11:20am…

Equestrian Waters…

“Wow, that ship is amazing,” I gasped. I watched as the men swarmed the decks carrying strange futuristic looking weapons, and donning strange helmets and vests. Their uniforms were a patchwork array of green, brown, and black, and they wore black tall boots that had their pant legs stuffed in. The vests themselves seemed to be split up into two parts, a main bulky part, then a throwover bandolier. I was able to figure this out when I saw that, some of the men came out of the port holes not wearing the bandolier part, yet still donning those rifles. The helmets looked strange as well. They didn’t look like ours, they seemed more streamlined, and sported the same patchwork colors as the uniforms.

“Sir, can you spot any weapons on the decks?” Came a voice behind me. I looked behind to the sailor who spoke. It was one of the spotters.

“I didn’t see any, here you take a look.” I said passing the glasses to him. Gladly taking them he took my place on the platform and looked back out. I turned around and headed back into the cabin, the shade of the ceiling cooling my head off as I retrieved my cap that was sitting on a chair. After sliding it on I turned around and looked to the sailor manning the phone. I pointed at him, getting his attention.

“Radio engine control, tell them to halt.” I asked. With an “Aye aye,” he turned around and dialed up the engine room. I walked past him back and onto the balcony just as the spotter turned back around and started to call for me.

“Captain, I think I got something.” He said as I came up behind him. He handed me the binoculars and pointed towards the suspected bridge of the other ship.

“What did you find?” I ask putting the scope up to my eyes.

Before he could answer, I saw what he was referring to. Staring back at me, on his own railing, surrounded by his own sailors, was the Captain of the unknown vessel.

“I think he’s their captain.” Came the sailor next to me. As he spoke I watched the suited man stumble back in shock, as he looked at me. He began moving his lips, speaking to the ones around him. Then he pointed towards me. Everyone around him, to my surprise began laughing hysterically. I raised a brow as I put the scope down.

I heard footsteps behind me as I gave the binoculars to the spotter. I was soon joined by half a dozen sailors, armed with M1 Garand’s. I look to them and they look at me. The looks on those mens faces gave me my next course of action. I could read them like a book, they didn’t have to ask the question, their tired worn faces, stained with fatigue and loss. How they clutched their weapons with fear and hatred. How they stood there, hunched, broken, tired. I nodded.

“We’re not to engage that ship, let them come to us.” I said. They all sighed in relief as we watched in awe as the mystery ship began to move. I turned around to the men around me and crossed my arms, trying not to upset the bandages.

“Okay, regroup at your stations, reorganize, and keep all eyes on that ship.” They saluted and fell back to their stations, with a jump in their step. I made my way back into the wheelhouse and grabbed the intercom. Taking a deep breath, I flicked it on and spoke loud and clear.

“Attention all hands, this is the captain, I want every security team reorganized and posted at your stations. I want every available body topside and armed and every deck weapon stocked and ready to fire. If this is our final stand, then I want everyone to know that you’ve served your country well, and you deserved better than this fate. We couldn’t have seen this coming, so please don’t blame yourself, or anyone for that matter. If this mystery ship wants to fight we’ll give them a fight they’ll never forget. Remember, arm and stand by, wait for them to fire first.”

I was about to hang up, when I felt something else surface. Something that needed to be said. “Oh and, just one more thing to remember, we’re going home.”

With that I turned it off. Exiting the wheel house again, I look down to my belt as I throw open my coat. Clipped to my belt is a holster with a Colt .45 semi automatic handgun resting inside. I throw open the guard and whip it out pulling it up to chest height with both hands. With my right eye I check it for dirt, rust, or any imperfection. Seeing none I pull out the magazine and yank back the slide.

As I do this a bullet flies out of the gun. With a quick hand I stuff the gun and the mag into my right hand and catch the rogue bullet with the other. Smiling at my stunt, I slide the bullet back into its home and slam the mag back into place. I grin as the music of the slide cocking and chambering a round fills the air around me, only to be replaced with dozens more.

I look down to the lower decks to see my men cocking and reloading the weapons that they took from the armory down within. Everyone was up here, cooks, engine room men, doctors, and countless others. Some donned M1 Garands, others donned Winchester Model 1912’s, not sure why the shotguns, we mostly used them inside for close quarters. But I did say every man to a gun. Most had helmets on, but some didn’t. I looked back up to watch the ship.

It had truly turned right towards me as it broke waves, speeding closer to us. Suddenly I heard the metallic drone of our deck guns spinning to life. I look towards the bow as our main battery cannons turn towards the incoming ship. I look to the stern and see the third one spin and lock into place. As the big guns stopped, the smaller 5 inch anti air cannons began turning as well. I look as they all begin to spin back towards the ship and follow it.

Soon, every sailor had turned their attention to the steel beast as it came closer. The only thing I could hear was the silence of the waves as the ship approached. My heart raced, my palms began to sweat, my hands shook holding the steel firearm.

The vessel began to turn so that it was lined up with mine as it grew even closer. When it was merely meters away, I stormed off the deck with sailors in my wake and made my way down to deck level. I jogged down a maze of stairs as the second ships deck began to pull up alongside ours. Reaching our deck I whipped up my sidearm, re gripping it again with both hands and follow the ship with haste.

I go to turn to see it’s main structure just beginning to pass me, but instead I stare at what looks like a crowd following along side us on the second ship. They were chasing us. At the head of the chasing group, was the man who I saw on their bridge, it was their captain. They were doing what we were doing.

Before long the Mystery ship stopped, and as it did, so did I. I turned and faced the deck of the second ship with my pistol at the ready. Just as I stopped, the group following us, reached us at the same time and stopped, and turned to look at us.

My mouth threw open, my eyes focused, squinted, then focused again. For staring at me was the captain, face to face, merely feet from me. Soon, more of his men began surrounding him, all of them donning their weapons and vests. Then from behind me I hear the running of feet and before I know it, two dozen sailors crowd around me with their weapons ready, staring back at the ones looking at them.

Then silence, no more running, no more waves, no more engine noise, no seagulls, no cocking of weapons, no metallic drones. Just the smell of sea water and metal. We seem to stare at each other for an eternity, waiting for someone to move. I gripped my gun harder as I heard someone speak up. It was a disembodied voice, and it came from the second ship.

“So, uh... you guys friendly, or what?” I pan from the captain to where the voice came from, and so did everyone else, even the men on the other ship. They lowered their weapons and began looking around themselves in idiotic confusion. Just like them, my men lowered their guns and look towards them, moving their heads to spot the one man. Unfortunately, nobody found him, but they did find something. They found the answer, because it came from me.

Throwing my 45. back into it’s holster and throwing the coat over top of it again. I place my hands on my hips and speak up over the awkward silence.

“Depends, who are you guys?” I ask. Everyone on both ships looked at me in wonder, even their captain. I reposition myself so that I’m facing him dead on. Then he catches me off guard, through my men and his men staring at each other in this tence show of strength, he smiles and holsters his gun.

“Well, you speak english, specifically american, so I would assume you guys are United States Navy?” He asks. Hearing him say United States Navy gave me hope that we could work together, and keep the peace between us.

“Well, you're right about one thing, I am american, but are you US Navy?” I ask in return with my own crooked smile on. With the tenseness loosening in the air, we could finally breathe easy.

“Yep, your US Navy alright, and so am I. Glad to see a friendly face.” He says as some of his men leave back into his ship. As do some of mine.

“Like wise, anyway stranger, how about we meet on the same ship, so we can talk more formally?” I ask. To my surprise, the men who left on his side came back with long steel cross beams that could span between us.

“I was about to ask that same question. Men lay it out.” Following his orders with an, “Aye aye,” They held the board across the valley between us as I motion my men to lay it down to help them.

After a few seconds of coordination the beam fell and created a bridge between us. The Captain began crossing with a team of sailors behind him. My men quickly moved as his boots hit the deck. His men followed up behind him and soon they all faced me, two on each side. Following his example, my men did the same. Now I could finally get a good look at the strange uniforms they wore.

The designs on the uniforms were crisp and wavy. They seemed to be used for forest areas. Their boots rode up their legs, till about mid way up their shin, they were shined jet black and glimmered from the sun. Along with that, a pair of hard looking covers were placed over their knees, and tightened making the uniform tight around that area.

Along with that, right above the pants was a green belt that seemed to be wrapped around their hip. Some of the sailors had canteens strapped on theirs, and others had holsters for pistols. Above the belt was their vests. They were bulky and sported the same forest camouflage like the rest of their uniform. But what stood out was that, the bandoliers on top of it went from their shoulders all the way down to the bottom of the vest and stopped. Then it stretched around them to the back where it connected to the top again, holding the whole thing together. On the part that stretched around, housed all their ammo holsters.

At the end of their sleeves were their hands. But their hands had some black cover over them that encased all their fingers, gloves. But, these hands held the greatest piece I’ve ever seen.

It was a long black looking battle rifle. It had a pistol grip, and a long curved magazine in front of it. It had a large triangular stock that stuck right out back. Above the mag and trigger was the body of the gun, then above that was a triangular sight. In front of all this was a long smooth grooved hand grip, at the end of that was another triangular sight that stood up straight and lined up with the rear sight. After the second sight was the actual barrel that stuck out another few inches, then ended with a interesting looking muzzle break.

With the streamlined helmet that they wore strapped onto their chins, this whole get up was incredible. I stood their mouth wide open as me and my men eyed them up like candy. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. After staring for a while, I shook my head in stupidity and regained my composure, as did my men. Looking back to their captain, I saw a sly looking grin on his face. With a small laugh, he crossed his arms.

“Like what you see?” He said as the sailors next to him grinned too. Hearing the coy in his words, I could tell it was a joke and laughed along. After I stopped, I began to lay my cards out on the table.

“Well, I’ll be honest, your uniforms, guns, and your ship, are very impressive. I haven’t seen this kind of technology in my entire life. Who are you?” I asked.

He uncrossed his arms and put them behind his back in a proper order. “We are the United States Navy, and I am Charles Nelson, captain of the USS Harry E. Yarnell.” He said motioning towards the vessel next to us, “Who are you?” He asked turning his attention to me again. I was dumbfounded, they were the US Navy? But, they didn’t really look like us, they looked foreign. But, they were speaking perfect english. I stuttered, but I came out with an answer, that caught him and his men off guard.

“We, are the United States Navy, and my name is Captain John Carson, and you’re standing aboard the USS Boston.” Charles face dropped dead, he looked as if he had seen a ghost. The men on either side of him, put on the same face.

“Oh my god, you… you’re shitting me right?” He said pointing a weak finger at me. I nodded no.

“No, no, no way! You’re the phantom ship!?” He asked. I looked at my men in confusion, and they returned the look. Turning back to the befound captain I shrugged my shoulders.

“I have a question for you, John, what day is it?” Charles asked. Not trying to waste time, and suspense, I quickly answered back.

“January 31st, 1944, why?” I asked still not seeing the problem.

“Impossible,” He turned to one of his men and talked into his ear, even though I could still hear him, “The battle report said that, the captain had a scar across his chest…”
Hearing those words, I found it necessary to throw open my coat, and reveal my chest wound to him. He didn’t see this at first, but when one of the other sailors did, they pointed towards me and got Charles's attention.

When he looked at my chest, I knew something was up. So I asked him.

“What? What’s so important about my chest wound?” I asked eager to get an answer. Charles shook his head and placed both hands over his face, and whipped down, clearing his sweat.

“Well, John I’m going to be honest, we know about you. We know about your ship, we also know the damage report.” He said placing his hands on his hips. How did he know me? I don’t know him, unless, he’s from a different time.

“Wait, so you know about us? How?” I asked closing my coat again.

“Because, we’re from the future. 1998 to be exact. We have reports and documents about a ship that mysteriously disappeared from sight, and reappeared ten minutes later, that was missing fuel, ammo, and a few men. The captain was interviewed, and said that they were taken to another world, where they met a ship from the not so far off future. When he was asked about names, he couldn’t give any. Thus the ship was held by the US government in a secret location, for further notice. The name of that ship, was the USS Boston.”

Well, I wanted answers...