œHistorical Briefing Materials
@First Notes
CLASSIFIED - EYES ONLY
From: Admiral William Chase, X-COM
Central Command
To: Commander, X-COM Deep Space Force,
The Frontier
RE: Historical Briefing Materials

As the first commander of the X-COM forces and resources
in the frontier, it is part of you duty to continue
the tradition of excellence established and upheld in
the first two alien wars. Although there has been no
alien activity since the end of AW-II, that's no
guarantee that the E.T.s won't show up again. If there is
a next time - and commanders like you stay on their
toes - they won't catch us off guard.

The weight of command is going to be on your shoulders you
there, and the weight of history. If you don't know what it
means to be parts of X-COM, you will pretty soon. Just to
warm up your hyperdrive coils, here's a brief summary of the
history you'll be expected to live up to.

Welcome aboard, Commander.

William Chase
Adm. William Chase
Commander-in-chief
œPrelude
@1947
  Army Air Corps personnel from the 509th Bomb Group report
the crash of a "flying disk" in the desert near Roswell,
New Mexico. Some reports claim that there were two objects,
and that one actually housed three alien beings: two dead
and one alive. Before the end of the day, Army Air Corps
officials retract the story, claiming that the object that
crashed was actually a weather balloon. The existence of
alien beings is categorically denied.

  All of the "weather balloon" debris and other physical
evidence of the "Roswell Incident" are quickly whisked away to
Wright Airfield in Ohio.
@1997
  Reports of the UFO activity increase thoughout the world.
At first, the sighting are relatively rare, and serious
scientists write off the reports as hype surrounding the
50th anniversary of the Roswell incident.
However, as reports continue to increase, the legitimate
press joins the tabloids  in splashing "We Are Not Alone"
headlines across the front page of major metropolitan
newspapers all over the world.
@1998
  Documented cases of human abductions by UFOs become
commonplace in areas of sparse population in countries
throughout the world. World governments step up their
military readiness, and there is a general news blackout
in most of the affected countries. Scientists try to
make contact with the aliens, but there is no substantial
response.

  Many countries begin to contemplate a direct military
strike against the Kiryu-Kai, an anti-alien combat force.
After five months of operation, using the best equipment
available, the group is unable to intercept even a
single UFO. Due to lack of funding, Japans is forced
to disband the Kiryu-Kai in November of 1998.

  On December 11, 1998, the United Nations Security Council
holds a clandestine summit in Geneva, Switzerland.
After much debate, it is unanimously decided that a covert,
multinational force should be formed to investigate,
combat, and (hopefully) defeat the aliens. Assembling the
best pilots, soldiers, engineers, and scientists from all
the funding nations, the Geneva council establishes
X-COM - the Extraterrestrial Combat Unit.
œThe First Alien War (AW-I)
@1999 January 1st: The First Alien War Begins
  X-COM's first secret base is established. Equipped with
two state-of-the-art Interceptor fighter craft and a
Skyranger troop carrier, the base begins scanning local
airspace for UFO activity. The base's scanning equipment
proves to be extremely effective at detecting alien craft,
and the Interceptors, though out-classed by larger UFOs,
produce immediate results-downing dozens of aliens ships
in the first few months.

  As X-COM soldiers explore crashed alien craft and
collect examples of alien technology, the labs and
workshops, staffed with the world's top labs and workshops,
study the alien artefacts and develop methods to
effectively re-create alien weapons and equipment.

  UFO activity continues to increase worldwide. X-COM
funding to fluctuate; the organization is funded voluntarily
by the establishing countries of the world, but a loophole
in the X-COM charter allows contributing nations to raise
or lower their funding based on their perception of
X-COM's success. Countries out of the original base's
scanning range quickly become dissatisfied with X-COM's
performance. Fearing the loss of funding, X-COM scrambles
to increase the detection range of its original base, and
start searching the world for other possible base sites.

  The aliens become increasingly bold. They begin
landing in large metropolitan areas and terrorizing the
population. The number of abductions decreases as the
aliens turn to wholesale slaughter of Earth's population.

  As more alien incidents take place, it quickly becomes
clear that the invasion force consists of not one, but
numerous alien species.
@2000
  X-COM expands, with more bases placed strategically
around the globe. This pacifies most of the contributing
nations, and the organization's funding stabilizes.
Even so, X-COM base commanders come up with alternative
funding scenarios in case the situation worsens in the
future. Tentative deals are made to sell X-COM and alien
equipment and weapons to certain underground organizations
for a significant profit.

  As captured alien equipment is researching, it is logged
into an on-line data bank dubbed the "UFOpedia" by X-COM
scientists and operatives. This knowledge is quickly put
to practical use, as X-COM agents are equipped with more
powerful weapons and devices bases on alien technology.
@2001
  Starting early in the year, X-COM patrols begin to
discover alien bases in hidden locations throughout
the world. X-COM base commanders agree that the best
defence is a strong offence. Every time a new aliens
stronghold is discovered, a strike force is sent to clear
and destroy the base. Despite numerous victories, new alien
bases continue to appear.

  X-COM research into the alien culture and technology
proceeds as worldwide UFO and alien terrorist activity
continue to increase.
@2002
  X-COM commanders begin to realize that they are
fighting a losing battle. While Earth is the nexus of
alien activity, the aliens' infrastructure and leader ship
is obviously not based here. It becomes clear that the
key to defeating the aliens is discovering the base from
which they are coordinating their invasion.

  Despite continued success in some geographical areas,
X-COM funding is severely reduced as beleaguered nations
ratify pacts with the alien forces. Base commanders make
the unpopular but financially sound decision to
concentrate their interception and ground-attack efforts in
only the richest, most powerful nations of the world.
This strategy, coupled with increased sales of X-COM and
alien technology to "unknown buyers", provides X-COM with
enough money to continue for some time. It is recognized,
however, that a final solution to the alien problem must
be found soon.

  After a spate of successfully interceptions and alien
base invasions, X-COM personnel get the break they are
waiting for. Interrogation of captured alien leaders shows
that the alien's home base is on Mars, in a area known as
Cydonia. Using all the captured technology available, X-COM
engineers construct the Avenger - an interplanetary
spacecraft capable of transporting troops and heavy
equipment to the aliens' Mars base. Manufacturing efforts
increase dramatically, as weapons and equipment are
produced for use in final strike against the Martian base.

  X-COM soldiers invade the alien base at Cydonia. After a
fierce battle, the alien "Brain" creature that had
apparently been guiding the entire invasion is located
and killed. UFO activity declines to zero, and the
remaining pockets of alien resistance prove to be
disorganized and easy to defeat without the leadership of
the " Brain". The war is over.

  As the last of the aliens at Cydonia base are being hunted
down by the X-COM strike team, an automated distress beacon
is activated.

  A transmission of unknown content is broadcast to Earth.
The strike team manages to shut down the beacon within a
matter of seconds. After extensive study, scientists
conclude that the message was a call for reinforcements
from the aliens bases on Earth. SInce these bases have
already been neutralized, the alien message is dismissed
and quickly forgotten.

  After a period of six months, information about the
X-COM operation is released to the general public, the
news comes a no suprise to most of the world, since the
presence of X-COM craft and personnel in the world's
major metropolitan areas had become commonplace over the
previous year and a half.
œInterlude
@2002
  After the war, X-COM establishes aquatic bases. These
are used as staging areas for undersea salvage missions
to find UFOs downed in the war. The primary goal of the
search teams - is to locate and obtain as much
Elerium-115 as possible. This mineral, the source of
power for all alien weapons, ships, and so on, is extremely
rare and is not indigenous to Earth. Over the course of
the last several years, X-COM and other scientific and
military groups have become to depend heavily on Elerium
for new human technology. Unable to replicate the
mineral, everyone involved is forced to rely on the
rapidly dwindling supplies left over from the war.

  The governments of the world agree that the remaining
Elerium supply should be used for the development of
interstellar space travel. It is reasoned that, if we
could make travel to other planets practical, we might
find an unlimited supply of the precious material.
@2005
  The search for Elerium continues with little success.
All of the UFOs that crashed on land have long since been
plundered. Explorations of underwater alien wrecks has
revealed an alarming property of Elerium-115: it becomes
inert with prolonged exposure to sea water. Because there
are still countless UFO crash sites yet to be explored,
the search for viable caches of Elerium continues,
unabated, nut without much hope of success.

  The world's governments become focused on the steady
increase in petty violence, overpopulation and worldwide
pollution. These day-to-day problems overshadow thoughts
of another alien invasion, and X-COM funding is
drastically cut. Most of the bases are decommissioned.
X-COM soldiers are pensioned off, and scientists return to
civilian duty.

  As Elerium supplies continue to dwindle, all world
governments restrict the mineral to military use.
Terrorist groups who had managed to stash away some
Elerium for their own nefarious purposes realize that
they can profit greatly by selling their private
supplies back to the government for a high price.
The governments of the world eagerly participate in these
deals with no questions asked.
@2009
  A manned mission to Mars is launched. An X-COM team
composed of both scientists and soldiers sweeps the area
around the Cydonia base out to a distance of one hundred
kilometres in every direction. Afterwards, the Avenger
transport craft orbits the planet for an additional
fourteen hours, running a series of surface scans.
Finding no further evidence of alien life, the Avenger
craft returns to Earth.

  The world governments tighten the Elerium ban,
reserving all remaining Elerium supplies for weapons
use only. The last of the X-COM Avenger space craft is
donated to the Smithsonian institute in Washington DC where
it replaces Lindbergh's "Spirit of '76" in one of the main
displays halls of the Air and Space Museum.
@2010
  Earth's supply of Elerium is exhausted. With no viable
power source, all research into transtellar travel is
abandoned. Instead, all space flight research is focused
on developing interplanetary travel within our own solar
system in hopes of developing the ability to build of world
colonies to ease the overpopulation of Earth.

  Meanwhile, several groups of scientists around the world
independently begin work on developing substitute for
Elerium-115. Even the most optimistic members of the
scientific community hold little hope for the project,
since funding is nearly no-existent.
@2012
  There has been no UFO or alien activity now for nearly
nine years. With the world's financial crisis becoming
critical, the X-COM organization is officially
disbanded. Although it is not dismantled, the X-COM
War Room, a sophisticated monitoring centre at the
Pentagon used for co-ordinating worldwide X-COM
operations during the war, is placed on automatic.
The monitors are now scheduled to be checked only once
a week, and even this low-priority task is frequently
ignored.

  F. Denman Williams, wealthy software tycoon and
entrepreneur, fearing that the alien crisis is not over,
purchases one of X-COM's underwater bases, Ocean Base 1,
and retains its military and scientific staff.
This base, operating under the corporate name of
S.O.R.E.S.O. (the Sub-Oceanic Reconnaissance and
Extraterrestrial Salvage Operation) continues to
catalogue underwater UFO crash sites and search for
Elerium deposits among the wrecks.
@2013-2038
  The world's financial woes continue, as global
unemployment rises to an all-time high. Deforestation
and uncontrolled urban growth continue to destroy the
environment at an unprecedented rate. Most cities ban
the use of private vehicles entirely in an attempt to
improve air quality.

  Starting in 2015, there is a worldwide political
upheaval. The poorer nations of the world become unable
to support themselves, and their governments fall.
In response, powerful nations begin to annex their
foundering neighbours, forming huge political
conglomerates. For the most part, these acquisitions are
seen as positive and proceed peacefully. The one
dramatic exception to the merging of political powers is
the People's Republic of Alaska, which is formed when
Alaska secedes from the United States in 2026.
By 2027, there are only 16 distinct world governments.

  The deteriorating conditions on Earth and the governments'
apparent inability to turn conditions around revives a
sense of spirituality all over the world. In 2027, a
radical new religion known a the Cult of Sirius arises.
The cultists believe that humanity might well have
destroyed any hope of salvation by repelling the alien
occupation during the First Alien War. The Cult launches
numerous deep-space probes in the early '30s, each of
which carries a message begging their "alien saviours"
to return to Earth and use their advanced technology to
turn the human race from its path of self-destruction.

  Shortly after the interception of the Cult of Sirius,
a counter-religion is also born. Known as The Inquisitors,
this brutal organization opposes all things connected with
the aliens. Their members dedicate their lives to seeking
out and destroying all alien-based technology and anyone
with a connection to the aliens. Because of their diametric
opposition to the Cult of Sirius, skirmishes between the
two religious organizations are inevitable. The infighting
between the groups escalates into an all-out religious
war in 2036, which results in the collapse of The Inquisitors.
The Cult of Sirius continues preaching their pro-alien
rhetoric, but become much less openly aggressive.
@2039
  Shipping and civilian travel organizations all over the
world become concerned, as surface vessels and aircraft
begin to disappear with alarming frequency on the world's
oceans. Scientists explain the disappearances as
natural-magnetic anomalies, freak storms, and the like.
Reports of strange submersible vehicles spotted at the sites
of some of the disappearances ate dismissed by the
government, but not by the general public. Responding to
tabloid accounts of a possible new alien invasion, there
is a public outcry for the governments of the world to
reactivate X-COM as a precautionary measure. Amid promises
that, "the matter will be taken under advisement,"
government official proceed to ignore the public's
demands. Activity at S.O.R.E.S.O. Ocean Base 1 is stepped
up to an all-time high. Although their main mission is
still the exploration of underwater UFO crash sites,
occasional missions are launched to investigate new ship
and aircraft disappearances. Investigations of nearly
two dozen disappearance sites show no signs of alien
activity, though the submersible available to the
S.O.R.E.S.O. team generally take several hours to arrive
at the site of a distress call.

  While investigation UFO Crash Site 137, near the wreck
of the Titanic in the North Atlantic, the S.O.R.E.S.O.
submarine Khimtar implodes and sinks under mysterious
circumstances. Two months pass before the Khimtar's
distress call to the Pentagon's X-COM War Room is
discovered - a message ending in the prophetic words
"I think they're back."
@2040
  In a deal with British Hydrospace and Sub-Arm
Corporation, S.O.R.E.S.O. acquires the contact to test
the new Barracuda and Triton submersible craft. After an
initial high failure rate, the bugs are ironed out, and
S.O.R.E.S.O. leases several of the craft. Spurred by
growing public concern and the destruction of the Khimtar,
the governments of the world covertly begin recruiting
military personnel for assignment as aquanauts.
Citing a little known reserve activation clause, the
government takes control of S.O.R.E.S.O. an officially
activates Ocean Base 1 as X-COM's new base of operations.

  Within days of X-COM's reactivation, Ocean Base 1
receives an urgent distress signal from the British
passenger line Hyperion. A Barracuda sub is sent to
investigate. In arriving at the site, jake Burton, the
barracuda pilot, finds only a broken wreck. Within seconds
after Burton exits his craft to investigate the wreck,
X-COM abruptly loses contact with him.
Later investigation of the scene by a second team shows
signs that the Hyperion was sunk by some sort of
unknown weapon. No sign of Burton or his craft are
ever found.
œThe Second Alien War (AW-II)
@2041 January 1st: The Second Alien War begins,
  Sightings of the alien submersible vehicles increase
dramatically as the aliens become more bold.
Once again, one of the main goals of the alien forces
is to terrorize the population of major metropolitan
areas. This time around, the aliens stick to regions
near the world's oceans. Although some species, the
Aquatoids in particular, are obviously related to the
last wave of aliens who attacked the planet, many of these
creatures are different than anything previously
encountered.

  Although interception of the smaller alien subs is
a relatively easy matter thanks to the Barracuda
intercept sub, early X-COM tactical missions meet
with less than successful results. Most of the weapons
used in the First Alien War are useless without a
supply of Elerium-115 to power them, and weapons based
on Earth technology, such as the Laser Rifle, prove
to have no effect against the new aliens or cannot
be adapted for underwater use. Aquanauts are forced to
rely on primitive spear and harpoon gun, torpedo
launchers, and a small array of explosive devices,
until they are able to research the technology used by
the new wave of alien invaders.
@2042-2045
  The Second Alien War ramps up to a fever pitch.
More alien species are catalogued. One species in
particular, a clawed group of creatures that quickly
become known as "Lobster Men", cause Aquanauts a great
deal of difficulty. Their tough skin is virtually
impervious to conventional methods of attack.

  One of the earliest alien technologies discovered is
Zrbite, a mineral analogous to Elerium-115 and used to
power most of the new aliens' equipment and weapons.
Zrbite is found to be extremely unstable, but its use
is deemed a necessary rick; it is the only viable power
source for replicated alien technology.

  The influx of equipment and aliens, dead and
otherwise, recovered from the battlefield leads to
great advances in weapons technology. Primary among
these are the ability to replicate sonic weapons and the
development of Vibro Blades - rotating titanium blade
weapons that prove quite effective against the deadly
Lobster Men. Along with weapons technology, X-COM
scientists discover new methods of construction personal
armour, which provides aquanauts the protection they
need in extended battles.
@2046
  After just over five years of constant fighting,
X-COM scientists discover the location of the aliens'
hidden base: T'leth, a huge alien colony ship that lies
at the bottom of the Sigsbee Deep in the Gulf of Mexico.

  Travelling aboard a new Leviathan submarine, the
only armed submersible craft capable of withstanding
the pressure at these great depths, a squadron of
aquanauts descend upon the alien stronghold. After a
fierce battle, the aquanauts locate the reanimation
chamber of the alien controlling force; a huge,
tentacled being known only as the "Alien Horror".
Luckily, the X-COM force arrives before the
reanimation process is complete. In destroying the
power nodes of the lead alien's cryogenic coffin, the
aquanauts set off a chain reaction that destroys the
alien colony ship just as it is rising above the surface
of the water. All the aquanauts aboard are killed, but
in dying they ensure the safety of the people of Earth.
After the destruction of T'leth, the remaining aliens
prove no problem to eradicate. The Second Alien War is
officially declared over January 19, 2046.
œRecovery
@2046
  It isn't long before scientists discover that the
Second Alien War will have far-reaching and possibly
cataclysmic effects on the Earth. As was true after
the first Alien War, many of the world's town and
cities have been reduced to ruins.

  This time, however, it's much worse. In addition to
the war damage, the atmosphere of Earth had been
poisoned by the release of huge amounts of toxic
gases and particles from the explosion of T'leth.
Hundreds of thousands of people in the areas
immediately surrounding the Gulf of Mexico die within
hours of the explosion, and millions worldwide
suffer from toxic side effects ranging from minor
to severe. All populated areas on the Gulf coast are
evacuated for a period of six months while cleanup
commences.
  In addition to the toxic side-effects, the particle
cloud from the T'leth explosion increases the effects
of global warming, adversely affecting agriculture
in many parts of the world. When coupled with the
worldwide overpopulation problem that has been steadily
worsening since the mid-twentieth century, the loss of key
agricultural regions such a the grain-producing farms
of the American mid-west adds widespread starvation to
the already multitudinous problems of the world.

  The hope that Zrbite might revive the deep space
program which was abandoned in 2010 are dashed when
scientists discover that all the Zrbite supplies of
the world have become inert. It is theorized that the
aliens' molecular control network was the key to
releasing the power of the mineral. When the destruction
of T'leth caused the molecular control network to fail,
all the Zrbite was rendered useless. X-COM continues to
step up its own technological research, exploring all
remaining areas of alien technology. After initial
success, the scope of the operations are diminished as
many X-COM scientists leave the organization for the
higher salaries offered by private corporations. X-COM
funding is reduced as the Earth's governments focus
their attention on terrestrial concerns.
@2047
  The main funding bodies for X-COM meet to decide the
fate of the organization now that the war is over.
Governments and corporations recognize a need to
protect the planet and, of course, their own individual
financial interests - from any further alien attacks,
but none are willing to give more than a minimal
funding contribution.   In late March, F. Denman Williams
once again agrees to finance X-COM operations out of
his own pocket. X-COM adopts a business strategy, and
the X-COM Corporation is formed. Once again, Williams
includes a reactivation clause in the corporate
charter that allows the government to take over full
control of the operation should a state of worldwide
emergency be declared.

  Engineers employed by the X-COM Corporation use their
experience with alien technology to produce advanced
weapons that the corporation sells to the
highest bidder. Meanwhile, experienced X-COM soldiers
are frequently hired by other corporations and by
governments agencies as mercenaries. These activities
ensure a constant cash flow, and the corporation is
immediately successfully.
@2050-2053
  Ecological collapse and overpopulation come to a
head. Many world governments are consolidated under
single regimes in order to more effectively share
resources. The first and largest of the so-called
"Merger Governments" is the North American Alliance.
Formed in late 2051 through the merger of the United
States, Canada, The People's Republic of Alaska, and
the New Mexico Cooperative, the NAA is instantly
recognized as formidable world power.

  Taking what is considered the best of all of the
represented forms of government, NAA establishes a
new ruling body headed by an official known as the
"Premier-President". Alexandria Scott is elected as
the first Premier-President, and the serves three
consecutive two-year terms.

  In mid-2052, the X-COM Corporation grants full
access to their UFOpedia data bank to the Transtellar
Corporation for research purposes. Transtellar's goal
is to develop a practical means of interplanetary
space flight that is not all dependent on
alien technology.

  With ecologists predicting that Earth's resources
will be completely exhausted within the next two
decades, the people of the world look to Transtellar's
efforts as, possibly, the last hope for
mankind's survival. Many of the world's largest
corporations begin the research and design phase for
huge interplanetary colony ships, bettling everything
they have that Transtellar will succeed.
@2054
  On New Year's Day, 2054, the Transtellar Corporation
unveils the prototype for the Mark 1 Conversion Drive,
an ion propulsion system that generates power through
helium-carbon fusion. The key to success of the design
was the use of a reaction containment chamber with a
shell composed primarily of inert Zrbite.

  Transtellar is immediately showered with funding and
given exclusive rights to operate all Earth-based
space ports until the end of the century.
The Mark 1 Conversion Drive is mass-produced in large
quantities as the major corporations of the world ready
their first generation of colony ships for launch.
By the end of the year, there are several colonies
on the moon.
@2055
  The first freighters from the lunar mining colonies
begin to arrive on Earth. Deep-core mines on the
moon quickly become a much-needed supplement for
raw materials used on Earth, but it's still not
enough. In June, the Solmine Corporation begins
construction of a major space port and shipyard
facility at Tranquility Colony. By November, the
first three ships of the Tranquility Fleet-mining
ships manned by Solmine's best engineers begin their
long journey in search of mining prospects in the
asteroid belt beyond the orbit of Mars.
Leasing space in Solmine's Tranquility Shipyards,
Transtellar begins construction of the first in
a series of military transport vessels.
With all the state of the art armament and equipment
available, the Patton-class military transport
will go on serve in both military and civilian roles
for the next two decades.
@2056-2059
  The X-COM Corporation's profits soar as governments
all over the world negotiate exclusive contracts
for weapons, equipment, and protection. For the first
tim in X-COM history, an off-world base is
established at the Luna 3 colony on the moon.
A small force of X-COM mercenaries is maintained
on-site at the Luna 3 base to act as security for the
existing lunar colonies and those currently under
construction.

  In late 2056, freighters on the Earth-Luna run
begin to experience sporadic raids by a group calling
themselves the Kabron Pirates. Using decommissioned
X-COM Avengers, refitted to operate on conventional
fuel instead of Elerium, the pirates concentrate
primarily on shipments of precious metal such as gold
and platinum. Because of their  precision in striking
only the most valuable shipments and the fact that
none of the plundered materials ever seem to surface
on the black market, X-COM and otherauthorities
believe that the Kabron pirates are working for one
of Earth's major corporations.

  In February, 2057, Harvey Wayne is elected
Premier-President of the North American Alliance.
He goes on to serve three consecutive two-year terms.

  In March, 2057 the first Transtellar's military
vessels, the UGS Patton is commissioned at
Tranquility Base. The vessel is purchased by the
X-COM Corporation and immediately placed on patrol
duty on the Earth-Luna shipping run to defend
shipments against pirate attacks. by 2059, there are
eight Patton class ships on patrol, and pirate
activity has been greatly reduced.
@2060-2061
  By mid-2060, the Tranquility FLeest has established
three large mining colonies in the asteroid belt.
The asteroids are rich in raw materials, and will
prove to be an excellent source of resources.
Unfortunately, the long travel time to and from the
belt-ten months, even for freighter equppied with
Transtellar's new Mark III Conversion Drive - limits
the immediate uasefulness of the new mines.
Meanwhile, unmanned probes have been sent to Mars
to scan for possible mineral sources.
Despite extensive examination of the alien base at
Cydonia and the area immediately surrounding it,
much of the planet remains un-sacnned. In October,
2061, after several weeks of transmission, the
Mars probes show an indictuib what could be huge
stockpile of Elerium-115 several thousand kilometres
from Cydonia. Plans are immedialtely set in motion to
sned a manned expedition to Mars - -the first since
the final X-COM clean-up mission in November, 2009.
@2062
  The UGS Patton is pulled off pirate patrol duty for
the Mars expedition. In preparation for the trip,
she is stripped of most of her weaponry and refitted
with sensors and other science equipment. She is
manned with a crew of the best scientists and
engineers available, with only a skeleton crew of
her original X-COM complement remaining to pilot the
vessel and handle routine shipboard tasks.
She departs for Mars on April 23.

  After a four-month journey, the Patton settles into
Mars orbit and begins a detailed surface scan.
The crew starts by scanning the Cydonia scientists to
calibrate the Patton's new hyperwave pulse sensors to
match current data. Shortly after the scans commence,
sensors show activity on the surface: a tremendous
power surge in the vicinity of the base.

  On Earth, scientists monitoring the Patton mission
are puzzled when communication is abruptly lost.
After three days without contact, they launch a
high-speed probe from Tranquility Spaceport.
Its destination: Mars orbit and the last known
position of the Patton. When the probe arrives in
November, there is no sign of the missing ship.

  The probe's scanners are turned toward the surface,
and they record evidence of a massive explosion at the
site of the abandoned Cydonia base. A board of inquiry
is convened on Earth, and it is agreed that the Patton
must have experienced drive systems failure and
crashed into the surface of the planet. The case is
quickly closed.
œProgress
@2063
  Most of the Earthbound corporations and many of
those with colonial interests in space as well,
continue to seek a solution to Earth's problems other
than depending solely on extraterrestrial support.
Designers, architects, and scientists devise a bold and
elaborate plan for a series fo self-contained,
futuristic cities. Each Megalopolis would house large
sections of the population, with all the support
facilities they could possibly need contained within
the walls of the city.

  The world's governments realize the potential of the
Megalopolis plan, but are hesitant to commit the money
and resources necessary to build an entire series of
the expensive habitats. In 2063, the New World Council
agrees to fund a single Megalopolis as a test case.

  If the experiment is successful, funding would be
made available for more cities. Within months of the
Council's decision, work begin onto the first
Megalopolis-dubbed "Mega-Primus" - on the site of the
ruins of Toronto in the North American Alliance.

  In February, Harvey Wayne retires as
Premier-President of the NAA. He is succeeded by
J. Scott Cameron, who quickly becomes one of the most
popular world leaders in history. Cameron serves in the
office until his assassination in 2069.
@2064
  Basing their judgement on nearly year's worth of
detailed scanner data obtained through remote probes,
scientists ate the Earth Science Corps (ESC) confirm
the presence of a huge Elerium deposit on Mars. Despite
the loss of the Patton two years earlier, the promise
of Elerium is too great a lure to put off another
manned mission to Mars. This time, a fleet of fifteen
Solmine ore freighters, accompanied by three
Patton-class X-COM vessels, set off on the journey.
They arrive in June, encountering no problems along
the way. Within days of their arrival, full-scale
mining operations have begin at what becomes known
as Mars Mine 1.

  With the promise of the Elerium supply looming on
the horizon, Transtellar purchases the rights to all
previous research in the field of interstellar
space flight. Within a matter of months, Transtellar's
top scientists have designed a prototype engine that
might be capable of propelling spacecraft at
faster-than-light speeds.
@2065
  When the first shipments of Elerium-115 arrive from
Mars Mine 1, they are divided evenly among all the
governments of the world. The North American Alliance
and the Eurasian Hegemony grant 50% of their allotments
to Transtellar for the testing of the new hyperspace
drive. The test is a success, and Transtellar is
commissioned by several world governments to build an
undisclosed number of small engines. Transtellar is
given top-priority when it comes to Elerium availability.

  The success of Mars Mine 1 causes a gold rush of sorts.
More than a dozen corporations launch their own
missions to Mars. Before long, there are 15 separate
colonies on the planet, mostly inhabited by miners and
their families. With all the problems still facing the
people on Earth, the world's governments pay little or no
attention to the affairs in the Martian colonies.
As a result, border skirmishes between corporate-run
mining villages are commonplace on the red planet.
An X-COM base is established at Mars Colony 1 in an
attempt to keep the peace.

  In May, the ESC launches 37 trans-light science probes,
bound for regions of space that are considered promising
for colonization. Telemetry from several probes is
lost within hours of their jump to hyperspace.
Most of the others reach their destinations only to
transmit the disappointing new that there is nothing of
value to be found.
œThe Frontier
@2065
  On October 27, the probe code-named Tombstone 1
begins transmitting telemetry from its destination
coordinates a globular cluster approximately 100
light-years from Earth. The data shows dozens of star
systems in the probe's immediate vicinity, nearly all
them supporting planets.

  Many of the planets within the probe's limited scanning
range show promise of incredible wealth in minerals and
raw materials, including traces of Elerium-115.
When this news is made public, nearly every large
corporation in the world begins immediate construction
of deep space colony ships to take advantage of the promise
of interstellar wealth.

  Likening this potential "wagon train to the stars"
to the expansion of Americans into the western
territories in the 19th century, this new region of
space quickly becomes known as "The Frontier".
@2066
  In late March, the first three corporate missions
are already on their way to The Frontier, and numerous
others are in the final stages of preparation.
Though they are not willing to forgo the potential
treasures of deep-space colonies, many corporate
leaders express fears that mankind's expansion into the
stars might lead to another encounter with hostile
aliens, this time, on their own turf. In a joint
meeting of business leaders and the world governments,
it is decided that a defensive force should be
established on The Frontier, standing ready to deal with
any threat that might arise.

  F. Denman Williams II, successor to the X-COM
Corporation's former leader, agrees to turn over
limited control of X-COM to the government so that
defensive bases can be established in The Frontier.
Meanwhile, to avoid stretching the organization's resources
too thin, Williams signs an agreement with a private security
firm to take over the X-COM bases at Luna 3 and Mars
Colony 1. This firm, operating under the name of Marsec
(short for Mars Security) quickly gains renown for its
ability for its ability to keep the local peace.
Also, with the support of Denman Dynamics - a
manufacturing corporation also owned by Williams - Marsec
becomes a major player in the manufacture and sale of
weapons and spacecraft.

  The first corporate outposts begin operation in The
Frontier in November. Fleets of Cybermove Systems'
new Starhaul freighters support the outposts, and
transport raw materials, personnel, and equipment within
outpost systems and back to Earth as needed.

  As all Earth-based organizations turn their attention
to the stars, the Earth Science Corps officially
changes its name to the Galactic Science Corps (GSC).
@2067
  January 1st: X-COM begins patrolling The Frontier.
The first X-COM base is established in The Frontier.
X-COM Base 1 is manned with the best space pilots
available, all with brand-new Transtellar X-1A
Lightning II fighter-interceptor. The base itself,
while not manned with a science team, is equipped with
a sophisticated data downlink system that allows the
base computers to download all the latest scientific
advances from Earth and the GSC.

  Financial and material support for the base is
provided by the corporate outposts, which act as
manufacturing centres, supply depots, and staging
points for the new pilot recruits who have ventured
into The Frontier. The outposts also provide funding
for X-COM in exchange for protection!
œEND OF FILE.