The air in the GDI hangar smelled of ozone, heavy-duty grease, and the unmistakable, sharp tang of Tiberium-treated alloys. Edward Harvey—former Nod acolyte, current GDI "madman," and professional headache—was humming a jaunty tune as he leaned torso-deep into the exposed guts of a deactivated Wolverine Walker.
Beside the Wolverine stood a Titan Mk. I, its massive railgun arm currently serving as a drying rack for Edward's lab coat. GDI had officially retired these walkers years ago in favor of the more 'efficient' Predator tanks, but Edward had rescued them from the scrap heap.
He hadn't just fixed them; he'd revolutionized them.
Using a salvaged neural-link interface—a refined, much safer version of the Brotherhood's cyborg technology—he had removed the bulky, armored cockpits entirely. The New Variant was lighter, cheaper, and responded to the pilot's thoughts with the grace of a predatory cat. By replacing the manual controls with a direct brain-machine interface, he had eliminated the lag that made the original Titans feel like lumbering dinosaurs.
A GDI corporal called out, standing a safe ten feet away from Edward's experimental "Sonic-Screwdriver" (which was currently emitting a high-pitched whine that made the corporal's fillings ache).
Edward froze. He slowly pulled his head out of the Wolverine's chassis, his hair a wild nest of static electricity and grease.
As soon as the screen flickered to life, a high-ranking GDI General—red-faced and looking like he was about to burst a blood vessel—filled the display.
Edward held the tablet at arm's length.
The General buried his face in his hands, breathing heavily. A long silence followed. Edward waited, a small, knowing smirk playing on his lips. He knew the numbers would win them over eventually.
The General disconnected before Edward could finish.
Edward sighed happily and tossed the tablet back to the stunned corporal.
The corporal looked at the Titan—a towering machine of death now modified with "heretical" technology—and then at the scientist who was currently using a high-energy laser to toast a piece of bread. He felt a throbbing headache forming behind his eyes, but he couldn't deny it: the walker looked deadlier than anything GDI had in the field. Despite his past with the Brotherhood, Edward was simply too priceless to fire.
The corporal whispered with a mix of terror and deep, grudging respect.
******
The morning sun over the Blue Zone was filtered through the shimmering haze of a nearby sonic fence array. Edward stood on the tarmac, clutching a mug of coffee as a GDI heavy transport touched down.
He had expected the Steel Talons. He had even prepared a speech about how their beloved Behemoths were "charming but primitive." But as the bay doors hissed open, the markings on the soldiers' armor weren't the jagged bird of prey. They were the clean, globe-and-eagle symbols of the GDI Main Force, flanked by a detachment of ZOCOM environmental specialists in their sleek, white-and-gold sonic suits.
The Lead Tester, a weary-looking Major named Green, replied as he stepped onto the ramp.
For the next six hours, the testing was relentless. Major Green and his team didn't just walk the New Variant Titans and Wolverines; they pushed them through a gauntlet of simulated hell.
The results were undeniable. The neural-link allowed the pilots to treat the walkers like their own bodies. A Titan performed a flawless tactical roll to dodge an incoming dummy missile—a feat previously thought physically impossible for a ten-ton walker. The Wolverines moved through dense terrain with the silence of a scouting party, their synaptic reflexes allowing them to step over obstacles without breaking a single crystal.
The ZOCOM Commander joined them, looking conflicted.
Green rubbed his temples.
Major Green gazed at the efficient walkers.
Green finally sighed, signaling his men to begin loading the New Variants onto the transport. He turned to Edward, offering a stiff but sincere salute.
Edward waved as the transport lifted off.
As the dust settled, Edward turned back to his hangar, already thinking about his next experiment. He returned to his work, while a GDI soldier nearby watched him with a mix of a headache and deep respect. Edward was a madman, but to GDI, he was a priceless employee.