Ensign Albert VII: …I’m just telling you what I heard.

Ensign Quillroy: Come on! Do you think they’d just spring something like that on us?

Albert VII: Well, what’s the proper protocol for announcing a new, half-animal, half-human soldier? You think that’s in the Navy Personnel Manual, genius?

Cadet Daart: What do ya think, El Ray?

Lieutenant El Ray: Scuttlebutt, amigo. How many rumors have turned out to be noth–. Attention!

Commander Ezra Stone enters with Lieutenant Hopper.

Commander Stone: Be seated. Gentlemen, if it’s not obvious by now, the rumors you’ve heard are true. This is Lieutenant Hopper, she’s transferring in from Yokosuka, Japan. Yes, Lieutenant El Ray?

El Ray: Sir, I think I speak for everyone when I say this is a pleasant surprise, but also a shock. We welcome a new team member especially since our missions investigating cryptids were always a bust. How is it we never knew about her before though?

Stone: I’m just as surprised as you are, lieutenant.

Lieutenant Hopper: Sir, perhaps I can explain. Just as your military keeps the existence of cryptid soldiers classified, so too does the Japanese military. Under the Pacific Alliance Treaty, our commanders decided it would be mutually beneficial if I served with a team of other human-animal soldiers.

Stone: Right… Have a seat next to Ensign VII. Lieutenant El Ray will be presenting his battle plan for a mission to deliver a final strike against an enemy agent known as ___. You’ve joined us just in time to accompany us, Hopper. El Ray, have you made the necessary preparations with Requisitions?

El Ray: Aye, sir.

Stone: Good. The rest of you will find intel on the compound and enemy agents. El Ray

Daart: Psst. What’s Japan’s cryptid program like? Is it in Yokosuka?

Hopper: That information is classified.

Daart: Well, are there other cryptids there?

Hopper: That’s classified.

Daart: Oh yeah, that figures. My bad! Where’d the Japanese military find you?

Hopper: Find me?

Daart: Yeah! I was found out in a Florida swamp! Funny story, I got famous as a local legend called Frog Boy! I can’t really do anything with that fame here though, huh? Ensign Quillroy over there, he was found in Africa by some hunters. Albert, er, Ensign VII, lived in a traveling circus freak show. What about you? Did they find you hidden ninja clan? Or near an ocean nuclear weapons site? Or–

Hopper: It’s classified!

Daart: Dang. What’s with her? Seems a little touchy, right?

Quillroy: Dude, you’re being totally disrespectful.

Albert VII: Yeah, Daart. Part of growing up is learning not to care about other people!

Stone: Before we begin, let’s address the elephant in the room.

Daart: Who, Quillroy? He’s a rhino, sir.

[Audible sighs and groans]

Stone: Lieutenant Hopper will now be second in command since she outranks you, Ensign Quillroy. Lieutenant El Ray will continue in his role of C.O. given his history leading this team. El Ray, take us through battle tactics.

El Ray: Yes, sir. Welcome, Lieutenant Hopper. You’re joining us one week into our planning of Operation: Antidote. Intel has located compound of the anarcho-primalist terrorist group, V.Y.R.U.S., in the hills of Lincoln, Montana. Our mission priority is to capture Dr. Louis Syd alive. Toxica and other V.Y.R.U.S. members are secondary targets.

The compound can have up to 50 hostiles in it at a time, but surveillance shows that only 4 keep guard at any given time at the key spots shown in red on your screens. For this mission, SOCOM has fulfilled my request for Drilldrones. The Drilldrone is a brand new state-of-the-art unmanned digging vehicle that can burrow through virtually anything full speed ahead. Each of us will station ourselves near the four guards at the blue points on your screens. Daart, you’ll be with me.

At 1800 hours local time, the Drilldrones will burrow underground deep enough to avoid detection. Once they’re in position, I’ll program them to simultaneously destroy damage the building’s mainlines for power, water, comms, and its auxiliary power. Night vision goggles will be available to anyone who needs them.

Albert VII: Jeez, even the water? You sure you don’t want to take out its sewer system while you’re at it, jefe?

El Ray: The ensuing chaos and blackout will allow us to take out the guards without incident. From there, I will make my way to the tower at the center of the complex and use my bioshocks to prevent any of V.Y.R.U.S’s agents from reaching the arsenal within. Daart will remained stationed outside the compound and use his poison to immobilize anyone trying to escape. The rest of you must locate Dr. Syd. Questions?

Albert VII: Yeah, shouldn’t it be “V.Y.R.I.I. agents” instead of “V.Y.R.U.S.’s agents?” [Laughs]

Hopper: Lieutenant, do you always allow Ensign VII to speak this way to a superior officer?

El Ray: Mr. VII, no more wisecracks.

Albert VII: Aye aye, sir.

El Ray: It’s critical that as soon as the guards are immobilized, we get to the arsenal before any hostiles. Remaining details are in your mission briefs. Any questions? Hopper, I’d appreciate your insights.

Hopper: We can deceive the enemy into appearing weak and let them engage us in battle. It’s foolish to rely so heavily on new tech.

El Ray: This is a clandestine operation. Taking out their infrastructure is the best way to subdue dozens of hostiles with our small team.

Hopper: As I understand it, Cadet Daart secretes a poison that can temporarily paralyze humans, yes?

Daart: That’s right!

Hopper: Daart can infiltrate the tower and get to their weapons before V.Y.R.U.S.–

El Ray: Intel reports their weapons are locked in a cage locked by a biometric scanner. Only V.Y.R.U.S. can reach them–

Hopper: Daart doesn’t need to reach them, just his poison.

Quillroy: So, Daart covers the weapons in poison, we can go straight after Dr. Syd, and if reinforcements reach for weapons, they’re paralyzed.

Albert VII: Eh, pretty clever, just one thing. They’re gon’na know something’s up if they see Daart in the arsenal.

Lt. Hopper: You fail to consider the improvements to your team.

Quillroy: She can fly him out, dude.

El Ray: It’s still too dangerous. We can’t risk what they’ll do to him if he’s caught.

Hopper: Daart’s the largest on the team. Surely he can take care of himself.

El Ray: He may not look it, but he’s also the youngest of the team, and he has a lot to learn.

Hopper: And this is an excellent way for him to learn to fulfill his duties as a soldier.

El Ray: The team is only as good as the individuals that make it. Under my command, each soldier is considered individually.

Lt. Hopper: We are made to serve.

Lt. El Ray: I respect your belief that your life’s purpose is to be a soldier. Some of us are serving primarily in hopes of being eventually accepted by the citizens we protect so that we may someday, eventually live a life where we choose our own pursuits.

Lt. Hopper: Forgive my arrogance, lieutenant. It’s premature for me to suggest changes without fully assessing the team.

Stone: GK Delta, Hopper’s experience and skills can be an improvement to the team, but only if you learn to work together. We all appreciate the input, Lieutenant Hopper. We have six days before GK Delta dispatches to Montana. I’ll be ordering the team to run drills with the training bots daily until then. Learn to work together with your newest member. Dismissed.