COMMAND & CONQUER
PROJECT GENESIS
PART 1:
DAWN
Author's note: This is a fan project to rewrite/retell the Command & Conquer Tiberium universe story and in the process, create a cohesive narrative across three fan novels. This project, dubbed Project Genesis, seeks to re-spark people's interest in the series and give long-time fans something new to read. This story, titled Dawn, is the first of three parts, and will retell the story of the first C&C game, as well as add some new characters that will add a branching narrative across the series. It will also tie into the Generals series by the end.
Part 2: Sun, which as the name suggests, will focus on the game of the same name, again, mostly retelling the story from the perspective of new characters to make the story feel more connected. Part 3: Ascension which will be a novelization of Tiberium wars and provide a finale to the Tiberium saga.
This will be my first attempt at writing a major fan series and any and all feedback will be greatly appreciated. And as is the case with most Fanfiction works, expect progress to be slow as personal life and work do take priority. And above all I hope readers enjoy.
A huge thank you to my editor IanOtter. Be sure to check out his amazing work.
So enjoy the rebirth of Command and Conquer!
Prologue
London, England
December 21st, 1953
18:00
The streets of London were crowded with people, all of them in the midst of the Christmas celebrations. Some were hurrying about doing last minute shopping, while others seemed to just be enjoying the cool evening air. Looking down at the people as they went about their lives, you wouldn't have thought that there had been a world war raging only a few months ago. The Second World War was over and the Allies had won, but now they were left to pick up the pieces and try to fit them back together.
Two men sat in a third story office. One sat in the windowsill looking down at the street, while the other sat at a large wooden desk. Both men were nursing a glass of scotch from a rapidly dwindling bottle. The one who sat at the desk, General Kingsley, refilled his glass then stood up to face the other man. Major Duville turned from the window, his own glass empty, but he made no move to refill it.
The office was dark save for a small lamp on the General's desk, as the dark green panels on the wall seemed to drink up what little light there was. Unlike most other high ranking military types, General Kingsley had no bookshelves or military decorations. Instead, his office was bare except for the large desk, two chairs, a plant in the corner by the door, and two framed newspaper articles. One about the start of the war and the other from the end of it.
Kingsley walked over and stood beside Major Duville, and looked out into the street.
"Did you get your Christmas shopping done, Major?" He asked as a means of breaking the long silence that had settled over the two.
"My family fled to Canada when the war started, and I won't make it there for Christmas. So no, I didn't." Duville replied as he made his way to the desk to refill his glass. Kingsley simply grunted as he walked past.
"Everyone out there going about their lives, acting like the war never happened." Duville said, a hint of venom slipping into his voice.
"They deserve to move on, Duville. It was a long and bloody war: they deserve some happiness." Kingsley took Duville's spot sitting on the windowsill as the other man now stood sipping from his drink.
"The whole world was bloodied by the war, Bill. And we're just supposed to act like it's all over, right?" Duville laughed mirthlessly at that. "How long Bill? How long before the next 'war to end all wars'?"
Kingsley didn't reply for a moment. He thought about what Duville was saying, about how things were supposed to return to normal now that the fighting was over. But he had a point: the Soviets were already starting to recoup their losses, and the Allies were too preoccupied with post-war repairs. How long was it until the two powers began fighting again?
"The UN" Kingsley said suddenly.
"The United Nations." Duville said it like it left a bad taste in his mouth. "And you think that they can stop another war? Stop another Stalin from rising up?"
"We have to hope they can: hope got us through the war, it'll get us through now."
"To hell with hope; we need something more to make sure this never happens again." Duville now spoke with a fire in his voice, a sharp contrast to the subdued mood he had been in when he first walked in.
"You finally going to tell me why you came here?" Kingsley asked, setting down his glass.
"You have Von Esling's ear? I have something that could make an actual difference...and I need your help to talk to him."
Kingsley let out a loud laugh and pulled out two cigarettes, handing one off to Duville, then lit his own. He took a long drag before speaking.
"I have Von Esling's ear when he feels like it. So, what's so big that you needed to come to me, Duville?"
"We almost lost this war Bill. The Americans came in late; sure they helped and turned the tide, but they came late. We can't have that again, the next war- and there will be another- we need to be ready." Duville pulled out a folder full of papers from a briefcase he had left sitting on the desk when he came in. He handed it off to Kingsley who quickly thumbed through the handful of papers inside. He hummed to himself thoughtfully before asking Duville.
"This is ambitious, even for you Tom. What you are proposing here? It's a hell of a thing. How do you think this will work but the UN wont?"
"The UN, the League, same shit, different name Bill. But this? This is different; this is a chance at real peace." Both men took a drag from their cigarettes and let out long puffs of smoke that hung in the dark room.
"You sure this will work?"
"Yes." Duville said plainly.
"And you're sure Gunter Von Esling will go for this?"
"You tell me Bill. When the next crisis comes, we have to be ready. All of us, united against whatever threatens freedom."
Kinglsey let out a long breath. "So, what are you going to call it? When we take this to Von Esling?"
Duville smiled, a genuine smile for the first time all day.
"The Global Defense Initiative."
… … …
Sarajevo, Yugoslavia
December 21st, 1953
20:00
He walked down the dark halls, robes flowing behind him like ripples on a pond. The hallway was empty, save for himself, leaving him to his thoughts. However it was not completely quiet, as the sounds of construction echoed throughout the temple. A dark smile formed on his face, the temple, his temple, was nearly finished, and already people flocked to it like moths to a flame.
The Second World War had ended, and in the ensuing chaos, people were desperate for hope, for salvation. And the Brotherhood of Nod was there to provide it, to offer the promise of a better future that neither the Soviets or the Allies could offer. So people came, and prayed, and the Brotherhood grew and prospered. But the Brotherhood still needed time to prepare; it was still not ready to carry out his plans. And so they would wait, just as they had always done, just as he had always done. And when the time was right, Nod would rise from the shadows.
"One empire falls and another rises." He said to himself, as he approached the end of the hallway, and the empty chapel beyond.
He walked into the grandiose chapel where row upon row of ornately carved wooden pews led down towards the altar. There was no gold or bedazzled idols, only banners of black and red that were embroidered with the entrapped scorpion's tail insignia of the Brotherhood. Behind it all was a massive stained glass window that depicted numerous angelic saints surrounding a single figure. A man in dark robes, with arms held open to embrace all who followed him, and in one outstretched hand, a green crystal. The figure was one of himself, the ruler of Nod: Kane.
Kane made his way to the window, brushing his hands across the alter, feeling adrenaline course through his body. One empire had fallen and another was racing to take its place. But this was nothing new. Kane had seen it so many times through Humanity's history. He knew that something far greater was coming, something far more than anyone could hope to imagine. He needed to be ready for when that day came, so he would remain in the shadows for a time. And in secret, he would help build the Brotherhood of Nod into a true force that could contend with any power that might rise. This too was nothing new to him. It had been done countless times through the centuries, as empires and nations made their marks on history, then fell into chaos. The Brotherhood always grew stronger in the shadows.
Kane smiled to himself again. He had waited for so long to see his vision be completed, and he knew he would not have to wait for much longer.
The world would be changed forever, and in ways far greater than the simple ambitions of man.
Chapter 1
"...And so it fell from the sky.
A gift from the Heavens!
As it was foretold by the Messiah..."
The Book of Nod Verse 1:1
Berlin, Germany
November 7th, 1995
11:00
Ignatio Mobius sat outside of a small diner in Berlin, Germany, slowly sipping his coffee and reading the paper. The only other patrons were a young couple sitting at table in front of him. It was just before noon and the city seemed quiet. Mobius was wearing his science lab coat and had received several odd looks from people, including the young waitress at the diner. Mobius had never really noticed, always consumed by his work, although he had to admit that it did sometimes leave him distracted to everything around him and many people felt he was aloof.
The little dinner sat on a cozy street tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Mobius enjoyed the peace and calm, simply basking in the simple things life had to offer. Now that the world was on the edge of the new millennium and the future promises it held, Mobius simply sat and watched the world race past him. The world seemed eager to make its great leaps and bounds, but Mobius did not share in the same enthusiasm as his colleagues. In fact he was hungry for a new challenge. Being a child prodigy, and having entered college at the age eleven, he was always looking for something to challenge his mind. He didn't like to think of himself as a vain man, but he couldn't deny the allure of being famous for some great discovery.
He put down the paper and drained the last of his coffee, and as he readied to pay for the drink, his attention was diverted as the young couple gasped and began to talk in a panicked tone. He followed their gaze to the growing crowd of people, all standing like statues and looking up at the sky. Cars were beginning to pull over and their occupants getting out to look up as well. Curiosity finally compelled him to go and have a look, only to find a giant ball of fire streak through the mid-day sky. The meteor broke apart into several pieces that each streaked in a different direction, creating a rather impressive display. The meteor then disappeared over the horizon just as quickly as it came. As the crowd of people began to talk in concerned tones, there was only one thing going through his mind. Finally! Something interesting!
… … …
November 8th
22:00
It was late in the evening by the time Mobius got back to his hotel room in Berlin: the UN science convention was running late due to everyone discussing the meteor from earlier yesterday morning.
When he finally showered and got himself ready for bed, there was a knock on his door. Confusion and a little bit of panic ran through him, with the panic growing quickly as he saw two men in black suits outside his door.
"What do you want?" He yelled through the door.
"Dr. Mobius? We need to talk to you." One of the men yelled back, in an American accent.
"And who are you?" He saw the two exchanged a look before the one spoke again.
"We are agents of the United Nations Global Defence Initiative."
"Never heard of you."
"Dr. Mobius please open the door, sir. We are here to talk to you about an... important matter."
"And why do you need to talk to me specifically? You are in a hotel full of other scientists."
"Because we were told that you are the best of the best. Are you not sir?"
Mobius felt both flattered and insulted at the same time. The man was clearly playing on his ego, and damn him because it worked. He opened the door and allowed the two men in.
"So what do you want?"
"First off, my name is Agent Davenport and this is Agent Petrov."
A Russian? Mobius thought to himself, how odd.
"Well Mister Davenport what can a simple scientist do for you?"
"We came here to discuss a rather sensitive issue. The United Nations is trying to put together a rapid response unit."
"Rapid response to what?"
"The meteor yesterday."
"And what's so important and sensitive about the meteor?"
The two men exchanged looks again before Davenport spoke. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you, sir.
Mobius would have thought the two men were joking had it not been for Davenport's serious demeanor. "I'm a brilliant man: why don't you try and explain."
Davenport sighed and motioned for Mobius to sit on the bed, then he began to explain why they had been sent to get him.
Mobius was still trying to process what the two agents had told him as he was rushed off to the Berlin airport. The small black Sudan that he had been ushered into was now pulling up to a small helicopter with the UN logo and colors painted on it. Davenport and the other agent quickly helped Mobius onto the helicopter without really giving him time to get his bearings. He had left all of his belongings back in the hotel, and only left with the clothes he was wearing.
As Mobius settled into the seat, Davenport went to speak with the pilots, leaving him with the other man, Petrov. Mobius gave him a smile but the Russian simply gave him a stone faced response. Eventually the excitement of everything gave way to exhaustion, and Mobius fell asleep just as the helicopter took off.
When he woke up, he noticed Petrov was still asleep in front of him, while Davenport was on a cell phone talking with someone. Mobius stretched his tired muscles then decided to peer out the window, seeing a lush countryside roll by far below.
"Where are we?" He asked.
"Italy, heading to Rome." Davenport replied, having set down his cell phone. Petrov began to stir and mumbled something in Russian.
"Does he speak English?" Mobius asked Davenport.
"Da, I speak English Mr. Mobius." Petrov replied in a rather deep and heavily accented voice.
Mobius didn't say anything after that and merely sat back in his seat. Mobius was a man who didn't allow prejudice to affect his work, but even he had to admit that he was a little uncomfortable around Russians. The Second World War was still fresh in many people's minds.
The helicopter crested a hill before he finally saw their destination, a massive base of tents and vehicles arrayed around the crater created by the meteor. Flood lights and hastily erected fences surrounded the inner rim of the crater, and the helicopter made its way towards a small clearing next to a tent larger than all the others. It must have been the command tent, Mobius guessed. There was a large logo of a diving eagle on its side with the letters U.N.G.D.I written underneath. He had never heard of that branch of the United Nations.
The helicopter finally landed and the two agents hopped out before helping Mobius slowly get down. As soon as they were off, technicians rushed out to refuel the helicopter and the two agents took Mobius towards the command tent. When they entered, he noticed a flurry of people around the tent: computers were set up on one side and a large table on the other. Davenport walked Mobius over to the table while Petrov walked towards a concession station, and Mobius suddenly felt hungry as he watched him go.
They walked up to a young black man in a military uniform with the same diving eagle symbol, and a name tag that read Solomon on it. While Davenport stood straight as a ramrod as he waited for the man to notice them, Mobius simply looked around the tent. The man, Solomon, finally finished his conversation and turned to the two.
"Agent Davenport you're here, excellent. Is this Dr. Mobius?"
"Yes Lieutenant, I'll leave him in your care." Davenport turned around and left without saying anything to Mobius.
"Doctor, it's good to finally meet you. My name is James Solomon and I work for GDI."
"GDI? I've never heard of it."
"You will when we get you debriefed, but first I need to show you exactly what it is we brought you out here for."
"I'm very curious to see...the mineral."
Solomon motioned for Mobius to follow him out of the tent before saying. "To be honest we've got every major science department we could think of to get over here."
Mobius wanted to ask more questions but Solomon picked up the pace and he had to strain to keep up. They walked through the tent city past scientists and military personnel going about their various tasks, most bearing the GDI symbol. They finally reached the line of fences that surrounded the impact site, guarded by menacing looking soldiers with large rifles. They saluted Solomon and let them through and Mobius stopped in his tracks at what he saw. The massive rock was covered in a glowing green crystal, but what stunned him the most was that the crystals were growing! He looked closer and saw that they were growing in the ground around the meteor as well and he could even see small crystal begin to poke out of the ground beyond the fence line.
"This, Doctor, is what we need you for. We might be looking at the single greatest discovery in human history."
Mobius didn't say anything, instead he simply looked down at the growing crystals. They were oddly beautiful.
Decades later Ignatio Mobius would think back to that moment and realize just how underwhelming James Solomon's statement was.
… … …
It had been just over a week since Mobius had been brought to the impact site, and he was now working with several other scientists. Out of almost a hundred, they had been broken into small groups of five or six. Supposedly it would help speed up their work on trying to uncover the secrets of the mysterious substance. Mobius had somehow found himself the team lead for his particular group, and part of him didn't want the responsibility of leading a whole team, but another part of him seemed to enjoy the spotlight.
The first, and most gruesome discovery they made, was that the substance was inherently toxic. Several geologists who had gone down to collect samples had become seriously ill before they noticed green crystals were growing on their body. They, along with two nurses who had been treating them, sadly died, and anyone else who had been in contact were put in isolation until they seemed to not be affected. After that, no one was allowed to be in direct contact with the substance, and since then, they were shoved into converted warehouses that GDI were now using as offices and labs. As far as Mobius knew, GDI and the Italian government had kept the whole thing undercover. At first, Mobius and several others were angry; why keep such a huge discovery hidden? Humanity had its first look at an alien substance not born from this Earth, but after the deaths and after the crystals were discovered rapidly spreading past the impact sight, they soon understood the need for secrecy.
After some time, they all had found out that the substance was leeching minerals out of the ground and could convert organic material. But one thing they couldn't agree on was a name for the substance. Several leading names were 'Green Death,' 'Unobtainium,' and his personal favourite 'Europite,' but GDI wasn't interested in names. They wanted to know if it was going to cause a problem, or more importantly, if it was something valuable they could use. Mobius was also finally debriefed on the organization of GDI: apparently it was a secret branch of the UN that was mostly made up of the United States and Western Europe. Part economic and scientific think tank, and part military coalition, it was founded shortly after the end of World War Two as a means of assuring world peace. Kept mostly from the public eye after the war had ended, now GDI had been called to investigate the current situation.
"Dr. Mobius? Here's the latest lab reports you requested."
It was one of the younger scientists in the group, a young German woman who specialized in physics. It seemed like an odd bunch of different fields and professions to be thrown together, but it was an odd situation to be in.
"According to these, the crystals are growing deeper just as much as they are growing outward." The other woman simply stood there as he read through the various reports that she had brought him. "We know that it consumes and converts minerals, so now it would seem like its seeking out mineral deposits deeper underground. Perhaps even moving towards the planet's mantle?"
"You seriously think it's going that deep?" She asked with what sounded like dread in her voice.
"It's spread very quickly in such a short time. Given the rate, we could probably make a model of how quickly it would spread."
She was about to respond when he noticed something else that had caught his eye. Mobius frantically looked through the photos that had been included in the report. Suddenly he looked at the young doctor with the look of a mad man.
"Do you know what this means!?"
She backed up slightly before she responded.
"No I don't. What are you going on about?"
He almost shoved the photo in her face.
"The trees! The trees have been converted by the crystal, and look! There are fields of crystals that are growing around them. It's almost like it's converted the trees to act as spore carriers."
"Dr. Mobius, what you're suggesting is that an alien mineral that converts metals to replicate itself can convert organic material and spread itself like a seed?"
"Exactly! Look there are fields far beyond the initial impact site! It would suggest that the trees spread the crystals like seeds, as you suggested, and then it would begin spreading into a new patch or field." Mobius didn't realize that he was shouting and the rest of the team was now watching him. He looked to all of them then back to the young woman. His excitement was replaced by confusion as he saw the look of pure horror on her face.
"Ignatio, if what you are saying is true, then that means this substance can spread far more quickly then we feared. It also means it could spread like a virus."
He nodded in agreement to her, then said very solemnly. "I need to talk to Solomon."
Before anyone on his team could reply, he ran out of their lab and down the hall to the room where the GDI officers had set up as an administration office. When he burst into the room, he was shouting at them, but they were all glued to a T.V. set up at the end of the room.
When he finally reached them, he was out of breath and tried to grab Solomon's attention until he finally noticed what had all of their focus. A bald man was standing in front of a large red flag with a black scorpion's tail entrapped in a triangle, and Mobius was able to catch the last of his speech and felt a tremendous amount of dread for the first time in his life.
"Brothers and Sisters from across the world! My name is Kane and I speak for the Brotherhood of Nod. Rejoice! For a new era is dawning for all mankind! The Heavens have given us a gift! It is called Tiberium, and it is a resource unlike anything we could have imagined! Look now to the Brotherhood for your salvation and reject the lies of your tyrants. The age of Nod has begun." The image of Kane was replaced by the green crystal that GDI had been keeping secret, what he had just named Tiberium. Mobius looked to Solomon and asked him.
"What's going on? Who is that?"
Solomon didn't look back at him when he answered, instead, continued staring at the screen.
"I don't know Doctor. But things have just become far more complicated."
The feeling of dread that Mobius had felt only intensified as he continued to watch the screen with the others. The world would never be the same again after today.
… … …
Washington D.C., U.S.A
February 11th, 1996
06:30
Mark Lancaster tried to walk as quickly as he could without breaking into a full run down the halls of the Pentagon. He passed by several other officers and building staff as he made his way to the office that he had been summoned to earlier this morning. Having once served in the basic infantry, he was used to the early mornings and that didn't change when he became an officer working a desk job, but the sudden urgency of the call had him both curious and worried. He could only assume it was related to the strange broadcast only a few months ago when, a man who referred to himself simply as Kane, had announced the discovery of a substance called Tiberium, and now the world seemed to be in a frenzy. Mark finally reached the office of General Malcolm Granger and waited for a reply after knocking.
"Enter."
Mark took a quick breath, then opened the door to the general's office. It was spacious, with bookshelves lining both sides of the room, and a large liquor cabinet that sat at the far corner near the general's large wooden desk. Model World War Two aircraft littered his desk as well as most of the bookshelves. Mark couldn't help but notice that every general's office he had been in seemed to be the same, the only variation being the military memorabilia they displayed and the type of liquor they kept.
"Colonel Mark Lancaster reporting, sir." Mark held his salute as Granger slowly got up from the desk.
"At ease Colonel, glad you got here so quickly. I apologize for waking you so early."
"No worries, sir. No rest for the wicked as they say."
Granger gave a small chuckle, then walked over to a small table set in the corner of the room behind the door. On it was a coffee maker and several cups and plates. He motioned to it as he asked. "Coffee?"
Mark couldn't help but smile as he moved over.
"Yes sir, thank you. Two sugars."
Granger quickly made the coffees then made his way back to the desk. As he sat down his smile was quickly replaced by the look of cold determination.
"I'm sure you are aware of the shit storm they're calling the news?"
"Yes sir, it's all anyone talks about."
Granger grumbled at that
"Yes well what you don't know is that we made the discovery first: a UN team has been on site for almost three months now. The idea was to keep it hush hush until this bastard, Kane, went and flapped his mouth. Now the UN has got their panties in a twist and a small time insurgency group has grown into a full scale military entity overnight."
"So the Brotherhood is making claims on this stuff when the UN was trying to keep a lid on it? Given the short time frame it almost sounds like someone from the inside tipped them off."
"That's what I was thinking. I sent the warning over to General Sheppard: he's the one in charge of the whole circus in Italy. But the UN is getting worried that with Kane blowing the cover, it might cause enough of a panic to give the Brotherhood more fuel for the fire. They've been stirring up shit in Africa and the Middle East for years now and this might be enough to trigger something big."
"So the UN is calling us to clean their mess?"
Granger sighed deeply and took a sip from his coffee mug, which Mark took as a cue and took a drink of his own. After a moment, Granger finally continued.
"What I'm about to tell you is top secret. You have been cleared because I told the President and the other generals that you were one of the best that we've got and we're gonna need someone like you when shit hits the fan. And trust me son, it will hit the fan and hit it hard."
Mark was honored at the General's praise but the feeling was quickly overshadowed by his sense of curiosity, he simply sat straighter in the chair and waited for him to continue.
"Shortly after World War Two, the Allied powers decided to create an Initiative, one they hoped would prevent something like the war from ever happening again. This Initiative was later adopted by the UN and kept secret until a time when it was needed. The Global Defence Initiative, the GDI was used sparingly during the post war period, mostly black ops stuff. But now the UN is going to publicly announce the Initiative within the next few months. Meaning the US now has to start rallying the troops. As of this moment you, are being promoted to Commander of military forces under GDI."
Mark was stunned into silence. Hearing that he was being promoted to lead troops as part of some secret coalition took his already tired brain several seconds to process the information. He looked down into his coffee mug for a moment then back to the General.
"I…I'm not really sure what to say sir. I'm incredibly honored and equally confused."
Granger seemed to lighten a little and smiled.
"Believe me son I felt the same way. It might make more sense when you get briefed but for now I'll need your answer."
"My answer?"
"I need to know if you want to take this job. I'm about to transfer you to a globally joint unit, something that has never been done. We're throwing you and everyone else into a mixing pot and hope it all works. I'm trusting you cause I know you can handle it."
Mark was silent for a few more minutes before he stood up and saluted.
"I would be honored sir! Thank you for this opportunity."
Granger motioned for him to sit back down.
"Glad to hear it son. Now then, you'll have to be debriefed on the plane ride to Italy. That's where all the military personnel will be heading before the UN makes the big announcement. You'll meet with Sheppard, I mentioned him earlier. He'll show you the ropes."
"Understood sir."
Granger stood and Mark followed suit then took his hand and shook it.
"The world is gonna change and you'll be right on the front line of it."
"There's no place I'd rather be sir."
Granger clasped him on his shoulder and walked him towards the door before finally saying.
"Welcome to GDI, Commander Lancaster."
... ... ...
It was later that afternoon when Mark Lancaster finally reached Andrew's AFB. A small private jet was waiting on the runway as he pulled his car up beside it. As he got out, the pilot began stepping down from the plane and made his way over to him.
"Commander Lancaster?"
"That's me." He replied as he opened the back door of his car, he only brought a small duffle bag with him, carrying only his most basic necessities. The pilot took hold of the bag and began walking back to the plane.
"This way sir. You are the last to arrive; the others are already onboard."
"What others?" Mark quickened his pace to match the pilot as they made their way to the small luxury plane. It wasn't often the military paid for luxury accommodations for its officers.
"There are two other commanders who will be joining us on the flight to Italy, as well as Dr. Mobius."
Mark didn't reply, he simply ascended the steps and entered the surprisingly spacious cabin. In it were the three people the pilot had mentioned. Two garbed in military uniform like himself and another in an elegant formal suit. He didn't recognize any of them so he cleared his throat to grab their attention.
"Hello my name is Colonel Mark Lancaster, recently appointed Commander of U.S led GDI forces."
The two in the uniforms stood up and both gave curt salutes, one of them, a young black woman spoke first.
"Commander Julia Rain, I'm in charge of the United States Air Forces assigned to GDI. And this is Commander Bennet." She indicated the other man standing beside her. He had salt and pepper hair and a mustache to match, he stepped over and shook Mark's hand rather strongly.
"Howdy Colonel! So you're the last member of our little team huh? This is gonna be great! We get to show up those snooty Euro boys and show 'em what the U.S.A is really all about."
Mark finally broke free of the man's grasp and nearly chocked on the stereotypical 'American cowboy' accent he had, and wondered if he had a cowboy hat with him in his luggage.
"It's, uh, a pleasure to meet you both, I'm sorry but General Granger didn't mention either of you."
"No worries, this is all a little last minute isn't it? Anyways I'm in charge the USMC unit that we're donating to this GDI nonsense."
Mark smiled at the two other officers then peered around Bennet and looked at the woman still sitting at her table. He moved past them and walked up to her extending a hand.
"Mark Lancaster and you are?"
The woman held up a finger as she continued to read something on her laptop. Mark quickly glanced back at the other two and they simply shrugged. He turned back and after a moment she finally turned to look at him
"Please forgive Commander Lancaster, I was reading something rather important. I'm Dr. Sydney Mobius, I work for the Pentagon as a science liaison." Mark shook her hand.
"Nice to meet you doctor. What's so important if you don't mind my asking?"
She sighed and looked at the laptop in distaste.
"I'm going with you to Italy to join with the growing team the UN has cobbled together. I was reading the latest reports on Tiberium."
"Yea I suppose I still need a briefing on everything."
Rain stepped over to stand beside him.
"Don't worry Commander, we all are still in the dark. The General provided some folders but supposedly we'll get the full run down in Rome."
"Suits me fine. Get to enjoy some fine wine and dine and I hear Rome is lovely this time of year." Bennet chimed in as the reclined in one of the seats. Mark and Julia exchanged glances and simply sat down just as the pilot chimed in over the intercom.
"Strap in folks. Take off in five minutes"
Mark grabbed one of the dossiers on the table and started to thumb through it. By the time he finished reading through the first time they were well in the air. Bennet was sound asleep, Rain was reading through her own copy with a pair of headphones on while Dr. Mobius remained glued to her laptop. Mark decided to close his eyes and reflect on what he read.
An asteroid impacted in Italy near the Tiber River, Italian police responded and found a mysterious green crystal growing from the impact site and within a day the Italian government had called on the UN to investigate. Within a week they had assembled a team of scientists from every field to work on the strange extraterrestrial substance while it was decided to keep the discovery secret. As such, GDI security, under the leadership of a Lieutenant Solomon, were brought in to oversee everything. That however didn't stop Kane and the Brotherhood of Nod from somehow acquiring samples before anyone else got there and claiming the discovery as their own.
Mark frowned at the thought of the Brotherhood. They were a small but effective insurgency and paramilitary group that operated in third world countries. Stirring up anti-west sentiment and arming local militias. Several world governments had attempted to bring them down and from the dossiers he learned, GDI had also conducted raids against Nod.
But the Brotherhood also acted as a religious extremist group which meant they could gather a large amount of followers rather quickly. Nod was a mystery to everyone, operating since the early 60's and if you listened to the conspiracy theories, have been around for much longer. Mark never paid these theories much attention but now the UN was concerned that Nod might start posing a greater threat to world peace. Thus why they had called the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and even China to lend military support to GDI. Mark had to marvel at it all. In such a short amount of time the largest military coalition was being assembled and all to deal with a growing terrorist threat in the face of an alien substance that seemed to spread and grow.
It was a lot to take in all at once, but Mark had been in the military for all of his adult life having enlisted up at eighteen right out of high school. His father and grandfather were both in the Army and it was sort of part of the family heritage to serve with the army. And while his mother had protested, his father couldn't have been more proud, especially when Mark rushed through the ranks and eventually earned his commission as an officer. Now he would be part of a global task force.
He glanced over at the other occupants of the plane. Both Rain and Bennet were asleep but Sydney was awake, no longer on her laptop but instead reading a book. Mark decided to stretch is legs and walked over to her.
"Mind if I joined you?"
Sydney Mobius looked up from her book and smiled then motioned for him to sit down.
"I'd be delighted, this flight is getting a little bit long."
Mark nodded in agreement.
"This is all still a bit much to take in. So tell me Doc, is this Tiberium stuff actually dangerous?"
"I couldn't quite tell you Commander. I haven't been to the field labs yet. All I have to go on are the reports I've read through and there are some things they aren't telling me yet."
"Please, just call me Mark."
Sydney simply nodded at him then turned her gaze towards the cockpit before a rumbling sound from her stomach revealed that she was actually looking at the small kitchen. Mark laughed as he stood up and made his way towards it.
"What would you like Doc?"
"A sandwich or something. Whatever they have I'm not too picky."
Mark opened the small fridge and looked through somewhat disappointed. While the plane itself was luxurious it would seem the food they supplied was not. The fridge was only stocked with water and cola and the only food was a tray of small sandwiches. Mark decided to grab the whole tray and two cans of soda pop and brought them back. Bennet stirred as he walked by and called out.
"Any beer in there partner?"
"No just soda and I took all the sandwiches."
Bennet only mumbled in response before seeming to doze off again. Mark set down the food then sat back down.
"Thank you Mark."
Sydney said as she eagerly bit into the sandwich, Mark picked one up himself and began eating. They sat in comfortable silence for a while before Mark decided to ask her some questions.
"So how long have you worked for the Pentagon?"
"Just over a year now. I was working at M.I.T before that. What about yourself?"
"In the Army since I was eighteen. Served for about six years before I was commissioned and ended up with a desk job back in Washington."
"You sound a little resentful. Do you want to be back out in the field?"
"My days slogging it as a grunt are done." Marked laughed "But I am looking forward to serving as a field commander. I've faced down Nod mercenaries before, they're an odd bunch. They take the term mixing pot to a whole new level."
"I've heard of them in the news. Never paid much mind cause they always seemed so far away you know? I couldn't imagine how they would ever attack the U.S."
Mark contemplated that for a moment before he replied.
"Guess that's why we're signing up with GDI. To make sure that doesn't happen."
They sat in silence again as the plane continued its flight and before long Mark fell back asleep, troubled by dreams of war and green crystals.
... ... ...
Author's Note: I had originally uploaded this story back in April of 2018. The story was a mess of spelling mistakes and I was incredibly unhappy with the 4 chapters I had uploaded. So I decided to take it down and re-edit everything until I was happy with it.
Now it has been re-uploaded and I am far more happy with how the story is progressing, I am also setting aside more time to actually work on this story and get chapters uploaded more regularly.
I fully intend to complete this project, and while it may take far longer than I had originally predicted, I am not going to abandon it.
So I hope you all enjoy this fan-fiction
Until next time.
Addendum, August 17th 2019: Hello everyone! I just wanted to make a small but important change. I am currently not going through to re-edit this story (although Lord knows it needs it) but just to make an update on the project as a whole.
Originally I had planned to do a fanfiction for all games, yes even that one. But after talking it over with IanOtter and No String Prd, I have decided to write only 3 FF (not counting the 2 short stories) this means the Tiberium Wars novelization will include some huge changes, mainly as it will now serve to end the Tiberium series, and Project Genesis itself.
This makes sense as Tiberian Twilight is…well a dumpster fire to put it mildly, and wouldn't give me much to build off of. Not too say I won't try to salvage some things from it.
But there you have it, now it will go Part 1: Dawn, 2: Sun, and 3:Ascension
Until next time!
2NdAdendum, October 4th 2019: Begun working on editing the entire story, to bring it up to par with my more recent work.