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Post by Aqua X5-450 on Jul 25, 2006 19:28:23 GMT -5
Manticore Founded by a union between one mysterious scientist known only as Sandeman, and the United States Government, Manticore set out to become the world's leading maker of specialized and highly trained soldiers. With the most advanced knowledge of both medical science and technology, this new establishment began experimenting with genetic engineering to create a new species of human being. Utilizing genetic mapping, they would find the greatest strengths and talents of each animal and individual on earth and meld them together into the perfect soldier. They would have better sight and hearing. They would contain the strength of a dozen men in one sleek package. They would have agility greater than any animal known to mankind. They would be called America's Army. Born in laboratories and trained on the feild by experts in battle, these soldiers would grow to become this country's defense. An army of a few hundred that could do the battles of thousands with little or no loss to their ranks. They would be taught in all forms of hand to hand combat as well as all fire arms. They would be knowledgeful of all types of mechanics and technology. In addition, they would have a sharp understanding of human physiology and psyche. These soldiers would be capable of blending into a society, even that of their enemy. They would learn foreign languages and cultures. Manticore began experimentation on such embryo's in the late seventies with lucrid results. With each advancement in the technology they used, there were breakthroughs in the soldiers created. Soon mistakes became Special Ops units: Desert, Jungle, Arctic, Aquatics, etc. Experiments in increasing brain mass or activity created other Special Ops: Psychological Warfare, as well as Statistics and Logistics. X Series soldiers were still the target outcome. These would be humanoid soldiers with animalistic abilities. A perfect blending that would give them camaflouge and super human strength and stealth on the feild. They would have no weakness, no resistance and would follow the directives given to them by their commanding officers until completion or death.
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Post by Aqua X5-450 on Jul 25, 2006 19:30:23 GMT -5
09 Escape In the winter of 2009, a class of X5 soldiers set out to escape from Manticore. This escape was fueled by the recent death of a fellow soldier, who had succumb to seizures (a side effect of genetic engineering.) Headed by X5-766, Eva, the soldiers easily overpowered their handlers and left their barracks. Eva was shot and the rest broke out of the window adjacent to them. Once out they re-grouped and with X5-599, Zack, now in charge, they were divided into groups of two and ordered out of the compound. Many were captured alive or wounded, some were killed. Twelve soldiers made it over the perimeter fence. This was seen as both an impressive success and a horrendous failure. A search for those who escaped continues to this day. Those soldiers who remained at the facility and took part in the escape underwent serious rehabilitative excersizes. At the Seattle Manticore facility, those X5 soldiers who were "clones" of the twelve who escaped were quaranteened from the rest and underwent years of specialized training to ensure they didn't attempt the same type of mass-exodus. Eventually funding was cut after the Pulse and the Gillette Wyoming facility had to be shut down. Those soldiers who remained were transferred to the facility outside of Seattle and continued their training there.
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Post by Aqua X5-450 on Jul 25, 2006 19:31:07 GMT -5
Eyes Only For many years, Eyes Only was only a nusance to the media, uncovering stories they'd rather have you not hear about. In the last several years, Eyes Only has begun targeting Manticore. At first it was covert, there were no bulletins about Manticore, but it was discovered that he was collecting information from various sources, putting his story together. Then he met an X5 - one of the 12 that escaped in 2009.
Suddenly, it seemed, that passing interest in uncovering what Manticore was became a fully fueled rocket headed straight towards Manticore's heart. With the help of X5-452 and various other X soldiers and, after the fire that cauterized the Seattle Manticore facility, various other transgenic experiments, Eyes Only has been able to put a whole story together that he could transmit to the world.
Manticore started a little digging of their own. They'd once come close to discovering Eyes Only's true identity. They took a blood sample from a splattering he'd left at the scene of a supposed meeting to uncover his identity by Col. Donald Lydecker, who'd gone AWOL from Manticore. This meeting was to uncover information, but for Lydecker, who'd joined forces with Eyes Only. The identity wasn't learned, but Manticore had enough to fashion a retro-virus that would attack only his DNA and they placed it into the molecular structure of the one X5 Manticore knew he'd had intimate contact with.
If X5-452 touched Eyes Only, he would die.
X5-452 returned to Manticore for the cure and along with it, she released the world of Manticore onto the streets of Seattle. The Wyoming facility had been closed years before and now the Seattle facility followed suit, burned to the ground. Manticore's cover had been a VA hospital and the blame for the fire fell on a renegade group named the S1W. A group Manticore did not know had ties with Eyes Only. Now Eyes Only added another log to it's growing blaze and started to chip away at Manticore's falling exterior.
At first he was ignored, Manticore heads feeling his words would only be a scratch on the surface of something so large even Eyes Only couldn't comprehend, but Eyes Only dug deeper and scratched harder. Soon the whole east coast was wondering about the odd facilities and the creatures now surfacing on their streets. It worked to Manticore's advantage, for people soon grew to fear these creatures - wanted them dead. Then Eyes Only saw what lay at the center of it all, a conspiracy involving a group that had been around for centuries.
Then he was made. Logan Cale. A name that had crossed the paths of Manticore operatives several times in many different ways. He'd come from a rich family, he'd thought he could change the world with his journalism. Manticore knew he'd been involved with Eyes Only, helping right the injustices in the world, but they never knew he WAS Eyes Only. Once his identity was revealed, he went into hiding - he went into the world of those who used to reside at Manticore - he went to Terminal City.
Manticore patted themselves on the backs. The Familiars assured everyone in the upper circle that he was silenced. But every so often the television screens flicker and a pair of eyes is visible for a fraction of a second and both groups know the inevitable.
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Post by Aqua X5-450 on Jul 25, 2006 19:32:28 GMT -5
X5 Training SUBLIMINALS FOR TRAINING The use of Subliminals was a common tool among many X series soldiers, but was put into full effect with the X5 series to control behavioral patterns, especially after the escape of 2009. While soldiers sat at their desks, they were ordered to stare at a blank screen ahead of them. Onto this screen were projected both images and words that helped the conceptualize, at a very early age, the ideas of the Manticore Project. The process was started when the soldiers were able to sit upright in a chair and continued on past their first few missions
After the escape, the images of those who escaped were used, coupled with derogatory terms the soldiers understood, to send the message that those who escaped were wrong and that those who remained were the better soldiers.
SELECTIVE MEMORY REMOVAL / RETRIEVAL The most dangerous part of a mission for any soldier is being captured by enemy soldiers and interrogated for information pertaining to your current or future missions. For this reason, Manticore invested money into a psy-ops division that would both create a way to avoid X class soldiers from revealing the knowledge they held and for post-op treatment of said soldiers. Using modern technology for interrogation techniques, Psy-Ops enhanced the X series soldiers brains and created methods of training during which an X series solder could choose to bury information about themselves, their mission and their superiors so deep in their minds that they could not remember it themselves.
Trickier still is the retrieval process, during which an X series soldier is debriefed and is forced to pull all their stored information back into use. Previous X series soldiers were, for the most part, unable to successfully hide all information. X5 was the first series to be able to smoothly transition from one stage to another, and remains the most adept at the process. Although attempting to retrieve the information without trained Manticore scientists continues to be difficult, but not impossible.
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Post by Aqua X5-450 on Jul 25, 2006 19:33:28 GMT -5
X5 Training OPERATING UNDER SLEEP DEPRIVATION The X1 series through X3 series had severe problems operating under sleep deprived circumstances. While Manticore scientists were always struggling with a way to make a soldier operational with less sleep, X series soldiers had the same difficulties as normal soldiers with little sleep. Their coordination and thinking patterns suffered and their missions were endangered. With the X5 series, they were successful in creating a series of soldiers that could operate on the battlefield with little more than four to six hours a night. Some soldiers could go on as little as two hours per week. Experiments to shave down the nightly rate more were unsuccessful.
Unfortunately, of the handful that could go with the least amount of sleep, three went AWOL the night of the escape and have proven to be the most difficult to spot
AQUATIC ENDURANCE OPERATIONS Over the years, through each X series, there have been things Manticore has attempted to improve upon. One of these things was the time an X series soldier can spend underwater. Since X soldiers are equipt with specialized blood cells, they are rich in oxygen, making the original X series solder underwater time over three minutes. Through improvement in genetics and steady training, the X5 series was able to expand their time underwater to between four and a half and six minutes.
Training involves strapping only a few X5's at a time at the bottom of a specialized tank that is then quickly flooded. The X5 soldiers at the bottom are to remain as motionless as possible and when the goal time is achieved, they are released to surface for air.
If an X series soldier is known to have difficulties at a certain time, they are separated and go through more training to make sure they are up to the same level of endurance as the rest of their class. Occasionally artificial respiration was necessary to revive those who could not hold their breath for the given amount of time, but no Manticore soldiers were ever lost to the training.
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Post by Aqua X5-450 on Jul 25, 2006 19:34:09 GMT -5
CARDIO VASCULAR ENDURANCE Part of their physical training to ensure their stamina, speed and strength were up to par, all X series soldiers had to spend several hours a week running in place while being monitored. This not only enhanced their natural abilities, but it also gave Manticore scientists physical data on each X series soldier. Charts were kept on all X series soldier on their improvement over the years and were used as evidence to government agencies on the success of the Manticore Project.
COMBAT TRAINING EXERCISES From the moment an X5 soldier is able to stand up, they are trained in all forms of hand to hand combat. The X5 series was the first to be trained on its own, due mostly to its size as an X series, but also to the growing number of fighting styles they were able to absorb. At an early age they are taught their first routine and generally learn quickly. They are also known to adapt quickly to newer fighting styles and are able to defeat opponents with "new" styles faster than other X series before them.
Some X5 series soldiers were better adept at hand-to-hand combat than weapons training and their natural combat abilities were acknowledged by TAC Leaders when choosing strategic positions during trial field missions.
All soldiers were encouraged to master all forms of fighting, whether physical, mechanical or otherwise.
FIELD COVERT OPERATIONS MISSIONS On Manticore's various trial fields, at any given time, an X series group of soldiers was carrying out any of a variety of missions. Their goals are given to the previously chosen OIC of the group to then be relayed to their platoon once they are deployed. The soldiers use all their previously learned knowledge to capture their enemies and defeat. X5 soldiers have been known to improvise extremely well, able to use their territory to their advantage.
Generally missions are carried out over several days, if completed before time, another mission was issued after a short rest. X5 soldiers excelled at covert operations missions due to their high level of endurance for adaption to any weather conditions they find themselves in.
Types of Missions: Jungle, Desert and Cold Weather Types of Combat: Weapons (Rifle and Handgun), Hand-to-Hand and Knives
LIVE FIELD TRACKING MISSIONS X series soldiers, especially X5 and beyond, were the culmination of years of genetic research and experimentation. They combine the genetic DNA of the best of the best of humanity along with the extraordinary abilities of certain animals. Because of this, their senses function on a level far more advanced than any human. During tracking missions, a person, generally a prisoner looking at death row, is released into a controlled area. Once the prey has been given a small head start, and a weapon with which to defend themselves with, the X series soldiers are released into the woods in order to capture their target.
Using their sense of smell, sight, and hearing, they are quickly able to locate the enemy and then use their combat skills to take him down. Generally they return to base with the target and the experiment is repeated, giving a new target a bigger head start.
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Post by Aqua X5-450 on Jul 25, 2006 19:34:47 GMT -5
RECONNAISSANCE One of the more important aspects of an X5's abilities lies not in their mastery of fighting, but in their mastery of disguise. An X5 can effectively blend into a new situation, giving them an advantage over their enemies -- quietly and discretely gathering intel and returning it to home base unharmed. X5's are taught exactly what to look for, where to look for it and how to obtain it without encurring any enemy fire in the process. They are given training in computers, and other technology and are skilled "hackers". They are also taught several languages as well as perfect accents from other countries for long-term missions outside of the US.
They are expert in decryption and information gathering as well as espionage, having been trained in all spy-ware. They are to be used on the most dangerous spy missions.
WEAPONS TRAINING While hand-to-hand combat comes in handy during some covert and reconnaissance missions, the most used form of defense on the battle field is the use of weapons. An X5 soldier will have learned how to fire a variety of weapons successfully and accurately by the end of their training. They will also know how to assemble and disassemble each weapon quickly and efficiently. Through this training, they learn the mechanics of their weapons as well as the most effective ways to use them. They learn the physiology of a human being and the difference between a wound shot and a kill shot.
Along with learning how to fire handguns, automatic rifles, machine guns and missle launchers, they are taught how to effectively handle knives, chinese stars, crossbows and a large variety of other weaponry.
LIVE AMMO ORDINANCE DRILLS Each X series soldier goes through phases of training. At first, they are given guns which do not fire live ammo, giving them the feel for the weapon. Once they reach a certain comfort level with their weapons, they are taken out to the feild and undergo live ammo ordinance drills. During these drills they are taught to fire in combat situations without flinching or hesitating. They are also taught to mend the wounds of others and a variety of other activities while in enemy fire.
One of the most dangerous training sessions for an X series soldier, there's always the threat of death by stray bullet and soldiers are able to put their senses to work avoiding bullets by intuitively knowing where they are coming from.
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Post by Aqua X5-450 on Jul 25, 2006 19:35:06 GMT -5
Breeding Program When Manticore first began, the women who were used as "incubators" for the X soldiers and experiments were poor women who were offered money and a place to stay for the duration of their pregnancy in exchange for their wombs and silence. A good many were killed or put away in mental institutions following their gestation period to avoid complications those in power foresaw.
During the first trials of the X class soldier, an entire class of X2 had to be put down after genetic abnormalities created an imbalance between theie human and animalistic sides causing them to begin a savage attack on one another during their rest period. Not soon after, the escape of 2009 put seeds of doubt into minds of those who were the biggest Manticore backers. Their funding was withdrawn and over the years that followed, many other cash sources dwindled as well.
Not long after the X5 escape, Manticore began a series of breeding experiments to try and limit their genetic tampering - which was getting costlier as the years progressed. They tried breeding X soldiers with regular humans and they tried breeding X soldiers with X soldiers. The outcome, unexpectedly, yeilded extraordinarily ordinary children and the experiments were haulted.
But in 2020, with no funding left for surrogate mothers, the main DNA lab destroyed, and proof that an X5 bred with a normal human could produce an extraordinary child, Manticore put the Breeding Program into place. Using the genetic information they possessed on each X5 soldier, they began matching them into the pairs they felt would give them the best results. Only weeks after this program was implemented, the Seattle facility had to be cauterized and many X5's female's who were possible pregnant escaped into the general populus.
One such female was discovered during the seige at Jam Pony Xpress and currently resides in Terminal City. The only thing known of her infant, a female, is that the child was born without a barcode, but no determination can be made of her genetic inheritance until doctors can either examine the baby, or until she's old enough to display the traits to the public.
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