The Conference Room

The Conference Room is where X-COM personnel will come together to discus various important matters and hold mission briefings. It also features a screen with a direct video link to the council of nations.

Commander Mabuta

Commander Richard Mabuta walks into the conference room. He's been here a few days, and he's still not used to all the harsh neon lighting and all the cold blue of the metal. It feels strange to walk around in such a futuristic environment, while knowing he is still in Nigeria. There're no cracks, no dirt and even the plastic bags in the trashcans are different.

He just send out a notification to the staff for a meeting in the conferenceroom. Even though the base is top notch, the logisitics and communications are just short of very bad. At least that's what he's used to. You just work with whatever you get.

So let's hope it isn't just as empty in this building as it sometimes appears to be. Things have to start rolling. the Council of Nations, his new employer, is already too much involved for his taste. Demanding results and always observing.

He sits down at the head of the table. He then stands up again and walks around the chair, putting his hands on the headrest.

"OK friends. Let's sit down here and discuss the state of this facility. I assume you made a tour through your department. If you did not do that, you do so right after this.

So for you that do not know me, my name is Richard Matuba and I am the Chief Operating Officer of this XCOM Base. OK? I direct the day to day operations here and am in charge of the funding. So here that is equal to the rank of Commander. OK?

Now some of you will not have met yet, so what I would like you to do is to introduce yourself to the others at the table and talk about your previous experience.

Now let us talk about the operations. There has been a mission into Germany yesterday. Operation Devils Moon. The first squad has been sent there. It was succesfull, no dead, one wounded, he is in the sickbay now.

Here is the report:"

Mabutu shows the mission report on the big screen:
------------------------------------
SQUAD 1
Squad leader:
Corporal Sir Armstrong

Squad:
Corporal Vasíli Dmítrich Denísov
Corporal Li Na
Corporal Broko Ham
--------------------
Retrieved from site:
6x lifeform remains, Unidentified species
12x Weapon Fragments
2x Unknown Canisters

Unidentified species killed: 7
Soldiers lost: 0
--------------------

He continues: "So as you can see, there were seven human like creatures that appear to be aliens. They look like this:"

He shows a picture on the screen.




"Now six of those bodies came back. One of them was blown up with a rocket launcher. There are also some weapon fragments and two unknown objects. I will want all those bodies, weapons and fragments examined and researched. If there are coming more, we should know more about them OK?
Because I WILL NOT HAVE THESE UGLY FUCKERS MESSING WITH US!

So at research: cut them open, find out how they work. Find out about their weapons.
Tactical: I want a report on any weird behaviour of those things. Pass that along directly to research so they know what to investigate. OK? Very good!

Now friends, in order to beat them again we need to know more. So stop blowing them up with FUCKING ROCKETS. Head tactics, make sure that gets to those soldiers. Tell them they use tactics instead of brute force next time. Discipline that private that used his rocket on one of those skinny things and blew up a part of our intel.

OK. Now good. I get the research division some means to be able to start. When you have any results, you report them to me directly.

Now friend from the public relations, There might be some questions from the people about the mission. Make sure the public doesn't get to see these images and creatures. XCOM made sure they do not want a scene. You can make a plan, Yes? When you have one, send it to me.

So OK friends, GOOD! Now you talk, we will work together for a while, so tell me about yourself."

Professor Hideyoshi Katsurou

A well groomed and decently dressed asian man is slowly stumbles into the conference room halfway the presentation. Seeing how the impressive commander is giving his booming speech he slowly moves his way to the back of the room, opposite to the presentation screen. There he stands perfectly still during the remainder of the presentation, all the while taking notes on his tablet computer.

After his speech, the professor slowly moves to the table and deeply bows his head down as he enters into view.

He nervously starts talking in broken English,

"" Hadjimemashite!

Arrohwu me to in-turoduce my'sef,

My name is profesuro Hideyoshi Katsurou. It is an honour to be the new Head of Resetsu-Depatement of X-COM-des.

My-am greatury sorry for being rate, it isu my first day and I berievuh to have rost my way in the new en-viro-mentu. ""

< Hideyoshi swipes on his tablet computer as he slowly but firmly steps towards the head of the table and looks everyone in the eye, now more secure than just before. >

"" We have received the many eriunh specimen at the depatument.
Resertsu wiruh work hard to discover the securetsu of these Space Eriunh Technurogy.

I have now recieved photo of erien body, made by curenup-team at the batturoh rocation. ""

< He swipes once more on his tablet computer and a photo comes into view on the presentation screen. Below it is shown a Link >


"" I personary burevuh these erien to be the "Guray-des" erien. On the "Wi-ki-pedia" they-a is aruso corrudu, "Ze-tan-des".
I cannotuh cofirumuh this to be true. Soh-fo'-now they specimen have been rabured as just "Guray-des" erien.
We now have received arroh the specimen and uh team wir work hard to anu-rise thei' bio-rojikaruh and inner working.
Perhaps we can discoveruh many new gureateh bio-rojikaruh medisen, but for now that is-a orruh the information that we have.

We wirh keepu the office posuted as-ah new di-sucoveris areh made.

Thank-a-you for your-ah attention.

I wirruh now take my seat and arrouw next honourabu ko-re-gu to in-tu-rohduce himuse'f. ""


< Hideyoshi bows down again, and slowly walks towards a seat at the table, leaving the place open for his next colleague."

A man storms through the door. He looks exhausted. Catching his breath he tries to speak:

"We.. have.. a .. situation"

He leans against the door breathing heavily. After a few seconds he goes on.

"An unidentified fighter craft is circling above Cameroon. I tried to inform the head tactical officer but he is unavailable. I suggest, no urge, to give out the order to intercept this aircraft immidiately!"

Professor Hideyoshi Katsurou

The Professor reacts shocked of this news, he quickly scans the room to see if anyone of combat knowledge is going to act on this news.

"Head Tactical Officer Constantius reporting for duty."

A tall, scarred man with a shaved head an UNgroomed beard in uniform with too many medals and stripes to count walks towards the table. Salutes the commander awaits appropriate time to let down his arm and sits down on a chair at the "right" side of the Commander. Nodding to Adler Olsen, as he sits down he lets out a "HMmm" sound just loud enough for the Commander and Hideyoshi Katsurou San to hear.

**Constantius is a man of protocol when it comes to greeting superiors.**

"I was standing in the doorway listening to the conversation waiting for the right moment to make my presence known even though you probably already knew of my presence before I knew I was even in the room?!?"

"JUSSI calm down and take a breather! I've noticed that you already sent the go ahead on the interception of Raven-1. Protocol dictates we need at least 2 manned Ravens on possible hostile interception missions. But the report just came in that the interception was a success so I'll let you off the hook.

"I will start researching their tactics with my tactical officer as soon as we have retrieved the Video Material from our ground forces.: Jussi if you can find the time ASAP to interview the soldiers so we can use that information and put it next to our findings of the video material for a full tactical scan!"

"Commander I ask of you now we have confirmation of their Flight technology to adjust the funding so I can at least have an extra Raven built!"

And we need someone to build some anti aircraft weapons that we can use to defend our base.

Adler-Olsen salutes Falkasius.

"Sir, yes, sir"

Richard Matubu walks back into the room from a quick-as-lightning visit to the Geoscape in Mission Control.

"OK. I send Mister Olsen just out to get a squad and retrieve that UFO. Mister Constantius. Very good you are here. Go with Olsen now. Field experience is good for a tactical officer. You need to see your enemy! These things"
He points to the image of the alien corpses still on the big screen
"are unlike anything we ever battled. Get the squad and..."
Then, his brand new watch flashes and vibrates. He looks startled at the device, reads the message on the screen, and looks up.
"OK. Go to the Mission control now! Yes you Mister Constantius! An S.O.S. message just came in. Find out what it is and lead the mission team from there. I will talk funding later. Go!"
He then turns to Hideyoshi Katsurou
"Good! Mister Kadsoorroh. Very good you are here. So you know what to do. Wait..." He stops a moment and thinks. " Go to the lab now, find out what you can about the weapons. Not the Gray-yudes. The weapons. The mission crew maybe needs that more now. I will come and check in a while to see if there is any progress."

Professor Kasurou stands up and coughs inconspicuously.

"" If I-ah may speakh,
Resertsu Depatement worud raik to ask they comanduru of the, eh, depuroyementu-team to puhrease not destroy any of the erien atifaktsu if posiburu.
Mya head of the resertsu team had say to me that rast depuroyementy-team had used misaires to destroy sevurar erien bodjis, and posiburu they weapon-des.
This technorodji is very impo'tant for they resertsu team, and we need arroh the posiburu atifaksu to anurise and beteru peraru fo' the next attack. ""

< The professor shifts nervously in his place. >

"" Anno, if at ah posiburu I wurod aruso raik to askh for there to be a pu-ro-ti-caro (protocol) made. This puroticaro wourd go into effect immediatary for they neksu fightingh-squad and arroh the fightingh teams after dis one.
The puroticaro wurod be that 'the puresurevation of the erien bodji's and technorodji is of the highest impotanse. Anno that they use of heavy weaponry is ohnri arowed in-ah situation where the rife of they team-memburus is in danger.'
I know that this is a harrud thing to ask, but it is impotant for they discovary of they necessary futeru inter' . ""

< The professor bows down and sits back down again. >

Head Engineer dr. Pyotr Bezúkhov:

An average sized man walks into the conference room and looks arround from over his spectacles. He obviously hasn't been sleeping in a couple of days and his face is covered in dirt and grease. Under his left arm he is carrying a stack of papers and a tablet computer. In his left hand there is a large cup of black tea. On his belt there are a few tools hanging loosely, also covered in dirt and grease.

"Was there a meeting?" He asks. "And which of you is the commander? I would like to know why the funding to engineering has been cut to 0%."
Placing the papers on the conference table, disregarding things previously there, dr. Bhezúkhov starts ranting about things that need to be constructed arround the base and how things are obviously not possible without any money.
"And not to mention, I noticed one of the ravens being damaged. What if it had been destroyed? Who is going to pay for the construction of a new one? Because it will be me constructing it. Did our commander think of that? Of new weaponry? What about a new power station? We are ALLREADY! [dr. Bhezúkov slams his fist onto the table] Low on power. How do we even think to stand a chance against aliens with a tech advantage?"
As he takes a deep breath he looks arround the room.
"Let it be clear gentlemen, that I cannot fullfill my duties as chief engineer without the proper funds. This inclused any construction in this base, the construction of vital supplies for our brave soldiers OR the application of new technology the research department comes up with."

< The professor nods respectfully towards dr. Bezúkhov when he enters. >

As dr. Bezúkhov starts his passionate speech about his mission, the professor receives a message on his pager that makes him smile. < Bezúkhov just slams his fist on the table > Hideyoshi looks up in shock. He starts shifting nervously in his chair as dr. Bezúkhov continues on about funds and construction.
The moment dr. Bezúkhov is done and starts looking around the table, intent to find a soul that agrees with him, professor Hideyoshi stands up and speaks.

"" If -uh, I may speak. I aguree with deh ohnurabouru speakuru of deh En-jin-eru-depathumentu. Deh -ah fundes must be ekuarri spit bituene deh depathumentsu, akkordingu deh ur-jen-zi o' each depathumentu. Annoh, in re-spectu to'adji (towards) each other.
I puropose deh idea' that we horud deh monthuary meetingu. Where arro deh head-o' depatumentu-des discuz, annoh vote fo' deh -ah buget. ""

The professor, shifts nervously in place.

"" Now, purease excuse me. Fo' I am needud at deh Resertsu Depatument. It seems we have new discoveraries ahready. ""

The professor bows down deeply and then turns to walk away.

Mabutu walks toward the head of the big table. He was distracted by the messages on his smartwatch and the bleeping sound it kept on making. At one point he simply left the room, and asked the first person he met how to turn off the sound. He was never one for long hours sitting and talking at a table, although this room had air conditioning, which counted for something.

He tried listening to his staff, but sometimes simply zoned out. Especially that Japanese man was difficult to follow, with his heavy accent. He looked around the room. This was quite some cast that was put together. Who on earth put all these people together to defend the world against fucking aliens? The X-Com council kept sending him messages they were watching. But the certainly as hell had no idea about providing him with a well-oiled war machine in which the different gears linked together as an engine of a Vickers. As a matter of fact he never had that experience with his subordinates. It had always been just a bunch of guys who ended up together because they went through more or less the same shit in their lives. Of course there was the military discipline that made everyone do their job right, but underneath that order remained the chaos of having to battle Death as a job.

Mabutu recollected himself. He knew only one way to get this machine as oiled up and running as it could be. That was yelling.

'OK, good. Everyone now shut the FUCK UP and sit your ass down. This,' He puts his hands on the papers Head Engineer Pyotr Bezúkhov put there. 'Will NOT be tolerated!' With one forceful swipe he cleans the table. The papers swirl to the ground. He looks at his hand and sees a grease stain.

His eyes find those of Pyotr. 'You!' he growls, 'are banned from the conference room! How dare you talk to a superior like that! Demanding funds? You better respect me engineer or you get nothing! Now you are a lucky little man because now you get some money. BUT I want a FULL rapport on WHAT your options are and WHAT you want to spend it on and WHY. BEFORE you go and touch anything with your tools. If you build anything without my approval that is disrespect again and you will get repercussions. Now get out and make me a plan! No grease stains!'

'You!' He looks at the Japanese man, the head of research. 'Didn't I JUST say that I do not want those aliens blown up? That IS the pu-ro-ti-col-oh: when I say it! But I tell you what: make a briefing to the soldiers about your research priorities and send that to me and to Mister Constantius. Make it short and to the point. And make it English.
Also, I want a full inventory of all research materials recovered during missions, and I want it updated after every mission. Put it up somewhere in your department and send me a message where to find it. Every alien body and weapon fragment needs to be accounted for!
Number three: send me the research options and planned research projects. GOOD.'

'OK You!' Looking at Constantius. 'Do NOT discipline your staff in this room! I do not want to see your relationship problems with your tactical officer here. Also, get me a file on your options and plans. Put also in a section on the cooperation of the tactical department with the other departments and WHAT you do. Now you have three ravens? That is good for now.
Also your tactical officer is more aware and around than you are. This is a warning. Also, make sure the soldiers in the barracks are briefed about the missions and their enemy. They need to know what the fuck they are up against. You,'

He looks at Adler-Olsen,
'I like you my friend. One day you might make a good promotion. I want you on a field mission as a squad leader as soon as possible. Try to make that happen! Work together with Constantius on his orders.'

'Now everyone get the fuck to work I want options, plans and reports. And put numbers in those plans! How much money does it cost?'

* Out of game: send docs / files to me in PM or e-mail *

Head Engineer dr. Pyotr Bezúkhov:

Richard's fit startled dr Bezúkhov a little. His own speech hadn't been polite either, he knew that. But this was the result of not sleeping for several days during the construction of the new elevator shaft. This man, however, sounded like this was his usual mood. Usually dr Bezúkhov would carefully avoid working with such people since he wasn't able to handle their behavior. But now this man was his "boss", some african warlord type staight from hollywood with the temper of a giant silverback. Taking a deep breath the Head Engineer decided to do what he always did when faces with this type of people, leave. But there had to be concequences of him being banned from the conference room..

"I'm sorry míster Mabutu, I was not aware we were playing this game." dr Bezúkhov replied in a low voice.
He then nodded to dr. Katsurou, turned arround and left the conferenceroom. The papers remained where they were, he didn't need them.