X-COM : UFO Defense - A Novel
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X-COM : UFO Defense - A Novel is a 1995 novel by Diane Duane based on the X-COM computer game series. It was published after the release of the first game in the series, X-COM: UFO Defense, takes place during a late-game period and has some background information of uncertain canonity. The book tells the story of Commander Jonelle Barrett of X-COM in her fight against the aliens.
Another novelization by Vladimir Vasilyev was published in Russia in 1997.
According to the novel:
- X-COM scientists discover that the Ethereals were living near dying red stars, and they modified themselves from the Sectoid species to replace parts of their body with bionic prosthesis to increase their psychic powers and diminish their physical needs.
- Frustrated with a lack of funding, X-COM sells equipment and actual alien specimens through the black market. This is a very common strategy in the game itself.
- The aliens steal cattle to use their DNA, so that they can adapt DNA of new species to their own. The alien base in Switzerland is discovered after it starts to seek out a rare breed of cows for experiments.
- The Silacoid are a totally animal species the aliens use to dig holes and melt rocks in order to create underground bases.
- The chief scientist of an X-COM base in Morroco, Trenchard, did experiments on himself melding his DNA with that of the Etherals and turned himself into a sort of human-Ethereal. He serves as spy until Barrett discovers his plans and uses him to disinform the aliens. He escapes his captors as the force of four X-COM bases are sent to attack the first alien base discovered on Earth, in the Swiss Alps.
- Crud is the game of choice for X-COM agents. All bases have a permanent tournament and the world tournament held in Rio. Agents often say "Where there is no crud, there is no life." The book describes it:
- "around the billiards table, a crowd of about twenty men and women were yelling their heads off at two teams of four people, who were enthusiastically body-blocking one another as they took turns trying to get at one of two billiard balls and use it to knock the other one into a pocket."
- X-COM agents often act under United Nations auspices. They do investigations like the police about UFO sightings to look for discreet operations (such as cattle theft in Switzerland). They have official UN facilities in some towns near their bases. In Andermatt, their Swiss base, agents need to do UN offices jobs. They run the public relations office.
- Interrogators of live aliens initially analyse alien brainwaves while asking them questions, later on using psi-amp equipment to read images in the aliens' minds. The information obtained this way is usually highly cryptic.
