PROPOSAL ALPHA - THE LAMORA DIRECTIVE

Spies are fabulous, and thanks to our mad strategic city placement skillz, our navy can bombard the shit out of ARC if we want to conquer west after the thieving brazilians are taken care of. Possibly the Franco-Iberians too.

 

Gentlemen, I would like to remind all of you that my proposal features battlesuits ripping aliens apart with laser beams. I am ready and waiting for your orders!

 

I approve of this pure, human, direction our colony is going. I therefore support THE COYOTE PROPOSAL. My ravings do make a lot of sense though; perhaps the colony could spare a bit of its focus towards building research facilities that would aid us in our battlesuit-oriented studies.

 

All warfare is based on deception. When able to attack we should appear unable. When using forces, we should seem inactive. When we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when we are far away we must make him believe we are near.

If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.

PROPOSAL ALPHA - THE LAMORA DIRECTIVE
I follow Lamora's lead. Superior intelligence and an unexpected military might striking from the wings are an excellent direction to move in.

(As an aside- It's been years since I played any CIV. Thanks to the narrative that Tehan is writing, I downloaded the demo and played through it nearly a dozen times. I'll be looking for a Cyber Monday sale for the full game.)

 

We have had equal levels of support for the Lamora and Coyote plans, so I will be merging the two into a combined plan - construction of a navy and deployment of our intelligence assets to begin a lurking threat against Brasilia, and then the construction of Battlesuits to dominate our continent while our spies do their job. Our battlesuits will then be deployed to the east to support in any attempted takeover of the Brasilian capital.

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Year 132: Elodie has come to us, hat in hand, to beg for energy. This bodes well for our future wars on this continent. Naturally, we denied her.



Our counter-intelligence agent has been re-assigned to Cidadela. As our other spies wind down their operations, they will also be heading east.

Year 136: Our colony, intended for the eastern islands, has been contructed. If it arrives swiftly, we may be able to take control of titanium deposits on the southern island before the Kavithan Protectorate can - this will no doubt anger them, but our pattern of choices have shown we have little to no interest in making friends, and our growing trade relations across the great central ocean may soothe them.



Our research into Robotics is completed, and we are now able to build great robotic plants as well as aircraft. Both will be great boons in the coming conflicts.

Year 137: Our satellite launched to clear the remaining miasma in the western forest has revealed that some of the canyons in the area form what is definitely an artificial pattern. Further satellites will be launched to investigate.

Year 138: Aekiel's team has discovered another ruined colony, possibly another Exalt-built one. I will keep you informed.



Year 141: Our sole gunboat in the Great Central Ocean has been lost with all hands to what they report was some sort of aquatic siege worm. While we mourn their loss, they did complete the mapping of the entire western coast of the eastern continent.





There can be no doubt: There is no ocean passage between the Western Ocean that Cidadela is built upon and the Great Central Ocean. While this would be a death blow to the Lamora Directive, the combined Coyote-Lamora Plan can adapt to this: Le Coeur, once taken, can be the drydock from which we can launch our navy.

Year 143: Our excavation of the ruined settlement to the west has uncovered survivors - thousands upon thousands of them, frozen in alien stasis pods. They are being shipped to Blackbird Claw for debriefing.

Year 144: The debriefing is complete. It seems that Exalt were paid handsomely for their collaboration with the aliens that assaulted Earth - millions upon millions of abducted people settled on this world and others to continue the human race under Exalt rule. The rulers themselves were to arrive later and awaken the settlers, but never did - unless, of course, they have arrived under the guise of one of the other factions on this world.

The abductees have been settled in Blackbird Claw. While they are suffering some culture shock, our enshrining of Earth culture is mitigating that, and they should soon prove useful additions to our people.

Year 151: The Eastern Islands colony has grown into a full-fledged city, and we immediately expended much of our energy reserves to lay claim to the northern half of the southern island.

Our investigation of the strange patterns in the ground is complete, and have lead us to an as-yet undiscovered ruin below the one that scrambled Aekiel's mind. The second time, I mean. He is being sent back there as soon as he returns home from the west.

Year 153: To my surprise, the Kavithan Protectorate has not commented on our aggressive acquisition of the eastern islands territory - merely commenting positively on our current trade relations. They continue to be pleasant neighbours, and I am glad they made it to this planet.

Year 154: Between the Eastern Islands, our population growth, and the continued industrialization of Necropolis, the health of our people is more strained than ever before. I have hopes that our research into Bionics on the path to Battlesuits will unlock new ways to improve the health of our people - as such, their unrest would make our cities a ripe target for enemy intelligence work, were they not under the watchful eye of Lamora's AI-controlled surveillance networks.

Year 163: Aekiel has reached the mysterious ruins, and has begun seeking out yet another unique experience with the ancient devices it undoubtedly holds.

Year 167: Aekiel's excavation raised more questions than it answered.



There is one benefit: Our population has taken this as further evidence to mistrust alien life, and is clinging harder than ever before to our Earth heritage, and X-Com's role in it's preservation - this may be all that is keeping us from civil war in our current health crisis.

Year 172: Lamora's agents have stolen the technology of Transgenics from ARC. This looks like the answer to our health problems, allowing us to effectively troubleshoot human DNA.

I will call off the investigation into Lamora's fourth mansion.

Year 178: Our agent in Cidadela was identified and killed by Brasilia's counter-espionage service. This severely sets back the clock on the Lamora Directive - possibly fatally so, when our lack of a port on the Western Ocean is taken into account. As such, it is time for us to decide whether to change course. Before I give our options, I believe a review of our empire is in order.

First, our capital, landing site, and the largest metropolis in the world, Blackbird Claw.



You will, of course, have noticed the architectural revolution that has begun recently. Our people have embraced the heritage of Earth, combining great skyscrapers with artificial environments built to mimic Earth's wilderness.

Blackbird Claw is the breadbasket of our empire, as algae, fruit, dog-beetles and farmlands combine to feed our populace. The only land not given over to farms are the generators, once built as a solution to an energy crisis and still standing as a monument to the importance of forward planning.

Second, Necropolis.



Originally built to dominate what we believed to be a western ocean, this city is not only the gateway to the inland sea, it is also the greatest industrial powerhouse in the world. While it's negative effects on the health of our population are undeniable, neither can anyone deny the sheer industrial output it boasts.

Third, the 'Western Forest'.



As you can see, the Western Forest is dead in all but name. Concerted effort over decades lead to a fitting tribute to the losses of our early days, and a concrete demonstration of our domination of this planet.

Finally, the Eastern Islands.



Settled as a source of titanium these have nevertheless proven their worth as they became the site for revolutionary 'biowells' - great suburb-farms that not only feed our people but allow them to live natural, healthy, Earth-like lives.

Oh? What's this last thing? I thought we only had four cities, why is there a fifth one listed?



Oh, right.

The First through Fourth Battlesuit Legions stand on the borders of Central, moments away from assault. The first half of the Coyote Proposal is about to begin, and success is assured. The Battlesuits are a revolution in battlefield technology. Central is ours - the battle itself will be a mere technicality.

On that happy note, it is time to chart our course for domination of this world.

DOMINATION

The Coyote Proposal's only flaw is that it does not go far enough. Why stop with this continent? With the entire world under X-Com's control, we can pursue any goal we wish at our leisure, and ferret out Exalt's agents upon it once and for all.


CONTACT

Exalt's presence on this world has proven that the aliens were not all in orbit around Earth - some were ferrying colonists to this world. X-Com's mission is clear - the destruction of the extra-terrestrial threat. The fact that they are laying low is immaterial.

Let us call out into the void until they answer, and then hit them until they stop moving.


PROMISED LAND

Our people remember our heritage. But it is not enough to merely remember. They sent us into the void in the hopes that humanity will live on - we have a duty to repay the favour.

Our scientists are starting to grasp at the boundless potential of humanity. They speak of FTL-communications, of bending space-time, of portals. We can save our forebears from their doomed world, and bring them through to this one, which we are shaping into Earth's ideal form.

Author's note: We are entering the endgame, and it is now time to decide which endgame to pursue.

We are currently six affinity levels deep in Purity, with zero in Supremacy and Harmony. As such, I have taken the Supremacy and Harmony endgames off the table.

 

DOMINATION

The Coyote Proposal's only flaw is that it does not go far enough. Why stop with this continent? With the entire world under X-Com's control, we can pursue any goal we wish at our leisure, and ferret out Exalt's agents upon it once and for all.

 

PROMISED LAND - XCOM saved humanity when aliens invaded. Then it build a human empire on an alien world. Now it must bring all those unlucky people left on desolated Earth. It's our duty. It's our fate.

 

Promised Land - Time to save the rest of humanity

 

Time to save the promised land.

 

We must save our brethren on Earth. Bring them to The Promised Land.

 

We bring them here, and then what?



Watch in our exhausted state as the Harmonists and opportunists come down upon us? As the Supremacists shoot past us?

I am all for the renewal of our bonds with Earth. Admittedly, I had my scruples about how little chance was given to the path of Supremacy, but that's fine - I am saboteur. It is my job to leverage our interests, not decide them.

Gentlemen of the Conclave, those of you have heeded me before, I thank you. Those of you in the past who have not, I thank you twice - the forward march of human thinking has ever held its route in critical examination. I would be nothing if not for you. That being said-



-if you would ever hear me, hear me today.

...it is said when Alexander of Macedonia, the Great, ruler of the known world in his time, beheld the breadth of his empire, he wept, for there were no more worlds to conquer.

Gentlemen, he barely even held a continent, for a single lifetime.

The chance that is before us is so fragile, so transient, that I halfway fear to speak of it is to extinguish it, like a guttering candle.

All throughout the history of Man, conflict has proliferated over the sustaining of individual states and nations. By the time our race developed the kind of power it would take to hold a planet, it was too late - our borders were too entrenched, divides too wide, histories too bloody to think of forgiving one another.

There is only one chance, and it is now. We can correct the path of human history. The greatest minds of half a dozen factions were able to propel us here, to the distant stars. Now, the others are weak, new - no scars too deep to divide. Now, we have the chance to reach it - that mad, exalted dream that has driven every conqueror, despot or saint, to ride out of his gates and into the teeth of his unwilling, future subjects.

Imagine it. The breathless, invinceable glory. The greatest Wonder any civilization could build.

One race together. Man, united, at long last.

Domination? No.



Unification. Let us, at long last, bring our troubled people together.

 

Lamora, I like you. You can tell I'm sincere by how I haven't questioned the fact that somehow every single spy that was sent to steal energy 'failed'.

(seriously, every single spy trying to steal energy failed, every single spy trying to steal research or techs succeeded, it's uncanny)

 

It's almost as though the energy is being used for some other purpose.

You know, it seems to me that our spymaster has been saying some very anti-Earth things lately. Almost as though he doesn't believe in our chosen path. As a good and honest Follower of the Lost Earth I find this deeply troubling. Does he not care about our brethren on the homeworld?

Perhaps I am simply misreading the situation, but there has been an influx of trans-humanist literature from the ARC settlements, something that our spymaster had a direct hand in.

Now, I'm not one to point fingers, but one must wonder whether this almost-heresy is an indicator that Lamora is entirely on our side in this. Could our spymaster be a double agent for the Supremacists on this new world?

 

Oho, so it's come to accusations.



Let us clear the air, then. And for the record, good doctor, it is impossible to be a double agent for a philosophy.

I've never made any bones about my coveting of some of the benefits the Supremacists hold - Free magrails would turn our nation into one giant nervous system, able to respond at any corner at the slightest twitch of an intruder's presence. Coverage over Firaxite would give us eyes into any nation that thought to wield it. These things, you understand, are very attractive to man of the espionage business.

The mind of an operative is very much like an engineer, gentlemen. We do not work thinking of the 'why', only the 'how'. And while, as Overseer, I dare to think of myself as a little more than a simple operative, you will find my dabblings into ideology lead in precisely the same direction as yours.



And it is the mind of the idealist and engineer both that tell you this - this idea of a Promised Land will only restart the cycle which led to the Great Mistake. Human history is cyclical. It's a mark of true insanity to believe that recreating Earth as it will lead to anything but another catastrophe in untold centuries.

We have a chance to break the chain and forge anew, my esteemed gentlemen of the Conclave. Unification is the way to go.

On another, smaller note, we were able finally track down Director L. Unfortunately, the results were...unsavory.



This is the last image of him we have that is still dinner friendly, unfortunately. As it turned out, he was part of a renegade cell that had split off from Culper many years ago, calling themselves...



...well, it's not really important. The details are enclosed. Some of their plans were troubling, though - if we'd headed in the hardline Supremacist direction he was planning, who knows what he might have been able to accomplish.

I ashamed to say that some of our operations were compromised by him. That list has been enclosed as well. You might recognize it as a list of our Energy related operations, which you just so mentioned. They should run smoother now, with any luck.

With my attention no longer divided, I stand by what I said. And I stand by humanity, the same as all of you.



Unification, gentlemen. It's the only way.

 

I would like to point out that the Merchant Navy is voting for the Promised Land for one simple reason. Money. Bringing new people will bring us more money, as we'll sell them everything they need. At the same time, the Unification proposed by Lamora is also acceptable for the same reason - it will also bring money. And, as one forgotten thinker on Earth once said "Greed, for lack of a better word, is good."

 

Lamora... You would sell those we could save of Earth so that our people could fight and die to conquer this planet. And if the Conclave agrees that such should be done, I will execute its will. It seems the most natural and fitting for me, given the amount of death on my hands.

But I have a question for you. A simple one.

Aren't your enemies the ones who force you to improve and drive you forward the most? Why would you exterminate them all?

We face a point where we can and must wildly engineer the future of the human race. And of all those ideals which Unification could inject, there is one that strikes me as perhaps the most harmful:

A scarcity of conflict.

I'm a veteran of the alien wars. I know about the things that skitter in the dark and kill you horribly more than most. And perhaps it's the madness taking hold, perhaps it's my imagination running wild-- But these next few years are a low ebb, and a rare chance to focus on ourselves.

I would arm us to face the future by the very design of what it would mean to be human. A hundred, a thousand, a million human tribes and cultures swarming the planet, fighting amongst themselves, only for us all to grow stronger from the violence.

Please. Look around you. The world is already changing around us too fast to track. Yet, one thing has remained steadfast: Our worship of Earth. It is a madness in us all, and yearns to be fulfilled.

I would have us summon our heroes, knowing some of them will be killed, and knowing that some of us may die. I would commit this terrible crime because we have built a new paradise, and must find the strength by any means to never repeat the Great Mistake.

 

It seems the some mistake my desire to unify as combined with one to pacify.



I respect your history as a veteran of military conflict, General, and I would have you respect mine - of a shadowy man in charge of shadowy men, knowing keenly that his shadowy job will be always necessary.

War is not the only form of conflict. And war will never be dead, nor would I ever wish it so. A veteran of the alien wars should know best - there are enemies enough in the stars without fighting our own.

I would not have humanity defanged and declawed. I would have many fingers become a hand. A hand, that could reach out and grasp new worlds, or, in the event that it became necessary, form a fist to crush any competitor that would bar our way.

Before you, I stand much the amateur in the ways of open war, so I will not claim to be the greater expert; my own efforts only ever have been to humbly support, a task which has been my honor to carry out.



But to spare an amateur his opinion, I would posit this - I have watched a war or two in my time, General. And the thing that has most humbled me, each and every time, has not been any extraordinary butcher's bill or grim act of battle, but the awe-inspiring miracle of many, individual men, acting in unison against terrible adversity to further the cause of something greater than the individual.

And if you remain unconvinced, than consider this - if you join me, General, you could be one of the last leaders of men to see brothers shed the blood of brothers in the same of something as utterly banal as borders and nationalities.

Unification, General. One last, terrible campaign for the saddest, most exalted dream; that the most valiant men and women of this and every future generation never be called again to battle against a foe who bleeds the same blood for anything less than the betterment of all mankind.

I am instrument, just like you, General - I alone cannot help but be wielded by the will of the majority, and I will carry out the decision of this Conclave to the letter. But in this time and day, you and I are part of that majority, and stand poised to put away one of the most fundamental evils of our past. And I fear this time will pass quickly, and not come again in our lifetime.

I cannot do this without you, General. One last time to count for all.

EDIT: To that end, I'd like to call for a recount of all votes on the Endgame, if it pleases this Conclave.

 

Unification.


Not that I don't empathize with those left behind on Earth - XCOM always had the mission to save Humanity after all - but if we are to ever bring them to a promised land, would that not better done after we have a true Eden to bring them to? A unified world, whose entire bounty is open to them?