The Second Alien War

2041

January 1st: The Second Alien War begins

Sightings of the strange new submersibles continue, and it rapidly becomes apparent that alien forces are once again at work. Alien activity escalates as the aliens once again seek to terrorise major metropolitan areas, this time focusing on coastal regions. Some species, such as the Aquatoids, are reminiscent of the previous alien invaders, whilst others are entirely new and utterly strange.

The 'Barracuda' submersibles prove highly effective at intercepting the smallest alien craft. However, the ground (or sea-bed) X-COM forces are sorely lacking in equipment with which to combat the aliens. Without elerium-115 to power plasma technology, and with the discovery that the laser weapons cannot be adapted for undersea use, the first aquanoughts are forced to rely on archaic and primitive harpoon weapons. Research into the weaponry used by the aliens is rapidly initiated.

2042-2045

The war continues, furious and unabated. Still more alien classes are discovered, and one that remains within every X-COM soldier's mind is the "Lobster Man", an almost indestructible alien warrior.

An alien substance known as "Zrbite" is discovered to be virtually analogous to elerium-115 in it's uses. It powers most alien equipment and weapons. It is also discovered to be dangerously reactive and unstable, but deemed within acceptable safety margins considering it's uses in replicating alien technology.

A boom in technology occurs as a result of the recovery of equipment and aliens (dead and alive) from downed alien craft. Sonic weaponry, rotating titanium weapons known as "vibro-blades", and water-tight armour are amongst the key advances made by X-COM scientists as a result of investigating alien technology.

2046

Five years of bitter warfare finally seems to be coming to a dramatic conclusion when X-COM interrogators reveal the location of the alien's hidden primary base; T'Leth, a vast alien colony ship that squats at the bottom of Sigsbee Deep in the Gulf of Mexico.
The newly developed 'Leviathan'-class submersibles is the only vessel which can withstand the pressure at these depths. A team assembled from X-COM's finest soldiery is despatched aboard the vessel to penetrate the alien citadel. A fierce battle ensues, culminating in the discovery of the alien controlling force - a vast, hideous behemoth lying within a reanimation chamber. Fortunately for humanity, X-COM's team arrives before the beast awakes, and they destroy the power nodes to the alien's coffin. This sets off a mighty chain reaction that annihilates the colony ship, which has now risen almost above sea level. All of X-COM's forces are slain as the colony ship erupts, but the colony ship proves a fitting pyre to those who died to save Earth. The remaining aliens are confused and leaderless and prove no problem to eradicate, much as the survivors of the first alien war had been.