Godzilla Returns (21 page)

"Yeah," Nick replied. "But we should take Sakurada-Dori, there's less traffic..."

Brian looked at his friend. "Nick, are you crazy? The city's deserted."

"Yeah," Nick snorted. "Except for those tanks on the expressway."

June 18, 1998, 11:20 P.M.
On the edge Of Shiba Park
Tokyo, Japan

It took longer than they expected to drive to Godzilla's location. Nick gave pretty good directions, but they found their way was constantly blocked - sometimes by debris from shattered buildings, but mostly by abandoned vehicles. They detoured a number of times before finally reaching the wide street called Sakurada-Dori.

The campus of Keio University was abandoned, but as they drove past Senba Hospital, they saw the first signs of other human beings. The hospital buildings were brightly lit, and a number of ambulances rushed by, their sirens warbling.

When they reached the ramp to Expressway Number Two, Nick looked up from his map. "Turn right!" he cried, pointing. The red Toyota's tires skidded as Brian spun around the corner. As they approached another overpass - the map said it was Hibiya-Dori - they saw a bright flash to their right. Since the expressway was pretty much empty, Brian stopped the car in the center of the road.

They watched as Godzilla emerged from the smoke and haze that hung over the Shiba district. They had a great view of the Tokyo Grand Hotel - right before Godzilla leveled it. Then the monster turned and seemed to approach them.

Brian quickly threw the car into reverse and backed up until he was under the Hibiya-Dori overpass. Then he turned off the engine. They watched as Godzilla stepped onto the expressway, shattering light poles and cracking the pavement. Again, the ground shook under the car, and dust and debris rained down on the Toyota from the overpass above.

When the monster's tail disappeared from view, Brian started the car again and warily drifted out from under the overpass. He and Nick watched Godzilla's back as it moved away from them.

"Try the television," Brian suggested.

Nick plopped the TV on the dashboard and tuned in to INN. Max Hulse was still giving a running commentary, but this time he wasn't using a remote camera. Godzilla was entering Shiba Park, approaching an ancient Japanese shrine.

"Godzilla is clearly visible from our vantage point here in Tokyo Tower," Hulse was saying. "He is approaching Zojoji Temple, a national landmark."

The temple appeared on the television screen. It was a small building with slate gray tiles on its roof and aged red lacquer walls. As they watched, Godzilla's leg seemed to brush against the centuries-old structure, and it collapsed into a cloud of dust.

The monster paused and bellowed out a roar. He stood in the middle of a manicured parkland. His swishing tail flattened trees and shrubs. His massive feet left deep footprints in the well-kept grasslands and gardens.

Then Godzilla blinked. He focused his eyes on a brightly lit structure that was even taller than he was. With a roar of challenge, the creature began to move toward Tokyo Tower.

* * *

Mike Lacey, the INN remote producer stationed on the observation deck of Tokyo Tower, tore his eyes off the monitor screens of his portable workstation.

"I need another cameraman," he cried. "It looks like Godzilla is coming this way."

The assistant producer, a young woman from Alabama, shook her head. "The only other cameraman we've got is Yoshi Masahara - and I just sent him below to iron out a technical glitch in our satellite feed truck." She paused. "Do you want me to call him back?" she asked.

Lacey looked down at his monitor again. Godzilla was heading right for them.

"Forget it," he said finally. "And I think you should leave too..."

She opened her mouth to protest, but the producer interrupted her before she could speak. "Leave now, and take everyone else with you. We'll make do with Max and the cameraman we already have."

The woman looked at her boss. "But -" she muttered.

"Don't argue -
go!
" Mike Lacey cried, then turned his back on her and went to work again.

The woman faced the members of her technical crew. "Okay, people," she said. "You heard the boss. Get onto the elevators...
Now!
"

* * *

Brian was driving again. He warily circled Shiba Park, keeping one eye on Godzilla and the other on the sky.

Keep watching the sky!
his uncle had told him in the letter. But so far, Brian had seen nothing. Following Nick's directions, Brian left the expressway and drove along the residential streets that bordered Shiba Park.

"It looks like Godzilla is heading for Tokyo Tower," Brian said ominously. Both of them thought about Yoshi, but neither voiced their fears about their friend's safety.

They circled around the Tokyo Prince Hotel. The old stone structure had an enormous parking lot surrounding it. Brian pulled into the center of the almost empty lot. He and Nick jumped out Of their car and Climbed onto its roof.

They watched as Godzilla approached the orange tower that loomed over him.

Nick fiddled with the television and a picture appeared. It was a shot from the cameras in the tower. Godzilla seemed to lock his predatory eyes on the camera itself as he moved inexorably forward.

Max Hulse continued to give commentary, ignoring the deadly approach of Godzilla.

"Godzilla is approaching the tower now," Hulse said in a calm, professional voice. "If he destroys this tower, we will certainly loose transmitting capabilities, but I am sure that other INN facilities will fill in for us."

"Stop talking and get out of there!" Nick cried at the image on the screen.

Brian and Nick moved their eyes from the image on the screen to the actual vision of the creature as he approached the tower. Even at this distance, the earth shook and Godzilla's roar battered their ears.

"It seems that Godzilla is intent on destruction." Max Hulse said calmly. "He is approaching Tokyo Tower. Let's get another shot of this." Hulse disappeared and was replaced by a shot of Godzilla. The creature stared right into the camera lens with a cold, reptilian gaze.

"The creature is very close now," Hulse intoned. "He's reaching out his arm -"

Suddenly, the image on the screen shook. Nick and Brian looked up to see Godzilla grabbing the tower and shaking it with both massive arms.

"The tower is swaying," Hulse reported, a professional to the last. "I think it will give way soon. This is Max Hulse, in Tokyo, Japan, signing off -"

Suddenly, the screen went white. Brian looked up and saw Tokyo Tower bend, then shatter. The upper half of the tower slowly tilted, then broke loose.

As they watched in horror, the upper half of the steel structure crashed to the streets below. Godzilla roared again and grappled with the twisted metal as if it were a living opponent. The monster continued to smash its clawed fists against the tower until the entire structure was reduced to a pile of twisted metal.

"Oh, God," Nick gasped. "Poor Max -"

Brian blinked back tears. "I just hope Yoshi got out of there," he muttered.

"Nobody got out of there," Nick replied.

As they watched, Godzilla, his rage spent, moved away from the ruins of Tokyo Tower and toward the city beyond.

Nick and Brian were quiet for a few moments. Then Brian looked at his friend.

"Where do you think Godzilla is headed now?" he asked.

Nick squinted into the distance. "Toward Roppongi - and home," he said grimly.

"Then let's go," Brian said, jumping off the roof.

"Okay," Nick agreed. "But it's
my
turn to drive."

* * *

On the other side of Tokyo, on the tarmac of Haneda Airport, sat twelve military helicopters. As their rotors were revved up by the ground crews, the pilots and weapons officers listened to a final briefing.

The helicopters were U.S.-built McDonnell Douglas AH-64A Apache attack helicopters - perhaps the most advanced attack chopper in the world. These aircraft were manned by members of the Japanese Self-Defense Force.

Trained by the United States military for night fighting, each Apache crew was supplied with an integrated Pilot's Night Vision System. This optical system, which involved a futuristic helmet called an IHADSS (Integrated Helmet And Display Sighting System), enabled the helicopter pilot and weapons officer to have a clear field of vision, even on the darkest nights.

"I hope you will not have to rely on night vision," their commanding officer, General Sato, told his men as they awaited takeoff.

"So far, Tokyo is still lit, and you should have no trouble spotting your target."

As the general briefed his men, technicians were replacing the sixteen Hellfire missiles that were fired from pods on either side of the Apache with a new type of weapon.

"We have replaced the explosive warhead of the Hellfire missiles with a newly developed tranquilizing agent," General Sato informed them.

"This substance has been designed to knock the creature out. The substance is harmless to human beings and to the environment - but it should be effective against Godzilla, if our scientists are correct."

As the general outlined the plan of attack, the ground crews finished loading the new type of missiles. When he saw the 'go' signal from the ground controller, the general finished his briefing.

"Do your duty!" he said, gazing at his soldiers with pride.

The helicopter crews shouted in unison as they raised their arms above their heads. Then they boarded their aircraft with grim determination.

One by one, the Apaches began to lift off the tarmac in a cloud of dust.

When all twelve Apaches were airborne, they joined up over Haneda Airport and headed toward the heart of Tokyo.

* * *

"This area looks awfully familiar," Nick said, alarm in his voice. Brian blinked. He didn't know how Nick could find any familiar landmarks in the ruins they had been driving past for the last ten minutes.

For over an hour, they had paced Godzilla's advance. Usually, they drove their car parallel to Godzilla, keeping one eye on the monster and the other on the road and the direction they were taking.

In the last half-hour, Godzilla seemed to have doubled back the way he'd come. Following him, Nick and Brian found themselves in the heart of the destruction.

At first they just smelled smoke. Then they began to pass buildings that were ablaze. A few times, they had to detour around crumbled buildings and rubble-strewn streets. Once they stumbled upon a fire truck and a horde of firemen battling a tremendous high-rise fire.

Fortunately, Godzilla had not employed his radioactive fire since destroying the power lines. Though burning buildings were plentiful, most of the city remained free of fire damage.

Nick had slowed down considerably since they reentered the area of destruction. He often had to maneuver to avoid debris, and he even hopped the curb once or twice to get around chunks of concrete.

Once, he had to swerve to avoid a corpse. Brian thought about stopping and checking on the victim, but it was painfully obvious that the person was dead. No one could survive such wounds.

The sound of destruction still rang around them - interspersed with the wail of civil-defense sirens and the blare of ambulances and other emergency vehicles. Occasionally, Godzilla could be heard, too. His bell-like roar rang through the shattered streets of Tokyo.

Once in a while, Brian and Nick would stop and try to find something on the television. But when Tokyo Tower had been leveled, it had also brought down the microwave transmitters at the top. All the two of them got on the screen was dead air.

When they tried the radio, all they could hear were local stations. Neither of them could speak Japanese well enough to understand the announcer's rapid-fire speech.

And so they just drove. The destruction was so monumental, so complete, that they soon grew numb to the sight of it. Silently, they pressed on. They continued to follow the monster, but no longer knew why.

Neither of them had used the camera or the tape recorder since their "adventure" began.

"Oh, no!" Nick cried, slamming on the brakes. Brian, who did not have his seat belt fastened, was thrown forward.

"What the -" he exclaimed. Nick was staring at the shattered block in front of them.

"Look!" Nick cried, pointing. At first, Brian just saw more destruction. Broken concrete, twisted steel girders, glass and debris scattered about. Down near the end of the block, a whole apartment complex had fallen to one side. It looked eerily familiar.

"That's the INN dorm!" Brian said. He shifted his gaze, searching for the INN building itself. Where the building once stood, there was only a three-story pile of rubble. Nick put his foot on the gas and they warily drove toward the building they had once called home.

"I see somebody!" Brian cried, pointing. There was a dirty, ragged figure sitting on the curb. Brian couldn't see the man's face, which was buried in his hands, but the man seemed oddly familiar.

"That's the chief!" Nick cried in shock and surprise. He stopped the car and jumped out. Brian quickly followed. Both youths ran to Endicott's side.

"Hey, chief," Nick said, shaking the man's shoulders. "Are you okay?"

Everett P. Endicott slowly lifted his head. His face was streaked with soot, and his eyes were oddly vacant.

"Mr. Gordon," he replied dazedly. "We were looking for you earlier..."

"What happened?" Nick demanded. "What were you doing here?"

The bureau chief blinked. "Someone had to stay behind and man the studio," he said. "I couldn't ask anyone else to do it..."

Endicott's faraway stare remained fixed as he relived the events of the past hours.

"Everyone had left on the helicopter," he droned on in an unemotional voice. "Everyone but you and Mr. Shimura. I took over control duties. I kept the satellite feed going. Then Godzilla destroyed Tokyo Tower." The portly man began to sob.

"I watched poor Max die," he said as tears streamed down his chubby cheeks. "Then May came in and said we had to go... that Godzilla was coming."