Object 634

The Holder of the Unending Storm

There is a small community by the ocean, somewhere on the northeastern seaboard of the United States, where the rain never stops. The town has no name, or, at least, none which any human being can hope to comprehend, and it can be found on no map of this earthly realm. The only way to reach it is by searching along the entire coastline, from Delaware to Maine, until you find it. This could take many searches; in fact, it may take years, or you may never reach your destination. If you don't, rest assured, you will be driven mad by the search.

If you are one of the lucky few who make your way into the town, then you need to know right now, you can never leave by land. You must cross a bridge to get into the community and once you cross it, the bridge will be gone, and the way back forever sealed to you. Instead, you will have to find a boat.

Drive straight to the dockyard, down by the sea. It's easy to find, you just have to follow the signs. Don't think too much about what they are made of. You really don't want to know. All you need to worry about is not veering from the correct path. There are many side streets in this town, and most of them are dark and filled with horrors which may rend the flesh and devour the bones of any unfortunates who stumble upon them.

After a few minutes of following the signs, you will come to the coast, and to the docks there. Even though there are many charter boats moored there, all but one of them will be old, and falling apart. Some of them will even be partially submerged beneath the choppy waves. The one which still floats undamaged and on an even keel will be called "The Pride of Mariah".

Park your car by the dock, and step out slowly. You will probably notice that the air here reeks of metal and decay, and that breathing in too much of it causes the inside of your nose to sting. That is because there is more coming down from the storm than rain.

You may hear claps of thunder in the distance, and you may also see lightning. That is normal, as the storm over this small town is a powerful one. Out to sea, you can see waves tall enough to make you weak-kneed. Now is not the time to be watching them, because in a few minutes, you will hopefully be out among those great ocean swells. You see, "The Pride of Mariah" is a charter boat, and you are going to be taking the charter.

If you hear anything other than thunder in the streets behind you, do not turn around. It's best if you don't turn around anyway, lest you see something lurking in the shadows which will twist and contort your mind until it breaks, leaving you a quivering wreck, lying on the street.

Walk out onto the docks. They are not exactly stable, and many of the wooden planks are rotten, so be careful where you step. There are also crabs here the size of small dogs, but you shouldn't have to worry about them. They normally stay under the water beneath the dock, but occasionally they have been known to come out when they are hungry. If they do come out, then run toward your destination, which is, of course, the ship ahead. Do not turn back. The ship will set sail without you, and you will be trapped here with untold horrors until all of the stars burn out in the sky.

When you get to the ship, just take it, whether the crabs are chasing you or not. An old man wearing a yellow raincoat will run out onto the dock from somewhere in town, but do not listen to his pleas for you to come back. He is not a man, he is a monster, and the Holder of the Unending Storm. If the crabs are not chasing you, then you don't need to be in any hurry. If they are, then there are far greater horrors beneath the water that have chased them out from under the waves, and they will also be hungry for your flesh. Get away from town as quickly as possible. That may not be quickly enough, but at least you can say you tried.

The ship is Object 634 of 2538, and it is in your possession now. You can sail with it to any sea, on any world, or in any time. The only problem is, wherever you go, the storm will follow with you.

Oh, and Mariah? The one mentioned in the ship's name? She will follow with you as well. Never again will you know a safe harbor.

Pride is the mother of sin, something Mariah knows well these days.