Hey, I know a lot of you will be surprised by the changes I've made, but I've done some major editing to The Gathering Storm. I've added stuff, condensed a couple chapters...but the main story is the same. Please read, enjoy, and let me know what you think. Also, I apologize for typos. I'll fix them as I find them.
The Gathering Storm
Prologue
Guiles stared out over the misty waters. The early morning haze drifted lazily around him, the electric lamp by his side doing little to penetrate into its thickness. He felt his eyes starting to droop, so he stood up, and strode around the flight deck in an attempt to wake himself up. Checking his watch, Guiles sighed in relief. It was almost nine o'clock, time for the change of the guards.
Not that Rivet City really needed much protection. Before the bombs fell the city had been an aircraft carrier of the US Navy. It now rested in the waters of the Washington Naval Yard, slowly rusting away in the waters of the Potomac. The only action Guiles ever saw was the occasional scuffle with Raiders, and taking potshots at the Mirelurks in the bay. Looking over the side, he spotted a ripple in the waters around the hull. A figure ascended from the depths, and swam along the edge of the ship, looking for some entrance into the vessel. About the size of a ten-year old, it was covered by a blue, chitinous shell. Its forearms ended in fearsome looking claws, and a large, narrow-pupilled eye dominated the center of its face.
The guard shook his head and took aim with his scoped-assault rifle. He squeezed the trigger, firing off a burst. The shells pinged off the creature's hard exoskeleton, and the frightened creature dived beneath the waves. Guiles laughed. Alone and at a distance, the crab-people were easy to deal with. Up close and in groups, however…he hoped he would never be in that situation.
With the mirelurk gone, the guard reached for his radio. "Hey Jack, where's my replacement?" he asked. "Shift's over and I'm fucking tired."
"Chill out Ben," the man on the other side of the radio said groggily. "Someone'll be there shortly." Guiles' anger rose knowing that Jack was catching z's when he was supposed to be monitoring radio chatter. He was about to berate the man when a foghorn pierced the misty waters. He let the radio drop from his hand as a monstrous shadow appeared in the distance. As it approached the shape grew and became more defined, and soon the outline of a ship was visible. The vessel was massive, making the humongous carrier that held Rivet City look like it belonged in a child's bathtub. The foghorn belched again as the ship came to dock right next to the ancient carrier.
Guiles stared in awe at the sight in front of him. The ship was obviously one built for combat, armed with an assortment of cannons and missile tubes. On the rear of the ship was a flight deck, with elevators leading into the depths of the mysterious vessel. The guard stooped down to pick up the forgotten radio and clicked the transmit button. "Uh, Jack?"
"Dammit Ben your replacement's on the way!" Jack yelled, the sound of a hand slamming on a desk erupting from the speaker. He had obviously woken the man up once more. Ben rolled his eyes and raised the radio back to his face.
"You might wanna send more than one guard, and tell someone to bring a rocket launcher."