“We’d all be dead if we had gone that route,” her mother said.
“You’re right,” Maki replied, nodding her head.
She stared out the window at the water rising in the alley. “Where is Father?”
“Must have been swept away.” Mother shook her head, despondent.
Maki pouted, then pointed out the window. “Look, the water is not deep enough to cover his head. He wouldn’t have drowned… not yet.”
“I’m not sure what we can do.”
Maki pressed against the widow with both hands, moving about frantically. She desperately tried to find a latch or mechanism to open the window. Maybe he could swim into the alley and climb in through a window, she hoped.
“You can’t open that window.”
“Why not?”
“It’s an office building.”
“So?”
“The windows don’t open.”
Maki scowled, thinking about how could people spend all day indoors without being able to open a window and breathe fresh air. A trickle of water ran across the floor and caught her attention. Mother looked down.
“Come on,” her mother finally said. “We need to get to higher ground. The water is seeping into the building.”
****
Maki’s mother led her through the dark building to a stairwell. All the power had gone out. A few emergency lights cast a slight glow, reminding Maki of losing electricity at school a few times.
They trampled up the stairs, with Maki’s rain boots slapping on the concrete steps. After traversing a couple of landings, she wondered why her mother kept pressing upward.
“Why are we going higher and higher?” said Maki.
“So, we can get a better view of the city.”
“Hope we get there soon. I could use a rest.”
“Just a little further,” Mother reassured her.
Yet, they climbed more and more stairs. Maki’s legs grew tired and numb, weary; she wondered if they were headed to the top of the building.
They slowed at a landing and Maki was glad for the rest. Then, her mother reached for the handle and opened the door. Nothing but darkness lay beyond the threshold. Maki didn’t like the interior hallway.
Her mother tugged her hand, pulling her forward.
Maki planted her feet, resisting.
The hallway was dark and disturbingly silent. Dread crept up Maki’s spine, like a chill on a brisk night. She shook her head, afraid to press forward.
“It will only take a few seconds for our eyes to adjust.”
“The place is creepy,” Maki said, defiantly.
“Come on,” Mother pled. “We can’t stand here all day.”
Mother pushed the door open wider and stepped through. It seemed as though she planned to leave Maki in the stairwell alone.
“Wait!” Maki scurried after her mother, boots pattering on the carpet.
They walked down the hallway and entered a larger room. An emergency light flooded the area. Empty cubicles filled the space along with office machines. Maki had seen it all before when visiting her father at work.
Her mother walked over toward the glassed-in offices on the outside wall. Grey light reflected through the windows. Some of the buildings nearby still had power. Maki looked around and didn’t see anyone.
“Where did all the people go?” Maki asked.
“They probably left the building and went outside.”
“Maybe they went to see the fireworks?”
Mother shook her head, sadly. “I don’t think those were fireworks.”
“What do you think they were, then?”
Her mother didn’t respond, not right away.
Maki looked her in the eye, earnestly. “Please tell me what is going on?
A tear ran down her mother’s check. “Wish I knew what was happening. But I think those sounds we heard… well, I think it was the military.”
Maki didn’t understand. “Why would the military be making so much noise?”
Her mother shrugged, bewildered.
Mother started crying and tears poured down her face. Maki stepped closer and hugged her. And her mother squeezed her back, tightly. “I don’t know what we’re going to do.” Mother shook her head, confused, and sobbed.
Then, her mother clasped a hand over her mouth in shock.
Maki turned to see what had caught her mother’s attention. A massive scaly creature trundled past the window, standing nearly as tall as the building. The enormous body cast a shadow over the office. Maki shuddered.
She stood in the grey darkness, staring into a menacing yellow eye.
****
Outside the tall buildings, Major Hira’s tank churned up the pavement of a side street while traversing to higher ground. He sat in his command chair, trying to assess the unit’s capabilities. Many tank commanders had reported in with details of the damage.
Dusk began to blanket the devastated city. Hira surmised a third of the tanks had been lost. All the missile transports were intact, but they’d fired their ordnance and offered little support. He shook his head. The Self-Defense Forces had never planned for such a disaster, despite warnings from aging citizens.
Old-timers recounted folk legends of giant creatures from the past. They referred to the monsters as Kaiju. Beasts had risen up from the depths of the ocean, stomping on the ancient shores and soaring through the skies, fighting each other and rampaging villages.
Hira’s grandfather mentioned tales of a similar attack that happened back in 1965. A lone Kaiju had surfaced on the coast of Japan and stomped onto shore, decimating power lines and crushing cars and buildings. The Self-Defense Forces lured it away from the mainland and cornered it on a deserted island. With the help of American naval forces, a small nuclear missile issued through the humid tropical air and detonated on the atoll. The mushroom cloud dissipated and a month later, scientists and military personnel combed the island wearing protective suits. Geiger counters registered Strontium-90, but the search party didn’t find any of the creature’s remains. Reports issued that the Kaiju had sunk to the bottom of the sea to die.
Many villagers feared the creature hadn’t died in the blast but merely returned to a deep sleep, as the Kaiju were known to do through legends. They named the monster that had ravaged Tokyo, calling it Zamera. And they feared it would return one day to exact revenge.
The tank struck a curb and jostled Hira from thought. He checked the scope and confirmed the driver had them on course toward Tokyo Tower. Other tank commanders checked in through the communications link. Now, the estimate of remaining tanks totaled just two-thirds of the original contingency.
“Commanders, report on your firing capacity,” Major Hira spoke into the communications network.
“Five rounds,” a commander replied.
“Four rounds,” another said.
“We have five.”
“Four.”
“Down to three.”
The reports continued to come over the comm-link. Hira determined that most of the tanks had four to five rounds. His own tank was down to three after firing at the beast during its pursuit.
“We’ve got enough to make a final stand,” Hira concluded.
“Orders?” said a tank commander.
“Head to Tokyo Tower and form a defensive line.”
“What if the Kaiju doesn’t wander in that direction?” a commander broke in.
“My tank will create a diversion,” Hira responded.
“A diversion?”
“We’ll lead it to you.”
“Understood,” tank commanders replied in unison.
Hira heard his driver gulp.
“We’re down to three rounds.” This from Hira’s gunner.
“We’ve outmaneuvered it before,” Hira reasoned. “So, our tank has the most experience and best chance of pulling it off.”
“But we cannot stop the thing,” the driver stammered.
“We’ve got to hold it back… delay it
s incursion while General Yoshi develops and implements a plan.”
The cabin fell silent.
“Until then,” Hira continued, “we are Japan’s only hope.”
“Yes, sir!” the soldiers bellowed.
Hira glanced into the scope. Checking the road ahead, he glanced down side streets in search of the creature. Then, the distinctive scales came into view as the beast’s tail whipped down a parallel street.
The spectacle made Hira’s hand tremble, causing the image in the scope to become obscure. He let go of the viewfinder.
He took a deep breath and looked back into the scope. A tip of the tail slithered out of sight. The Kaiju pressed ahead, making it difficult for the tank to cut in front of the monster. Hira’s tank needed to race to intercept the creature.
“Faster!” Hira yelled. “We need to get in front of it.”
“Difficult on these streets,” the driver said. “But we’ll give it a try.”
“Load the cannon,” Hira ordered.
A casing clanked into place.
“Done,” the gunner replied.
The tank lunged ahead, picking up to 70 kilometers an hour. It tore up the city street. Bits of tar flew off the tracks and dinged parked cars and windows.
Encountering a dip in the road, the tank veered to the right and collided with an automobile. Armor-plating scraped against sheet metal and a cacophony of grating steel echoed outside the tank. Muffled scrapes penetrated the cabin. Then, a roar ensued, as though the collision attracted the Kaiju’s attention.
Hira flipped open the hatch and popped his head out of the tank.
“Strike another car,” Hira told the driver.
“Understood, sir,” the driver said meekly.
Another squeal reverberated down the narrow corridor. Zamera roared again. Hira climbed back into the tank and shut the hatch. “He’s right behind us,” Hira said, sliding into the command seat.
“Can’t go any faster,” the driver said.
“We’re going to lose our lead when we cut over to the street that it’s on,” Hira said, shaking his head. “And we’ll run right into it.”
“Maybe something will attract its attention,” the gunner broke in.
Hira shook his head. “The area seems fairly cleared out.”
“I’ll do the best that I can,” the driver said.
Rumbling down the street, Hira knew they would have to cut over to a side street and whip in front of the creature. They’d lose speed. Making both turns quickly would put them in front of the Kaiju’s path.
Any mistake and they’d collide into the creature.
Hira looked into the scope and pegged the tower at a kilometer away.
“We’re going to have to make the turn now.”
“Need a little more time to clear the angle,” the driver said.
“If we wait much longer, the creature will move left of the tower. Our defensive line will be of no use.”
“We run into that thing, and the plan’s a failure,” the driver said.
A side street appeared in the viewer. “Turn now!” Hira ordered.
The tank jerked forward, slowing down fast. Hira shifted in the command seat as the armored vehicle pivoted left and then accelerated, throwing Hira and the gunner backward. Diesel engine stressing, gears whined and the motor groaned. The intersection ahead remained clear of the beast.
A moment later, the tank neared the corner and decelerated. Hira jerked forward and back as the tank rounded the corner and sped up. He checked the viewfinder and spotted a clawed foot about fifteen meters behind them. Its long tail slid on the ground behind the creature.
Hira looked for the other foot and didn’t see it.
Then, a rumbled noise emanated from the right, and the ground trembled, sending reverberations under the tank. The tank swerved to the right, as the shockwave undulated over the roadway.
Hira couldn’t make out what was happening in the viewer.
Flipping open the hatch, he stuck his head out. The other monstrous foot was right beside them, planted in the street. And the trailing foot began to move forward. It would possibly knock the tank over with the swipe of a claw, or step on the armored vehicle and crush it altogether.
“Move!” Hira screamed. “We’re right beneath it.”
“You got it!” the driver yelled.
Engine groaning, diesel exhaust wafted into the cabin. Hira felt the tank snap forward with acceleration. They pulled past the creature’s stationary left foot. Hira swallowed, and then stepped down into the cabin.
He reached for the hatch and caught the grimace of the creature staring down at him. Saliva dripped from the immense, crooked fangs.
And the creature’s fierce yellow eyes seemed pleased at the sight of its prey.
Sixteen
Crosswinds shook Kate Able’s fighter in the darkening sky. She led her squadron over the vast Pacific Ocean, while the other pilots trailed behind in a typical wedge formation. They spaced their planes further apart than usual due to the storm. She appreciated the decision upon encountering severe conditions.
Her jet had lifted off the tarmac in Okinawa, rising vertically without much resistance from the tropical storm winds. Then, she catapulted into the sky with the other pilots following suit. One after another, the Harriers plied through dense rain toward the main island, ready to confront the enemy.
They flew without incident leaving the air base. Kate thought about her career choice during the flight. Valedictorian of her high school class, she went on to attend Annapolis and excelled. Long before graduation, Kate made up her mind to go with the Marines. Her older brothers had gone with the Navy, one a pilot and the other selected Navy Intelligence due to poor vision. No one in her immediate family tried to change her decision. They left it to her uncle, who pressed the issue at every turn. She was part of a legacy and should embrace it.
When the squadron got closer to the hurricane, Kate increased altitude, so they navigated above the worst of the storm. She excelled in flight school and got her first pick of an assignment, the Black Sheep Squadron of Pappy Boyington fame. Based out of MCAS Yuma, Arizona, the unit was now comprised of AV-8B Harriers and stationed alongside the Marine Corps elite MAWTS-1, Marine Aviation Weapons Tactics Squadron. And so, she’d been exposed to advanced fighter training, soaring over the desert skies, and grew into one of the finest young pilots in the world.
Now, they closed in on their target and would descend toward Tokyo. Kate wondered how much the training actually prepared a pilot for the real thing. She inhaled and tried to shake off doubt. Do or die, she thought.
She activated the communications link with the command center. “We’re about twenty minutes out from the target.”
“Things are getting pretty hairy on the ground,” Colonel Tomkins said.
“My squadron has to begin descent, soon.”
“Understood.” Colonel Tomkins sounded miffed.
“We’ll need coordinates for the target…” Kate said, “in order to map out the drop-in altitude.”
“Afraid you’ll be facing a moving target.” This from Admiral Keyes.
“Admiral, I wasn’t aware you were patched in,” Kate said, apologetically.
“Perfectly fine,” Keyes replied. “Just take care of your squadron up there. We’ll patch you in with the best coordinates we can provide.”
“Roger.” Kate exhaled. “We’ll need them soon.”
“Have them for you within five minutes—”
The connection went fuzzy. Static.
“You should route toward Tokyo Tower,” Keyes finally said. “We’ve just resumed contact with General Yoshi, head of the Self-Defense Forces. Apparently, he’s got a plan in progress that we can piggyback on.”
“Understood,” Kate said. “I’ll await further instructions.”
Communication with the command center broke off. Kate wasn’t sure if the transmission had been interrupted or the line just ended abruptly. She relayed the initial
coordinates to her squadron.
She began the descent into the storm, wondering what was in store for them.
****
Keyes stared into the monitor in disbelief. General Yoshi glanced back at him appearing frantic. Yoshi had lost his composure. The Self-Defense Forces were coming apart at the seams. Everyone in the background appeared to move around frantically and without purpose. Their command center was in disarray, paralyzed from the top down.
“We’ve got a desperate situation here,” Yoshi eventually said, shaking his head, distraught.
“Understood, General,” Keyes replied, trying to placate him.
“The entire city is in danger,” Yoshi stammered. “Perhaps the entire nation.”
Keyes frowned. “We’ve got a squadron of fighters on the way. Things will be under control in good time.”
“Our jet fighters already attacked the monster and failed—”
“We’re loaded for bear, though.”
“Please do not take offense, Admiral,” Yoshi stammered. “But I’m not certain you understand what we’re up against. The creature has withstood missiles, 120mm rounds, rockets, machinegun fire, and an explosion of flames from burning oil.”
“We’ve packed something onboard that should do the trick,” Keyes replied, sounding less confident. He thought about all the sorties the United States have flown in wars over the last fifty years, and the airstrikes aimed at punishing threats. All of them went off as tactical achievements with few missteps. But this was something entirely different.
Yoshi brought up images on the screen. A war scene flooded before Keyes with a small picture of General Yoshi in the left-hand corner. The creature moved from the harbor, doused in flaming oil, as rounds and missiles pounded into it with minor impact. Then, the beast pressed inland and crushed tanks, while a trail of fire burned in its wake.
“This situation calls for a backup plan,” Yoshi said.
Keyes nodded in agreement. “We have some options. But how do we draw the thing away from the city in order to truly destroy it?”
General Yoshi smiled kindly. “I might just have the answer.”
After listening to Yoshi’s thoughts, Keyes signed off and got up from the sofa. He didn’t like the situation one bit. And he didn’t enjoy having a suit in his command center. Keyes stretched his legs, cracked his neck, and got himself a coffee. This time, he ignored the fine china and poured it into a mug with the logo of the Gipper on the front.
Pacific Rising Page 10
