Love and Pollution
Once upon a time, there lived a wealthy girl named Junko, who had dark hair, blazing eyes, and a soft smile. She lived with her father, Yagi, in an industrial complex in Tokyo, where Junko also went for school. It was a pleasant time, before it all went to Hell one fateful summer. Junko got of the train and immediately noticed a new face among the students. "Students, it is time for me to introduce a new student to you", said the teacher. "Hi", said the girl in question, a young lady with short hair dyed blonde, "My name is Hiroto Reina, and I just transferred over from the country". Junko noticed she wasn't wearing the standard uniform shoes, as Reina's were covered in dirt. She also noticed her bag had some buttons from tourist sites in Japan like Himeji Castle and the Yakushima forest. Later that day, Junko sat down beside Reina at lunch. "I see you travel a lot", she said. "Yeah", said Reina, "Dad's an archaeologist. He takes me along for the ride". "So why did you transfer to this school?", asked Junko. "Just happened to be where the wind took me", said Reina, "The choices were between this and Honnoji Academy. I hope I made the right choice this time". "I'm sure it will work out", said Junko, "My name is Junko, by the way". "Call me Reina", said Reina with a smile.
Later that day, Reina returned home with a massive grin on her face. "I take it the first day of school went well", said her father, Takuya, an man with graying hair and a tan vest. "It was wonderful", said Reina, "I met this girl, and she was really pretty, and she likes art of Mt. Fuji and…" "Slow down, blossom", laughed Takuya, "I guess what I want to is if she likes you the same way". "We only just met", said Reina, "I'm willing to wait and see". "I'm sure you are", said Takuya. Just then, the phone rang. "Yes?", asked Takuya, "Uh huh. I'll be right there. Reina-chan, I have to go. I'll be back for dinner, though". "Be safe", said Reina as Takuya ran out the door.
Takuya arrived at Odaiba Beach to find some of workers swarming over to a large object in the sand. "What exactly are we looking at, Ohashi?", asked Takuya as his assistant adjusted his glasses. "Looks like a small piece of whale fat", said Ohashi, "Though I've never seen it come in black before". Takuya looked down to his feet and saw a tadpole-like thing flopping around in the sand. He picked it up with some pliers and placed it inside of a plastic bag. "I've never seen a tadpole the size of a salmon before", said Ohashi. "Dr. Hiroto, there's something you need to see", called Emi, a young college student who had black hair and large muscles. Takuya ran over to find a buried mural being excavated by a small crane.
He wiped away the sand to reveal a drawing, carved in stone, of a reptilian beast emerging from the sea. Takuya recoiled in fear at the image. "It can't be", he exclaimed. "You're telling me", said a voice. Everyone turned to see Koizumi Yagi, Junko's father and owner of an oil refinery within the city. "I do hope you fellas will be wrapping up soon", said Yagi as he stroked his beard, "I want the marina ready by the end of next month". "The artifacts will need more time for excavation", said Takuya, "That's without mentioning the copious amounts of pollutants on the beach". "Sure, they'll provide issues", said Yagi, "But the money will make it worth it". "I wouldn't be so certain", said Takuya as he looked out to the sea as the sun set in the distance.
That night, a fishing ship was making its way back to Tokyo Bay as the sailors partied on deck. The captain smiled as he took a sip of whiskey, only to notice something approaching on the radar.
Cue Song: Black Angels by Shiro Sagisu
A large splash suddenly shook the ship, causing the sailors to look over the side. They saw a massive, black thing swimming toward them. "Mayday, mayday", said the captain, "We're under attack by…" Suddenly, a red light filled the air and the ship exploded! As the burning wreckage began to sink beneath the waves, the surviving sailors tried to swim away, only for the black mass to drag each one under the water!
Far away from the site of the attack, beneath the rolling waves, something took notice of the disturbances in the sea. His amber eyes snapped open as a familiar feeling came over him. Rage. It was something he knew all too well. With the swish of his tail, he took off, ready to hunt again.
The next morning was a Saturday, so Reina and Takuya were going to the house of one of Takuya's associates, Dr. Yaguchi, a scientist with a black goatee and glasses. "So, Doctor, what have you got on the sample I sent last night?", asked Takuya. "You were right to get me involved", said Dr. Yaguchi, "I've never seen anything like it before". Reina looked over at the tadpole-like thing secured inside a clear, plastic box on the table. "What exactly is it?", she asked. "From what little I can tell of it, it might be a mixotroph", said Dr. Yaguchi, "That's an organism made up of smaller organisms. Take a look". He pulled out a petri dish with small pieces of the thing. As he put two samples onto another petri dish, they started to move and merge with each other. "Incredible", said Takuya. "I also looked over its core genetics, and this is where the real trouble begins", said Dr. Yaguchi, "Reina-chan, take a look into the microscope and tell me what you see". Reina looked into the scope and immediately recognized certain minerals and chemicals. "There's strontium, cadmium, sulfuric acid, mercury, and what looks like hedrium", said Reina, "All things found in common pollutants". Just then, Emi ran in. "Doc, you might want to see this", she said frantically.
Emi ran over and switched on the TV. It was showing news footage of some strange thing with red eyes destroying ships off the coast. Dr. Yaguchi looked between the sample and the thing on TV. "You think they might be connected", said Reina bluntly. "Indeed", said Dr. Yaguchi, "That thing is attacking oil tankers at the moment, but if it gets to civilized waters with more people, the damage could be catastrophic". "What do you call something like that?", asked Emi. "Most of its body is made of a substance called hedrium", said Reina, "So we should call it something like...Hedorah". "Sounds good to me", said Takuya, "Now, about the other thing I showed you". "Right", said Dr. Yaguchi as he pulled away the tarp covering the mural, "Carbon dating is inconclusive at the moment, but I would say it dates back to at least the Edo period." "You don't think it's depicting him, do you?", asked Emi. "It sure looks like him", said Dr. Yaguchi. "Who?", asked Reina. "Oh, it's something my father told me about", said Takuya, "That sixty two years ago, a great beast came ashore and slaughtered all of Tokyo in a single night. A creature born of human arrogance and atomic devastation". "Godzilla", said Reina as her eyes scanned the mural, the stone face of the beast displaying intense rage.
Yagi slammed the phone onto his desk. "Another of our ships has been sunk", he said to his assistants, "The Diet will have my head for sure". "They can't hold us responsible for these attacks", said one of the assistants. "Yes", said another, "We need to prioritize starting up production here in the city before we go bankrupt". "I agree", said the first assistant, "Koizumi-san, we're bleeding money. If we don't start up soon, we're screwed". "I'm well aware", said Yagi, "Give an announcement. We're going to expedite the work this week". "I'll be sure to put it on our company Facebook page", said one of the other assistants as he walked off. "What about the ships?", asked another assistant. "Put out a statement giving our condolences to the families of the sailors who died", said Yagi, "In the meantime, we need everything in overdrive, starting right now".
Elsewhere, Junko sat on a park bench overlooking the Kamakura district, where she was busy putting the finishing touches to a sketch of the shoreline. She closed her sketchbook and looked out at the sea, which seemed to blend with the blue sky. Just then, Junko saw something swimming in the distance. She took out her phone and zoomed in on the object, which looked like it had three rows of white dorsal plates, but the imaged looked too blurry to get a good look. Just then, Reina arrived. "What are you looking for?", she asked. "I thought I saw a whale in the distance", said Junko, "I was hoping to add it to my drawing." "Do you draw often?", asked Reina as she sat beside Junko. "I try to", said Junko, "I like making art. It's like capturing life in its purest form. No complications, things just are as they should be". "I could never get to look as good as you.. wait, that came out wrong", sputtered Reina. "You're doing fine", laughed Junko.
Meanwhile, Dr. Yaguchi was briefing the JSDF on the situation. "So what exactly is this Hedorah thing?", asked Col. Manabe, a man with graying hair and a cold stare. "We're not exactly sure yet", said Dr. Yaguchi, "All we know at the moment is that its made of and consumes pollutants like an amoeba". "Not to mention", said Emi, "it currently resides in the ocean. A sustained bombardment from the shore should be enough to kill it before it attacks again". "We need to work fast", said Dr. Yaguchi, "At any point, Hedorah could attack non-industrial areas in his hunger". "I'll have a report ready for the Diet", said Col. Manabe, "Is there anything else I should know?". "Its only a theory, but since the attacks happen at night, we think the creature might be nocturnal", said Dr. Yaguchi, "If we are to attack it, it must be during broad daylight".
Several hours later, night had fallen. "Meetings, you know?", asked a soldier while taking a smoke. Dr. Yaguchi shook his head in frustration as the JSDF vehicles surged into the oil refinery. "Just get those tanks ready", said Takuya, "The radar says Hedorah will be here soon". "Now, why would an archaeologist want to witness a military assault on the creature?", asked Col. Manabe. "The sooner my mind is put at ease, the sooner I can decipher the mural of Godzilla", said Takuya as he downed his coffee. Just then, a splash in the distance drew everyone's attention. "Looks like its here", said Col. Manabe, "Get the guns in position and fire when ready".
Cue Song: Destoryah Theme by Akira Ifukube
Out of the sea rose a hideous blob with black, inky skin, red eyes that opened and shut sideways, and long, flipper-like appendages. "OPEN FIRE!", cried Col. Manabe. At once, the tanks began blasting Hedorah, knocking chunks of his body off! "Keep firing", said Dr. Yaguchi, "We need to kill it now". Hedorah hissed in pain as tank shells blew apart his inky skin! Then, Hedorah raised his flippers and slammed them on top of the first row of tanks, causing them to explode! Takuya and Dr. Yaguchi ducked behind a Jeep as soldiers swarmed forward, firing their machine guns at Hedorah! But then, Hedorah crawled onto land, crushing several soldiers under his weight. He flopped his way over to a large oil tank and smashed it open! He put his flippers onto the spilled oil and began absorbing it.
At once, Hedorah began to change. His flippers spread out and began to resemble paws with claws made of flesh, his back arched upward, and he grew small hind legs on the sides of his long tail. As the tanks continued to fire upon him, Hedorah crawled up to a smokestack and wrapped his head around it, sucking in the toxic smoke. "Get to safety, Takuya", said Dr. Yaguchi, "If Hedorah is evolving at this rate, there's no telling what it could do". "Right", said Takuya as he got into the Jeep and drove off. Dr. Yaguchi looked up to see Hedorah get shot in the side of his head! Hedorah growled and two holes formed on his chest. Then, he fired two blasts of acidic smoke, flooding the area with his toxic gas. Dr. Yaguchi looked to see tanks rusting over and soldiers skin burning off as they fell over before his vision went black.
Takuya drove up a hill as Hedorah continued to spray acidic mist everywhere. He locked the doors when the explosions started, and began looking for any sign of survivors. Suddenly, his attention was taking by an explosion coming from the sea.
Cue Song: Godzilla March by Michiru Oshima
Hedorah stopped spraying his mist and looked to the sea. Takuya pulled out his camera and began recording as a monstrous roar pierced the air. Out of the sea rose a scarred demon, a beast with five rows of glowing red dorsal plates, a misshapen head, an impossibly long tail, burnt, black skin, and small, glaring, silver eyes. Takuya could barely believe it himself, yet here he was, standing before Hedorah and humanity as a whole. Godzilla had arrived. He let out another mighty roar before charging, slashing at Hedorah with his claws! Hedorah tried to flee, only for Godzilla to grab him by the tail and swing him into a building! Hedorah then fired red lasers from his eyes, knocking Godzilla back! But then, Godzilla's dorsal plates began to glow purple, and he fired his atomic breath, burning chunks off of Hedorah! The beast fired his lasers before running into the water! Godzilla roared in victory, then went to follow the monster. Then, he turned and looked straight at Takuya. The archaeologist recoiled in fear as Godzilla, surrounded by flames, glared at him, as if to say that he would be next. Godzilla licked his lips before diving back into the sea, ready to challenge his newest rival.
To be continued…