Godzilla Returns Part 15

"You've done well as a team so far," Endicott said when they were all seated in his executive office. "Even you, Mr. Gordon..."

Nick grinned.

"That's why I'm not happy with the network's decision." The portly news chief sighed.

Brian, Nick, Yos.h.i.+, and even May were all ears.

"The bosses back in the States want me to break you up," Endicott said. "We're stretched pretty thin here, and our coverage is suffering for it -"

There was a knock at the door. May rose and opened it. To everyone's surprise, Lieutenant Emiko Takado stepped into the room. As usual, she wore her military uniform smartly. Nick, Brian, and Yos.h.i.+ greeted her warmly. After a moment, Endicott continued.

"I want Nick and Yos.h.i.+ to accompany Lieutenant Takado to the front lines. Your job is to cover the upcoming battle - if there is one."

Yos.h.i.+ smiled, antic.i.p.ating more award-winning footage. Nick swallowed hard, surprised and happy with this new development. He smiled at Lieutenant Takado. "Traveling with Lieutenant Takado will be my pleasure," he said radiating charm.

May's face remained stony.

"Brian here has brought a lot of attention to INN in the last week," Endicott stated, placing his meaty hand on Brian's shoulder. The young man's face reddened.

Since footage of the harpooning had been beamed all over the world, Brian s.h.i.+mura's name had become a household word. After returning to Tokyo, Brian had given countless interviews, including a live chat with Ted Koppel on Nightline via satellite.

"Because of his sudden fame," Endicott continued, "the network bra.s.s wants Brian to cover the debates in the j.a.panese Diet, starting with Dr. n.o.beyama's speech tomorrow morning.

"I hate to break up a successful team, but for now, that's the way it is. I'm sorry."

After Endicott dismissed them, the group gathered in the outer office to say their farewells.

"Take care, roomie," Nick said, slapping Brian's arm. "You won't have Lieutenant Takado here to watch your back!"

Yos.h.i.+ bowed. "I will see you when we return," he said simply, and then headed for the elevators.

May and Nick did not share goodbyes. But when Nick finally departed a few minutes later, in animated conversation with the lovely j.a.panese military officer, May stared daggers at the pretty lieutenant's back.

CHAPTER 15.

A PLAN OF ACTION.

June 7, 1998, 10:46 A.M.

The Diet building

Tokyo, j.a.pan

The j.a.panese Diet members had been arguing for over two hours. Even with the services of a first-rate translator, Brian couldn't understand half of what was going on. All he'd gotten out of the contentious meeting was a headache. He was bored and disgusted - and this was only the first round of talks!

I guess Nick is right about one thing - politics is the same in every country, he thought cynically.

The main event - the speech by Dr. n.o.beyama - was already over an hour late. Brian s.h.i.+fted in his seat and readjusted his earphones. In his ear, the translator droned on. More news about the environmental organization Greenpeace declaring G.o.dzilla an endangered species.

That speech was followed by a military briefing. A general in the j.a.panese Self-Defense Force proposed using tank sh.e.l.ls filled with poison or a deadly disease. The sh.e.l.ls would act like hypodermic needles, pumping a deadly substance into the monster's system. Brian felt a s.h.i.+ver go up his spine. Disease released in a populated area! he thought. This is crazy.

A second general, a short, stocky man with a shaven head, proposed another type of tank sh.e.l.l. This one would be filled with cadmium - a substance that is often used to extinguish nuclear reactor fires.

That sounds promising, but will it work? Brian wondered. Nick would know, he concluded, missing his friend's knowledge of the sciences.

Suddenly, a wave of excitement rippled through the Diet chambers. Brian sat up and craned his neck. At the far end of the room, he saw a group of officials - some in military uniform - escorting Dr. n.o.beyama to a table.

Brian gasped. The aged scientist looked even older and more frail than the last time Brian had seen him. This crisis is killing him...

Finally, the officer at the podium ended his speech. A third high-ranking military officer followed. He gave a brief statement about the defenses in and around Tokyo. He also stated that the special cadmium tank sh.e.l.ls were ready. The officer concluded by saying that he hoped Dr. n.o.beyama could suggest a poison that would kill G.o.dzilla.

The scientist sat stony-faced, listening to the military briefings. Finally, Dr. n.o.beyama rose. He was led to the center of the chamber by a soldier wearing a spit-and-polish uniform and white gloves. The room fell silent.

Dr. n.o.beyama looked out at the audience and bowed slightly. Then, in a voice that was almost a whisper, he spoke to the rulers of j.a.pan and, via satellite, to the people of the world.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he began. "I have presented my final report on the monster G.o.dzilla to the j.a.panese government and the military leaders. This report, I am sad to say, is being ignored. For that reason, I now must present my findings to the world, in the hope that sanity will prevail."

He paused dramatically and shuffled the papers in his hand.

"In my opinion, a military attack on G.o.dzilla would be a waste of time. It will only result in senseless loss of life and more destruction of property.

"All the evidence I have unearthed about G.o.dzilla points to only one conclusion. The monster is immune to bombs, bullets, missiles, and rockets. G.o.dzilla is, for all intents and purposes, indestructible!"

Angry shouts greeted Dr. n.o.beyama's startling words. Then the whole Diet erupted in chaos. At the center of it all, the old man stood his ground defiantly.

Dr. n.o.beyama continued his speech, though many of the voices tried to shout him down.

"G.o.dzilla is not a natural being," he said. "The creature is not a product of evolution or natural selection. G.o.dzilla was born in the radioactive fire of the hydrogen bomb - he has mutated beyond anything we understand.

"Bombs will confuse G.o.dzilla, missiles will make him angry. But no weapon, except perhaps a direct attack using a nuclear bomb, can possibly harm him. Because nuclear bombs cannot be used near population centers, we must stop this useless attack on G.o.dzilla before it begins."

More shouts and angry denunciations were heard. The chairman pounded his gavel and demanded order.

"I have presented my report, and other scientists agree with my conclusions. Attack G.o.dzilla if you must, but be aware that the creature cannot be killed by conventional weapons!"

With that, Dr. n.o.beyama gathered up his papers and slowly made his way out of the crowded Diet chambers. Angry shouts followed him.

Brian wanted to rush to Dr. n.o.beyama's side, but he knew that the old man would be busy briefing other scientists. So he stayed, and listened to speech after speech, for the next three hours.

Finally, it was decided that the j.a.panese Self-Defense Force would launch an attack on G.o.dzilla that very evening, using the cadmium sh.e.l.ls. Troops were mobilized. Equipment was moving into position. Everything was on schedule.

At dusk, the army would attack.

But will these cadmium sh.e.l.ls really work? Brian wondered again.

"Cadmium sh.e.l.ls will never work," Nick Gordon declared. "Cadmium is fine if you want to put out a nuclear fire. But it won't stop a nuclear chain reaction - which is what G.o.dzilla is!"

"What makes you so certain Dr. n.o.beyama is correct?" Lieutenant Takado asked. "Many scientists don't agree with him."

"But you saw the film." Nick argued. "Wonder Lizard heals instantly. He can't be killed."

"But Dr. n.o.beyama's work is still theoretical," the lieutenant argued. "Science still has limitations -"

"Science has nothing to do with it," Nick interrupted pa.s.sionately. "This attack is all about politics, not science."

"Hai!" Yos.h.i.+ said in agreement. "Even when politicians don't know what to do, they must do something to justify their existence."

The three of them sat in Lieutenant Takado's tent which was lit by a single kerosene lantern. The tent was set up only a mile away from the flat plain where, at dawn, tanks would confront G.o.dzilla.

Even as they spoke, the special cadmium sh.e.l.ls were being delivered to tank commanders in the field.

All around them, Nick, Yos.h.i.+, and Lieutenant Takado could hear the sounds of the upcoming battle. Tanks and artillery rumbled toward the first line of defense, where bulldozers were carving defensive positions. Fuel and supply trucks filled with the specially designed ammunition followed the heavy armor to the front.

Overhead, Pave Low helicopters, equipped with special night-vision devices, circled the dark skies. Their job was to watch for G.o.dzilla's approach and warn the army if the creature charged direction.

Periodically, the tent's radio crackled with situation updates and the latest reports on G.o.dzilla's movements. There was excitement, and apprehension, in the air. Every nerve was on edge. No one knew what the morning would bring. The question was debated all over the camp, and in every tank, truck, and aircraft.

Would the new cadmium sh.e.l.ls stop G.o.dzilla?

Finally, after listening to another update from the choppers, Nick rose and stretched. "I'm going to hit the sleeping bag," he announced.

"Yes," Lieutenant Takado said. "We should all get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a momentous day."

Hundreds of miles away, in Tokyo, Brian sat with his uncle, Admiral Willis, and a dejected Dr. n.o.beyama. The mood was grim. Dr. n.o.beyama was convinced that the cadmium sh.e.l.ls would fail. The admiral tended to agree with him.

Worse still, Dr. n.o.beyama was certain that the cadmium would force G.o.dzilla to find and consume a nuclear reactor core to replenish his strength. The resulting release of nuclear radiation might become an even bigger threat than G.o.dzilla himself.

"But if the cadmium sh.e.l.ls won't work," Brian asked, "then what can we do? Is humanity helpless?"

Dr. n.o.beyama and Admiral Willis exchanged glances. Then Dr. n.o.beyama spoke. "There is a glimmer of hope," he replied.

"You've found a weakness?" Brian asked excitedly.

"Perhaps," the j.a.panese scientist said noncommittally. "But it is only a theory..."

"Please explain it to me," Brian pleaded. The old man paused, his face unreadable. Then, finally, he nodded.

"There is a theory that dinosaurs did not become extinct millions of years ago. Some paleontologists believe the dinosaurs evolved because of climactic changes."

"The theory is that some species of dinosaurs evolved into modern birds," Brian interjected. "Isn't that correct?"

"Yes," Dr. n.o.beyama answered. "You are correct."

"But how can an obscure theory on dinosaur evolution help us now?" Brian pressed.

"Through the equipment on the harpoon you fired, we learned much about G.o.dzilla's physical nature," the scientist said. "We managed to get an EEG. That is a reading of G.o.dzilla's brain waves. We learned that G.o.dzilla's brain is very similar to a modern bird's brain - though vastly larger, of course."

"You see, son." Admiral Willis spoke up. "Dr. n.o.beyama believes that G.o.dzilla may respond to the same sounds that a bird responds to. And that's good news for us!"

"How?" Brian said, feeling hopeful for the first time since he had come face-to-face with the monster called G.o.dzilla.

"Do you remember all that trouble last year - about the bird sanctuary near the U.S. Naval Base in Okinawa?"

Brian recalled some of the controversy. "Rare species of birds were at risk of being killed by American aircraft as they took off and landed," he said.

"Do you know how the problem was solved?" the admiral asked. Brian shook his head.

"A group at the Pentagon designed a bird alarm system - a high-frequency sound that only the birds could hear. Whenever planes took off, the guys in the tower turned on the alarm -"

"And it scared all the birds away!" Brian said, thinking fast.

"Exactly!" said the admiral, grinning.

Brian turned to Dr. n.o.beyama. "So you think we can design an alarm that would frighten G.o.dzilla away?"

"Not exactly," the doctor replied. "But I think we can devise a type of high-frequency sound lure -"

"Yes," the admiral interrupted. "Right now, I have some U.S. Navy sound technicians working on the problem. They say that, with G.o.dzilla's brain-wave recordings, they are pretty sure they can come up with a lure of some kind. Perhaps in the next few days -"