Across the Pond

Yeah, I suppose you hear about the American G-zones the most. With the US have an astounding number of guns per-capita, and Mexico in the middle of a damn near civil war - you'd expect the population to be up in arms and able to resit everything from aliens to reanimates. You think tiny place, uncoordinated response, zero survivors,' cept for those thrice damned Soviet Vikings.

Well, I wouldn't approach most of the major cities of continental Europe, nor the radioactive craters of major cities in the British Isles. Look to the outskirts, the countryside - hell, even the castles - they make a damn fine fortress against the 'mates and the 'imps - and you'll find quite a bit more population than expected.

Shrimp knew to attack military bases first. But they had no idea how many bunkers there truly were scattered across Europe, many dating back to the cold war days. Weapons aren't so hard to come-by now, but trained soldiers, like chickens teeth. So valuable, that free companies can demand almost anything - a return to the reign of the mercenary army, like the pre-gunpowder and model army days. 

They aren't all cut throats, indeed, many are quite deserving of our respect. European armies were generally kept closer to home than US ones, so they put up quite the fight when then aliens landed. Fighting stopped as much because both sides ran out of fuel. Yes, you heard that correctly, even the aliens. Hasn't it occurred to you that they could have done a lot more with those spaceships in the last few years than just leave them parked near the moon? We might have blown up fiver or eight of them, but there are still around fifty.

Well, the up shot is, the aliens aren't too aggressive. Heck, there is at least one free-company of aliens doing much the same work as the other mercs to try and get on the human's good side. They don't seem to be too keen about attacking other aliens, but I've heard rumors they will for the right price. Otherwise, they stay hidden behind their big lotus laser towers.

As to the 'mates - they're all accounted for, we've got the same types as everywhere else. Well, I don't buy the stories about type fours and fives. Ants have Castes and directives but no general commanding it all, just instinct and pheromones. Why would these things need them either - any single one of them is smarter than an ant. Most of the time. Type five super soldiers? Probably just rumors spread by the free companies to either make themselves legendary, or feel needed. The Human body can only do so much and a few pin-head sized robots aren't going to change that. Most of the people I've met with cybernetics are less strong than they used to be - so yeah.

We're trying to get our act together. With less space to work with, we might get the links before the USA does. But there are still squabbles, and people who want the new Europe to be their Europe. Even I think we need less co-operation and more some new Napoleon to take the continent by storm. Just don't let it be that damned Gorgon, or Greegon, or Grigori - who ever that bastard in command of the KCA is. I've got this horrid feeling it might be. Russia probably had more of those bunkers the aliens overlooks than anyone else. You know them, got planes hidden under the Siberian permafrost in case Hitler ever returns from the grave and tries to re-stage operation Barbarossa. Who knows? We've seen enough other dead people walking...