Command & Conquer 3 Story Revealed

Ever since the sequel was announced, old fans are in hype for the upcoming Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars. Information is still scarce as the official site didn't see any major updates in a while, yet time has come for Executive Producer Mike Verdu to reveal the back story. With help from IGN we learn more about the Tiberium infestation.

"The future contemplated in Command & Conquer 3 is a difficult one. The Earth has been permanently transformed by Tiberium as the strange alien mineral slowly consumes the planet. This crystalline substance turns anything it touches into more Tiberium, a process that gives off powerful energy that can be harnessed by a resource-starved human civilization. Tiberium is both a gift and a curse: It is the ultimate resource -- but it is also destroying the environment, it has been the focus of two world wars, and it will eventually obliterate all life on the planet."

Designated as Red Zones, about one third of the planet has been rendered inhabitable by the continuous wars up until 2047. Desolate wastes swept by storms and heavily contaminated, they're like the surface of an alien world, as scientists have speculated that Tiberium is actually a terraforming agent for a galactic civilization. The ensuing climate change melted the glacial ice and provoked extreme weather conditions. Coupled with the Tiberium infestation and decades of war, the social structures of the old world retreated to the relative safety of several Yellow Zones. Only the strongest survive here, with local warlords having rights over life and death in the most afflicted areas. Anarchy rules the land where the Brotherhood of Nod gains most of its power. Only the most fortunate were able to seek shelter within the Tiberium-free Blue Zones, as the GDI kept war away from its homes. Going about their lives in relative comfort, high-tech futuristic city dwellers coexist in forested valleys with pastoral farmland.

"What happens if you're exposed to Tiberium? Nothing good. If you come into direct contact with Tiberium, the green matter will start to fuse with your skin within about 20 seconds. You'll feel an intense burning sensation, similar to touching a hot pan or spilling acid on your skin. A full blown infection will manifest if you aren't treated immediately. Your flesh will begin to take on a glassy-greenish appearance as it begins to crystallize; eventually your internal organs will shut down as Tiberium extends rigid crystalline runners throughout your body. If you breathe in the crystal, then it will become embedded in your lungs. You'll lose the ability to process oxygen as your lung tissue crystallizes. Eventually you'll start coughing up blood and will hemorrhage to death."

One can plainly see that Tiberium is associated with both benefits and burdens. Either of hellish intensity in the Red Zone or plain deadly for the Yellow Zone's people, Tiberium provides clean energy for the flying cars, homes and overall technological magnificence of the Blue Zone. It affects human life in different ways, yet to the same global outcome: the thorough destruction of our ecosystem. The shadow of war beckons as both the GDI and Nod will heed its calling. Bringing the fighting deep within the core of the Blue Zone, the conflict will decide the fate of the entire planet.