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[[image:Cabal.jpg|right|thumb|200px|CABAL]]
The '''Computer Assisted Biologically Augmented Lifeform''' ('''CABAL''') is an [[artificial intelligence]] in the [[Command & Conquer: Tiberian Series|Tiberian Series]] of [[Command & Conquer]].

Its purpose is twofold: it acts as a [[console]] interface between battlefield soldiers and their commander, and collates [[military espionage|intelligence]] and devises [[strategy]] of its own. It also knows how to translate the [[Tacitus (C&C)|Tacitus]], an object which holds all recorded knowledge of [[Tiberium]], compiled by the [[Scrin]]. Its function is parallel to [[Global Defense Initiative|GDI]]'s [[Electronic Video Agent|EVA]].
==Origin==
CABAL's origin is unknown (it is speculated that it is of [[Scrin]] origin). It was first acquired by the [[Brotherhood of Nod]] near the end of the [[Command & Conquer: Tiberian Series#Command & Conquer: Tiberian Dawn (1995)|First Tiberium War]]. When GDI commandos stormed [[Kane (C&C)|Kane's]] [[Temple of Nod|temple]] during the Sarajevo battle, they could hear it malfunctioning from the Temple damage. Between the First and [[Command & Conquer: Tiberian Series#Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun (1999)|Second Tiberium Wars]], Nod agents re-housed CABAL in a core in Egypt. CABAL assisted Kane loyalists in the overthrow of the [[Global Defense Initiative]]'s puppet Nod leader [[Command & Conquer: Renegade|Hassan]].

==Game Involvement==
{{spoiler}}
During the Second Tiberium War, CABAL was used as Nod's AI and Kane's artificial right-hand man. [[Command & Conquer: Tiberian Series#Firestorm Expansion (2000)|After the war]], remnants of Nod's Second Tiberium War force reactivated it, thinking they could use it as their AI again. GDI also wanted CABAL, so they could use it to translate the Tacitus after the assassination of mutant leader [[Tratos]] - by forces controlled by (unknown to them) CABAL - the only other known translator of the mysterious artifact. But CABAL had a plan of its own. It commanded several Nod unapproved missions, illegaly acquired the Tacitus and secretly built up a [[cyborg]] army. Later, CABAL severed links with Nod and GDI and began attacking Nod and GDI bases. This lead to the unholy alliance between Nod and GDI to destroy CABAL. They were successful. GDI received the Tacitus and Nod declared victory against the "single greatest threat to the survival of the Brotherhood".

After the final defeat of CABAL and his cyborg army, the ending shows that Kane's body is hooked into the CABAL interface and is being kept alive in [[cryogenics|cryogenic]] tube while Kane recovers from his injuries sustained at the end of the Second Tiberium War. Several other humans are being kept alive in similar tubes, presumably for CABAL's cyborg production to continue.

Concept art by a [[Command & Conquer: Generals|Generals]] artist was found indicating CABAL would have a large role in [[Tiberian Twilight]] before the project's termination at the hands of [[EALA]]; a [[Command_%26_Conquer:_Generals|Generals]] concept artist (whose site is now closed) had created pictures of a ''CABAL Trooper'', ''CABAL Puppet Master'' and ''CABAL Asymmetrical Hybrid'' to name a few. CABAL's units seemed to be hybrid human/robotic, but as opposed to complimenting the human body, the robotic attachments served to control it (for example - the Puppet Master's eyes were sewed shut and his legs had been attached to his back). 

Perhaps the earliest appearance or reference to CABAL in the Command & Conquer timeline takes place on the final level of [[Command & Conquer: Renegade]].  While infiltrating Kane's temple in Sarajevo, one can hear clips of a male NOD EVA malfunctioning.  While most of these are simply amusing ("Intruder Alert. Alert Cancelled. Intruder Alert. Alert Cancelled. Intruder Alert. Intruder Cancelled. All intruders please report to the detention center," and "Attention: There's no business like show business. Don't throw stones in glass houses without proper protection. That is all.") One of them clearly says "Computer Assisted Biologically Augmented Lifeform damaged. Please shut down all non-essential operations."was a sinister and highly advanced [[artificial intelligence]] in the [[Command & Conquer: Tiberian Series|Tiberian Series]] of [[Command & Conquer]], which, as its name implies, was augmented by numerous human beings who were kept artificially alive within [[Stasis (fiction)|stasis]] tubes and whose [[Human brain|brains]] had been integrally linked to, and [[synchronized]] with, the AI's system core.  Presumably this was done in order to significantly enhance the device its overall potential and abilities in a vast multitude of ways. CABAL was used by the Brotherhood of Nod as their tactical and logistical console throughout the [[Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun|Second Tiberium War]]. Although essentially gender-neutral, as it was primarily an artificial entity, CABAL was always portrayed as male in both virtual appearance and voice.

====Origin====
CABAL's origin is unknown, with some speculation placing it to be based on [[Scrin#The Scrin|Scrin]] technology. It was first acquired by the Brotherhood of Nod near the end of the [[Command & Conquer: Tiberian Dawn|First Tiberium War]]. When [[Global Defense Initiative|GDI]] commandos stormed [[Kane (Command & Conquer)|Kane's]] temple during the [[Sarajevo]] battle, it could be heard malfunctioning from the severe damage the Temple had incurred from the [[Ion Cannon]]. Between the First and [[Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun|Second Tiberium War]]s, Nod agents rehoused CABAL's core somewhere in [[Egypt]].  It later assisted Kane's primary loyalists in the overthrowing of the [[Global Defense Initiative]]'s puppet Nod leader [[General Hassan#General Hassan|General Hassan]], an endeavor which would eventually result in the complete reunification of Nod for the first time since the Brotherhood's defeat at the end of the First Tiberium War.

CABAL's earliest known appearance (at the end of the First Tiberium War) was also at about the same time the construction of the large Scrin ship seen in the ''Tiberian Sun'' was completed.  Additionally, in ''[[Command & Conquer: Renegade]]'' a crashed alien saucer is  within walking distance of the Temple housing CABAL, its door logo a triangle composed of three smaller ones.  In ''[[Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun#Firestorm|Firestorm]]'', CABAL's core is animated as a similarly-composed [[pyramid]].  Seen from the sides, the resemblance is uncanny.  Additionally,  the earliest reference to CABAL in the ''Command & Conquer'' timeline seems to take place in the final level of ''Renegade''. While infiltrating Kane's temple in Sarajevo, one can hear clips of a male Nod [[Electronic Video Agent#EVA|EVA]] unit malfunctioning.  While most of these are simply the amusing "Intruder Alert.  Alert Cancelled.  Intruder Alert.  Alert Cancelled.  Intruder Alert.  Intruder Cancelled.  All intruders please report to the detention center", and "Attention: There's no business like show business.  Don't throw stones in glass houses without proper protection.  That is all.", one of these clips suddenly clearly states; "Computer Assisted Biologically Augmented Lifeform (CABAL) damaged.  Please shut down all non-essential operations.".

====Purpose====
CABAL's purpose was twofold: it served as a [[Command line interface|console]] interface between Brotherhood of Nod battlefield soldiers and their commanders worldwide, while at the same time utilizing the subsequent and vast network of [[Live television|live]] [[military espionage|intelligence]] to collate and devise complex [[Military strategy|strategies]] of its own, ultimately acting as a potent advisor and right-hand to those highest in command of the Brotherhood's forces.  It also proved to have the capability of decoding and translating the Tacitus, an object considered to hold all the recorded knowledge on the mysterious [[Tiberium]] substance.  CABAL's overall function was parallel to [[Global Defense Initiative|GDI]]'s [[Electronic Video Agent#EVA|EVA]] to a large degree, but was superior; the AI literally had a [[mind]] of its own and could both reason and act completely autonomously if it chose to. The EVA unit in comparison gives at best logically-formulated advice based on the sum of the information it is presented with, having no will or sentient mind of its own.

CABAL's [[Personality psychology|personality]] was that of the stereotypical "Evil AI" present in many [[science fiction]] stories. In ''Tiberian Sun'' there are several hints of this and its disdain for humanity; it praised the firestorm defenses at GDI's [[Hammerfest]] base as technology  "without flaw" while pointing out that "as always, the human element is riddled with imperfection".  Its overall behaviour was that of a no-nonsense professional, and it showed little to no advance warnings of turning into the omni-malevolent [[villain]] seen in ''[[Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun#Firestorm|Firestorm]]''. The only known exception to this is a mission briefing given by the AI in one of ''Tiberian Sun'''s earlier Brotherhood of Nod campaign missions, where it remarks that information gathered during said mission is "vital to my... Your... movement".  In several ways the AI can almost be described as a considerably more blunt form of [[Kane (Command & Conquer)|Kane]] himself, reasoning much like the man but doing away with the mysticism and riddles and getting straight to the point at hand.  CABAL's amorality allowed it to consider actions without concern for any and all non-allies, fully including neutral forces and civilians alike.  Indeed, at one point in the aforementioned Nod campaign of ''Tiberian Sun'', Slavik ordered CABAL to "define favorable outcome" to which the AI swiftly responded: "They all ''die''.".

In the ''Firestorm'' expansion of ''Tiberian Sun'', it showed its true colours.  CABAL's master plan forms the backbone of the game's initial missions, manipulating both the GDI and Nod into helping it carry out its plans. Its personality finally manifests, occasionally using [[Poetry|poetic]] speech, mocking people, maintaining a heavy dose of [[sarcasm]], speaking in a highly-[[Patronage|patronizing]] tone and having an overall air of superiority and arrogance.  The "Evil AI" persona is complete in the last missions for both GDI and Nod; where every once in a while it can be heard laughing maniacally (usually just before a cyborg rush, an airstrike, or a missle launch).

It should be noted that its virtual appearance changed from the game of ''Tiberian Sun'' to its expansion set of ''Firestorm''. In the original game, CABAL is a barely distinguishable, reddish-orange face maintaining a sinister appearance; a hardly-seen mouth, sharp and accented features around the eyes, and similarly-coloured pupils, [[Iris (anatomy)|iris]] and [[sclera]].  Its new appearance in the expansion set however is shown above; a bald, blue head with fully-animated [[Electron shell|orbital shells]] for eyes.

====Game Involvement====
[[Image:CNC TS CABAL.png|left|thumb|200px|CABAL's original face as seen in ''Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun'']]During the [[Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun|Second Tiberium War]] CABAL was used as the Brotherhood its tactical, logistical and global communications coordinating console, as well as a potent type of advisor to [[Kane (Command & Conquer)|Kane]]'s top operatives under the command of Anton Slavik.  After the end of the second war, [[Global Defense Initiative|GDI]] forces stationed at the defeated [[Cairo]] base deactivated and disassembled CABAL's core and were ordered to move it to [[Europe]] to a heavily defended base, in an attempt made by GDI to gain access to the Tacitus datamatrix.  Upon reactivation, it immediately began putting its plan into place.  This would swiftly result in the assassination of [[Tratos#Tratos|Tratos]], the seizure of the Tacitus device, the recovery of the Tacitus' secondary component, the orchestrated collapse of Nod's Inner Circle, and on.  The AI proved capable of all this without anyone's knowledge of its overall plan straight up to the point where it itself openly severed contact with all involved parties, and revealed that it had built up a personal [[cyborg]] army.  This lead to an unholy alliance between Nod and GDI to destroy the renegade AI, which at first glance was successful. GDI received the Tacitus and Nod declared victory against the "single greatest threat to the survival of the Brotherhood".

After the final defeat of CABAL and its cyborg army however, the ending for the Brotherhood of Nod campaign showed Kane's comatose yet living body hooked into a somehow intact CABAL systems core and being kept alive there in a [[Stasis (fiction)|stasis]] capsule alongside numerous other individuals, with Kane apparently recovering from his injuries sustained at the end of the second war due to the actions of [[Characters of the Global Defense Initiative#Commander Michael McNeil|Michael McNeil]].  The display then begins to continuously splice between the faces of CABAL and Kane, both of them referring to Kane's 'vision' with their disjointed individual voices.  Through the two disjointed voices Kane can be heard referring to himself and his vision in the first person using the word ''my'', where CABAL is heard using the word ''your'' in what is in an almost respectful manner when referring to Kane and his vision.  Finally, the two voices become synchronised, with CABAL suddenly speaking the words: "''Our'' directives must be reassessed.".

It is unknown what role CABAL will have in the upcoming ''[[Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars]]'', if any.  
CABAL was voiced by [[Milton James]] in both ''Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun'' and its expansion pack, ''[[Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun#Firestorm|Firestorm]]''.

==See also==
* [[Electronic Video Agent]]

{{C&C}}

[[Category:Command & Conquer series]]
[[Category:Fictional computers]]