I decided to whip this up first to try and set the mood for the rest of the story. Read and enjoy. :)
Disclaimer: I do not own the Fullmetal Alchemist franchise, the Fallout franchise, Call of Duty, nor the anime Gate: thus the JSDF Fought There.
Prologue
War. War Never Changes.
Those words are true, no matter the time, no matter the place, no matter the world...
I remember when I first became acquainted with war, when I became a State Alchemist for Amestris. I was only 12 years old, and already I had signed my life away as a Dog to the State, a living human weapon only to be used as another weapon on the field of battle.
With Drachma to the north, Aerugo to the south and Creta to the west, State Alchemists were an invaluable weapon for their wars. Thankfully, it never got so bad that I was called to the front, but still...
When I found myself thrust in the United States of America, after the events of the Promised Day, I found myself thrust into war again. A new kind of war, one that was far more horrifying then anything I could whip up in my darkest imaginations.
And with it, a new military, a new nation, new friends, and a new purpose in my life. That last one, I desperately, desperately needed.
World War III will forever remain as the most destructive event in human history. There were so many things that led to the outbreak of the war; so many things that I can't remember how it actually started. Just another long, bloody, pointless war.
I may not remember how it started, but I do remember how it ended.
And once again, the United States of America emerged as the victor. Battered, but victorious. With China, the Middle East, and North Korea destroyed, the UN and the European Union having gone the way of the dodo, and the Communist Republic of South America starting a new cold war, it's up to the USA, Russia, Japan, and South Korea to try and keep the peace.
And then came the Anchorage Incident. That turned everything upside down, science, physics, religion... nothing's been the same ever since.
Can't say I blame them, alchemy, Alkahestry, chimeras, Homunculi... Stuff that was an ancient myth in this world is a reality on the other side. Despite my reservations and objections, we still have troops moving in and out, along with scientists, engineers, etc., etc.
That was over 10 years ago. Once again, the United States of America is now on the brink of war. And I'm afraid, afraid for my wife, and my two children.
But I'm a United States Marine, and an officer of the US Military. I'll protect my country and her allies. But if there is one thing I've learned in the service...
It's that war... War never changes.
Excerpt from auto-biography, "War of the Worlds: The Anchorage Generation."
Author, Edward Elric, (Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the United States of America) (Fullmetal Alchemist, Major, Military-grade State Alchemist of Amestris, Ret.)
Update: 11/19/2017. I was listening to the intro theme music for Fallout 4 when I edited this, give it a listen to if you want. It's a well-written piece of music. Whether it will fit this prologue or not, I will leave it up to the reader. Anyway, MOVING ON!