Mikhail sighed as he looked up from his paperwork. "What is it now, comrade secretary?" he asked wearily. The day hadn't been so great; more border aggression by the Allies of Europe in the Ukraine had made his job extremely difficult. The Soviet war machine was now using him to by it time to prepare for the inevitable war that was coming.
"Odd news, comrade. It seems there has been a meteor strike near the Tiber River in Italy," his secretary said.
"So how would this affect me?" Mikhail sighed again.
"Something… extraterrestrial is in there. It killed the first batch of astronomers that went to look at it. The second wave of them went in, and while wearing hazardous material suits, they nearly died," his secretary told him.
"I still don't see how this would affect me," Mikhail began growing impatient. Suddenly, the door opened. A bald, bearded man, dressed in black fatigues, stood there.
"I believe I can answer that question, ambassador," the man said. He spoke Russian with an American accent.
"And who would you be?" Mikhail asked, reaching for the pistol he kept under the desk.
"No need for that, ambassador, I am not hear to harm you. I am merely here to deliver a message to your government."
"And that message would be?"
"I want them to turn over the Tiberium reserves in Siberia to the Brotherhood of Nod."
"Tiberium? Brotherhood of Nod? Is this some kind of joke?"
"No, ambassador, this is no joke. We, the Brotherhood of Nod, have the technology to harvest Tiberium. We have already begun work in Italy and northern Mexico, and now, we want to start in Siberia."
"I still don't understand what you mean by Tiberium. And what do you mean, started work in Italy and northern Mexico? I have not heard anything about this."
"We have not yet made this announcement to the public or approved it with Allied government. Even so, the Allies will know our power. When the meteor crashed into the river, our extraction teams were the first ones there to start the mining the crystals that formed from it. Surely you have heard of the meteor crash in the Tiber River?"
Mikhail nodded. "What do you plan on doing with this Tiberium?"
"Well, if I told you that, I don't think the Politburo would let me start."
"I guess I cannot let you through to Premier Romanov then."
"Then your fate will be the same as the Allies."
"Are you threatening me?"
"No, I am just showing you the power of the Brotherhood of Nod." Just then, a guard ran into the room.
"Comrade Ambassador! Did you hear?" he shouted, with concern and worry in his voice.
Mikhail rolled his eyes. "Of course I heard. I heard it right through the soundproof walls during my conversation."
The sarcasm went over the man's head. "But that how could you-"
Mikhail abruptly cut him off. "Just get to the point! What happened?"
"The Grand Trade Center in Vienna was blown up just minutes ago! They say the GLA did it, and now the Chairmen of the Allies says that they will declare war on them!" The guard finally took a breath.
Mikhail shot up out of his chair. "My God! Get me on the phone to Moscow! And monitor the situation with the Allies and GLA!" he shouted after the guard, already running down the hall.
Mikhail turned back toward the man in the black fatigues. "That was you, wasn't it?"
The man just smiled. "Whatever do you mean, Comrade Ambassador?"
"Why are you here?" Mikhail scowled.
"I have been here long enough. I now must return to my followers," the man turned and began striding out.
"Wait! What is your name?"
"You may call me… Kane." And with that, he strode out the door of Mikhail's office. His secretary handed him the phone.
"It's Moscow, comrade, and the Premier isn't very happy. I think you interrupted his meal time," the secretary said. Mikhail took the phone.
"Premier Romanov?" Mikhail asked, just to make sure.
"Da, this is him," the old, gruff voice replied. "What is it that you want?"
"Comrade Premier, I believe we at the Embassy should start packing; I think the war has come," he said, afraid to admit it.