The Arsenal of Nod 01: "Countdown to Transformation"
Disclaimer:? I don't own the Command & Conquer universes or the Nasuverse.? If nothing else about those fictional areas, know that.
It was only a short trip to hotel that Kane had rented out entirely for himself and his various covert followers who were originally to have met him in this city for a meeting about the Mage Association and other supernatural groups who posed various problems for the coming revolution against the complacent world order and their lackey nations.? A troubling situation to be sure, due to the currently warm relationship between the leaders of the Association and the current head officials of the UN Security Council member-states.
Now, he would have another reason for the meeting: to announce to his closest followers the discovery of his future successor.? It would allow him to monitor the loyalty or loose lips of his current Inner Circle and determine which ones would be fitting pawn-sacrifices once war broke out.? Kane gestured to several of his followers once he had arrived with his small bodyguard contingent, "Come, my children.? We have much to prepare before my Inner Circle can be allowed to appear."
One of his servants was able to draw up enough audacity and ego to speak back to the bald man.? "Sir, but the preparations are com-Guh!"? The man who had dared speak in such a way to Kane was silenced by his master's own hand grabbing the servant by the neck and crushing his windpipe, before Kane tossed him aside to suffocate miserably without being able to do anything.
Kane looked around the now-understanding eyes of his close followers who knew it was rare for him to kill any of their numbers in such a personal and immediate manner.? They were beginning to understand his drive to change the plans and revise the work they had labored so hard at for the past few days prior to his arrival.? He noticed the boy, Shirou as his mind had logged with much interest, being brought into one of the honored guest rooms on the same floor as his own and those of his bodyguards on a stretcher with two of his female guards keeping close watch on the boy and the medical staff already tending to him.? Kane swept his hand broadly in the direction of where the group had disappeared onto an elevator.? "My brothers and sisters, that boy is to be the key for the future success of my plans.? He," Kane paused here for the dramatic effect and the building of uneasy tension in the small knot of his servants, "is to be my messenger to the people when I am unable to reach the masses.? Our," Kane? paused again, although he need to take a larger breath here, "guests are not to know of him or that my successor is a child.? He will bring upon this world a type of salvation that even I would be hard-pressed to provide.? We shall make sure my son is well-educated.? Do you all understand?"? He received many slack jaws and open eyes in response, even though many had worked for him for years or decades and had learned how to not betray their emotions so plainly.? He smiled, for soon the catalyst for his ascension would arrive, and the great game would begin.? His next two weeks would be quite interesting for a series of revelations and revisions he would lay out upon his Inner Circle.
For the boy, Shirou, the next two weeks would be a bizarre haze of mask-covered faces hovering over his mangled body and the ever-present forms of at least two women with rifles at the ready watching over his unmoving body.? The memories which were clearest, however, were the ones including his adoptive father visiting and talking to him.? One of those struck out beyond any other and would remain an active memory for the remainder of Shirou's lifespan.
His father figure had walked into the room while the two women in tactical battle gear were the only ones in the room with him.? His father had noticed the lack of doctors or nurses and had immediately turned to one of his constant protectors, "So, what do they say about my son?"? It was that moment that Shirou cherished for many years after the event, because his father cared about him and wanted to know how he was doing.?
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Kane had decided to spend the next two months after Shirou's return to wellness to provide an easier schedule for the boy's rehabilitation and determining his intelligence level.? The time spent in Fuyuki would also allow him to build up a host of contacts and hold a series of hidden rallies to raise up support for the Brotherhood in eastern Asia.? Oh, he would certainly spend time with the boy to better further his plans, but he would focus much of his energy into his current set of improvised goals.? Perhaps he could make arrangements for his followers to gather up a small cadre of look-alikes for Shirou?? It could make the boyÆs days without his æfatherÆ much moreàenjoyable.
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Following those two weeks spent almost continuously in that same room except for when it needed to be sanitized, Shirou was allowed to wander about town with at least two of his 'Big Sisters' as he had come to call them to Kane's and their own amusement.? The first week of the rehabilitation was spent wandering about the area close to the hotel and with frequent breaks for the boy to rest.? It was not until the second week where the boyÆs endurance had been built up enough for him to wander further afield from the hospital and for another team of the bald manÆs bodyguards to be kept near wherever he was currently wandering for a mobile and immediate response team.?
A most interesting meeting took place during the third week of ShirouÆs wanderings.? Well, to be honest, it was actually three different meetings, but the memory would blur together into one grand encounter over the next eight years in his mind.
(The people of this town fascinated the boy during his wanderings about it.? ûKeep this sentence?)
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(Third month Events and Departure from Fuyuki)
Shirou waved sadly to the small group of his new friends, for each one had come to occupy places near to that of his father and protectors despite his short time with them.
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(Preparing for the Rebellion: Month Four)
ôAgain.ö? Once more, that word echoed in the mind of KaneÆs chosen successor.? He had learned how affectionate his adoptive father could be in their first three months together.? Now, as his father had him repeat the motions of safely disassembling a concealable pistol, Shirou wondered if it had been a cover for something else, so that he would willingly submit himself to his fatherÆs instruction.? Ordinarily, the boy would not have been so suspicious of his father, but the very first lesson taught to him by Kane since leaving Fuyuki and Japan behind had been to ôSuspect Everything.ö? It was a state of mind that Shirou still was working on, despite numerous ækillingÆ attempts that he had been handed as æpop quizzes.Æ? He had not done well on most of them, except for attempts which were essentially repeats of earlier ækillingsÆ with a few conditions changed.
During the second week of the month, Shirou met the first of his brothers, Ivan from the Ukraine.
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(Month Five/Six: It Came From Space)
It was first spotted by the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope.? Originally believed to be merely a speck of dust on the lens or a defect in the lens emerging after its repeated use, the scientific community didnÆt see it as a major point of concern.? A week later, a team of land-based astronomers at a Hawaii-based observatory reported that they had discovered a possible extra-solar asteroid.? Overnight, the asteroid became front-page news as being one of the few news-worthy space events since the Apollo missions to the Moon.? It only took three days to confirm the claims of the observatoryÆs team due to the odd angle of approach of the object beyond the observed angles of solar-orbiting objects.
A day later, the first computer-generated prediction of the extra-solar asteroid put it passing within two hundred thousand kilometers of Earth, close enough for a hastily-assembled probe to attempt making contact with the object.? The next day, a Tuesday for those who would remember it, NASAÆs Hubble repair mission discovered that there nothing wrong with the lenses or the satellite itself.? The object, still un-named at this point beyond being Extra-Solar Object One, was then realized to be the cause of the distortion from images of June Twenty-third.? Astronomers were then able to trace a more accurate approach path of ESO1 and fed this new data into the systems used for projecting the paths of various space objects.? Appropriately, the technician who first read the predictions in growing horror went by her childhood nickname of ôAsh.ö
Down the halls she raced to the DirectorÆs office.? He needed this data now if these models were accurate.? Past the startled coworkers who had never seen her act this urgently, she shouldered her way past the usual late night shift crowd around the coffee machine and the break room to get to the nearest staircase from the Computer Center in the building.? Knocking over a startled secretary with but a quick ôSorry!ö she hurried onwards to her destination.? A group of black-suited men and women stood around the door of the DirectorÆs office with plainly visible firearms holstered at their sides.? It took merely a look from one of them to cause the slim woman to skid to a stop just ten feet from her destination with deep, heaving gasps coming from her throat.? ôI needàto seeàDirector Mitchellàright now.? ItÆsàurgent!ö? Each gasp interrupted the flow of words but not the desperate meaning behind them.? Even these odd men could tell whatever message she had was something of grave importance to her, given by how exhausted she seemed to be at the moment.? ôItÆsàaboutàESO1!? He needs to know this!ö? Finally, Ash was getting her wind back and could string coherent sentences together again.? ôPlease!? You have to let me through!ö
One by one, black suits shifted about in obvious discomfort about a possible need to go against their standing orders to not interrupt the meeting going on inside the office behind the door they guarded.? In just two minutes after the female technician arrived, claiming to be bearing news of great import, the leading agent thumbed his radio to alert the agents inside the room.? ôBringing computer tech in.? She claims to have news about ESO1.ö? The other five agents waited with tensed nerves with their leader for the silence that lasted five minutes as AshÆs heart hammered inside of her chest, aware of how her news could terminate the careers of herself and her boss.? Then, word came back, and the six agents let out some of the tension that had been present.? ôDirector Mitchell and the Vice President will see you now, MaÆam.ö
Her eyes could not have swelled any larger in shock.? The Vice Presidentàwas here, and she would have to brief both him and the Director.? æOh boy, my career is going to be sunk after this.? I might as well show the initiative again!Æ? She nodded resolutely following her internal monologue and straightened up the folders and papers she had been carrying since her departure from the Computer Center.? ôAlright.? Open it up then.ö? The lead agent obliged and twisted down the handle connected to the elaborate mahogany-made door to reveal a rather simple room inside filled with various elected and appointed officials and two other aides taking down the meetingÆs minutes and various other notes for the æpublicÆ record.? It was reasonable for her to be shocked as everyone inside stood up to acknowledge as if she was some major official bearing much-anticipated news of some vital event or battle.? She cleared her throat nervously and tried to speak confidently although her words came out as more of a squeak at first.? ôUm.? Ah.? Right.? The computer models say that ESO1 will impact the Earth in just eight days!ö
They stared in shock at her.? Except the Director who was used to the various tendencies of his subordinates and could fluently understand the squeaked mass of words that had left the other occupants behind in the wake of their arrival.? He exuded calm and the constant strength of his personality helped to ease the rapid-firing heartbeats of the technician.? ôFor clarification for the record and the Vice President, did you just say that ESO1 was on an impact course with our planet, Ms. Winters?ö
Still speaking quickly, but not squeaking now, Ash could now be understood.? ôYes sir, Director Mitchell!? All five of the computer models agree that impact is imminent and I triple-checked the model programs and the math myself before bringing the data and models to you.ö? At this point, she handed over shakily the five folders that had been clutched under her left arm, while hanging onto the two folders containing her own work and modeling program checks.? By now, she was aware of how under-dressed she was for a meeting involving the Vice President given how she was in her casual working clothes that included, among other behind-trend articles of clothing, a pair of sneakers instead of any up-heeled shoes.
Elsewhere, Kane watched eagerly as the catalyst for his message made its final approach and orbit around the Earth.? He directed Shirou to join him on the balcony of their hotel with the telescope he had purchased for this one purpose.? ôCome closer, my son.? Look into the lens here, and see the bringer of humanityÆs deliverance!ö
As the boy looked into the lens of the telescope, he could witness several dozen streaks of fire arcing up towards the divine messenger in an attempt to smite with the height of mortal might and knowledge.? ôFather, they are attempting to blow it up.ö
Kane smiled inwardly at his observant son who had taken quickly to the lesson of knowing your enemiesÆ strengths and weakness.? ôSo they are my son, but they underestimate the greatness of the heavenly bringer of peace.ö? Kane put his hands on the shoulders of his chosen successor to join him in witnessing the coming failure of the current world orderÆs death throes.?
Rome, Italy was one of the oldest continuously-populated cities in the Western Hemisphere.? Currently, her people were fleeing from her through her narrow, twisting streets and walkways.? Tens of thousands of her residents and visitors would die today from being trampled or crushed by the panicked human masses, various types of large working beasts, and the motorized vehicles driven without any regard for external safety.? Several hundred thousand of her people and admirers more would fall from the events set in motion by the catastrophic ending of Rome, home of emperors and EuropeÆs greatest Classical civilization.
Just twelve hours ago, her people had been out in the streets, celebrating in great traditional manner at the apparent destruction of the oncoming asteroid.? Then, new horrifying news had arrived.? HumanityÆs desperate retaliation at this oncoming death-bringer had merely broken it up into seven large pieces and reduced the overall mass by almost a third.? All but one of these remnants would either fly harmlessly away, as prayed by the worldÆs scientific community, or they would crash into the EarthÆs constant guardian and shield since its formation: the Moon.
The last of these remnants would not pass quietly into the night, and it relentlessly endured any other obstacle that passed through its path.? Six hours before the current panics in Rome reached their highest point in chaos, many of the worldÆs remaining nuclear weapons had been deployed in another final effort to stop this impossible juggernaut.? The space invader had barely been scratched, losing only five percent of its mass to the strike despite the attackÆs more concentrated attack.? Three hours later, its final impact point had been calculated: St. PetersÆ Basilica in the Vatican City.? Of course, such a precise calculation of its impact point hardly mattered once news anchors got a hold of how powerful the collision of ESO1Æs stubborn remnant would be.
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(Month Seven: The Message Reaches the Oppressed People of the World. August)
ôRejoice people of this blighted land!? Tiberium has come to change the world and bring to its ælesserÆ inhabitants peace and prosperity for their first time!
Kane was in Sudan today, preaching to a congregation of over two thousand families as his more faithful servants passed out food, medical aid, and water to those gathered in this small, once-abandoned village.? Among the men and women passing out the vital supplies that had first drawn many present were Shirou and a small cadre of other faithful membersÆ children passing out bread and water.? It had been a brave follower who had first suggested the idea after she noticed how some families were leery of the adult aid workers due to past atrocities.
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(Month Eight:? ? September)
Newly-commissioned Second Lieutenant Ashley Winters could hardly believe the work she was doing now for the United StatesÆ Department of Defense.
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(Month Nine: The Initiative for Safeguarding Humanity Is Formed: October)
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Chapter 01 ends.? It covered temporally from December 1994 to October 1995.
