CHAPTOR 4


After looking at their options, Madison and Garris decided to head back to the future in the hope that one of the other missions had met with success. The Mothership jumped into the time-stream.
Suddenly, viotent vibrations shook the Mothership. Up ahead, a vast blackness was swallowing the time-stream. Outside the tunnel of light, Madison and Garris could see other tunnels of light, other time-streams. They too were being swallowed by the blackness. Several control panels sparked and shorted out. M-11 tried jumping out of the time-stream, only to move violently sideways into another of the tunnels. He tried again, using emergency power, just before the blackness swallowed them too.
The Mothership appeared just above the surface of the ocean and splashed down heavily, sending sprays of water in all directions. M-11 ran a quick check and found there was minimal damage to most of the Mothership's systems. But the time-warp drive was useless and would require an extensive overhaul. He looked around and saw that Madison and Garris had been knocked unconcious by the jarring impact.
The anti-grav engines still worked. M-11 raised the Mothership out of the water and headed for a small group of islands nearby.

Madison was helping several androids finish repair on the damaged control room panels. M-11 was down below, supervising most of the other androids in repairing the time-warp drive. Garris was busy studying readouts and sensor scans of the anomally that had wreaked havoc to the time-stream, trying to make sense of what happened.
Madison finished his work and joined Garris at their station. "Come up with anything?"
"I think so." Said Garris. He activated the main viewer. A still frame of the blackness with the other time-stream tunnels appeared. "As you know, this anomally is blocking the future from us. I now believe the other time-streams were artificially created, by us and the other missions to the past. Each time history was changed, a new time-line and future branched off from the main, original time-line. I've began to wonder which time-line is the original. M-11 hacked me into the internet again and I found this." Garris changed views. A huge, barrell shaped machine appeared.
"What is it?" Asked Madison.
"It's called the Dimension Tide. It will generate an artificial black hole that opens rifts in space-time. They're going to use it to destroy Godzilla. We dropped out of time-warp just before it's first test, which will be in a couple of days. That test is what we almost ran into. Not only will it create a black hole, but it will do something to the time-stream, apparently all time-streams, preventing any travel back and forth through time."
Madison thought for a time, then said, "From what we saw, it looked like the black hole was trying to pull the other time-streams into itself. Would that mean that they could merge and become one?"
"I don't know. But we know that it will definately affect the time-stream that we travel through."
"Then we stop the test, or destroy the Dimension Tide," said Madison with finality.
"I don't think we can, not really."
"Explain."
"If we changed this history, it may well create another time-line where the Dimension Tide has been built and was tested successfully. The barrier will still be there. One way or another, this event is going to happen."
"If we wait until after they use it, we'll be past the moment in time when the barrier was created, and we can continue into the future. Only thing is, it won't be our future, unless we can jump back into the time-stream we were in."
"How can we know though which is the right stream, or even if any future is the one we belong in?"
Garris frowned. Madison was right. In their attempt to destroy Godzilla and Japan as well, the different missions to the past had most likely complicated things beyond repair.

Madison and Garris agreed to wait and see what would happen after the test. Over the next couple of weeks, they saw the horde of dragonfly creatures appear, attack people and Godzilla, and saw the creation of Megaguirus.
After an incredible battle, Godzilla destroyed Megaguirus. Then the Dimension Tide was used on Godzilla. Madison and Garris smiled as Godzilla disappeared.
"Well," said Madison smugly, "at least someone finally got rid of Godzilla."
Garris said nothing about the other Godzillas in the other time-lines. At least, not yet. He knew they had to exist, but didn't want to provoke Madison.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


MechaGhidorah appeared over Lagos Island and dropped off the still unconcious Godzillasaur, then went to Birth Island and left Rodan and the egg.
As MechaGhidorah left Birth Island, Miki said, "Ummm, now that we've set that right, what about me?"
M-11 and Emmee looked at each other, not sure what to say.
Emmee finally said, "Miki, we still don't know how you made the jump to our future, or who may have been responsible. But M-11 and I think that if we drop you off after the day you dissappeared, things will be okay and you can continue with your life, while M-11 and I return to our new future. We're not sure what it'll be like now, but it can't be worse than what it was."
Miki thought for a moment, remembering that in her time, Godzilla was dead. "I - - I - - yes," she finally said. At least Godzilla Junior was there. She smiled at that.

Out in the time stream, Miki could still feel the other Godzilla's, but she blocked them out. They only reminded her of the loss of her Godzilla even more. M-11 and Emmee never could come up with a reason for the multiple Godzillas.
Something felt strange. Miki began to feel uneasy, but could not figure what caused it.
Miki said, "Something is very wrong, we've got to stop."
Emmee and M-11 checked their consoles. "Everything is working fine Miki. Is that echo of Godzilla bothering you again?"
Miki shook her head. "It's something else." Miki began to tremble. Sometimes she could get premonitions of things, but it was only sporatic. Miki looked at the holo-viewer. "There! Look!"
Up ahead, they saw the blackness, barely visible, but growing swiftly in size, coming closer. Emmee checked senors, but the thing didn't register, at least not yet.
"I'm launching a probe," M-11 said. The probe sped away. Suddenly it increased speed and streaked away, dissappearing into the blackness.
MechaGhidorah shuddered. Suddenly, several control panels began to short out. M-11 quickly initiated emergency jump out.
MechaGhidorah appeared high in the air. The anti-gravs were off-line. M-11 still had control over MechaGhidorah's wings and glided safely to the ground.
Miki groaned.
Emmee turned and asked, "Are you okay?"
"N - no. Something is still wrong. I feel - -" Suddenly Miki was swallowed by a flash of light and vanished.

Miki floated in the tunnel of light, a great fear filled her. She looked around and could see other tunnels of light, running along the one she was in.
"The same person can't be at the same point in time more than once", Glenshiko had said.
They must have came out before she vanished that day. 'That must be it.' She thought to herself, trying to figure it out. 'But time has changed and instead of going to the future to save Emmee and M-11, I vanish here and now. NOOOOOO!'
"Godzilla is the key Miki. Together, you will set things right". the Cosmos said.
"You saved us, you know", Emmee said, smiling. "If you hadn't been there, Orga would have finished us off for sure."
Miki began to see bits and pieces of the past and possible future. - - -
- - - She saw herself pause at the cross-walk and then step out onto the street. There was no flash of light. She saw herself continue home - - -
- - - Emmee and M-11 flew over the ruined city in their T-Ship. MechaGhidorah never existed, so they never found it. Suddenly, an Orga saw them flying overhead and blasted the T-Ship to pieces - - -
- - - MechaGhidorah lay where it had fallen. Emmee was unconcious and M-11's module had come loose from it's housing. M-11 had no control over MechaGhidorah. An Orga approached and blasted MechaGhidorah. Golden flesh and metal erupted from the cyborg. Several more blasts and MechaGhidorah exploded - - -
- - - Godzilla burned from within, the atomic fires inside raising his temperature and starting the chain reaction that began to melt the very flesh off his bones, and then the bones themselves melted - - -

Her mind screamed in despair 'NOOOOOOOO- - - '

But as she sank deeper and deeper into complete hopelessness, she felt him again. Godzilla lived, all around her. She felt the evil one coming near, this time she blocked him out. The other Godzilla's were near, all around her. She felt their strength and power. She clung to that, held desperately to it and it filled her with new strength and - - power! Yes, that was it. Her mind was stronger.
Then she began to see again the past and the futures that might be and with firm resolve and determination shouted with her mind - - -
- - - "NO!" - - -


_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


MechaGhidorah lay damaged and broken in the silt at the bottom of the ocean. Godzilla had long untangled himself and swam off. MechaGhidorah began to glow, shimmering in the dark, hazy water and vanished.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


Emmee and M-11 flew over the ruined city in their T-Ship. Suddenly they began receiving a faint signal from MechaGhidorah and turned toward the ocean. Down below, an Orga powered down it's concussion ray as the T-Ship suddenly changed course and zoomed away.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


Emmee looked down and turned away from M-11. She did not want him to see the tears that were starting to form.Then she noticed the date on the Chronometer. The date was the same day Miki told them she had dissappeared on. Emmee started to cry.
Suddenly there was another flash of light and Miki stood before them.
"Miki!" Shouted Emmee with joy and hugged her. Holding Miki at arms length by the shoulders, Emmee exclaimed, "How - - -??"
"I wanted to come back," Miki said, smiling.

Later, after Miki told Emmee and M-11 what happened, Emmee said, "That must be it . Miki, you did something no one else could do. You traveled through the time-stream, under your own power and somehow controled events. You sent your earlier self to save us and then you came back to us, here. Most incredible thing I've ever seen. I'm glad you're on our side."
Miki blushed, her ears turning very red. What could she say? She was as surprised by what happened as much as Emmee was. She stuttered, trying to say something.
"Miki," began M-11, "It is an honor to know you," and with that, he bowed.
Miki looked surprised, her mouth falling open.
Suddenly Emme burst out laughing. Miki began to laugh too. M-11 smiled slightly and nodded his head.

Miki sat in the computer room and listened to Emmee and M-11. The probe had managed to send back some information on the blackness before it dissappeared. Miki could not begin to understand just what they were talking about, until Emmee said, "So, based on what Miki said about the other time-streams and the probe readings, time is splitting into alternate time-lines and this time-sink is beginning to draw the different ones closer."
Miki remembered what the Cosmos had said. "Emmee?"
"Yes?"
"Please tell me what it all means. Help me understand."
"Well, for one thing, you were right about the other Godzillas. They do exist, in the different time-lines." Emmee paused, then said, "Think of time as a tree. The original time-line, or past, present, and future are the tree trunk. Every time someone, including us, changed the past, a new time-line or branch was created."
"When we saved the Godzillasaur, Rodan, and the egg, we thought we had corrected the damage that was done to history. What we did was create another branch. The original time-line still exists, with no changes. But the ones that branch off, like the one we made and all the other branches that have been made, is different, based on the change that was made."
"Since so many changes have been made, there are now many different branches, or alternate time-lines. I'm afraid that this branching off will sooner or later cause all the time-streams to collapse and the Earth will disappear, as if it never existed. This blackness seems to be trying to bring them back together." Emmee paused, her brow furrowed. Then she asked, "Does that help?"
"Some, but a tree doesn't grow like that," Miki said innocently.
Emmee laughed. "And that's what M-11 and I think. It isn't going to work. To tell you the truth, we don't know what that blackness is or what's causing it. For all we know, all this branching off may have created it."
Miki pursed her lips and made up her mind. She told Emmee and M-11 what the Cosmos said, about bringing the parting threads of the fabric of time together into a new harmony that will save the Earth and the future. "I didn't understand what they meant at the time. That's why I didn't say anything. I - - - I'm sorry."
"It's okay Miki. But promise me one thing. Whatever you feel or any ideas you get, no matter how crazy sounding, you let us know." Emme said in a mild, scowlding voice as she wagged her finger at Miki. Then she smiled and said, "You're part of the team and you have gifts that can really help us."
M-11 listened, pulling up files on Mothra and the Cosmos. "I think they were right. The analogy with fabric makes better sense and may be closer to the truth than we know."
Emmee agreed, then asked, "Miki, there's something else, isn't there?"
"Yes. They said that Godzilla was the key and that together, he and I would set things right."
At that, Emmee didn't know what to say. She looked at M-11 for support.
"Godzilla has been at the center of all this since the beginning." Said M-11.
"What can we do now?" asked Miki.
"We have to go back into the time-stream, find the time-line where this blackness, or time-sink, is coming from and destroy it, or use it to 'bring the parting threads of the fabric of time together.' " M-11 said matter-of-factly, then smiled.
"But first, we need to get MechaGhidorah ready. That thing will burn out every system we have," said Emmee.
Miki helped Emmee as best she could. They went through many of the major systems and added more insulation and backups. Meanwhile, M-11 made other modifications to MechaGhidorah.
When they finished, Miki asked, "Emmee, please don't take this the wrong way, but what about M-11? Won't he be in danger of shorting out, like MechaGhidorah did?"
Emmee smiled and said, "M-11 is more than a robot. His operating system is completely different from MechaGhidorah's. You're worried about him, aren't you?"
"Yes, even though he isn't human. Is he like he is because you reprogrammed him?" Miki asked bluntly, surprising herself.
Emmee looked sharply at Miki.
"I'm sorry, but-"
Emmee then smiled. "You know, at first I thought so. But now that we've been through so much together, I've seen M-11 change. He's a free thinker. I don't order him around. He does what he does because he wants to. He's more like a friend and companion now."
Miki smiled at that and aid, "Yes, I think of him as a friend too."
Just then, Emmee's communicator beeped. "Emmee?"
"Yes M-11?"
"I'm finished. Are you ready?"
"Yes. We're on our way up now."

Emmee and M-11 were running tests, double-checking to be sure all systems were at 100%. Miki sat and watched. Suddenly an alarm sounded. "What is it?" she asked.
"Someone is coming out of time-warp," said M-11 as he centered the viewer on the part of the sky where the signal was coming from.
Energy crackled, flashed, and began to form a shape. Just above the trees, not far away, another MechaGhidorah materialized and landed. Unlike the original MechaGhidorah, this one was made completely of metal.
"We are receiving a message," said M-11. He activated a small viewer. On it was the face of a fatherly-looking old man with a white beard. He sat in a high-backed chair. From the sides of the head rest, two small, glowing rods protruded forward, sticking out just above his head. Around his head was a metallic headband with small flickering lights.
"Hello Emmee. Hello M-11. And if I'm not mistaken, the beautifull young lady behind you is Miki Saegusa. Good day, my dear."
Miki blushed. She had a very good feeling about this man and she instantly liked him. "Hello," she said shyly.
"Hello sir," said M-11.
"Mr. Pope! H - h - how - - ?" stuttered Emmee.
"May I come aboard?" he asked.
Minutes later, the four of them sat in the dining room.
"When you and M-11 didn't come back, I got worried. I used M-11's plans and commissioned a robot MechaGhidorah: MG2. Your MechaGhidorah leaves a unique signal. I followed it , then lost it. I headed back to our time and, much to my astonishment, was thrown into another time-stream. I found your signal and followed you here."
"Then you know about the damage to the time-stream?"
Pope nodded and frowned.
Emmee told Pope about the Orgas, the asteroid and rescuing the Godzillasaur, Rodan, and the egg. "I'm afraid we messed things up even more."
"You three have been very busy. And it wasn't your fault, my child. The real damage was done by whoever went back and changed the orbit of that asteroid. You did what you thought was right. So, what's our next move?" Pope asked with eagerness.
"Our? You need to stay here out of danger." Emmee said sternly. "I have a feeling we're heading into some major trouble. You can't handle MG2 in a battle all by yourself."
Pope smiled and said, " I can control MG2 as well, if not better, than I can my own body. New interface I developed. I become part of MG2. And if you think I'm going to sit still while you have all the excitement, think again."
"We're going back into the time-stream and find what's causing the time-sink. We're hoping we can use it to repair the damage done, if possible."
"I can help you there", said Pope. "As you already know, the time-stream is splitting, branching off. The probes I sent entered the different time-streams. Several days from now, an event will happen that will cause the time-sink we almost ran into."
"So this will pull the time-streams together?" asked M-11.
"No, but it will be the beginning. One of my probes was thrown out into another time-stream that hasn't been affected by any changes or this event. It's the universal time-stream. Apparently, space-time for the Earth and the solar system has become seperated from that of the universe. The probe managed to get past the first event and another. Past these two events, the Earth's different time-streams will be very close to merging. There's going to be a third event that will merge the time-streams, but from what my probe could record, there will be nothing after this third event."
"Nothing?" asked Emmee.
"Sorry, I didn't mean it quite like that. This will be a very localized event and won't affect the universe, but time will stop for the Earth. It will drop out of normal space-time altogether and cease to exist."
"What can we do?", asked Emmee.
"Wait for the third event and stop it. I don't know what will cause it, but I do know the time-stream and the place where it will originate from. We need to get there and get ready."

MechaGhidorah and MG2 leaped into the time-stream. Up ahead, they could see the time-sink caused by the first event. Before it pulled them in they jumped to the other time-stream. Following the course of Pope's probe, they jumped into the main time-stream of the universe. Emmee and Miki stared in amazement. The universal time-stream was vast. Infinity seemed to reach in all directions. After passing the first two events, they returned to the Earth's time-stream and came out over Ogasawara Island.
"Godzilla's below, the noble one I told you about. And there are other monsters as well," said Miki excitedly.
Down below, alarms went off. Missile and lazer silos opened.
"They have targeting locks on both of us, even though we are cloaked," said M-11.
Emmee switched on the communication consol. "Don't fire! We're on a mission to save the Earth," said Emmee urgently. She imagined what she sounded like to whoever was below.
There was no reply. Emmee tried again, trying to explain about the time-sink. Several minutes passed. MechaGhidorah and MG2 continued to hover over the main island.
"We're getting a reply," said M-11.
"Main control to unidentified crafts. You have permission to land."
"Thank you," said Emmee.

Emmee, M-11, Miki, and Pope sat at a conference table with Kyoko Manabe, the head of Monster Island, and several other scientists.
Pope was just finishing explaining about the time-stream. "So you see, this third event will happen here in a couple of days, as best we can estimate. You've got to believe us."
Kyoko said nothing at first, then she pressed a button and said, "Bring him in."
The door slid open and in walked Garris, accompanied by several guards.
"YOU!", exclaimed Emmee. "You're the cause of all this," She said viciously.
"Now wait, it wasn't just me. The Council is to blame too," Garris said in his defence.
"That's enough." Kyoko said sternly. "Garris appeared several days ago and tried to convince us of what was happening. We didn't believe him, but couldn't take any chances. Now we have more defensive weapons and also extra support from the military." Kyoko turned to Garris and said, "Tell them what you told us."
"In one of the other time-lines, Madison and I discovered the Dimension Tide. It's what caused the time-sink. It got rid of Godzilla. We had M-11 run scans on the Dimension Tide and he and the other androids began work on a modified one. Madison and I planned to use it to get rid of the other Godzillas in the other time-lines. We knew that we might be creating more alternate time-lines, so we ran computer simulations to see how we could mend the damage that's been done. Theoretically, we should be able to merge the different time-lines and have just one."
"Listen, I now know we did the wrong thing, by trying to change time. It's Madison. We've got to stop him. He's going to use the Dimension Tide to bring all the Godzillas here and then he's going to use it to destroy them. But that's not all. He plans on destroying Japan as well."
"What? How?", asked Emmee.
"The Dimension Tide creates an artificial black hole, but it's more like a tear, a rift in space-time. He's going to enlarge it and drop it on Japan. When it reaches a certain size, it'll be uncontrollable. Madison believes he can control it and reshape time any way he wants. He's obsessed with killing Godzilla and destroying Japan. He has the Dimension Tide unit in the Mothership. A bigger unit is in the time-stream now."
"I tried to stop him, but our M-11 unit beamed me out of the Mothership. Fortunately, the T-Ship had been placed outside, to make room for the Dimension Tide. I used it to come here."
Kyoko was standing near the great map of the islands. She turned and said, "Even though a lot of this way out of our league, I believe we should all work together and make preparations for the battle to come. If what you say is right, then the fate of the Earth may well be decided here." Everyone nodded in agreement. "Well, let's get started."

Several days of intense work followed. Emmee, Pope, M-11 and Garris helped the Ogasawara scientists upgrade their equipment and weapons. More and more though, Kyoko began to feel that only the people from the future could fight this battle. She had to be honest with herself about it. But her people had to help in some way. Her home here was about to be devasted again, and she would do everything in her power to stop it.
Kyoko thought back on the horror of the Kilaak invasion, the destruction, and the many people that had died. She smiled though, recalling how the monsters had helped to defeat the Kilaaks. 'Yes, maybe we have a chance after all,' she thought to herself and smiled.

Miki sat atop a large out-cropping of rock, thinking back over the past - - what - - month? She wasn't sure, what with all that had happened and the journeys through time. Many times she felt so useless. She was not a fighter, or as knowledgable as Emme. Even though her powers had helped on several occasions, she still felt useless. But that message from the Cosmos helped her through these times. In her past, they had came to her several times. There must be something to what they had said, but Miki could not fathom just what.
Miki heard a cooing noise and looked up. "I'm sorry little one, I was lost in thought," she said to the baby Godzilla that sat nearby. Miki reached down to the pile of fruit she had gathered and tossed a pinapple at Minya. It almost went over his head. As it did, he leaned back and caught it in his mouth, but lost his balance and fell backwards, legs sticking up into the air.
Miki laughed as the rocks shook a little beneath her.
Godzilla lay nearby, resting against a small, steep-sided hill. He raised his head slightly, looked at Minya and the small, frail human, and grunted. Memories came from deep within, memories of other creatures like this that had hated him and tried to kill him. The ones on this island were better than most though. But this one was very different. Somehow it had touched his mind, and he felt the friendship and admiration coming from it. Yes, very different indeed. He laid his head back down and went back to his nap.
Miki looked at this Godzilla. He was so different from the one she had known. She made up her mind and decided to give him a name, Godzilla-san. Yes, that suited him fine. Then she remembered that evil one, the Godzilla that was a living horror. It frightened her, like the tails of the Oni when she had been a child. Oni were demons. Oni Godzilla. The demon Godzilla. She shuddered and hoped she would never come in contact with that horror again. But deep down inside, she knew she would face it again.
Miki felt a rumbling and looked around, startled, only to see Minya rolling across the ground, smashing trees and raising a cloud of dust. He rolled and bumped up against Godzilla-san. Godzilla-san opened one great eye and sounded a short, sharp roar. Minya covered his head in fake terror. Miki laughed again. Minya snuggled up to his giant father and closed his big eyes. Soon, he was, - - purring? At least that was what it sounded like to Miki.
Miki heard the turbines of one of the island's small hovercraft. Looking up, she saw it landing near-by. The guard leaned out and waved.
'Time to go,' she thought to herself. She looked back at Godzilla and Minya, sleeping peacefully, then went down to the hovercraft.