Planet Gradius

004 - Attack

January 1, 5000

11:53 AM UTL

So much has happened within a span of nearly 24 hours.

It all started when our barracks office is preparing for the big event of New Year 5000.

I was feeling uncomfortable somehow during that time.

I felt like something bad was about to happen.

I did not know how I felt that...

Feels like... I was told.

Even if no soothsayer or what not spat crap, I still felt that way.

I was told to get some bucket of paint from the hangar.

I did go to the hangar, but first thing I noticed was that my spacecraft's cockpit was open.

I ran towards it quickly to see what's up, but it exploded surprisingly to pieces.

I did not expect that, honestly.

An explosion debris hit my face hard, and the next thing I knew was that I'm at the doctor's place.

Several hours had passed that time, and all I found was chaos, wailing, screaming...

While I was still lying down, I felt like I had to do something.

I searched for my squad leader only to find out they were airborne.

I peeked through the window and spacecrafts are scrambling around.

I cannot identify which is which but I am sure they are in the atmosphere of Gradius.

I ran to the hangar once more only to realize that I don't have my spacecraft anymore.

There was no time to think, and I had to go help my friends.

I had no choice but to man a prototype craft; a craft which has not been tested yet.

Named Project Victorious, it is.

I quickly got in the prototype, and something spoke; something that of a robot.

I speculated it was the ship itself.

"Greetings, unauthorized pilot. Identify yourself," it said monotonously.

I registered my name through the computer available, for I don't know how to command the A.I.

To my surprise, it was easy enough to register myself through an iris scan.

"I am bound to you. You are bound to the system. The system is bound to me," it said once again.

I don't know what that means, but I was ready to join my comrades.

As I flew to the skies then to the atmosphere, there was only war.

A wide-scale war, indeed, of Gradius and a foreign invader.

I called through my comrades, and they greeted me with wanted help.

I quickly joined their formation as I began to only pilot the ship and not fight with it.

The spacecraft is alien to me.

I don't know how to make it shoot something.

Useless as it is, Katswell, callsigned Saturn 2, warned me about a bogey at my six.

Because of my limited knowledge, I was easily shot on my spacecraft's left thruster.

The alarms within the craft started going red, and the A.I. monotonously spoke something about automatic repairs.

I honestly don't have an idea what it was talking about.

Our leader commanded me to go back to Gradius, and so I did.

Several hours had passed, and I am still waiting at our quarters, worried, at this current time.

There is still war going on...

There is still death everywhere.

What the hell is happening?

I freakin' hate being useless!

I see no engineers around.

They are probably summoned by a higher calling.

I need help around that crappy prototype.

Actually, that A.I. might help...

Saturn 4 out.