Galatic Calendar: 39 B.B.Y.
The Outer Rim Territories.
The Republic Controlled World: Vorth Secundus.
Vorth Secundus. Once upon a time, during the final stages of the Republic's exploration days, this planet mainly comprised a wasteland-like environment and possessed zero sentient life. Had an impressive stockpile of natural resources. The initial explorers also managed to find key materials, which upon undergoing the refinement process within a Republic Refinery, could be employed in the construction of a fully functional hyperdrive
Naturally, the greedy politicians who ruled over the Core Worlds had sent several vessels equipped with the latest mining technology for the time period to construct a settlement on Vorth Secundus. The settlers meant to establish a foothold upon the mineral-rich world were comprised of Humans, Togrutas, Twi'leks and a few other humanoid species, most of whom volunteered for resettlement to escape the Core Worlds since corruption was sadly running rampant across the entire political landscape.
Cue fifty-eight years of relentless harvesting of Vorth Secundus's valuable resources by Republic corporations who tirelessly ship their collected materials off world, where a massive refinery awaited them in the Core Worlds. Sadly, while the rich greatly profited from the planet, which was located within a sector of charted space called The Helix Star Cluster, Vorth's settlers who had dared to dream of a better tomorrow away from the Republic's political Overlords' found themselves in a rather tricky situation.
To please the political powerhouses back in the Core territories and to keep up their backbreaking schedule of mineral shipments, several Republic cooperations on Vorth had the bright idea to 'modify' the employment contracts that potential workers must sign before getting employed to work within the mines.
The modifications in question allowed Republic corporations to enslave Vorth's general population by constantly expanding the time a hired individual was required to stay employed for their company.
Obviously, the Vorth's populace quickly realised what the Republic corporations were attempting to do with their contracts. Unfortunately, their revelation did the settlers little good as the Republic Overseers for Vorth Secundus's mining operations would gladly deploy their security forces against innocent civilians if it prevented any loss in manpower for the mines. Leaving the planet was also out of the question since the Republic had absolute control over all void-worthy vessels travelling through The Helix Star Cluster.
Attempting to reach out towards the Senate for assistance hadn't done Vorth's natives any favourites. The Senators involved with the corporations had twisted the truth and got away with slavery by calling the Vorthians 'indentured servants' a fancy title for the word slave. Their case was shortly thrown out of the Senate a few weeks later, and the Overseers delivered terrible punishments as soon as the majority of the Senate's eyes were drawn towards cases which involved their own political interests or home systems.
The Vorthian's future appeared pretty bleak. While not physically bound upon their flesh, those that'd chosen to live upon Vorth's soil are now wearing the chains of slavery around their necks whilst their corporate masters gleefully wield the whip of submission. The Senate, an establishment meant to protect their citizens from such a cruel fate, were either profiting from the Vorthians' suffering, uninterested in getting involved in such a scandal or simply ignorant of the evils their fellow Senators were committing behind closed doors.
Even the mighty Jedi Order. The supposed upholders of law and order within the galaxy had utterly failed Vorth's people after a duo of highly experienced Jedi Knights, plus a Padawan learner, had chosen to follow Supreme Chancellor Valorum's command to cancel the investigation into the corruption within the Republic's corporations on Vorth Secundus. There was little doubt that those profiting from the Vorthians' unfair treatment had employed their political influence to strong-arm the Chancellor into dropping the entire case.
To add insult to a rather painful injury, the Jedi Knights, before they left for the city planet otherwise known as Coruscant, had apologised for their inability to find any evidence to their claims. A bold-faced lie since the Vorthians had provided plenty of proof of the Republic's misdeeds during The Jedi's stay on Vorth Secundus. Yet, the so-called peacekeepers shamelessly ignored the obvious signs of corruption so the Republic's illusion of being the ultimate example of democracy could be upheld for its Senators and their represented worlds.
Undoubtedly, the whole situation was beyond bleak. However, unbeknownst to the Vorthians or the tyrannical corporate Overseers, there was still a tiny ray of hope for freedom from oppression. Deep within the wastelands was an impressively sized canyon that the first settlers nicknamed The Grey Fangs in acknowledgement of the geological formations on the canyon's sides that appeared to be rows of jagged fangs from a distance. Near the canyon's heart laid an unusual machine forged into the shape of an unidentified insect.
The colossal insect machine had a midnight black colouration with red highlights across its tapered legs. Yet, the most eye-catching detail was the bone-white symbol, a triangle with its tips removed and a scorpion's tail nestled in the centre, imprinted near the inactive machine's head.
Within the bowels of this metallic colossus slept the people of Vorth's salvation. The Chosen One. Destined to spread the holy teachings of the sacred substance known as Tiberium to the galaxy's farthest reaches. The Great Liberator, who shall remove the invisible chains placed around the Vorthian population, and the Republic tyrants that'd sold their slaves on the dream of a better tomorrow only to cruelly snatch their hope away for a mere handful of Credits shall be mercilessly put to the sword. Their bodies cleansed in holy fire.
The corrupt and oppressive shall soon learn to fear the words…
Peace Through Power!
The Grey Fangs.
Inactive Nod MCV.
Primary Stasis Chamber.
The Nod MCV's primary stasis chamber was a circular room constantly bathed in ominous red light. Several monitors, each displaying medical intel on the occupant within the only active stasis unit, were bolted against the four corners of the chamber. Mechanical arms, attached to the ceiling via a sophisticated rail system and at the tips of the metallic appendages, were unidentifiable tools meant for either quick repair work or assisting with the awakening procedure of those sleeping within the stasis units.
Located at the chamber's heart was the sole active stasis unit. A naked nineteen-year-old human girl with short hair similar in colouration to a raven's feathers and whose skin was the shade of freshly fallen snow could be seen floating peacefully within the crimson liquid that flooded the stasis unit. A breathing apparatus covered the youth's mouth, thus allowing for a satisfactory level of oxygen to be supplied to her. At the same time, the medical equipment performed regular scans of the patient kept in suspended hibernation.
Strangely, it appeared the youth had undergone some cybernetic enhancements; her spine had segmented lines, not too dissimilar to a centipede's exoskeleton, of blackish metal running from the tailbone to the base of her skull. Similar lines ran in a spiral pattern down her shoulders until they ended at her fingertips, replacing the nails with reinforced metal. Small demonic horns, midnight black with red tips, could barely be noticed on the top of her head. This cybernetic was designed to boost the mental connection with Nod's vast database.
At the stasis unit's base, barely illuminated by the crimson light which pulsed like a human heartbeat, was a simple plague with Elisabeth Kane written in elegant golden letters.
The stasis chamber was silent for another heartbeat, and suddenly, the countless robotic arms began shifting and turning as the MCV's artificial intelligence fully came online. Elisabeth Kane's form twitched as the various fluids that'd sustained her throughout the suspended hibernation started to be gently drained out of the stasis unit. The glass tube slides open mere moments after the liquid was gone, and its occupant would've fallen onto the cold metallic floor if it hadn't been for several robotic arms taking hold of her.
"Scanning!"
Whilst she was suspended in midair, a couple of medical scanners descended to check for any unforeseen problems. The breathing apparatus was carefully removed from across her face as several beams of crimson light briefly enveloped Elisabeth's nude body.
"Prophet Elisabeth Kane: Status Update!"
The booming voice of the artificial intelligence, otherwise identified as Legion, thundered within the primary stasis chamber as the medical scanners returned to their previous position above the stasis unit. A new set of mechanical arms descended with suitable underwear and heavy clergy robes, except these were stylised towards the Brotherhood's faith. The machines immediately started dressing the unconscious Elisabeth and enacted the task with a surprising amount of care and precision.
"Physical Status: Stable!"
"Cybernetic Enhancements: Operating at 100% Efficiency!"
"Neural Status: Undamaged!"
The mechanical appendages ascended upwards after their clothing task was completed. The arms responsible for keeping Elisabeth in midair then softly lowered until her bare feet touched the steel floor of the stasis chamber. Soon another set of robotic appendages emerged from the darkness, only this time, their equipment comprised of medical injectors. An ominous greenish light shined passed the see-through back of the injectors as the arms moved the equipment until it was mere inches from piercing her flesh.
"Attempting To Establish Neural Connection!"
"Neural Network Connection Successful!"
"Now Commencing Stimuli Revitalisation!"
A sharp gasp escaped Kane's lips when the injectors pierced certain sections of her body, and without hesitation, they injected the greenish liquid into her bloodstream.
Her eyelids swiftly snapped open, thus revealing amethyst orbs which confusedly surveyed their current environment. The robotic limbs that'd kept her upright during the entire awakening process immediately let go of their charge and then withdrew themselves back into the shadows. Thus, Elisabeth Kane, who still couldn't understand how she'd gotten to this strange place, finally stood up on her own power.
"Revitalisation Successful!"
"Welcome Back, Prophet Elisabeth Kane!"
The aforementioned Prophet flinched at the dominating voice of Legion. Yet, instead of feeling panicked or stressed out, as was expected when one awoke within an unknown location, Elisabeth felt an odd sense of calm wash over her in waves.
"Where am I?" The religious robe-wearing youth internally questioned whilst carefully surveying the countless inactive stasis units lined the walls. "No, the better question is, how did I get here?" Elisabeth was truthfully drawing a blank on any possible memories that might explain how she'd gotten inside the MCV's primary stasis chamber. The latest memory she could safely recall was of herself sitting down at the family dining room table for a late-night dinner, and everything after that was a complete blank.
Thankfully answers would shortly appear.
New Message Received.
"Waah?!" An embarrassed scream tore itself free from her lips when a blackish/red holographic interface suddenly appeared in front of Elisabeth's face. The new Prophet of Nod stepped backwards in fright. Yet, paused after noticing how the hologram would follow every movement of her amethyst-coloured eyes. She groaned in annoyance upon her overreaction to the holographic interface whilst simultaneously being thankful that nobody else was around in the stasis chamber to witness her embarrassing behaviour.
After taking a moment to fully calm down her racing heart Elisabeth gently tapped the holographic interface's message icon. Whoever invented the interface had gone for an odd theme of black and red symbols, which seemed strangely familiar to the clergy-robed youth. Within a heartbeat, the hologram flickered out of existence for a split second before the received message appeared in blocky crimson letters.
Intelligence Archive.
Message: An Apology.
From: Lord Z.
Access Level: Primus-Alpha - Prophet's Eyes Only.
Hello Prophet Elisabeth Kane! I'm Lord Z, a transcended entity or God, as the mortals like to say. Now that introductions are out of the way, I've written this message to explain how you've arrived in the stasis chamber within the Nod MCV.
To be perfectly blunt, I accidentally caused your house to explode during a battle against another transcendent. I won, by the way :), which subsequently caused your untimely death. Upon discovering my little accident, I decided to apologise by reincarnating your soul into another universe while crafting a Nod MCV, complete with a database of all Nod technology throughout that universe's wars, as a further apology gift for the inconvenience of dying.
I've also taken the liberty of implanting what I like to call the Prophet's Mind within your brain. The ability isn't extraordinary or memorable, as I created it to prevent you from freaking out over the whole reincarnated bit, which is why you haven't begun running around the room whilst screaming bloody murder. Oh, Prophet's Mind also allows the user to keep calm under stressful situations, so it has a tactical use outside of preventing panic attacks.
Now let me be perfectly clear, Elisabeth Kane, you're free to pursue any path in this new life since this reincarnation and power is a gift. I, nor any other transcendent entities not native to this particular universe, shall interfere with your life.
Go conquer the galaxy, raise a family, start a charity for baby seals, and establish universal peace. I don't care so long as you're happy with the decisions, and the consequences, of your actions.
At any rate, the rest of the Nod interface programs shall activate soon after you've closed this message. Legion will assist whenever necessary, as he's programmed with specific tutorials that'll help teach you how to master the holographic interface.
So good luck, Prophet, and enjoy your new life.
PS Don't worry about your family. I took the liberty of erasing every scrap of evidence of Elisabeth Kane from your old universe so they wouldn't be sad about losing a daughter.
PSS You're welcome, by the way.
PSSS I also gave a few more gifts, but I'll allow you to figure those out yourself.
PSSSS If by chance you ever run into M, please confirm that I thoroughly kicked his ass during our fight.
Signed Your Friendly Neighbourhood Transcendent Entity.
Lord Z.
Elisabeth felt her slender eyebrows rapidly twitching at the asinine message written by the so-called Lord Z. Bastard had caused her death, accident or not; he was still responsible for it. He even attempted to make amends by reincarnating her into an unknown universe! The Prophet prayed, not to Lord Z; jackass didn't deserve her prayers, that he hadn't dropped her into the Warhammer universe as the idea of combating Space Marines, or any of the other horrors lurking in that particular galaxy, wasn't appealing by any stretch of the imagination.
"Guess that also explains why this place seemed familiar." Elisabeth had always been a major fan of Command and Conquer, especially the series revolving around the Brotherhood of Nod, whom she'd always chosen to play in multiple-player matches. It wasn't a stretch to say the Brotherhood was her all-time favourite faction within the games which might explain why Z had given her a Nod MCV as an apology for accidentally murdering her during his battle with another supposed Transcendent Entity.
The revelation he'd erased Elisabeth's existence from her old home hurt emotionally. At the same time, she felt relief at the news as it meant her parents won't grieve over a daughter they couldn't even remember. Her older brother was killed two years ago during a drunk driver's mad rampage across their hometown, and the pain it'd caused the family was sometimes unbearable. Hence, the reason why she was so ready to accept the fact that Elisabeth Kane was no more within her old universe.
"Better they live normal lives than grieve for which they've lost." Elisabeth resolutely concluded on the subject, utterly unaware Prophet's Mind was helping her to better accept the circumstances of her situation. She gently tapped the message screen, thus causing it to disappear in a flash of crimson and then be replaced by the central interface hub, which now had a new set of options waiting for her inspection.
Intelligence Database.
Followers of Nod: 0
Funds: 4000 Tons of processed Tiberium.
Construction/Training Options {Locked}
Available Units: None.
Missions: Non-assigned.
Research: {Locked}
Covert Operatives: None.
Tutorial: 6 Available.
"Okay, that's a lot more info than I was originally expecting," The New Nod Prophet muttered while curiously tapping the tutorial programs and selecting the one labelled Followers of Nod. Within a split second, a new holographic screen popped into existence with the written tutorial patiently awaiting for Elisabeth to study. While studying the newly presented knowledge, Miss Kane headed for the circular doorframe as she could both read and explore the structure that shall be her home for the foreseeable future.
Tutorial Program: Followers of Nod.
The Followers, sometimes referred to as the cultists by enemy factions, serve as the foundation of any Nod stronghold or civilisation. These devoted, noble souls are vital in obtaining new soldiers, naval officers, scientists and other essential specialists within the Brotherhood. Depending on different factors, a Nod devotee will spend a certain amount of time undergoing intense training within Nod buildings before emerging as either a new combat unit or civilian specialist.
To obtain Followers, The Prophet must venture out into the civilian populated regions where she shall preach the Brotherhood's holy texts through which the sacred truth of Tiberium shall be taught to the masses.
Warning! While preaching the sacred truth, be alert for potential hostile activity from local factions, as they might feel threatened by a new power rising within their territory.
Note: New Followers can be naturally born from loyal Nod families. Yet, be aware that it'll be years before the children of these devout men and women of the Brotherhood can be trained into the next generation of holy warriors.
Note: Conversion of the local populace into true believers of Nod varies on multiple factors such as The Prophet's charisma, possible new devotees' relationship with their faction, conditions of the local civilisation and how their government treats its populace.
Note: It's highly recommended that civilian structures be constructed to house Followers after the first Tiberium Refinery is built. This suggestion is because the pilot for the Harvester, plus the crew operating the refinery itself, shall need appropriate accommodations for themselves and potential families that might decide to accompany them to a Nod settlement.
Aimlessly wandering the arched-style hallways of her MCV, Elisabeth silently contemplated what the short tutorial had revealed on the recruitment of Nod Followers. The necessity of recruiting Followers, and the subsequent next steps of training them in their respective fields, made a certain amount of sense as reality, unlike most anime or manga she'd either watched or read throughout the years, won't just allow for The Prophet to snap her fingers and summon an army of trained warriors from out of thin air.
Honestly, such an ability would've been awfully convenient but rarely was the universe that generous. This meant if Elisabeth wanted to build an army of Nod, she'd have to wait for her Followers to finish their military training within the respective Nod structures. Of course, she'll need to gather intel on the world Lord Z had dumped her on before a theoretical large-scale recruitment could begin. After all, this universe was still unidentified, and Elisabeth would rather not blindly walk into a potentially dangerous situation.
Not that the Nod clergy robed youth intended to amass an army or start trouble with the local government. After all, the people who lived on the planet might've a relatively positive relationship with their government leadership. The last thing Elisabeth wanted was to kick start a world war that might leave the planet a barely inhabitable rock like how the multiple Tiberium Wars had done to the Command and Conquer universe.
"Yeah, it's probably better that I don't stir up the preverbal hornets' nest," The new Prophet internally concluded whilst watching a few tutorial videos attached to the Followers of Nod program. The videos mainly consisted of Nod citizens living within a Nod-built settlement. A few even included images of eager recruits marching into a Hand of Nod. The sun and moon rapidly rotated across the sky for dramatic effect before fully trained Militants exited the building in their full combat gear.
"Cool, my militants use the version of their uniforms with the T-visor helmets," Elisabeth muttered softly with a pleased smile as she always did, like the more professional outfit of the Nod militants.
Anyway, a few minutes of aimless wandering lead Elisabeth straight to the MCV's Command centre. Where terminals, displaying various diagnostics of the MCV's systems, could be seen tightly packed against the room's four walls. A throne styled in Nod's general back and red theme was at the centre of the room. The neural connection she possessed with Nod's systems quickly informed her it was the MCV's Command Throne from which the Prophet, Elisabeth Kane, could comfortably control the colossal construct.
"Welcome, To The Command Centre, Prophet!"
Elisabeth, who'd barely managed not to jump with fright at the authoritative voice of Legion, gave a slight nod of greetings towards a security camera. It would take her some time to get used to Legion's presence.
A heartbeat later saw her seated upon the obsidian throne that'd immediately connected Elisabeth's neural pathways to the MCV's mechanical equivalent. Soon the reincarnated youth could see through the' eyes' of the massive insectoid machine, thus revealing the greyish jagged stone comprised of The Grey Fangs canyon. A sense of awe filled Elisabeth's heart upon witnessing such an alien landscape. Unlike her homeworld, a crimson sun dominated the blue sky instead of a yellow version.
After taking a moment to admire the scenery, Elisabeth got to work. "Legion, have any hostile lifeforms been detected near our location?" The Prophet inquired as she'd rather not be blindsided by local wildlife who suddenly appeared with the desire to test if the MCV was something edible.
"Negative Hostile wildlife nor humanoid life signs have been detected on our scanners, Prophet!" Legion dutifully reports while sharing the accumulated tactical data with Elisabeth via the neural connection. Indeed barely any life signatures were found during Legion's routine sensor sweeps of the canyon. The only things that seemed to thrive here were strange reddish skeletal trees, their roots digging deep into the greyish soil, and the branches stretched upwards until they brushed against the jagged tops of the canyon.
"Then how about signs of civilisation?" If a settlement was nearby, she could probably pay it a visit to learn more about this new world.
"Our limited scanner range hasn't located any visible signs of civilisation," Legion replied whilst the MCV moved into a standing position after receiving a mental command from Elisabeth. "However, unregistered transmissions are regularly being transmitted out into space from a location northeast of our current position!" The tactical data indicated that it'd take around three days via transport vehicle to reach the source of the unidentified transmissions that Legion warned might be alien in origin.
"Okay, so aliens might be running around in this universe. At least that limits which possible universe I'm stuck in." Elisabeth mentally filed away the possibility of meeting aliens to the back of her brain for the moment. A quick survey of the surroundings revealed the MCV was in the perfect location to unpack into the heart of all nod strongholds. The half-dozen skeletal trees were tightly pressed against the canyon's greyish walls, thus too far away to ever be considered a problem for Nod's future construction efforts.
She breathed deeply before giving the following command. "Legion, initiate MCV conversion into Nod Construction Yard!" The A.I gave a short affirmative before the MCV underwent the signature transformation process of Nod's MCVs. Metallic surfaces elegantly shifted across the MCV's outer shell whilst the colossal legs that granted the vehicle its mobility began to fold inwards. The clergy-robed youth felt the massive vehicle's internal structure shifting into a new form via her neural connection with Legion.
Within a mere half-hour, the insectoid machine that could easily crush small structures, vehicles and enemy troops underneath its colossal pointed legs was miraculously transformed into Nod's signature Construction Yard. The decision to settle down within the canyon's heart also had the added benefit of unlocking options and tactical information, which Elisabeth swiftly brought up on the Intelligence Database.
Intelligence Database.
Construction Options: Unlocked.
Available Military Structures:
Power Plant: Cost 500 Units Of Processed Tiberium.
Tiberium Refinery: Cost 3,000 Units Of Processed Tiberium.
The Hand Of Nod: Cost 500 Units Of Processed Tiberium.
War Factory: Cost 2,000 Units Of Processed Tiberium.
Secret Shrine: Cost 1,500 Units Of Processed Tiberium.
Nod Crane: Cost 1,500 Units Of Processed Tiberium.
Operations Centre: Cost 1,500 Units Of Processed Tiberium.
Available Defensive Structures:
Walls: Cost 50 Units Of Processed Tiberium.
Shredder Turret: Cost 600 Units Of Processed Tiberium.
Laser Turret: Cost 1,200 Units Of Processed Tiberium.
Disruption Tower: Cost 1,000 Units Of Processed Tiberium.
Available Support Structures:
Tiberium Silo: Cost 500 Units Of Processed Tiberium.
Construction Yard Storage Bay:
1 Emissary Of Nod.
30 Construction Drones.
5 Repair Drones.
150 Command Staff Uniforms.
150 Scorpion Pistols.
Alert: The construction Yard's Internal Facilities Are Now Unlocked.
"Wow, that's a lot of new stuff." Elisabeth quietly muttered in interest whilst analysing the new intel. There are also civilian structures with their own respective costs, and she happily noticed an Emissary was already built and stored in the Construction Yard's storage bay. Possessing such a vehicle, built to withstand a lot of punishment from the enemy before breaking down, will definitely make it easier for her travels to new locations. An added benefit was the Emissary's ability to convert itself into an outpost.
The Construction Drones were 3-metre tail robots. An obsidian humanoid torso built atop a set of quadruped legs, the arms held multitools designed for construction work. The heads were elongated spheres which housed a Drone's electronic brain. Their primary purpose, as the name implied, was to construct and maintain the various Nod structures. Thus leaving Nod engineers and technical experts free to focus on more critical tasks such as research or monitoring the computer systems within the MCV.
Repair Drones were similar to those seen floating around the War Facility, except these possessed four additional manipulation tentacles and could fight back against aggressive foes thanks to the heavy machine gun mounted underneath their mechanical belly.
As for the Command Staff Uniforms and Scorpion Pistols, Elisabeth learned more will be manufactured when needed. They're meant to be gifted to the selection of Followers that make it through officer training.
"And damn, do these guys get some nasty hardware." The Prophet grimaced at the description of the Scorpion as this particular pistol, who possessed a clip far bulkier than what was considered normal, fired razor-edged shards of Green Tiberium. The poor bastard on the receiving end of those will shortly be sliced into multiple bloody ribbons.
The 'lucky' few who survive a direct hit from the shards can look forward to either dying a slow death by Tiberium poisoning or being literally eaten alive when the Tiberium fragments embedded in the victims' flesh begin their rapid growth cycle. Fortunately, the sole existing clips were securely locked within a reinforced armoury, buried safely within the bowels of the Construction Yard, which was specially designed to halt Tiberium radiation from leaking into the hallways should anything happen to cause the shards to become unstable.
"Alright, I'm just gonna leave the Scorpions in storage for the moment," at least until she could find the tutorial programs that involved learning how to safely handle a firearm. "I'll study more tutorial programs before trying anything else with the Construction Yard."
A few light taps later, the tutorials menu was pulled into view. A groan echoed throughout the Command Centre when Elisabeth saw how the tutorials had tripled since she'd last seen them. Obviously, unlocking new options must've caused Legion to simultaneously update its existing collection of training programs. Knowing from personal experience that ignoring homework wouldn't just magically cause it to disappear, she tapped the top holo-program whilst inwardly preparing herself for a long day of studying.
For the remaining hours of Vorth's day cycle, Elisabeth would busy herself with learning the mechanics behind the Brotherhood's technology. Plus, how to maintain a Nod base since the structures, vehicles, armour, and weapons will not follow game logic.
The new Prophet secretly prayed that she'll never be forced to unleash the wraith of Nod upon this world's government as the technology at her fingertips could easily cause unimaginable devastation on those deemed an enemy of the Brotherhood.
Sadly, fate had other plans for Elisabeth Kane and the galaxy.