Pacific Rising

by John W Dennehy

  Penton checked the phone and noticed that he had juice for about twenty minutes. Then, he looked at the signal strength and saw the bars were at minimal. He hit recent calls and tried to reach Admiral Keyes.

  The phone rang for a moment then cut off without going to voicemail. Penton tried it again with the same result.

  “Looks like we’re going to be here for a while.”

  “Do you think they were successful?”

  “If not, that thing might come this way. And we’d be sitting ducks.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid might happen.”

  “Right now, the nuclear blast is more of a concern than the giant creature.”

  “A nuclear bomb won’t kill a Kaiju,” Maki broke in.

  “What makes you say that?” said Kate.

  “My grandfather told us stories about when the Kaiju attacked long ago. The military tried to use a nuclear bomb. Some thought the creature was destroyed, and others felt that it went back to sleep somewhere deep in the ocean.”

  “Maybe the Kaiju from your grandfather’s time was killed by the nuclear weapon,” Kate offered, touching Maki’s shoulder.

  Maki shook her head. “My grandfather didn’t think so.”

  Penton looked at the girl, so sure of herself.

  “I’d bet this is the same one,” Maki continued. “And it has come back from the ocean depths. Maybe it wants revenge.”

  “Well, either way, it seems like we’ll be stuck here for a while,” said Penton. He cut off the light and slipped the phone into his pocket.

  He sat on the floor with Maki’s dire look burned into his mind.

  Thirty-Two

  Keyes reported the result of the strike to General Yoshi. The commanders decided to take precautionary measures. They dispatched a squadron of F-2 fighters from the closest Japan Air-Self-Defense Force base.

  The planes took off during a lull in the storm in early morning hours. Silver fuselages were embossed with the distinctive JASDF insignia. Each plane was loaded with missiles, bombs, and machineguns. Although conventional weapons hadn’t worked, Keyes hoped if the creature lived through the Tomahawk strike, it would be wounded and vulnerable to attack.

  At day break, a naval ship from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force moved into action. The Izumo plotted a course toward coastal waters off Sosa. The ship served as a destroyer and helicopter carrier, loaded with seven anti-submarine helicopters, and two search-and-rescue helicopters.

  Keyes figured bringing the ship into play served as a safety measure rather than a tactical strike option. Treaties signed after World War II had stripped Japan’s military down to a protective force. All offensive capabilities were strictly prohibited. Japan was not permitted to own nuclear missiles, aircraft carriers, or amphibious assault ships. The Izumo pushed the envelope on such requirements and only passed muster by loading the vessel with defensive-type helicopters.

  The screen in the command room was tied into communications with the Japanese Defense Forces. General Yoshi issued orders, while Keyes monitored events and gave tactical feedback. With the storm dying down, a United States Air Force surveillance plane flew out of Yokota Air Base. The pilot patched through to the command center.

  “This is Major Charles Weber,” a voice crackled over the speakers.

  “Major… Rear Admiral Keyes, here.”

  “Roger, Admiral.”

  “We don’t have visual from your plane.”

  “All systems are go,” said Major Weber.

  “Maybe it’s on our end.”

  “We’re nearing the coast and everything looks clear.”

  Keyes studied the satellite vision on his monitor. “Any sign of the creature?”

  “Negative,” Major Weber replied. “The target area appears below… and it’s just a crater with debris in the usual blast pattern. Earth and rocks scattered in every direction. Must have blown the thing to bits.”

  Keyes shook his head in disbelief. “Afraid I’m not satisfied. Have your crew check the visual systems, and circle around to get a good look at the coastline.”

  “Understood,” Weber said. Then the buzz of straining propellers muffled in the communications systems.

  The corner of Keyes’ screen wavered. A picture of General Yoshi was replaced by a visual of the coast from the observation plane. Everything appeared serene and peaceful with no sign of the nuclear destruction nearby.

  Then the camera view abruptly shot upward, as though the pilot had jerked back on the controls. Only the overcast sky appeared on the screen.

  “What the hell is that thing?” Weber mumbled.

  “I’ve got no idea.” This from the co-pilot.

  “Let’s circle back around to get a better look.”

  “What do you have in sight?” Keyes demanded.

  There was a long pause. “Perhaps the creature that you’re looking for,” Weber finally replied.

  Keyes pictured the beast strewn on the sand, injured or dead from the blast and its fall off the cliff. He couldn’t see how the thing could have survived intact. “What condition is the creature in?”

  “Looks like some sort of prehistoric dinosaur… gigantic.”

  “Yeah, but what shape is it in?” Keyes snapped.

  “The thing appears to be perfectly fine.”

  “Get me a damn visual!”

  The nose of the plane evened out. An image came back on the screen. The creature walked along the coastline, partly on the sand, and a massive leg sloshed through the surf. It stood three-quarters of the height of the cliffs.

  Keyes shook his head. “The damn thing avoided the missile.”

  “Do you want to try another launch from the Seawolf?” Executive Officer James encouraged.

  Keyes waved him off. “A Tomahawk won’t do the trick.”

  Everyone sat mute for a moment, waiting for Keyes to give the next order.

  He stuck the cigar back in his mouth and chomped on the end, about ready to light the damn thing. Then, he leaned back and glanced at the screen. “What does the terrain look like around the creature?”

  “Appears to have steep cliffs along the coast for quite a way,” said Weber.

  “We’ve got the beast pinned down… for a while, anyway.”

  “What are your orders?” James pressed.

  “Have we been able to reach those folks on the ground?”

  “No, sir,” Intelligence Officer Williams replied.

  “Why the hell not?”

  “Cellphone reception isn’t working.” She shrugged. “They’re probably holed up in a bunker or coastal cave.”

  “Well, let’s hope that’s the case for their sake… in terms of protection from radiation.” Keyes tossed the chewed-up cigar on the table. “But it certainly doesn’t bode well for communicating with them.”

  “No, sir,” Williams said, anxiously.

  Keyes pulled a face and snapped her a look. A bunch of damn fools, he thought. Navy officers can’t think for themselves anymore.

  “So, what do you propose we do?” James repeated.

  “Like I don’t know that time is of the essence,” Keyes berated him.

  “Sorry, sir,” James said, meekly.

  “You’ve got to think these things through.”

  “Understood.”

  “Not sure that you do.”

  The visual of the creature on the screen got bigger as the search plane moved closer. And then the beast turned and looked towards the aircraft.

  A beam of blue light shot from its mouth. Then an explosion echoed through the communications link. The video cut out, and General Yoshi appeared on the screen.

  “What the hell was that?” Williams muttered.

  “The Kaiju took out your plane,” General Yoshi said.

  Keyes pounded the table with his fist.

  “Our fighters are loaded with ordnance and en route as we speak,” Yoshi advised. “And the Izumo is moving into position.”

  “The ship is defensive oriented,�
�� Keyes said. “We need to attack that thing.”

  “We have some offensive capabilities through the defensive weapons systems,” General Yoshi explained. “The RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile can be used to attack the Kaiju.”

  “Let’s see what you can do,” Keyes replied. “But we need to move forward with our backup plan.”

  General Yoshi shrugged. “Let’s wait and see.”

  The suit walked back into the room. Keyes eye-balled his officers, as though indicating to keep their mouths shut about the Tomahawk missile.

  *****

  A moment later, the screen turned into a blurred satellite visual of the coast. Keyes noted the creature made progress up the coastline. He figured the Japanese Defense Forces could at least slow the beast down while he tried to get his backup plan in play.

  A squadron of F-2 fighters buzzed across the screen and released rockets as they swooped past the creature.

  Keyes shook his head in dismay. Even as the missiles exploded into the thick hide, he knew they wouldn’t be effective. They’d already been through this with Captain Able and figured out that the attack had to be close to the creature to inflict any damage.

  Another sortie flew through the air. It repeated the rocket launch with similar results. The creature canted its head and roared at the planes as they raced away. It stamped a massive foot in the surf and water shot twenty feet into the air.

  The third and final wave of planes cut across the sky.

  Long before the jets reached the target, a blue beam of light shot from the creature’s mouth. The laser hit the nose of a fighter and smacked the fuselage of another. Instantly, the planes exploded in mid-air. Scraps of wings and a tail spiraled through the sky, as three fighters maneuvered to avoid the falling debris.

  Two jets pulled up and the other broke left. A moment after the fighters careened upward, they collided with each other and exploded into flames. The remaining jet rushed toward the craggy coast, and the pilot yanked on the thrust levers.

  The nose shot upward and the plane rose rapidly along the rock-face. As the jet cleared the escarpment, a beam of blue light shot through the air and blasted the fighter to pieces. The jet burst into tiny pieces, leaving mere fragments of debris floating through the sky and trickling into the ocean below.

  Keyes glanced at the small window in the corner of his screen. Devastation registered on General Yoshi’s face. The creature appeared unstoppable. Keyes hit the mute button and turned to his staff officers.

  “What do you make of this laser beam?” Keyes said.

  “The creature did not have that capability before,” Williams replied.

  “Do you think our attack had an impact on it?”

  “Anything is possible… but we really don’t know much about the creature.”

  “Maybe we helped arm the damn thing…”

  Then the large screen lit up with blasts from explosions as the remaining fighters dropped bombs on the creature. Earth and dust billowed up and obscured the beast. A volley of missiles launched from the Izumo. Ordnance whipped across the screen and sailed into the wavering haze.

  Several missiles exploded in the center of the smoky clouds. Direct hits caused the creature to writhe and stumble.

  Other missiles cruised into the cliff-side, erupting in the rock. Debris hurled down the slope and cascaded upon the monster. The creature shook its head and stammered toward the surf. Then, a squadron of fighters zipped across the screen.

  The jets swooped in closer this time, releasing a barrage of missiles and letting rip their aircraft machineguns.

  Missiles pounded into the creature and burst into its hide. Bullets dug into the thick scales. Keyes watched the creature stumbled. We just might have a chance, he thought.

  And then the beast lost his footing and tripped. It stumbled and fell into the water.

  Cheers erupted from around the command table. A wave of bombs dropped from the sky. Explosions sent sand and water bursting into the air. The creature tossed in the shallow water, trying to right itself.

  More bombs descended on the beachhead from another wave of jets.

  Explosions broke up the coastline and clouds of smoke and debris shrouded the creature from view. Keyes moved to the edge of his seat in anticipation. He wondered if attempts at taking the beast down could really turn so favorably.

  “We’ve got the Kaiju, now!” General Yoshi blurted from the corner of the screen.

  “Let’s hold off on the celebration until the dust clears,” Keyes said.

  “He’s down in the water, probably drowning to death.”

  Keyes shook his head, guarded about the outcome. He recalled one of the stories he’d heard in the last twenty-four hours, about how the Kaiju had attacked in the 1960s. After an atomic blast, it was presumed dead, but old-timers told tales of the beast creeping to the bottom of the ocean, stealing away in a crevice or deep-sea canyon. Now, the creature had come back and stalked through Tokyo, decimating buildings.

  General Yoshi continued smiling at the coastal destruction. Slapping a thigh, the general smiled again. Keyes couldn’t bring himself to celebrate. He wondered how Penton and Able had fared after the nuclear blast.

  Then, a blue beam shot from the billowing smoke, an explosion ignited the sky, and debris from a plane drifted across the screen. Another zap from the blue beam and the fuselage of a jet dropped from the sky.

  Keyes shook his head, disappointed.

  The creature rose from the dust of the battle zone. It shook its head and let out a menacing roar, revealing rows of sharp teeth and a long, forked tongue. Another roar, then it glanced toward the open water.

  Laser beams whisked out of its mouth and shot across the water. The beams traced for the Japanese warship. A laser struck the ship in the hull, blasting open a large hole, then an explosion blew flames through the open cavity. Another explosion burst from the command bridge. Then, the ship keeled to the starboard side and rolled over, sinking bow first below the waterline. Within a few minutes, two more fighters dropped from the sky and the ship had disappeared beneath choppy waves.

  The creature stepped deeper into the surf then its head dipped beneath the water. Waves splashed the plates running along its back. And then the Kaiju plummeted toward the ocean depths. A flick of its tail revealed the creature was headed north.

  A couple of pilots ejected in time. Parachutes gently floated toward the sea, dotted with castaways, adrift in the undulating water. The assault on the creature had concluded in utter failure.

  General Yoshi stared at Keyes and nodded. “You should go forward with the plan.”

  Thirty-Three

  The squat industrial building shook with each blast from bombs dropping on the beachhead. Scant light reflected through the bullet holes in the door.

  Penton discerned the sounds of bombs exploding and rockets bursting. But the faint humming noise, followed by explosions emanating high in the sky, and a massive eruption far out to sea, made him wonder if a new weapon had been called into use or whether the creature had more offensive capabilities than he’d imagined.

  He reached into his pocket for the cellphone and tried again with little luck. Reception was unavailable through the cinderblock walls. Their fortuitous hold up in the small building had gone from a stroke of luck to an excruciating wait.

  “What do you think is going on out there?” Kate said in the darkness.

  “Another attack on the creature. Planes and a warship.”

  “They won’t be able to kill the Kaiju,” Maki muttered, assuredly.

  “We’ll have to wait here until the attack blows over,” Penton said. “And it will help us to have some time for the winds to carry the fallout away.”

  The discussion fell into an awkward pause.

  Kate rolled over. Her flight boots kicked the floor as though she were sitting up. “Don’t you think we should get out of here soon?” Kate finally asked him.

  “Makes sense to button down… and ride this out, h
ere.”

  “But—”

  “But… what?”

  She panted, trying to get the words out.

  “Are you all right?”

  “No.”

  Kate scrambled toward a corner, hands slapping the concrete floor and boots scraping along behind her.

  “What is it?” Penton demanded.

  She didn’t respond.

  Then, she vomited into a nook near the outside door. Puke splashed against the wall, and the stench wafted around the room. Penton could barely hold down his urge to throw up.

  “Gross,” Maki mumbled, tucking her face under his arm.

  Penton shuffled over to help. Kate rocked back on her butt and desperately wiped at her face. Smacking cheeks echoed through the dark room.

  He wondered if she was ill, or pregnant.

  “We’ve got to get out of here,” Kate insisted.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Another long pause. “The radiation has leaked into the building,” she eventually said. “Just a matter of time and Maki will feel it, and you’ll get radiation sickness, too.”

  Penton shook his head, discouraged.

  He rubbed her back gently to comfort her. Kate latched onto his hand, grasping it tightly. She squeezed his fist then massaged it, comforting him when she was the person in need.

  “The dose cannot be that high,” he offered.

  “Well, I am feeling it.”

  “We’re a good half mile or more from the blast. And the building is located beneath a rock-face.”

  She leaned over and threw up again.

  He reached for his first-aid kit and fumbled in the darkness. Almost every six months for thirty years, he’d either been given NBC training, or taught the courses. Penton never figured he’d put Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical warfare training to use. But now he was searching for the syringes in his kit.

  Kate sat back and wiped her mouth again.

  “I’m going to administer a dose to all of us,” Penton said. “But it’s too dark in here to see what I’m doing.”