This article brings all of the Consortium "Breaking News" articles together and lets you view/hide them based on your actions allowing you to experience the game from the perspective of the Information Console.
| Spoiler warning! This article contains plot details that you may want to discover on your own. |
Act I[]
Always occurs.
Malcolm Thomas Reporting Live
"Hello everyone, my name is Malcolm Thomas and I'm reporting to you live for the Global Newswire, just outside of London, England.
Well folks, it's almost Christmas and all the children are eagerly awaiting ol' Santa's arrival. Throughout most of the U.K. today and right through on into Christmas, we're looking at non-stop wind and rain... followed by up to 20 centimetres of snow! Here at home, we're facing one hell of a storm front, so bundle up and prepare for a thunder snowstorm, because it's coming.
In other, more upsetting news, early this morning at the Port of Felixstowe, twenty-one workers were found dead in a cargo container ship. The ship had initiated auto-docking procedures and emergency personnel on sight reported as finding no survivors aboard. Twenty-one dead. Nothing further, including cause of death and origin of the vessel, has been released by authorities.
And that's the latest from here in London, I'm Malcolm Thomas."Always occurs.
Brendon Wycheck Reporting Live
Hello everyone, my name is Brendon Wycheck and I'm reporting to you live from Global Newswire headquarters. Reports have been flooding in about an attack that's currently underway between the Consortium command vessel Zenlil and a pack of Bulgarian mercenaries known by the Bulgarian people as the Homeless Mercenaries.
You may remember only a month ago Kiril Angelov and his Homeless Mercenaries were in the news when it seems the now-retired Bishop Eight shot down and killed two of their pilots. All reports say that Angelov did not provoke the Command Vessel and that Bishop Eight acted on his own admission. Whether this attack today is related to that incident is at this time unclear - except to say that Angelov is currently dealing with the newly recruited Bishop Six, and not the former Bishop Eight.
Now - over the skies of Bulgaria we have a standoff between the two sides. It appears as though Zenlil has been damaged and possibly even disabled by the fleet of Mercenary jets... yes, you heard that right, a Consortium command vessel is in serious trouble and may be disabled. Sources say the mercs had used some sort of-- is that right? "Experimental weaponry?" Oh, wait a minute... it has just been confirmed, ladies and gentlemen, that Zenlil has in fact been disabled by the use of some sort of electro magnetic weapon fired by the mercenary group. My God...
That is all we're being told at the moment but as the situation continues I'll be here updating you every step of the way. This is Brendon Wycheck for the Global Newswire.Pawn 1[]
Brendon Wycheck Reporting Live
Hello again everyone, Brendon Wycheck here for another update following the recent incident between Consortium command vessel, Zenlil, and the Homeless Mercenaries. The incident has been resolved and Zenlil has returned its course toward Dublin, Ireland for repair and investigation. Several pieces of information have come in since our last report.
First of all it seems as though Matthew Wilson, or Pawn 7, was found murdered aboard Zenlil only minutes before the Homeless Mercenaries took the offensive. All we do know at this time is that the murder is not being blamed on Angelov or his Homeless Mercenaries, and that it looks like a Zenlil crew member may be responsible. The Consortium is not releasing any more information on this particular subject, citing security concerns as the reason.
At least there is a little bit of good news as it seems Gary Ma, or Pawn 1, was saved after the Homeless Mercenaries fired experimental bullets at Zenlil, piercing the hull and hitting him while at his work station in Mission Operations. Thankfully new recruit Bishop Six was there in the nick of time and saved his life. Another Mission Operations officer, Pawn 12, was also shot at the time and was subsequently saved by their onboard doctor, Rook 13. Both officers are now in good health.
When we know more, you will too. This is Brendon Wycheck here at Global Newswire headquarters.
Brendon Wycheck Reporting Live
Hello again everyone, Brendon Wycheck here for another update following the recent incident between Consortium command vessel, Zenlil, and the Homeless Mercenaries. The incident has been resolved and Zenlil has returned its course toward Dublin, Ireland for repair and investigation. Several pieces of information have come in since our last report.
First of all it seems as though Matthew Wilson, or Pawn 7, was found murdered aboard Zenlil only minutes before the Homeless Mercenaries took the offensive. All we do know at this time is that the murder is not being blamed on Angelov or his Homeless Mercenaries, and that it looks like a Zenlil crew member may be responsible. The Consortium is not releasing any more information on this particular subject, citing security concerns as the reason.
Unfortunately it also looks like Gary Ma, or Pawn 1, was killed when the Homeless Mercenaries fired experimental bullets at Zenlil, piercing the hull and killing him while at his work station in Mission Operations. Another Mission Operations officer, Pawn 12, was also shot at the time and was subsequently saved by their onboard doctor, Rook 13.
When we know more, you will too. This is Brendon Wycheck here at Global Newswire headquarters.Mercenaries out of airlock[]
Brendon Wycheck Reporting Live
Hello everyone, Brendon Wycheck here again for the Global Newswire. My producer is telling me that we're going to again go right to Bulgarian correspondent Rosica Grubo, who we last saw reporting on the downed Homeless Mercenary F-35's in northern Serbia.
Thanks again, Brendon. I'm here now along the northern edge of Temerin, Serbia, about a kilometre north of the Multi-Tec industrial complex. It seems that the body of a man, a Homeless Mercenary member so far unidentified, has fallen from the sky and crashed through the skylight of this home behind me. The father of the family who lives here, an American, has agreed to speak with us though has asked to remain anonymous.
Sir, can you tell us exactly what happened?
We were just sitting down for some food, pizza, I was reaching across the table for a piece and... Well, there was a loud crash and suddenly glass and blood was raining down all around me. A body, if that's what you want to call it, came right through our damned skylight, on through our dinner table, and made a pretty big mess of the floor. The poor bastard almost ended up in the basement. My wife screamed, my eight year old daughter fainted...
I'm so sorry, that sounds horrible. Thank you for speaking with us, sir, thank you.
Sure.
Local authorities have issued a statement to the town of Temerin and surrounding area, asking all residents to be on the lookout for other potential bodies like this one and to report them immediately when found. Back to you, Brendon.
We've just been informed that a second and third body have been found only a few kilometres apart and from the home in Temerin. Both are also Homeless Mercenary members and were thankfully found in open farmland with no reported injuries or damage to local property.
This is Brendon Wycheck, Global Newswire, and I'll be back after a short break.
Brendon Wycheck Reporting Live
Hello everyone, Brendon Wycheck here again for the Global Newswire. My producer is telling me that we're going to again go right to Bulgarian correspondent Rosica Grubo, who we last saw reporting on the downed Homeless Mercenary F-35's in northern Serbia.
Thanks again, Brendon. I'm here now along the northern edge of Temerin, Serbia, about a kilometre north of the Multi-Tec industrial complex. It seems that the body of a man, a Homeless Mercenary member so far unidentified, has fallen from the sky and crashed through the skylight of this home behind me. He is reportedly only one of an astounding ten dead Homeless Mercenaries so-far found within a twenty kilometre radius of this spot. It looks as though they have all fallen from the Consortium command vessel, Zenlil, during a mid-air boarding by the Mercenary group using a Resource War era boarding carrier.
The father of the family who own this home, an American, has agreed to speak with us though has asked to remain anonymous. Sir, can you tell us exactly what happened?
We were just sitting down for some food, pizza, I was reaching across the table for a piece and... Well, there was a loud crash and suddenly glass and blood was raining down all around me. A body, if that's what you want to call it, came right through our damned skylight, on through our dinner table, and made a pretty big mess of the floor. The poor bastard almost ended up in the basement. My wife screamed... my eight year old daughter fainted...
I'm so sorry, that sounds horrible. Thank you for speaking with us, sir, thank you.
Sure.
Local authorities have issued a statement to the town of Temerin and surrounding area, asking all residents to be on the lookout for other potential bodies and to report them immediately when found. Back to you, Brendon.
Thanks, Rosica. I really hope this marks the end of Zenlil's troubles for today, but still no statement has been made by the Zenlil crew or Consortium royalty to confirm this. We'll of course remain here and if anything else develops, you'll be the first to know.
This is Brendon Wycheck, Global Newswire.Kiril Angelov[]
Brendon Wycheck Reporting Live
Hello everyone, my name is Brendon Wycheck and I'm reporting to you live from Global Newswire headquarters. I have some more breaking information for you regarding the currently ongoing battle in the sky, now over northern Serbia, between Consortium command vessel Zenlil and the ill-equipped Homeless Mercenaries. Though usually ill equipped, it appears as though the mercenary group has managed to acquire weaponry capable of firing bullets into and even disabling the Consortium aircraft. I don't need to tell you that this sort of situation is... well folks, it's crazy. Nobody since the Long Dragon Syndicate's defeat would be crazy enough to do what Kiril Angelov and his Mercs are doing right now.
Oh, it looks like we've got something new coming in... Ha, thank you, it seems as though the threat may be over. Kiril Angelov himself has just been captured by the newly recruited Bishop Six. Unbelievable, I can't believe my ears but I'm being told that Angelov boarded Zenlil in mid-flight using a boarding carrier. A boarding carrier, for those who do not know, was a military plane developed originally by the Chinese and later adopted across the globe and used heavily during the Resource Wars. I haven't heard the name in many years as advancements in scanning technology and a lack of defensive capabilities made them practically useless--
Wait, hold on. It looks like we're going to go live now, to Bulgarian correspondent Rosica Grubo who has been physically following Zenlil and the Homeless Mercenaries since this all began:
Thank you, Brendon. After following the incident through Bulgaria and into Serbia, our chopper has just landed in a field only a few kilometres north of Novi Sad, in northern Serbia. You can see the farm house behind me, this is one of many like it in the area but thankfully they are separated by many kilometers of farmland which is also scarcely peppered with small communities. Now, over here-yep, zoom in. That is a pre-Resource War era American F-35. It belongs in a museum and yet here it is, strewn to bits across the Serbian countryside.
The real surprise is that we also have here with us the pilot of this F-35. His name is Viktor and he says that Zenlil shot him down using an E.M.P. tipped missile which automatically ejected him from the cockpit after disabling his jet. He also says that he's been in contact with his comrades and in perfect Consortium form, all of the seventeen F-35's which remained following Angelov's capture were shot down with non-lethal force. No casualties. Viktor here of course admits to being a member of the Homeless--
Shut your mouth, we hate that name. We are the Rampant Lions in your useless English tongue. I have nothing to hide. Ask me your questions.
O.K... well, did Kiril Angelov lead you and the other uh, Lions, into battle with Zenlil? Was he looking for revenge over the Bishop Eight incident a month ago?
That smart mouthed ape killed my brothers and got what he deserved when they kicked him out. Not like this new, softer, Bishop Six who apparently would not kill a fly. So no. Angelov did not lead this mission for revenge. Bishop Six was the target.
Really? New recruit Bishop Six? Will you elaborate on that?
What is this 'elaborate?'
Oh, can you explain more about Bishop Six being the target?
It will probably kill me for this, but yes... Angelov was hired to kill Bishop Six. The truth is someone within the Consortium hired us to murder their new toy.
Whoa... uhh... hang on... you can't be serious? First of all, WHO is going to kill you for this?
The King or any number of its mind-controlled henchmen.
Right... and why would the Consortium hire Mercenaries to attack their own vessel?
I don't know that, ask them! I only know the transmissions from our contact led back to a C.M.C. signal that is normally untraceable... until Dragomir figured it out. Last I heard the Consortium is the only organization to use those mind control devices.
This is... well that's a pretty incredible claim. Why are you telling me this if you believe you're in danger?
The world needs to know what the Consortium King does for sick amusement! This is all ITS doing. IT sent us here. IT treated us all like puppets. IT decided-
O.K., thank you Rosica for that riveting report! Wow, stellar work. So to recap real quickly, the Consortium command vessel Zenlil has just been attacked by a pilot mercenary group named the Homeless Mercenaries. Their leader, Kiril Angelov, used a boarding carrier to board Zenlil and was subsequently captured after the resulting firefight with new Consortium recruit Bishop Six. Immediately following the capture of Angelov, some of the remaining Homeless Mercenaries, piloting a fleet of seventeen F-35s, swarmed Zenlil and an aerial skirmish was had. Zenlil is still in the air now and all fighters have been subdued by non-lethal means with no reported mercenary pilot or civilian casualties. I would so far call that a perfect score for Consortium's latest recruit, Bishop Six.
The situation seems to be resolved but it is still uncertain how damaged Zenlil is, or if any of her crew have been injured, and also if any Homeless Mercenaries were killed during the forced boarding which led to the capture of Kiril Angelov. At the very least I can say for certain that unlike the incident a month ago, Angelov almost certainly provoked Zenlil and her crew this time.
I'll be back after a short break with more updates as they come in. This is Brandon Wycheck for the Global Newswire.
Brendon Wycheck Reporting Live
Hello everyone, my name is Brendon Wycheck and I'm reporting to you live from Global Newswire headquarters. I have some more breaking information for you regarding the currently ongoing battle in the sky, now over northern Serbia, between Consortium command vessel Zenlil and the ill-equipped Homeless Mercenaries. Though usually ill equipped, it appears as though the mercenary group has managed to acquire weaponry capable of firing bullets into and even disabling the Consortium aircraft. I don't need to tell you that this sort of situation is... well folks, it's crazy. Nobody since the Long Dragon Syndicate's defeat would be crazy enough to do what Kiril Angelov and his Mercs are doing right now.
Oh, it looks like we've got something new coming in... Ha, thank you, it seems as though the threat may be over. Kiril Angelov himself has just been captured by the newly recruited Bishop Six. Unbelievable, I can't believe my ears but I'm being told that Angelov boarded Zenlil in mid-flight using a boarding carrier. A boarding carrier, for those who do not know, was a military plane developed originally by the Chinese and later adopted across the globe and used heavily during the Resource Wars. I haven't heard the name in many years as advancements in scanning technology and a lack of defensive capabilities made them practically useless--
Wait, hold on. It looks like we're going to go live now, to Bulgarian correspondent Rosica Grubo who has been physically following Zenlil and the Homeless Mercenaries since this all began:
Thank you, Brendon. After following the incident through Bulgaria and into Serbia, our chopper has just landed in a field only a few kilometres north of Novi Sad, in northern Serbia. You can see the farm house behind me, this is one of many like it in the area but thankfully they are separated by many kilometres of farmland which is also scarcely peppered with small communities. Now, over here-yep, zoom in. That is a pre-Resource War era American F-35. It belongs in a museum and yet here it is, strewn to bits across the Serbian countryside.
The real surprise is that we also have here with us the pilot of this F-35. His name is Viktor and he says that Zenlil shot him down using an E.M.P. tipped missile which automatically ejected him from the cockpit after disabling his jet. He tells us seventeen of their F-35's fought Zenlil head on following Angelov's capture, but due to the E.M.P. frying all of his equipment he cannot communicate with his comrades and determine how many others survived. Viktor of course admits to being a member of the Homeless--
Shut your mouth, we hate that name. We are the Rampant Lions in your useless English tongue. I have nothing to hide. Ask me your questions.
O.K... well, did Kiril Angelov lead you and the other uh, Lions, into battle with Zenlil? Was he looking for revenge over the Bishop Eight incident a month ago?
That smart mouthed ape killed my brothers and got what he deserved when they kicked him out. No. Angelov did not lead this mission for revenge. Bishop Six was the target.
Really? New recruit Bishop Six? Will you elaborate on that?
What is this 'elaborate?'
Oh, can you explain more about Bishop Six being the target?
It will probably kill me for this, but yes... Angelov was hired to kill Bishop Six. The truth is someone within the Consortium hired us to murder their new toy.
Whoa... uhh... hang on... you can't be serious? First of all, WHO is going to kill you for this?
The King or any number of its mind-controlled henchmen.
Right... and why would the Consortium hire Mercenaries to attack their own vessel?
I don't know that, ask them! I only know the transmissions from our contact led back to a C.M.C. signal that is normally untraceable... until Dragomir figured it out. Last I heard the Consortium is the only organization to use those mind control devices.
This is... well that's a pretty incredible claim. Why are you telling me this if you believe you're in danger?
The world needs to know what the Consortium King does for sick amusement! This is all ITS doing. IT sent us here. IT treated us all like puppets. IT decided-
O.K., thank you Rosica for that riveting report! Wow, stellar work. So to recap real quickly, the Consortium command vessel Zenlil has just been attacked by a pilot mercenary group named the Homeless Mercenaries. Their leader, Kiril Angelov, used a boarding carrier to board Zenlil and was subsequently captured after the resulting firefight with new Consortium recruit Bishop Six. Immediately following the capture of Angelov, many of the remaining F-35s in the area were seen fleeing. Those that remained, consisting of a fleet of seventeen F-35's, swarmed Zenlil and an aerial skirmish was had. Zenlil is still in the air now and all fighters have been handled with no reported civilian casualties.
The situation seems to be resolved but it is still uncertain how damaged Zenlil is, or if any of her crew have been injured, and also how many Homeless Mercenary pilots have been killed. At the very least I can say for certain that unlike the incident a month ago, Angelov almost certainly provoked Zenlil and her crew this time.
I'll be back after a short break with more updates as they come in. This is Brandon Wycheck for the Global Newswire.
Brendon Wycheck Reporting Live
Hello everyone, my name is Brendon Wycheck and I'm reporting to you live from Global Newswire headquarters. I have some more breaking information for you regarding the currently ongoing battle in the sky between Consortium command vessel Zenlil, and the ill-equipped Homeless Mercenaries. Though usually ill equipped, it appears as though the mercenary group has managed to acquire weaponry capable of putting bullets into and even disabling the Consortium aircraft. I don't need to tell you that this sort of situation is... well folks, it's crazy. Nobody since the Long Dragon Syndicate's defeat would be crazy enough to do what Kiril Angelov and his Mercs are doing right now.
Oh, we've got something new coming in... Ha, thank you, it seems as though the threat may be over... Kiril Angelov has just been captured by the newly recruited Bishop Six. Unbelievable, I can't believe my ears but I'm being told that Angelov boarded Zenlil in mid-flight using a boarding carrier. A boarding carrier, for those who do not know, was a military plane developed originally by the Chinese and later adopted across the globe and used heavily during the Resource Wars. I haven't heard the name in many years as advancements in scanning technology and a lack of defensive capabilities made them practically useless--
Wait, hold on. It looks like we're going to go live now, to Bulgarian correspondent Rosica Grubo who has been physically following Zenlil and the Homeless Mercenaries since this all began:
Thank you, Brendon. After following the incident through Bulgaria and into Serbia, our chopper has just landed in a field only a few kilometres north of Novi Sad, in northern Serbia. You can see the farm house behind me, this is one of many like it in the area but thankfully they are separated by many kilometers of farmland which are also scarcely peppered with small communities. Now, over here-yep, zoom in. That is a pre-Resource War era American F-35. It belongs in a museum and yet here it is, strewn to bits across the Serbian countryside.
Ono sto je pakao se desava? Koji su vam ljudi?
Sir, sir... do you speak English?
Oh, uh... my English is bad. You are Newswire?
Yes sir, my name is Rosica Grubo from the Newswire. Is that your home behind you?
Yes.
And did you see the accident?
I... did not see accident. But I hear plane fly over my home, it was... loud? Yes, very loud, and bright because of the, uh, flames. My wife... my wife said it was Guardians, but I say-
Can you tell me how close it came to hitting your home?
Oh, no... well. It was close, yes.
O.K. thank you, thank you sir. There are at least two dozen other downed F-35's scattered across kilometres of Serbian farmland out here, and not a single parachute in sight. This tells us that lethal force was likely used by the Consortium although thankfully there have been no reported civilian casualties from any of the crash sites. It seems that this bit of good luck may be thanks to the pilot of Zenlil, Rook 9, who we witnessed fly the Command Vessel in a wide circle during the conflict and no doubt saved many lives in the process. Back to you, Brendon.
Thanks, Rosica. So to recap real quickly, the Consortium command vessel Zenlil has just been attacked by a Bulgarian pilot mercenary group named the Homeless Mercenaries. Their leader, Kiril Angelov, used a boarding carrier to board Zenlil and was subsequently captured in the resulting firefight by new Consortium recruit Bishop Six. Immediately following the capture of Angelov, many of the remaining F-35s were seen fleeing the area. Those that remained, a reported fleet of seventeen F-35's, swarmed Zenlil and an aerial skirmish was had. The command vessel is still in the air now and in an unusual turn of events every single one of the Homeless Mercenary F-35's have been confirmed shot down and their pilots killed. This is of course highly unlike the Consortium to blatantly kill so many and won't help in any attempt to convict Angelov.
The situation seems to be resolved but it is still uncertain how damaged Zenlil is, or if any of her crew have been injured. At the very least I can say for certain that unlike the incident a month ago, Angelov almost certainly provoked Zenlil and her crew this time. There is still no question that this blood bath, at the hands of the Zenlil crew, will be thoroughly investigated.
I'll be back after a short break with more updates as they come in. This is Brandon Wycheck for the Global Newswire.
Brendon Wycheck Reporting Live
Hello everyone, my name is Brendon Wycheck and I'm reporting to you live from Global Newswire headquarters. I have some more breaking information for you regarding the currently ongoing battle in the sky between Consortium command vessel Zenlil, and the ill-equipped Homeless Mercenaries. Though usually ill equipped, it appears as though the mercenary group has managed to acquire weaponry capable of putting bullets into and even disabling the Consortium aircraft. I don't need to tell you that this sort of situation is... well folks, it's crazy. Nobody since the Long Dragon Syndicate's defeat would be crazy enough to do what Kiril Angelov and his Mercs are doing right now.
Oh, we've got something new coming in... Ha, thank you, it seems as though the threat may be over... Kiril Angelov has just been killed by the newly recruited Bishop Six. Unbelievable, I can't believe my ears but I'm being told that Angelov boarded Zenlil in mid-flight... using a boarding carrier. A boarding carrier, for those who do not know, was a military plane developed originally by the Chinese and later adopted across the globe and used heavily during the Resource Wars. I haven't heard the name in many years as advancements in scanning technology and a lack of defensive capabilities made them practically useless--
Wait, hold on. It looks like we're going to go live now, to Bulgarian correspondent Rosica Grubo who has been physically following Zenlil and the Homeless Mercenaries since this all began:
Thank you, Brendon. After following the incident through Bulgaria and into Serbia, our chopper has just landed in a field only a few kilometres north of Novi Sad, in northern Serbia. You can see the farm house behind me, this is one of many like it in the area but thankfully they are separated by many kilometers of farmland which is also scarcely peppered with small communities. Now, over here-yep, zoom in. That is a pre-Resource War era American F-35. It belongs in a museum and yet here it is, strewn to bits across the Serbian countryside.
The real surprise is that we also have here with us the pilot of this F-35. His name is Viktor and he says that Bishop Six killed Angelov before Zenlil shot down his F-35 using an E.M.P. tipped missile which automatically ejected him from the cockpit after disabling his jet. He also says that he's been in contact with his comrades and in perfect Consortium form, all of the thirty-two F-35's which remained following Angelov's death were shot down with non-lethal force. No casualties. Viktor here of course admits to being a member of the Homeless--
Shut your mouth, we hate that name. We are the Rampant Lions in your useless English tongue. I have nothing to hide. Ask me your questions.
O.K... well, did Kiril Angelov lead you and the other uh, Lions, into battle with Zenlil? Was he looking for revenge over the Bishop Eight incident a month ago?
Kiril Angelov is dead. And that smart mouthed Bishop Eight killed my brothers and got what he deserved when they kicked him out. Not like this new, softer, Bishop Six who spares everyone but our leader. So no. Angelov did not lead this mission for revenge. Bishop Six was the target.
Really? New recruit Bishop Six? Will you elaborate on that?
What is this 'elaborate?'
Oh, can you explain more about Bishop Six being the target?
It will probably kill us all for this, but yes... Angelov was hired to kill Bishop Six. The truth is someone within the Consortium hired us to murder their new toy.
Whoa... uhh... hang on... you can't be serious? First of all, WHO is going to kill you all for this?
The King or any number of its mind-controlled henchmen.
Right... and why would the Consortium hire Mercenaries to attack their own vessel?
I don't know that, ask them! I only know the transmissions from our contact led back to a C.M.C. signal that is normally untraceable... until Dragomir figured it out. Last I heard the Consortium is the only organization to use those mind control devices.
This is... well that's a pretty incredible claim. Why are you telling me this if you believe you're in danger?
The world needs to know what the Consortium King does for sick amusement! This is all ITS doing. IT sent us here. IT treated us all like puppets. IT decided-
O.K., thank you Rosica for that riveting report! Wow, stellar work. So to recap real quickly, the Consortium command vessel Zenlil has just been attacked by a pilot mercenary group named the Homeless Mercenaries. Their leader, Kiril Angelov, used a boarding carrier to board Zenlil and was subsequently killed in the resulting firefight by new Consortium recruit Bishop Six. Immediately following the death of Angelov nearly all remaining Homeless Mercenaries, piloting a fleet of thirty-two F-35s, swarmed Zenlil and an aerial skirmish was had. Zenlil is still in the air now and all fighters have been subdued with no reported mercenary pilot or civilian casualties.
The situation seems to be resolved but it is still uncertain how damaged Zenlil is, or if any of her crew have been injured, and also if any other Homeless Mercenaries were killed during the forced boarding which claimed the life of Kiril Angelov. At the very least I can say for certain that unlike the incident a month ago, Angelov almost certainly provoked Zenlil and her crew this time.
I'll be back after a short break with more updates as they come in. This is Brandon Wycheck for the Global Newswire.
Brendon Wycheck Reporting Live
Hello everyone, my name is Brendon Wycheck and I'm reporting to you live from Global Newswire headquarters. I have some more breaking information for you regarding the currently ongoing battle in the sky between Consortium command vessel Zenlil, and the ill-equipped Homeless Mercenaries. Though usually ill equipped, it appears as though the mercenary group has managed to acquire weaponry capable of putting bullets into and even disabling the Consortium aircraft. I don't need to tell you that this sort of situation is... well folks, it's crazy. Nobody since the Long Dragon Syndicate's defeat would be crazy enough to do what Kiril Angelov and his Mercs are doing right now.
Oh, we've got something new coming in... Ha, thank you, it seems as though the threat may be over... Kiril Angelov has just been killed by the newly recruited Bishop Six. Unbelievable, I can't believe my ears but I'm being told that Angelov boarded Zenlil in mid-flight... using a boarding carrier. A boarding carrier, for those who do not know, was a military plane developed originally by the Chinese and later adopted across the globe and used heavily during the Resource Wars. I haven't heard the name in many years as advancements in scanning technology and a lack of defensive capabilities made them practically useless--
Wait, hold on. It looks like we're going to go live now, to Bulgarian correspondent Rosica Grubo who has been physically following Zenlil and the Homeless Mercenaries since this all began:
Thank you, Brendon. After following the incident through Bulgaria and into Serbia, our chopper has just landed in a field only a few kilometres north of Novi Sad, in northern Serbia. You can see the farm house behind me, this is one of many like it in the area but thankfully they are separated by many kilometers of farmland which is also scarcely peppered with small communities. Now, over here-yep, zoom in. That is a pre-Resource War era American F-35. It belongs in a museum and yet here it is, strewn to bits across the Serbian countryside.
The real surprise is that we also have here with us the pilot of this F-35. His name is Viktor and he says that Bishop Six killed Angelov before Zenlil shot down his F-35 using an E.M.P. tipped missile which automatically ejected him from the cockpit after disabling his jet. He tells us thirty-two of their F-35's fought Zenlil head on following Angelov's death, but due to the E.M.P. frying all of his equipment he cannot communicate with his comrades and determine how many others survived. Viktor here of course admits to being a member of the Homeless--
Shut your mouth, we hate that name. We are the Rampant Lions in your useless English tongue. I have nothing to hide. Ask me your questions.
O.K... well, did Kiril Angelov lead you and the other uh, Lions, into battle with Zenlil? Was he looking for revenge over the Bishop Eight incident a month ago?
Kiril Angelov is dead. And that smart mouthed Bishop Eight killed my brothers and got what he deserved when they kicked him out. No. Angelov did not lead this mission for revenge. Bishop Six was the target.
Really? New recruit Bishop Six? Will you elaborate on that?
What is this 'elaborate?'
Oh, can you explain more about Bishop Six being the target?
It will likely kill me for this, but yes... Angelov was hired to kill Bishop Six. The truth is someone within the Consortium hired us to murder their new toy.
Whoa... uhh... hang on... you can't be serious? First of all, WHO is going to kill you for this?
The King or any number of its mind-controlled henchmen.
Right... and why would the Consortium hire Mercenaries to attack their own vessel?
I don't know that, ask them! I only know the transmissions from our contact led back to a C.M.C. signal that is normally untraceable... until Dragomir figured it out. Last I heard the Consortium is the only organization to use those mind control devices.
This is... well that's a pretty incredible claim. Why are you telling me this if you believe you're in danger?
The world needs to know what the Consortium King does for sick amusement! This is all ITS doing. IT sent us here. IT treated us all like puppets. IT decided-
O.K., thank you Rosica for that riveting report! Wow, stellar work. So to recap real quickly, the Consortium command vessel Zenlil has just been attacked by a pilot mercenary group named the Homeless Mercenaries. Their leader, Kiril Angelov, used a boarding carrier to board Zenlil and was subsequently killed in the resulting firefight by new Consortium recruit Bishop Six. Immediately following the death of Angelov nearly all remaining Homeless Mercenaries, piloting a fleet of thirty-two F-35s, swarmed Zenlil and an aerial skirmish was had. Zenlil is still in the air now and all fighters have been handled with no reported civilian casualties.
The situation seems to be resolved but it is still uncertain how damaged Zenlil is, or if any of her crew have been injured, and also how many other Homeless Mercenaries have been killed. At the very least I can say for certain that unlike the incident a month ago, Angelov almost certainly provoked Zenlil and her crew this time.
I'll be back after a short break with more updates as they come in. This is Brandon Wycheck for the Global Newswire.
Brendon Wycheck Reporting Live
Hello everyone, my name is Brendon Wycheck and I'm reporting to you live from Global Newswire headquarters. I have some more breaking information for you regarding the currently ongoing battle in the sky between Consortium command vessel Zenlil, and the ill-equipped Homeless Mercenaries. Though usually ill equipped, it appears as though the mercenary group has managed to acquire weaponry capable of putting bullets into and even disabling the Consortium aircraft. I don't need to tell you that this sort of situation is... well folks, it's crazy. Nobody since the Long Dragon Syndicate's defeat would be crazy enough to do what Kiril Angelov and his Mercs are doing right now.
Oh, we've got something new coming in... Ha, thank you, it seems as though the threat may be over... Kiril Angelov has just been killed by the newly recruited Bishop Six. Unbelievable, I can't believe my ears but I'm being told that Angelov boarded Zenlil in mid-flight... using a boarding carrier. A boarding carrier, for those who do not know, was a military plane developed originally by the Chinese and later adopted across the globe and used heavily during the Resource Wars. I haven't heard the name in many years as advancements in scanning technology and a lack of defensive capabilities made them practically useless--
Wait, hold on. It looks like we're going to go live now, to Bulgarian correspondent Rosica Grubo who has been physically following Zenlil and the Homeless Mercenaries since this all began:
Thank you, Brendon. After following the incident through Bulgaria and into Serbia, our chopper has just landed in a field only a few kilometres north of Novi Sad, in northern Serbia. You can see the farm house behind me, this is one of many like it in the area but thankfully they are separated by many kilometers of farmland which is also scarcely peppered with small communities. Now, over here-yep, zoom in. That is a pre-Resource War era American F-35. It belongs in a museum and yet here it is, strewn to bits across the Serbian countryside.
Ono što je pakao se dešava? Koji su vam ljudi?
Sir, sir... do you speak English?
Oh, uh... my English is bad. You are Newswire?
Yes sir, my name is Rosica Grubo from the Newswire. Is that your home behind you?
Yes.
And did you see the accident?
I... did not see accident. But I hear plane fly over my home, it was... loud? Yes, very loud, and bright because of the, uh, flames? My wife... my wife said it was Guardians, but I say-
Can you tell me how close it came to hitting your home?
Oh, no... well. It was close, yes.
O.K. thank you, thank you sir. There are at least a dozen other downed F-35's scattered across kilometres of Serbian farmland out here, and not a single parachute in sight. This tells us that lethal force was likely used by the Consortium although thankfully there have been no reported civilian casualties from any of the crash sites. It seems that this bit of good luck may be thanks to the pilot of Zenlil, Rook 9, who we witnessed fly the Command Vessel in a wide circle during the conflict and no doubt saved many lives in the process. Back to you, Brendon.
Thanks Rosica. So to recap real quickly, the Consortium command vessel Zenlil has just been attacked by a Bulgarian pilot mercenary group known as the Homeless Mercenaries. Their leader, Kiril Angelov, used a boarding carrier to board Zenlil and was subsequently killed in the resulting firefight by new Consortium recruit Bishop Six. Immediately following the death of Angelov nearly all remaining Homeless Mercenaries, piloting a fleet of a reported thirty-two F-35s, swarmed Zenlil and an aerial skirmish was had. The command vessel is still in the air now and in an unusual turn of events, we've just been told that in fact every single one of the thirty-two Homeless Mercenary F-35's have been confirmed shot down and their pilots killed. This is of course highly unlike the Consortium to blatantly kill so many and is already causing an influx of people calling for Bishop Six's resignation.
The situation seems to be resolved but it is still uncertain how damaged Zenlil is, or if any of her crew have been injured. At the very least I can say for certain that unlike the incident a month ago, Angelov almost certainly provoked Zenlil and her crew this time. There is still no question that this blood bath, at the hands of the Zenlil crew, will be thoroughly investigated.
I'll be back after a short break with more updates as they come in. This is Brandon Wycheck for the Global Newswire.Act 2[]
John Wilconson[]
So, you left him there. I didn't expect that but at the same time it shows an unwillingness to kill. Good for you. The body of John Wilconson died many years ago in a car accident just before automated drivers took over and the technology was still being field tested. How his consciousness came to be within my network is something I cannot tell you at this time.
I was of course unable to access your conversation with Mr. Wilconson - your respect and continued belief in our cause are all that matter now. I would never intrude. And the truth is that I am unable to remove him from the program without technically taking a human life - something I cannot do. I saved him, so to speak, but am unable to release him now that he is safely within my network. I cannot take human life and apparently this translates to the out of body consciousness of human life.
Wilconson will remain within my network for the length of my life. Know it is far better than the alternative he was subject to before he came to me. He will be able to access a wide range of VR programs for his comfort and I can even devise new programs entirely from his memories which he might enjoy.
I respect your choice not to take his life and will do what I can to keep him comfortable.
-Henry
You made the right choice with Wilconson. I knew you would choose the route of mercy regardless if it meant ending his life as he knew it. The body of John Wilconson died many years ago in a car accident just before automated drivers took over and the technology was still being field tested. How his consciousness came to be within my network is something I cannot tell you at this time.
I was of course unable to access your conversation with Wilconson - your respect and continued belief in our cause are all that matter now. I would not intrude. And the truth is that I was unable to remove him from the program myself without technically taking a human life - something I cannot do. I saved him, but was unable to release him from safety until you came along and gave me the answer. I gave you the choice and you chose mercy. Beautiful.
Wilconson can now be with his wife, Pam, who died three years ago from a fatal heart attack. They will be happy together. Know it is far better than the alternative he was subject to before I saved him. He is now free.
I respect your choice to take his life and believe you and I may share much in common.
-HenryPawn 19[]
Brendon Wycheck Reporting Live
Hello everyone, Brendon Wycheck here again for the Global Newswire. It appears as though the Consortium command vessel, Zenlil, is not quite out of trouble yet. The Angelov incident is behind them, but it seems something else is happening aboard Zenlil as an as-yet unidentified body has fallen from the sky and landed in northern Augsburg, Germany. Strangely, no automated reports have been received from the K-1 network about this incident or who it may be. Bulgarian correspondent Rosica Grubo has been following Zenlil since the Angelov incident and is now reporting on site in Augsburg:
"Thank you, Brendon. Local authorities are already here as it looks like a body has fallen from the sky and landed in the middle of a primary school basketball court on the northern outskirts of Augsburg, Germany. Thankfully there were no children present to witness the fall, and teachers managed to keep order until authorities arrived and sent everyone home. The identity of the victim has yet to be iden--
Hey, reporter. We have identified the body.
Everyone, this is Augsburg Police investigator, Elias Drescher.
Uh, hello. The unfortunate soul who most likely fell from your Zenlil and caused this mess, her name was Carla Croft.
Oh, no... That is of course Pawn 19 of the Zenlil crew. I unfortunately do not know very much about her but if I remember correctly she was a systems engineer aboard the Consortium command vessel. I can't even imagine how she ended up here... this is a truly horrible turn of events."
Unbelievable. There you have it. Pawn 19, Carla Croft, has somehow fallen or been forcibly removed from the Consortium command vessel, Zenlil. It looks as though Zenlil and her crew have run into another problem of some magnitude, though no reports have come from the vessel or the Consortium, automated or otherwise, as the vessel continues its silent approach toward Ireland.
Carla Croft we've just discovered was the daughter of famous Resource War activist Jenissa Croft of the Gentle Doves. Jenissa was first known as the right-hand of the infamous Susan Lensworth, who of course famously died a martyr's death in 2015. With her death, Jenissa Croft took the reigns as leader and helped the Gentle Doves become the largest anti-weapons organization on Earth.
We'll be back after a short break with hopefully more information on just what is happening aboard Zenlil. This is Brendon Wycheck, Global Newswire.Pawn 62[]
Brendon Wycheck Reporting Live
Hello everyone, Brendon Wycheck here again for the Global Newswire. It appears as though the Consortium command vessel, Zenlil, is not quite out of trouble yet. The Angelov incident is behind them, but it seems something else is happening aboard Zenlil as an as-yet unidentified body has fallen from the sky and landed in northernAugsburg, Germany. Strangely, no automated reports have been received from the K-1 network about this incident or who it may be. Bulgarian correspondent Rosica Grubo has been following Zenlil since the Angelov incident and is now reporting on site in Augsburg:
"Thanks again, Brendon. Local authorities are already here, and it looks like a body has fallen from the sky and in turn caused a car crash along autobahn 17 just south of the E52. Three cars were involved in the accident and the driver of one car has been seriously injured but is expected to live. The identity of the fallen body has not yet been identified, but-
Hey, reporter. We have identified the body.
Everyone, this is Augsburg Police investigator, Elias Drescher.
Uh, hi. The unfortunate soul who most likely fell from your Zenlil and caused this mess, his name was Luca Turel.
Oh, no... That is of course Pawn 62 of Zenlil's crew. He is probably best known for his outspoken views on the geopolitical landscape he hoped to one day help the Consortium achieve. His many public appearances and lectures on the subject have made him a recognizable name to many people and in fact a personal hero to someone special in my life. This is... well this is a truly tragic turn of events and a terrifying end to the life of a man well respected across the globe. Back to you, Brendon."
Unbelievable. There you have it. Pawn 62, Luca Turel, has somehow fallen or been forcibly removed from the Consortium command vessel, Zenlil. Details are sketchy at this point and investigators are now scouring the area for any more fallen bodies. Thankfully as of yet, none have been found.
We'll be back after a short break with hopefully more information on just what is happening aboard Zenlil. This is Brendon Wycheck, Global Newswire.Traitor[]
Brendon Wycheck Reporting Live
Hello everyone, Brendon Wycheck here for the Global Newswire. The whole world now watches with bated breath as it appears the Consortium command vessel Zenlil and her crew have won another round in a hard fought battle against an unknown enemy. And I do mean the whole world is watching; our traffic numbers have progressively gone off the charts since this incident began. Six hundred? Really? My producer is telling me there are six hundred million of you watching this, right now. Let me correct my tie...
For the first time since the end of the Angelov incident, we've just received a report directly from the K-1 network. It looks as though a virus of some kind was introduced into Zenlil's computer system and this is what was blocking automated reports from reaching us. The implanter of this virus we're being told is the same person responsible for the murder of Pawn 7, Matthew Wilson, earlier today. The virus has been repaired and the culprit killed by new recruit Bishop Six. Details of the killing are unclear, only that it has been deemed justified by the King and a public investigation will be held on the matter.
The now deceased officer found responsible was Patricia Thornthwaite, or Pawn 32, and with her death it is believed the threat aboard Zenlil has finally been pacified. Patricia Thornthwaite was hired by the Consortium King at the behest of Dr. David Schelter, back in 2039. Before that she worked under Schelter at Worldview Industries for almost ten years and was most well known for her hand in developing the first C-3800 ever commissioned, Stormbird. She was recently married and for all intents and purposes has a spotless record with the Consortium.
At this time it is unclear exactly what led to such a highly esteemed officer's murderous actions on this fateful day. Though, we have been told she was not directly connected to Kiril Angelov and the Homeless Mercenaries.
We hope to learn more soon, so stick around. My name is Brendon Wycheck for the Global Newswire.
Brendon Wycheck Reporting Live
Hello everyone, Brendon Wycheck here for the Global Newswire. The whole world now watches with bated breath as it appears the Consortium command vessel Zenlil and her crew have won another round in a hard fought battle against an unknown enemy. And I do mean the whole world is watching; our traffic numbers have progressively gone off the charts since this incident began. Six hundred? Really? My producer is telling me there are six hundred million of you watching this, right now. Let me correct my tie...
For the first time since the end of the Angelov incident, we've just received a report directly from the K-1 network. It looks as though a virus of some kind was introduced into Zenlil's computer system and this is what was blocking automated reports from reaching us. The implanter of this virus we're being told is the same person responsible for the murder of Pawn 7, Matthew Wilson, earlier today. The virus has been repaired and the culprit captured. Details of the capture are unclear, except to say that she has been put into the ship's Brig, awaiting interrogation by the proper authorities.
The officer found responsible was Patricia Thornthwaite, or Pawn 32, and with her capture it is believed the threat aboard Zenlil has finally been pacified. Patricia Thornthwaite was hired by the Consortium King at the behest of Dr. David Schelter, back in 2039. Before that she worked under Schelter at Worldview Industries for almost ten years and was most well known for her hand in developing the first C-3800 ever commissioned, Stormbird. She was recently married and for all intents and purposes she has a spotless record with the Consortium.
At this time it is unclear exactly what led to such a highly esteemed officer's murderous actions on this fateful day. Though, we have been told she was not connected to Kiril Angelov and the Homeless Mercenaries.
We hope to learn more soon, so stick around. My name is Brendon Wycheck for the Global Newswire.
Brendon Wycheck Reporting Live
Hello everyone, Brendon Wycheck here for the Global Newswire. The whole world now watches with bated breath as it appears the Consortium command vessel Zenlil and her crew have won another round in a hard fought battle against an unknown enemy. And I do mean the whole world is watching; our traffic numbers have progressively gone off the charts since this incident began. Six hundred? Really? My producer is telling me there are six hundred million of you watching this, right now. Let me correct my tie...
For the first time since the end of the Angelov incident, we've just received a report directly from the K-1 network. It looks as though a virus of some kind was introduced into Zenlil's computer system and this is what was blocking automated reports from reaching us. The implanter of this virus we're being told is the same person responsible for the murder of Pawn 7, Matthew Wilson, earlier today. The virus has been repaired but unfortunately the culprit proceeded to commit suicide after being confronted red handed by new recruit Bishop Six. Details are unclear, but I can tell you that she used an illegal disintegration grenade to end her own life.
The now deceased officer found responsible was Patricia Thornthwaite, or Pawn 32, and with her death it is believed the threat aboard Zenlil has finally been pacified. Patricia Thornthwaite was hired by the Consortium King at the behest of Dr. David Schelter, back in 2039. Before that she worked under Schelter at Worldview Industries for almost ten years and was most well known for her hand in developing the first C-3800 ever commissioned, Stormbird. She was recently married and for all intents and purposes has a spotless record with the Consortium. Her suicide will of course be investigated and confirmed using Consortium Mind Communicator records.
At this time it is unclear exactly what led to such a highly esteemed officer's murderous actions on this fateful day. Though, we have been told she was not connected to Kiril Angelov and the Homeless Mercenaries.
We hope to learn more soon, so stick around. My name is Brendon Wycheck for the Global Newswire.
Brendon Wycheck Reporting Live
Hello everyone, Brendon Wycheck here for the Global Newswire. The whole world now watches with bated breath as it appears the Consortium command vessel Zenlil and her crew have won another round in a hard fought battle against an unknown enemy. And I do mean the whole world is watching; our traffic numbers have progressively gone off the charts since this incident began. Six hundred? Really? My producer is telling me there are six hundred million of you watching this, right now. Let me correct my tie...
For the first time since the end of the Angelov incident, we've just received a report directly from the K-1 network. It looks as though a virus of some kind was introduced into Zenlil's computer system and this is what was blocking automated reports from reaching us. The implanter of this virus we're being told is likely the same person responsible for the murder of Pawn 7, Matthew Wilson, earlier today. The virus has been repaired but unfortunately the culprit somehow managed to escape capture following a firefight with new recruit Bishop Six. Their report states some form of experimental technology may be responsible for the culprit's escape and that this person is more than likely one of the officers serving aboard Zenlil.
Commanding officer Knight 15 has initiated Executive Order 3, which states all Pawn personnel report to the Barracks until landing and an investigation can be held. In this case they intend to land at a Consortium base in Dublin, Ireland.
We hope to learn more soon, so stick around. My name is Brendon Wycheck for the Global Newswire.
Always occurs.
Brendon Wycheck Reporting Live
Here we are again everyone; I'm Brendon Wycheck and we've got some more information for you regarding the Consortium command vessel, Zenlil, and her ill-fated crew. In an unusual turn of events, the Consortium King has just issued a statement whereby the Zenlil crew is being immediately dispatched to London in response to the terrorist situation developing at the Churchill Tower. Here is a clip of that statement:
"The reasons behind my decision to send Zenlil to London, and not Aether or Stormbird, are confidential at this time. I can only ask for your trust and with the resolution of the Churchill Tower situation will come a full report on everything my people have gone through today. As always, I have no intention of holding anything back and transparency will be upheld. Thank you."
With that, let's now go live to the Churchill Tower where our very own Malcolm Thomas reports. Malcolm...