IV: Hidden Agendas
Crimson mist rolled in off from Wakasa Bay as the sun sat over the small town of Takahama in Fukui Prefecture off the Japanese West Coast. The humidity from the afternoon still clung in the air as fog developed over the cooler waters of the sea. Most evenings in Takahama were quiet with but a few marketplaces remaining open for dinner; however, sirens blared in the distance—centered around the Takahama Nuclear Power Plant. Buzzing tones echoed across the bay and against nearby mountains signaling that a disaster was imminent.
Police lights lit the streets as people scrambled out of their houses frantically, wondering what the emergency was. A female police officer announced evacuation orders over a megaphone while driving through:
"Attention citizens of Takahama and surrounding areas—evacuate the area immediately. Godzilla is approaching from Wakasa Bay and will reach land in approximately forty-eight minutes. Evacuate within at least a ten kilometer radius. The Takahama Plant is on alert and is shutting down."
She repeated her somewhat unnerving message as people jumped into their cars and onto buses. Takahama had rarely encountered giant monsters attacking unlike the rest of the country, at least not since 1989 when the climactic battle took place between Godzilla and his genetically created relation, Biollante. The popular thought was that the horror had ended and that the community would never face that kind of danger.
High above the scurrying town, the Elias hovered upon Fairy Mothra observing the scene taking place. Lora covered her ears in a child-like manner, muffling the sound of the blasting Takahama Power Plant sirens.
"It's beginning." Moll whispered prophetically as fog furled all around them like moist silk, "Godzilla hungers for nuclear energy."
"What should we do!?" Lora sounded panicked. She held onto her sister's waist as the wind at that altitude often shifted.
"There's nothing we can do…"
"What!?" Lora chirped.
"We cannot interfere. Mothra wouldn't wish it," Moll explained while turning around to face her sister, "besides, mankind thinks they can deal with this threat, therefore we must let them. This is the point in which they'll prove themselves as protectors of what they create as opposed to destroyers."
"Moll we can't simply do nothing. I feel like Belvera, we're just are going to let humanity die." Lora's voice became more bristled with irritation at the thought of comparing herself to her darker sister.
"We have done something. We alerted Miki, and I have the utmost faith in her. After all, our kin had faith—and it was well-placed." Moll smiled confidently while turning back to stare into the foggy expanse before them, "all our hope is in her."
Within thirty-minutes the fog around the bay had cleared revealing the picturesque waxing crescent moon dangling over the western horizon. Stars dotted the sky as the remaining sunset faded into the moon's pearlescent aura lighting the sky. The sea was calm and peculiarly still. The sound of waves seemed non-existent with one sound blaring into the crisp autumn night—the distant Takahama Power Plant sirens continuing their buzzing tone.
Ripples spread across the surface of the bay until waves billowed. Three rows of charcoal gray spines pierced the water like shark fins rising toward the sky. Jagged edges cut into the night; atomic blades sawing moonlight behind shadow. Amidst cascading water a black-skinned bulk rose from the sea and protruded in the moonlit void.
Godzilla shook water from his lips like facial eave troughs as he sat his gaze on the Takahama Power Plant at least two kilometers away on shore. The annoying sound of the Plant's alarm did not seem to register in the emotionally devoid expression on Godzilla's face. Without hesitation he trudged through the bay-waters, feeling no sense of urgency in his steps.
Miki rolled her eyes while dawning a helmet similar to the one she wore while apart of the prior Mechagodzilla mission three years back. Green eye-pieces retracted back and forth—no doubt meant for Miki to use in order to pinpoint Junior's weak-points, just like last time.
The Psychic held the helmet close to her army-green chest while leaning against the corridor. Deep down Miki knew she could not bear to inflict injury on Godzilla like she had done last time. She felt sick to her stomach; then again the entire room swayed whenever Argus changed course. She always hated flying, especially in a windowless flying deathtrap like Mechagodzilla.
Mothra please guide me through this…Miki whispered to herself telepathically, knowing that both her and the Elias were likely aware of their mission—to stop Godzilla's advance on Takahama.
After lingering on the thought, Miki put on her helmet and paced to the end of the deck until she reached the elevator. She entered, and within seconds found herself stepping into the bridge. During her brief training session she learned the controls at her own station one-on-one with a technician. She had no idea how the rest of the controls were utilized.
At the center of the large control room, a raised platform sat with a globular console adapted with screens shaped like human hands. Miki wondered if it was some sort of manual interface. If that was the case, it was neglected during the overview of Argus's systems. For a moment she wondered to herself if Aso chose to leave some details out of the conference, or perhaps she missed the rest of the details after her fit?
Miki saw a man sitting at the forward console directly behind the viewing screen. Clouds wafted past the front of the metallic beast like frightened clumps of cotton fleeing his yellow-eyed glower. Major Sho Kuroki turned around and smiled at the familiar face, he hadn't seen Miki for weeks.
"Miki, it's good to see you. I didn't know you were going to be on this mission…especially after what happened last time…" He commented, remembering how passionately Miki was against the G-Crusher project aimed at destroying Godzilla's second brain back in 1993.
"You didn't? I didn't know you were going to be here either…What were your orders?" Miki stumbled across her words after confusion began to set in.
"To pilot Argus during the battle with Godzilla. What were your orders?"
"To try to communicate with him as a first resort, to try to lour him away from Takahama." Miki cautiously sat in her chair, unsure if she had been told the entire truth by the Counter G Committee. The Psychic buckled her seat and moved it closer to her console adapted with a telepathic amplifier. Carefully she plugged a cord from her helmet into the psionic panel in preparation for her part in the mission—a part she hoped would be successful.
"So is it just us two? I'm confused… and what's that console in the center?" Miki questioned sternly, adjusting herself in the seat.
"It's the Psionic Tactical Station. P.T.S." Another feminine voice muttered from behind.
Both Kuroki and Miki turned around, only to find Meru Ozawa stepping onto the platform hosting the globular console. Upon feeling the weight of her body, a green light filtered down from the ceiling signifying that the console had been activated. She also wore a similar helmet to Miki's; however, it seemed less bulky and it had one clear eye piece that seemed to have a digitally enhanced viewing screen of its own.
"Meru…" Miki's voice gave way to a rasp.
"Looks like we get to go on one last mission together!" Meru seemed excited, though deep down she knew that Miki was far from enthusiastic to see her present.
"What are you doing here? I thought you were done with G-Force?"
Meru giggled while placing her hands on the globe in front of her, activating another slew of glowing lights. The sphere illuminated as well beneath the Psychic's dainty hands, initializing the P.T.S. program.
"Psionic Tactical Station initialized." A female computerized voice announced over the intercom. The sound of the computer seemed as emotionless as the hardened expression on Meru's face.
"The United Nations offered me a higher position on the Counter G Committee if I agreed to use my skills during this mission." Meru explained while staring directly at the viewing screen.
"Your skills? Telepathy?"
"Exactly, this interface is designed to telepathically take instruction. Not only is it more efficient but much faster than manually punching in controls. We'll be able to kill Godzilla more quickly."
Miki felt her heart drop like a rock from the atmosphere. She had hoped that after the sentimental outbursts Meru expressed during Junior's battle with Destoroyah that she may have taken some guilt in what they were about to do. Amidst explaining her role in the mission, Miki could not sense a single reluctant thought from her.
"Meru… you seriously want to kill him? This is the Little One we're talking about." Miki's voice changed from shrewd and concussive to vulnerable and innocent.
"Now don't go getting sentimental, Miki." Meru chirped annoyingly, something Miki had heard out of her mouth in the past, "Little One is not 'little' anymore. He's Godzilla now. He'll destroy everything if we don't stop him."
Miki glanced at Kuroki, sensing that he also disputed Meru's desire to kill him but he refused to say anything and chose to concentrate on his piloting.
"Him being Godzilla does not matter. Did you ever think that maybe we should try to… oh… understand him instead of fight him? Don't do this." Miki questioned sharply.
"It does matter, because people's lives matter more than his." Meru finally broke her fixation on the viewing screen and cast a demeaning glare on her fellow Psychic, "what are you going to do? You're not going to stop me. General Aso himself gave me authority over this mission. You're expected to do as I order—both of you."
Major Kuroki raised his eyes toward the screen and bit his tongue. To his understanding he had been given command over the mission since he was the highest ranking and only officer present. Again he refused to dispute her.
"That's ridiculous. Aso would never order that!" Miki hollered.
"Well he did. Now monitor your station, we are nearing Wakasa Bay." Meru snapped while losing herself in the video image on the screen of Godzilla's dark silhouette far out in the bay, merely a misshapen dot against black water.
Miki felt a lump form in her throat as she slowly turned back to face the psionic monitor at her station. She couldn't help but feel that she was going to be responsible for Junior's pain again.
Down below, Godzilla released a deep grumbling roar upon noticing the glint of fiery rockets dancing high in the night sky. He stopped advancing toward the Takahama Power Plant as the peculiar object neared his position. As it approached a silver outline of something large reflected the rocket-light. Godzilla's eyes grew as the outline seemed of familiar shape.
Argus descended from a high altitude and hovered above the water, stirring violent maelstroms on the surface with its nuclear powered propulsion system. Its tail wrapped around its body like a skeletal snake clinging onto an iron tree. It—he—resembled Godzilla more so than the previous rendition of Mechagodzilla. He seemed constructed with the very expression of hate and war etched in every facial contour. His metallically emaciated torso was equipped with nothing but synthetic diamond armor and the weapons built into his systems. Nothing aesthetically appealing.
Godzilla backed away a few meters as the malevolent-looking alloyed beast neared. In his short three year life, Godzilla thought he had seen it all when recalling the crystalline alien, SpaceGodzilla. He thought the most demonic appearing beast would have been the oxygen-consuming she-demon, Destoroyah. Nothing compared to the man-made monstrosity before him—an artificial clone bread for only one purpose—brutality.
Meru smiled upon noticing Godzilla's hesitance to move any further toward the Takahama Power Plant, realizing that the intimidation factor in Argus's appearance was effective. She pulled a microphone down from her helmet.
"Ozawa to Counter G. We are engaging Godzilla."