Background (TFTD)

Manual Notes

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X-COM
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The Extraterrestrial Combat Unit (or X-COM) was formed to combat the increasing world-wide UFO
activity at the end of the 20th century, X-COM is an independent body charged with investigating
and defeating the alien threat. This elite multi-national organisation is funded by all the major
world powers and is equipped with the finest pilots, soldiers, scientists and engineers.
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Background
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Earth 2039. The last scarred sites of the alien war f the 30 years ago are healing (as featured in
X-COM: Enemy Unknown). To all intents and purposes the threat to the Earth may never
have happened. But in the oceans long-silent forces have been aroused by the conflicts; a vast
interstellar colonisation ship - 400 billion tonnes of metal - that fell to Earth 65 million years
ago has been activated. When the alien base on Mars shuddered in its death throes a powerful
Tachyon beam darted out to a long dormant receptor. 30 years ago, the vast chambers of unnumerable
species began their re-animation cycle.
X-COM must now face a new terro: an army of aliens already installed in the depths of the world's
oceans. The aliens have been sinking ship, destroying planes and devastating remote ports, to what
end we know not.

UFO: Defense Timeline (from Interceptor)

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Interlude
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2002
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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.
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2005
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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, but 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.
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2009
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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.
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2010
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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.
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2012
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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.
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2013-2038
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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.
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2039
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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 are
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 officials 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."
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2040
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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.
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The Second Alien War (AW-II)
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2041 
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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.
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2042-2045
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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.
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2046
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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.
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END FILE
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And the timeline continues through the events leading to Interceptor.

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