Cybernetics

Cybernetics are a branch of science that deals with the issues of integrating technology and living tissue, creating hybrids.

Soviet Research
In an effort to effectively counter Allied commando units (and their hired mercenaries, most notably Tanya Adams), the Soviet Union's leader Joseph Stalin commissioned a top secret research program that would research the possibilities of creating a man/machine hybrid - a cyborg. This was because the USSR had no special forces of their own, with most highly trained staff and officers being executed by firing squads during the Great Purge of the 1920s and 1930s.

The result was Volkov and Chitzkoi, a man and a dog. Volkov was designed as a killing machine - armed with a high caliber pistol by default, his metal endoskeleton with an integrated grenade launcher coupled with a human brain provided an excellent soldier. His aide, Chitzkoi, was a cybernetized shepherd dog, who was fitted with artificial muscles, allowing him to jump distances many times the ones a regular dog could cover.

Following the defeat of the Soviet Union, Volkov was captured along with Chitzkoi and... decomissioned.

Brotherhood research
Whilst preparing it's attempt to take over the world, the Brotherhood managed to procure details of the Soviet cybernetics research. The data was considered an interesting project and archived. However, it was not until the beginning of the Nod Tiberium augmentation program that it was used.

Early results of the program, dubbed Project ReGenesis, produced the Initiate. A powerful creature that lacked somewhat in mental capabilities was the result of controlled Tiberium infusion into a given individual. The mutation was only partially controlled and lacked any finer controls. Dr Elena Petrova decided to use the data on Soviet cybernetic research, beginning a new chapter in the research. The next generation mutant, the Acolyte, was developed using the early research technology, and while somewhat horrifying, he was superior in terms of strength and speed and at least equal in mental capability to a regular human, thanks to the addition of cybernetic components complimenting and controlling Tiberium enhancement. The last generation of cybernetically enhanced Tiberium mutants were the Templars, whose cybernetic enhancements were hidden behind heavy battle armour grafted onto their bodies.

With the defeat of Nod in the First Tiberium War, much of the research was believed to be destroyed by GDI. That was not true, as the research continued, resulting in a technology that could be widespread and was relatively economical to field. It was basically an armoured suit that was permanently joined to a willing human who has underwent Divination - Tiberium enhancement. The augmentation was linked to human nerve system via a set of intricate control chips in the frame. The technology has proven to be extremely successful and it was researched further, resulting in the creation of powerful Cyborg Commandos. They were cyborgs who excelled in combat and were promoted. Their numbers were few and far in between, as the resistant armour they were outfitted with and powerful Scrin plasma guns they used were insanely expensive to produce and maintain.

The extensively researched technology proved to be almost the sole reason for the Brotherhood's demise during the Firestorm Crisis when CABAL rose up against humanity and took over the Cyborg control chips turning them against high ranking Nod commanders and Brotherhood's forces in general. The cybernetised organisms were the mainstay of CABAL's army, who also developed an additional, specialized version for kidnappings, the Cyborg Reaper. The advance of the cyborg army was frightening, until the Brotherhood and GDI joined forces to defeat CABAL. One of the elements of the campaign was reprogramming a cyborg to upload a virus and sabotage four cyborg processing plants.

The pinnacle of cyborg technology was CABAL's Core Defender, a monumental robot incorporating the best of mechanized walker and cybernetic technology. This one of a kind weapon was destroyed after a long battle by combined GDI and Nod forces.

Following CABAL's uprising, a majority of cybernetics technology was banned and largely decomissioned. Only limited man/machine interfaces (such as the link between the AI and the pilot in a Firehawk) have been designed and even those are controlled by several blockades. There is new intelligence, however that Nod, never one to follow ethics guidelines, has restarted cybernetic experiments, bringing about a new generation of "Awakened" cyborgs.

Related topics

 * Firehawk
 * CABAL
 * Initiate
 * Acolyte
 * Templar
 * Cyborg
 * Cyborg Commando
 * Cyborg Reaper
 * Core Defender
 * Tiberium
 * Awakened