On the other hand, Brian noticed no progress between May McGovern and Nick. She still gave him the cold shoulder, and he still seemed to pretty much ignore her.
"Hey, Brian!" Nick greeted his roommate. "What's new?"
"Not much," Brian shrugged. "Still no word on Godzilla, even though the U.S. submarine fleet and the Russian Pacific fleet have both joined in the hunt."
"Don't worry," Nick replied. "Godzilla will show up. I've got a feeling in my gut."
Just then, an intern handed Brian an envelope. It had been hand-delivered (the Japanese postal service had suspended operations in Tokyo the day before - the same day the Japanese stock market had suspended trading). Brian saw his name scrawled on the white envelope, along with the address of INN, but nothing else.
Brian tore open the envelope.
Inside, he found a single sheet of paper. It was a letter from his still-missing uncle.
Dear Brian,
Dr. Nobeyama and I have decided to act on our own. We've developed a lure, and are now installing it in a small private airplane somewhere on the main island - I'm sorry I can't tell you exactly where.
Since the Japanese government - and the governments of the world - seem helpless to act, or are determined to do the wrong thing, we are preparing our own plan of defense.
Watch the skies. If Godzilla attacks Tokyo, we will try to lead the monster to the deepest part of the ocean. Then we'll crash-dive our aircraft and sink, with the lure, to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. We hope that Godzilla will follow us to the deepest part of the Mariana Trench.
We are both fully aware that this is a one-way trip. There is no way to carry more fuel on such a small plane - and, as I say, we are on our own in the belief that this lure will be successful.
Whatever happens, remember that I'm proud of you. Don't mourn for me or for Dr. Nobeyama. I've spent my entire life defending our country, and we are both ready to die to defend the world - and for what we believe in.
Remember, son, keep watching the skies.
Uncle Maxwell
Brian felt sick. Tears filled his eyes. I've got to find them... stop them! Brian thought. But he knew it was impossible. Even if he found his uncle and the Japanese scientist, what could he say to convince them not to throw their lives away on an untried theory?
As Brian's mind raged, Nick looked down at his stricken friend.
"Hey, buddy," Nick asked. "What's the matter?"
But before Brian could reply, a commotion broke out in the newsroom. Brian and Nick rose to their feet to see what was going on. Everyone was staring at the television monitors. The regular programming had been replaced by an emergency broadcast.
"Emergency!" the voice on the television said.
"Godzilla is in Tokyo Bay... repeat, Godzilla is in Tokyo Bay! Please evacuate the coastal areas in and around Tokyo. Repeat... Godzilla is in Tokyo Bay."
Outside, civil-defense sirens began to wail. Their shrill sound echoed through the streets of Tokyo. The eerie blare was a herald of disaster - Godzilla had returned!
* * *
While Tokyo prepared to wage war against a prehistoric monster, a war of another kind was brewing in the INN newsroom. This particular war began when a memo appeared on Nick's and Brian's computer screens - courtesy of electronic mail.
The memo, in essence, fired them both. And it was signed Everett P. Endicott.
The two young men met each other in the hallway outside the bureau chief's office. Without knocking, Brian and Nick stormed past a startled May McGovern and burst into Endicott's inner office.
"What's this all about?" Nick cried, waving a printout of the memo.
"Yeah," Brian sputtered, his indignation temporarily stealing his vocabulary.
Endicott rose ponderously from his chair and raised his arms. "I know you're upset, boys -"
"Don't give me that 'boys' crap, Chief!" Nick interrupted. "We 'boys' gave this network top news ratings for the months of May and June..."
"Which is why I issued that memo," Endicott shouted. His words temporarily silenced their protestations. The bureau chief stared at the two youths. "Sit down," he said.
When they were all seated, Endicott defended his actions. "Both of you have done enough," he told them. "You both have bright futures here at the Independent News Network - or anywhere else you choose. But I want you out of harm's way... I want you out of Tokyo."
"Well, that's not what I want," Nick replied. "I want the chance to go up on the tower and get some real, live air time!"
Endicott understood their disappointment. Using the last of their clout with the Japanese government, INN reporters were being permitted to observe Godzilla's attack - if it happened - from the observation deck of Tokyo Tower, the highest spot in the city.
Endicott himself had just assigned Max Hulse to do live, on-the-spot coverage of the event, which would be fed through a satellite uplink.
The bureau chief shook his head. "No," he said. "I won't permit it."
"Why not?" Brian asked.
"Because it's too dangerous," Endicott said simply.
"We've both faced danger before!" Nick cried.
Endicott nodded. "Yes, you have... but think about this. Max Hulse and those other men are going to be trapped on that tower if anything had happens."
Nick's mouth snapped shut. He remembered his experience in the tiny factory tower. It was not something he wanted to repeat. "Max Hulse covered the Gulf War and the Middle East bombings in 1997," the bureau chief continued. "He knows the risks. You two seem to have forgotten that you're only interns... and you're young. I remember my youth well enough. You both think you're invincible."
"Okay" Nick relented. "But you can't just send us away."
"You're wrong about that," Endicott said with a thin smile. "In fifteen minutes, a private helicopter is landing on the helipad outside. I expect everyone to be on that aircraft and out of here. We'll leave behind a skeleton crew - one or two technicians - to man the uplinks, but the network wants everyone else out - tonight! - especially interns. It wouldn't look good for INN to put interns in harm's way."
When Nick and Brian left Endicott's office, the wind had pretty much been knocked out of their sails. As they headed back to their dorm rooms to pick up a few personal belongings, Nick looked around, trying to spot May.
She's probably getting packed, too, he told himself.
When the two youths reached the apartment they shared, Nick fumbled for his key. He pulled a car key out of his pocket instead.
"What's that?" Brian asked.
"Ahh, I used an INN car this morning," Nick replied. "I parked it in the basement garage, but I forgot to give the key back to Mr. Takao."
"Yeah, well, he won't be needing it now," Brian muttered. Then he froze, and so did Nick. They looked at each other.
"We have a car!" they said in unison.
* * *
While tanks and armored personnel carriers of the First Airborne Division - the unit traditionally charged with the duty of protecting the capital city - rushed to the shores of Tokyo Bay, mobs of frightened people fled the city.
From their balcony, Nick and Brian watched the chaos below as they made their plans. They both agreed to duck the evacuation helicopter. With an automobile at their disposal, they both felt that they could do their own reporting. It wouldn't be live, it wouldn't be broadcast as it was happening, but it would be something.
"I wish we could find Yoshi," Nick said. "I know how to use a video camera, but I'm no expert."
Brian nodded in agreement. "I think Yoshi is going to the tower," he said.
Nick paused and shook his head. I hope he'll be okay.
"Look!" Brian cried, pointing. "Here comes the helicopter!"
"Let's get out of here before someone tries to stop us." Nick quickly gathered up his video camera, his tape recorder, and plenty of tapes for both machines.
At the last minute, Brian grabbed his battery-powered portable television/radio and a police
band receiver that was tuned to the emergency broadcast frequency.
"Good idea!" Nick said, spying the device. "Now we've got our own portable news van!"
"I'll drive," Brian insisted.
* * *
It took them a few minutes to sneak out of the INN building. There were security guys all over the place, herding people to the helipad. But eventually Nick and Brian made it to the garage. The red Toyota was just where Nick had left it.
"It's gassed and ready to go!" Nick said as they stowed their stuff and jumped inside. Brian checked the rear-view mirror and started the engine. Just then, they heard a clanking sound.
"Drive!" Nick screamed. "The guards are closing the security gates."
With a squeal of rubber, the Toyota peeled out. As they neared the exit, the metal grill gate began to descend.
"Hold on!" Brian cried as he stepped on the gas.
The car shot up the exit ramp and through the doorway. It just made it under the security gate - it was so close that the gate scraped some paint off the roof as it came down. As Brian turned the corner, Nick saw INN security men running after them.
"So long, suckers!" Nick cried triumphantly. "We've got an Emmy to pick up."
Brian laughed. As he sped through the deserted streets, he felt his heart pumping fast. He felt so alive.
Brian recalled the only other time he had felt like this. It was the day he'd made his first skydive. He remembered he was so scared, yet so exhilarated, too.
Then again, deep down inside, a nagging voice echoed a growing fear.
Who's really the sucker?
CHAPTER 20
GODZILLA RISING
June 18, 1998, 9:11 P.M.
Somewhere In the Roppongi District
They hadn't driven far before Brian pulled over to the curb. He switched off the engine and turned to his roommate. He and Nick exchanged puzzled glances.
"What now?" Brian asked.
"We wait," Nick replied. Then he placed the battery-powered television on the dashboard and began to channel-surf. He got mostly dead air.
"Try channel 57," Brian suggested. "It's been set to pick up INN satellite feeds."
"Cool!" Nick said as he flipped the channels. Max Hulse's bland face filled the tiny screen. "Talk to me, Maxie!" Nick quipped, turning up the sound.
"There is still no sign of Godzilla," the newscaster told the international audience. "No sign since he was seen in Tokyo Bay seven hours ago. Let's go to the tape..."
The image shifted, and Brian and Nick watched the now-familiar shot of Godzilla rising from the waters of the bay.
"This shot was taken by a military spotter this afternoon. Evacuation of the areas near Tokyo Bay began by dusk. Now, in early evening, the city is nearly deserted.
"But will Godzilla come ashore? Will the monster destroy Tokyo for a second time?"
"Sheesh!" Nick said. "He sounds like he'd be disappointed if Godzilla didn't show up."
After that, Max Hulse switched over to Blackthorn Adams, who was reporting from Japanese military headquarters.
They listened as Adams launched into a review of Tokyo's defenses. He concentrated on the power grid that was built to protect the heart of Tokyo.
"After Godzilla's first assault," Adams explained, "the city planners built a series of high-tension wires around the heart of the city. These electrical wires carried power to a growing city... but the designers also planned for the unthinkable - the possible return of the monster Gojira, or a creature like it.
"Those power lines were built to handle much more electricity than necessary to power the city. If Godzilla ever returned, the grid would act as an electric fence that, it was hoped, would deter the monster from reaching the Imperial Palace and the business and commercial heart of Tokyo.
"Right now, even as I speak, the electrical defense grid is being readied."
Just then, Blackthorn Adams touched the headphone in his ear. He tilted his head and listened to a voice on the other end "I'm told we have a live report coming in," he said into the camera. "It's from Ian Smelt and Gary Greg, who are stationed at the shore of Tokyo Bay. Can you hear me, Gary?"
As the two youths watched, the image shifted again. Gary Greg, formerly a weatherman for INN, had already begun his report.
"The monster has already destroyed the Shin Tatsumi Bridge and is heading for the heart of the city. Yes, I can see him now." The picture abruptly shifted away from the handsome newscaster and focused on a dark blot on the far horizon. The image was out of focus but soon became sharper.
It was Godzilla, rising out of Tokyo Bay and heading toward a ribbon of highway.
"Oh my god," Nick said, recognizing the location. "That's Expressway Number One!" he cried out in amazement. "Godzilla's only a few miles away from us."
Brian started the car's engine and drove down the narrow, deserted street toward the expressway.
* * *
While Gary Greg watched and Ian Smelt filmed, Godzilla stepped ashore near Expressway Number One. From their position on top of a modern apartment building, the newsmen watched the creature as he crashed through a dock area. Trucks and railroad cars were knocked aside as Godzilla lumbered toward the lights of the city.
While the former weatherman gave a running commentary, the British cameraman filmed the monster's arrival.
Godzilla paused. He seemed confused by his surroundings. Or perhaps the creature was dazzled by the lights of Tokyo, which spread out before him. He swiveled his massive head back and forth. His predatory eyes scanned the horizon. He seemed wary, as if he expected an enemy to attack.
It was then that a strange sound filled the creature's ears. The sound was not the unfamiliar wail of the sirens, which had been screaming since the monster came ashore.
It was a familiar sound - one that Godzilla had heard before.
"It's the rumble of tanks," Gary Greg said into the microphone he clutched with a sweaty hand. "Yes, over there!" he cried. "Dozens of tanks are rushing down the expressway... they're coming from both sides, converging on the monster."
Godzilla blinked his eyes, then stared down at the tiny objects that moved slowly toward him. His lips curled back, baring his teeth. A threatening growl rumbled in his throat.
The tanks slowed and halted. The turrets swiveled as the cannons aimed at the monster.
"According to briefings, these are Type 75 tanks," Gary Greg reported. "Elements of the first Airborne Division. They're aiming all their guns at Godzilla."
The tanks opened fire. Dozens of shells struck the monster, exploding against his hide. Godzilla whipped his tail back and forth angrily. The motion leveled three- and four-story buildings on both sides. Smoke and dust filled the air.
Immediately, Godzilla counterattacked. His radioactive fire rained down on the armored vehicles. Many of the tanks backed away in time to avoid the heat ray.
Others weren't so lucky. Six tanks were reduced to radioactive slag, their crews vaporized. The rest of the tanks pulled back. They had tried to bluff Godzilla and failed.
Almost before it began, the attack ended.
"Now the tanks are pulling back," Gary Greg said as the image of the retreating tanks was beamed to a hundred countries.
"Will nothing stop this creature?"
* * *
As they raced through the streets toward the ramp to the expressway, Brian and Nick heard the sound of battle. Nick grabbed the television again and placed it on his lap.
"It looks like the tanks are retreating." Nick Said as he watched the screen.
Just then, Godzilla's awful roar echoed through the steel and concrete canyons of the city. Brian slammed on the brakes. They stopped in the middle of a wide boulevard between two walls of skyscrapers. "Look up there!" Brian cried, pointing.
Nick looked. On a highway overpass just ahead of them, three tanks rumbled by at top speed. They were gone as quickly as they appeared.
Then something odd happened. The ground underneath the car began to shake
.
"Oh-oh," Nick muttered.
Suddenly, the towering concrete and glass building to their right seemed to burst apart. Brian slammed the car in reverse and stepped on the gas. The tires spun, but the car only shimmied. Chunks of stone, shards of glass, and whole pieces of office furniture rained down on the street in front of them.
Some of the debris bounced toward the skidding car. Just then, the rubber caught the road, and the Toyota leaped backward.
It was not a moment too soon.
The huge front wall of the building hit the street with a deafening rumble. A fist-sized chunk of masonry struck the windshield, leaving a small diamond-shaped hole on the passenger side.
Brian continued to drive rapidly in reverse, putting as much distance as possible between himself and the crumbling building. Finally, he lost control of the car. The Toyota hopped the curb and sideswiped an orange pay phone. Brian slammed on the brakes and the engine stalled.
They watched, paralyzed, as Godzilla's massive foot crashed down on the street where, moments before, their car had sat. Almost casually, the monster brushed tons of rubble aside and slammed against the apartment complex on the opposite side of the street.
That building, too, tumbled like a house of cards.
As the apartment building crashed to the ground, the air was filled with choking dust and clouds of smoke. In seconds, Nick and Brian were blinded. They sat, quaking helplessly in the front seat of the car, until the ground finally ceased to rumble and the monster moved on.
* * *
"Godzilla is laying waste to the Shibaura section of Tokyo," Max Hulse informed his millions of viewers. From his vantage point on Tokyo Tower, all he could really see with the naked eye was the glowing fires in Godzilla's wake and the occasional flash of a distant explosion.
But thanks to dozens of cameras in helicopters that crisscrossed the skies over the city, the rampage was being taped from many different angles. All of the visual images were being fed to INN headquarters, and to Hulse and his remote team on Tokyo Tower.
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