enemy with respect, thought that the war would end a lot sooner than it actually did. We got ambushed, and he lost his hand in the fighting. Our guys kept on getting wasted in the jungle. Sikorsky moved like he was in a trance, keeping everything together despite his wounds. When all was said and done, only about one third of us were left alive. He lead us out of there, trying to keep us safe with bullets flying all around us. We'd all have died if he'd bought it back there. I owe him my life, but he was never the same after that. He changed when we jettisoned out those empty coffins in orbit." "What was different about him?" "I think he became angry, angry at the whole war. When he enlisted, Arachnids were the enemy everyone rallied against. He hated the fact that troopers had to take one another's lives, but he realized that was the only way to bring this war to a close as quickly as possible. He was ambitious before, and he became more ambitious afterwards, eager to do whatever it took to bring the fighting to a close. Now he's decorated, and holds the outcome to this issue in the palm of his hand, and I worry that he will roll over these people. " "Ambition can be a dangerous thing." "A massacre, especially after all of the trouble we went through, would be a horrible thing to mark the beginning of this new chapter of ours." "Hopefully they'll come to their senses, then." A runner swaddled in winter gear knocks on the door. "Sir? Bravo and Charlie want to know when we're rolling out." He checked his watch. "About ten mikes, tell Watson to keep the engines running on the APC's. Give me a moment to finish this." The runner departed. "...You heard the rumors?" "About what?" "Intelligence. They're cooking something up. A kind of weapon for the Neons. Rumor is they're starting dry runs in the Pacific next month. It's supposed to make the fight a breeze." "Sounds like that'd put us out of a job." "Egh, there's always freaks to fight somewhere. I'd rather be here than anywhere else." "...Maybe somewhere warmer, if you ask me."

Abstract Mission Briefing i. First Platoon is tasked with destroying a tunnel network on the floor of a canyon in Hirabayashi-Neumann Federal Park while Second Platoon eliminates a tunnel network to the North of first Platoon. Destroying said networks will inhibit entrenched Arachnids from bringing down dropships flying overhead. Mission Log >> 26/11/2298 - 1:00 Federation Standard - Sgt. Madoc Llewellyn as drop lead. >>1:11 - Little Eagle Two-Three touches down. Platoon deploys. L-E returns to orbit. >> 1:35 - Platoon comes across remnants of park buildings on Hirabayashi-Neumann Federal Park grounds. >> 1:50 - Platoon encounters minimal resistance from Arachnids, and proceeds down into the canyon. >> 2:00 - Platoon proceeds to dispatch Arachnids before noticing the effects of the ethanol springs on the floor of the canyon. >> 2:10 - The platoon crosses the canyon before contacting MOBCOMM to report 'wooziness.' >> 2:20 - Platoon begins to become noticeably inebriated from the excess ethanol in the air on the canyon floor. >> 2:22 - Platoon attempts to destroy the geysers in an attempt to cut off the ethanol. This does not work. >> 2:30 - Platoon remains in the canyon. Misfires and accidental discharges reported. Inebration worsens. >> 2:40 - Platoon manages to close the entrance to one of the caves. Command structure and communication break down. >> 2:50 - Platoon decides to hole up in the park building near their LZ for their own safety. Platoon is thoroughly inebriated. >> 2:55 - Platoon exfiltrates via MEDEVAC. >> 2:55 - Platoon officially boards the Grant, concluding their tasking. Abstract Mission Conclusion Mission was a failure. Due to the overlooked detail of the location of several ethanol springs and geysers on the floor of the canyon, First Platoon was rendered combat inefective. Dropship supply lines are to be routed around Hirabayashi-Neumann Federal Park until further notice. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Abstract Mission Briefing i. Reconnaissance Team Alpha is to scout the Wasatch National Forest-Vernon Division. ii. Reconnaissance Team Bravo is to scout the ruins of Alta and ascend Mt. Baldy. iii. Reconnaissance Team Alpha is to confirm reports of resettlement on ruins of Temple Square, Salt Lake City. Mission Log >> 24/11/2298 - 1:31 Federation Standard - Sgt. Usman Karsai as drop lead. Cpl. Patrick Strugatsky as RTO / SIC for Alpha, Sgt. Mallory Humphrey as drop lead. Cpl. Mario Caro as RTO / SIC for Bravo. >> 1:42 - Thunderbird 1-0 touches down. Recon Team Alpha deploys. Thunderbird 1-0 returns to Nellis Fleet Base. >> 1:57 - Thunderbird 1-1 touches down. Recon Team Bravo deploys outside of Alta. Thunderbird 1-1 returns to Nellis Fleet Base. >> 2:01 - Recon Team Alpha encounters minimal Neon resistance. Notes of upwards of 12 Neon corpses shot to death and strung along the route from Alpha's LZ to Interstate 80. >> 2:08 - Recon Team Bravo encounters moderate resistance in ruins of Alta, reported difficulties in the snow and ice in the ruins. 1x KIA (LCpl. Bobby Yang). >> 2:47 - Alpha crosses I-80, proceeds north along UT-65. Reports of apartment buildings littered with Neon corpses, shot to death. Snowstorm moves in and obscures vision. >> 2:55 - Bravo confirms liquidation of Neon presence in Alta, they proceed to Alta Ski Lodge and begin to restore cable car system. >> 3:02 - Alpha confirms signs of settlement as snowstorm clears. Alpha begins to record evidence. >> 3:35 - Bravo repairs cable car system, and begins ascent of Mt. Baldy. >> 3:42 - Alpha confirms signs of settlement as snowstorm clears near ruins of University of Utah. Alpha begins to record evidence, and proceeds north towards Bountiful Peak. >> 3:59 - Bravo completes their ascent, clears summit of Mt. Baldy of minor Neon presence. Bravo receives new orders to mark the location for an FOB for future operations. >> 4:03 - Alpha concludes scouting operations, and proceeds to extract near ruins of Bountiful. Thunderbird 1-0 retrieves Alpha, and returns to Nellis Fleet Base. >> 4:15 - Bravo concludes marking the area, and proceeds to extract via Thunderbird 1-1. Thunderbird 1-1 returns to Nellis Fleet Base. Abstract Mission Conclusion Reports of settlements in ruins of Salt Lake City confirmed, G&T provided with video footage and photographic evidence of 64~ structures near Temple Square, at least 23 of said structures dedicated for agricultural purposes. The footage denotes very little foot traffic, and the presence of at least 6 space-faring vessels on site. Alpha acknowledges poor visibility from the weather affected recording efforts. G&T is now tasked with investigating Mormon connection. Bravo has cleared the summit of Mt. Baldy, and has opened up a convenient method of transport between the city of Alta. The decision to act further on the matter has been passed up to Col. Ivan Sikorsky of the 9th Brigade now that reclamation efforts in Las Vegas and St. George are concluding as part of Operation Manifest.

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Mission Report - First Platoon Abstract Mission Briefing i. First Platoon is to secure a mountain pass (Stockholm Pass) and allow for the safe transport of elements from Alpha and Bravo of the 88th Moritas to pass through. ii. First Platoon is to ensure the safety of several emplacements on said pass Mission Log >> 14/11/2298 - 1:20 Federation Standard - MSgt. McCarthy as drop lead. Cpl. Daby as RTO / SIC. >>1:25 - Little Eagle Two-Three touches down. Platoon deploys. L-E returns to orbit. >> 1:35 - Platoon entrenches at the pass on a bridge and encounters light resistance from Warrior, Hopper, and Firefly castes. >> 1:50 - Platoon encounters first string of troopers from the 88th. They pass through without incident. >> 2:00 - Platoon gains more attention from Arachnids, and deals with increasing resistance. >> 2:10 - Stragglers from the 88th filter in with Arachnids in pursuit. They travel through the pass after eliminating their pursuers. >> 2:20 - Arachnids begin counteroffensive, and sandwich First Platoon between both ends of the bridge. At around this time, ammunition runs critically low. A supply drop is called in. >> 2:22 - Red Wing 1-2 arrives with resupply in tow, gets knocked into the bay by a Firefly and crashes, destroying the munitions inside and killing the pilots. (2x KIA) >> 2:30 - First Platoon is pushed off the bridge after requesting air support (could not be granted) and retreats further into the tunnel to their south. >> 2:40 - First Platoon is informed that Operational Command is aborting, and that they are to exfil ASAP. >> 2:50 - First Platoon extracts via Red Wing 1-4 >> 2:55 - First Platoon officially boards the Grant, concluding their tasking. Abstract Mission Conclusion Mission was a failure. Elements of the 88th were entirely wiped out (most of Bravo and Charlie). Several TAC wings lost in addition to the crew of Red Wing 1-2. GnT failed to accurately forecast the intensity of the resistance the Mobile Infantry would face on the outskirts of Mesa Verde.

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ANALYSIS RETURNS (10/11/98) Skull A recovered by TSgt. Naomi Hawthorne determined to be of early Homo sapien (Cro-Magnon) origin. Skull A exhibits lacerations/etchings burnt into the bone in angular patterns near the Occipital bun. Carbon dating estimates that the Skull A is roughly 23,000 years old. Stone fragments retrieved from a petrified leather sack in the general vicinity are concurrent with hafted tools and arrow heads dated from 40,000 to 15,000 years old. The petrified sack itself was determined to be roughly 25,000 years old. Skull B was determined to belong to Homo neanderthalensis, and was determined to be roughly 80,000 years old. It exhibited similar lacerations near the Occipital bun much like Skull A. Mandible A recovered by the detail team exhibits a dental pattern congruent with Homo heidelbergensis. Mandible A is estimated to be roughly 211,000 years old. DETAIL TEAM REPORT: - Dozens (32 currently) of skeletal fragments recovered. - Skeletal fragments belonging to various Homo sp. in addition to several Denisovan skeletons, almost all of which exhibited lacerations congruent with intensive surgery. - Multiple projectiles, both extraterrestrial and Terran in origin (ages dating from 90,000 to 500 years ago) recovered at the site. - The dropship pilots were never recovered. - The corpse belonging to the orderly identified as Cpl. Oscar Sotomayor appeared to be vivisected. Sotomayor was missing his spleen, liver, and heart. - The massive skull belonging to the 'apparition' belongs to a species of quadrupedal, ruminant extraterrestrial fauna native to Samson, not Barbarossa. - Some bones recovered have yet to be corresponded with any one species. - The extraterrestrial projectiles recovered are of similar composition to ancient Skinny spears and lances found on ██████ ██████ and █████████ █████ ████ - Due to the massive overgrowth of the forest, the detail team has remarked that the extensive forest cover has allowed much of the area to exist for a very long time without relative disruption from the environment. - The detail team remarked that they had not experienced any hallucinations or otherwise odd happenings besides a general feeling of uneasiness that dissipated as they left the AO.

07/11/2298 Neon clearing operations continue; Operations Sepulcher, Dreamtime, Manifest, Scatter, Desperado, Crocodile, and Oni are proceeding as planned. Mobile Infantry have been recently deployed to the following locations: -SEMARANG, INDONESIA -TASHKENT, UZBEKISTAN -ROSTOV-ON-DON, RUSSIA -VLADIVOSTOK, RUSSIA -MOSCOW, RUSSIA -ANADYR, RUSSIA -DEPUTATSKY, RUSSIA -DAKAR, SENEGAL -FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE -ACCRA, GHANA -LIBREVILLE, GABON -N'DJAMENA, CHAD - VOULOU, CAR -NYALA, SUDAN -POCATELLO, IDAHO, USA -WEST WENDOVER, IDAHO, USA -LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, USA -RENO, NEVADA, USA -LAS CRUCES, NEW MEXICO, USA -AMARILLO, TEXAS, USA -MISSOULA, MONTANA, USA -THIMPHU, BHUTAN -KHULNA, BANGLADESH -PAKSE, LAOS -PORT AUGUSTA, AUSTRALIA -LAE, PAPUA NEW GUINEA -MANAUS, BRAZIL

EL: PO. Eric Lao ML: LCpl. Madoc LLewellyn [A recording plays with two voices, one an unaffected North American male, and the other a Scottish female.] EL:This is in regards to a deployment on the 27th of October, 2298. You were sent to investigate and retrieve the contents of a crashed dropship on Barbarossa. Do you know what I'm talking about?" ML: Ah recall, ye'. 'S'posed'ta be eee-zee, jus' go'en down'tae the dropship, mark'et an leave. EL: Please state your full name and rank for the record, if you would. ML: Madoc Llewellyn. Lance Corporal. EL: We've spoken to one of your colleagues, also a member of MIPOD, about the events of the drop. We were fortunate to retrieve footage from one of the AEGIS suits present, but some of the footage is corrupted in parts. We're looking to construct a timeline of the events. EL: Can you walk me through what happened that drop? From the beginning to the end. ML: --Ye'. Ah'can try. 'S'real fuzzy, fer the record. EL: Whenever you're ready. ML: Righ'. Uh. . . Firs' thing's firs'. We dropped'en. Dropship doors open'an'lit. . Uh. . . Though'et was water. --Nah. . Ice. Ye'ever seen a nature documentary wit'clear-ass ice? 'S'lit' tha' bu' worse. We step out. . Start movin' towards some land. . . Er-so we were thinkin'. . 'Cept the fuckin' ground was alive. EL: -Yes, a type of fungus that's native to the area. Go on. ML: Movin' on from'ere. . The Techie, me-self an' Daby star' feelin' real fuckin' bad. . Like takin' the wrong alleyway on the way'ome bad. Someone's watchin' us, ready'ta jab us. We star' movin' an' uh. . Find a burial site'er somein'. . A skull an' ribs. . Carved up. . Laser-like, lit' some alien fuckin' did-it. No-way, no-how a Terran did it, ye'? EL: What kind of skull? ML: Wha's the word uh. . . Lit'a'Neanderthal. Lit-rully tex'book lookin'. So Day-be tries touchin'et 'er somein'. Ah'dinnae wha'e's doin' 'cause ah'm on perimeter. Whils'e's aff do'en his do, ah'get real freaked out. Feelin' like some'in'sboota pop out of the woods. Fuck us up. -An' that's it. . Nothin' happens at that poin'. Daby jus' starts freakin' out, so we all move. Ah'grab some weird-ass burial bag'is skeleton 'ad.... An' it jus'. . Disintegrates like. . . --Like ash. EL: The detail team we sent to recover artifacts brought in a petrified sack. Appeared to be some sharpened rocks, axe heads- small stones inside, yes? ML: Sounds'bou' righ'. Any'o. . Nex' up we find'is. . Uh. . . . Weird-ass burial site. . 'S'got these bone-lookin' trees near it. . An' there's jus' loads'e corpses sittin'about. An' below a few rocks was a skull. . 'S'bout as long'as'is desk. Four sockets'fer eyes, glowin' real bad. --Daby uh. . Touched some'in when we were there. . 'E'start's shriekin' about bein' ripped in'alf. So'ah punch his helmet, try'an' get us movin'. EL: What happened after that? ML: He snaps outa'et an' we move forwards, buh'as ah'm tryin'tae move away. Ah'gettis real fuckin' awkward feelin'. . Bein' drawn'tae the skull. Cannae quite explain'et but it's. . Supernatural 'lit some shitty paranormal-spookery film. --Ah'fight'et aff an' keep goin'. Up the river bank. EL: This feeling of being watched, did it persist? ML: Ye'. Through the entire'thin'. . Til everythin' went tits-up. So--We uh. . Make'et tae'the dropship. Star' checkin' it out. Corporal fuckface is freakin' out an' badgerin' Daby an'I. Then the whole fethin' platoon got some wicked-bad head visions. EL: What did you see? ML: . . A flash'o'ligh' then we're. . All fuckin' primates, basically. . Huddlin' around. . Axes an'shite. . . An'uh. . . .Eventually we're bein'. . Chased. Dinnae by what, bu'we're runnin'. Harder than ever before, lit' runnin' from speed-smokin' bugs. EL: You couldn't see who you were being chased by? ML: Nope. Notta'fuckin' clue. EL: Go on. ML: Eventually we wake up an' uh. . .--Ah'gettis feelin' tha' the little hovel place ain't so dead, feel? --OH. Ah'forgot'a detail. The crashsite? Absolutely fuckin' filled wit' bodies. Strewn about, missin' skin an'bone. Pilots were missin'. Sorry'aboot'at. EL: S'fine. The wounds the bodies sustained, how would you describe them? ML: Uh. . . Lit' bein' torn apar'. Bugs-but-worse. Was'nae a crash landin'at did it. 'S'lit they got up after an'en some'ne butchered'em. EL: You were displaced, after the vision, correct? ML: Ye'. . Some'o'us woke up buried in snow. . Ah'don' carry a watch but uh. . . 'S'lit' we were comatose an'sat in the snow'fer hours. Ah'reckon we -did-. EL: Indeed you did. There was about a four hour gap between transmissions sent from Bandicoot 1-1 to MOBCOMM. Can you tell me anything more about the vision you experienced? ML: Uh. . Canny' remember much. Bu' there was a'lotta emotion'tae it. Lit' relivin' someone's memories. EL: I see. After you woke up, your group moved back towards the grave you spoke about. What did you see there? ML: . . Uh. . A fuckin'. . Spectral moose? EL: Can you be more specific? ML: --We wen' back'cause ah'felt somethin' livin'oot there. Fer the record. EL: Noted. ML: Tall. Mebbe a story? Holographic almos'. Lit' a projected image. . Brigh' as fuck. . . Jus'. . Radiatin' ligh'. It ignored us. . Movin' out into the snow an' disappearin. . So whilst'et was gone ah'went into the hovel. --Noticed tha' the uh. . Skull in there was the same on'ets head. Had a few spikes innit. Like spears, really. So ah'grabbed'ne. . And uh. . Tha's when it hit me. EL: Tell me about it. ML: Uh. . 'Ad a flashback. . But'not'tae my own memory. Somethin' else's. . . One'o' those primates, ah'reckon. We're all huddled'aboot. . Head'tae'head an' we're celebratin' after'avin' chucked a fuck'loade spears into'at creature. 'S'like celebratin' after a successful hunt, ya'know? EL: This spear you touched. We have it in containment. It's of extraterrestrial origin, I think you should know. What happened after that? ML: Uh. . Ah' was gettin'dragged back by Daby. . Ann'I handed'et tae'him. Ah'though' mebbe he could figure it. EL: ...Yes, we have his testimony from the incident... ML: The Tech' found some odd lookin' skull meanwhile. . An' we uh. . Started'tae pull out. EL: Go on. ML: Well uh. . Whils' ah'was diggin' one'o' the spears out, the spectre came back. . Didnae'seem ta'mind me. Jus' kinda faded away. Again. EL: What happened after that? ML: We're movin'tae extrac' an'. . Uh. . --Well. . Daby started'tae freak again. . So the platoon was up fron' an'he was laggin' behin'. Not exactly sure wha'appened wit'im. He was jus'slow. The feelin'o' bein' watched wasn't tae' prevelan' on the way out. EL: Mmhm. The sensations you felt dissipated completely once you left? ML: Ye'. Felt fine onna'way up. EL: Thank you very much for your testimony, Lance. Is there anything else you'd like to add towards the investgation before we wrap things up? ML: . . Uh. --The other MIPOD members. . 'Ey're all telepathic an'shite. Ah'm not lit'em'at all. Ah'dinnae do'at brain readin' or wha'have ye'. So ah'didnae expec' any'o'at. EL: Yes, we have your report from Lieutenant Pakdel... Anything else you'd like to add? [The recording stops.] NOTE: Skull(s) analysis completed. Carbon dating of petrified sack completed. Analysis of extraterrestrial projectile completed, results to follow shortly.

EL: PO. Eric Lao SD: LCpl. Scott Daby [A recording plays with two voices, one Scottish, and the other North American. There's the occasional ruffling of papers and the burning of cigarette paper.] EL: I don't mind if you smoke. Go ahead and state your name an' rank for the record. SD: Scott Mag-Uidhir Daby, Lance Corporal. EL: This is in regards to a deployment that you all returned from roughly twenty minutes ago... You were sent down to retrieve the contents of a dropship, is that correct? A downed dropship. SD: Aye, tha' we were. EL: A deployment that arguably shouldn't last longer than say, an hour at most, ended up lasting over four. Something happened on the deployment that was not accounted for. We're looking to construct a timeline of the events, so what I want you to do is walk me through what happened- from the moment you got dropped off to the moment you were picked up. Any details, no matter how seemingly small they are, can be helpful. Whenever you're ready. LB: 'rite. Am' gonnae start fae the beginnin'. Tryin' tae be concise and detailed, yeh'? -- Anywho. Step oot'a the dropship, and shite's a'riddy goin' sideways. Ah' don't feel 'rite, y'know? Lit' sum'in's aff. Way aff. EL: How so? DB: Sum'in's lettin' me know tha' ah'm no' wanted there. Fear. Felt fear -- legitimate fear, no' jis' sum' anxiety. The kindae fear when yer' mum's jis' caught'cha 'avin' a quick chug. You know. SD: Bones lined the snowbanks, and we came across sum' kindae tentacle things under the snow. Livin' flora. EL: Go on..." SD: We carry on, figure the shite's no' gonnae dae nuthin'. Still a big redflag, tho'. The further we continue through this forest, the more bones we stumble across. 'umie bones, but real thick ones-- What's wrong? EL: Any indication of how they got there? SD: No' yit', no. Gettin' 'ere. Ah'm trudgin' along, an' ah' find this cave type'a thin'. Ah' point it oot' real quick-like, and sum' blokes go o'er and check it oot'. Meanwhile, ah' try tae examine the bones. The moment ah' git' close, ah'..---- Started 'avin' real intrusive thoughts. Ones ah' could tell weren't me own, cos' they weren't consistent wi' me thought process, nor whatever wiz' goin' on a'the time. Sum'thin's tellin' me to run. Ah'm feelin' confused, and am' feelin' cold. Mind'jae, ah'm wearin' a thermally insulated suit. No way ah'm feelin' freezin' unna'neath this...But ah' was. Nevertheless, ah' decide tha' maybe ah' should try tae figure oot' whit's goin' on. Dae sum'in kindae stupid, but warranted. Touched one'a those bones. Big mistake. EL: What happened when you touched one of the bones? ...Take your time. SD: ..felt lit' ah' was terrified. Real confused. Me' vision wiz' startin' tae go, -real- fast. Me knees buckled, an' ah' fell tae 'em. Ah' heard crackin' bones, crumblin', screamin' -- ah' wiz' feelin' whatever this poor bastid wiz' goin' through b'fore 'e died. EL: What happened afterwards? SD: Ah' felt lit' ah' wiz' gettin' dragged away. Piercin' pains throughout me body, all over. Then..-- ah, fuck. Then, it started gettin' real bad. Felt lit' ah' wiz' gettin' butchered wi' fuckin' exact-o knives. Y'know? Like sum' kindae fucken' animal. Cuttin' me, real precise-like. An' ah' could'ae sworn, me insides were bein' ripped fae me. Ah'-- Ah' could feel my fucken' organs movin', man. Lit' they were jis' guttin' me! ... Sec'. EL: It's alright. SD: Ah' could feel it, min'. All of it. An' then it faded. Ah' wiz' surrounded by the squad ah' wiz' wi', an' sum' fucken' twatwaffles wanderin' around tryin'a grab me. Some 'raudae restrained me. One o' the Russians, ah' think. EL: You were very much in a state of extreme duress, it seems. What else happened? SD: ..ah' wiz' back in bidness, tho'. Ah' wiz' carried aff tae an area wi' the rest o' the squad, an' everybody's flippin' their shite. Techie's callin' fer' me tae inspect the ship or the shite around it, an' the 'raudae's refusin' tae let go. Stevie-fuckin'-Wonder, the fucken' shitstack Sarn't fer' hire hits me wi' tha', 'don't put 'im down,' bullshite. Next thing we know, it happens again. Dunnae what triggered it, but the entire fucken' squad passed oot'. Ah' wiz' one'a the last ones down. EL: What happened once you passed out? I know it's difficult, but... We need all the information we need. SD: Ah' saw Earth. An unrecognizable Earth. --..nearly. EL: Walk me through it. SD: Looked prehistoric. 'umie's were around, but. They were all tribals. Men, women -- entire families together. Lit' they were waitin' fer' sum'in. Tha's when it happened. A light. A real big fucken' light -- lit' sum' kindae nuke-flash, y'know? it wiz' -that- bright. Blinds us all. Meanwhile, ah'm in immense pain ..we were back in the forest after tha'. Everyone's panickin', bu' ah' donny know whit' they're sayin'. They're hidin' fae sum'in. A light. The same light tha' blinded us, bu' it's local. No' sky-encompassin'. Tha's when everythin' went red. Dark red, real dark. Think lit' old blood tha's no' quite dried yit'. Tha' same shite ah' told'jae earlier. We were bein' experimented on. Real precise-lit incisions bein' made on us; those incisions gettin' fucken' wrenched open lit' barn doors, an' --We were bein' vivisected by sum'in. Tha's whit' it was. And then, another lapse in the fucken' hallucination -- we were gittin' hunted again. By sum'in, an' we were runnin'. Runnin' as far an' as fast as we could. Fae the light. Ah'm soundin' lit' sum' kindae a fucken' looney, bu' tha's around the time we woke up. All of us, entirely displaced fae where we were. -- 'cept Lance Corp' Layland. EL: He was someplace else? SD: Aye. Y'remember tha' cave type'a thin' ah' told'jae aboot earlier? Well, Sarn't Stevenson ordered Llewellyn tae go find 'is arse and they found 'im. 'rite at the mouth o' tha' cave. 'cept it wasnae jis' sum' 'cave'. Fucken' thin' wiz' a shrine... it wiz' lit' 'e wiz' bein' prepped tae be sacrificed 'r sum'in, bu' tha's jis' speculation on my part. Anyway, ah' sense sum'in's watchin' us. Llewy, Techie, and masel' dae. Shit starts movin' in the trees, so we go tae the shrine. Give it a looksie on the way back tae our ship. -- 'cos tha' wiz' around the same time Stevenson called fae evac, 'r we were notified 'boo our bird bein' 'ere. Didnae hear the hails on the rajio. As we're on our way back, ah'm still recoverin' fae the pain. At the shrine, we're 'avin' a look, an' ah' keep gettin' sum'in tellin' me tae look a' the skull. -The- skull. Ah' look at it. 's no' jis' a human. It's old. Real old. But, ah'll git' back tae tha'. -- Inside'a the shrine wiz' an animal 'r sum'in coated in snow. Couldnae make it oot, but it wiz' sum' kindae pincushion fer' four spears. Llewy went and took one fae the corpse. She 'ad a quick episode, and handed the spear aff tae me. Ah' suffered the same. We learned tha' this wiz' a huntin' grounds. Fer' what, we didnae know. The light, mibby? Dunno'. Ah' didn't tell you about the light, tho'. Not enough anyway. EL: The non-encompassing light? SD: Tryin' tae git' all'o this info out as fast as possible -- aye, tha' one. Took on the form of sum' kindae ethereal elk. Moose? Elk, likely. Antlers were tae thin tae be a moose. Phased through objects lit' it didnae abide by physics. Nuthin' lit' us. We first saw it when we first passed the shrine. Befer' we knew wot it was. Didnae know the correlation. No' at the time. -- It left us after everyone started tae flip oot about it. Tha's when we found the ship, an' all'a tha'. Anyway, back tae the current time -- Llewy's spear. EL: -This is Private Madoc Llewellyn? -Lance, correction. SD: ..Lance Corporal Llewellyn, aye. So, Llewy takes up the spear. 's no a 'umie spear lit' the others. Sum' kindae alien spear. Real ornate, but simple lookin' a' the same time. -- 's a fucken' ayylium spear. Has an episode, gi's it tae me, ah' have an episode -- Now, the elk comes by. Starts walkin' tae us. Steps intae the hovel where the shrine's at. Dissipates tae dust once it reaches the bones. Tha' animal covered in snow wiz' the elk. ..ah'm assumin'. EL: ...We're sweeping the whole area with an FFRL team as we speak. Gonna' recover anything we can for futher analysis. What happened after the elk appeared? SD: Nothin'. Lit' ah' said. Dissipated. We got the Hell outta there, after tha'. Took one'a the skulls, an' left. Ah' feel like ah' git' shot. By a real thick arrow, or lit' ah've jis' been stabbed wi' a spear ..as ah' closed in on the ship, started intae another episode, but didnae go intae a full one. Got weak, confused, scared -- lit' ah' wiz' bein' chased. Tha' entire area is a huntin' grounds...an' we weren't the hunters. EL: I see. Anything else you'd like to add, Lance Corporal? Your testimony is very much appreciated. SD: The bones...they were thick. The skulls were thick, tae. But reminded me o' -- they were ancient. Ancient 'umie's, on this planet? ...Elk? EL: Yes, the uh... The bones you lot found are being analyzed as we speak. There's... No possible way that something preceding Homo sapien could've somehow left the confines of planet earth. SD: No' at all. No fucken' idea. Thinkin' tha' bright light in the beginnin' wiz' prolly the abduction. -- y'know, the types fae the twenty-first an' twenty-second centuries tha' nob'dy believed. Abducted, displaced, hunted, vivisected. What a fucken' way tae go, min'. Tha' place tells ya' a story. EL: So it seems... SD: ..tha's all ah' can imagine why it exists. The presence o' the aliens, tho'. No sign other than sensin' danger. Feelin' o' bein' watched, and crackin' trees. Could'ae been the wind, could'ae been tha' the branch had tae much weight and gave out at that moment in time, but -- ah' don't know. EL: You've been very helpful, Lance Corporal. The uh... The tentacles you described in the beginning. They were small? Kind of like spaghetti? Moving? SD: ..in the beginnin', yes. But they were pokin' through a snowbank. Meanin' they were a lot taller unnaneath. Others were lit' seven feet, later on. EL: There's a footnote here from FFRL, it's a type of fungus that's endemic to the area, apparently. Anyways... I thank you kindly for your cooperation, Lance. We might have to call you in for some more questioning in the future, depending on how the analysis goes. [The recording stops.] NOTE: Skull and projectile analysis pending completion at the time of this recording. (22:00:00 UTC, 27/10/98)