Prologue: Unforeseen Consequences [Rewritten]
Prologue: Unforeseen Consequences
On planet Earth, on the continent of North America, in Yellow-Zone Y-6 or previously know as the state of Texas, in the City of Houston a battle was being waged in the heart of the city. As GDI forces tried to pushback against a Scrin invasion force trying to claim the area for Tiberium growing and harvesting. On the streets of Houston GDI forces were being pushed back by the Scrin invaders.
[Current Time: 1300 hours]
[Year: 2050]
[3rd Person]
'This is all going to shit.' Was the main thought going through the GDI forces head's as they heard the roar of reaper annihilators. Alex and his squad was currently pinned by gun walkers and shock troopers. The overhead battle for the sky wasn't doing them any favors either as it constantly rained metal chunks and hardened alien carapace along with plasma and missiles. The entire city was in shambles with burning buildings and wreckages scattered everywhere inside the city. The Scrin had destroyed the sonic fences keeping the radioactive Tiberium fields contained this limited GDI forces maneuverability through the city, while the aliens had full reign of the city. Even with full reign the Scrin forces still had a hard time flushing out the GDI forces trying to prevent them from taking over the city.
[Alex POV]
'Damnit' I thought as more plasma disks, and Tiberium shards flew over my cover. 'Those gun walkers and shock troopers aren't letting up.' "Phoenix, this is Delta Leader, where is that Fire Hawk air support?!" I yell into the radio. "We are pinned out here by those gun walkers!"
"Copy that Delta Leader this is Fire Hawk Phoenix I'm on my way to assist you, standby."
"Delay that order Phoenix return to base we have incoming enemy forces to the east."
"Copy that command I'm on my way, sorry Delta yall are on your own."
As the radio goes quite I curse command for leaving us on our own. I hear a scream ring through the air as I see a huge swarm of buzzers barreling down on our position. "FALL BACK!" I yell as I break cover to get away the swarm of buzzards. We all started to fall back trying to remain out of the aliens line of fire. "MOVE MOVE MOVE!" As I jumped over a downed Orca for cover. Trying to cover the soldiers as the fell back was difficult, combined with buzzards and radioactive Tiberium pockets, most of those soldiers wouldn't survive. The radio sparked to life as I received a transmission from an unidentified source.
"GDI forces do you copy?" crackled over the radio.
I picked up the radio and said "Yes this is Delta team leader Captain Alex, who is this?"
"Delta leader this is Steel Talons commander James Smith, we received a distress call for assistance in this zone."
I held the radio in my hand with my eyes wide. 'The Steel Talons? Weren't they in Australia dealing with NOD Insurrectionists ?' I turned the radio on and responded "What distress call Commander? We never sent a distress signal."
"Well if you did or you didn't we are still here to assist you in the defense of this city, contact your commander and tell him the news." Then the radio went silent.
I switched channels on the radio to the base signal and contacted command. "Command? Do you copy?"
The radio was silent before crackling as Command responded.
"Yes Delta leader we copy." command replied.
"Command I just got a transmission from a Steel Talons commander, he and his boys are on their way to assist us in the defense of the city."
"Delta leader did you just say the Steel Talons are in the area?" command asked over the radio.
"Yes command the Steel Talons are in the area and are moving in to assist with the battle." I replied
"Delta leader send the Steel Talons commander these coordinates so they can setup their base."
I looked at my helmets HUD to see the coordinates data package uploaded into my data bank. "I'll send this data package to the Steel Talons commander immediately commander." I switched radio channels back to the encrypted channel.
"Steel Talons commander James, I have a data package for you with coordinates for a base point. Transferring it now." I said into the radio.
"Copy that Delta leader we got the package, we are diverting some of our escort to your position right now. Good luck out there Delta leader." The channel went quite after that.
"We got some Steel Talon reinforcements incoming boys, Hold on!" I yelled to the rest of the soldiers. Just as I said that a roar of orcas came overhead bombarding the gun walkers into oblivion while the shock troopers teleported away from the orcas raining missiles.
I heard a "HELL YEAH!" As I saw the gun walker parts fly everywhere along with the rest of the soldiers cheering as well. "Alright boys, move up and sweep the area and get entrenched, we only have a few minuets till the Scrin try to force their way through here again." I called out to them.
"Steel Talon commander James do you read ?" I ask in the radio. All I get back is static. "Steel Talon commander James do you read?" Again just static. I switch channels to the normal channel. "Commander do you have a comm link with the Steel Talon commander?"
"Negative Delta leader, we do not have a comm link with the Steel Talon commander as of yet." replied the commander.
"Shit" I mumbled to myself. I heard the rumble of engines and thumps behind me. I turned around the see 3 support APCs and 2 Titan MK.2 Walkers pulling up. I watched as they passed us heading towards the new entrenched position. However an APC stopped and opened it's transport doors to release a squad of rifle men and a combat engineer. The engineer spotted me and walked over to me.
"You are Captain Alex right?" Asked the engineer.
"Yes I am Alex. What is it that you need...?" I replied
"Its Sergeant Thomas, Sir. I need your assistance with a mission within the city." replied Thomas.
"What is the problem Sergeant ?"
"The commander sent me out here to capture a nearby city power station that controls whatever is left of the cities defenses." "I was hoping you could escort me over there."
"Why don't you just stay in the APC and let it take you to the power station?" I asked
"The APC is going to go hold the front line while we sneak around to the power station." he replied
"So a stealth op huh ? I'm not sure I am the right guy for this. You would have better luck with a different team. I am also still needed here, I need to keep watch over my squad... Well with whoever is left."
"It has already been settled between our commanders. Your commander recommended you for this. Also your squad will be under the command of another captain while we are gone." said Thomas.
I sighed before checking my magazines before looking at him. "Fine, lets go. If we can get those defenses online it can help turn the battle."
-+= Time Skip =+-
Me and Thomas have been traveling through the city for about an hour now, we have had to move slowly due to blockades and Scrin forces moving towards the frontline. The part of the city we are in was hit hard at the start of the invasion. In this place there was little to no sound only grinding metal and the occasional explosion from the battle happening in the heart of the city, the Tiberium that was growing here was untouched and was growing rapidly and out of control. We are hoping there isn't a Scrin outpost near the power station or we might just have to wait for backup.
As we walked around the remains of a Stormrider we could see the power station, but it has buzzers all around it with no other troops however. "Seems like we have a bit of a problem." said Thomas behind me. "I might just have to call the commander after all."
"Hold on a sec, I got an idea." I glanced across the street at a ruined clothing store. "Thomas do you know how these things detect stuff around them?" I asked.
"Um I believe its heat or radioactivity based. Why?" he answered while glancing at me from over his shoulder.
I was formulating a plan while I replied back. "I'm going to setup some thermal charges to try and redirect the buzzards long enough for us to get in. I just need you to hang back and alert me if anything happens alright?"
"Alright, but how are you sure they won't follow us into the structure ?" he asked.
"Doesn't the power station have an emergency shutter system?" I asked.
"Well it does actually. I can't believe I forgot about that. Alright lets do this." He said while nervously looking around the building.
I quickly crossed the street when the buzzards moved around to the back of the building before slipping further away from the station.
I came across a run down gas station with a few abandoned vehicles near it. I walked up to the giant tank next to the building and knocked on the tank. A muffled slosh rebounded back to me confirming there was still fuel inside.
I pulled out a emergency C4 charge and quickly stuck and wired it to the tank before linking it to the remote detonator and left. I quickly made my way back to the wreckage and then back to the alleyway where Thomas was waiting.
Once I was within the safety of the alleyway I pulled out my detonator and clicked the button sending the signal.
KABOOM
A huge plume of smoke and fire went up into the sky pulling the attention of the buzzards away and down the street.
"GO GO GO!" I yelled as me and Thomas made a break for the building before the buzzards could return.
We got past entrance without trouble and quickly activated the shutter system which just barely activated with whatever power was left. With us locked in we now had plenty of time to find the master control terminal or the MCT as Thomas refers to it as such.
"So Thomas what is the plan now ?" I asked while we walked around the dark building.
"Well we must first find the MCT so we can restart the building power functions and restore the power distribution through this part of the city's defenses." he explained to me.
"Well do you have any idea where the MCT is then ?" I asked peeking into a dark room with my flashlight.
"Actually I do, if the blueprint I got from the commander is accurate, the MCT should be in the basement or the main control room," he told me.
"I'll go to the control room, you should go to the basement and look for the MCT."
"Um, but-" he tried to retort.
"Do you have combat training ?" he nodded. "Are you afraid of a little darkness ?" he shook his head. "Then go so we can get the lights on." I said while I walked towards the stairs.
I walked up the stairs onto the second floor looking for the control room entrance. My armored feet clanking on the tiled floor as I look at the different signs telling where everything is. I followed the signs which led me to the control room, I opened the control room door and entered, only to immediately leave cause of the eye watering stench that came from within the room.
I walked back over to the door and opened it again and look around with my flashlight, trying not to breath through my nose. I could see a lot of dead bodies and dried blood in the control room, it was attacked by the Scrin and they slaughtered all of the power station's crew. I slowly stepped inside before searching around for the MCT, I checked a connecting room which just contained a few servers but nothing else. I reentered the control room before heading to the main control panel. I moved around the bodies in order to access the station's control panel.
I wiped some debris off a keyboard. I was about to head out and see if I could find the MCT elsewhere just as the lights came on along with the monitors on the wall.
I pulled a chair over and started doing what I could on the control panel and I waited for Thomas. He didn't keep me waiting long. As he entered I heard him quickly gag and duck out before coming back in. He walked over to me as I got up and gave him the seat. I watched him work quickly getting the station back to fully functional.
I glanced at the monitors looking at the data that only a engineer or operator could understand before looking at what was left of the security cameras on the outside. The cameras showed this section of the city's defenses coming back online and firing on the Scrin forces, clearing out the entrance of the building they are in. After a moment of observing I looked back to Thomas as he finished typing.
"With the defenses and power online I can contact the commander and tell him we have the station is online." Thomas said to me. As he established contact with the commander a giant explosion shook the building. I stumbled against the console, when the shaking finally subsided we checked the outside security cameras.
What we saw scared us, it was a Scrin Mothership floating above the city. I turned to Thomas and grabbed him and dragged him to the door. "Come on we need to get out of here! That thing probably came here to destroy this place!" I said while dragging him.
"Wait! I need to make sure the Ion reactors are stable!" pleaded Thomas.
I looked outside at the Mothership before looking back at Thomas. "Fine! But meet me near the front when you are done we are getting out of here." I stated before heading out the door.
[Thomas POV]
As Alex left the control room I quickly pulled up the reactor statuses. I quickly look it over before I started checking the integrities of the reactors. I had to bring the safety systems online to keep the reactors stable. After a few minuets I checked all of the systems, seeing them all green I got up and made my way out of the room.
I made my way to the entrance of the building ,which should be clear since the defenses are online, and met up with Alex. As soon as we took a step out the door a giant rift opened in the middle of the city. We stared at it. We watched as chunks of buildings and vehicles fly off into the rift, I saw a few people as well. I felt Alex grab my uniform and start to pull me in the direction of the building behind us, but a flash of blue light pierced the sky and went straight into the rift, it was the powerful Ion cannon, the rift seem to start glowing from the energy it was absorbing form the Ion cannon. The rift was becoming unstable until it suddenly exploded, the shockwave turned the closest buildings into dust almost immediately while other buildings collapsed. Me and Alex got shoved to the ground from the shockwave.
As the dust settled me and Alex got up and watched with horror as a new rift settled in the city, it was swirling and glowing blue and wasn't dissipating like a normal rift does.
I heard Alex stand up beside me and mumble something that I could agree with.
"Sweet mother of God."
[3rd Person]
In a world untouched by war for centuries, a world untouched by the green curse, a world untouched by humanity.
A pure world filled with green plant life and vast blue oceans, with dense forests and untainted sky. On this planet known as Equis to the natives, a world untouched by the green crystal, but that would soon change as on vast continents small rifts appeared at random across the planet, as the rifts formed they dropped a single green crystal before sealing.
All of the energy the rifts combined and generated a larger rift in a desert known as the badlands.
A single crystal, to engulf a world. To tie it to a conflict that was stained in blood and crystals.