Personal note: Sorry for taking a long while but my other stories as well as other matters required my attention.
Now onto the resumption of the Gamera fanfic.
Chapter 4: Regroup and deliberations.
United Nations, New York City:
Despite the news that the Gyaos creatures had congregated on Japan, there were patches of Gyaos creatures still operating in different areas of the world. This fact had persuaded the air forces of the world to patrol the skies over their principal cities while positioning anti-aircraft weapons down on the streets below.
This proved particularly important in the case of New York for it was the headquarters of the United Nations. At this very moment, the world organization was conducting a meeting between its member nations to coordinate the response to the Gyaos and Gamera crisis. Fighters patrolled in the skies over the great cities while Patriot missile batteries positioned in the streets, the launchers aimed skyward.
As a limousine traveled to the UN, its occupant, Japanese ambassador Shintaro Okino felt little safe as he looked through the latest reports from his homeland and the news made his mission much more important. He turned to face his associates and said, "If there is one question we have to ask, it would be attempting to truly convince the rest of the world that it would be in their best interest to assist us". Everyone knew what that meant for during the monster war so far, the other countries of the world provided only minimal assistance, mainly humanitarian aid and in the case of the United States, Japan's most importantly ally, it provided mainly aircraft and ammunition replacements. Embroiled in more important affairs, such as the peacekeeping operations in the Balkans as well as political scandals, the world was in no mood to provide forces to battle against creatures with the power of the gods. It was the job of the Japanese delegation to go all out to attempt to change their minds and already, the Gyaos attacks throughout the world started to change world opinion.
When he arrived at the UN, Okino emerged from his limousine to find the United States ambassador already there. They both shook hands and the US ambassador replied, "I hope that you can provide a good case here to elicit the assistance of the rest of us".
Okino replied somewhat harshly, "I thought that the mutual security treaty between our two nations provided for such assistance". He then paused before stating, "But it seems that the rest of the world would rather ignore this and concentrate on its own problems in killing themselves".
The US ambassador winced but said, "At the time, it seemed that they were concentrating on Japan itself and ignoring the rest so the rest of the world decided to ignore it for now". The Japanese ambassador's face turned grim and he quickly countered in a more conciliatory tone, "But after the recent Gyaos attacks over the world, the president called for an emergency meeting and has put all forces in the Pacific on alert".
Okino nodded glumly at the statement for he suspected that it was the best that Japan's main ally would be able to do at the moment. He replied back, "Well then I guess my delegation has it work cut out for us". Both ambassadors then joined the procession of people heading into the UN while being assaulted by the flashing cameras of the press. They soon arrived in the General Assembly council and shook hands with each other in a friendly manner before heading to their seats.
The room continued to fill with the noise of small talk and conversations as well as new arrivals for a few minutes before the loudspeakers announced the arrival of the secretary general of the United Nations. The secretary general, who was an African, of the UN had already dealt with contentious issues such as the continuing stand off in Iraq and the vicious civil wars in the Balkans and the strain showed on his face as he walked up into the podium. After a few moments of observing the room and noting the preparation needed to evacuate the UN in the case of an emergency, the secretary general began his speech.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here tonight to discuss a worldwide response to the threat posed by the creatures known as the Gyaos and Gamera", "As you know until recently, these creatures had been spotted operating around Japan but now, these Gyaos creatures have been spotted over the entire planet and now the entire world is under threat". He paused before finishing, "To provide a clearer understanding of the threat we as a species face, the Japanese delegation will present us all with their information", "I ask that you give them your fullest coo operation and consider their words carefully". The UN secretary general as the Japanese delegation ascended up to the podium.
After looking out at the audience before him, Shintaro Okino took a deep breath before beginning his speech, "In 1995, we discovered that creatures from times long before that of humanity still existed in this day and age", "Japan became a battleground for these creatures and fortunately has managed to survive thus far". He paused before stating, "Now though the threat has encompassed the entire world and now Japan calls upon the world to help assist in battling these creatures who have the capabilities to destroy us all".
He then pointed to the screen, "What we're about to show you are films and photos that we have of the monsters that we have battled so far during these past four years". The large screens behind him soon started to play the battles Japan endured nearly alone for the past few years. As it continued to play, several startled conversations started up among the delegates as they absorbed the carnage played upon the screen.
After the demonstration ended, Okino turned back to his audience and said to them, "You have now seen the threat that we as a species face", "Many of you have other matters to deal with but once these Gyaos creatures destroy Japan, your countries will most likely be next on the list". He paused before stating perhaps too coldly, "It would be better to take these creatures out now than to let them spread all over the globe". The Japanese ambassador nodded before his delegation stepped down and the UN secretary general walked back up into the podium.
"Now that you have seen the nature of the threat, the next step would be to discuss measures to combat it", "I call upon the member nations of the UN Security Council to He then sat back down while delegates from the different nations took to the podium to speak their piece on the matter.
For the next few hours, the nations of the world debated on what the Japanese delegation presented to the world. Some argued for full assistance with Japan while others demanded that first Japan would temporarily suspend its ban on use of nuclear weapons within the country. When the Japanese delegation heard such suggestions as that, they bristled at the mere thought but they kept their mouths shut as the member nations spoke their peace on the prospective measures to combat these creatures.
After listening to the nations of the UN Security Council spoke their pieces, the UN secretary general took to the podium again. He paused before stating, "Obviously we all have conflicting opinions on dealing with this threat with some resorting to such extremes", "I hope that you all consider that not only Japan is in danger but the entire world and keep that in mind in latter briefings". As he viewed the audience, he spotted the grim looks of the Japanese delegation and replied sympathetically, "For the Japanese delegation, you may rest assured that the world is with you in combating this threat". With that, the council adjourned for a few hours to allow the participants to cool their heads off. They emerged into a sea of reporters bombarding them with questions and many struggled to get clear for a moment so they could think.
As Okino arrived outside, he spotted the American ambassador and immediately headed towards him with an angry scowl on his face, "Why the hell did you sided with those that provided conditions to jumping in".
The American ambassador replied quietly, "As I told you before, this incident could not have come at a worse time for the president". He paused before stating, "Also, the president fears the inevitable large number of American casualties such an action would result". He paused for a moment before stating back to Okino to ease his mind, "Well at least for certain your country won't be fighting alone and that was your goal wasn't it".
Okino nodded harshly but the reaction of the ambassadors wished that he hadn't been successful for at least then Japan knew exactly who was fighting with them. He breathed harshly as the American ambassador's words sunk in before deciding to send a report back to Tokyo. He had just finished before the call came to return into the Security Council chambers.
In an underground bunker in Tokyo:
In case of a horrendous emergency, the Prime Minister of Japan, his cabinet, and the top commanders of the Japanese military evacuated to a deep underground bunker near the Prime Minister's residence. It contained the latest communications technology that allowed the government to communicate with the other areas of the country and the outside world, and enough stores to last for a while if the situation called for it.
When Generals Takagi and Otani sat down in the room, they both noted the air of unreality that plagued the others as well as themselves. Almost all of the occupants engaged in small quiet conversations with some asking about the situation outside.
In one of the small areas of the room, a minister by the name of Saito conversed with several other politicians and another general when one of the aides walked up to him. Before Saito asked, the aide replied, "Sir, we've managed to make contact with Professor Nagamine". The military aide paused before continuing, "The JSDF units in the areas managed to get her and her entourage to safety".
Saito immediately excused himself and headed towards one of the phones in the room, where he immediately contacted the scientist, "Can you participate in the conference". The voice on the other end nodded and the minister continued in his usual harsh tone of voice, "First tell me what you witnessed out there". It took a few moments before the minister heard the whole story of what the scientist saw on the ground and his voice turned more grim, "Alright, then rest for a moment and prepare your notes for the meeting".
The waiting lasted for a few more minutes before one of the aides announced the arrival of Prime Minster Koji Matsumoto. A tall bald-haired man, Hashimoto looked haggard as he arrived in the room, his eyes tired and his face somewhat pale. The Prime Minister performed well during the Legion crisis but had suffered many sleepless nights for the last few months as the Gyaos sightings started to increase and then the threat of the Iris and the situation with the turtle monster Gamera plagued his overtaxed mind. Despite that, he kept his voice calm as he turned to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and asked for a situation report.
Takagi stood up and looked around the room for a moment before starting to debrief them, "Several hours ago, we spotted a derivative of the Gyaos creature heading towards Kyoto", "We scrambled several fighters to engage the creature but were unable to stop it", "After that Gamera arrived in the area and engaged the creature but it blast through us and headed towards Kyoto with Gamera not far behind". The general paused to allow the others in the room to absorb the information before continuing to brief them, "We lost contact with Kyoto for a few hours but then it was restored", "Unfortunately, the two monsters left Kyoto much in flames and by that time, we received information from the Americans, Chinese, and Russians that a large swarm of Gyaos creatures heading straight for Japan", "We scrambled everything that we could to meet this threat and to our surprise, Gamera also headed towards the swarm". Takagi took a sip of water before finishing, "Unfortunately, the Gyaos swarm broke through and spread all over the country". He didn't have to add about the casualties but they all knew anyway how bad it was on the ground.
With that, Matsumoto turned to the Foreign Minister and asked, "Any news from New York"?
The Foreign Minister grimaced before continuing, "Our ambassador in New York reported back that although they have stated that they will provide support, some of the nations of the world have requested conditions before joining up". When he stated the ending words, everyone instantly knew what he meant by the conditions.
Prime Minister Matsumoto nodded before taking a deep breath before turning back to the generals, "So right now, Japan has been invaded and we haven't dealt major blows to them yet with even the assistance of Gamera". He paused before a moment before stating, "Can anyone illuminate why this is happening"?
Minister Saito then stood up and said, "Sir, I believe that Professor Nagamine can provide further updates for you". He then nodded to one of the aides who activated a large screen behind the Prime Minister. Within seconds, the communications link between Tokyo and devastated Kyoto was established.
The disheveled face of Professor Nagamine appeared and alongside her was Asagi Kusunagi. The Japanese scientist nodded in greeting for a moment before starting, "I understand you all want to know why the Gyaos have converged on Japan and for that, Asagi Kusunagi is here with me to explain". She paused after looking at some of the incredulous looks of the generals, "I know how some of you feel about her being here but listen to what she has to say". She stood aside as a younger Japanese girl appeared, clearly nervous what she would need to say.
She paused before starting, "Hello gentlemen, my name is Asagi Kusunagi and I'm here to brief you all why the Gyaos have converged on Japan". She paused before continuing, "What I have here are images discovered in the hands of Minister Mito Asakura and as you all know of her intense interest in ancient mythology". Some, including Minister Saito nodded at the assessment and Asagi continued with some confidence, "Well she had worked with the game designer Shin'ya Kurata to design a program that relates to that ancient mythology". She then pointed to the one of the screens, "The program highlights the amount of energy, or Mana as the program highlights, Earth has and as you can see, the Mana levels around Japan are very low". She paused before stating, "After conducting research in the States, I believe that the large number of Gyaos creatures in Japan is a result of that fact".
One of the other generals replied harshly, "How can you expect us to believe this farce without actual proof"? He paused before turning to his colleagues with harsh words, "You all know the reputation of what this woman holds", "Her links to this ensure that she is disqualified from speaking to us like this", "Mr. Prime Minister, I request that Miss Kusunagi to be removed".
The girl in question winced at the comment, lost her nerve and attempted a rebuttal and Nagamine was about to but Minister Saito jumped in first by stating, "I may also distrust her but she works with Nagamine and she is someone who is qualified to discuss such matters and if she believes what Kusunagi stated is true, then I have to agree with her assessment as well". He then turned back to the screen and asked Asagi, "Do you have any proof of your hypothesis"?
Asagi nodded before stating, "During the Legion crisis, Gamera drew upon a large amount of mana to eliminate Legion and the depleted the reserves in the area". She paused before continuing, "Not long after that, the Gyaos creatures started appearing all over the world in enormous numbers". Nagamine nodded in agreement as she remembered the incident in the Philippines. The young woman then finished by stating, "When they detected the enormous decrease in the Mana around Japan, the Gyaos detected it and also started to head towards it", "The decrease in mana around Japan was what partially lured the Legion here as well". That caused a commotion and Kusunagi decided to bow out and leave before they would bombard her with more questions. She nodded to Nagamine who immediately emerged back on the screen.
Matsumoto immediately cut to the chase by asking, "Since you've been studying about these creatures for a while, is there anyway to modify our weapons to enhance their effectiveness against the hard skin of these creatures".
Nagamine took a deep breath before stating, "So far, the skin of these creatures have proven resistant to conventional weapons and we haven't had a chance to figure out if it's the same everywhere or are there weaknesses within the body as well", "We'd have to capture an intact dead one in order to figure out just how strong its skin is".
That unnerved the generals since they had tried this tactic before when they first encountered the Gyaos back in 1995 and paid harshly for it. Furthermore, they had suffered heavy casualties and would need some time before even considering whether to take on the birds again en masse. More importantly, although they would never admit it out loud, Gamera's assistance had proved valuable against the monster threats Japan faced thus far. If they could be sure of having the turtle monster's assistance then they'd feel safer about their chances.
Matsumoto nodded at the statement before rising up from his seat and announcing to the room, "I want to thank you all for your opinions presented here and that all of the information will be taken into consideration in all future conferences". He paused for a moment before addressing his visitors one by one, "The JSDF will take every measure to battle these creatures while the Foreign Ministry attempts to secure more unconditional assistance from the other nations", "Once the assistance is secured, the JSDF will brief them immediately and begin considering a comprehensive plan to destroy every last one of these birds". The Prime Minister then turned to the subject of the status of perhaps the only weapon capable of actually stopping the Gyaos at present, "As for Gamera, find the monster and keep track of it at all times". The occupants in the room and the two guests located in Kyoto bowed their heads in respect as the Prime Minister departed from the room before leaving it themselves.
Western Pacific Ocean:
Within the darkest depths of the Pacific Ocean, the enormous turtle monster known as Gamera lay dormant as his wounds healed. Small trails of blood and small air bubbles leaked out from Gamera's wounds and floated all the way up to the surface of the Pacific Ocean. The monster's body shook with labored breaths as he attempted to heal his wounds completely from the battle with Iris.
Despite the shattering of the jewels found on his body when humanity first discovered him, Gamera still had a partial psychic connection to the new masters of the world and he sensed the horror they now suffered, especially that of his former personal master at the hands of his nemesis. The ancient turtle monster struggled to speed up his recovery but it still took time and even when fully healed, if he fought the Gyaos all by himself, they would brutally overwhelm and then kill him along with the last fighting chance humanity had to triumph over the Gyaos. So the monster continued to rest in the deepest parts of the ocean while his cells continued to regenerate his arm and the wounds in his lower torso continued to slowly heal.
Author's Notes:
Unlike my Godzilla stories, the foreign relations between the countries involved in the fighting, even between close allies, will be strained. I hope that it may provide some extra human drama.
Unlike some of my other stories, this is a very somewhat original story so it will be harder to put it all together and I apologize for it. Also, I haven't worked on this story for a while so I apologize if this feels choppy in comparison to the others.
Along with Nagamine and Kusunagi, you may recognize some other familiar faces or names.
Author's Questions:
How well did I do in the conferences in New York and Tokyo?
Did I maintain a sense of continuity thus far with the Heisei Gamera films?
As always please read and review.