"Breaking news, ladies and gentlemen, there was an explosion at the Tiberium Research Center near Salzburg today," the anchor read breathlessly. "Fortunately, there have been no casualties, as the staff was evacuated by a timely alarm. Authorities are still investigating, but judging by the target, this seems to have been another terrorist attack by the Brotherhood of Nod. This would be their seventh bombing thus far, all aimed against facilities experimenting with Tiberium. We'll keep you updated as this story develops, so be sure to say tuned."
The anchor straightened up a little, assuming a slightly less urgent tone. "In the meantime, we turn to our main story tonight, a discussion on the nature and effects of Tiberium. Our reporter Casey Jones has been interviewing Dr Ignatio Mobius, the world's foremost expert on Tiberium."
The feed switched to what looked to be a laboratory. A man in a lab coat, his blonde hair ruffled, sat stiffly on a chair, looking as if he had just been woken up at gunpoint for this interview.
"Dr Mobius," began the reporter with a made-for-TV smile that did not seem to put the doctor at ease, "can you please explain to our viewers what Tiberium is?"
"Well, in the simplest terms," he began slowly, as if reluctant to speak in these simplest terms, "it is a green crystal, which has shown a remarkable and unique ability to grow as if it were a plant. In fact, it does make use of plant-like pods and roots that, as far as we can determine, help draw minerals from the soil for the crystal to grow. But this plant is not the actual Tiberium, it is just ordinary plant life corrupted, or better said repurposed, to serve the needs of the crystal, to facilitate its growth. You see, a Tiberium crystal can also grow on its own, without the use of a pod, albeit much slower."
"So, would you say that Tiberium is taking over Earth?" The reporter asked expectantly.
Mobius hesitated. "Uh... Well... we don't know enough about the crystal at this point in time to draw such radical conclusions. We've yet to establish what conditions, if any, are necessary for it to grow. We have, however, determined that its growth speed is influenced by temperature, although there is no temperature, at least none low enough that we could reproduce in a laboratory, that could completely halt the growth of the crystal."
The reporter looked somewhat disappointed, and moved to cut off the technical exposition. "Doctor, there have been a lot of recent claims about the health effects of Tiberium exposure. Can you please elaborate?"
"Certainly." Mobius adjusted his glasses, seemingly excited to respond. "Although we've yet to understand all of the effects Tiberium has on the human body, we can say with complete certainty that it is most definitely not safe to be around Tiberium. The crystal transforms anything it touches into more of itself and the process seems to be quite faster in the case of organic material. Furthermore, harvesting operations can leave behind residual traces of crystal, which might then be swept up into the air. That is why it is very dangerous to wander too close to a Tiberium field. If even one microscopic particle of crystal gets inside your lungs, death will follow in at most 24 hours."
"That's horrifying doctor," declaimed the reporter. "What can the people watching at home do to safeguard their health?"
"Well, um, stay well away from any Tiberium field or operation," he said, somewhat offended to state the obvious. "The only protective equipment we have - and it's a temporary protection - is very bulky and definitely not available for civilian use. We're still studying the matter, but we've yet to come up with any materials resistant to the corrupting effects of Tiberium. And harvesting is only a temporary measure. As long as a single fraction of crystal remains, the whole field will eventually, even if it takes a whole year, grow right back." The doctor shrugged helplessly. "It is, unfortunately, a problem we are ill equipped to deal with at the moment. Fortunately," he added, with an awkward but passionate smile, "Tiberium holds unlimited possibilities for the human race."
The reporter immediately pounced on him. "Are you saying the Brotherhood of Nod is correct in worshiping the crystal?"
Mobius was put back on the defensive. "Uh, um, no, I wouldn't go that far. But I will say that Tiberium has a plethora of unique qualities, some of which can boost our industrial output significantly. You see, a Tiberium crystal contains many useful minerals like iron and copper; and we have finally perfected a method that allows us to separate the crystal into its component minerals cheaply. Simply put, it's far more efficient to harvest and refine Tiberium, rather than mine for the minerals the way we have for our entire history."
"That is very indeed interesting, Doctor, and something many of our viewers at home may not be aware of. However, how do you comment on rumors that Nod has already developed this refining process a year ago?"
"Um, I don't... I mean, I can't comment on mere rumors." Mobius awkwardly tried to change the subject. "Our research into Tiberium would certainly go a lot faster if Nod weren't constantly blowing up our research centers."
The reporter, however, was not deterred in the slightest. "The Brotherhood claims that Tiberium is being hoarded by the developed nations. This seems like a reasonable claim if, as you pointed out, there are many economical benefits to be drawn from the crystal. What's your response to this claim, Doctor?"
The doctor glanced at the camera as if begging for help. "I... admit that currently, most Tiberium fields and research centers are situated in the developed world. However, I must point out that it is quite expensive to maintain proper security at these sites, and there is also a need for a great many specialists in these facilities, which are only readily available in the west. We should also not discount the extreme health risks associated with Tiberium. It really is in everyone's best interest if we kept Tiberium contamination to a minimum, at least until we figure a way to control its spread."
"Riiight," the reporter smiled, smelling blood. "But then why has the US planted so many Tiberium fields in the midwest? Surely there isn't such a high demand for these research centers?"
"Uh... Maybe there is with all these centers being blown up." Mobius made a feeble attempt at a laugh. "I'm not really the man to provide meaningful insight on government policies regarding Tiberium. But look," he retorted energetically, having finally struck upon an idea, "it's not risky to have Tiberium contained in a controlled laboratory setting, and it's not so risky to have a small controlled field, where no unauthorized and uninstructed personnel has easy access. What is risky, actually dangerous would be the better word, is to blow up such a controlled environment, therefore inevitably spreading shards of Tiberium in a wide radius around the explosion."
"Assuming it's not destroyed in the explosion itself, of course," the reporter countered.
Mobius shook his head knowledgeably. "No, Tiberium crystals can't be so easily destroyed. With high enough temperatures, sure. But an artisanal bomb that a terrorist group must be using, one that is surely not placed exactly next to the Tiberium samples, which would be in the best guarded area of a laboratory, I must emphasize, well, such a bomb would not exert sufficient heat and pressure on the crystals in order to destroy them, it would merely - at best, actually - shatter them. So now, instead of a couple of crystals locked up in a room, we have who knows how many shards thrown around a wide area. Thank goodness that all these centers are far enough away from population centers, but still, it's basically spreading Tiberium around, and causing more risks than anything the governments have been doing so far, which, I must point out, is in service to understanding and containing this risk."
"Well, thank you, Doctor, that has been most informative. Though we will let the public at home draw their own conclusions on what risks are acceptable." Mobius threw a glare at the reporter, but the feed cut before any more could be said.