XCOM: Resist

Chapter 31-Welcome to HQ

Aliens start to converge on the crash site towards the team. "Fire," Chailux yells out and the aliens are shredded by a mounted turret. Hulking aliens of metal and flesh fly over head and Linda picks them off quickly. "Fall back," Chailux yells out to her and she starts hurtling over the wrecks. She jumps the barricade where the overs were and reloads.

"Where's that extraction team," she yells over the gunfire raining down on them from all sides, "they should have been here by now!" Just after she said that a spotlight shone down on them and they look up to see an aircraft bearing the flag of no country but rather a symbol.

"That's our ride," Chailux yells and ushers for his team to quickly board. Liam helps the little girl on just as a walking mechanised machine breaks the barrier. "Liam," Chailux yells as the man fires back at the thing.

"Get going Colonel," Liam ducks and weaves his way to the mounted turret, "go!" He fires at the machine and it turns its sights on him.

"Let's go," Chailux calmly said as the bay doors close behind him. The aircraft takes to the skies and Liam gives a smile just before a plasma blast knocks him off.

"So we're just going to leave him," William asked in outrage to what just happened, "we could of gotten out of there. All of us!"

"And we would of been shot down by that thing," Chailux returned, keeping his composure, "Liam sacrificed himself to make sure we all made it out. I'd expect the same out of anyone else here." William returns to his seat and looks up to Linda who was comforting the little girl. Chailux head towards the front to find the pilot. "Thanks for getting us out of there."

"It's what we do sir," the pilot remarks as he adjusts the radio, "BigSky to Central. VIP is on board. Repeat. I have the Commander. Returning to base."

"Copy that BigSky," the radio crackles before clearing up, "just make sure nothing is on your six."

The pilot shuts off the radio and Chailux looks him oddly. "The Commander," he asked in confusion, "none of my people have that rank."

"It's you sir," the pilot clarifies, "you're going to lead the fight against those bastards."

After several hours of flying, the aircraft touches down in a mountain base far from any other man-made structures. "Welcome to XCOM HQ," the team were greeted when they enter the command centre, "I'm Central Officer John Bradford. I handle most of our operations here."

"What the hell is XCOM," Chailux asked as he watches his team be escorted away, "where the hell are you taking my people!"

"They'll be safe sir," Bradford ensures, "please follow me." Bradford extends his arm out to show Chailux where to go. "The XCOM initiative was established in response to satellite images of UFOs on a projected course for Earth. Everyone here was handpicked from a long list and you just happened to be at the top. BigSky was sent to pick you up in Sydney, Australia. However it was hit before he could reach the pick up point."

"The mysterious message I got that morning," Chailux remembers and Bradford nods.

"We are Earths first and last line of defence against these invaders," the doors open into a conference room wear three others waited and the screen turns on with the silhouette of a man. "Good luck, Commander."