"My father likes to talk about Japan like it's some paradise," Brian continued. "l figured I had to see it."
"So why did he leave Japan, if he loved it here so much?" Nick asked.
Brian shrugged and was silent. It occurred to him that he never thought to ask his father that question. Not that his dad would have given him a straight answer, anyway. Dr. Ryuhei Shimura was the strong, silent type. John Wayne by way of Toshiro Mifune.
"So," Brian said, changing the subject. "Why are you here?"
"Not many news agencies offer science correspondent internships. INN does, and it's here in Japan," Nick answered.
"I'd never peg you for the scientific type," Brian said.
"I wanted to be a scientist, but I'm not good at math," Nick admitted frankly. "I can sure talk the lingo, though, and that's all a good science correspondent has to do!"
"Oh, it's that easy," Brian said dubiously.
"Hey, Mister He-shoots-he-scores, allow me to demonstrate."
Then Nick launched into a live, on-the-spot science report of the activities of the group of chic Japanese women they'd been scoping out since they'd arrived. "As you can see, those females are well-adapted to their environment. Their bright plumage attracts members of the opposite sex."
Brian watched as a Japanese salaryman - office worker - tried to engage the prettiest girl in conversation. Brian noticed that another man was circling the women.
"But nature can be capricious," Nick continued in a serious tone. "The bright plumage that attracts potential mates also attracts predators from other territories."
Unfortunately for the Japanese man, a tall, muscular U.S. Marine was also trying to talk up the women.
"It becomes a question of survival," Nick intoned. "Can the male of this species protect his potential reproductive partners against the predatory behavior of other wild beasts?"
Just then, the girl turned her back on the man in uniform. She reached out and took the salaryman by the arm. He led her to a table in the crowded dining area.
"In this case, the predator was driven back," Nick said. "Or, as my esteemed colleague would say..."
"He shoots, he scores," Brian said. They both laughed. At that moment, the hostess tapped Nick on the shoulder and they followed her to a table.
Brian found he enjoyed Nick Gordon's company. By the end of the evening, Brian realized that Nick knew a lot about him, but Brian still knew little about his roommate. It really didn't matter, though. Nick was funny, straightforward, sincere, and easy to talk to.
Brian knew he'd made a friend. A good friend.
CHAPTER 4
THE OCEAN BOILS!
May I2, I998, I I:47 P.M.
East China Sea
With powerful binoculars, Captain Koh scanned the dark ocean that surrounded his ship - a Korean commercial vessel bound for Los Angeles. The East China Sea was calm, the night still. The dark mantle of sky twinkled with the lights from a thousand stars. It could not be clearer. The weather could not be more fair.
But Koh was edgy. His nerves tingled and he could not relax. That he could find no reason for his agitation only made it worse. After sixty years of seagoing experience, Koh's instincts were seldom wrong.
Koh crossed the dimly lit bridge of the Azure Dragon and scanned the ocean on the opposite side.
Nothing.
Koh shivered, though the night was balmy. "Perhaps some tea," he said aloud.
"Pardon me, Captain?" asked the young ensign who manned the wheel.
"It is nothing, Rhee," Captain Koh replied. "I only wished for some hot tea."
"I'll call the galley," Ensign Rhee said, reaching for the horn. While the ensign spoke, Koh brought the binoculars back up to his eyes and scanned the horizon once again.
Old habits die hard, Koh thought. I should remember that I am a civilian now - that I command a freighter, not a fast attack boat.
"The tea will be here momentarily," Ensign Rhee said, interrupting his commander's thoughts.
"Thank you," Koh replied. He continued to scan the horizon.
"Are we on course?" Koh asked after a moment.
"On course, and ahead of schedule," Rhee barked back proudly. Despite his misgivings, Koh smiled. Rhee was a conscientious officer, and Koh enjoyed commanding such men. It's a shame that Ensign Rhee did not pursue a career in the Republic of Korea's Navy, he mused.
The steel door opened and the galley mate entered the bridge. He was a short, squat man - a former factory worker from Inchon. The galley mate smelled of kimchee, the powerful pickled cabbage the sailors of the Azure Dragon ate on a daily basis.
"Tea, sir?" the fat man asked.
Koh nodded. "Pour some for Rhee, too," the captain said. Soon the two officers were sipping steaming mugs of strong green tea.
"The weather is fair," Rhee said, his spirits high. "It is a good omen! Perhaps we will finish our route early."
Koh was silent. Rhee rattled on nervously. "It would be good to get back to Seoul before Independence Day."
August 12 was South Korea's Liberation, or Independence, Day - the biggest holiday of the year, next to Chusok, Korea's version of Thanksgiving. Independence Day commemorated the day in 1945 when the Japanese occupation of Korea ended and the nation was reborn. Koh did some mental calculations.
"I do not think our three-month schedule will rob you of the pleasure of Seoul's parades," Koh said dryly. "Or its women."
"It is not that," Rhee said hesitantly. "It's my wife. She is due to give birth to our first child around that time."
"Ahhh," Koh said, nodding. "A child born on Liberation Day. That is a good omen. I toast your unborn child, Ensign Rhee."
The two men clinked mugs and drank. Rhee beamed with pride. For the first time that night, Captain Koh relaxed.
I'm getting old, he thought. My instincts are not as sharp as they were. It seems that tea was all I needed.
Koh stifled a yawn, and glanced at the ship's clock.
But suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Koh caught a flash of light. Ensign Rhee grunted. He saw it, too - off the starboard bow.
There it was again. "It looks like lightning," Rhee said But Koh was not so sure. He had never seen lightning that came from under the ocean itself!
Again! This time Captain Koh was sure of it.
He heard voices from the deck. Others had seen the eerie blue lights. The horn squawked. Ensign Rhee answered.
"Bridge," he said, his eyes never leaving the starboard horizon.
"It's Tae, on watch, sir." Rhee could hear the fear and uncertainty in the voice that came over the microphone. "There's something strange to starboard."
"Yes," Rhee replied. "We see it. Stand by."
Captain Koh searched the area where he last spotted the blue light. Even through his binoculars, he could see no other ship. Perhaps it's some natural phenomenon, Koh mused, though he knew otherwise. With a start, Koh realized his instincts had been right!
"Ensign," he barked. "Contact headquarters!"
Rhee grabbed the radiophone and began speaking. Koh watched the horizon tensely. There! Koh practically cried out. Another flash of light - and this one much closer.
Suddenly, the ocean underneath the ship seemed to catch fire. Blue light surrounded the Azure Dragon, bathing the ship in an eerie glow. Captain Koh opened the door to the bridge and stepped out onto the walkway. He heard voices. Members of the crew were rushing on deck to see the strange lights. Even Ensign Rhee strained to see the display of eerie lights, though he never let go of the wheel.
The wide patch of ocean surrounding the Azure Dragon was luminescent. It was a strange, unearthly spectacle. But not without beauty, Koh thought philosophically as he leaned over the railing to get a better look.
The glowing lights seemed to come from far under the water. This display of unearthly brilliance was like nothing Koh had ever seen or heard about. As the seconds ticked by, the radiance grew in intensity.
"Captain, look!" Seaman Tae shouted
from the deck above. He was pointing down at the churning ocean. Koh looked down. The light was now so intense that it was difficult to stare directly into it. Koh blinked - his eyes were watering. Squinting against the glare, Koh examined the water that lapped against the hull.
Finally, he noticed that dark objects were floating up from under the surface of the bubbling ocean. The shapes were silhouetted in the blue brilliance.
Fish!
Hundreds of them. Thousands of them. Fish of all sizes and shapes. And they were all dead.
Koh clutched the railing. His mind reeled. And then he felt a moist heat against his exposed skin. Koh sniffed a strange odor. A rich, salty. briny smell, not unlike fish soup.
"The ocean!" Koh screamed as the realization hit him. "It's boiling!"
Koh turned to Ensign Rhee. "Full speed ahead," he cried. "Get the ship out of here!"
Rhee grabbed the throttle and pushed forward. The engines coughed, then sputtered. Then died. Rhee grabbed the horn. "Engine room!" he screamed. "ENGlNE ROOM!"
Just then, fire alarms went off all over the ship. As the klaxons blared, the sailors and officers of the Azure Dragon rushed to their emergency fire stations.
Captain Koh ran back onto the bridge. "Have you made contact with headquarters yet?" he demanded.
"Yes, sir!" Rhee replied "They are standing by."
Captain Koh grabbed the radiophone. "Mayday, mayday," he called. "This is Captain Koh of the Azure Dragon, requesting assistance. We have a fire aboard. Our location is -"
At that second, a muffled explosion rocked the ship. The whole vessel shuddered once. Then the lights faded.
For a tense moment, the bridge went dark. Then the battery-powered emergency lights came up. In the dull illumination, Koh could see the fear on Ensign Rhee's face.
Suddenly, the ship was rocked by a thousand lesser explosions. The noise sounded like thousands of firecrackers going off. Rhee grabbed the horn. "What is happening?" he cried in panic.
"Sir," an unidentified voice said over the speaker. "It's the cargo hold. There is heat, and fire -" Then the speaker went dead.
Of course! Koh understood at last. That sound came from the containers stacked in the ship's cargo hold. where thousands of Korean-made televisions being exported to the Americas were stored.
The heat below the hull must be tremendous, Captain Koh realized. The explosions were the sound of thousands of cathode ray tubes bursting apart.
Seaman Tae rushed onto the bridge. His clothes were scorched and he smelled of smoke. "Captain," he gasped. "There is something... something horrible! It's outside!"
"Make sense, sailor!" Rhee shouted.
At that second, a rolling, bell-like, feral roar slammed against their eardrums. The clamor reverberated through the entire ship. Koh covered his ears. Tae cowered in the corner, his arms covering his head.
The terrible sound emanated from the ocean underneath the Azure Dragon's decks. Then the cacophony slowly faded and died. The ocean around the ship churned and bubbled more violently.
Someone on deck screamed.
While Koh watched, a dark mass the size of a mountain rose up from the ocean alongside the freighter. Its tremendous motion rocked the ship, and the awesome vision stunned the onlookers of the Azure Dragon.
Koh's mouth dropped open as he stared at the apparition before him. Ensign Rhee screamed in shock and fear. He clutched the ship's wheel as if it were his only link to sanity.
Now I understand, Koh thought.
With the calmness that comes with the knowledge that death is imminent, Koh lifted the radiophone and spoke.
"Headquarters, this is Azure Dragon," he said. "We are under attack... by the monster Godzilla."
The mountain of flesh and bone that stood before them roared again. The sound split eardrums as it echoed throughout the hollow steel shell of the Azure Dragon.
Koh turned to Ensign Rhee. The young man's face was pale and sweaty. As he clutched the wheel with white knuckles, his mouth twitched and moved. But no sound came out.
Koh, taking pity on this young man, reached out and touched Ensign Rhee's arm. Slowly, mechanically, Rhee's head turned and he faced his captain with unseeing eyes.
At that moment, a blast of blue fire rained down upon the Azure Dragon. The powerful, burning energy blasted right through the windows of the bridge, showering the occupants with droplets of molten glass.
A nanosecond later, Koh felt the terrible heat.
He watched in horror as the flesh bubbled and melted off Ensign Rhee's face. He heard Seaman Tae screaming, but the sound seemed far away. Then Koh felt at burning sensation. He looked down at his own body.
My clothes are on fire, he realized numbly. Then his flesh began to melt, too.
Finally, mercifully, the thousands of gallons of flammable diesel fuel that fed the ship's huge engines erupted into a fireball.
The Azure Dragon was blown to bits.
CHAPTER 5
THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE PORTLY
May 13, 1998, 11:58 A.M.
The newsroom, INN headquarters
Tokyo, Japan
All dressed up like a Thanksgiving turkey.
That's exactly how Brian Shimura felt as he stepped out of the elevator and onto the twentieth floor, where INN's suite of executive offices were located. He took another deep breath as the doors closed behind him. Brian found himself alone in a tastefully decorated waiting area.
The day had not begun auspiciously.
Nick woke him up in time for a quick shower and shave. Then Brian, clad in his best suit, waited for half an hour, until Nick finished dressing. Brian was stunned when his roommate emerged from his bedroom in blue jeans, a faded shirt, and a blue blazer with matching tie. "Don't worry, Brian, things are pretty relaxed once you've made an impression," Nick informed him.
Then Nick led Brian to the staff cafeteria, where he gobbled up a hearty meal. Brian, his stomach in knots, fingered his fruit salad.
"Nervous about meeting Boss Gaijin?" Nick asked.
"A little," Brian confessed.
Nick nodded sagely. "Just remember that Superman has his Perry White, Spider-Man has his J. Jonah Jameson, and we've got Everett P. Endicott the Turd - er, Third!" Nick said. "My advice to you is the same I offer to every other rookie who's wet behind the ears! Suck up, defer to Endicott's infinite wisdom, and don't talk back. Do all of those things, and you'll be just fine."
Brian shook his head dubiously.
"Look, there's really not much the guy can do to you," Nick said. "The worst he can dish out is a week in the mailroom, then a stint as a fact- checker... and he won't do that to an up-front guy like yourself!" Nick slapped him on the back. "You're in like Flynn, my man."
After breakfast, Nick led Brian to the personnel office and dumped him there.
"I'll meet you in the newsroom at eleven-thirty," Nick promised. "You might be done with your paperwork by then. Have fun!"
Nick trotted off just as a smiling Japanese woman handed Brian a huge folder. "Please fill these out, and I will bring you the rest," she said.
Two and a half hours later, Brian found the newsroom. The room itself was a maze of cubicles. Most of the desks had computer stations tied to a central information bank. There were dozens of men and woman busily processing bits of information. These items would be used as fodder for INN's hundreds of radio and television outlets worldwide.
A leather-faced Japanese man wearing a white shirt and a stained tie touched Brian's shoulder. He pointed to a cubicle in the far corner. "Sit there!" he said, then hurried off.
Brian sat down in front of a desk, a computer terminal, and a telephone. Otherwise, the cubicle was barren. Brian eyed the beige plastic partitions warily. His claustrophobia mounted.
"Knock, knock!" Nick announced, peeking around the edge of the partition.
"Hey." Brian said with a wave of his hand.
"Almost time to meet Boss Gaijin, eh?" Nick asked.
"I'm afraid I'm g
onna call him Boss Gaijin instead of Mr. Endicott," Brian said weakly.
"Don't worry so much!" Nick replied. "You're here now. He can't send you back home. You'll be fine."
Brian nodded. Nick was trying to comfort him, but his words had the opposite effect. "Hey, I have to talk to Boss Gaijin - I mean, Mr. Endicott - too. But you better meet him first - seeing me always puts him in a foul mood."
Just then the phone buzzed. Brian lifted the receiver. "Mr. Endicott will see you now," a woman's voice said on the other end of the line.
Brian rose, took a deep breath, and turned to Nick. "Wish me luck," he said.
Nick smiled as he straightened Brian's tie. "Break a leg," Nick said. "Preferably his." They headed to the bank of elevators together. Nick waited with Brian.
"I'm going to find Yoshi," Nick announced. "He's the best cameraman in Tokyo, and a great guy, too. You'll love him! Maybe I can wrangle us up an assignment."
The elevator arrived and Brian stepped inside. He pushed the button for the twentieth floor and rode up.
As he left the elevator, a young woman in a well- tailored designer jacket and a very short skirt turned the corner. She brushed her long auburn hair away from her face and smiled.
"You're Brian?" she asked. He nodded.
"A pleasure to meet you," she said brightly, extending her hand. "I'm May McGovern, Mr. Endicott's personal assistant."
"Hi," Brian said, momentarily tongue-tied. She's gorgeous! he thought.
"Mr. Endicott will be with you shortly," Ms. McGovern said. "If you'll just follow me."
She led him down a long hallway lined with office doors made of rich wood. They were all closed. As they walked, Brian eagerly anticipated the rest of his first day on the job in his mind.
* * *
"Here we are, Mr. Shimura," May McGovern said as she opened a door, then ushered him into a huge corner office. With a final smile, May closed the door behind him. Brian turned.
In the center of the room, between two huge windows that looked out over Tokyo, sat a massive teak desk. Behind the desk was a huge chair, and on that chair sat Everett P. Endicott. He did not look up from the papers spread out all over his desk.
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