"With the destruction of a large portion of the Russian fleets, both on the eastern and western fronts, we've managed to reclaim control of our main coastal cities. However there have been multiple biological strikes in Europe."
"Sir, we've got a bigger problem, patching you in."
"This is Ramstein! We're under attack!"
"Roger – we are aware of the gas attack and are sending decon units your way."
"Not the gas! We're under attack by Russian ground forces!"
"Say again, Ramstein. What Russian forces?"
"The entire Russian army! Request immediate assistance."
"Sir, we've got a code yellow on the vice president."
"The gas attack was one big distraction- We need boots on the ground in europe. Get me Metal-01. I want the battlefleet on the west coast to divert the Ford to the Northern Russia coast."
Gneiss- US Special Forces deployment, STORM
"Hey, Gneiss, come see this!" Igneous called to me, and I looked up the narrow railway that led to the flight deck. The cold steel pressing down on me for days was beginning to get to me, and any excuse for fresh air was good. So I grabbed the railing, and rushed upward. I stepped out, and gave my eyes a moment to adjust, and breathed the cold arctic air. I spotted Marble and Renner over at the railing by the edge of the ship, and then I spotted a large iceberg pass by us, or I suppose we passed by it. We were in the middle of a field of floating ice.
"Wow," I looked around, "this is gorgeous."
"I know, and the air is so damn crisp." Igneous stretched, and walked towards the railing. I followed, and leaned next to Renner and Marble.
"So you're stuck with us too?" I asked Renner, and he chuckled.
"Yea, but I don't think I'm gonna take on any codenames."
"Hey, I like mine." Marble said with a grin, and I smiled. I looked out at the ice, and sighed.
"It's relaxing." Renner spoke again, "Too bad it's also really tense, apparently the ice messes with radar. We could get hit any moment. Chances are the Russians are out there too."
"Way to make a nice day threatening."
"STORM to the debriefing room, repeat, STORM to the debriefing room" a large speaker announced and I groaned.
"So much for a nice day."
"STORM, we're back on duty." Ridge was standing around a map, and looking over a monitor.
"What's the crisis now?" Igneous asked, and leaned over the map. My hands rested on the side of the monitor, and I glanced at the map. I could tell it was the ice fields, and I could see where the Ford was marked, but there was something else marked on the map as well.
"Radar is sketchy at best in these ice fields." Ridge explained, and pointed to the object I'd noticed, "It has, however, picked up an anomaly. The squids down in the scanner rooms say it's likely a fishing boat, or a small freighter, but the captain still wants someone to investigate. But, his official orders are that all his men remain on-board until we've cleared hostile waters."
"But," I interjected and stepped back, "We're special operations, not Navy."
"Which is exactly why we're going to have a look."
"Logic says I'd vote we stay on the cozy freezing steel monstrosity," Igneous cracked his knuckles, "but as Gneiss will tell you, I'm not very logical."
"Not one bit." I mention from my place at the rear of the group.
"See, so when do we leave?"
"Five mikes, lets move to the aft deployment bay."
"Not tank this time either?" Igneous raised the question as Ridge walked by him.
"No. No tank."
"A dinky little zodiac." Igneous shivered the words in my ear as I leaned against the cold rubber. We'd just left the sight of the Ford, and set course due southwest towards the anomaly, and the five of us had crammed into a single zodiac, Igneous and I on one side, Marble and Renner the other, with Ridge at the helm.
"Be glad we don't have to swim there." Renner shouldered his rifle as he spoke and glanced at the water, "Anything could be down in that freezing water."
"LIke what?"
"Arctic Seals are pretty dangerous if you get in their territory, as are eels." Marble explained, "There's also rumored to be colossal squid in these waters."
"Maybe that's what was on the radar, the Kraken." Igneous joked.
"It was definitely metal." Ridge was serious as always.
"Mecha-Kraken?" I whispered to Igneous, and he chuckled. Ridge made a noise, one to indicate we should get serious, and we did. I turned to the front, and checked to be sure my rifle was fully loaded. I glanced up, and spotted silver on the horizon.
"There, about a click west, I see something." I pointed, and Ridge adjust the boat to head for my sighting. We approached, and slowly the speck of silver grew into the definitive shape of a ship. A warship.
"Holy crap, that ship is a monster, it's a carrier." Renner sounded shocked, and I matched his sentiment, then I looked closer.
"It's only half a carrier." I said the words and everyone took a double take. As we approached the others saw what I'd noticed. The ship was torn in two, and only the front half was here, supported by ice and whatever buoyancy it could maintain. The striking silver surface was coated in a thin layer of ice, and it was apparent that it'd been attacked at least a few days ago. Then we got close enough to read her name and were shocked again.
"It's the HMS Elizabeth." I announced, "That's a british supercarrier, or was."
"What the hell did this?" Igneous sat up straight, and Ridge shook his head.
"I don't know." He revved the throttle, "But we've got to see if there's anyone on board, maybe secure the ship's voyage recorders. We'll land there on that ice" He pointed to a crop of ice that had formed around the hull breach of the ship, and turned our nose to it.
"Damn man," Renner whispered as we pulled between a few ice flows, and drifted to our landing zone, "it's so quiet."
"Gneiss, take point." Ridge spoke in a hushed tone, and I nodded. We marched forward, and I gazed up at the broken and twisted metal. I approached a metal hatch, and grabbed onto the handle. I pulled, and it creaked, but refused to move.
"There's ice all over it." I spoke, and renner came up next to me.
"I've got this." He pulled a flare out of his side pouch, and broke the top off. Then he held the tip out towards the handle. After a few seconds he pulled it away, and we both grabbed the thawed metal.
"Okay, pull." We heaved back, and the door came loose with an eery creek. Renner looked at me, and then down into the dark hallway. He tossed his flare down, and it rolled along the floor a short distance and then lit up a pile of ice and a hole that'd be blown in the roof. We heard a chilling echo of wind running along the metal, and what sounded like a creature roaring in the distance.
"Sounds like the metal is shifting." Marble looked up at the icicles above.
"Or like the mecha-kraken has awoken." Igneous joked, and followed her eyes. then he jumped back and aimed down his sights. We all immediately did the same, and aimed all directions.
"What've we got?" Ridge asked, and igneous scanned the metal platforms and blown open halls above us.
"I saw something up there on the fourth level, didn't get a good look."
"Russians?" Renner asked, and Igneous bit his lip.
"Not sure."
"Alright, Renner, Igneous stay here, guard the zodiac in case we need a quit exit. Marble, Gneiss, on me." Ridge stepped forward, and I followed, then Marble stepped in, and closed the hatch behind us. The only light was the green burn from Renner's flare, and I turned on my flashlight. Ridge and I looked up through the break in the ceiling, showing a hole that blew through two floors. He kept looking up, and I stepped past him to another hatch. I cranked it open and peeked in. It was just a restroom, so I moved on and on, until I came to a stairwell.
"I've got a path up." I whispered, and Marble and Ridge stacked up behind me.
"Alright, the voyage records should be up near the radar and communications rooms, by the mess hall." I let Ridge go first, and then let Marble follow.
"Further into the ghost ship." She whispered to me, and went upward. I was just about to step in behind them when I heard a crack. I turned back quickly, and saw nothing but the puddle of ice below the hole in the ceiling. I took a breath, and stepped closer. On the floor was a small metal can, which I could've sworn wasn't there a moment ago. I peeked up, and saw nothing. Then the flare burned out, and I was left in cold darkness. We weren't alone on this ship, and I had a feeling that it wasn't just ghosts keeping us company.