Chapter 21

"Source: Kane
Priority: Ultra
Scramble Index: November-Kilo-2

One of our sacred towers is now very close to completion. This magnificent structure in the Mediterranean Red Zone rises thousands of meters into the sky. Once the Visitors finish their work on this tower, it will become utterly impervious to attack by any weapon known to man. We must do everything in our power to ensure that this holy site is not sullied by GDI as the Visitors complete their task.

This Tower is our gateway to the stars. It is the Key to the Future. It must be protected at all costs."

- Intel Database: Keys to the Future, Part II.

Hangzhou, China, Y-21

September 10th, 2047

0700

At the Brotherhood's height, during the First Tiberium War, they had the power of nations, the unity of religion, and the wealth of kings. The Brotherhood of Nod had divided the world and sent it spiraling into world war. Countries were torn in two by civil war while the poor and downtrodden rose up to challenge the superpowers. But now? Now the Brotherhood was nothing. Before the Third War, the armies of Nod numbered in the millions. But now they commanded a force of three hundred thousand. The entire Nod army, every man, woman, and child willing to hold a gun, was sent to R-1. All to secure Kane's Tower.

GDI had already begun destroying the alien Thresholds, reducing the mighty structures to rubble. This had greatly angered Kane, so he sent Grand Confessor Marcion and Ajay to lead everything they had left to R-1. To Italy. That left Malich with a force of one hundred soldiers to steal the single most valuable thing in the world: the Tacitus. It was the key – or so Kane kept saying – to Ascension. Yet, all Malich had to steal it from GDI with was a couple Stealth Tanks, Buggies, and Bikes. Though Malich did have some help, but he would much rather not have a murderous robot with him.

CABAL's ethereal avatar hung above Malich in the cramped space of the Emissary, a constant look of disdain and contempt etched on its "face". Why Kane would build such a thing was beyond Malich.

"GDI are moving the Tacitus from their research complex in Shanxi to the port here. They intend to transport it via a Solomon-class battleship to B-11, where it will be well beyond our reach." CABAL reported.

"Why did they abandoned the research complex?" Malich asked.

"The visitors destroyed the facility. It appears they too seek the Tacitus. If GDI gets it out to sea, it will be impossible for either Nod or the visitors to acquire it."

Malich scoffed at that: a mighty alien race with space faring warships, yet they couldn't beat GDI's blue water Navy. Then again, from what Malich had seen of the invaders, or visitors, or whatever the hell they were called, they seemed ill prepared for a prolonged war. Either these aliens were terrible at planning invasions, or…

"The Tacitus is onboard a 4x4 truck, escorted by Pitbulls, Guardian APCs, and a single Predator tank." CABAL continued his report, cutting through Malich's thoughts.

"And how do you suggest we strike at the convoy with our limited arsenal?"

"You are the commander, you're supposed to come up with the strategy." CABAL answered smarmily.

"Why did Kane build such an obnoxious AI? Alright, fine. We can't let them get to the port: GDI marines will have it locked down, and that battleship could blast us to kingdom come if we got in range. Meaning, we need to strike in the downtown area, before they reach the industrial park. What about the local garrison? Any QRFs?"

"The local GDI forces are engaged with the visitors. As I said, they seek the Tacitus as well. It would be best we retrieved it before they arrived."

"So, no possible reaction from the garrison, but we run the risk of encountering the invaders." A devilish smile crossed Malich's face as a plan began to form. "Get our forces deployed quickly to this area, here. Keep our Buggies and Bikes back here, but I need the Stealth Tanks to support our infantry. I trust you can handle such a simple task?"

CABAL actually seemed to smile at the jab, giving a mock bow before his avatar disappeared. Malich knew the machine didn't actually leave him alone, but the lack of the avatar hanging over his head was comforting. Malich did not trust CABAL; he heard the stories from the Firestorm Crisis, and he read the reports about the cyborg conversion facilities. But with Ajay gone and Radec dead – by Malich's own hand – he would have to rely on Kane's pet AI. So long as it did its job, then Malich's plan should go smoothly.

… … …

The Predator rumbled down the largely deserted streets of Hangzhou. While GDI still used the port to transport troops and supplies in and out of the China Yellow Zone, the city itself had never recovered from the intensive fighting that took place here during the Second Tiberium War. The tank commander stood in the hatch, manning the .50 cal machine gun and watching the sickly and emaciated people who cluttered the sidewalks. The tank commander swept his gun over a man in a dark cloak, but the figure simply stood and watched, so the commander moved on to observe the other side of the dirty street.

Zemerik let out the breath he was holding, having been half convinced the commander was going to gun him down. He watched as the rest of the convoy rolled past: following the Predator was a Pitbull, which drove ahead of the transport truck that carried the Tacitus. After the truck was a second Pitbull. Bringing up the rear were two Guardian APCs that were loaded with squads of elite GDI Marines. It was going to be a hell of a fight to get the damned thing, and Zemerik wasn't even sure what it really was. Commander Malich was keeping them in the dark about what the Tacitus was and that… that had irritated Zemerik; he had taken part in the coup against Killian, surely that should have earned him some trust? Apparently not, and not for the first time since Sarajevo, Zemerik wondered if he had made the right choice.

"Zeta, report."

Zemerik grumbled as he reached for his radio. "Convoy just passed me, heading for your position."

"Alright, fall back to the LT." Akinjide ordered.

Zemerik turned and walked down the dark and filthy alleyway, carefully stepping over the passed out form of a junkie. He quickly jogged towards the dilapidated apartment building that housed the strike group. The GDI convoy would pass right by it on their way to the harbour. Zemerik noticed the rusted cars and garbage dumpsters that had been moved to block the road. As soon as the convoy came by, all hell would break loose.

"Alpha, enemy just passed me. They will be on target in fiveminutes." Akinjide reported.

"Copy. Everyone get in position." Lieutenant Miličević ordered in a hushed voice.

Zemerik entered the building and ran over to Jörm and Roake, who were manning the machine gun they had set up in a window on the first floor. Zemerik relieved Roake so he could grab an RPG. Everyone was tense as they waited for the enemy, and many were worried about the lack of armor support or any reinforcements. The only sound inside the building was the breaths of the waiting soldiers, and the soft clicks of weapons being checked over. After a few minutes, the roar of the Predator's engine could be heard getting closer. Akinjide came running into the building and leaned against the wall, trying to catch his breath.

"Wait for my signal." Miličević breathed.

"Focus on the transports, kill those Marines quickly before they can dig in." Zemerik suggested. The reply from his squad was mute nods.

The GDI convoy rolled past the apartment building, grinding to a halt as they came up to the barricade. Zemerik could see the tank commander angrily shouting into his radio, before dropping down into the tank. The APCs dropped their hatches, and the Marines inside quickly fanned out into defensive positions. Another Marine jumped out from the lead Pitbull, and angrily spat a wad of chewing tobacco on the ground. Zemerik watched the man trot over to the Predator where he studied the barricade, then looked up at the apartment building. He had enough time to look terrified as realization dawned on him, just before rockets leapt out from the building and exploded against the Pitbulls and APCs. The Stealth Tanks dropped their stealth fields and fired on the Predator from behind the barricade. The GDI tank exploded as it was hit by over half-dozen missiles. The surprise attack had the desired affect: all of the GDI vehicles were immediately rendered useless, if not outright destroyed, in the first few seconds of the firefight. The machine guns then opened fire at the Marines as they ran for cover. Several went down from the hail of bullets, but most were able to find cover in the debris that littered the street. The Marines were effectively pinned down, but a few managed to take pot shots at the apartment buildings.

"Take out those Marines! We need to secure the package!" Miličević shouted over the barking of rifles.

Zemerik struggled to keep Jörm's machine gun fed, as the big man was firing on a group of Marines. As Zemerik reached over for another belt of ammunition, he tried to gage the distance to the truck. If they could keep the enemy pinned, he and Akinjide might be able to make a run for the truck.

"Command, we need those Buggies now. Enemy foot troops are entrenched and preventing extraction of the package."

"Negative, Lieutenant. We just spotted the GDI Marines near the harbour moving towards your position. All armored units are being moved to intercept them. Get that package and exfil ASAP!"

Zemerik glanced over at Akinjide. The man nodded back to him, as if he had read his mind. Zemerik grabbed a third belt, then yelled out for Roake. "Roake, take over for me! You and Jörm will cover us."

"I'm assuming you're gonna do something stupid. But we got your back, Zee."

Roake quickly took over Zemerik's spot as he grabbed his rifle and pulled out his radio in a single motion.

"Lieutenant, Zeta and Alpha will move out to grab the package. Keep us covered."

"Affirmative. Get it done."

The two men charged out from the building, careful to keep their heads down from the back and forth exchange of lead. They reached the cargo truck without issue, and Akinjid got to work on getting inside. Zemerik tried to spot one of the Marines behind the wrecked APC, but between the smoke and bullets, they were out of his sight; hopefully, that also meant he was out of theirs. The bullets continued to fly back and forth, but Zemerik and Akinjide were left alone, as if forgotten amidst the firefight.

"By Kane and all the Saints. The hell is this thing?" Akinjide muttered from inside the truck.

"Just grab it and let's-"

Zemerik was cut off as a flash of light blinded both Nod and GDI soldiers, bringing the firefight to an abrupt end as soldiers from both sides reeled with pain. Zemerik blinked away the blindness, and cursed at what he saw. The invaders had arrived, with a mixed swarm of Ravagers, Shock Troopers, and Disintegrators having just appeared down the street. Without exchanging any words, both GDI and Nod immediately turned their fire on the aliens. The aliens responded with a hail of Tiberium, energy, and plasma weapons. Zemerik ducked around the truck and began to fire on a Ravager, just as Akinjide jumped out of the truck.

"We need to move!" Akinjide shouted.

"Just go! I'll cover."

Akinjide didn't hesitate and ran back to the building. Zemerik finished off his magazine and ran after him, narrowly avoiding a bolt of plasma. Before he reached the relative safety of the apartment building though, more flashes of light indicated more portals had opened. Zemerik got inside the door just as a plasma disc impacted the ground behind him, leaving a burn mark on the road. The aliens had deployed Gun Walkers and Seekers, which cut through the Marines with ease. Now that the GDI troopers were dead, the aliens turned their weapons solely on Nod. The temperature inside the building quickly became sweltering, bordering on oppressive, as plasma smacked against the building's exterior. The Nod troops were unable to return fire due to the sheer volume of plasma being thrown at them. Zemerik knew the aliens would rush them soon, and then it would be over.

"Brother Akinjide, do you have it?" Lieutenant Miličević asked.

"Yes." Akinjide replied bluntly.

"Then go. Out the back, you and Brother Zemerik. You must get the Tacitus to Commander Malich."

"What about you and the others?" Zemerik asked.

"We will delay the enemy. No. No arguments. Go. It's the only way."

"She's right. We must leave."

Akinjide was already heading for the back door, but Zemerik remained behind just a moment to say thanks. Miličević nodded with a sad smile, before urging him to go. Without the chance to say farewell to Roake or Jörm, Akinjide and Zemerik bolted from the rear of the house and ran down the back alley. Alien weaponry was suddenly met with the roar of machine guns and rifles. Their Brothers and Sisters would not go down without a fight.

The city itself was in chaos, as alien warships began to indiscriminately level the city, while GDI AA guns tried to shoot them down. Zemerik figured the GDI Marines must have engaged with the invader's forces, as he didn't see a single soul on their mad dash through the city. The two eventually got off from the street and ducked into a convenience store, desperate to rest for just a moment. As Zemerik sat against the door, panting heavily, he glanced back towards the building the others had been inside. He prayed they were alright, but the pillar of smoke rising into the air didn't give him much hope.

"How far until we reach the Commander?" Zemerik asked after he felt his breathing had become steady.

"He was set up in the hills outside the city. So we have another half hour run. At least."

Zemerik cursed to himself as he got ready to resume their mad dash. But instead of following suit, Akinjide stared at the briefcase that held the Tacitus. Zemerik stepped over to him, just as he opened the case, basking the store in a soft orange light. Zemerik stood transfixed as he stared at the object: the strange runes dancing inside frantically were mesmerizing. It was as if the runes were trying to drag him in, trying to tempt him with something. Horrible memories of his conversion flashed through his mind, breaking the maddening allure of the Tacitus. Zemerik quickly slammed the case shut, breaking Akinjide from whatever spell he had been under.

"What?" Akinjide mumbled, as if drunk.

"Let's go. Whatever this thing is… better to let Kane deal with it." Zemerik stated, ripping his hand away from the briefcase.

"Yes. Yes of course. Let's-"

A bright flash from outside told both men that aliens had just teleported in. They quickly dove behind the clerk's desk and trained their rifles on the door. Outside, Zemerik could see a Gun Walker and four Shock Troopers had appeared. The four aliens shuddered as they disgorged four swarms of Buzzers from their backs. The aliens then broke off into pairs and began searching the adjacent buildings.

"They are looking for this." Akinjide whispered.

"Out the back, through the alleys. Lets go."

The two men carefully crawled their way to the back of the store, hoping not to attract the aliens. As they crept out into the garbage strewn alley, the two men got back to their feet and began to run as fast as they could. But as they made an attempt to get back onto the main road, another portal opened to spew out another alien patrol. Zemerik pushed Akinjide back into the alley, narrowly avoiding being spotted by a Disintegrator. The two worked their way through the alleys, before eventually being forced to climb over fences and run through the backyards of people's homes.

Zemerik's lungs were burning, his arms and legs ached, and he felt like he would pass out at any moment. But the flashes of opening portals kept the pair running, as the aliens seemed hell-bent on finding the Tacitus. Their only good fortune seemed to be that the aliens couldn't pinpoint its exact location, meaning if Zemerik and Akinjide kept running, they might make it out.

They stopped again inside of an open garage, taking refuge behind a dismantled van as they caught their breaths and tried to figure out their next move: they had to cross a large intersection before they could use the cover of more buildings. Zemerik was trying to plot the safest way across, when another portal opened in the center of the intersection. Zemerik paled at the sight, and felt himself shake in fear. Four more Shock Troopers were fanning out to begin searching, while a Corrupter remained scanning the streets. The insect like vehicle was similar to old Nod Tiberium Tractors used by various warlords during the Reunification Wars. The alien vehicle could spray out liquid Tiberium that would instantly eat away anything it came into contact with. Unlike Nod Tiberium weapons, however, the Corruptwr could somehow create the horrible mutant creatures known as Visceroids. Zemerik knew there was no way of getting past the Corrupter. They were trapped.

Zemerik let out a long breath as he rested against the van. It would only be moments now before they were spotted. At least their deaths would be quick, and hopefully painless. He could see Akinjide had come to the same conclusion, as his face looked almost serene. The two men simply sat there, in a dusty old garage, as the city burned around them.

"Should we say a final prayer?" Zemerik asked.

"I thought you didn't believe in that anymore?" Akinjide countered, his eyes still closed.

"With the world coming to an end, anything is possible."

"Ha! True. Then what should we pray for?"

Zemerik was silent as he contemplated the question. Moments before death, what should a man truly pray for? Faced with uncertainty of oblivion, he supposed there was only thing to ask of God.

"That the afterlife is kinder than this life."

"Amen." Akinjide said half-heartedly.

Akinjide suddenly stood up, thrusting the briefcase that contained the Tacitus to Zemerik. Zemerik reflexively took it from him, confusion written across his face. But before he could ask what Akinjide was doing, the man grabbed a grenade from his belt and moved to the front of the garage.

"I will distract them, you must get to Commander Malich."

"Akinjide-"

"No. You must do this. Not for us, or Malich. Not even for Kane. But for everyone else who believes. Do it for them. Do it for their hope."

Akinjide smiled, and before Zemerik could even think to protest, he ran out into the street.

Zemerik watched in awe as Akinjide tossed the grenade at the Corrupter, which exploded against the vehicle's side. The Corrupter howled in pain at the same instant Akinjide fired a burst into one of the Shock Troopers, killing it instantly. Akinjide then bolted down the street, back the way the pair had come from. The Corrupter and the other Shock Troopers gave chase, leaving Zemerik alone.

"Thank you, Brother." Zemerik whispered to himself.

Zemerik clutched the briefcase and ran in the opposite direction. He tore down the now empty street, running towards the ever growing mountains just beyond the city. He felt tears sting his eyes, and not from the physical exertion. He had left all of his brothers behind, the only thing he had left anchoring him to this miserable world. The only reason his legs kept moving was Akinjide's words, and the sense of duty to people whose hope rested on this damn alien device.

The number of buildings began to thin out and grow more farther apart. Zemerik soon found himself with no cover, but also closer to the edge of the city. The Commander's Emissary was just up ahead. Zemerik ran with greater speed, determined to ensure his Brothers' sacrifices were not in vain.

Just as he began the climb up the hill, an alien portal opened directly in front of him. Zemerik tripped as he attempted to stop, and rolled back down the hill before hitting a large rock. Zemerik groaned in pain as he struggled to get back up, but it was too late. Another set of four Shock Troopers, as well as over a dozen Buzzers and two Gun Walkers now stood directly in front of him. There was no where to run, no where to hide. Zemerik would die and the aliens would have the Tacitus.

"Come on! Kill me! Kill me you alien freaks!"

Zemerik shouted at the aliens, shouted to the heavens. He grabbed his discarded rifle and readied himself to go down in a blaze of glory. But the aliens didn't attack; they didn't even move. They stood still as if waiting to be told to move. And then, they all fell over. The Gun Walkers and Shock Troopers simply toppled over, as if they no longer had the energy to stand, and the Buzzer swarms simply rained to the ground like broken glass.

Zemerik was stunned at what he saw, unable to comprehend what had happened. But loud explosions from behind caused him to turn around and witness an even more confusing sight: alien ships were falling from the sky! Devastators and PACs crashed into the ground with tremendous force, while Stormriders fell in swarms. The city became eerily silent, as the aliens' weapons abruptly stopped, with only the occasional burst of gunfire ringing out.

Zemerik was flabbergasted: the entire alien assault on Hangzhou had simply stopped. The invaders seemed to have committed suicide, or someone or something had somehow flipped a switch and turned them off. He continued to stand there, alone on the hill, watching the city grow deathly quiet with only plumes of smoke and fire being the only indication a battle had even taken place.

"What…what the hell?"

The sound of approaching engines caused Zemerik to glance back up the hill. He noticed the Emissary and the convoy of Reckoners approaching him. Zemerik waved them over, and two soldiers jumped out from the Emissary to run over to him. They stopped briefly to stare at the dead or disabled aliens, before coming up to him.

"Is the packaged secure?" One asked.

Zemerik merely handed the briefcase over and the two ran back to the Emissary. Zemerik remained in place, still unsure of what to do.

"Templar! Get aboard, we are going to retrieve our Brothers and Sisters!" A soldier called out from one of the Reckoners.

The mention of survivors gave Zemerik hope. He quickly ran over and climbed into the APC. If the aliens had simply upped and died, then perhaps Akinjide and the others had survived. Maybe God truly was on their side.

… … …

Malich stared at the Tacitus, the odd shapes and runes dancing madly inside the sphere. He had read about it, how it contained the knowledge to make or break empires. How it held the knowledge to make him a king. Resisting the temptations, Malich slammed the briefcase shut. The interior of the Emissary now fading from a soft orange, to the dark blue of CABAL's avatar.

"We have the Tacitus. You merely waste time by searching for your men." CABAL sneered.

"The aliens have stopped, GDI will be reeling. Now is the perfect opportunity to rescue our forces and escape."

"Your concern for your men is a weakness. We should - Incoming transmission from Kane."

Before Malich could question the AI, its avatar disappeared and began playing a recorded message from Kane. The elation Malich felt at their victory was instantly washed away at the panic in Kane's voice.

"Malich, something… unexpected has happened. You must meet me in Istanbul as soon as you have the Tacitus. Our plans have been accelerated."

"What has happened?" Malich asked.

"Unknown. But I have detected a massive burst of radiation in the atmosphere. We must make haste."

"Agreed. We will depart at once, the rest of our forces can join us later."

Within minutes the Emissary was loaded onto a Carryall, and Malich and CABAL were whisked away from Hangzhou. Uncertainty began to cloud Malich's mind, fearing whatever it was that had Kane worried. Malich opened the briefcase and stared at the Tacitus once more. While Malich could not read the information pouring out of the alien device, he felt confident that it was telling him one thing: the hour of Ascension was at hand.