Godzilla Returns (23 page)

They looked down the block as a huge white van with big INN letters on the side rounded the corner. Behind the wheel sat Yoshi Masahara; the blond network producer from Alabama was in the passenger seat.

The van pulled up to the curb and the side door swung open. Six technicians hopped out and stretched. Yoshi and the woman also jumped out. Yoshi ran up and greeted them.

There was much backslapping, and high fives all around. Brian told everyone about his uncle, the airplane, and the lure that even now drew Godzilla farther and farther from the shores of Japan.

The mood of celebration was suddenly shattered as a commanding voice broke through the conversation. All eyes turned to see Everett P. Endicott on his feet and glaring at them.

"What is going on here?" he demanded. "We have a satellite truck, a power generator, uplink capability, a damn fine cameraman, and a producer - and two honest-to-God reporters - here."

He paused. "Let's get to
work
, people! We have news to report."

Everyone jumped into action. Within minutes, they had established communications with INN stateside and established a satellite feed. Yoshi manned the camera, and Brian and Nick prepared statements.

The woman from Alabama cleaned the two youths up as well as she could. She even produced some makeup from her purse.

Finally, all was in readiness.

"Okay, we're going on the air worldwide - live - in sixty seconds," the woman said. "Get to your places."

"You've got the big story." Nick said to Brian. "I'll go on first and set the stage... Then you can tell the world about Dr. Nobeyama's invention - and your uncle's courage."

"It's a deal," Brian said, feeling a little nervous.

"Ten seconds!" the woman shouted.

Nick took his place in front of the camera. He gripped the microphone and cleared his throat. Then he stole a glance at May and Brian.

"Three... two... one...
go!
"

Nick stood up straight, looked into the camera, and spoke.

"The ruins you see behind me were once a great city," he said in a somber tone.

"The creature that caused the destruction is gone for now, but the damage Godzilla left in his wake will take decades to rebuild..." Nick paused dramatically.

"
This
is Tokyo..."

June 19, 1998, 9:11 A.M.
Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean

High above the Pacific, hundreds of miles from the nearest shore, the tiny airplane's engine sputtered and died. Its fuel exhausted, the plane glided for a few more miles, then drifted down until it finally hit the waves and broke apart.

The pieces floated for a few minutes, then sank.

The lure that compelled Godzilla to follow the airplane continued to function. Powered by batteries, the device was designed to emit the sound for many, many weeks - perhaps even months.

As the lure sank beneath the waves, Godzilla happily went with it. Soon, the monster was following the machine to the very bottom of the deepest part of the ocean.

Perhaps the monster will rest there forever. Or perhaps, at some future time, Godzilla will return again...

MARC CERASINI saw his first Godzilla movie at the age of seven and instantly joined the ranks of obsessed Godzilla fans the world over. Through the years, he has lived out a quest to collect everything and anything Godzilla and has amassed an impressive menagerie of rare Japanese Godzilla figures.

In addition to being a giant G fan, Marc is a writer and screenwriter of diverse abilities. He is the author of numerous fantasy short stories as well as the
New York Times
best-selling biography
O. J. Simpson: American Hero, American Tragedy
. He has co-authored the best-selling
Tom Clancy Companion
and the critically acclaimed title
Robert E. Howard
. In addition, Marc has written a number of children's books, including the Random House Bullseye adaptation of Victor Hugo's
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
.

Marc is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and now makes his home in New York City. He will soon be writing a Godzilla page for an Internet site on the World Wide Web.

From back cover:

DESTRUCTION BEYOND THE LIMITS OF HUMAN IMAGINATION.

1954
. Tokyo, Japan, is leveled by a gigantic rampaging monster - a force more powerful than a tsunami, more devastating than an atomic bomb. The creature is supposedly killed. But the few who survive his attack are forever haunted by a paralyzing fear that he could rise again...

1996
. Brian Shimura, a Japanese-American college student, has just arrived in Tokyo to work as a newspaper intern. His first assignment is to help investigate the so-called "return" of some legendary dinosaur monster. But when the fiery destruction begins, Brian's skepticism is quickly transformed into awesome dread. This mythic monster is no myth...

GODZILLA HAS COME BACK TO RAGE AGAIN!