Experimental Breakdown

Image credits to the XCOM 2: War of the Chosen photobooth.

**Experimental Breakdown** is an episode of Manifest Extraterrestrial.

## Synopsis

Chief engineer Xiuying Yen works in close collaboration with the leader of the Creeper resistance force, Ahman Ali, in order to create experimental ammunition for the EDU soldiers. Utilizing alien crystals recovered on the battlefield, Yen successfully creates ignitable and poisonous projectiles.

Akin Newcomer, Karen Vuillard, Roza Sokolov, Alfonso Pistel, Okenna Nwossu, and Apathy Nobler are sent to a rainy city in Toronto to retrieve a Gorebic VIP. While Sokolov is able to incapacitate the VIP, she reveals the squad's presence in the process. Missiles are fired at the building and almost kill Akin, Karen, and Apathy.

One of the Gorebic Cyborgs, the Witch, arrives, challenging the EDU forces to a battle. While the EDU inevitably wins, they face many close calls after Apathy Nobler is briefly mind-controlled by the Witch. The VIP, having regained consciousness, almost escapes, but is killed by a grenade that Newcomer launches at her (along with two of the Gorebic soldiers brought to the scene).

The squad is able to evacuate the area with the VIP's corpse, but Newcomer is chastised for killing her. Regardless, Akin Newcomer, Crystal Amogelang, Karen Vuillard, and Roza Sokolov are promoted for their actions in the past two battles.

   The EDU makes contact with a remote team of telekinetic human-Gorebic hybrids called the Crusaders. While the Crusaders are initially reluctant to aid the EDU, they are eventually convinced after hearing about the Gorebics' secret genocide attempt. The Crusaders offer one of their newest members, Ref-Re Medina, who is quickly recruited by the EDU.

Karen and Anne Vuillard, Akin Newcomer, Roza Sokolov, Riot Bello, and Okenna Nwossu are grouped up and sent to a railway with a Gorebic cargo train. The team is able to briefly secure the train, but not before getting attacked by one of the Gorebics' experiments; an ice-breathing Gorebic with tentacles, known only as "the King". The EDU is able to get many shots on the King (albeit with a few injuries and a temporarily-frozen Newcomer), but the creature flees before it is killed.

The group is commended for their actions on the battlefield, with Riot Bello getting promoted. Akin Newcomer is brought to the command ship's sickroom to have his feet thawed, leaving him out of commission for a few days.

   After he returns to health, Akin Newcomer is sent on another mission with Karen and Anne Vuillard, alongside Apathy Nobler, Okenna Nwossu, and Crystal Amogelang. The four go to a Cortex Consumer-infested city to retrieve a dozen Gorebic supply crates. While they are able to fend off the Gorebic soldiers and Cortex Consumer zombies pretty easily, the EDU is faced with a new, much greater threat; the Acid Trooper. The Acid Trooper is able to score a shot on Apathy Nobler, causing her to heavily bleed, before getting gunned down by the EDU. However, the Acid Trooper is able to get up, not fully dead, and spread a corrosive gas around Apathy.

Realizing that she's the only one with medical supplies, Anne Vuillard rushes to Apathy's aid and stops her bleeding. In the process, however, Anne is badly wounded by the gas and begins to panic. While the EDU is distracted, a Gorebic ship is able to abduct one of the crates. Commander Lacroix reminds the squad of their objective, and they shift their focus back to stopping the payloads from getting taken. The squad is able to stop most of the other crates from getting abducted, but not before facing another Acid Trooper.

The Acid Trooper is gunned down and killed very quickly this time around, however, and it's "undead" state doesn't last very long. After gunning down the Gorebic forces and Cortex Consumers, the squad is able to hack the rest of the crates to the EDU's database, upon which they are recognized and taken by helicopters. The squad is able to evacuate out of the city and return to the command ship, where they are commended for their success.

Meanwhile, Roza Sokolov, Riot Bello, and Ref-Re Medina are sent on a secret mission to locate the fortress of the Witch. After doing so, however, the squad is attacked by Gorebic forces and Cortex Consumer zombies. While Bello is injured in their escape, the trio is able to flee the Gorebics and evacuate on a rescue helicopter.

In the EDU command ship's Darkness Chamber, lead scientist Doctor Shotacon and chief engineer Xiuying Yen continue to investigate the dark matter that was retrieved, hypothesizing that it's related to "Project Homunculus", a mysterious Gorebic operation that the EDU plans to stop.

## Trivia

* The episode's title is a play on "mental breakdown", with the "experimental" part referring to the ammo that Yen and Ali create.