Chapter 3: Phone Call
"Second floor! Thank you for using the elevator service. Have a splendid day," the automated elevator system announced as Ishiro walked out. He carried a briefcase in his right hand full of notes, research, what he usually brought with him. His left side was holding down a weighted bag. He smiled. Ishiro loved the presents from Prof. Shiragami, and to a lesser extent Prof. Mafune. The tea variety pack beckoned a relaxing mood of watching a new nature documentary. He would get the tea ready with his wife, watch the program, then retreat to the study with his new books.
"1:54 pm. Just enough time to get preparations done. I hope the grandchildren call before the program starts," he thought to himself out loud.
He knocked on the door. Room 2E of the second floor in the apartment complex, a top class open-space apartment with several amenities.
The door opened up. A woman in her sixties, dressed informally in a lab coat and wool clothing answered the door.
"Hi Ishiro. Why do you need to knock on your own door? This is your home you know."
"Megumi! How is my sister doing on this lovely day today? Wonderful for you to stop by."
"It's raining and cold and I've got a lot of work ahead of me, but on the bright side, Masako's tea is almost ready. I'll be heading out in a few minutes. I wanted to say hi before I return to the lab. It's going to be a long night tonight."
"It's been some time since your last visit. How is your research going by the way Megumi, I mean Professor Masaru?"
"You're silly brother. Well, Theoretical Chemistry is still complicated as always. My new assistant will probably be staying until 1:00 am again. The young man is so focused and obsessed it's scary. He reminds me of you."
"What does he hope to accomplish Megumi? I understand from colleagues in the other departments that he has been performing research outside his areas of expertise... something about properties beyond an element's quantum constituency I think? Also something about the element...Sulfur? Is that right? Or was it Oxy-."
"The both of you can talk about Chemistry another time. The program's starting in a few minutes," said another woman, around Ishiro's age. She was wearing a loose purple sweater and blue jeans.
"Alright Masako. I'll be there in a minute."
"I'll leave you two to your tea and programs. Oh, Ishiro, I might see if we can get the family to meet sometime."
Ishiro sighed. "The kids are hardly around anymore. At least our grandchildren come by now and then."
"Are you kidding Ishiro? My grandchildren are sucked into a procession of pub-crawling nightlife in Shibuya. I'm amazed they wake up in the daytime at all."
"All your grandchildren? You still have Miki with you."
"When she isn't busy with her "punk" lifestyle or her Comparative Psychology degree. She's into the nightlife too, although to a lesser degree."
"A sign of this new generation Megumi?"
"Oh no... I did the same thing back in the early seventies. You're just old Ishiro."
"ISHIRO, TURN THE TV ON PLEASE!"
"Roger Masako! Megumi, please call sometime." Both of them hugged each other.
"Goodbye sister."
"Bye Ishiro. By the way, you're not old. MASAKO, I'M LEAVING NOW. CALL ME LATER, ALRIGHT!"
"ALRIGHT MEGUMI. TAKE CARE!"
"YOU TOO Masako! Bye brother."
Ishiro closed the door. He set aside his shoes, put his briefcase and bag by the door of his study and joined Masako on the couch.
"Did you have a good day Masako?"
"Oh yes. I stopped by the college. The dean let me acquire my old rock samples I collected a long time ago in Iceland." Masako pointed towards the cabinet next to the TV. There were several rock samples, mostly igneous peridotite covered in slightly dried lichen and mosses.
"It was very nice of Megumi to stop by, even if only for a moment."
"Indeed. You know Masako, I think she's more obsessed with her work than I am with my own."
Masako smirked with a curved smile at Ishiro. "That's a bit of a stretch. By the way, the special is on multicellular microorganisms."
"My favorite. Maybe they'll show Tardigrades. I love those little creatures. Oh, Masako, after the special is finished, I'm going to spend some time in the study. Okay?"
"Just as long as you only stay for two hours. After that, you need a break. You're not fifty anymore," Masako said, rubbing his shoulder. Both of them were cuddled up in a white blanket on their couch with the special airing in less than a minute.
"Oh, Ishiro...your tea."
Masako handed Ishiro his cup of tea, a brewed sample of the previous variety pack Erika bought him from another occasion.
"Thank you Masako."
After the program ended Masako made Ishiro another cup of tea. He thanked Masako and gave her a kiss on the cheek, then headed for his study.
"Two hours Ishiro!"
"I promise."
Ishiro picked up his briefcase and bag, now containing only the books. He entered his study, closed the door and left it unlocked.
Ishiro's study was quite large, almost as spacious as their bedroom. There were several cabinets filled to the brim with textbooks, computer software, old leather-bound classics, government reports, journal articles and research papers. On the wall was a photo of him, Masako, Megumi and her deceased husband Shinji Masaru, and all their children and grandchildren. Next to that photo was one containing his colleague, Kyohei Yamane, a Professor of Paleontology and Paleobiology. With him were his wife, children and his granddaughter Emiko Yamane when she was still a baby. The next picture was Ishiro and Yamane at a dig site in Argentina. Both collaborated extensively and shared each other's research; Yamane found fossil specimens deciphered to belong to some of the largest titanosaur sauropod dinosaurs, and Ishiro would assist in the application of physics to understanding the biomechanics of these organisms.
The other wall had moveable dry-eraser boards full of reminders, lecture notes, schedules, written problems with equations and boxes, some with crosses, others with none. His techniques were still rather traditional, even with the enormous amount of technology at his disposal.
The side wall had a 2013 Mercator world map; sticky notes with annotations and label-pins jotted all over the Pacific Ocean. These notes had words such as radioactivity, anomalies, sightings and other. Another map, scaled to view only the Pacific Ocean and surrounding Ring of Fire had red lines drawn near the Ogasawara Islands. These lines were labeled possible paths. One location on the map, the Marshall Islands, was labelled, "possible origin."
Ishiro took a moment to look at the map for a few seconds. He put his finger on a location around the Bikini Atolls. He veered back towards his desk.
"Thank goodness for GIS. It gets confusing to keep track."
Ishiro pulled his chair out, sat in it, and took a sip of tea. He considered this batch to be more appropriate after a meal. He sat it down on his desk, tidy as ever. In the corner close to the window was a sleeping plant, now blooming from the few rays of sunlight emanating from the cloudy atmosphere outside.
He brought out a book from one of his bags. He read the title to himself.
"Anomalies in the Ocean: Case Compilations for the Atlantic and Pacific." It was a whale of a book, easily two-thousand pages with the cover having a huge scratch on it, almost falling apart. It was from 1964, and smelled like an old antique store.
"Maybe you'll hold some important information on some of these anomalies," he whispered to himself. He set this book to the side, and pulled another one out.
"I was kidding about this one. Good to have it anyway," he said to himself, smiling a bit at the title, "B-Movie Monster Biology: The Real Science of the Fantastical." This one was in English, with cover images of America's classic monsters on it. It was a popular science writing from 1985. He lost his first edition long ago, and wanted another copy.
He put them to the side. Ishiro opened his laptop still lying on the desk, powered it up, took another sip of tea, and waited. The screen slowly faded on. One corner of the screen displayed the desktop, a picture of a large body of water with the sun at its horizon. The other corner of the screen was zoomed in the minor column of an old newspaper clipping.
"Disaster in the Bonin Islands! Massive landslide kills all on Odo!"
He pulled the last book out of the bag, still wrapped in an additional wrapping.
"Erika must have taken extra measure for this one."
He opened the wrapping, astonishment violently surging his face.
"Well, well. Erika, you wonderful woman. I owe you and Shinzo dinner in the near future. Thirty years searching and you find this in a few days." Ishiro thought this book disappeared from publications long ago.
"Bigger than Sauropods; Conjectures on Potential Exceptions to Size Limitations and the Possibility of Gargantuan Organisms." This was the oldest book by far, from 1928. It's condition was ironically the best, hardly opened at all. The book was only a hundred pages in length.
"Dr. Fuyutsuki was scoffed at, considered a loon for writing this in his day. I hope you had some good ideas Doctor," Ishiro said to himself, ready to delve into a power-period of intense research and reading.
Then a slight vibrating sound came from his pocket. His cellphone.
"This isn't a very good moment, whoever is calling" his said with a slight irritation in his voice.
He checked the caller.
"Yamane. I wonder what he wants."
The phone rang a couple more times. Normally Ishiro would only answer a phone call in his study for Masako, Megumi or his immediate family members. He did have a picture of Yamane and his family on the wall though, so they were family in a way.
"Well, he is my best colleague and friend. Oh, this is the perfect chance to ask him about his new dig," Ishiro said, new excitement streaming in his mind. The research materials were all in front of him. They could wait a few minutes.
"Yamane! I hope you are having a pleasant day in South Africa. Is the heat bogging you down?" he said, chipper in his voice.
"Hello Ishiro. Yes, there is some heat out here, but I am not in Africa anymore."
"Really? Tell me Yamane, were there promising finds in South Africa? You were quite jubilant to go out there with your team."
"Another team is fielding that dig right now. Initially we found some fragments, but nothing of notoriety yet. I've actually moved to another location. By the way, I understand my granddaughter was in your most recent seminar at the college. Did she engage, question anything?"
"Don't worry Yamane. Emiko asked a very important question, one which is basically our combined research efforts...I told her some basic information in response, but to go to you regarding specific dinosaur samples."
"Dodging a serious question, how like you Ishiro," Yamane laughed at the other end.
"You know it, Ha! In all seriousness though, your granddaughter did ask a spot-on question regarding our research. She's going to be great in which ever field she does her work in Yamane."
"Naturally. My children may be officials, but my granddaughter loves fantasy and science, especially dinosaurs. Anyways, back to the purpose of my call."
"Oh, Yamane. I thought all of this fluff was the point of the call ?" Ishiro said jokingly.
"Afraid not Ishiro, fluff aside. I don't know how much this would interest you, but I took on a rather unorthodox invitation. The Japanese government invited me to an archaeological dig."
"An archaeological dig? I never pegged you for someone to dig up anything younger than sixty-five million years old," Ishiro said, cracking a smile. He reached for his tea.
"Well, the dig, more of an excavation, is actually very interesting. I'm only permitted to give a few details out. The first is that they are allowing me to bring a few additional researchers to the site, besides my general team."
"...go on." Ishiro said, waiting patiently, stirring his tea. "Wait, I get it. You want me to go to this excavation with you? How would I be useful? I'm a biophysicist. We don't exactly have experience in this kind of research."
"I'll get more into that later. If you'd like, you can bring a couple more researchers with you. Your choice."
Ishiro leaned back in his chair, tea still warm and present.
"How is the policy for undergraduate students by chance? I know of a couple that may be interested in something like this for an internship, or at least extra credit." Ishiro asked.
"Relaxed but regulated, so long as this student does not wonder off from the excavation site...it's a very large area."
"How large Yamane? Stadium-sized?"
"Oh, much, much bigger Ishiro. The whole island is the sample space. A tropical location. Remote sensing, LIDAR, GPS and all that makes sample tracking so much easier."
"An island? Sounds like a pleasurable time. So, where is this island located" Ishiro began taking a long sip of his tea.
"The island is in the Ogasawara's. It's just a little speck of rock with a lot of archeological interest apparently. You still read a lot of those old news-clippings in the database from the college?"
"Just a passing fancy of mine Yamane."
"In that case, have you ever heard of Odo Island?"
Ishiro jerked in his chair and choked on his tea, some spraying from his mouth. The tea cup fell from his hands and smashed on the ground, the pieces on a loose journal article.
"Ishiro, Ishiro, are you alright in there?" Masako said walking by behind the door, knocking so Ishiro could hear.
Ishiro coughed out the last uncomfortable sensation of the tea going down the wrong windpipe.
"I'm fine Masako. The tea was too good for me," Ishiro said, wiping his mouth off with a handkerchief. His phone was in his lap. He picked it up again and resumed this now uncomfortable discussion. Why was Odo even the topic?
"Sorry [cough] Yamane [cough]. My tea went down wrong. As you were saying?"
"Yes. The excavation is regarding a natural disaster that apparently killed all the resident villagers there in 1954. A landslide of massive size. Have you heard or read of this at all by chance?" Yamane asked, unwittingly setting Ishiro down a painful set of fuzzy, dim memories.
Ishiro's arms and legs were shook. He looked to the corner wall of his study. His vision seemed to only focus on one little point on the South Pacific map on his wall. He squinted at the sticky note, labeled event. His heartpace speeding slightly, his face sweating.
Ishiro awkwardly chirped out, "I've...glanced at a column about it once, long ago. It was very minor, no specifics."
"Well, I think it would be interesting to go on an untraditional dig for us. If you'd like to come, I recommend seeing if you'll be free the day after tomorrow, along with any colleagues or students of your choice. The ship ride will be around twenty-six hours. We depart on Chichijima and take a seaplane the rest of the way to Odo. I should also mention that the excavation is partly underway."
Ishiro paused. "Partly? Mind if I ask what they've found Yamane?" Ishiro asked, quickly grabbing a pen to jot some details down in an open journal next to him. He coughed slightly again on his shoulder, his heart rate quickening.
"That's the part were I can't inform you. What I can inform you is that archeological evidence doesn't occur until five to fifteen meters under the surface."
Ishiro remained silent for several seconds. He stared outside the window blankly. The clouds grew darker in color, the rain intensifying. His heartbeat nearly drowned the sound of the rain drops hitting the window. He raised the phone to his head. He said with a slightly disinterested tone, "Thank you very much Prof. Yamane. I will take your proposal into consideration and reply with a call regarding my choice."
"Alright Ishiro. Thank you for considering this. You are not only a colleague, but a family friend. Send the family my best wishes, and thank you for being so welcoming of my granddaughter into your program. She has had nothing but praise for the education and culture at the university," Yamane said with a reserved but engaged excitement in his voice.
"Goodbye Ishiro."
"Goodbye Yamane."
Ishiro closed his cellphone. He stared at the blank part of the wall facing him across his desk. Everything in this room was a testament to the fact that he never forgot what happened. All his research, his education, his career, related to the events of his past. It was a way of dealing with the trauma inflicted upon him.
Now, the impossible seemed to be happening. He was being invited to visit a spot on earth he swore never to even consider physically approaching ever again. Scientific curiosity and rational intrigue were not even on his radar. Answers. He wanted answers. Not ones that would satisfy a passing scientific interest, but those that could quench an ocean of psychological damage he hid so well. Answers to the trauma towards him, Masako, Megumi, his family and friends he lost and all those that died horribly. Answers to what that thing was.
He whispered to himself, "Odo..."
A knock came from his door.
"Ishiro. I'm pretty sure I heard your tea cup brake, so I brought you another batch before I visit Miki. May I come in?"
"Yes, Masako. By all means."
Masako inched her way in. She seemed out of place in the study, her clothes mocking the depressingly objective and stoic nature of the setting, even though she was well accustomed to it. She took the new tea cup off a tray she was carrying and put it adjacent to the new books on Ishiro's desk.
"Ishiro, you look so pale. You're sweating, and...goodness your heart rate is high. I think you need a break. Any breakthroughs in your research can wait. We may need to shrink the time in here to one hour a day."
"Masako, I just received a call from Yamane."
"That's nice. South Africa must be exciting."
"He wants me to go with him to an archeological excavation site; it's not in Africa, it's in Japan."
"Closer to home? That's good. We're not exactly young anymore. Where is this dig anyway?"
"You may want to put the tray on the desk and sit down Masako." Ishiro spoke over, trying to ready himself to tell her.
"I can stand Ishiro. An excavation isn't a big deal. I've been on a couple mysel-."
"It's Odo, Masako...Odo Island."
The tray dropped from Masako's hands, smashing on the floor into many pieces, the other tea cups spilling all over the floor. Masako turned away from Ishiro. She was shaking.
"Masako!" Ishiro rushed over to her. He pulled her around, her face colorless, blank.
"I've got you Masako," Ishiro said, holding on to his wife and escorting them out of his study. He lead her back to the bedroom. He lied her on her back, head against the pillows. A minute later she came to.
"Masako, are you alright? I'm sorry."
"Ishiro...Odo Island...the huge silhouette in the fog...the footprints. "
It was nearing midnight while the storm raged on precipitating the heaviest rainfall in the last few years in Tokyo. Guerilla rainstorms battered enormous amounts of water on the urban cityscape, huge droplets thudding off the balcony outside Masako and Ishiro's room. She was under the covers, sleeping. Ishiro was by her side, his eyes slightly open, thinking deep thoughts and reflecting. For him, this time zone, the drifting off to sleep, was the best and most clear period for him to think. He called his grandniece Miki to let her know Masako was not feeling well and would visit when she was feeling better. He hoped it would be as easy as that.
A huge rumble of thunder echoed outside, piercing the soothing sound of pelting rain and ambient drippings. Masako shot up.
"THE SILHOUETTE!"
"Masako. Masako IT'S ONLY THUNDER! You're safe under the covers, in bed."
Masako, severely jolted, tried to feign off the outburst.
"Ishiro...Ishiro, I'm sorry. I must have mistaken the thunder for...a dream," simulating composure while the covers and her body gave away her trembling.
"Masako...I'm sorry for putting you in such shock. I hadn't considered your thoughts or your reaction very well."
"You did consider them Ishiro. You were honest with me. I just need to work on accepting...news better. Besides, I needed the sleep anyways," a slight chuckle came from Masako, getting comfortable and snug again in the covers.
"In all seriousness though Ishiro, are you really entertaining the idea of going to this excavation? The sight of the island alone might do to you what I just experienced."
"I'm aware of the possible psychological risks Masako. I'm also aware that I want answers. I need answers. I need some kind of closure to what happened all those years ago."
"Are those truths really worth that much? I know we haven't talked about Odo in a long time, but what will going there do for you? What will change Ishiro?"
Ishiro lied back down, pulling the covers to his shoulder, his arms poking out a little.
"I'll find answers. Most importantly, I need to come to terms with Odo."
Masako flipped her body in the direction of Ishiro, coming out of the covers slightly.
"You said you came to terms with Odo a long time ago. Your study was supposed to give you some connection while accepting what happened. That study has had nothing but your research on Odo for over forty-five years Ishiro. I thought you found peace in doing this?"
Ishiro reached out from the night stand to sip some water. His throat was still slightly sore from his coughing episode earlier. He sat up completely, looking at his white creme covers at the foot of their bed. He stared blankly, thinking for a few seconds, Masako waiting for a response.
"Ishiro?"
"I tried to convince myself that. I've tried and tried for decades. Masako, I've never been able to be at peace with what happened. You have?"
"Well, not so much peace, but I've come to terms. I've had a wonderful life since then. We've prospered intellectually and financially. We made wonderful family and friends. I'm thankful for what I have now. Besides, that thing has never shown up since. I don't know if it all really happened like we remember."
"You know better than that Masako. You know exactly what we lost that day, who we lost, how hard it was to endure and move on. You and Megumi were the only reason why I carried on. Ever since, no one has ever questioned what happened on Odo. Just a massive landslide, and that's it."
Ishiro drew his blank stare from the covers and now looked at Masako, heavy eyes full of thought and turmoil.
"Look Masako. If you really don't want me to go, I won't. I'll let you decide whether I should go to Odo or not. If it takes this, then I will halt my research and focus on the family and upcoming retirement more. I'll be less stubborn about Odo, for you."
Masako leaned over her side of the night stand to grab her warm cup of tea, a batch Ishiro struggled to make for her. It was acceptable, though not nearly as good as she makes it, but she appreciated the effort. A flash of lightening pierced through the window, thunder coming after a few seconds. It was a close strike.
"It's who you are Ishiro. You're still the stubborn, persistent little boy I knew back on the island...not as skittish, but still so stubborn. Even after all this time, no matter how stubborn of a person you can be, you've always been conscientious to me. I don't feel comfortable with you even entertaining the idea Ishiro. However, if going to Odo will bring you at peace, I'll fully support you."
Masako turned her head towards Ishiro. He gently smiled and stared into her eyes, then embraced her in a warm hug.
"I'll always be eternally grateful to have you as my wife Masako."
