September Report

In September, MaX-COM had a pretty strong month. We deployed the new Firestorm interceptors to our bases around the world, armed with the latest weapon technology. This allowed us to re-assert dominance of Earth’s airspace that had been lacking for a few months. We did miss a few UFOs again at the start of the month but aside from that we’ve been taking them down consistently.

In September we finally raided Exalt’s HQ and eliminated them as a threat. There was a small intelligence snafu in which China was falsely accused of harbouring the Exalt HQ, because we believe Australia had been eliminated when they actually had not. This regretably resulted in China also pulling out of the MaX-COM project. However after that we correctly located the base in Australia and assaulted it. Exalt provided comparatively limited resistance and are no longer a threat.

The bigger news is our progress on defeating the aliens. After deploying the new interceptors we were able to shoot down the Overseer UFO that has previously proved elusive. We then assaulted the crash site in Operation Hot Druid, and discovered a new species of alien that is in true command of the alien forces: the Ethereals. We were able to capture the Ethereal encountered immedeiately, unlocking even more research potential. We also recovered a mysterious device that may prove key to defeating the alien menace once and for all. We’re in the final stages of constructing the “Gollop Chamber” to house the device. A giant UFO also appeared off the coast of Brazil which we believe to be the alien’s last gambit, that the Gollop Chamber will help us defeat.

March Report

Mission and Personnel Report

Again, our squad has reached the limit of human acheivement. Jethro _ has maximised his psychic potential which should serve us in the fight ahead. Robert Goss is awarded the badge of shame the month for repeatedly missing with his giant gun.

March Report

Mission Location Squad
Operation Silent Night Fukuoka, Japan Rob Beasley, Jethro _, Matt Rogers, Matt Smith, Robert Goss, Shivey McShivface
Operation Elliptical Tangent Covert Data Extraction, Japan Rob Beasley, Jethro _, Sam Staton, Matt Smith, Robert Goss, Alex Spencer
Operation Glass Calm UFO Landing Site, Egypt Rob Beasley, Jethro _, Matt Rogers, Sam Staton, Matt Smith, Robert Goss
Operation Blind Fog Covert Extraction, China Alex Spencer, Michael Wilson, Sam Staton, Jethro _, Robert Goss, Shivey McShivface
Operation Pocket Sand Exalt Base Raid, Australia Alex Spencer, Rob Beasley, Matt Rogers, Jethro _, Robert Goss, Shivey McShivface
Operation Severed Shield Leeds, UK Matt Smith, Michael Wilson, Sam Staton, Jethro _, Robert Goss, Shivey McShivface
Operation Black Mother UFO Crash Site, South Africa Alex Spencer, Rob Beasley, Sam Staton, Jethro _, Robert Goss, Matt Rogers
Operation Hot Druid UFO Crash Site, Argentina Alex Spencer, Michael Wilson, Sam Staton, Jethro _, Robert Goss, Matt Rogers

Science Divison Report

Chief Scientist

Dr Vahlen

Facilities Staff

59 Scientists

Field Equipment

  • EMP Cannon In developing an electromagnetic weapon capable of emitting a focused pulse that will penetrate the alien’s advanced shielding, we’ve also had to find a way to protect our own ship’s sensitive electronic circuitry. The functionality of the weapon itself had already been well-established by previous testing conducted by Earth’s various terrestrial military forces, leaving us with little to determine outside of the energy requirements and effective range. If our pilots can successfully deploy the pulse against the alien craft, we should be able to bring down a UFO with minimal damage to the artifacts and equipment carried inside.

  • Plasma Pistol Our research into the alien’s plasma based weaponry is among the most advanced and dangerous work we’ve undertaken so far. The most difficult question surrounding the use of plasma… how to maintain an adequate power supply in the field, was solved by the Elerium-based power cells recovered from the aliens. The heat sinks developed using their materials have also proven to be the answer to proper heat dissipation along the weapon’s barrel.

Alien Biology:

  • Muton Elite – Interrogate + autopsy Although similar in general appearance to the Muton species our troops have battled in the field, this particular captive is different. We’ve seen evidence of an inherent intellectual capacity not found in the other variants, and we believe this “Elite” Muton serves a more defined role within the invasion force. The captive’s sheer physical power and increased savvy made its interrogation both dangerous and exhilarating. After establishing an enhanced security protocol to deal with the risks involved, we began the interrogation process using our previously established techniques. As it turns out, this captive had the distinct honor of serving as a guard within the alien force, and had a complete understanding of the various weapon systems available to the invaders. Interrogate Beserker This captive was even more violent and aggressive than we expected, exceeding the previous limit established by the Floater and Muton species. Despite heavy sedation, it was virtually impossible to control the subject, leaving us with little recourse other than to increase the vigor of our tactics. After probing several regions of the captive’s brain, we managed to find the appropriate stimulus to calm the beast, after which we put the captive through a number of controlled physical tests. By observing the subject’s movements while burdened by the massive suit of armor it is outfitted with, we’ve gained enormous insight into how the invaders approach the difficult design questions associated with creating a heavy armor suit.

  • Etherial – Interrogation + Autopsy This creature, clearly a member of the alien leadership caste responsible for this invasion, presented us with an extremely risky and difficult interrogation prospect. Despite our previous experience in safeguarding the facility from the potential effects of the…abilities… exhibited by the psionic alien species, this captive’s power exceeded the previously established limits of our testing. Much of the information we were able to discern from this creature was cryptic at best, as it made every effort to resist even our most invasive procedures during the interrogation. However, the experimental imaging equipment we had been using to monitor the alien’s brain activity did reveal a very unusual pattern of neural activity that we believe is closely tied to the creature’s “power.”

  • Sectopod Autopsy Although this robot is neither alive nor sentient, it is strangely self-aware of its surroundings. We’ve still uncovering the functional details for this “species,” but from what we’ve seen so far, this machine is a masterpiece of technology. Based on our initial testing, we’ve discovered an extremely intricate program that’s implanted in their macro-processors. This combat control program, combined with the Sectopods imposing ten meter frame, makes for an extremely dangerous weapon. Powered by the same energy source that fuels the alien craft, these machines wield unparalleled destructive power. Perhaps the biggest mystery is the secret of how they’re being controlled.

  • Etherial Device Having learned a great deal about the Hyperwave Beacon and its associated “inter-dimensional” signaling capabilities, we believe this newly recovered device confirms our suspicions about this technology and takes it a step further. The “Psi-Link,” as it is now being called, appears to provide a direct link to the psionic “network” used by the aliens for field communications. Although we are treading into an area of highly theoretical science, we believe there is a strong indication that the aliens function under a collective consciousness, a form of social organization akin to a “hive mind” as seen in various species of insects found on Earth. It wasn’t until our first interaction with the Ethereal species of alien that we were able to understand the scope of the psionic abilities we had previously been exposed to. Although we’ve only scratched the surface in terms of developing Psionic abilities within a human subject, we’ve now theorized that it may be possible to join the aliens’ consciousness … to tap into their “hive mind,” by successfully activating this device. However, in order to ensure the safety of XCOM’s headquarters, we’ll need to construct a chamber that minimizes the potential risks to the rest of the facility during the activation process. As it so happens, two of our brightest young minds, a team of brothers, have already conceived of just such a facility appropriate to this task. If we manage to locate a soldier with an aptitude for psionics, and find a means to develop these abilities further, I believe it will only be a matter of time before we succeed in activating the device and finding the source of this invasion.

Personal Note

This month we have analysed several new highly threatening Alien species. The live capture of an Elite Muton and an Etherial is of huge scientific value and the our field agents are to be highly commended for achieving this. I would also like to extend my congratulations to the (former) work experience boy who has now published and defended his thesis on our early understanding of Psionics and has now joined the team officially as Dr Hunt.

October Report

I’m pleased to announce that in October, the MaX-COM project completed its goal of saving the Earth from Alien invasion. The gollop chamber was completed, and Jethro _ II bravely volunteered to activate it (which was convenient as he remains our only psychic soldier). This enabled us to assault the alien Temple Ship and bring an end to the alien invasion once and for all.

Archived video footage of the final assault is available here.

Commander Max signing off.