Chapter 23
"The Visitors are divine instruments. They are not divine in their own right, but because of what they are doing for us: building the sacred towers in the hearts of our Red Zones. The Visitors remain hostile to us because they know not what they do; their vision is limited and they cannot see their own part in a Plan that goes beyond their purpose.
No member of the Brotherhood shall take hostile action against the holy sites where the towers are rising out of the Red Zones. Defensive action against the Visitors showing hostile intent is understandable, but do not strike first.
Be aware that GDI is conducting military operations against the Visitors all over the world. Such operations help our cause if they keep the Visitors distracted - but if GDI threatens a tower, then we must intervene to help protect the sacred structure.
The towers are the new homes of the Brotherhood, and their importance - and meaning - is transcendent. Treat them as you would treat your temple."
-Intel Database: The Tower Sacrosanct.
Onboard the GDS Arcus
Low Earth Orbit
Six days later
John Lancaster stood on the bridge of the Arcus, staring down at the dust choked Earth. The massive mushroom cloud still covered all of continental Europe and Northern Africa. Below that cloud, people were dying by the millions, slowly being devoured by Tiberium sickness, or from the fallout of the enormous explosion caused by the liquid Tiberium missile. All that death and destruction: caused, by John's hand.
The crew was silent, afraid of their commander who had just unleashed unimaginable devastation upon the world. The death toll was still being calculated, and would continue to rise in the months and years to come. But, from the moment of the Brotherhood's invasion, to the arrival of the aliens, to John's use of the T-bomb, the estimated death toll of the Third Tiberium War was in the hundreds of millions. Not all of those deaths were a result of John's actions, but that didn't stop himself or others for blaming him for it.
As John stood there in silence, hands clasped behind his back, EVA was working through the millions of names. After several agonizing minutes, the monotone female voice reported its findings.
"Matthew Lancaster, confirmed dead in Manchester. Cause of death: Tiberium poisoning. Ana Lancaster, confirmed dead in Manchester. Cause of death: Tiberium poisoning. Emily Lancaster confirmed dead. Cause of death: Tiberium poisoning."
The rest of the bridge crew had overheard, and now waited to see what John's reaction would be. John had just learned that he had inadvertently killed his own brother and his family, as well as millions of others. But the aliens had been defeated. With the destruction of the Control Node, all alien forces worldwide had simply shut down. The invasion was over. The war was over. By all accounts, John had won.
John burst out laughing, throwing his head back as he lost control. The laughter quickly turned to sobbing, as he collapsed to his knees, before turning into white-hot rage as he beat on the metal deck. The crew merely watched on as their commander broke down. Even the commando, Lieutenant Fullerton, seemed stunned into silence. No one moved to help John as he continued to sob on the bridge floor. He struggled to bring his emotions under control, but the weight of everything was finally crashing down onto him.
A commotion broke out as the bridge doors suddenly opened. Voices began shouting, and weapons were raised. John weakly brought his head up to find Athena once again pointing a gun at him. Several other soldiers had their rifles trained on Fullerton, the only one with a weapon raised against the intruders.
"John Lancaster, you are being placed under arrest for crimes against humanity. On your feet." Athena stated firmly.
"Put your gun down!" Fullerton barked.
"This order comes from Undersecretary Agembe."
"Director Boyle-"
"Acting-Director Boyle has been arrested on the same charges."
"Stand down, Lieutenant." John ordered, as he rose to his feet.
Fullerton looked between John and Athena for several seconds, before begrudgingly putting his rifle down. Four soldiers rushed forward to restrain the commando.
"Everyone, clear out. Sergeant, take the Lieutenant down to the brig."
The bridge quickly emptied, leaving only John and Athena alone. Athena slowly lowered her pistol, but kept it pointed at John. He grimaced as he noticed her other arm in a sling, ending with a heavily bandaged stump where her hand should be.
"Athena, I-"
"Shut up. EVA, connect video call with General Granger." Athena snapped.
"Affirmative, Colonel."
John and Athena walked over to the communication station, with Athena keeping a healthy distance behind John. The dark screen lit up to display a very angry looking General Granger, standing alone in the Pentagon command center.
"Excellent work, Colonel Miles." Granger said, before turning his gaze to John. "You are a disgrace to that uniform. Do you have any idea what you've done? The amount of liveslost?"
"I did what I thought was right! My forces were being slaughtered! I used that weapon to end the war!"
"You did what you had to, to save your reputation! General Krause and his forces were killed in that blast. Not to mention the fallout it created. You achieved a pyrrhic victory, at best. The cost of rebuilding… you may have accelerated our demise by speeding up Tiberium infestation of the planet. Boyle was so paranoid about loosing power, he wanted you to use that weapon to ensure no one would dare oppose him. Or his lackey. But you failed, Commander. Redmond Boyle has been arrested, and you can share a cell with him to rot in forever."
"I…I…"
John wanted to try and defend himself, defend his choice to use the T-bomb. But he knew it was wrong, and no justification would ever make it right. In his obsession to get out of his father's shadow, he cast the Lancaster name forever into darkness.
"Colonel, place Lancaster in the brig. Then bring everyone home to D.C. It's going to take considerable time to repair the army and get things back on-"
"General!"
All eyes turned to Lieutenant Telfair as she appeared on screen.
"Lieutenant, I told you not to-"
"Kane has the Tacitus."
Everyone immediately went silent, shocked at the abrupt news.
"Kane has… explain, Sandra." Granger demanded.
"Our convoy carrying the Tacitus was hit several days ago in China. I'm just getting the reports now. We also intercepted an open global broadcast. Kane is alive, and he's calling everyone to the Threshold in Southern Italy."
"The tower survived the blast? How? All of Italy was hit by the T-bomb." John asked.
"Nod destroyed our force attacking that tower. Then they allowed the aliens to finish building those phase generators. That tower is now completely invulnerable." Granger explained.
"And now Kane is on his way there with the Tacitus." Telfair reiterated.
"General, let me lead my remaining forces there. We are the closest unit." John pleaded, his emotions back under control.
"Are you insane? After what you just did, you think I'd trust you?" Granger growled.
"I did what I had to. I didn't know how…the point is, I used the T-bomb for the good of GDI. You know that despite everything, I am loyal to GDI. You also know that I'm right. My forces are the only ones who can respond in time."
Granger was silent as he mulled over John's words.
"General, you can't be seriously considering this! John has just committed genocide! Knowingly or not, he should be shot!" Athena all but spat.
"That is for me to decide, Colonel, not you. And unfortunately, he is right. You are the only ones who can respond in time, and removing him from command would only disrupt your forces. John Lancaster, you will stop Kane and bring him to justice. And then you will be brought to justice. Is that understood?"
"Yes, sir." John replied.
"Colonel, if he steps out of line again…you have my permission to shoot him."
"Yes, sir." Athena answered through clenched teeth.
The transmission ended, and John turned to face Athena. His trusted advisor, right hand woman, and his closet friend. Now she had nothing but hatred in her eyes, and her hand still clutched her pistol tightly.
"I need you to follow my orders, one last time." John said softly.
"One last time. Then I'll put you in a cell." Athena bit back.
John simply nodded, "Summon the bridge crew back and let's get moving. We have one last battle to win."
… … …
Threshold-19
September 11th, 2047
0500
The ground trembled as the MARV salvaged from General Krause's forces rolled through the Tiberian wasteland, followed by columns of Mammoths and Predators. A long train of M113 and Guardian APCs followed the tanks, carrying the battered and weary GDI soldiers. This force was all GDI had left to oppose Kane and the Brotherhood of Nod. This battle would not be remembered as the largest, or the most destructive. But it would be the single most important battle in human history. Today, the course of mankind's future would be decided.
John again stood at the bridge window, his composure as the stoic commander once more in place even as he prepared to oversee the final battle fifty years in the making. The sky was still completely black, as the Tiberium infused dust cloud hung above R-1. The flashes of Ion lightning, coupled with the glow of Tiberium fields, was the only illumination. But in mere moments, this hellscape would once again be alight with combat.
John had been somewhat relieved at the idea of once again facing human enemies. After only a few days - but what had felt like years - of fighting aliens, he had hoped to return to some sense of normalcy. But Nod had other plans in mind. Instead of an army of flesh and blood, GDI now faced a nightmarish force of cyborgs. John hadn't seen cyborgs since the end of the Second Tiberium War, when GDI and Nod had temporarily joined forces to stop CABAL. But these one were different: they were newer, and they stood in the way of stopping Kane.
"Enemy forces are near maximum firing range. Our tanks are holding position. Your orders…sir?" Athena gritted out, clearly attempting to maintain her professionalism.
"Have our forces form a wedge and attack the enemy as soon as they enter range. We are going to punch our way through them to that damn tower." John ordered, also trying to keep himself under control.
"Affirmative, I - new contact! Coming up in the center of the enemy armour formation. It… Jesus Christ, what is that thing?"
John rushed to the holographic table and stopped short as he spotted the new Nod weapon. He had only read the scattered and second-hand accounts of the Brotherhood attack on the ZOCOM facility in the African Red Zone, but it spoke of a Nod walker, taller than anything either side had built before. The reports referred to it as the "Redeemer:" a towering black monstrosity that stood on four legs, and, similar to the Avatars, had one clawed arm and a second ending in a powerful laser weapon. It also had SAM batteries mounted to its "shoulders" making it a powerful weapon, one that could rival the MARV.
"Move the Arcus into firing range! We need to take down that Redeemer. Ready both railguns."
"Commander! Incoming bandits! Shades and Venoms, and lots of them." An officer shouted.
"Where is our air cover?"
As if in response, a wing of GD-22s flew past the Arcus. The GDI and Nod aircraft began exchanging missiles, filling the dark sky with missile contrails. John had no worries about this particular air battle, as the GDI fighters would have a much easier time dealing with Nod aircraft compared to the alien's Stormriders and Drones. As the lethal dance continued, three new targets emerged from around the Threshold. Each was roughly the size of a Kodiak or an alien Devastator, but they had the sleek black and red design of the Brotherhood. The three aircraft made a beeline for the Arcus, escorted by more Nod MiGs and Shades.
"Colonel, take command and get us through those cyborgs. I'm heading back to the air control tower to deal with those-"
The Arcus shuddered while at the same moment, klaxons began wailing. The entire ship dipped forward as an explosion reverberated through the hull. John peered out the bridge window to see a solid line of green energy slowly dissipating, originating from one of the three Nod airships.
"What happened!?" John barked.
"The air control tower is gone! Blown clean off!" Athena replied.
"EVA, what are we dealing with?"
"InOps reports two craft as Salamander-class ground support craft. The third craft, which fired the Tiberium plasma weapon, is known as the Basilisk-class warship. These craft were thought to be experimental, and not ready for deployment."
"Well, they clearly are! Damn it! Move the Arcus to engage these airships: we need to take them down."
"Joh- Commander. The Arcus is still badly damaged. I doubt she can take on three enemy craft." Athena challenged.
"You're correct, but unfortunately we have no other options. Alright people, stay calm and do your jobs. We beat off an alien invasion, we can beat these fanatics. Our main threat is that Basilisk, but we can't ignore the Salamanders." As John spoke, the two Nod Salamanders began to encircle the Arcus, while the Basilisk remained dead ahead. "Have the main batteries focus down the command ship. The 120mm and our anti-air rockets can target the support vessels."
"Aye, sir." The crew responded.
The Salamanders had begun circling around the Arcus like sharks, and now their numerous missile pods erupted as they fired their volleys. The CIWS opened up, trying to shoot down the immense barrage of missiles. Most were shot down, but a few made it through and collided with the outer hull. Explosions reverberated through the ship, and officers shouted out damage reports.
The Arcus responded with its own barrage of missiles, coupled with 120mm cannon fire. Lasers lit up as the enemy's own point defences activated, but John could see some hits. At the same time, the two railgun batteries fired, narrowly clipping the Basilisk. In response, twin lances of plasma pierced the Arcus' starboard engine pod, causing the ship to start listing.
"Recharge the railguns and fire again!" John barked.
"Sir, we are losing power! That last blast hit the starboard gener-"
Athena's report was cut off as another missile barrage got through, causing even more damage to the superstructure.
"Target both Salamanders with the railguns! Take those bastards down."
The Arcus' main guns fired, targeting both Nod ships simultaneously. One slug punctured the reactor of the starboard side ship, causing it to explode violently. The other slug also managed to hit its target; however, it only caused the port side ship to lose power and begin a slow plummet to the ground, temporarily removing it from the fight. Before anyone could react to the victory though, the Basilisk fired its own main guns. Both railguns were instantly destroyed, as were most of the underside weapon batteries. The Arcus had just been declawed.
"Sir! All weapons are down. We can no longer engage." Athena barked.
John took a deep breath as he quickly studied the bridge. He had really come to like the massive airship.
"Abandon ship! Everyone, to the life pods!" John ordered.
Alarms rang out as the order to abandon ship was broadcasted throughout the Arcus. Bridge crew fled their stations and ran for the closest pods. Outside, John could already see the shapes of other pods as they launched away from the Arcus, even as the Basilisk fired again, coring the ship and causing more klaxons to scream to life. As the crew hastily abandoned the ship, John made his way to the pilot's station. He began plotting in a new flight path, while issuing orders to EVA.
"If you think going down with the ship will make up for what you did…" Athena began as she stood behind John.
"It doesn't and I'm not going down with the ship. I'm just making sure the enemy goes down with his." John stepped back from the console, satisfied the Arcus was locked onto a collision course with the Basilisk. "EVA, full power to the engines. Make appropriate adjustments as necessary, but be sure to hit them head on."
"Affirmative, Commander."
"Alright, let's go Athena."
The two ran for the last two life pods as the ship shuddered and groaned from more hits. John led them to the starboard side pod, and waved Athena to get in first. As she moved to step into the pod, John kicked the back of her leg, causing her to collapse into the pod. He quickly shut the door and activated the launch sequence.
"John! You bastard! What the hell are you doing!?" Athena screamed.
"I'm sorry, Athena."
The pod plummeted away, revealing the raging battle below through the now open tube. John didn't waste time regretting his actions. He rushed into the last pod and set in some special coordinates. The pod launched with a jolt, and John was able to watch as the Arcus slammed into the Basilisk at full speed. Both ships erupted into flames as munitions stores and reactors ignited. The Basilisk was all but obliterated, but the larger Arcus continued on its path as it crashed into the ground near the base of the Threshold. Even in the air, inside the pod, John felt the force of the impact moments before his own pod crash landed at the very feet of Threshold-19.
John hastily leapt out of the life pod, taking one final look at the battle unfolding behind him. He was leaving his forces, brave men and women who had been through hell and back, to fend for themselves. But it had to be done. Pulling out his sidearm, John entered the Threshold.
… … …
The MARV fired at the Redeemer, but the massive shell missed the walker. As the Nod war machine raised its laser cannon, the MARV fired off a second shot, which hit the Redeemer center mass. The walker simply shrugged off the hit and fired on the MARV. The tri-beamed laser cut through armour, hitting the ammunition store inside the colossal vehicle. The MARV's turret blew clean off, as smaller explosions destroyed the rest of the tank. A thick pillar of smoke now rose into the air.
Before the Redeemer could move on from its kill, two Mammoths fired their railguns. The slugs shattered the heavy armour, yet the walker still stood. Red beams again illuminated the battlefield, as one of the Mammoths was destroyed. The four-legged monstrosity turned to destroy the last tank, when a Firehawk swooped down from the darkened sky. Missiles automatically launched from the Redeemer's shoulder mounted SAMs, but the Firehawk danced around them as it launched flares. Finally, the Firehawk came within range and dropped its payload. The bombs exploded against the "head" of the Redeemer, causing it to take a few steps backwards before finally falling.
Zemerik watched the whole scene from behind the wreck of an Reckoner while the company commanders trying to figure out who was in charge now that the Basiliskhad been destroyed, and Commander Malich was MIA. While Zemerik and his squad were waiting for orders, the cyborgs were continuing to try and push back the GDI assault. He was more than happy to let the machines do the work, as the things disturbed him just about as much as the aliens did.
The horrid combinations of flesh and metal brought back painful memories of when Zemerik had been a GDI soldier, during the Second Tiberium War. He channeled those memories into a raw hatred for the enemy, for the former comrades who had abandoned him. And it would seem his opportunity to unleash that hatred was about to arrive.
"Iscariot 6, this is Disciple 6. We have located an enemy life pod near your vicinity. Move your forces there and secure the site. Be advised, enemy are pushing foot troops there as we speak."
"Iscariot 6 copies all. Break. 3rd Platoon, get there and deploy your heavy weapons teams."
Zemerik stood from his position and glanced in the direction of their objective. The life pod had landed behind Nod lines, but the enemy was bound to try and get to it, no matter what. He turned back to see Jörm and Roake had the heavy machine gun ready to move, and Akinjide looked to him for the order to move.
"Let's go, Brothers."
The four men darted out from behind the Reckoner, and ran across the hallowed ground. Nearby, Awakened cyborgs battled with GDI forces, filling the battlefield with the sounds of rifle fire and the occasional blast of railguns. Zemerik and his team moved towards an embankment to set up their machine gun, across from another heavy weapons squad. If GDI tried to reach the life pod, they would be caught in a deadly crossfire.
As Jörm and Roake got to work setting up the weapon, Zemerik took a moment to look over at the life pod. Several Nod soldiers were already attempting to get it open, but a sudden burst of gunfire caused them to jump off and take cover behind it. Zemerik snapped up his rifle and spotted GDI forces along the top of a ridge. Nearly a company's worth of enemy riflemen were converging on the life pod.
"Hold your fire, let the cyborgs deal with them first." Zemerik ordered.
The four anxiously watched as more Awakened marched towards the enemy, arm guns firing away. The enemy met the abominations with no hesitation, cutting into the cyborg troops. Taller, metal clad Enlightened charged forward to join the fray. The area lit up as Tiberium plasma lances sliced apart GDI infantry. The cyborgs were keeping the enemy pinned for now, but despite their frightening strength, Zemerik knew the machines would be overwhelmed by GDI's numbers.
Dirt exploded in front of Zemerik as bullets rained down around him. He dove for cover and brought his rifle up. He tried to find where the enemy shooting at them was, and spotted a four man squad further down the ridge.
"Jörm, light them up!" Akinjide barked.
The machine gun opened fire and Jörm raked his cone of fire across the ridge. One of the soldiers was torn to pieces, while the other three dove for cover. Zemerik fired at where the enemy was hiding, hoping to push them into Jörm's field of fire. After a moment, the enemy squad began firing back, blindly shooting at Zemerik and his squad. He noticed only two muzzle flashes, and wondered if they had actually killed two targets instead of just the one.
Something wet splattered across Zemerik's helmet at the same moment the machine gun mysteriously went silent. Zemerik turned his head in time to see Roake grab the gun as Jörm tumbled to the ground, the back of his head missing. But before Roake could even aim the gun, his head too snapped backwards in a spray of blood and grey matter.
"Enemy sniper! Up there! By the-"
Akinjide never finished as he suddenly collapsed to the ground, a gaping hole punched through his chest. Zemerik stared down at his friends, their blood pooling into a large puddle at his feet. In the blink of an eye, they were all dead. His brothers. A blinding hatred overtook Zemerik as an animalistic roar escaped his lungs. Without even realizing it, Zemerik was charging up the ravine towards the Bulb plant where he had seen the muzzle flashes.
Bullets impacted around Zemerik as the GDI soldiers had overwhelmed the cyborgs. But he ignored it all as his sole focus was killing on the one that had murdered his family. He came up to the sniper's perch and found two soldiers. One was just standing up from underneath the Bulb plant, while another one was talking into a radio. Zemerik lifted his rifle and squeezed the trigger with all his might until he heard the weapon click dry. The one soldier, the one armed with a DMR, was sent flying backwards by the force of the blast. The second soldier snapped up her rifle, but Zemerik merely charged at her, wielding his own rifle like a club. He slapped away the rifle, causing both weapons to go flying. The GDI soldier grabbed for her sidearm, but Zemerik slammed his head down onto her faceplate. The blow caused her to fall onto her back, and Zemerik leapt onto her, brandishing his combat knife. He drove it straight for her throat, but she grabbed a hold with one arm, trying desperately to stop the blade from cutting open her neck. Zemerik pressed all of his weight down, screaming and snarling as he did. He finally gave in to the insanity that he had barely kept at bay. All he could see was the glint of the blade, the fear on the woman's face, and her name stenciled into her armour; A. Burke.
Then, the burning fury that threatened to consume him faded. He stumbled off of Burke and staggered backwards, as intense pain shot through his neck. He looked down to see Burke clutching her hand, while staring up at him. Zemerik pulled free the object she had jammed into him, and to his horror, realized it was a jagged shard of Tiberium. Already he could feel the poison spreading through his veins and he knew that in a few more seconds, it would crystallize his heart, causing his death.
But strangely enough, Zemerik found he didn't care. For he had already died the moment his friends, his family had been killed around him. At least this way, he wouldn't be left behind again. This time, he wouldn't be abandoned.
This time, he wouldn't be alone.
Zemerik fell to his knees, and in his last moment, smiled.
… … …
"KANE!"
John's shout reverberated through the narrow halls of the alien structure, sounding both in front and behind him. He bounded through the hallway, which looked more like the inside of some aquatic creature then an actual building. He held his pistol, ready to shoot Kane on sight, yet the man always seemed just a step beyond his reach. John raced through the alien structure, jumping over the odd bumps and designs of the organic-like structure. A few times he had to carefully move around the corpses of alien Assimilators, each time cursing as he grew further and further away from Kane.
"KANE!"
John fired his pistol, but the bullet just barely missed. John just surged forward, focused only on stopping Kane. Rounding another corner, John found himself in a massive circular chamber, which stretched up far beyond John's sight, as Ionized lightning flickered and flashed high above. Somehow Kane had already reached the far end of the chamber. John snapped up his pistol, but realized Kane was too far away. He kept a careful eye on where Kane had disappeared through and ran around the circumference of the chamber.
Entering into another chamber, John found Kane in front of an alien portal, clutching the Tacitus. A disembodied blue head hovered above the alien device, and nodded towards John before disappearing inside of the Tacitus. Kane placed the device upon a pedestal, causing the portal to activate with swirling purple energy.
"Stop now!" John ordered as he drew near to Kane.
"You can't stop me. Not now. Not when I'm so close." Kane said with his back to John.
"You will answer for your crimes! You need to pay."
Kane finally turned to face John, fury and anger contorting his face, while a desperate hope glimmered in his dark eyes.
"I have paid! I have paid a thousand times for my crimes. Now my sentence is finally at an end, and no one will keep me imprisoned for a moment longer."
"I will." John raised his gun.
"If you kill me, I will simply come back. The wars will never stop, and I will turn this wretched rock to a burnt wasteland in order to escape."
"Not if I lock you in a dark cell and throw away the key. If you're immortal as you say, you can spend the rest of time locked away in the dark, forgotten."
Kane opened his mouth to reply, but his head abruptly snapped back. John whirled around only to feel a bullet slam into his chest. John fell to the ground with a gurgle of blood escaping his mouth. He hit the alien metal floor hard, and struggled to breath as more blood flooded into his mouth. He looked up to see Athena standing above him, gun pointed to his head.
"Why?" John gasped out.
"I can't let you bring him in. You would be a damned hero again, and everyone would forget about what you did! I won't let the blood be washed from your hands! I'm sorry, John, I really am. But this is what you deserve."
Before Athena could pull the trigger, her pistol was knocked from her hand. Both Athena and John looked in shock as Kane gripped Athena's neck with one hand, the bullet hole in his forehead mysteriously gone like it never happened.
"He was not yours to take."
Kane wrapped his second hand around Athena's head, and twisted violently, killing her instantly. Kane looked down at John, a mixed look of disgust and…remorse?
"You humans are so…fragile."
Kane walked back to the portal, stopping at the base as he took a shuddering breath. Kane was about to escape. Fifty years of war, hundreds of millions of lives lost, and billions more affected… all would go unanswered for. John had failed for the final time, and Kane had won.
Then he saw them. The shadows… the ghosts… hundreds of them all crowded into the chamber. Whether they were the ghosts of Kane's crimes or John's, he did not know, but one shadow stood out from the others: his brother's. While Matthew's ghost had no face, John could see great sadness in him.
With tremendous effort, John grabbed Athena's discarded weapon. He aimed for Kane as he took a single step into the portal, as if he was still unsure it was real. John's aim wavered as he felt numbness spread through his body. He let his aim drop away from Kane to the Tacitus. John pulled the trigger…
…and then there was light.
… … …
Epilogue
New York, B-2
October 2nd, 2047
1400
The weeks spent at Burke's home base felt even worse than the months she had spent away at war. Being so close to home yet not being able to leave was excruciating. Despite everything she and her unit had been through, they were being deployed right back into the action. The world had fallen into total anarchy, and GDI was desperate to maintain order. Now instead of fighting Nod or aliens, Burke and her men were expected to stop rioters and secure GDI cities from its own citizens.
Burke had no intention of fighting innocent civilians, people who had every right to be angry at GDI. An entire continent was irradiated, hundreds of millions dead, and a government in shambles. People were angry and desperate, and Burke had no desire to stop them. While she certainly didn't condone the anarchy that was spreading, she had decided that her fight was over.
Burke had made the difficult - and illegal - decision to desert the Army. She was proud of her service, and she hated to leave her friends and comrades, but it was time to return home, to see her wife. Burke snuck out of her home base and took a bus from D.C. to upstate New York, and then a cab to her house from the terminal. As she drew closer, her hope and excitement turned to fear. What if her home wasn't there? What if her wife Ashley wasn't there? What if-
The cab pulled up the driveway. Burke hastily paid the man and got out, and slowly walked to the front door. The grass was overgrown, and gold and brown leaves littered the yard. It didn't look like anyone was home. With a heavy heart, Burke fished out her keys and was about to open the door when it swung open. In the door frame was her wife, and both looked at the other as if they were ghosts. Before Burke realized it, she had grabbed her wife in a bear hug, squeezing her tightly as they both cried.
"You're home! By God, you're home." Ashley sobbed happily.
"I'm home." Burke confirmed, though more to herself.
The two women remained in the driveway, afraid to let the other go. But Burke was happy; she was finally home. The war, at least for her, was finally over.
… … …
"Nod City" Refugee Camp
Outside of Sacramento, B-11
1600
Ajay stepped off the overcrowded train onto the even more overcrowded platform. He pulled his shemagh tighter over his face, partly to hide his identity, but mostly to hide the grievous burn marks he received when the T-bomb had gone off. A GDI officer in full combat gear was directing people were to go. Ajay could see other soldiers, smiling as they helped the Nod refugees, their rifles never far from reach.
After the Battle of Threshold-19, and the disappearance – or ascension, depending on who you asked – of Kane, the Brotherhood had been reduced to little more than a nomadic people. A few regions still remained loyal to Nod, like Southeast Asia, but the majority of the Brotherhood's population now lived in refugee camps like this one. With the Brotherhood's military completely wiped out, there was little else for people like Ajay to do other than live out what lives they could scrounge up in the tent cities.
In truth, Ajay noted that some people were eating better at the refugee camp than they were back in the Yellow Zone settlements. The sound of kids laughing filled Ajay's ears as he made his way through the camp, receiving the occasional direction from the GDI slave-masters. Despite the happy faces and abundant food and water, Ajay would never trust GDI. To him, they were still the oppressors, the enemy. But maybe it was time to give up on such hatreds? Kane was gone, the Brotherhood scattered to the four corners of the Earth. There was no great army of liberators to fight the tyrants. There was no more Nod.
Ajay sighed deeply as he found himself in a line for a food truck. The officers nearby repeated how everyone would get an equal share of food, before being directed to their tents. Ajay inched forward in the line, when he noticed a middle-aged woman stand beside him. He made no move to observe her, but tried to study her in his periphery. As Ajay took another step forward, she suddenly grabbed his arm.
"Brother Ajay?"
"Who wants to know?"
"My name is Joyce Tabok. A friend would like to speak to you."
"And if I refuse?"
"I'll slit your throat and leave you to die in a gutter."
"Well, when you put it so diplomatically."
Ajay let himself be led through the tent city by the Tabok woman. In truth, it was curiosity that drove him forward rather than her threat. What friend wanted to speak with him? Everyone in the Army or the Inner Circle was dead.
Ajay continued to contemplate the situation as they walked by countless tents, many occupied by families or elderly people. Some seemed happy or content, but others looked so hopelessly lost. Their Messiah was gone, but they still had their faith. There were still preachers giving sermons, though under the careful gaze of GDI soldiers.
Joyce Tabok led Ajay to a tent that looked no different than any other. Inside, she went over to a man Ajay assumed was her husband, given the way the two embraced. Ajay stood awkwardly in the tent, when a back flap opened, and a heavily hooded figure walked in. Ajay took a step back in utter shock, for he stared at an ornate metal mask that covered half of a face that was heavily scarred and burned. The man gave a smile as he greeted,
"Hey there, Brotha. Glad to see you amongst the living."
"Malich? How? But…"
"How am I alive? By the grace of Kane, of course!" Malich laughed loudly, before turning deathly cold. "No, it is good to see you alive. Its time we got down to business."
"What business?" Ajay asked, still in shock.
"The building of a new world order."
Malich laughed again, but when he noticed Ajay didn't join in this time, he stopped.
"You're serious? Nod is dead, along with Kane. What is there to rebuild?" Ajay asked bitterly.
"Its because Kane is gone that gives us the perfect chance to rebuild! No more secret plans, no more talks of Ascension, no more alien bullshit. We can make the Brotherhood back into what it was always meant to be! A global revolution to free the world from tyranny. To use Tiberium to propel mankind into a new age!"
Ajay had never seen Malich so full of fire and passion. There had only been one man that Ajay had known to speak with such conviction, who's voice had moved nations. Ajay felt himself be swept up by Malich's speech in much the same way.
"We shall build a new power in the world. One greater than the Brotherhood ever was. One that shall, at last, overthrow GDI."
Ajay sat down on the floor as he mulled over all that had been said. Malich wanted to build a new order, to completely replace the Brotherhood. Kane was gone, but there were still millions who believed in the Brotherhood of Nod, for one reason or another. Could Ajay truly sit by and watch his people wither away in refugee camps? Could he watch decades of tradition and faith be swept away by GDI?
"So. Where do we start?" Ajay asked after a long moment.
Malich gave a devilish grin as he helped Ajay back to his feet.
"We have everything we need right here, provided by GD fucking I. We have resources, manpower, a recruitment pool."
"Access to the city's underworld." Joyce again.
"Whatever you need of me, I shall follow you to the ends of the Earth." Ajay said with a bow.
"Come now, Ajay. I am not Kane, no one works below me. You and I shall make a true difference! Together, we will wipe away the old Brotherhood, and build the new revolution."
"This time, we will do it right."
… … …
Pentagon
Greater Washington D.C. Area, B-2
2000
Jack Granger placed the framed photo of himself and his old squad from the Second Tiberium War back on his desk. It reminded him of simpler times, when things seemed to make sense. Now, though? Now Granger wasn't sure anything made sense. The detonation of the T-bomb seemed to have set the world on fire. People's trust in GDI was shattered, with riots and looting breaking out in every Blue Zone. With global communications coming back online, Granger had also learned of the mass desertion that had taken place at the start of the alien invasion. GDI was on the brink of total collapse. Granger would be damned if he would watch everything he had worked so hard for collapse into ruin, so he had no choice but to make a deal with the devil.
Following the detonation of the T-bomb, Undersecretary Agembe had contacted Granger, revealing he had attempted to stop Boyle, but had ultimately been powerless to do so. However, after the immediate fallout, the two had agreed to overthrow Boyle, and establish a new emergency government. There was a terrible catch to the deal though: Agembe would become a dictator in everything but name, and Granger would be right at his side. It was a necessary evil to stop the world from destroying itself.
Granger sighed as he looked around his office, remembering a time when he complained about endless piles of paperwork instead of world wars and alien invasions. He was about to leave the office when a knock came from the door. Before he could answer, Director-General Agembe stepped in.
"Ah, General, you are still here."
"Director-General. What can I do for you?"
"I wanted to give you something."
Agembe handed Granger a picture frame. In it was a photo of a blue sky dotted with black clouds. A ruined city took up most of the photo.
"That is a picture of Rome." Agembe explained at Granger's confused look. "Taken two days ago."
Granger looked up in shock, then back down to the photo. There hadn't been blue skies over Italy in forty years, as all of R-1 had been eclipsed by a perpetual Ion Storm, though Granger figured it had to be related to the strange energy burst that had come from the Threshold. In the waning hours of the battle, the tower had emitted a burst of energy on every spectrum. The effect was almost instantaneous: Tiberium growth across the globe had come to an immediate halt. Scientist reported that Tiberium fields had stopped spreading and stopped reproducing after harvest, while the Red Zones were no longer expanding. Although it still wasn't fully understood what had happened, or even if it was permanent, the general consensus was that the Threshold had emitted a signal that had somehow caused the Tiberium to enter some sort of dormant state. Humanity now had a chance to reclaim the planet.
"It's…beautiful. Thank you." Granger said.
"It's what we have been fighting for. A world free of Tiberium."
Both men grew silent for a moment, the weight of everything sitting heavily on their shoulders. The war may have been over, but there was a long road of recovery ahead.
"Tell me, Jack. Is he really gone? For good this time?"
Granger sighed, as he knew the question had been coming.
"We only recovered a single body from that room, along with shards of the Tacitus. The body was positively identified to be Colonel Athena Miles."
"Only one body? That means John Lancaster's body is also missing?"
Granger merely nodded. It was a mystery that would likely haunt Granger to his death bed. When GDI soldiers had moved to claim the tower, they reported finding a room with a destroyed portal, shards of the Tacitus, and the dead body of Colonel Miles. But there was no sign of Kane or John.
"I see. What do you think?"
"I think, that so long as there is Tiberium on Earth, Nod is a major threat."
"I agree. That is why we must re-establish order as quickly as possible." Agembe said with a dour expression.
"GDI always stood as the last bastion of freedom and democracy. The fact that we are throwing it all away…"
"We are not throwing it away, Jack. But some personal liberties must be sacrificed for the greater good. Until GDI is strong again."
"And how long will that be?"
"As long as it takes."
Before Granger could argue, Agembe left the office. Granger sighed as he looked back at the picture, of blue skies over the ruins of Italy.
"I'll hold you to that. You can be sure of it."
… … …
Ichor Hub, Galactic Core
To be called to the chamber of the Overlords was normally a great honour, but today it filled the Supervisor with great dread. He was the first Scrin to lose a battle in many centuries, and not just lose, but suffer the humiliating loss of an entire harvesting fleet. And to think, it was because of damn savages!
The Supervisor tried to calm himself as he floated towards the chamber, breathing in the sweet aroma of Ichor that hung in the air. This Ichor – or "Tiberium" as the savages had supposedly dubbed it – was pure and clean, as was befitting the Overlords. A lowly Supervisor seldom enjoyed such pure Ichor. While the sensation was pleasant, it still felt odd not being in a biomechanical suit. Scrin rarely, if ever, lived in their frail, true forms. Only the Overlords did, and from the sanctity of their chambers.
Finally, the Supervisor reach the chamber, but instead of the grand council of Overlords, there was only one in the vast chamber. The Supervisor approached cautiously, before announcing himself.
"My Lord. You summoned me?"
"Explain your colossal failure." The Overlord said simply.
"My Lord, it was not my fault! The Ichor detonation was premature! The indigenous population was still alive! But the failure belongs to Foreman 371! He failed to defeat the indigenous savages and he-"
"Enough! Your excuses bore me."
"Please my Lord. I…I did not mean to fail."
"Of course not. And you shall not be punished, for this event was unforeseen even to us. These…humans are little more than motes of dust to our power. But the creature known as Kane… you shall have your chance at redemption, Supervisor."
"Yes, my Lord! Whatever you desire."
The Overlord at last turned to face the Supervisor, it's body shuddering as it inhaled more Ichor.
"Prepare a full-scale invasion force. Earth shall fall."
… … …
Intel Database: A post Tiberium War world.
"Between the Tiberium missile attack in 2030, the Sarajevo explosion, alien invasion, and use of the liquid Tiberium missile by GDI in 2047, continental Europe has been completely devastated. GDI predicts the cost ofrebuilding could be in the hundreds of billions, and it could be decades before the continent is considered habitable again…
Since the activation of the alien tower, Tiberium growth has reported to have completely halted. Yellow and Red zone expansions have stopped, meaning mankind may finally begin the process of eliminating Tiberium. However, the ecological effects may be permanent, and humanity will have a long road to rebuilding the devastated world. The most optimistic predictions are at least one century before Yellow Zones are reclaimed, though some in GDI fear Red Zones may be permanently beyond reclamation...
With Kane gone, and Nod leadership dead, the Brotherhood of Nod has once again fractured. Though with key territories lost, and the majority of the armed forces destroyed, no civil war has emerged. The Brotherhood is now simply a fractured religion with no leader. However, with most believing Kane achieved ascension, he is now seen more as a divine figure than ever before, and it's possible his name may be used in the future to instigate yet another uprising. For now though, many in GDI feel confident Nod is no longer an immediatethreat, and with Tiberium no longer consuming the earth, the military has turned its attention to maintaining law and order..."
… … …
Author's note: And at long last, ladies and gentlemen, we have reached the end. After four years, Project Genesis is now concluded. It has been an incredible journey, as many great things have happened during the writing of this fan series. What started as a rather ill-advised idea to novelize all the C&C Tiberium games has become a key moment in my life, and I can only sincerely hope people enjoyed the journey as well.
I greatly enjoyed writing all five stories, as Command and Conquer is a series near and dear to my heart. And now I feel proud to have added something to C&C, even if it is just a fanfiction story. But none of this would have been possible without the help of Ian Otter. To my editor and friend, thank you. And thank you to all my readers, for without you as well, this story wouldn't be what it is either. I have greatly enjoyed all the feedback I received over the years, and I hope future readers enjoy this just as much.
But now I think it is time to retire from fanfiction writing. But this doesn't have to be the end, I have ideas for going back and cleaning up the earlier stories, adding more details, change up some parts, perhaps even adding more content. If that's something you guys would like to see, then please feel free to send me a message. I also do have some other fanfic ideas cooking, but we will see.
For now, this is goodbye.
Until next time.
Peace through Power.