An explosive jet of fire spewed from the 'wrist' of the T-160. Mac was barely able to get out of the way in time. He had lost contact with Chandra when they first got put into CABAAL's little 'arena'. A missile collided with the hill next to him, sending dirt flying in his eyes. Tripping over his own feet, he staggered over to the place where his gun had fallen. He wondered why he even kept it-a standard infantry gun was useless against the monster. While he ran, he started thinking. That thing has got to have a liquid fuel supply somewhere. Fire uses fuel quickly…he's gotta run out some time or another!
His thoughts were interrupted by CABAAL's voice. "Your 15 minutes are now over. Very good…you escaped without injury. Your friend, however…" he laughed evilly and turned the viewscreen towards Chandra's location. Mac drew in a sharp breath at what he saw. Chandra was lying facedown, with scorch-marks running up and down his back.
"CABAAL, I've had enough!" Mac roared.
"You have, have you?" CABAAL's voice changed from condescending to mocking. "We will take him to an infirmary to get healed…hopefully." That trademark laughter ended the discussion.
Not all was lost, though; evidently, every time Mac got out of a fight with a T-160 uninjured he got another file of technical data on it. CABAAL called it his 'classical conditioning' program. As much as it angered him to be treated like a lab rat, he was learning a lot about the machine via the files. This one read:
~T-160 weapons port D~
Coated with a high-gradient insulator film capable of withstanding temperatures of up to 1600 degrees Celsius. Fueled by a compressed 2500Kg liquid oxygen supply tank. Time to fuel burnout with consistent firing: 3.4 hours.
"Not that much, is it?" Mac said softly to himself.
CABAAL's image abruptly appeared on the screen. "McNeill, it appears that you have a visitor…"
***
"All right, men, time to lay the foundations," Slavik said with a touch of a yawn.
Oxxana couldn't blame him. It had been a nightmare trying to dig the foundations with only 200 workers in sub-zero temperatures, but they had done it, and everyone was ready for a rest. No rest while Slavik was on duty, though…She looked up at the ultra-quiet cement and parts trucks coming up the road.
"Everything's on time, Oxxana…I didn't want to waste time fighting when I could be building…"
Oxxana coughed to stifle a laugh. Yeah, right! Either way, she didn't blame him for not wanting to all-out assault the GDI position-with the kind and number of troops that he had, she wouldn't pick fights either. "Maybe it will be ready by the time the snow stops falling!"
"Very funny, Oxxana. Though, I guess I should try to be nice to you, since about half of those working here are under your command. This silo should be ready within the next week-maybe week and a half."
"That's just wonderful, Slavik. About that reward…" She flashed him her sweetest smile.
"That's the reason I came to talk with you. I was commissioned 2 of the new T-160s…maybe you could have use for them once I finish here…"
***
Chandra came awake with a start. What the… He was in the main NOD medical facility. He saw a myriad of control panels and life monitors.
CABAAL's image came up on the panel next to his bed. "You have performed inadequately. The T-160 has defeated you. What should I do…no food for a day? No water?"
Chandra gulped. "I'll try it again. This time, I won't mess up."
CABAAL smiled. "Very good…but your friend would have to as well."
"He wasn't hurt?" Chandra sighed, relieved.
"Some people possess higher intelligence levels than others," CABAAL added sardonically, and when it elicited no response from Chandra, he said, rather disgustedly, "I guess we'll have to make it a little easier on you, then…"
"What do you mean?"
"I will give each of you a rocket launcher. Fired at the right time, this may cause damage to the arm of the vehicle for about 15 seconds. It adapts quickly, though…so use your rockets wisely." If that's possible! CABAAL thought to himself.
A few minutes later, they arrived at Mac's cell. "Chandra! You're okay!" Mac yelled.
" Yeah, but not for long, Mac. We've got to go back to the arena now."
"CABAAL, I didn't think that even a cold-hearted NOD computer could do something like this!"
"A lot of things transpire that surpasses your thinking, human." With that, they were thrown into the arena.
"Hey, Chandra," Mac said after CABAAL's image disappeared, "we have rocket launchers this time!"
"Yeah, Mac, isn't that great! We may be able to destroy the machines now!"
Sigh. "No, Chandra…I was thinking more along the lines of escape. We could shoot down the doors with this rocket and get out of here! You'd have to cover my back, though…"
"Gladly, Mac!"
Mac aimed his launcher at the arena doors. He wiped his brow, took a deep breath, and shot.
***
"EVA, where are they?" General Solomon roared. "They should have been back by now. Besides, we can't afford to lose that new SpyTech technology…"
"I've located the SpyTech device in the facility that McNeill tried to infiltrate. It is logical to assume that they were captured."
"That wasn't very reassuring, EVA. Do you suggest sending a rescue team?"
"Negative, General. I just detected an explosion along the eastern entrance, with 2 life forms about 50 meters away. I believe that McNeill and Chandra have escaped."
"Well that's a good sign. I wonder how they got out…"
"I will debrief them as soon as they arrive."
"Great. I'll be in my quarters.
***
The missile silo was nearing completion. Slavik was rubbing his hands together in agitation. "It's just too tall, Oxxana…any GDI patrol could see if from 50 miles around."
"No one has seen it so far, or so we hope. Kane is with us; the project will be completed. I'm sure of it."
"I'm glad to hear it. Speaking of Kane, I was hoping to hear from him. It's been about 4 days since his last progress checkup."
"He seemed pleased then…maybe he just has more important matters to attend to."
"I hope so."
A man in a worker's uniform came running up to them. "It's finished, Commander Slavik! It's finished! All we need is the missile, and this baby's up for launching!"
Slavik shook the man by the shoulders. "This is excellent news indeed! We should contact CABAAL, shouldn't we?" he looked over at Oxxana.
"Very well," she sighed as she picked up her communications device. "Oxxana to CABAAL…"
"Progress report?"
"Yes. CABAAL…tell Kane that we are ready to receive the missile. The silo is complete."
"Very good." CABAAL looked amused. Tell Slavik to report to my main computer's storage facility. Kane requests you, as well."
"All right…could you give us an explanation?"
"Do I ever?" CABAAL laughed and terminated the communication.
***
"Welcome back, men. It's been a long time." General Solomon greeted Mac and Chandra at the station.
"Too long. Any report on those 'destroyers'?"
"We are doing surprisingly well. EVA got the brilliant idea of concealing our firestorm generators with EM scrambling. When the machines stepped near them, we zapped 'em."
"Sounds simple. We've just spent the last week trying to stay alive! I found out some interesting things about the destroyer, though. I already sent the data into EVA."
"Good. Get some sleep, Mac. I'll see you tomorrow."
***
"McNeill and the other one are gone?" Kane asked.
"As you ordered," CABAAL said. "All necessary personnel are inside the designated facility."
"Order the launch, CABAAL. I want the whole world wading in tiberium by tomorrow."
"My pleasure."
Slavik and Oxxana entered the room. Slavik spoke up first. "Kane, it's an honor to be in your presence. What brings us here?"
"A beginning…and an end."
"I don't understand…" Oxxana started.
"We are launching the missile within the hour."
"What?" Slavik said. "We've just developed the most advanced piece of machinery ever…"
"It's too costly to be effective. That was just a diversion, to keep the GDI off your heels."
"So there were no GDI troops at the missile site…" Oxxana mused.
"Quite correct. That was to keep the rest of NOD off your heels."
"The rest of NOD…I thought they were loyal to you!"
"They wouldn't be when I told them I was going to do this. There simply weren't enough resources to protect everyone, so only a select few will survive the process."
"I'm ready." The last doors to the facility closed.
***
A new age dawned on Earth. As the tiberium missile struck, all life on the planet ceased to exist as all had known it before.
People were no more. They were agents of the tiberium-were one with it, fed on it, lived with it-and befriended the once-dreaded 'tiberium entities'.
Kane and his followers succumbed to the tiberium, just as the rest of the populace was. All technology was now irrelevant.
In the only facility left on Earth, a being stirred. Its circuits repaired, it activated to find the world without need of it.
Its name was CABAAL.