Prologue: Verdun

The 22nd century was to be a golden age, the peak of technological wonders and higher living standarts. No one expected the ice. Instead of prosperity, the new century brought a new ice age, an unstopable white wave that quickly spread from the north and south poles.

Millions were displaced and many nations fell into chaos. the different climate and changing sea levels destroyed global trade and food production. In a few decades some of wealthiest regions of the world had been reduced to lawless frozen wastelands. The only safe havens were in the tropics, and people rushed to get their place before the borders were shut.

Governments did everything they could, from continent sized agricultural projects to new multinational coalitions such as the Pan-Asian Coalition. As they failed to solve the crisis, tensions began to rise, for they were desperate to acquire more resources, enough to look across their borders for it. As a domino effect, wars began to pop throughout the globe over resources and soon conflict broke out between our coalition and the neighboring European Union. Now we're at war; it’s up to us, common soldiers, to wonder this frozen wasteland and its dead cities. Fighting in a final, desperate attempt to survive.

-x-

I fucking hate this weather I thought to myself as I walked through the knee deep snow, my body shook as the chilling wind sucked the heat out of my face. Ah, the frozen wastes of northern France, what used to be part of a center of history, culture and power is now nothing more than snow, ice and ruins. Walking around this place sucks… even more with the possibility of an ambush. Well, what can I expect? This is a warzone, after all. However, that still didn’t ceased my frustrations regarding this place and my lack of fortune. Seriously, from all squads back at the base, I had to go out in this cold? For a full week?

I didn’t even bother to pay attention to the dead trees and occasional ruin sticking out of the snow. The whispering of the wind was our only companion, accompanied by the crouch of our boots. All three of us, the guys chosen to patrol this whole area around the base. Never mind the fact that we were kilometers from the frontlines, in Verdun. Fuck, why couldn't we be assingned to somewhere warmer like Greece or southern Italy? The war in Europe is almost over anyways, I doubt there's any need of having us here. Sure, the Euros are giving a hard time to our comrades in the front, but everyone knows it's only a matter of time before we win this.

Proving that I wasn’t the only one affected by the situation one of my companions, Dima, spoke up. “God, I’m sooo drinking some warm chocolate once we get back”. He was the youngest of our group, joined less than a month ago. He was tall and skinny, with a very white skin, short brown hair and eyes, pretty much your average young adult. “If we keep walking like this, I’ll join the navy…”

“Oh, so you can be stuck in a metal tube for a whole year?” The other member of my unit, Barin, interjected. I laughed at that, he always had a crappy sense of humor. He was very different from Dima, both in appearance and personality. He was from Iran and has been in my squad ever since it was formed, acting as the explosives and AT weapons specialist. He had a light tan skin and a very dark hair, which contrasted with his hazel eyes. Barin, like me, was in his mid-twenties. The two of us were old friend, having met almost a decade ago in the university. However, my two companions were not the only ones who composed my unit. Another three iconic figures didn’t had the pleasure of going out with us. I’m sure they envy us for our chance to walk around this frozen shithole…

There was Akio, a Japanese medic, known for being a guy of few words. He wasn’t very tall, nor particularly strong, but possessed an extensive knowledge on his profession and an extremely calm behavior, even during distressing situations. Another one was Suvorov, a tall and strong veteran (probably the biggest of us), also known for a laconic behavior, except when it came to his family, he loved to speak about them. I don’t really know his exact age, but his face showed a rough and hardworking life. His green eyes, while somewhat cold, also sparkled with experience.

The last one was Ilya, the newest addition to our group, and whom I had yet to get better acquired with. He was an average guy, as far as I knew, in both appearance and personality. He's caucasian and has a short black hair. Lastly, there was me, Sergeant Alexander Benedikt Terenti, the guy charged with leading these people. I’m also pretty average, nothing particularly interesting in my caucasian features, slightly longer brown hair and eyes. My time in the military got me a little stronger and fit, but nothing surprising.

We were finishing our latest assigment at the final hours of the day. A warm bed and a hot meal kept me on a quick pace. I just can't stand this place, even after more than one year dealing with artic weather I still can't get used to it. Every single time I step outside the low temperature reminds me of how far I am from home. If that wasn't bad enough, I also have go around risking my life in this merciless war.

“Ah, the outpost, we’re finally here!” Dima said with joy. In front of us, not very far, was a large complex of buildings composing our current base. This one was part of a series of outpost created to supply PAC troops moving into or from the frontlines, a few kilometers ahead in Verdun. The base was pretty big, and had a large number of supply containers spread out amongst the many structures. However, another huge thing resting inside dwarfed all of that. A metal monstrosity covered by a glowing shield envelope.

A massive Type-2 Titan Airborne Carrier, one of the newest and most terrifying weapons employed by our army. That thing was literally a floating ship, armed with anti-air and ground-facing cannons, carrying an entire fleet of air vehicles. Divided into a higher and lower deck, the massive vessel also had enough room for a large cargo bay, hangar, bridge and living quarters for the crew and company attached to it (on this case, us). The whole vessel was also surrounded by a shield envelope, making it almost untouchable. Acting as mobile bases and support mediums, Titans such as this (called Surena, by the way) are one of the central tools of this conflict.

However, they were also some of the main targets of both sides. These ships can only be destroyed by either using massive firepower, anti-titan missiles or by infiltrating it and sabotaging the central nuclear reactor.

“So, what do you guys want to do?” I asked casually as we approached the entrance of the outpost.

“Eh, I think I’ll check on the engineering guys…” Answered Barin, while Dima just shrugged.

“You want to hang out with those weirdoes?” I teased him.

Pretending to be shocked at my words, Barin placed a hand on his chest. “Wow Alex, some of those guys are nice, you know,” he said to me. “Plus, they always have some nice card games going around”.

“Really, Barin? You know how the military sees gambling, you should be more careful”. Honestly, most people don't really give a shit about this rule and similar ones, even some of the officers. However, I figured I might as well just leave a small warning, just in case.

“You mean like that whiskey bottle, back in Berlin?” He replied, raising an eyebrow. “I’m pretty sure that much alcohol is also not allowed”.

Fuck, that bastard and his quick thinking. “Uh… well… you know what? Fuck it, you want to go, do it, but don’t cry when the commander comes for your head”.

“As you wish, sergeant,” He said sarcastically, wondering of into the base.

Dima and I kept going to the titan, hoping to get away from the snow. Around us, the rest of the soldiers were going through their daily tasks. We were currently on a resupply duty, waiting for the necessary resources and manpower before going back to the frontline. As much as I despise the weather, I would reather stay here doing this than going into the front. Walking around here sucks, but to walk and fight? I had enough of that already...

"Barin, he may be my friend, but sometimes I can’t stand him." I commented, as we headed to the titan.

"I hear you, sir, I seriously can’t take those pranks anymore, shouldn’t he be doing that to Ilya?" said Dima. Ah yes, my old friend never disappoints, it's amazing how much effort he puts into giving a proper "grettings" to new guys in our company.

"Ilya may be the newest in the unit, private, but he's also a veteran, unlike you."

"Crap, I know, but still… it’s fucking annoying."

"Don’t worry about it, once we get in the battlefield he'll stop, he’s just playing with you."

We were now on the cargo bay, a wide room filled with containers and supply boxes. Moving carefully to avoid the people and objects, we made our way to the corridors of the vessel. Within minutes, we reached the armory, where we placed most of our gear. At that point I was in auto-pilot, doing the same thing I had done every day in the last week.

"Hey, you want to go to the living quarters?" Dima asked. "I was thinking we could rest and maybe eat something, you know," That suggestion came at no surprise to me. The first thing I noticed when he first joined my unit was how eager he always was to eat and rest.

"Alright, that sounds good" I answered.

So we headed there. These quarters were not particularly big; most rooms of the titan were, by necessity, kept to the minimum required. The cold metal walls and occasional tight spaces might seem a bit claustrophobic some times, but its enough to us. Going into the room, I felt happy at the prospect of resting until the next day. Wandering this frozen landscape, even when not in combat, is no easy task.

It’s the end of 2140, hard to believe we have been here for over a year. We've been fighting for about a year now, ever since the war began in 2139. Such a short time, and yet so much has happened... memories from what I saw at Minsk and Berlin are still fresh in my mind. Despite all that, I'm glad that things are looking good. Once we're done here in Verdun, there won't be much left to do, hopefully allowing us to go home.

"Do you think the war will end soon?" Dima asked from across our table, snapping me out of my thoughts. Now that's a good question...

I wondered for a few seconds, scraching my chin in deep thought. "Well, that’s hard to say" I answered. "I mean, I heard the Europeans are evacuating to Africa, plus, we were successful at Minsk, Belgrade and Berlin, so I guess things are looking pretty good". To be honest, I have no idea what might happen, I bet no one from the last century thought about an Ice Age going down, and yet here we are.

"Well, I hope it does end soon; there're enough problems as it is."

I suppose none of us truly wants this conflict to keep going, we're doing this out of necessity, not blind hate or ideologies. "We all do, kid."

The next ten minutes we spent chatting and enjoying some snacks we had acquired. It was a good moment, and that's usually not easy to have, for we're in a war, after all. It was simple, but I enjoyed. During this time, my mind kept wandering back to my home. I can't help but to feel anxious about my friends and family back there. I suppose my parents are most likely okay, dad and mom always worked hard and made sure we had everything we needed, even during our darkest times. Joining what they earn with my salary should be enough... I hope. Still, there are many others who might not be so luckly.

"I heard we're heading to the battlefield in a few days" Dima said, with some apprehension in his voice. Typical, the new guys are always afraid, it's understandable. The first time I got into combat was shocking, to say the least, but I suppose he'll grow stronger, eventually.

"Yes, I spoke with the captain about that; don’t worry kid, just keep your head down, follow my orders and you'll be fine," I didn’t really believe that, every day we suffered more and more casualties, but I couldn’t tell him that. He needed hope, something to hold on to. We've been fighting for a while now, and I have seen first hand just how deadly this place can be.

"I know, it’s just th–" He was interrupted by alarms flaring up. In an instant we were up, looking around with wide eyes as lights flashed. I could hear shouting around us, in the other rooms and through my radio. The sound of people running outside brought even more confusion to us.

"What the hell is going on!" I shouted.

Almost as if answering my call, the intercom system of the titan came to life. After a brief moment of static and background noises, a message confirming just what I feared came through.

"All units, be advised, enemy forces have been detected in the outpost!" The voice of the captain said. "All combat personnel, take defensive positions around the titan, non-combat personnel will take shelter inside the vessel!". What? Enemy attack? How's that even possible? We just passed through the outskirts of the base! This can't be true, we're miles away from the battlefield... fucking Europeans...

The two of us immediately went running back to the armory. The place was empty, for most units were already on guard duty, probably fighting the enemy outside. We quickly moved towards our respective lockers, taking our weapons and equippment out. Just as I ended putting my gear and armor on, I spotted two other members of my unit, Akio and Suvorov, grabbing their weapons. There was no time to waste, our minds were wrapped in the pragmatic behaviour of a military unit.

"Everyone with me, hurry up!" I shouted, heading to the corridors. My comrades followed me into the halls of the vassel, eager to aid everyone outside.

My mind was racing and my heart was pounding. I could hear other units on the radio, their desperate calls mixing with the sounds of battle. The situation was bad, from what I could pick up they were outnumbered and under heavy fire. I need to find the rest of the unit, Barin and Ilya. Maybe it was the adrenaline, but as we moved, it almost felt like a dream. I still couldn't believe on what was happening

How the hell did the Europeans got here? We had just patrolled the outer perimeter and this outpost was far away from the battlefield, it should be safe. Maybe they used low-flying transport ships? Stealth devices? I could only guess. I pushed all questions deep into my mind, "what matters is to take them down, everything else is a waste of time" I thought to myself, remenbering the words of our colonel.

"Soldiers, we got enemies inside the cargo bay, they're trying to sabotage our titan!" The captain informed. "Anyone still left inside the vessel is to head there and assist on halting their advance!" Shit, that can't be good, they shouldn't be able to get there this quickly.

That means us. With the new objective in mind, we continued our journey. However, a few steps later, we were forced to stop, as something happened. The floor… not just the floor, everything started shaking. At the same time, the air around us began to… shine, as if it was filled with crystals… somehow. Gradually, as we tried to hold on to something, these events grew stronger, at one point everything was so bright and the ground shook so hard, I lost balance and fell to the floor. I briefly wondered if this was the Titan's core exploding.

Before I could even think on what was happening, there was a bright flash, a loud snap, and then darkness.

Author's Note

Again, thanks to everyone who enjoy this story and to everyone in the "Fallout: Equestria" universe. Please point out any mistakes or confusing parts. No previous knowledge about "Battlefield 2142" or "Fallout Equestria" required, I'll explain everything when necessary. In case I fail at giving a good explanation or miss something, check my blog "The Battlefield 2142 Universe" and the many "Fallout: Equestria" groups on the site.

Yes, I decided to add a small prologue, the reason for this is that some people who I asked for feedback (and even myself after some reading) reported the first chapter being... confusing at some points, so I decided it to provide a little back story to everything that is happening in the first chapter.

V 2.5