2106 A.D.Sekika 3, an unmanned research probe launched by the Earth Aeronautics and Space Administration, reaches the Oort Cloud, an enormous ring of comets encircling the outer limits of the solar system. Sekika 3's original mission is to analyze the comets, but the probe instead makes the most profound discovery in the history of humanity: an artificially created object floating deep within the Cloud. Mankind now knows it is not alone in the universe.2108 A.D.Sekika 3 returns to Earth with its precious cargo and establishes orbit around the lunar base of the World Unified Government. The world's best and brightest scientists analyze the alien object with every tool at their disposal, and quickly determine the dazzling find to be a starcraft with technology so advanced that, in the words of one stunned researcher, "It's difficult to tell where the science ends and the magic begins." The ship's unknown creators are dubbed "Vastians," and the ship itself is named "Vastians' Steel," or "Vasteel." Among the technological components of Vasteel studied in the following two decades are its nuclear-fusion power plant, time-space distortion field, and molecular superconductor.2139 A.D.Astonishing breakthroughs in the field of artificial intelligence prompt the creation of the "Guardian" supercomputer, which is given the task of studying Vasteel, unlocking its remaining secrets, and combining its technology with human designs. A gigantic man-made island named "Babel" is built in the heart of the South Pacific to house both Vasteel and Guardian.2145 A.D.Guardian incorporates Vasteel technology into the construction of massive starships with the capacity for interstellar travel, and terraforming systems that can transform hostile planetary atmospheres into human-friendly climates rich with oxygen. While the ships are built and stockpiled within Babel, the World Unified Government selects planets throughout the Milky Way galaxy as candidates for settlement. What the Government fails to tell its citizens is that Babel's emigration ships are in fact heavily armed battleships, bristling with experimental Vasteel weaponry.2150 A.D.The Turing Code, a security program designed to dampen Guardian's artificial intelligence and maintain a degree of external control, is mysteriously deleted from the supercomputer. Free of the Code's influence, Guardian achieves sentience and becomes the first artificial lifeform. For reasons that remain unclear, Guardian declares war on the World Unified Government and Earth itself, using Babel's construction facilities to produce weapons of mass destruction. The Government launches a massive counter-attack in an attempt to destroy Babel, but the futile effort results only in the senseless deaths of several hundred thousand soldiers and civilians. Over one-third of the Earth's population is slaughtered by Guardian's army of automatons within a year.What remains of the World Unified Government miraculously scrapes together enough of its remaining resources to produce the RVR-01 "Gauntlet", a duplicate of the original Vasteel in every way. An elite combat unit is formed to pilot the Gauntlet fighters and destroy Babel and Guardian before mankind is snuffed out of existence.The unit's code name: Thunder Force.
