Kaiju Rampage

by Eric S. Brown

  Hall needed to talk with General Akio as soon as possible. The general was in route to Tokyo. The Chinook he was aboard was high-tailing it there at top speed. With General Akio unavailable, Hall supposed the CO of the Japanese DESRON shadowing his task force would have to do.

  ****

  Commander Hiroto was shocked by the American admiral’s request to come aboard his flagship of the Samurai II DESRON. He couldn’t refuse, however. General Akio had made it very clear that Hiroto was to do everything in his power to help bring the Americans into the coming fight against the kaiju. He met Admiral Hall personally and escorted him to a sealed briefing room where they could discuss the matters at hand securely.

  “I understand that you sent some of your planes to aid General Akio,” Commander Hiroto commented as the two men seats across from each other at the room’s sole table.

  “Three F-18 Super Hornets left the flight deck of the Lee, Commander,” Hall said. “Only one made it home.”

  “I am very sorry for your losses, Admiral, but grateful for your help. Losing General Akio, now, would be a very bad thing for all of Tokyo and perhaps all of Japan as well.”

  “I’ll be honest and admit that I didn’t believe the general when he came aboard my ship sprouting nonsense about giant monsters,” Admiral Hall said, frowning.

  “But now you know they are real,” Commander Hiroto finished for him.

  “Something is out there, that’s for sure,” Hall replied. “My pilot, Bridger—he was the only one to make it back to the Lee in the wake of the engagement with the things that attacked your general’s fleet of helicopters. He certainly believes that kaiju are real. I had the video flight unit pulled from his F-18,” Hall shrugged, “and I can’t explain the creatures I saw on it. Nothing like those things should exist in the real world.”

  “That is part of the danger of the kaiju, Admiral Hall,” Commander Hiroto told him. “It was not easy for me to accept their existence either at first, and I had access to records of other attacks throughout Japan’s history. Nonetheless, regardless of what we believe, the kaiju are coming. That is simply a fact. Can we count on your aid in stopping them before they reach Japan?”

  “I’ve contacted my superiors and informed them of the situation here. My orders are to lend whatever assistance you need,” Admiral Hall answered reluctantly.

  “I see,” Commander Hiroto said. “And you are unhappy with those orders?”

  “I didn’t say that, Commander,” Admiral Hall growled. “America and Japan are allies. Task force Gamma Red will honor the obligations that come with that as long as it’s under my command.”

  “Then I do not understand the hesitation I sense from you.” Commander Hiroto rose an eyebrow at him.

  “I don’t like going into any kind of battle blind, Commander Hiroto. I am sure you can understand that,” Hall explained. “I’ve fought a good deal of battles of in my day but never one against literal monsters before.”

  “I can indeed understand that, Admiral, but what would you have me do?” Commander Hiroto leaned forward in his seat.

  “I am going to be endangering the lives under my command for the sake of your people, Commander Hiroto, therefore I would like to know all you about what it is we are up against.”

  “We don’t know anything more about the kaiju headed for Japan at this moment than you do, Admiral. Every kaiju is different. No two are alike. Thus far, we’ve had no true engagement with them.”

  “Cut the crap, Hiroto,” Hall snarled. “By your own admission, your people have fought the kaiju many times since the birth of your nation. I need to know what we are up against, blast it!”

  Hiroto spread his hands in a gesture of peace. “Some kaiju are like those you see in the movies that both our people create. They are giant, lizard-like creatures that shake the earth itself with their steps. Others have wings, like the sort you have already fought. Still, others live solely in the water like your Krakens of myth. All of them are deadly. All of them are massive in scale compared to whatever animal or animals they share the characteristics of. And there are even kaiju who defy all logical explanation. One of your American writers wrote of these in his fiction. He told tales of gelatinous abominations that oozed over the land, consuming all in their path.”

  “Surely you must have some more specific idea of what we are up against than just a vague list of things that might be out there,” Hall protested.

  “I wish I did, Admiral. It would make all our jobs much easier, but as I have said, and it is the truth, we will not have a true understanding of the present kaiju behind these attacks until either we go have them or they show themselves as they come after our blood,” Commander Hiroto explained. “We have no set protocols for an attack of this scale. That is why General Akio has been given the level of power that has been bestowed upon him. Even as he works to build a defense against the monsters approaching us, he is also at work determining just what they are and what has drawn them from their slumber towards Japan in such great numbers after so long a time without an incident of this scale.”

  “See?” Admiral Hall argued. “You so much as admitted that you know this coming attack will be the worst in recent history for your people. How can you know that if you know nothing about the approaching kaiju?”

  Commander Hiroto shrugged. “All evidence points to this being the largest attack ever on record. In the past, kaiju attacks have been limited to a single ship, fleet, or location. The monsters appear, ravage whatever they stumble upon, and vanish. This time, there seems a coordinated move towards Japan. Many locations and many ships have been attacked all along a route that leads to Tokyo.”

  “I’ve placed the ships of my task force on alert, Commander,” Admiral Hall said. “And as I have said,” he continued, trying to keep the frustration he was feeling out of his voice, “we are at your disposal, Commander Hiroto.”

  “Then we must set course for the coast at once. The ships of our combined forces will be Tokyo’s primary defense. We will position ourselves to intercept the kaiju before they make landfall and wait for them there.”

  Admiral Hall snorted. “I suppose that is as a good a plan as any.”

  “It is all we can do,” Commander Hiroto replied.

  ****

  Three hours had passed since General Akio’s helicopter fleet had been attacked. His Chinook had made it safely to Tokyo shortly thereafter. Akio’s aide, Heather Karza, had already begun carrying out his orders for the defense of the city by the time he arrived. She was American by birth, though now a Japanese citizen and the most valuable member of his staff. Technically, she wasn’t military but rather served as his advisor. The carte blanche level of power that Akio held in regards to the city of Tokyo, however, allowed her to act in his stead when his presence was required elsewhere, as it had been in his attempt to gain enlist the assistance of the American task force.

  The forces General Akio had requisitioned were beginning to arrive, and it was impossible to conceal their presence. The cover story was simply “military maneuvers” being conducted in the city, but Akio knew that most of the populace of Tokyo wasn’t stupid enough to fall for such a cover. If it was the United States, perhaps such a story would have worked, but not in Japan. He took pride in his nation, even as he cursed the fact that he needed a cover at all. The simplest course of action would have been to evacuate Tokyo and its surrounding areas, but with so much still unknown about the events that would be unfolding soon, his superiors didn’t want to cause a panic. If the kaiju could be stopped offshore, then there was no need for such a massive undertaking and the risks that accompanied it.

  His superiors continued to hope that the approaching kaiju could be met at sea and stopped there long before the creatures ever touched Japanese soil. Commander Hiroto had been in contact with him to inform him that the Americans had joined up, but even so, General Akio held his doubts that the kaiju could be stopped before they made landfall.

  General Akio’s Chi
nook had delivered him to the building he was using as his base of operations in the city. It was close enough to the coast for his temporary office to have an excellent view of the ocean. He stood at the office’s window, staring out at the distant water.

  “It’s a mess out there, sir,” he heard Karza say from behind him and turned to face her. As always, she was dressed in black to match the long black hair that slipped from her head to over her shoulders. Akio took a breath as he saw her. Karza was the kind of beauty that the poets of old wrote about. There was something almost angelic about her features. She was thin but toned and well proportioned. Karza looked to be around twenty-two, but Akio had never asked what her real age was. To do so would have been impolite and disrespectful, though he wagered she was far older than she appeared.

  At first glance, one might take her as frail and a somewhat geeky type of girl. One look into those cold, hardened eyes of her, though, and that notion died quickly. Akio had worked with her long enough now to know that she was not to be angered. She might look like an angel, but if the woman had a soul, it was certainly far more demonic in nature than angelic.

  “I am sure you have things well in hand.” Akio gave her a slight bow.

  “I didn’t say anything to the contrary, sir,” Karza told him bluntly. “I merely wanted to you to know that I fear things will be hitting a boiling point soon. The fifth, eighth, and tenth columns are in route to take up their arranged positions along the docks. The sixth, seventh, and ninth have already arrived at the beach. That many tanks rolling through a city like this one, though, sir, it’s like setting off flares and screaming for the populace to panic.”

  “But so far things have remained calm,” Akio pointed out.

  “So far.” Karza’s voice was like ice. “We can’t count on that continuing. I again suggest we declare martial law at once while it is still relatively easy to do so. When the panic does begin, armed troops in the streets may do more to stir the coming panic than calm it.”

  “I understand what you are saying, Heather,” Akio said, calling her by her first name. “The powers that be aren’t ready to resort to such a measure yet without better cause.”

  Karza gave him a look that told him exactly what she thought of the powers that be.

  “Be that as it may, sir, you are in command here, not them.”

  “It’ll be declared soon enough,” he assured her. “Thank you for the update on the armored divisions. Are our other forces ready?”

  “I have every available fighter and attack helicopter I could draft into our forces here on ready alert. The local authorities have been given their instructions, though they remain ignorant of the full scope of what is coming towards Tokyo. Commander Hiroto’s Samurai II DESRON and the American task force should be in position as well within the hour.”

  “Then we’ve done all we can,” General Akio sighed.

  “Not everything, sir,” Karza purred.

  “Drop it, Heather,” General Akio warned her. “You know that Daisuke is off limits, even to us.”

  “To you, sir,” Karza grinned. “I’m not military.”

  General Akio swallowed hard. “Karza, you’re to stay away from that man. Do I make myself clear?”

  Anger flared in Karza’s eyes, but Akio watched her get it under control before she answered. “As you say, General.”

  Akio heard the unspoken “for now” that Karza surely wanted to add to her answer.

  ****

  Nori and Ruri watched the column of tanks as they roared along the street. Armed soldiers rode on their armored tops. The soldiers wore the grim expressions of men who were riding to their deaths. Nori was creeped out by the sight of them. She sat her drink down beside where she and Ruri sat on the edge of the road. Ruri was on her feet, snapping pictures of the tanks with her phone.

  “This is so cool!” Ruri exclaimed as if she were a child watching a parade go by.

  “Those are tanks, Ruri,” Nori reminded her, trying to pull her friend back into reality.

  “I know!” Ruri continued bouncing with excitement. “Something big is about to happen, and we’re going to be a part of it. This could be the chance of a lifetime.”

  Nori sighed. Ruri was a journalism major with dreams of heading off to America when she finished her degree. With her love of crap like the stuff happening in front of them, Nori figured Ruri would be fantastic at it someday. The problem was Ruri was already doing it. She had her own blog and a small following that she played to every second of every day. It was more than a little annoying being forced to share her best friend with a faceless mass of internet groupies, but Nori supposed everyone had their cross to carry. She was a theology major herself. She had always loved religion and hoped there was something out there bigger than mankind and better than it was with all its greed, hate, and selfishness. Part of that she blamed on her father. The man hadn’t been much of a father. Her mother had died when she was five, and instead of being there for her, the man had ended up in love with “the bottle.” She was the one who tucked him in at night by the time she was seven. Nori would never forget the smell of alcohol on his breath and clothes when he would come home at night. The smell had always made her sick and still did. If not for the Australian missionary she had met when she was twelve, she might be just as messed up as her father had been and still was if truth be told. Jack was more than just a nice guy. He really believed what he preached and walked what he taught as best as any flawed human being could. Jack had taught her about grace and the love of God. At first, she hadn’t wanted to believe, but then God had touched her heart. Never after that had she ever walked alone.

  Nori loved Ruri like a sister, but she knew it was time to help her get a grip on herself before she did something that got them both in trouble. The soldiers were shooting dark glares at Ruri as she was snapping photos of them. Nori sighed and got to her feet.

  “Ruri,” she said putting a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “I think you better stop that now.”

  Ruri spun around. “Stop what?”

  “The pictures, Ruri,” Nori told her cautiously. “Put up your phone, okay?”

  “But I need some for my blog,” Ruri protested. “This is the sort of stuff that makes you famous.”

  “There’s a lot more to life than fame,” Nori said and took the phone from Ruri.

  “Hey!” Ruri shouted, reaching to take it back.

  Nori pocketed the phone and shook her head. “Later. Something tells me we would be better off getting out of here while we still can.”

  Ruri stared at her as if she were crazy. “This is Tokyo, Nori, not a war zone.”

  “Take another look at those tanks, Ruri.” Nori nodded in the direction of the column that was still passing by them. “From the looks of things, this city is about to become a warzone.”

  “Fine,” Ruri huffed. “Classes are over for the day, so how do you want us to spend our evening?”

  “Not chasing armed soldiers.”

  Ruri laughed. “You make that sound like it’s a bad thing.”

  Nori ignored her. “Let’s just get out of here, okay?”

  Before Ruri could answer, the very ground they were standing on began to shake. Both girls wobbled on their legs trying to keep their balance.

  “Earthquake!” they heard someone scream from across the street as panic erupted around them.

  “What is that?” Ruri shrieked pointing up the street from where the two of them stood.

  Nori whipped her head in the direction that Ruri was pointing to see the street breaking apart. It was being ripped apart from the shaking of the ground like one would expect to see from an earthquake, but rather it was being pushed upwards as it broke apart, as if something underneath it was forcing its way to the surface. Nori’s eyes bugged as she saw it. The monster exploded from the ground, flopping the bulk of its putrid body onto the street. Its form was covered in coarse, thick, brown hair that was matted down by dirt and what smelt like sewer waste. Two bla
zing red orbs blazed above the elongated snout stretched outwards from its face. Its two front arm-like legs, or whatever they were, rested on the pavement, pushing down on it as it heaved the remainder of its body up from the hole it had opened in the street. All four of its strange arm-leg limbs ended in a trio of gleaming razor-like claws. The real horror set in as Nori realized it wasn’t the only one of its kind. More creatures like it were emerging from the ground all around them. Nori could see a total of three of them from where she stood, frozen in place by utter shock.

  Gunfire erupted from the soldiers riding on the tanks as they leapt into action. They hopped from the armored vehicles, rushing to engage the monsters. The rising cacophony of automatic weapons fire and the terrified screams of the other civilians on the street who were running for their lives snapped Nori into action herself. She grabbed a hold of Ruri from behind, catching her friend by surprise, and threw the two of them into the alley near where they had been standing on the street before everything went insane around them.

  “My phone!” Ruri raged, clawing at Nori’s pants pocket for it. “I need my phone!”

  Nori could barely hear Ruri’s shouts over the noise of the battle, and it truly was a battle now. The soldiers had encircled the beasts that had come up from the ground and were pouring everything they had into the creatures. Each of the strange beasts was over twenty feet long and stood a good eight feet high on their stubby built-for-digging legs. One of the beasts gave a grunt of pain as a grenade detonated under its belly, gutting it. With a sickening splash, its long strands of its intestines splattered onto the pavement. Another of the creatures charged the column of tanks plowing through and over the soldiers blocking its path. The soldiers were flung aside like dolls tossed by an angry child. They bounced off walls and rolled along the road in the creature’s wake like broken toys. It was easy to see that many of them would never get up again. The main gun of the tank was turning, trying to come to bear on the creature, when it struck the tank. Armor crunched, folding inward, from the impact even before the stubby-legged monster rose itself up and began to swipe at the tank with its claws. They ripped the side of the tank open in a flurry of slashes almost too fast for Nori see.