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GAME PLAY MANUAL

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TECHNICAL SUPPLEMENT REQUIRED EQUIPMENT
For X-COM: Terror From The Deep to work, there are a few things your computer must have. The processor has to be an 80386 with a system speed of at least 33MHz (megahertz). Basically, any computer with 386, 486 or Pentium in its name should do just fine. For best play, we recommend at least a 486 with a speed of 50MHz. You must have a version of DOS numbered 5.0 or higher. Almost all 386,

TERROR FROM THE DEEP

486 and Pentium computers include DOS in the standard software package. There have to be at least 520K (532,480 bytes) of free conventional memory. The nice thing is, you dont even have to know what a K is. (Its a kilobyte1024 bytes. Never mind what a byte is.) To find out whether you have enough, at the DOS prompt type mem/c and press r. Somewhere in the mess of information that pops up will be a line something like Largest executable size. Thats what tells you how much free conventional memory you have.
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CONTENTS There also has to be at least 4MB of OPERATING DIFFICULTIES AND memory installed in your system, at least LOADING PROBLEMS 3MB of which should be free (3072K). The
mem/c report should also tell you the total amount of memory installed in your system. The graphics must be VGA quality or better (SVGA is better). You must have a mouse attached to the computer. (We mean the input device; please do not glue or staple helpless little animals to the keyboard.) The mouse driver must be Microsoft mouse version 8.01 or higher or something fully compatible with this. Q. Why cant I install the game to my hard disk? 1. You must check all of the system requirements , especially the amount of hard disk space required. 2. Try installing the program to an uncompressed partition on the hard drive in case Drivespace or Doublespace or a similar utility is conflicting in some way with the installation program.
Note: If your hard drive is compressed with the Drivespace or Doublespace program from Microsoft, you must double the amount of hard drive space needed during installation: not every file will compress at the normal ratio of 2 to 1. For example, installation of the game usually takes 16MB, but with Doublespace it could take up to 32MB.

COMPATIBILITY ISSUES

Please note that this list includes only the known conflicts and incompatibilities. Since no test procedure can ever be totally comprehensive, you may run into undiscovered problems. Please contact Customer Support if you do. We strongly recommend that you do not run this game under Microsoft Windows 3.1 or Windows 95. We strongly recommend that you not have any terminate-and-stay-resident programs (TSRs) other than memory managers loaded into memory when playing X-COM: Terror From The Deep. Not only will they decrease the amount of free memory available, thus slowing the game, but there may be unpredictable interactions.
3. Finally, try installing the game on another machine to see if the problem recurs. Q. What is a boot disk? This is a startup disk for your computer that contains alternate startup files to those on your hard drive. Using a boot disk will leave more conventional memory free. Using a Boot Disk Insert the boot disk into your floppy disk drive, then switch on the computer. You should leave the disk in the floppy drive during play.
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Slow Running If you are not running from a boot disk, you can try using SMARTDRV.SYS or SMARTDRV.EXE loaded into your CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT. This might speed up the game a bit. If you are using MS-DOS 5.0, make sure you have the following line in your CONFIG.SYS file: devicehigh=c:\dos\smartdrv.sys If you are using MS-DOS 6.0 or 6.2, make sure the following line is in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file: loadhigh c:\dos\smartdrv.exe However, you might need to remove this line if memory problems occur. Q. Can I run Windows? my game through
area of conventional memory will reduce your 640K available for the program. It is important to have as much free conventional memory as possible. Q. What is extended memory (XMS)? Further memory, beyond the 1MB of base memory on your PC is called extended memory. XMS can be used to free more conventional memory so that bigger games can be run. XMS can also be used to simulate expanded memory. Q. What is expanded memory (EMS)? EMS was originally designed to give PC compatibles more memory to run programs. It has been around longer than XMS, so many older programs take advantage of it. The DOS command EMM386.EXE can be used to turn XMS into EMS and should be in your CONFIG.SYS. Remember that hard drive space is also measured in megabytes (MB). Dont confuse this with memory the two are completely different!

No. This is not recommended; it is likely that you will not have sufficient memory to do so. Q. Does this game run with DR DOS, Novell DOS 7 or OS/2? Success is not guaranteed. MicroProse games are currently designed to run with MS-DOS 5.0 or any 100% compatible DOS. Q. What is base memory? This is the original 1MB (1024K) in your machine. It is divided into conventional memory (640K), where MS-DOS and all PC programs load, and upper memory (384K), where system programs reside. In MS-DOS 5.0, the bulk of the operating system and associated drivers (such as the mouse driver) are normally loaded into upper memory. Other drivers held in the

Memory Managers

If the program is occasionally freezing or crashing to DOS, the game might have a conflict with your current memory manager. MicroProse recommends only the drivers that come with MS-DOS (i.e., HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE). Try using the memory managers that come with MS-DOS 5.0, Windows 3.1, MSDOS 6.0 or MS-DOS 6.2, in that order.
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Mouse Drivers

Another common cause of the program freezing or crashing is a conflict with your current mouse driver. MicroProse recommends the Microsoft driver, MOUSE.COM or MOUSE.SYS version 8.01 or higher. See the MS-DOS manual for full details. To check which mouse driver you are using, run the MSD program which comes with Windows 3.1 and MS-DOS 6.0/6.2.
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X-COM: TERROR FROM THE DEEP
1995 MicroProse Software, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by mimeograph or photocopy or other means without permission, with the exception of quoting brief passages for the purpose of review.
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INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND
On the morning of November 28, 1998, top officials from the worlds most economically powerful countries congregated secretly at the UN. The reason for the meeting: increasing terrestrial UFO activity. Over the previous 6 months there had been numerous confirmed sightings, landings and hostile contacts with super-intelligent and unpredictable aliens. After much debate, the decision was made to establish an independent body to combat, investigate and defeat the alien threat. This elite organization was equipped with the worlds finest pilots, soldiers, scientists and engineers, working together as one multinational force.

This organization was named Extraterrestrial Combat Unit X-COM.
2039. The last scarred sites of the alien war of 30 years ago are healing and, for all intents and purposes, the threat to the Earth might never have happened. Humans sleep easier in their beds knowing that the evil has gone But in the oceans long-silent forces have been aroused by the conflicts. Forces that have from time to time made themselves known to man, but for the most part have remained hidden. Separated from their stellar cousins for millennia, these aliens are now aware of their brethrens former battles culminating in the final conflict on Mars.
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Under the ocean lies the remains of a vast interstellar colonization ship; 400 billion tons of metal that plummeted to the Earth some 65 million years ago. Now, the waiting is at an end, the powerful computers begin to stir, the ancient technology readies itself for the coming storm. When the alien base on Mars shuddered in its death throes, a powerful Tachyon beam darted out to a long dormant receptor. Thirty years ago, awakened by the cosmic emissions of their brothers, the vast chambers of innumerable species began their re-animation cycle. X-COM must now face a new terror, an army of aliens that is already here, but in an environment more deadly than deep space. The aliens of the depths are well prepared to take on man in all the oceans, even bringing the war onto the land.

GAME OVERVIEW

A vast sleeping enemy has awakened. When the colonization vessel crash landed on Earth some 65 million years ago, the emergency systems placed the aliens in suspended animation. A distress call was sent, but was never received by the aliens homeworld. Over the eons the computers awakened small groups of aliens to attempt colonization, but the strategies and devices were imperfect. The aliens have also sunken ships, destroyed planes and devastated remote ports over the centuries to what end we know not. Now, deep in the vast hulk of the mother ship the battle computers have become fully online. The systematic awakening of the aliens and their technology has begun. Across the globe are sites where age-old alien advance assault squads have been attempting to contact their distant brothers. The sites contain powerful artifacts that they need to conquer the planet and transform it into an aquatic paradise for aliens.

Note: If you wish to pause time at any stage during the game, simply click on any of the Menu Options.
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DETECTING ALIEN FLYING SUBS
3. We will now advance time to the the point that the first Alien Sub is detected (if this has not already happened). s Click on the 1 Day button in the Time Controls. Time passes at the maximum rate. 4. Eventually, a window appears over the Geoscape with the message Alien Sub-1 Detected. Information regarding the Sub (size, depth, heading, speed) is shown in this window. s Click on the button marked Centre on Alien Sub-Time=5 Secs. This will center the Earth display on the Alien Sub and reduce the passage of time to 5 seconds. The Alien Sub appears as a red cross moving slowly in the center of the Geoscape.
INTERCEPTING ALIEN FLYING SUBS
5. Position the Mouse pointer on your base and click the LMB. A window appears with the title Launch Interception and a list of the Subs available at that base.
6. Move the Mouse pointer to highlight Barracuda-1 and click the LMB. 7. The window containing the message Select Destination appears in the top of the screen. s Click on the Alien Sub (represented as a red cross) to select this as the Barracudas target.
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8. The window containing the confirmation message Target: Alien Sub-1 will appear.
B. If your Barracuda loses contact with the Alien Sub, the window Alien Sub-1
s Click on the OK button. 9. The Barracuda (represented by a yellow cross) will launch from its floating base and attempt to intercept the Alien Sub.
Tracking Lost will appear. This might happen several times before you actually get into combat; most Alien Subs can outperform Barracudas. s Click on OK. Continue to the next step of this tutorial. 11. The Craft Status window appears, allowing you to redirect the Barracuda.
Note: Remember, if you need to pause the game, click on any of the Geoscape Menu Options.
If the Alien Sub lands, it appears as a Green Cross. Barracudas are only interception subs and cannot carry out ground attacks; so, you will have to wait until the Alien Sub lifts off again click on the 5 Mins Time Control button to accelerate the passage of time. 10. At this point, one of two things could happen: A. If your Barracuda catches the Alien Sub, the Sub Combat window appears. Skip the rest of this section and go to step 19 of this tutorial.

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Funding Change the difference between this months and last months total funding. A plus (+) sign before the figure indicates an increase in funding, a minus (-) sign indicates a decrease in funding. This is followed by a general report on how the Council of Funding Nations views recent X-COM anti-alien operations. Click on the OK button to exit this screen.
The Molecular Control Training screen lists all X-COM bases with Molecular Control Lab facilities. MC Labs are essential to carry out Molecular Control Training. Click on any of the Base Name buttons to Assign Aquanauts to Molecular Control Training at that base. Assign Aquanauts to Molecular Control Training

Molecular Control

If you have built a Molecular Control Lab at any of your bases, you will be taken to the Molecular Control (MC) Training screen each month, after the Monthly Report. Molecular Control skills allow X-COM aquanauts to use Molecular Control. A Molecular Control Implant is required to use any MC device. The implant is surgically inserted into the aquanauts brain in the MC lab. Molecular Control devices are also required for an aquanaut to be able to use Molecular Control.
This screen allows you to assign individual aquanauts to Molecular Control training. The top of the screen shows the Remaining M.C. Capacity. This indicates the number of aquanauts who may be assigned to Molecular Control Training. Below this is a list of the following: Name the aquanauts names. Molecular Control Strength this is a measure of the aquanauts natural ability to defend against Molecular attack. It never changes, regardless of how much training the aquanaut goes through.
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Molecular Control Skill/Improvement this is the aquanauts ability to use Molecular Control. The aquanauts Molecular Control combat ability is dependent on both this and Molecular Control Strength.
UFOpaedia takes you into the UFOpaedia (see the UFOpaedia section of this manual for full details). Options takes you into the Options screen (see the Options section of this manual for full details). Funding takes you into the International Relations display (see the Funding section of this manual for full details).

THE BATTLESCAPE SCREEN

The Battlescape screen is a 3-D display that allows you to control a small squad of heavily armed X-COM aquanauts.

Using the Battlescape

Your squad starts the mission in their transport Sub. The aquanaut nearest to the Subs exit has a yellow animated arrow to show that he/she is selected, ready to move out. Selecting and Moving Aquanauts A 3-D box appears when you move the mouse pointer over the Battlescape. To select a different aquanaut, either click on the button in the Control Bar (see the next section for full details of the Control Bar) or move the cursor box over the required aquanaut and click. A yellow arrow indicates the selected aquanaut. To move the selected aquanaut to a destination, simply move the cursor box to the destination and click.
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To make the selected aquanaut turn around without moving, position the cursor box in the direction you want the aquanaut to face and press the RMB. Moving the View Window Move the mouse pointer to the edge of the screen to move the Battlescape view window up, down, left or right.
The Hidden Movement screen appears when the aliens are moving out of sight of X-COM aquanauts. However, there is an exception to the turnbased rule. If you move your aquanauts directly into the aliens line of fire, they will take a shot during your turn. Similarly, your aquanauts will automatically open fire if the aliens move into your aquanauts line of fire during their turn. See the section of this manual on Opportunity Fire for full details.
Note: You must take the mouse pointer to the very bottom of the screen, under the Control Bar, to move the view window downwards.
Line of Sight The Battlescape will only display what is within your squads line of sight. This means that you must seek out the aliens through dark, unexplored areas. Using the Split Level View The Battlescape is built up of several levels. These can be viewed individually, allowing you to see behind walls and inside buildings or 1 button on the Control craft. Click on the Bar to break the Battlescape into levels. The Turn Based System The Battlescape operates under a turn-based system. This means that your aquanauts will be able to move a certain distance before the message Not Enough Time Units! appears. When all of your squad have used their allocated Time Units, click on the button on the Control Bar to end your turn. When the aliens have completed their moves, it is your turn again.

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The Item Boxes To the extreme left and right of the control bar are the Item Boxes, containing a picture of the items held in the aquanauts hands. Click on these boxes to use a weapon/object. Ascend/Descend Controls: Up/Down Click on either of these buttons to move aquanauts up or down between levels when they are standing on a Pressure Lift. View Next Level Up/Down Click on either of these buttons to view the next level up or down from the level which is currently displayed. Map Screen
The map will only display one level of the Battlescape at a time. Click on the up or down arrows on the right-hand side of the map to view the next level up or down. The map uses symbols to represent the following: Yellow dots X-COM forces Blue dots alien forces Red dots civilians White crosses dead aliens or humans Click on the RMB to return to the Battlescape screen. Stand/Kneel Click on this button to make the selected aquanaut stand or kneel. Kneeling allows your aquanaut to be less visible to the aliens and fire more accurately. Equip Aquanaut Screen
Click on this button to view a map of the mission area. To recenter the map on another part of the mission area, simply click on the desired position. The white cross in the center of the screen shows where both the map and the Battlescape are centered.
Click on this button to view the equipment carried on the selected aquanauts body or on the ground at the aquanauts feet.
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This display is similar to the Equip Squad screen at the beginning of the Assault Mission. The only difference is that the top right of the screen now displays the aquanauts remaining Time Units. Moving weapons and equipment from one location to another uses Time Units. The amount of Time Units required to move an object is dependent on where the item is removing items from a backpack takes more effort than putting an item on the ground. Click on the RMB or the LMB or the OK icon to return to the Battlescape screen. Center Display on Aquanaut Click on this button to center the Battlescape on the currently selected aquanauts level and location. Select Next Aquanaut Click on this button to select and center the Battlescape on the next aquanaut in your squad.
Select Next Aquanaut - Deselect Current Aquanaut Click on this button to select and center the Battlescape on the next aquanaut in your squad. The aquanaut currently selected will be deselected so next time you click on he/she will not appear. Use this button when you are happy with the position of a particular aquanaut.

Split Level View

As the aquanauts rank improves, so too does the skill with which he/she can fight. Aquanaut Data The name of the selected aquanaut is shown at the top of this section, with statistics and information regarding the aquanaut shown underneath. These statistics are displayed as both figures and bar charts and are color coded as follows: Green Time Units Orange Energy Red Health Purple Morale Click on the Aquanaut Data box to view the Aquanaut Data screen.
Rank This icon represents the currently selected aquanauts rank. X-COM aquanauts may have the following ranks: Seaman Able Seaman Ensign Lieutenant Commander Captain
This displays the aquanauts name at the top of the screen with the following information: Time Units the aquanauts remaining Time Units. Time Units are required to carry out everything from walking to firing weapons.
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Energy the aquanauts current Energy level. This will decrease as the aquanaut carries out energy consuming actions such as walking through seaweed. The total energy available will be lowered if the aquanaut receives fatal wounds to the torso. Health the aquanauts current Health. This will decrease as the aquanaut takes hits from enemy weapons. If the aquanaut has received fatal wounds, each wound decreases health by one point per turn. If the health reaches zero, the aquanaut dies from the wounds incurred. Fatal Wounds the number of Fatal Wounds received by the aquanaut. The Medi-Kit can be used to heal fatal wounds. Reactions the aquanauts Reactions. This determines how effective the aquanaut is at opportunity fire taking a shot during the aliens turn. Firing Accuracy the aquanauts accuracy at firing weapons. This will increase as the aquanaut gains more battle experience. Throwing Accuracy the aquanauts accuracy at throwing objects. This will increase as the aquanaut becomes more experienced. Strength the aquanauts Strength. This affects the distance which the aquanaut can throw objects. Morale the aquanauts Morale. An aquanaut will lose morale if the battle starts to swing in the aliens favor. If the morale falls below 50 percent, there is a chance that the aquanaut could panic.
Bravery the aquanauts Bravery. This determines the likelihood of morale decreasing. Armour Status the aquanauts Armor Status. This will rise as the aquanaut is equipped with armor manufactured by your engineers. Molecular Control Strength/Skill the Molecular Control Strength/Skill that the aquanaut may call upon. Click on the RMB to return to the Battlescape screen.

Promotions

At the end of every mission, subject to their mission performance, aquanauts will be promoted. The rank to which the aquanaut is promoted is dependent on the following: Seaman each new recruit begins at this level. Able Seaman in order to be promoted to an Able Seaman, a Seaman must have had some combat experience. Ensign there is one Ensign per five aquanauts. If a position is vacant, the best available Able Seaman is promoted. Lieutenant there is one Lieutenant per 11 aquanauts. If a position is vacant, the best available Ensign is promoted. Commander there is one Captain per 23 aquanauts. If a position is vacant, the best available Lieutenant is promoted.
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Captain this is the supreme leader of XCOM forces there is only one Captain. If there are at least 30 aquanauts, the best available Commander will be promoted. It does not automatically follow that the higher the rank the better the aquanaut, although this will tend to be the case. The Effect of Rank When officers accompany a mission, the morale of all the aquanauts is boosted and they are less susceptible to panic. The higher the rank of the officer, the better the effect on the aquanauts morale.
Morale At the start of each mission each aquanauts morale starts at 100 percent. This decreases as an aquanaut is wounded or if fellow aquanauts are killed. It will recover if an aquanaut successfully kills aliens. The decline in morale is reduced by an aquanauts Bravery rating the more brave an aquanaut is, the less likely he/she is to panic. Panic When morale falls, the likelihood of panic increases. When an aquanaut panics one of three things can happen: A. The aquanaut freezes, and can do nothing for the current turn (i.e., he/she will have no Time Units). B. The aquanaut drops his/her weapon and runs away, searching for a hiding place. C. The aquanaut goes berserk and starts firing at random.
Note: If an officer is killed during a mission, it will have a worse effect on morale than if a rookie had been killed.
Mission Experience When aquanauts return from a mission, their abilities might be increased. For a skill to benefit from experience, it must be used during combat as much as possible. For example, if an aquanaut uses a harpoon many times, then accuracy is likely to improve. Reactions, Accuracy, Time Units, Throwing Accuracy, Molecular Control, Health, Strength, Fitness and Bravery all benefit from mission experience.

Wounding

An aquanauts health is a general indication of well being, but an aquanaut can also receive Fatal Wounds. These afflict certain parts of the body as follows: Head, Left/Right Arm each fatal wound reduces the aquanauts weapon accuracy. Torso each fatal wound reduces the aquanauts rate of Energy recovery. Left/Right Leg each fatal wound reduces the aquanauts available Time Units.

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The Aquanaut Data screen displays any fatal wounds. Each fatal wound also reduces an aquanauts Health by one point per turn, so that it is possible for an aquanaut to die from a hit received much earlier in the mission. The Medi-kit can heal fatal wounds. Stunning Aquanauts or aliens can be stunned if hit by a stunning weapon, caught in an explosion blast or if suffering from smoke or dust/debris inhalation following an explosion. You can monitor the effect of smoke/debris inhalation on your aquanauts by checking the white bar on the aquanauts health bar. If this advances as far as the aquanauts health level, the aquanaut will collapse, but should recover a few turns later. Aliens can also be stunned and carried back to your craft. However, if they wake up, they will jump out of the aquanauts arms and run away!

Opportunity Fire

If you end your turn leaving your aquanauts with enough Time Units to fire a shot, your aquanauts will automatically fire during the aliens turn at any alien who strays into their line of sight. This is called Opportunity Fire. Your aquanauts might even be able to take a shot before the aliens if the aquanauts Reactions and Time Units are high enough. There might be several exchanges of fire in each Opportunity Fire confrontation.
Note: Opportunity fire is crucial to mission success. Remember to leave your aquanauts with enough Time Units at the end of their turn to carry out opportunity fire use the Reserve Time Units buttons to do this.

Objective

The mission will be successful when all aliens have been either killed or stunned. The Alien Subs remains, alien artifacts and alien corpses are then recovered automatically. To abort the mission before the objectives have been achieved, click on the button in the Control Bar.
Note: Any aquanauts not on the Triton transport at this stage will be left behind.
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THE DEBRIEFING SCREEN

The Debriefing Screen is displayed at the end of the Assault Mission, giving you a breakdown of your performance. The first line of this display tells you whether the mission objectives were achieved. Below this is the mission performance list, showing a breakdown of all the Items recovered, the Quantity of each and the Score for retrieving them. The last line of the mission performance list shows the total mission score. At the bottom of the screen is the overall mission Rating. Poor mission performance may affect X-COMs funding. Click on OK in the bottom left of the screen to return to the Geoscape screen.
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X-COM bases are submerged floating stations hiding them from alien detection systems. XCOM craft operate from concealed sub pens, and the only access to the base is via the access lift. X-COM bases carry out several different functions: Detection of Alien Subs. Operation of X-COM fighter and transport subs. Research into alien technology and life forms. Manufacture of vehicles, equipment and weapons for X-COM use. The Bases screen consists of two main parts: the Base Display and the Menu Options.

When work has finished on a project, the Research Completed window appears on the Geoscape. Click on OK to return to the Geoscape or click on View Reports to view the result of the research (this can also be accessed at any time in the UFOpaedia). Your scientists then inform you of any new research or manufacture projects which are now possible. Click on OK to exit from these screens or click on Allocate Research or Allocate Manufacture to start new research or manufacture projects.
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Manufacture

Click on this option to view your current production status.
Cost Per Unit the cost to manufacture each item. Days/Hours Left the number of days/hours remaining before the production will be complete. New Production Click on the New Production button to start production of a new item. The Production Items window appears, listing the available items for production.
The Current Production screen displays the following: Technicians Available the number of technicians available for work. Technicians Allocated the number of technicians currently working on production. Workshop Space Available the amount of floor space available in the workshops. Current Funds the amount of money currently available to X-COM. Below this is the production list, containing the following: Item the item which is being manufactured. Technicians Allocated the number of technicians working on the project. Units Produced the number of units of the item produced so far. Total to Produce the total number of units you have ordered to be produced. Use the mouse to highlight and click on the required item. The Start Production window will now appear.
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The first line of this window displays the number of engineer days it will take to produce the item(s). One technician day is the amount of work one technician can carry out in one day. The next two lines show the cost to produce one unit and the workspace required. You may cancel production at this stage by clicking on the Cancel button. To accept the production and continue, click on the Start Production button. The Technician Allocated window appears.
Click on the up/down arrows to increase or decrease the number of technicians allocated to the production and the number of units of the item to produce. You may cancel production at this stage by clicking on the Stop Production button. To accept the production and return to the Production Items window, click on OK. Click on OK in the Production Items window to exit to the Current Production screen. Technicians Allocated/Units to Produce Use the mouse to highlight and click on any manufacture project to alter the number of technicians allocated to that project. This is identical to the Technicians Allocated window described above. The more technicians involved, the quicker the manufacture will be completed. Click on OK to exit to the Current Production screen. Click on OK in the Current Production screen to return to the Bases screen.

Purchase/Recruit

Click on this option to recruit personnel, lease craft or purchase items.
The Purchase/Hire Personnel screen displays your Current Funds in the top of the screen alongside the Cost of Purchases for the items chosen.
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Sell/Sack

Click on this option to sell items or to sack personnel.
If you do not wish to make any sales, click on the Cancel button to return to the Bases screen. When you are happy with your choice of items to be sold, click on the Sell/Sack button. The items will now be sold and you return to the Bases screen.
Click on this option to return to the Geoscape screen.
The Sell Items/Sack Personnel screen displays the Value of Sales for the items which you have chosen to sell in the top left of the screen with the total Funds available to XCOM in the top right. The columns below are: The Item column, listing the items at the currently selected base which may be sold. The Quantity column, listing the number of each item which may be sold. The Sell/Sack column, consisting of a pair of buttons for each item and the number of that item which will be sold. The Value column, listing the value of each item.
w buttons to increase or Click on the decrease the number of the item to be sold.
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GRAPHS

ALIEN ACTIVITY IN ZONES
Click on the second icon in the top of the screen to view the Alien Activity in Zones. This graph displays the level of Alien activity in the funding zones. Click on the buttons on the left-hand side of the screen to view the graph plots for individual zones. Click on the Graphs button in the Geoscape to access the Graphs screen a graphical breakdown of Alien, X-COM and Financial information. These graphs are useful when planning strategy such as where to establish new X-COM bases and which areas to concentrate on defending.

X-COM ACTIVITY IN SEAS

Click on the third icon in the top of the screen to view the X-COM Activity in Seas. This graph displays the level of X-COM activity in seas of the world. Click on the buttons on the left-hand side of the screen to view the graph plots for particular seas.

ALIEN ACTIVITY IN SEAS

Click on the first icon in the top of the screen to view the Alien Activity in Seas. This graph displays the level of Alien activity in areas of the world. Click on the buttons on the left-hand side of the screen to view the graph plots for particular areas.

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UFOPAEDIA

Click on the UFOpaedia button in the Geoscape to access the UFOpaedia, an on-line encyclopedia which contains all the information currently available to X-COM. Each entry consists of a diagram with accompanying text and/or data. General Equipment the weapons and equipment that your aquanauts may use. Aquatic Artifacts alien weapons and equipment that have been recovered and researched. X-COM Facilities (pods) the available structural units that may be added to your underground bases. Alien Creatures data gathered from captured aliens (either living or dead) that have been researched by your scientists. Alien Technology information gained from the interrogation of live aliens. New Submersible Technologies information gained by researching objects retrieved from crashed Alien Subs. Alien Submarines information regarding known Alien Subs. The first screen of the UFOpaedia is a list of the subjects which may be reviewed. Click on any one of these buttons to get to the section which you require: X-COM Craft and Weapons the Subs available for X-COM use and the armament that they may be equipped with. Submersible Weapons Systems the vehicles that may be carried on X-COM transport subs. OK click on this button to return to the Geoscape.
THE SELECT SUBJECT SCREEN
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THE SELECT ITEM SCREEN

UFOPAEDIA DATA SCREENS
The next UFOpaedia screen allows you to select a specific entry to review. Highlight and click on the required item or click on the OK button to exit.
When you are viewing a UFOpaedia Data screen, click on the buttons to view the previous/next UFOpaedia entries. Click on the OK button to return to the Select Item screen. w w w w
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OPTIONS

The Select Game to Load screen displays the name, date and time of up to 10 games. Pick a saved game by clicking on any of the buttons numbered 1 to 10 on the left-hand side of the screen. You return to the Geoscape at the point when the game was saved. Click on the Cancel button to return to the Geoscape without loading a game. Click on the Options button in the Geoscape to access the Options window, allowing you to load and save games.

SAVE GAME

Click on the Save Game button to save your current game. The Select Save Position screen appears.

LOAD GAME

Click on the Load Game button to load a previously saved game. You exit to the Select Game to Load screen.

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Base :. Rank:. Name:.

SUBJECT PROFILE
Delta 3, South America Commander Jake Gaston
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Unfinished Notes

for a book
ROUGH NOTES ON JAKE GASTONS STORY
I first met him at the Harbor Cafe. He was nursing a bottle of whiskey; staring into an empty shot glass. He was in his late 50s by then and looked tired, very tired, with dark shadows around his eyes. But the way he snapped his head back and twisted his strong torso revealed an athlete of the top rank. I approached the small table and he stared at me. Hi, my names Kathryn Ellis Im from the University - arent you Jake Gaston? He looked at me, then glanced to either side of where I was standing, as though he was checking if anyone else was with me. Yeah?

What do you want?

You were an X-COM commander back in the 2000s. Ive seen some reports flicking through the old files. Id really like to talk to you. Why? he asked, neither confirming nor denying. Im writing a book on X-COM now that the information has been made public and the threat is over. The threat is over, is it? he interrupted, then lifted the glass to his lips. Well, I know that X-COM still exists as an organization, but its primary task of countering the alien invasion has been achieved. Has it? said Gaston, replying with a question for the fourth time. I realized that he was telling me nothing. I didnt even know that it was really him. Then he looked me in the face, his steely-grey eyes unblinking, What do you know about X-COM? Again, another question. I recognized the unmistakable signs of military command training; he was going to find out more about me than he was willing to tell me about himself. What was revealed in 2010 about the UFOs and the battle X-COM waged against the extraterrestrials Ive read all the available X-COM files. Gaston smiled. You dont know anything a lot of good soldiers died out there, he swept his hand across the sky, men and women of the finest caliber. Now resting in unofficial, unrecognized graves. If youre going to write anything its going to be about them!
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Suddenly, I realized that I had stumbled on a real story. But that old suspicious streak began to nag at my brain. Youre willing to talk to me about classified information?
That was the end of our first meeting. That was it. He left the cafe, but promised to meet me there the next
day. He gave the impression that he wanted the record to be correct about the men and women under his command. I was aiming for a popular history book and had a good source of military picture files on my terminal back home, but Gaston came up with much more than Id expected. There was a haste about the way he told his story, a haste and a hint of something new to come. I didnt push him on the subject because I figured he would only tell me what he was good and ready to tell. He wasnt a man to be tricked. A few hours before the first interview, I tapped in his name on Biogstatus and the screen came up with all the known details of his career. From a conventional family background and quality education, Gaston excelled at literature, maths, physics and athletics a strange combination to match his bulky, muscular frame. He went to a leading University in 1999 to study History, and in his second term published a book of poems entitled Lost in Wonder. A few reviews flashed up on the screen and then some of the poems. They were on a mystic, philosophical theme but were well composed and generally well received. In 2000, at the beginning of his second year, Jake Gaston left University. There was no explanation he certainly did not fail any courses, because he was seen as the brightest of the 1999 intake. His career details contained no information for the next three years, but in 2002 he was billed as an officer (lieutenant) in the army. No location was listed, usually a sign of Secret Service involvement. I assume that he was drafted and trained by X-COM in those intervening years. Information about the Alien war years is patchy at the best of times and my Biog-status stopped in 2006, telling me to consult Update patches or Official Government Records (OGR). No updates were produced, but OGR-Historymaker Software was released by the Parallax Organization 6 months ago. I skimmed through the official documents of the X-COM story and found various pictures of Jake Gaston: at White House receptions, at the Kremlin and one, surprisingly, of his wedding. He had married Katherine Tully, also an

Dont you know? Its not classified anymore: X-COM shares have been bought up by the big corporations. You, my friend, can say whatever you like in your book!
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X-COM captain. The records contained no other references until 2011 when Jake, then a commodore, had been awarded the United Nations Medal of Honor at a ceremony in London. Finally, there were videos of his TV interviews with all the chat show hosts over the next 2 years. and then no other record. I flipped the terminal off and sat staring at the dark screen. I thought of the Alien War. Although there was firm evidence of a conflict from the people who suffered terror attacks, there was no reference to the war until it was over. It had never entered the public consciousness as a real war because people had not seen it on TV. The startling discovery that aliens existed and that we were not alone in the Universe was almost glossed over by the media. Id seen that phenomenon before: once youve rationalized something, its no longer of any real interest. It was the same when man first set foot on the moon eventually it was humdrum and missions didnt even make the front pages! I strolled down to the harbor in plenty of time for a coffee, sat at the same cafe and watched the people walking up and down. I was lost in thought and didnt notice Gaston until he pulled up a chair. He seemed to be in a better mood today, and we chatted about the town and where he lived. Eventually, he got around to the subject of money. I knew he would. I could tell that he was hard up. I had already calculated how much the story was worth to me and how much the publishers would pay. I quoted him a figure. You couldnt tell a thing from his reaction. He raised his hand and called the waitress over, and ordered a couple of beers. I guess you know the standard stuff thats been done in the films how we beat them off and won the war. Well, what no ones ever explained is the reality of living through those times. When we first went in, we didnt know what we were doing. We were just kids, really. I hadnt even completed college, and there I was dropped into the desert in the dark to catch or kill an alien creature in a downed UFO. There were eight of us that day and the only one with any real experience was our Captain, Jakobs. I was lucky half of that force never returned. Eventually command figured you had a 25 percent chance of getting killed as a new Squad Member the odds got better the more experienced you got you had to learn to survive.

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At that time, the training base director was Gomez Rodrigues. Yep, THE Gomez Rodrigues the one that all the films are about. He understood that we needed to be kept informed of all that was happening in the organization. We were flown to the nearest working X-COM base and that certainly opened my eyes. Everyone felt the tense atmosphere. Soldiers were dying on a regular basis, so postmission, you just had to relieve the tension. You think youve been to
wild parties? Well, you should have experienced those troopers parties in that base.
We watched the transports Skyrangers in the early days - take off packed with grim-faced troops. The soldiers returned the next day dirty, battered, tired but ecstatic; their faces saying mission completed and no casualties. We watched the alien corpses being parcelled up and the delight of the chief science officer at the recovery of a particularly valuable alien artifact. And maybe you think youve seen cool dudes? In those days those Interceptor pilots were ice the real elite on the base. There was no time to test new engines or craft. The scientists and engineers would slap on a new unit and whoosh! they were off on another mission. Bug swatting, they called it! As though it was nothing. They all wore those corny flyers shades and strolled around with a kind of deliberate swagger that showed they were untouchable. The whole training group were besotted with that image after that day everyone wanted to be a flyer you could move around the organization if you were considered good enough. I went to the intake sessions but I just couldnt take that training. Have you ever tried a G-force accelerator? It tears you inside out and leaves you a sopping mess inside your guts. Back in the training base, everything assumed an urgent reality. Some of us were fast-tracked through the second training module; Kathy, Li, Ranjit and me were welded, as they called it, into a unit. The base we were due to be sent to liked to handle groups of four in a fighting unit. It was the basic number that worked in hunting out aliens after a crash. Ill never forget that survival course. We were dropped somewhere in North Africa high mountains, desert and scrub lands. We were hunting two of our instructors they had even mocked up a crashed UFO. Nobody was designated team leader, but Kathy seemed to assume she was it. I guess I didnt know how much I liked her until we had a fight

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on top of a mountain we had just spent 4 hours climbing. We were tired and hungry, there was no sign of the Aliens and base camp was at the bottom of the mountain. I said something and the four of us just starting shouting and blaming each other for the mess we had got in. Finally, Kathy punched me square on the jaw. I couldnt believe it. We were all getting hysterical then we started laughing and it was a great feeling, we all sat down and Kathy was sitting next to me in the sunset and the light was fantastic on her hair. I suppose I loved her from that point. He stopped talking and looked at me as though for the first time. I didnt ask what had happened to Kathy. I think his recollections had opened a flood gate of emotions. I figured my name being nearly the same as hers might be too much for him at the moment. So I backed off, giving him time to get himself together. I ordered some more drinks and we stared at the TV someone had turned on in the bar. You know what, I think its starting up again, I looked blank.

he said.

He explained.
I think theres some sort of activity some of the X-COM commanders have been contacted, but no one is saying anything. Somethings happening. This was big news. An X-COM veteran like Gaston knew what he was talking about. Jake didnt want to go on, so we ended our meeting there but agreed to meet again in 3 days time at his apartment. Gaston lived near the center of town, in a largish building that needed a new coat of paint. The garden had been left to grow wild and the security cameras were all cobwebbed; their dusty lenses glowed gold in the early autumn sunshine. The speaker phone squawked what I assumed to be Come in and I walked through a lobby area that looked like it hadnt seen any changes for the last 10 years. He called to me from the top of the stairs and I climbed up to a study that had two walls lined with books from top to bottom. In the corner stood a Vidi-screen. It was obvious that someone had been rifling through some personal archives. Ive got some stuff for you. Like some coffee?

Do you want some coffee?

I nodded. He handed me 3 boxes, each marked with the familiar X-COM logo, asked me how I took my coffee, and then left the room. I toyed with
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the tapes, then caught sight of an old pistol lying on the desk. It must have been X-COM issue; high powered, semi-automatic, with a 12 round magazine. Woefully inaccurate, he said as he came back into the room with two coffee mugs, the only advantage was their speed of fire. Nothing like todays weapons, of course. We sat down. He was not a man who could exchange pleasantries. He picked up one of the tapes. This is probably one of the few remaining original copies of an X-COM mission from back in 2002. They sometimes shoulder-mounted cameras on one of the squad members to aid debriefing. I found these tapes yesterday and havent had a chance to view them yet. So if youre interested. He inserted the tape into the player. Okay, its on. Testing 1,2,3. Camera ready. Squad ready for checks. I could make out a 20-year-old Gaston. He wore a captains insignia and was calling out to a troop of 12 soldiers: four women and eight men. Everyone was checking their weapons and there was a great sense of purpose about the preparation. The camera swiveled right to reveal a Skyranger transport. It looked enormous Id seen pictures and, of course, the movies they made about the Alien War but, in the real light of a combat camera, it was truly daunting. The Skyranger was sitting in a giant hangar, engines firing occasionally, making the squad cough and splutter as they hauled equipment into the hold. It was difficult to make out what was being said in the echoing building but, at one point, the camera focused on a computer terminal that showed details of the mission, including a map that looked like Brazil. I guessed that Gaston was based in or close to South America. After a brief cut, the action switched to inside the transport. Twelve soldiers sitting in rows. At the front, two were at the controls where an unbearably loud noise came from the engines. I noticed that several of the soldiers were inserting ear plugs or had put on ear defenders. Talk was impossible but they were still having animated conversation using hand signals. We all learned how to talk using our hands; you had to in those tin cans. Gaston chipped in.

THE EARLY DAYrS Earth. Slowly at first, the
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The Daily Globe

JANUARY 13, 1999
UN LOOKS INTO USE OF NUCLEAR W E A P O N S AGAINST ALIENS
In the 1990s nuclear missile production was scaled down and many arsenals were scrapped, thus getting rid of nuclear weapons that we now could have used against the alien invasion. It has been proposed that some of the hundreds of thousands of missiles that had been dismantled could be salvaged and used to destroy UFOs as they enter our planets atmosphere. A United Nations committee will meet later this week to discuss the viability of reconstructing 10,000 of the Class B cruise missiles partially dismantled several years ago. Evan Wittaker, a spokesperson from the worlds largest environmentalist group New Green World, stated yesterday that the use of such weapons would cause catastrophic destruction to the planet. What good was a solution that left us without a habitable planet?
Economic Digest May 12, 2003
X-COM receives largest ever budget
s of Brussels last night after 10 day X-COM, Inc. finance chiefs left given funds the organization will be negotiations for the amount of dred ns over the next year. The hun to aid the combat against the alie get e raised the previous years bud strong financial committee hav stated Dwoskin, X-COM finance chief by more than 20 percent. Illya join t saf egu ard our pla net. In a tha t no sum is too hig h to in ting, all of the countries involved statement, at the end of the mee full would continue to give their the X-COM project agreed they defense organization. support to the worlds primary
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TOP SECRET AND CONFIDENTIAL
X-COM, Inc. Report 23 July 2037 A NEW THREAT?
Sub-surface disturbances have been monitored under most of the worlds oceans. The readings, which were published in a report from the United Nations Research Laboratory yesterday, represent 9 months of research. The report indicates that undersea
disturbances have been increasing at an incredible rate. It has been concluded that the disturbances are not natural phenomena but appear to be deliberately triggered. This activity has been linked with unconfirmed seabased UFO sightings. X-COM, Inc. has been asked to investigate six of the main sites to try to pinpoint the cause of these mysteries.
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Victory!

Recent Victory Reports
June 7, 2005 A terror zone was cleared of aliens yesterday following a 12-hour battle between the invaders and an eight strong X-COM squad. There were seven civilian casualties and X-COM lost two soldiers. Thirteen aliens have been destroyed. Yet another successful mission for the X-COM team.

Sept 12, 2001, from Strange Wo rld the journal for X-COM opera tives
The First Alien Base Discovered
An alien base nearly a mi le in diameter was discovered yesterday , camouflaged underneath trees in the rai n forests of South America. It was spo tted by an Interceptor on a reconnai ssance flight when it inadvertently fle w over the base and was fired upon. The craft was hit several times but made it safely back to X-COM headquarters. From the footage that the Interceptors on board camera took on its flyby, it is estimated that the base has been complete and operational for some time and could contain up to one thousa nd aliens.

The Trove Museum Opens

Feb 6, 2010
London celebrated the opening of The Trove Museum today (sponsored by Zippi-Cola), It contains the worlds largest collection of genuine Alien Artifacts and fills nearly 2 square miles of redundant office buildings. It is expected to make over 6,000,000 profit in its first year alone. Included in the displays are two complete UFOs, intact apart from their drive systems. In addition, there are numerous weapons, photos, and wax models of aliens, plus two cinemas showing footage of UFO landings and previously restricted X-COM confrontations. There are also three huge film sets complete with animated aliens and X-COM members depicting historically accurate battle scenes.
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Extract from Claires Fighting Subs (photocopied) June 2039
The Barracuda Fighter Sub The Triton Troop Carrie r Sub
The Barracuda Fighter is a derivative of the SwordFish, Storm, Titan and Merm Class Fighters. Four years in developm ent, the Barracuda was designed by British Hy drospace to replace all fou r of the se cla sse s by tak ing all the ir advantages and eradicatin g the disadvantages. Th e Ba rra cud a is fas ter , lig hte r and mo re maneuverable than any of its predecessors. Or igi na lly de sig ne d for use in de fen din g mining platforms across the globe. Every effort has been made in designing the Barracuda so it can be easily upgraded, able to use an y fut ure we ap on s or na vig ati on systems. The Barracud a at present boasts the ne w QW -T 22 La ser Gu ide d Na vig ati on Sy ste m ena bli ng the cra ft to tra vel thr ou gh unmapped terrain at hig h speed (impossible if attempted by the pilot ma nually). The system scans an area 300 meters in front of the craft, ele ctr on ica lly cre ati ng an im ag e of the landscape and plotting the safest route, all in less than a tenth of a second. The QW-T22 sys tem is als o a com pre hen siv e def ens ive system, able to track oth er subs and homing torpedoes and can autom atically avoid them with Random Evasive Ma neuvers (REMs). Measuring an impressive 75 ft with a displacement of 150 tons, the Barracuda is able to surface fly, or dive to 12,000 ft at 150 kts; making it by far the most superior fighter sub ava ilable.

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X-COM major shareholder

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Its the taste that astounds AND refreshes!

Orbit Editions presents

THE UFOPAEDIA
Everything youve always wanted to know about Aliens but were terrified to ask
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A DAY IN THE LIFE OF VETERAN X-COM ES. COMMANDER TIMOTHY SLUGGER CHARL
most frightening The first time you set off on an intercept mission is the s ago. I remember experience of your life. I know mine was. It was 3 month training and itching for leaving the briefing room, confident from the months of that it would be so different, a piece of the action. It never occurred to me am on Wednesday, fighting another life-form I mean. We left our base at 5:15 d down an Alien craft June 20, 2040. A Barracuda Interceptor had just knocke to get to the crash site. in the Middle America Trench. It took us nearly an hour reported that there As we closed in, we made contact with the Barracuda. They all crew were presumed dead. The had been no movement from the craft and have survived Alien craft was smashed to pieces; we thought nothing could that impact. We were wrong! to rest The pilot circled the wreckage twice before bringing our Triton the UFOs stern. Final checks completed and the approximately 150 meters from e and as it exploded, port door of the sub opened. Our captain fired a dye grenad four men. The other squad we all leapt from the sub. We split into two squads of was left under the moved away from the sub towards the alien craft. My group g the other four. Tritons wing, scanning the area for movement and coverin 10 meters of the Everything was going smoothly until the other squad got within on the ridge overlooking the craft. craft. Suddenly, three shapes appeared but there was We all yelled to the other group and fired on the three aliens, of the group, taking out two of nothing we could do. A grenade landed in the midst ing. A second later, the men instantly; a third, Kelson, fell to the ground scream blasted twice, square in the aliens opened fire on the group. The Squad leader was our headsets fell the back; a couple more blasts struck the injured Kelson. Then members lay motionless in silent. When the murky water had cleared, four squad the ridge. front of the Alien craft and the figures had disappeared from , and this was our Besides the captain, the remaining three of us were rookies Loading a Torpedo first mission. Our captain had no choice, he had to abort. Launcher, he ordered us back into the sub. to talk. We had No one said anything on the way back to base. No one wanted euvered and outgunned. lost four men. We had been outclassed, outman ratio of successful Ive completed 30 missions now and lead my own squad. The them on the run. missions to failures is still about 60 to 40, but were keeping

last week. We have Timothy Charles failed to return from an X-COM mission published this transcript as a tribute to him. rview heres some
al inte Sorry to miss our fin e new alien crisis. JG th more information on
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The Medical Journal

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Wolf J. Kirken Chief Medic X-COM
X-COM soldiers tend to suffer from PTSD in higher numbers than any other be combat unit ever recorded. The levels of stress suffered by the squads cannot compared to any other war in history. PTSD can hit anyone, at any time and without warning. No one is impervious to the effects of intense stress. X-COM has opened a clinic for all X-COM members to attend for a minimum of 6 weeks, weeks following decommission from active squad duties. During these 6 to check each and every member undergoes rigorous physical and mental tests whether he or she is showing signs of PTSD or is at risk in the future. lives By opening this specialist medical unit, X-COM hopes to safeguard the of long-serving members after they leave the organization.
Kathy and Bertie, W. Scotland June 2009
This photo was in with the other documents Jake sent
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Alpha Squad Vladivostock

Rating: Missions: Rank: Call Sign: Name: Rating: Missions: Rank: Call Sign: Name: Rating: Missions: Rank: Call Sign: Name: Rating: Missions: Rank: Call Sign: Name: 91.991% <Promotion & Bonus> Lieutenant Lieutenant Able Seaman Able Seaman Trapper 43.022% Catcher 77.125% Rascal 55.987% Hook 18 Maria Sanchez Boris Grosnitsch Rene Gaudin Henri Buchard 19
The best squad Ive ever commanded! JG
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Rating: Missions: Rank: Call Sign: Name: Rating: Missions: Rank: Call Sign: Name: Rating: Missions: Rank: Call Sign: Name: Rating: Missions: Rank: Call Sign: Name: Rating: Missions: Rank: Call Sign: Name: Rating: Missions: Rank: Call Sign: Name: 189.774% <Promotion & Bonus> Ensign Captain Ensign Ensign Able Seaman Commander Stingray 83.332% Pirate 33.324% Sharkie 2.999% Silk 26.221% Cutter 53.987% Gunner Spencer McNeill 30 Leon Drovkin 14 Claude Gaudin 1 Sigourney Williams 22 Christos Panayis 28 Ivan Yvtechenko 9
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Strange World The X-COM Journal

March Issue 2040

INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY IS 65 MILLION YEARS OLD!
The much hyped information superhighway of the 1990s was hailed as a quantum leap forward in the evolution of communication for mankind. It promised unlimited benefits, enabling anyone, anywher e on the planet to link up with others and access sources of information from all points on the globe. Unfortunately, something got there before us. Research carried out by the US arm of the International Scientific and Oceanic Alien Cultural Studies Group has revealed the existence of an infinitely superior communi cations network, which operated from at least the late Cretaceous period the tail-end of the dinosaur age. Initial skepticism at the disclosure has given way to hushed awe after the discovery of key communication sites (at officially classified locations) believed to include the Mariana Trench, Easter Island, and the North Pole. Experts say that this Alien information exchange was probably administe red from a central complex on the site of what is believed to be the famous city of Atlantis. Divers from the Aquatic Artifacts Institute discovered curious, as yet unexplain ed devices not unlike compute r modems of today embedde d beneath centuries of silt. The devices themselves appear to have suffered no harmful corrosive effects from languishi ng in salt water for millions of years. The most disturbing aspect of these finds, however, is that, according to one source, the devices are still very much on-line. An experienced diver attempting to wrest one such machine from the ocean floor apparently set off an ancient yet sophisticated aqua-alar m, and suffered the consequences of a high-pressure shock grenade. In addition, scientists have also detected intense electromagnetic activity around certain major sites. Professor Helming, author of Aliens Friends You Just Havent Met Yet commented, This is quite simply one of the greatest discoveries of the millenniu m! At last we have the opportunity to peel away the mask and finally see what made them tick! To understand the thoughts and feelings of an ancient, alien life-form! The information stored in these devices could even provide us with invaluable details about our own evolution! This vast, all-perva sive global commun ications network predates our own informat ion superhighway by at least 65 million years we hadnt even crawled out of the water! My colleagues and I at the Cultural Studies Group believe it was used to enable the transfer of information, as well as to coordinate massive logistical operations like populatio n movements or transport of building materials. Professor Helming continued: How else, for instance, can we explain evidence of the mysterious migration patterns of prehistoric animals during that period? It wasnt just a search for food in the light of unexplained climactic changes. Changes which, I may add, occurred at the same time as the crash landing of an enormous ten kilometer wide meteorite in the Gulf of Mexico. My theory is that the meteorite was nothing less than an interstellar spaceship. A crash-landing on this scale would scatter material for thousands of miles, so a vast communi cation system would be essential in order to reclaim that material and protect it against predators. Our research suggests that this massive information superhighway was used to coordinate the herding of the dinosaurs to their watery graves. The reason? Initially to provide food, and then later, to concentrate a prolific supply of organic material for genetic experime ntation. This begs the question, of course if they could achieve all of this 65 million years ago, what could they do now? Professor Helming is 83.

For countless centuries man has battled to tame the worlds mighty oceans. But the sea is a mercurial and unpredictable adversary, just like the alien menace. Together, their unnatural and formidable alliance has led to some of the most infamous maritime incidents of this century. Strange World spoke to Alien Cultural Historian and author of The History of Alien Maritime Disasters, Professor Anthony Havers, about one of them. Strang e World: So, if I can begin Professor by asking what you consider to be the most infamou s alien-m aritime incident? Havers : Well yes, of course, the most infamous example remains to this day the sinking of the so-called Unsinkable. Strange World: The Titanic? Havers: Yes, young man. Of course her secrets have, until very recently , been known only to the inky-black deep and the fishes swimming around her and, as I shall explain, some other dark witnesses. Strange World: So when did the Titanic Havers : Right, now let me just set the
AUTHOR INTERVIEW The History of Alien Maritime Disasters
by Prof A. Havers Published by Sharp & Lucas 99.99
scene for you. The Unsinkable was quite simply a playthin g for the very rich designed not so much for swift passage across the Atlantic as for pure luxury. No expens e was spared to pander to the excesses of its rich clientele. There were palm verandas, a Turkish bath, gymnasium, barber shop, and the first ever swimming pool aboard a ship. The haute cuisine was quite exquisite did you know, young man, that this ship boasted 1000 oyster forks, 2000 wine glasses Strange World: But the first sign of alien Havers: 36,000 oranges, 7,000 lettuces I could go on. So you see, on board the

Continued..

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Titanic we have everything money could buy. Except safety. The Titanic left Southampton at noon on 10 April 1912 her first and last voyage. On the evening of the eleventh, the Unsinkable had 1316 passengers and a crew of 891. Now here is the interesting part
Strange World: The recorder is still running, Professor Havers: Several ships in the area reported icebergs. Some reports must have reached the Titanic , but the crew took no special precautions. In fact, they steamed ahead at full speed! Why in heavens name did they do that, you ask? Speculation persists to this day. Until now. It was 10 P.M.; the sea was calm. There were plenty of stars but no moon. Frederick Fleet was on watch and he did his duty as best he could. He rang three bells and was asked what he saw. Iceberg dead ahead! is the famous, oftquoted reply. Unfortunately, he has been misquoted for very many years. It is my firm belief that he said Strange craft dead ahead! but the crew were so surprised that they chose unconsciously and, not surprisingly, to mishear him. It was too late to take evasive action and the ship was holed below the water by what was later described as a massive iceberg. Nothing of the sort, of course. Captain Smith requested a damage report. He was told that the ship would sink in 2 hours. The very last call for assistance was The engine is full up to the boilers. Again, a slight misquote. The last call was, in fact, The engine is full up to the boilers with hideous creatures! Preposterous, I hear you say. But hear me out, young man. On board the ship was a certain J. Bruce Ismay, who exerted a strong influence on

Second Stage

Select the point against which the Decisive Attack should be pressed. The point against which the Decisive Attack is to be directed should: 1. Be that section of the Alien position where success will give the greatest results. Usually, this tends to be one of the enemy flanks; attacking an enemy flank threatens his line of retreat and the strength of his front might be compromised. 2. Be that section against which it is potentially possible to concentrate the power of Heavy Weapons or Artillery in the form of converging or enfilading (line-on) fire. 3. Be that section that is easily accessible to Ground Troops and where their forward movement will be concealed using natural cover. Note: In the event that no section of the enemy position meets these requirements, the Commander will have to decide between conflicting choices. Commanders should give preference to point 2 (above) in this case.

Third Stage

Select the units from the total force that are to: 1. Press on the Attack or Fire Attack.
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2. Press on the Decisive Attack. 3. Be part of General Reserve. Note: Commanders must specify the actual limits for each attacking body of troops and decide upon the division of each unit into Firing Line, Supports and Local Reserves. Ideally, the Commander must decide what troops are needed for the Decisive Attack and then use the rest to carry out the Fire Attack on part or parts of the enemys front.

Fourth Stage

Select positions for any Heavy Weapons or Artillery (if available). If in an exposed position, detail an Escort for these units. First we must identify the purposes of artillery: 1. At the beginning of an Attack -

Killers!

While the ground troops are deploying or developing the attack, a small proportion of heavy weapons units must direct fire at the most important target. The remainder must stay in readiness to come into action without delay. 2. As the Ground Troops advance More support is needed at this stage, so more units will be brought into action and open fire against that section that is opposing ground troop advance. 3. During the Decisive Attack Every available Heavy Weapon must be brought to bear on the point against which the attack is being directed. In addition, a portion of Heavy Weapons must be pushed forward to support Ground Troop advance. 4. Once the position is captured, as many Heavy Weapons as possible should be sent to the captured position in order to: a. Break down any resistance offered by a second position b. Support any pursuit c. Resist counter-attacks

Fifth Stage

Select start positions for any Tank or similar Vehicle and decide on the manner in which Tanks will be used. The opportunity to use Tanks increases as the enemy becomes exhausted at the peak of battle and the time approaches to drive him from the battlefield. Thus it is important not to exhaust Tank-based resources in the early stages of any battle.
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Use of Tanks or similar vehicles in a battle: 1. Protect exposed flanks of attacking ground troops by meeting enemy counter-attacks. 2. Threaten enemy flanks or go around flanks to attack enemy reserve and lines of communications. 3. Add weight of fire power to main attack. 4. Take advantage of mistakes made by the enemy that leave them exposed to any extent. Sixth Stage Select positions for any Engineers (if available) and how they should be used in the attack. After any major assault, Engineers should be moved forward to strengthen the position against counter-attack or improve communications. Seventh Stage Select positions for Medics (if available). This position may not always be possible to decide until the action has developed. Information about where the wounded have been left under cover must be relayed to the Medical commander. Stretcher squads should go forward, taking advantage of cover. Eighth Stage Select positions of Transport and Supply Columns during the attack. These items should be kept in a secure position at the rear, with adequate communications with the front line. Ninth Stage Select a Reporting Position and the position of the Commander. Command position depends on the size of the force that he controls. If a small force, the commander should: 1. Exercise personal supervision; 2. Be where he can see all that is going on; 3. Be where he can receive reports; and 4. Be where he can issue orders easily and quickly. If the force is large, he should be well enough in the rear not to be distracted by local events, and within easy reach of any sub-commanders.