Godzilla Lives!
A Godzilla fanfiction by Travis J. DeSantis
Chapter Thirteen
Twenty minutes later, Miki, Asuka, and a military escort had arrived at G-Force headquarters in Tuskuba Science City. Miki had never been here before and she was amazed at how futuristic everything looked, like it came right out of a science fiction movie. Walking around the UN-run complex, Miki was surprised to see just as many scientists walking around as soldiers. The main office was a two part complex: a fortified tower, emblazoned with G-Force's sword-and-wings insignia, with a semi-circular building around it.
The two psychics were lead inside, wading through a sea of hungry reporters and photographers. It was like being caught in a school of sharks in the middle of a lightning storm, but Miki and Asuka were shielded from the rabid journalists by G-Force personnel and ushered to a private elevator.
It was large, as if for freight, which was a good thing considering how many people were crammed inside. Most of them looked like top-ranking military officers or self-important diplomats. The scientists, identifiable by their generally haggard appearance and excitable manner, gathered together in one corner of the elevator. They were talking amongst themselves very quickly, not bothering to keep their voices down. Miki liked to think she was fairly well-educated, but geek shorthand was beyond her understanding.
Finally, the elevator reached the tower's summit, where the UNGCC meeting would be held. It was a circular room with a circular table, and Miki briefly wondered what kind of architect G-Force had hired. But such random musings were cut short as everyone started taking seats around the council table. At the 'head' of the table stood a well-fed officer with apparently the full spectrum of military awards dangling from his uniform.
"Thank you for coming today, ladies and gentlemen," said Takaki Aso, Commander of G-Force. "As you are aware, the event we have feared and prepared for all these years has finally come to pass. At approximately fourteen-twenty-hours, Mount Mihara on Izu-Oshima Island erupted and Godzilla was released. Fortunately, an immediate disaster was averted thanks, in part, to the efforts of Major Sho Kuroki and his crew of the experimental anti-Godzilla special assault craft, the Super-X2."
Maj. Kuroki nodded from his seat. There was a smattering of applause, but judging by the look on the Major's face, he didn't think he deserved it. Standing behind him, Yashiro Honda and Sergeant Amane Higa were looking far more pleased with themselves.
Kuroki stood, addressing the council himself. "Thank you everyone, but I'm just a soldier doing his job. I believe the real thanks belongs to Ms. Miki Saegusa."
At this, the entire assemblage turned to face Miki and she felt her face burning up.
"Ms. Saegusa is an agent of the Psychic Research Center based in Tokyo and she was present on Oshima Island at the time of Godzilla's attack. The Super-X2 was practically at Godzilla's mercy when Ms. Saegusa used her psychic powers to fend him off."
Again with the applause and Miki suddenly understood why Kuroki felt displeased. Many lives were surely lost when Godzilla first emerged and that was nothing to brag about. The young woman bowed clumsily, then cleared her throat, hoping she wouldn't stutter and make a bigger fool of herself.
"Thank you, I'm glad I could be of service. I...knew I had to do something. If there's any other way I can help, I'll definitely do my best."
Miki thought she would die of embarrassment. Commander Aso smiled at her in a benign fatherly way, but he quickly reverted to the stony soldier once the council's eyes were back on him. "Major Kuroki, if you would continue with your report?"
"Yes, sir," Sho replied. "We engaged Godzilla with the Super-X2 at approximately fourteen-thirty-hours. AGM-114K Hellfire-IIs equipped with the AKO-Cd2 warheads did inflict surface damage to the target, but Godzilla appears to possess a fast-acting regeneration ability. Even turning his own thermonuclear breath against him with the Fire Mirror did not have permanent results. Godzilla's intelligence is beyond what we expected. He quickly adapted to our strategies and even went so far as to feign retreat to catch us off-guard."
"Explain to me, please, how a state-of-the-art assault craft manned by Japan's best can be caught off-guard by a big dumb lizard?" asked one of the foreign delegates, a Frenchman by the sound of it.
"Maybe you weren't paying attention," interrupted Sgt. Higa, coming to his superior's defense. "Godzilla is smarter than he looks. I can't say the same for you," he said, muttering that last part under his breath.
Several people in the room started to talk at once, but Commander Aso silenced them all with a wave of his hand. "Gentlemen, please. At this juncture, the point is merely academic. Let us get back to the matter at hand."
Everyone settled down as requested and the meeting continued.
"Now, we believe this is not Godzilla's first attack." Aso said, pressing a button on the computer console by his seat. The giant monitor behind him blinked to life, the blank screen now replaced by a map of Southeast Asia. "What you see here"--he pointed to a series of boat-shaped markers appearing on the map--"are the locations of several known shipping accidents that have occurred, all within the past month. Many of the wrecks show evidence of animal attack on a giant scale. These"--now red triangles littered the map--"are volcanoes located on the ocean floor. After comparing this information, we believe that Godzilla has been using this network of geological formations to attack ships, then retreat back into the Earth to avoid protection."
Miki recognized that as the volcanologist Dr. Chuko's theory. You're wrong, she thought to herself.
Once again, all eyes in the room were on her. Even Asuka was looking at her strangely. Suddenly, Miki realized she had accidentally projected her thoughts psychically. Now the young woman was obligated to defend her argument.
"Ah, sorry about that. W-what I mean to say is that doesn't, um, that can't be the case because the...the dates of the attacks show them occurring in...in a northbound direction. Why would Godzilla head down to Australia just to come back?"
A stately-looking man with wire-frame glasses and gray-streaked hair cleared his throat. "What's to say that there have been no attacks between these?" Professor Fukazawa countered. "The only reason we noticed these in particular was because of the northbound pattern. Clearly, Godzilla is waging a guerilla war against humanity, striking quickly and retreating to attack elsewhere before we can counterattack."
"No! That's wrong! Godzilla doesn't have a plan, he's just an animal. I've seen his mind and it's total chaos. He's just lashing out in anger!"
The man sneered, obviously holding ESP and its users in the lowest regard. He was about to retort when Commander Aso cleared his throat, bringing the argument to a halt.
"Perhaps you'd like to present your case, Professor Fukazawa?" the rotund soldier asked.
"Yes, of course," the prim professor replied.
The aging man pushed his glasses back up to the bridge of his nose and stood. In his other hand was a remote, not unlike the one Aso used to control the briefing room monitor. Pressing a button, new images appeared on the monitor, each taken from Godzilla's three major rampages. Until she now saw them next to each other, it had never occurred to Miki how much the atomic dinosaur had apparently changed over the years. There was also various data below each image that reminded the psychic of a video game's character selection screen. Fukazawa left his seat and approached the monitor in the habit of a man used to pacing in front of a classroom chalkboard.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am neither solider nor scientist. I am an historical analyst. I chronicle the past and from that, I gain insight to the present and future. This"--Fukazawa raised his voice and pointed at the monitor dramatically--"is our past. As you can plainly see, the beast known as Godzilla is not a static menace. In 1954, his size was estimated at 50 meters and 20,000 tons. In 1984, he grew roughly five meters with a 20% increase in mass. Comparing this to the images recorded by the Super-X2's internal sensors, Godzilla has grown further still. I estimate an increase to 60 meters in height and 30,000 tons of mass.
"Further more, it appears that the phenomenon we call 'atomic breath' has grown comparably stronger with time. Whereas it once merely blasted open buildings, evidence left on the Izu-Oshima battlefield indicate plasma scoring. This thermonuclear energy burns with the energy of a low-yield nuclear warhead, in a confined stream. As Major Kuroki has mentioned, Godzilla also possess an enhanced regenerative capability. The ill-fated research project during 1985 identified this as originating from a mysterious chemical in Godzilla's cells called Organizer-G1. This has apparently allowed him to survive the unholy power of Dr. Serizawa's Oxygen Destroyer, as well as the infernal hell fires of an active volcano. So you see, his ability to learn and adapt is the least of our worries. In short, Godzilla will continue to grow more powerful, no matter what we do."
Now the briefing room blew up in a torrent of voices. Amidst the clamoring, a messenger burst into the room. He immediately crossed the room to whisper something into Commander Aso's ear. Judging by the grave look on their faces, it didn't appear to be good news. Silence swept in unbidden as Aso stood and took a deep breath.
"A JMSDF battle group stationed thirty kilometers west of the Yaeyama Islands has just confirmed the presence of a giant creature under the surface. They will engage the target in a matter of minutes."
