Trident

 Black. All around him was black. An endless void staring back at them. He woke up at the sound of a beeping around him. Trying to gather his senses, someone was standing over him. Startled, he realized that he was in a bedroom. “Are you okay?” A little boy said to him. He blinked a few times trying to get himself together. “...I think so...I know that I am in a bedroom, where am I exactly?”

“You’re in space,” The boy told him, “My father and his crew found you in the middle of a war-zone. They saved you!”

“That’s great…”

“I’m Ginga.” He said. “...Naboshi, you said space? Where in space?” He responded.

“You are in the NeptuneX56 spaceship. There’s a war going on between Novis and Awe, everybody had to be evacuated.”

Naboshi could only sit there in silence. “I know that it’s a lot to take in, I’m only ten. I don’t know a whole lot about wars. My brother used to fight in one.” He let Ginga ramble on. The bedroom doors slid open. An older man stepped inside. “Ginga, that’s enough. He doesn’t need to know everything.”

Ginga turned to face his father. “You’re up. How are you feeling? My name is Kousei Jarvis. I’m the captain of this ship.” “Hello, sir. H-How did I end up here?”

“One of my men found you in an astronaut suit in the freezing cold. Then, brought you back here into this spare bedroom.” Kousei told him. “Do you remember anything that happened beforehand?” Naboshi sat up in bed, he stared at his hands. There were several bruises. “No...not that I know of...I can only recall a fire breaking out near the station in Warden, and then, that was it.”

Ginga ran over to his father, tugging at the helm of his jacket. “What about his family?” “I don’t think we should delve into his past,” Kousei whispered. A beeping noise went off. Naboshi jumped at the sound. “Let me take this call.” He revealed a watch on his wrist as it glowed a small hologram of a young girl.

“Sir, are you there?”

“What’s the matter, Soraya?”

“An enemy ship has been spotted! Should we pull out our trump card?”

“NO, not yet. If we reveal our hand, who knows what might happen? Soraya, get Mun and defend Neptune.”

“Will do sir!” Kousei turned his watch off, looked up at Naboshi, and sighed. “Sorry, there’s currently a war had—”

“Do you need help? I can help!” Naboshi jumped out of bed and ran up to Kousei. “I can not let you get involved. This is only a minor problem.” Kousei grabbed Ginga by the hand leaving him be. “Hold on!” Naboshi chased after the two.

Naboshi ran down the hall and stopped at the scene before him. Every soldier was in a frenzy. Probably, because the enemy’s ship attacked them. He ducked out of the way, making his way to a corridor where the lights on the walls glowed a soft blue color. Outside was pitched black. He kept walking further when he stumbled across a door that automatically opened up.

He entered the large room and flipped the switch. The row of lights came on. No one was around except for a large mecha robot. He walked up to the large-scale robot to get a better look. The bulky, lanky robot was all blue and white all over. Naboshi wandered around and saw a small platform in front of it. He stepped up to the platform when a robotic voice came on, “Now scanning pilot.”

A scanner appeared on the chest of the mecha, and flashed a bright blue scanner out of thin air, scanning Naboshi. He looked down, seeing his whole body becoming digitized ones and zeros. When he came to, he was inside the mecha. All around him were buttons and a control stick that controlled the robot. He sat back in the seat, examining his surroundings. “Welcome, Naboshi Ariga.” the robotic voice said. “Huh? How do you know—” “Powering Trident.” The lights glowed around him when a holographic screen popped up in the middle of the control panel. The robot, Trident, started to move.

Naboshi looked around for an exit inside the Trident, he turned around to see the holographic screen still there. He leaned closer to see a girl pop up on his screen. “Hello? Is somebody there?” She asked she looked preoccupied. “Do you know how to turn this thing off?” He questioned her.

The girl looked at him, through her thick-framed glasses. “Who are you?”

“Naboshi, I found this robot thing and I somehow ended up in here—”

“Don’t worry, I got you covered.” Her confidence was unshakable, she took a deep breath and got to work. “Do you see a button on the left control panel?” He followed her instruction, eyeing a black button. “Yes, what does it do?”

“It’s the startup-”

“Startup? Wait, you don’t mean?”

“I need you to control Trident, I’m surprised that it started to move.”

He pressed the button. Trident’s eyes glowed. A hologram-shaped goggles appeared in from of him. “What is that?”

“You are Trident’s eyes, put them on.”

He put the goggles on and saw the outside of the room. “Good, I can see what you’re seeing, Naboshi.” The girl said.

“Question, what’s going on?”

“If you haven’t noticed by now, we are being attacked by a group called Awe. Awe has spawned out enemy ships, we need all the help we can get. With the help of Trident. Trident is our robot that I and several others built to defeat them. As you can see...those controls are like using a game controller. Think of it as a game.”

“Okay, what do I need to do?” Naboshi questioned her.

The doors inside the spacecraft opened into a starry night sky. By following the girl’s lead, he made it out the door. He flew Trident out of the hanger bay, throwing himself into space. On his left, an enemy ship flies past him. He chased the enemy down leading him not too far from the spaceship. In the distance, he overhead firing shots coming behind him. He turned around and saw an enemy ship flying towards him with electric bullets. Naboshi tried to get out of the way and took a beating. He didn’t know what he was doing.

“It’s alright, you’re new to this. Naboshi, do you see those four buttons that have the letters on them?”

“Yeah.”

“Use the ‘A’ button to fire and ‘B’ is a special attack.”

“Isn’t this like a game tutorial or something?”

“That’s how all pilots operate our mechas. Less talking, more battling.”

He sent Trident flying, chasing after the one who hit him. He catches up with the ship and begins to fire back with water cannons. The enemy takes damage, firing back at Naboshi. Panicked, he freezes up. He looked down at the buttons next to his joystick and pressed one that he wasn’t familiar with. In front of Trident, another hologram that resembles a shield appeared. It also showed up on the control panel. Naboshi pressed the screen, activating it. Several electrified bullets came at him, but he managed to guard himself from its attacks.

In the same manner, with his quick thinking. Naboshi fired back, taking out the ship. “Great, I just spotted about three more. You think you got this one?” She said.

“Sure, I’ll do my best.”

“Also, don’t freeze up? Don’t forget that I’m here.”

He turns around, shooting more water at the remaining three, and takes them out. Two more came shooting at him fast. He dodges their attacks and shoots back at them. Before he could take them out, one of the attackers fired at him, taking critical damage to Trident, and the shield. His joystick vibrates and zaps him. He winces.

“Are you okay?”

“It’s only a small shock, don’t worry! I’m right behind them.”

He follows close behind the two. He blasts them with all of his might. The ship turned around and started firing. Due to Naboshi’s quick thinking, he presses the special attack button. His regular-size cannon switched out to a cannon blaster, and it fired out large amounts of water, like a flood. The two ships are flushed out and destroyed.

Naboshi cheered. “I’ve just checked and it seems to be all cleared...and everywhere else. Good going, Naboshi. All thanks to you.”

“Gee, thanks. I didn’t get your name?”

“My name is Chiyuki Kurirumi, but everyone calls me Chi.”

At the hangar bay, the military crew was there. They all stood there, watching Trident come flying inside. One of the crew members climbed up the ladder to secure the robot in place. Naboshi turns the power off on Trident and is scanned back onto the platform. He stretches all over.

“Are you the one who flew Trident!” Naboshi turned seeing, a teenage boy with lilac hair walking up to him. “...Yes, I’m the one—”

“Who gave you the authorization of—” The boy’s watch chimed off, and a holographic picture of Chiyuki appeared on his watch.

“I gave him authorization, Mun. I had no other choice.” Mun grumbled.

The doors to the hangar bay opened, and Kousei and Soraya came in. “What’s going on?” Kousei fixed his glasses. “Sir, I flew the Trident,” Naboshi said. “I’m sorry, I was trying to find you and ended up here—I helped out in defending the spaceship.”

“I see…”

“Mr. Kousei, if I might chime in.” Chiyuki popped up his watch. “I assisted him in flying Trident. There were Awe enemy ships, we had no other choice but to use it. I think he might be a good pilot.” Kousei didn’t say anything. “We are always looking for recruits.” Chiyuki smiled. He mulled over her words and sighed. “Fine, we were shorted-handed...though, it wouldn’t hurt.” He looked over at Naboshi. “You only just arrived here after my men found you, we may not know a whole lot about you...but, since you helped defeat Awe. How about becoming a Neptune Pilot, say...about today?”

“T-Today—” Naboshi was surprised.

“Mr. Jarvis, I don’t think that will be necessary? What about training—” Interjected Mun, “There at least has to be some training required.”

“We will train him of course, mind you. We need to get out of the war zone and all the help we can get. Not just surviving off of you and Soraya.” Mun rolled his eyes at him.

“Mr. Jarvis, sir.” Chiyuki chimed in. “I can take over his training. It was I who guided him through battle.” “If that’s how you feel about the situation, Chi. Then, be my guess.” “I will do my best.”

“As for you, Naboshi. You will be starting your training as a Neptune Pilot.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“I expect great things from you.”