A Summary of Our Problem
Tiberium has changed all the rules. We are now certain that the substance is extra-terrestrial in nature, although we are still not certain of what the far-reaching effects of its presence will be on our planet. Dr. Moebius� work into the nature of Tiberium has only scratched the surface. What we do know is that Tiberium is changing our planet � terra-forming it if you will � into something that will soon be unable to support human life, or in fact any standard terrestrial life forms.
Thousands of species, flora and fauna, even our ecosystem are being driven to the point of extinction, or worse, they are rapidly evolving into something unknown to us. We are seeing the laws of evolution set down by Darwin being torn asunder. Mutations and aberrations are occurring on a global scale with more frequency and with speeds that defy all known science. The mysterious path leading back to the root of our crisis stems in part from the information recently gathered by GDI forces from the mysterious artifact known as the Tacitus. This artifact, which was part of Kane's experiments with Tiberium, is slowly relinquishing its secrets. Our new alliance with the Forgotten's leader Tratos is yielding fantastic new information on this artifact and the mysteries of Tiberium. It is our hopes that more useful information will be made available on this subject very soon.
Tiberium
It would be best to start with Tiberium itself, named for the Tiber river [Note: This is a GDI report. GDI has never explored the true source of the name.] near where the first meteor containing the substance was found. The effects of Tiberium were thought relatively harmless at first, in fact beneficial, but soon after hitting the soil Tiberium began leaching the heavier metals and minerals from the soil. These crystal formations gathered together and rose to the surface where they were easily collected and processed. Unfortunately, the terrible truth was eventually brought to light; Tiberium is highly toxic and spreads rapidly like some type of ecological virus. Our only barrier to its march across our planet is that all forms of Tiberium seem to have trouble spreading in extremely cold or dry climates. This is not to say that it will not grow there, but the harsh conditions seem to slow the process. There are several forms of Tiberium and each has its own unique method for spreading across the planet.
The green formations are the most commonly found Tiberium crystals and have spread via three methods. The first and original way is via meteor bombardment. These meteors have appeared in increasing numbers and frequency, seeding new Tiberium patches and causing a great deal of collateral damage. The second method is by altering the genetic code of nearby plant life into "blossom trees" which release Tiberium spores into the surrounding air stream. The final growth pattern is simple self replication: given time the smallest Tiberium patch, even without a blossom tree, will spread to consume vast areas.
The second and relatively newest forms of Tiberium are blue crystals. Blue Tiberium has two growth stages; the first appears much like the green variety except for its colour - that is, crystalline growth spreading across the ground. Much like its green counterpart, blue Tiberium leeches minerals from the ground, but is able to do so in larger concentrations. These greater concentrations have the unfortunate side effect of making blue Tiberium highly volatile and explosive, making harvesting the crystals extremely dangerous. Blue Tiberium spreads by self-replication, but not nearly as fast as green Tiberium.
A recent discovery has revealed another form of blue Tiberium. It is believed that this blue Tiberium forms larger crystalline structures that tower over the landscape and it is far more dangerous than its green counterpart. It is highly unstable and prone to explode, spreading its stored mass of crystals over the entire area quickly seeding the nearby landscape. We have witnessed whole convoys of troops decimated by a chain-reaction. The exact function of these blue monoliths is unknown, but it is a theory that it may be a new method for the distribution of Tiberium.
The third known form of Tiberium is the scourge of the seas and has been working its way through the crust of our planet for decades. Green and blue Tiberium have been noticed on the sea floor along with a new form of algae colonies floating on the surface of nearly every ocean. Highly toxic in nature, these colonies are connected to small strands that attach back down to the sea floor, currently making sea voyages nearly impossible. This altered form of Tiberium does not seem to have any of the beneficial side effects of its land-based counterparts (i.e. the leeching of useful elements). Unfortunately, these colonies are slowly spreading towards our inland waterways. This action threatens to damage our drinking water supply and if we cannot stem the growth of this process, we may have much less time than we think.
The Visceroid
Visceroids were among the first mutated creatures to appear, many having been sighted during the first Tiberium War. The original specimens were weak, spherical creatures that could expel small clouds of toxic Tiberium gas. The newest forms are a collection of pre-sentient protoplasm. While smaller versions of the visceroids are relatively harmless, larger specimens can destroy entire cities. Using lightning-quick pseudopods to attack their prey, they can absorb a great deal of the kinetic energy, which contributes to their survival rate. Contact with these creatures is as deadly as touching pure Tiberium.
The Visceroid population has increased dramatically, primarily due to the elevated levels of Tiberium poisoning in our atmosphere. Tiberium gas corrupts and breaks down virtually all living tissue that comes into contact with it (both plant or animal matter). While limited exposure can be treated, long term exposure, even with protection, causes a spontaneous breakdown of the tissues. This change is virtually instantaneous once saturation levels in the cells reach a certain point. Smaller visceroids can merge to form larger versions, which are the more dangerous specimens. There have been some unsubstantiated reports of visceroids reproducing, but most seem to be formed from the breakdown of terrestrial tissues.
Because of its direct connection to Tiberium, the visceroid appears to use the substance to repair damaged tissue, making them all but impossible to destroy in a Tiberium field. It is unclear at present what use the visceroids are to this newly forming ecosystem.
The Tiberium Fiend
While we would prefer to call this creature Canus Tiberius, the popular nomenclature insists that it is a fiend, and in retrospect, they may be right. Indeed, even the appellation of Canus is misleading, for the fiend is canine in shape only.
This "Fiend" is another example of Earth's life forms being changed or reengineered by the Tiberium poisoning. Unlike Visceroids, which break down and change the consistency of the living tissues, the Tiberium fiend is some sort of forced evolution from existing life forms. The fiend usually appears as a quadruped similar in shape to a terrestrial dog, but more the size of a large horse or small elephant. The underlying skin is usually a blackish-brown to red color, but in most cases this is completely covered by a growth of pure Tiberium crystals on its back. The fiend has also adapted to its environment; it shares the visceroid's ability to heal itself in Tiberium, and is well camouflaged against detection when it burrows in a Tiberium field. In addition, the fiend has the ability to launch Tiberium shards from its body with incredible force, causing severe punctures and/or lacerations, as well as poisoning from the Tiberium itself.
The fiend is obviously meant to be the predator of this new ecosystem. It is incredibly aggressive, yet remarkably intelligent as well. There are documented cases of members of the Forgotten training (if not domesticating) fiends for use as "guard dogs". Specimens have also been seen responding to perceived acts of kindness.
The "Veinhole"/Tiberium Veins
Veinholes are a newly discovered phenomena seen during the second Tiberium War. Similar to the crystalline forms, Tiberium veins spread, but at a much more alarming rate. Unlike the blue or green Tiberium, the veins do not seem to leech the soil of nutrients but cover it completely. Invariably, the veins originate from a large central mass, which has several animal aspects, including a "mouth" of sorts. Many witnesses have seen living creatures torn apart by the veins, with those parts moved to the central mouth and (it is rumored) consumed. It is highly agitated by vibrations and kinetic energy, and will tear apart anything using pseudopods formed from the vein materials. Smaller units such as our infantry and light vehicle can usually cross before sufficiently agitating the veins.
We suspect that the "veinhole monster" (VHM) as it is called, is similar to a terrestrial Venus flytrap, collecting living tissues in order to spread its mass further. Thankfully, this creature is relatively easy to dispatch, as the life of the whole is tied to the mouth. Killing the central mass destroys the whole, where the remaining veins mass withers and slowly dies. As observed in field tests, hover-capable vehicles, aircraft, or infantry are highly recommended for this task. However, the defence mechanism of the VHM is still deadly � it emits clouds of highly concentrated Tiberium gas when its life is threatened. This gas can damage any vehicles near it and even kill infantry. On a side note, as with all fanatic groups of late, Nod has found a use for the VHM. The veins seem to be composed of a solidified version of the gas that the crystalline Tiberium emits. Nod has found a way to harvest this substance and place it in a warhead delivery system. Using such a weapon is an unspeakable act, since the detonation of such a device would not only corrode most materials in the area, but also subject any living tissues to the Tiberium gas, almost certainly dissolving those within the blast, potentially turning them into visceroids.
We must examine all of these new life forms and determine if we are seeing the birth of new species or the extinction of our own. We must understand and control this Tiberium plague before it consumes our world.
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