Chapter 34: Power Struggle.
Warning klaxons all over the station were going off. The overhead lights had all been blown out by the frequent and continuous power surges. Only the red-tinged emergency lights were illuminating the interior of the powerplant. Ethan was manning the primary control console, examining the readouts. The monitors were registering a massive power loss. The facility's energy stores were rapidly being depleted.
"Shut down the turbines!" Ethan ordered the few remaining plant workers who were brave enough to still be at their posts. A shower of sparks flew out of the nearby outlets as another energy wave surged through the facility.
The strange kaiju that had risen up from the earth had followed Ethan back to the powerplant and was now assaulting the station. The monster had just got done draining the facility's main capacitor and had turned its attention to siphoning off power directly from the spinning turbines. Ethan hoped the creature would simply move on once it had consumed all the power it was able to. Cutting it off from the turbines was the best idea he could think of at that point.
The system came to a halt and the monster seemed to immediately register the difference. It roared and knocked over both of the plant's exhaust towers in a fit of rage. Clearly, he was not pleased with the change of circumstances. The falling cement tubes crumbled and plunged downward, crashing through the ceiling of the main plant building in several areas. Workers who were caught below them were crushed to death. Dust and debris quickly spread throughout the complex.
Ethan recognized that it was time to get out. The industrial carnage around him was quickly getting out of hand. He had done all he could to hamper the monster, and now he had to think about what was best for his family.
Before the monster had caught up with Ethan at the plant, he'd made two important phone calls. One to his wife, warning her to pack up anything she couldn't live without at the house and prepare to leave town. The second being to the police, warning them about the monster and to get word out to the military. Sadly, the monster had arrived before Ethan could give them much useful information about it.
The creature seemed to feed on raw energy. In a way, it was much like a capacitor itself, absorbing and storing power. That would have likely been invaluable information to the military, but Ethan didn't have enough time to tell the police much before the monster's electrical attacks knocked out the phones at the plant. Ethan had been cut off mid-call. Too late did he realize that the monster could not only absorb electricity like a leach, but also discharge it at will as a weapon. Within seconds of making contact with the connecting wires, the kaiju had disabled every available method of communicating with the outside world.
As the plant continued to crumble around him, Ethan ran as fast as he could, avoiding any and all hazards along the way. Several fires had broken out in the facility due to the monster's electrical impulse discharges. Ethan saw the bodies of several people he knew as he made his way out. He couldn't stop to see if any of them were still alive or not. There was simply no time. The monster stepped through the roof of the building behind Ethan and kicked out a large section of load-bearing walls. The entire structure destabilized and collapsed.
Ethan ran out of the front entrance of the plant covered in soot and made for his truck in the parking lot. Meanwhile, the monster swiped its clawed hand at the damaged remnants of one of the cooling towers, knocking it the rest of the way over. A hail of shattered concrete hammered down over the area. Ethan was struck by a piece in the shoulder. He went down in a heap, not realizing what had hit him. As he got back up, his shoulder throbbed from the painful impact. He reached back to touch the area and found that he was bleeding. Ethan didn't know it yet, but his shoulder blade had been fractured in several places from the blunt force trauma. Adrenaline was pumping through his system though and kept him moving. Ethan finally made it to his truck and started the engine. His windshield had been cracked by the flying debris, but it wasn't bad enough to impair him from seeing through it.
By that point, the monster was already moving away. Ethan knew exactly where it was going. Darwin was the closest place that had sources of power the monster could draw energy from. It was only logical that the monster would go there next.
…
In the Sollgel Islands, Maki and Fuji were preparing to land their floatplane in a small lake that happened to be located in the vicinity of the Russian base. Putting down there was a little risky because they didn't know for sure how shallow the water was, and they could run out of watery runway fast, but it would take them at least an hour of hiking through the jungle if they landed along the island's coastline. They felt like it was worth the risk.
Fuji carefully glided the plane in, and then splashed down gently. After that, he slowly motored the aircraft to the edge of the lake, driving the nose up into the muddy bank. As they slid to a stop, Maki hopped out and took their mooring rope further up into the grass. He planted the long stake at the end of it into the ground and then pounded it into the soil until it was well secured. Fuji stopped the engine and looked pleased with Maki's work, giving him a thumb's up from the window of the cockpit. Fuji grabbed their equipment and then handed Maki a rifle and a backpack. Though the island was supposed to be deserted, they couldn't be too safe. There was no telling if a Russian soldier had been left behind, or if anything else was still in the base waiting to surprise them.
The pair had one primary objective, to secure a working radio. Or failing that, at least some spare parts for one. As they approached the base grounds, they quickly discovered several disquieting details. First, the buildings the Russians had constructed on the island were simply not up to the task of keeping out the elements. The dilapidated condition of the structures was far worse than they would have ever guessed. Some of them were just barely left standing. Second, the recent heat storm appeared to have claimed many Russian lives. There was a long line of freshly dug graves. There were at least thirty of them altogether. It must have been a terrible experience. It was a small wonder that the Russians had decided to pull out of the area.
Building by building, Maki and Fuji searched for anything of use. They stuck close together for safety. For Maki, being there gave him an odd feeling of excitement. It was something that went back to his childhood. The thrill of going somewhere you knew you weren't supposed to be. Like walking around in the rundown old building in your neighborhood, just to see what you'd find there. Or looking inside of your parent's closet, trying to find hidden Christmas gifts. A healthy mixture of excitement and fear of getting caught. There was something very invigorating about that feeling.
After going in and out of three buildings, it was starting to look like the Russians had cleared out any working equipment. Anything they left behind was in an extremely degraded state. There weren't many clues as to what the Russians had been up to in the buildings either. Maki and Fuji decided to move on to the mine the Russians had been working in.
The mountain proved to be a more fruitful endeavor. Right away, Maki could tell that the Russians had been active there recently. Their footprints in the soil were still fresh. The Russians who had survived the heat storm must have taken shelter inside one of the numerous caverns cut into the mountainside. They had clearly moved some of their gear further into the interior. Interestingly, it appeared to Maki that the Russians had done so prior to the disastrous experiment.
As Maki and Fuji ventured further into the tunnels, it still hadn't become clear what the Soviets were digging for. They had built tracks and brought in minecarts to move rock and soil out, but there didn't seem to be any veins of precious metals, coal, or any other valuable resources present. Before too long, the pair came upon a vast vertical shaft which cut right through the top of the mountain. It traveled down into a large empty chamber below. Whatever the Russians had found, it must have come from that cavity of rock, because the digging had stopped right there. A large crane had been built into the top of the mountain to hoist their prize out from there.
Fuji and Maki stood there for a while, studying the chamber with their flashlights before deciding to move on. They made their way out using an adjoining tunnel. On the far side of the mountain, they finally found something useful. There was a workstation that had almost been entirely cleaned out, except for a desk and a radio sitting on top of it. Fuji got excited, sitting down and fiddling with the radio's dials trying to turn it on. He didn't have any luck though. It appeared to be non-functional, which was probably why the Russians had left it behind in the first place. However, it still might yield the spare parts they required to repair their own radio. Otherwise, the whole team would be waiting an entire month for the next supply ship to visit the base.
Fuji placed the radio in Maki's pack and then the pair carefully made their way out of the mountain. They kept an eye out for any other items that could be of use, but they didn't find anything else. At that point, they had pretty well combed over the entire Russian base. While they hadn't salvaged much, they had found something fairly worthwhile. It was time to report back. They uprooted the mooring spike and then pushed the seaplane back into the water. Fuji re-started the engine, powered through the lake, and then got them back into the air.
"I hope this Russian junk gets the job done." Maki said to Fuji over the hum of the engines as they got on their way.
"Me too." Fuji agreed. "Don't get me wrong, it was nice to get off the main island, but I'd hate to think we wasted our time on this trip."
"So, what do you suppose the Russians were digging for?" Maki asked. "It's weird that they would just bug out like that, right?"
"Yeah, I wouldn't figure a few dead grunts would bother the Russian brass enough to keep them from continuing to spy on us, especially if they knew they could hide out in those caves the next time an experiment went wrong." Fuji answered. "Whatever they found in there, which I have to admit, I have no idea what it could be, it must have been something pretty important. I'll tell you something though." He went on. "There's something really odd about that mountain they were digging in."
"Oh, what's that?" Maki inquired.
"Well, I'm not a geologist, but for being a mountain, there didn't seem to be a whole lot of actual rock in there." Fuji answered. "It was more like a dirt hill that just happened to have some rocks thrown in. Have you ever seen those samurai movies where they have to bury a comrade out in the middle of the wilderness, where they place rocks over the soil so animals can't get to them? That mountain was kind of like that. Mostly soil, with rocks around the outside. Those tunnels we were walking through were mostly just dirt."
"That might explain how the Russians were able to excavate it so quickly." Maki noted. "You said they only started digging there after your team had already been here for a while. Seems to me that they got really far really fast."
"Yeah, and they didn't have to dig out that main chamber in the middle either." Fuji agreed. "There weren't any cutting marks from tools on the inside. So that hollow area existed before they got there. I'd pay real money to know what was inside." A buzzing sound distracted Fuji from the conversation. It was getting louder. "Shit, I hope that isn't coming from the engine. We can always make an emergency landing on the water, but I don't fancy swimming all the way back to base."
Maki noticed the noise too. It didn't seem to be coming from the plane though. It was coming from somewhere outside of the cabin. Maki turned to try to look out the window but didn't see anything around them. The noise seemed to be coming up from behind them. It was closing in and getting louder. Maki started to get worried. They were a sitting duck for whatever was coming at them.
"Fuji…" Maki began to say, but before he could continue, the plane was rocked as something collided with the tail.
"What the hell…?!" Fuji fought to keep control as the whole plane shuttered.
Maki looked back and saw the tail of the plane plummeting away towards the ocean. Something had cut clean through it. Without the tailfins, Fuji was having a heck of a time keeping control of the aircraft. They started to loose altitude quickly.
"Fuck!" Fuji struggled to pull back up on the stick, but it was of little use. He could slow the plane's descent, but not stop it. They were dropping closer and closer to the waves below. Fuji did manage to maneuver them towards the main island. Sweat was pouring out of his forehead from the strain. "Maki, help me pull up!" Fuji demanded urgently.
Maki leaned over in his seat and grabbed one side of the controls while Fuji took a hold of the other. With each of them using both hands and pulling with all of their might, the plane started to level out. They were approaching the shoreline of the island, but the airplane was only a couple of feet above the water. At that point, they were going too fast to properly land. Fuji advised Maki on the next steps they needed to complete to slow themselves down. However, the controls were still damaged and couldn't be relied on. The plane dipped down too far too soon, and it careened across the surface of the water. The nose of the aircraft bit down into the waves and the whole plane flipped forward upside down.
The seaplane skidded to a stop in the shallows just off of the beach. Fuji and Maki were left hanging from their seatbelts as water crept into the cabin from a window that had been broken during the crash. Fuji was already out cold from the impact, and Maki was close behind him. Slowly, he was slipping out of consciousness. Maki could hear the door to the plane being forced open next to him, but he couldn't find the strength to turn his head. The edges of his vision grew darker until black was all he could see.
…
Ethan had made it back to Darwin, but the monster had gotten to the city first. The streets were a spectacle of pandemonium. There hadn't been enough time for a concentrated evacuation effort to take place, so there were people running in every which direction trying to escape. Bad motor vehicle accidents were occurring regularly, which only cluttered up the streets more. The panic was palpable even from a distance. By that point in time, most people had listened to broadcasts of prior kaiju attacks, and they knew how deadly they could be. No one wanted to be there while it happened to their own town.
The monster, who had only just entered the city, reached out to a nearby powerline and grasped onto it tightly. Ethan was confused. That particular line was tied to his own plant's grid, so the monster wasn't going to be able to obtain any energy from it. But Ethan misjudged the creature's purpose. As the monster gripped the line, it discharged an impressive volume of electricity through the cables. The flow of energy spread throughout the city, overloading anything it was connected to. Almost all at once, sparks flew from every conductor-bundle in the city, and power boxes exploded within every home and business. Traffic lights rapidly changed signals at random, and some even blew out entirely from the overload.
The spikes on top of the monster's head lit up as he continued to pour more energy into the attack. Scattered fires broke out all over Darwin. What was already a chaotic scene was quickly descending into hell on earth. The overheated wires also started on fire. They burned until they finally snapped off. Power poles caught fire too, especially the ones that were covered in tar to preserve the wood. At that point, power was completely knocked out of the entire city.
The city's only defense at that moment were the Royal Australian Navy warships floating in the Port of Darwin. The battlecruiser HMAS Repulse, the carrier HMAS Eagle, and the cruisers HMAS Australia, Canberra, and Sydney. All of the vessels called for general quarters and began to turn their turrets towards the monster. Numerous destroyer escorts followed suit. The fleet commander was well-aware of the collateral damage that fighting the monster would inflict on the city, but he decided that it was worth the risk.
The warships began to bombard the Kaiju, but naval shells weren't precision weapons. Anything and anyone in the vicinity of the creature were also being bombarded by the cannons. Buildings were blown to bits in the first barrage. A few direct hits got the monster's attention, but they didn't stop him. He continued towards the heart of the city.
At the nearby airfield at Darwin, the Royal Australian Air Force was scrambling attack aircraft, primarily Mirage III fighter planes. The damage to the city was growing worse with each passing minute and the pressure to repel the monster's attack rose right along with it. After a full squadron was up, the airwing was ordered to attack on their own, ahead of the rest of the groups.
By that point, Ethan had driven well into town and was having to dart around in the streets to avoid people and obstacles. His home was on the far side of the city. Presumably, his family was still waiting for him to arrive. As bad as things had deteriorated, Ethan hoped that his wife had ignored his instructions to wait for him, and instead, gotten herself out of town already.
Ethan was only driving a few blocks away from the monster, dangerously close, but he didn't have much choice. The road he was on was the most direct route to his house. He didn't figure he'd have time to go the long way around. Moving through the city, and being hampered by the military, the monster had slowed down enough for Ethan to catch up to him. The kaiju was taking its time. He seemed to enjoy wreaking havoc. A naval shell landed about a hundred feet away from Ethan's truck, making him jump. Dirt and debris rained down upon the vehicle as he gritted his teeth and powered through. His already cracked windshield became even harder to see through.
Ethan's wipers weren't working, so he was forced to poke his head out of the side-window to see what was in front of him. At that moment, he could hear the Mirage fighters approaching overhead. The monster noticed them too and turned towards the oncoming threat. The jets launched their rockets from a distance before the creature could react. The projectiles rushed forward ahead of the aircraft, leaving a trail of smoke in their wake. Half of the rockets hit their massive target, resulting in red and black burning plumes bursting against the creature's skin, while the other half impacted in the neighborhoods around the monster. The rockets that did hit the creature mostly exploded against his armored chest, doing little damage.
Before the jets could pull up or fly over the monster, it retaliated. The creature spread its arms out, extending his fingers in what almost looked like a welcoming sort of gesture, but the welcome was short-lived. The monster's main horn lit up once more, and from its outstretched hands, bolts of blue electricity shot out. The lightning danced along the sky, splintering, and spreading out into smaller branches. One by one, the aircraft were struck as they entered within a certain proximity of the beast. The monster wasn't directing the energy though. The metal frames of the airplanes were simply attracting the energy currents to them like lightning rods. After a series of deafening crackles, every single plane was either falling to the earth with their electrical systems shorted-out, or they simply exploded midair.
Ethan was so distracted by the display that he didn't see an oncoming bus that was on fire and rolling towards him out of control. He dodged his truck out of the way just in time to avoid a head on collision. He hopped up onto the curb and ran over a fire hydrant in the process. A fountain of water gushed up behind him. Ethan's truck shuttered as the hydrant passed under it. He just hoped it would get him the rest of the way home. The vehicle had taken a lot of abuse already.
Ethan carefully navigated the streets of Darwin, avoiding fleeing pedestrians and other vehicles as he escaped the battle behind him. The mayhem was at its peak, with jets falling out of the sky and crashing all over the place. The warships were also continuing their shelling.
At last, Ethan pulled into his neighborhood and found his wife outside of their house with his son Cooper in toe. She had packed up their SUV and was eagerly awaiting him. She was overjoyed to see Ethan arriving. There was no time for words though. Ethan motioned with his hand, indicating that he wanted her to get inside their other vehicle immediately.
Wasting no time, Ethan parked his truck and then jumped out running for them. He scrambled inside the SUV, started the engine, and then tore through the lawn to get moving again as quickly as possible. Ethan's wife said something to him that he didn't hear. He was too distracted by the ongoing turmoil around them, looking back in his mirror to see where the monster was. He did however take her hand and bring it up to his mouth, kissing it; showing that he was relieved to see that she was okay. Ethan turned down a street, and again, looked to see which direction the monster was moving. The creature was continuing Eastward, so Ethan took another sharp turn and started to head South away from it.
…
Maki woke up disoriented. He was somewhere dark and cool. He looked up to see a rockface above his head. Maki sat up, not understanding where he was, or how he had gotten there. The last thing he remembered was hanging upside down in the seaplane as it was filling up with water. Had Fuji pulled him out? He turned and saw Fuji lying next to him. His leg was bandaged up. He must have been hurt pretty badly during the crash. Fuji didn't look like he was in any shape to have helped him.
Suddenly, the events leading up to the crash came back to Maki, making his heart race. What had attacked them? Maki grimaced, bringing a hand up to his face. He had a real bad headache. He realized that he might have a concussion from the sudden jolt of the rough water landing. Maki rubbed his eyes, trying to reacclimate to the waking world and remember all that had happened. He looked around and realized that they were in a cave. By the looks of it, someone must have been living there for a long time. There was a table with a pile of freshly plucked tropical fruits, a desk with some old navigational charts, and a bookshelf filled with a small dusty library. Fuji and himself were laying on worn-down cots.
Maki could see a nearby passage which contained a pool of seawater. It appeared to be a secret entrance that led out to the ocean. He could see sunlight emanating from under the water. There was also a large opening in the rockface which led outside, allowing even more natural light inside the cave. Above Maki, was a small crevice in the ceiling which was allowing another sliver of light in. Directly below it, was a fire pit. The cave's occupant was wise enough to know they needed to let their smoke ventilate. Maki saw a pot nearby which could be hung over the fire for cooking. Someone had put together a pretty nice set up for themselves.
Just then, Maki heard someone coming into the cave. He turned to see a beautiful girl who appeared to be in her mid-twenties walking down the stone carved stairs carrying a bag slung over her shoulder. Maki thought he must be hallucinating from his head trauma. With the light gleaming in behind her, she looked like an angel. The girl had long raven-black hair and was wearing a red and orange dress, which well-suited her slim figure. She stopped on the steps when she realized that Maki was awake and looking at her. For a second, she just stared back, seemingly not knowing what to do next.
"Hello…?" Maki said sheepishly. He wasn't sure she'd understand him.
"Hello." The girl repeated back to him, almost in a whisper. There was a brief awkward silence before Maki realized that she wasn't just mimicking him. She actually seemed to understand Japanese, despite appearing to be some sort of native island girl.
"I'm Goro Maki." He went on as cordially as he could. "Who are you?"
"I'm Raeko Matsumiya." She answered politely.
"Glad to meet you Raeko." Maki tilted his head with a slight bow of respect. "Did you pull me and my friend from the plane?"
"I did." Raeko confirmed. "You landed right next to my home."
"Thank you." Maki smiled. "I'm not sure what would have happened without you being there. I am certainly in your debt."
"Your friend has a broken leg." Raeko observed. "I did my best for him, but he needs more help that I can provide here."
"I'm afraid I'm not any more knowledgeable than you are." Maki replied. "But as soon as I regain my legs, I can set out to find the rest of the research team. Professor Kusumi might be able to do something for him."
"Alright." Raeko responded simply. Then she just stood there quietly, not seeming to know what to say next.
"Are you alone here?" Maki asked, moving the conversation forward. Raeko nodded. "How did you find yourself isolated on an island like this?"
"My father was an archaeologist." Raeko began. "Many years ago, there was a tribe of people living on these islands. The next island over, there are ruins of a temple. The tribespeople worshiped a spider-deity there and practiced human sacrifice. Their people died out long ago, but they left behind many artifacts to study. My father was doing so when both he and my mother became ill. They died when I was twelve. I have been living here by myself ever since."
"I see..." Maki replied. "I'm sorry. It must have been difficult to see that happen to your loved ones and be on your own for so long. If you like, when the next supply ship comes, we can bring you back to civilization. You wouldn't have to live here alone anymore."
"I'm not sure." Raeko's guard seemed to go up at the suggestion. "I've grown accustomed to living here on the island. I don't know if I could adjust to living around so many other people. The idea is a little scary to me."
"Oh, I guess I can understand that." Maki replied, after giving it some thought. "Well, maybe we can help you in other ways. You know, to thank you for helping us out. Do you know what happened to the bag my friend was carrying?"
"Yes." Raeko answered. "It's right over here." She pointed to the chair near the desk. The bag was hanging off the top rail.
"That's great!" Maki said delighted. "Once we get back to base, we can repair the radio and call for help."
"You need to eat something to regain your strength first." Raeko pointed out. "I got you some meat." She set down the bag she'd carried in. It contained six decent-sized crabs. She threw them in the pot and began to ignite a fire only using two rocks.
"Marry me…" Maki muttered to himself, impressed, but Raeko's sharp ears heard him speaking.
"What did you say…?" She asked curiously.
"Oh, nothing… just thanks is all." Maki blushed. Clearly, island life had honed Raeko's senses. "I'm just impressed you can do that by hand so easily." He clarified.
"Oh, okay." She smiled at him.
After an hour, the crabs were pretty-well cooked, and the alluring smell roused Fuji. Maki explained what happened to them and introduced Raeko. Shortly thereafter, the two of them were cracking open crabs and eating with Raeko. She preferred the fresh fruit over the crab meat. Maki told Fuji that he and Raeko were going to set out in the morning for the base, but he'd have to remain behind.
Maki actually wanted Raeko to remain behind with Fuji, but she appropriately pointed out that he didn't know the terrain of the island well enough to get there on his own. The Sollgel Research Base was on the far side of the island, which was more than nine miles away. At best, it was going to be a four hour walk through wild territory. Maki would definitely need Raeko by his side.
…
The next morning, Maki and Raeko set out. Maki was still a little dizzy, but he was well enough to get by walking. Raeko thought they should wait one more day to give Maki more of a chance to recover, but he didn't want Fuji to wait any longer than necessary for treatment. Fuji had developed a fever that morning, and Maki thought he looked a little worse than the day before. That was enough to settle the issue for him, they were going.
As they got on the trail, it quickly became evident that Raeko knew the island very well. She took the lead but was careful not to go too fast for Maki. The morning sun was bothering him a bit, but Maki would never admit it to her. He wished to present the image of a tough and able man. Maki however wasn't quite up to the task physically. His head was still throbbing, and he was loose on his feet. At one point, Maki slipped on some loose soil and Raeko had to catch him by the hand to steady him. The pair locked eyes and there was something shy in Raeko's expression as she stared at him. Raeko looked away before Maki could say anything.
At that moment, it occurred to Maki that Raeko had been alone on the island for a very long time, and she'd probably never seen a man before that wasn't her own father. She'd never been kissed, hugged, or even held hands before. Raeko was still a woman though. Even if it was only by instinct, she had to yearn for that sort of intimacy with another person. For her whole life, she had no outlet for such feelings.
Maki could see that Raeko's confidence had been shaken a little. She must have felt awkward. All it took was one unfamiliar feeling to throw her off. It was no wonder she was worried about the idea of going back to Japan. If one person could discourage her with just a simple touch, it was plain to see how a whole city full of people could intimidate her so much. Maki decided to help her out a bit. Make what made her anxious more palatable with familiarity. Present her with some measure of control over it.
"Hey Raeko, could you give me a hand again?" Maki asked. "This hill is kicking my butt." He stopped, pretending to be winded. Raeko nodded warmly and came back to him. The two of them climbed up over the rocks together and Raeko didn't seem to mind the physical contact quite as much this time. Once they had reached the top, Maki let her go. "Thank you, that should do it for now."
"Maybe we should rest for a while?" Raeko suggested.
"Yeah, I think that might be a good idea." Maki replied, short on breath. After the steep climb, he was now legitimately winded. He leaned up against a tree for support. "You know…" He began to say but stopped when he turned and saw Raeko pulling out a knife. 'What the…?!' Maki thought as Raeko threw the knife at him. The blade flew over his shoulder, and with a thud, impaled a jungle snake's head into the trunk of the tree behind him.
"You have to watch out for these things." Raeko said bluntly. "They're poisonous."
"Sure…" Maki replied, his heart was pounding. "Maybe we should keep moving, eh?"
…
Hours later, just after noon, Maki and Raeko made it back to the U.N. Weather Research Base. The sentries were surprised to see them walking out of the jungle and alerted everyone else. The presence of a woman on the island was a cause for much stir among the men. They were practically falling over themselves trying to catch a glimpse. They barely contained their excitement until Professor Matsuki arrived and hushed them up so that he could talk with Maki.
Maki concisely explained everything that had happened to Professor Matsuki, presenting him with the radio parts and pointing out the direction of the hidden cave where Fuji was waiting for them. Upon hearing that, the professor immediately began to organize a retrieval expedition. He had some of the guards get a stretcher with enough food and water to handle the long hike while he gathered up medical supplies from the infirmary.
While they were doing that, Maki took Raeko to the bunkhouse so they could drink some water and rest. Maki had every intention of going back with them for Fuji. While they were sitting there, Raeko noticed one of the bright red island shirts Maki had hanging up just outside of his window. Maki had washed it right before he'd gone out scouting the day before with Fuji and left it there to dry. Maki saw Raeko admiring it. He also noticed that her own dress was a little worn out by comparison.
"You like it?" Maki asked, looking back over his shoulder at the colorful shirt. Raeko nodded. "Well, it's yours then." He reached out and plucked it off the line. "A small token of appreciation from me to you."
"Really…?" Her eyes lit up with excitement as he presented it to her.
"Yeah, it's no problem." He smiled. "I think you'd look great in red." He added, helping to unbutton it and then drape it over her shoulders." Raeko smiled widely. "In fact, I have a few other things I think you might like. Hold on a second…" He pulled out one of his suitcases. "You know, the trouble with living on an island, is there aren't many places for you to shop." Maki noted with a chuckle. Raeko looked at him funny, she clearly didn't understand what he meant. "Never mind, it's not important. Just let me grab a few more things." He found a pair of shoes, socks, a belt, and khaki pants that just might fit Raeko. He also found a red ribbon for her hair to round things off.
"Where can I put these on?" Raeko asked.
"There's a curtain right over there." Maki guided her over to the corner of the room. He pulled the curtain around Raeko, giving her some privacy. Little by little, Raeko figured out how everything was supposed to fit and then came back out. She was still fiddling around with her hair, getting it up into a high ponytail using the ribbon. The clothes were just a little big on her, but overall, they fit surprisingly well.
"What do you think?" Raeko asked coyly, obviously a little unsure of herself in what she perceived as strange clothing.
"Wow, it's really very nice." Maki replied, instantly restoring her confidence. "Would you like to see?"
"What do you mean?" Raeko asked confused.
"Well, there's a mirror right over here." Maki directed her towards it.
Raeko saw herself and got a peculiar look on her face. Maki quickly realized that she had never seen her own reflection before. She was fascinated with it, reaching out and touching her image and understanding it was like looking into water, only much clearer. Raeko studied herself and admired her new clothes.
"You know, if you were to come back to Japan with me, there are many more things like this I could show you." Maki pointed out. "You might even have family there." Raeko turned to him with misty eyes. She was just starting to understand everything she was missing out on living on the island. "I mean, you can still live here." Maki walked his words back, misunderstanding what she was feeling at that moment. "But you should maybe give it some thought."
"If I don't like it there, could I return?" Raeko asked timidly.
"Of course." Maki answered. "It wouldn't have to be a one-way trip. I mean, we could just go get you some of the modern comforts of home, and then bring them back here for you if that's what you wanted to do." He reassured her.
"I'm afraid I'd be just as lost there, as you are here." She replied cautiously, yet hopeful.
"I promise, if you come with me, I won't let anyone, or anything hurt you." Maki pledged. "I'd protect you there like you've protected me here."
"I'll think about it." Raeko answered reluctantly. "I just need a little time to process all of this."
"No worries, it's not like we're going anywhere fast anyways." Maki assured her. "Even if we can get the radio working, it'll still likely be weeks before a ship can get out here. That will give you plenty of time to figure out what you want to do. Nothing has to be decided today." Unexpectedly, Raeko stepped forward and gave Maki a hug.
"Thank you for understanding." She squeezed him tightly.
"Hey, it's no big thing." Maki said, blushing and feeling a little awkward. He was not sure what to do with his hands at that moment. At the same time though, it felt really nice. He certainly wasn't fighting to get out of her embrace. Just as he was really starting to settle into the hug, Raeko let Maki go and brushed past him to go to the window.
"Oh no…." She said with a crack of fear in her voice.
"Huh, what's the problem?" Maki said as he came up next to Raeko, looking out of the window alongside her.
Raeko didn't need to answer him though. The problem was already plain to see. It was one of the Kamacuras approaching the base, and it had grown considerably. The creature was at least ten times larger than it had been before. The base's security fence had been knocked down by the storm earlier, but it wouldn't have mattered if it was still intact, the Kamacuras was tall enough to step clean over it now.
Maki turned to go outside and warn everyone, but Raeko stopped him by grabbing his arm tightly. She looked him in the eyes and shook her head to discourage him from doing so. Given a moment to think about it, Maki could see that Raeko was right. Going outside would only draw attention to themselves. It was too late to alert the others anyways; the monster was already in their midst. Gunshots rang out as the soldiers fired upon the giant insect. The Kamacuras did not seem impressed by a rifle's firepower anymore.
One man was quickly scooped up by the monster, and just as quickly consumed alive. As horrified as he was, Maki noticed that it was the same Kamacuras specimen that he had wounded earlier. He could see that it had a damaged compound-eye from where he'd hit it with his shovel. More and more men tried to fight back, but the monster was unstoppable. Small arms fire had virtually no effect on it. The soldiers gave up fighting the Kamacuras after two more men were picked off. One very unlucky soul was skewered right through the torso by the monster's pointed claws and suffered horribly as it carried him around. Eventually, he too was devoured by the Kamacuras' gnashing wet mandibles.
Several of the soldiers ran inside the headquarters building, trying to escape the monster's appetite for human flesh. Sadly, the structure provided them very little refuge. The giant mantis was nearly as big as the building itself, and it had no difficulty tearing the roof off to satisfy its hunger. A fourth man was snatched up and eaten. The rest of the men inside scattered, realizing buildings were no safe haven.
Witnessing what just went down, Maki wasted no time. He grabbed Raeko by the wrist and then rushed her out the backdoor of the bunkhouse into the jungle for cover. Maki knew from that point onwards, the monster could turn his attention to the barracks at any moment. He wasn't going to let either of them get caught there when it did. The jungle would at least conceal them, and they could always retreat further into the jungle if they had to. It was there best option.
Maki carefully peaked out to see if the Kamacuras had seen them make a break for it. His heart was hammering away in his chest. He tried to keep a level head though. Fortunately, the monster hadn't noticed them. From there new hiding spot, Maki and Raeko watched the enormous insect use its arms and mandibles to shear through other buildings looking for more victims. Unfortunately, it succeeded in finding a few more. By the time the monster was done with its attack, at least four additional men were lost. Seemingly satisfied, the Kamacuras turned and went back out into the jungle.
"We need to get back to my cave." Raeko whispered into Maki's ear. He heartily agreed, nodding to her. Sollgel Base obviously wasn't safe for any of them anymore.
…
The monster in Australia had been given a name, Gabara. Since his attack on Darwin, he'd disappeared into the wilderness of the Outback. Efforts were well underway to find and eliminate him. The British immediately began to mobilize their military to aide their Commonwealth brother. The Far East Fleet, including the battleships HMS Lion, HMS Vanguard, and HMS Hood, the carriers HMS Ark Royal, HMS Illustrious, and HMS Glorious set sail from Sydney and were on their way North with a number of support craft. The Archimedes fleet was also requested, as well as their Masers residing in Hawaii. The request was granted, and the heavy machines were flown out ahead of the ships.
Meanwhile, Ethan had found refuge for his family in the hills nearby Darwin. He now prioritized trying to make contact with the military to inform them what he knew about the monster. From the slopes above, the damage Gabara had inflicted upon the city was on full display. Darwin hadn't been destroyed, but nearly every block of it had suffered some kind of damage during the attack. Gabara's ability to strike through powerlines made him extremely dangerous. That much had been well-demonstrated during his attack. The authorities however had no idea that Gabara was able to absorb energy too. They'd only seen him unleash it during the battle.
If the Australian Government knew of Gabara's craving for power, they could predict where he might go next. Ethan knew he had to leave his family behind and find a working phone. The only trouble was, every electrical device in the area had been fried by the monster. Ethan's best chance was to find a farm with a generator that wasn't connected to the main power grid. He had his work cut out for him.
…
It didn't take much discussion to convince Professor Kusumi that moving camp was the right course of action. The Kamacuras, who had attacked them twice now, undoubtedly would return again as soon as it got hungry. It knew where to find a steady supply of meat. The extent to which the insect had grown in such a short time astounded everyone. Professor Kusumi theorized that the combination of heat and radiation from the accident likely caused a mutation within the Kamacuras DNA. He was almost certain that was what ultimately led to the creature's incomprehensible increase in size.
The team got to work stripping what was left of the base for anything useful they could bring with them. Raeko's cave would be a better place to hide out while they waited for help to arrive. Even if the Kamacuras did somehow find them there, it would have a much harder time digging through the layers upon layers of solid stone. The monster had too easily opened up the metal frames of the compound's buildings to risk remaining there.
By late afternoon, the team had secured everything they could carry and formed a caravan to set out for the opposite coast. Professor Kusumi walked with Maki and Raeko near the front of the column and told them about some of the other worrisome discoveries he had made over the last two days. He revealed that it wasn't just the Kamacuras that were changing. The entire ecosystem on Sollgel Island was evolving. It was a slow process, but it was adding up to something bad on the horizon. Other insect species were increasing in size too, as was the vegetation. There were now species of carnivorous plants that hadn't been cataloged during the initial island survey. The overall trend was everything was getting bigger and more aggressive. Kusumi said they had a 'Monster Island' in the making. They needed to repair the radio and get off the island as soon as possible.
The march through the jungle was a slow process with all of the gear they were carrying. It was already getting dark by the time they were halfway to Raeko's cave. Dr. Kusumi tried to encourage his men by telling them it was better that way. Moving during the night would help to cover their movements. However, the bravery of the remaining men was starting to faulter. The shadowy jungle unnerved almost all of them. Kusumi insisted that they didn't use flashlights, torches, or flares to give themselves away. Insects were instinctively attracted to light, and drawing the attention of the Kamacuras, or anything else out there, was ill-advised.
Most of the men in the party were able to accept that hinderance, except one. Furukawa. He was by far the most disgruntled member of the team. Even before the weather control accident, he was very unhappy with the conditions on the island and wanted more than anything to just go home. Furukawa hated the heat, he hated the food, and he hated the Kamacuras most of all. The guard who had been eaten in the tower was a good friend of his, and even more of his buddies had died during the attack on the base just hours before. One of them had been killed right before his eyes after they pushed him out of the way of the monster's grasp. Furukawa had been just mere feet from death, and the experience clung onto him like a weight around his neck. His friend had died in his place, and he couldn't stomach the guilt.
The heat, the darkness, and the fear of the monsters were driving Furukawa towards the edge. His uneasiness as he marched through the jungle at night was obvious for anyone to see. His eyes darted all around, his breathing was erratic, and sweat was pouring out of him. He ignored anyone who tried to talk to him. His fear was contagious, unsettling everyone around him. The tension in the air was thick.
Maki himself was starting to get scared again. After his own recent experience at night with the Kamacuras, walking through the jungle with an even bigger specimen lurking around wasn't easy for him either. Having Raeko there by his side went a long way in steeling his resolve though. She seemed to sense that Maki had a bad experience and took his hand supportively to comfort him. Maki looked over and gave her an appreciative smile. If they just stuck together, they might just be alright.
As Maki was preoccupied, exchanging meaningful glances with Raeko, Furukawa finally lost it. He screamed, running out ahead of the group and fumbling to set off a flare he was carrying. He simply couldn't take the darkness or the jungle anymore. Maki ran after Furukawa, trying to calm him down and prevent him from setting off the flare. Raeko took off too, following Maki. The three of them cleared the dense section of jungle they had been walking through and found themselves in an open plain. It was still very hard to see where they were going though. Furukawa tripped over the roots of a bush and fell to the ground. That gave Maki and Raeko the chance to finally catch up with him.
Furukawa was in a full-scale panic, babbling to himself almost incoherently when Maki and Raeko got close. They could see that Furukawa was in tears, but before they could reach him, he finally set off the flare. It shot up into the sky high above them. The flare crackled as it ignited and a bright blue light illuminated the entire area around them, revealing a terrifying sight. Maki, Raeko, and Furukawa were standing directly in the middle of three gigantic Kamacuras figures. Furukawa completely lost his shit upon seeing them, falling all over the ground in terror. Maki, and even Raeko, froze with fear. Their fates seemed to be sealed.
Just as it seemed all hope was lost, Maki noticed something odd about the monsters surrounding them. None of the Kamacuras were actually moving. The flare, which was gradually falling back down to the ground, gave the illusion of movement due to the monster's shadows shifting in the light, but the monsters weren't physically active in any way. Could they be asleep? Maki wondered. Then he noted something wrong with the color of the monsters. The Kamacuras weren't the brownish-tan hue that he had seen earlier that day. Instead, the bodies were more like a stoney-gray tone. There was no life in the monster's eyes either. The normal bright yellow simply wasn't there anymore. Finally, it hit Maki, and he understood what they were looking at.
"Furukawa, calm down!" Maki ordered sternly, shaking him to get his attention. "These are just shells, shed skins, they can't hurt you! Like cicadas." Maki actually went as far as to walk over and touch one of them to prove his point. "See, it's not alive." Seeing that, Furukawa started to settle down. Professor Kusumi caught up to them, marveling at the enormous shells that had been left behind.
"This isn't good at all…" Kusumi remarked warily. "If they've molted, it means they've gotten even bigger than before, and there's more than one." He added ominously. The professor's point didn't have any time to settle. In the nearby jungle, a Kamacuras' screeching cry could be heard, announcing its proximity. Furukawa's ill-timed flare had given the group's position away.
"Get up you dumb son of a bitch!" One of the soldiers angrily grabbed Furukawa by the scruff of the shirt and pulled at him. "You might have just killed us all!" There was no time for that though. Trees could be heard snapping and giving way as the Kamacuras rapidly approached.
"RUN!" Maki shouted to everyone, grabbing Raeko and leading the group onwards towards the caves.
Maki didn't dare look back, but he could hear two more Kamacuras closing in on the group from other directions. The secret was out, and they were being hunted. Within moments, Maki could hear men at the back of the line being taken by the monsters. Their screams were terrible. Maki could only imagine the dreadful things that were happening behind him, and he never wanted to find out firsthand. The men's last agonizing moments were heartbreaking to listen to, but there was nothing Maki could do for them. It was every man for themselves. Maki could only afford to look out for himself and Raeko from that point onward.
…
In Australia, Gabara had been found. The monster was moving East towards Numbulwar, located near the coast. The Australian Army had no intention of letting Gabara get there and moved to intercept him. The Masers from Hawaii had arrived and joined the massing Australian units. The Archimedes fleet was still several days away but Admiral Malek, Marcus, Dr. Orsini, and Brock flew out with the Masers to be on hand for the battle.
Night had fallen and Gabara was advancing quickly. In Numbulwar, there were new sources of energy for him to feed on, and he seemed intent on getting there. He was close enough to see the twinkling lights of the city. The defense forces, however, had calculated his trajectory and set up a trap. They were lying in wait for him. The Australian military had learned a few lessons from the first encounter. The Aussies planned to engage Gabara at maximum range to counter his ability to project electricity. The range of the monster's electrical attacks seemed to have limits. At no point during the previous battle was he able to attack the Australian warships in the harbor, only the jets when they had closed within a certain proximity.
All was ready, and word had come in from the scout units that Gabara was advancing towards the main defense line. Everyone got to their posts. The Mazers raised their cannons and rotated them to the hill where Gabara was expected to emerge. Marcus and the rest of the team were up at the forward command post overlooking the battlefield. They would be watching the action as it unfolded. It wouldn't be long now.
Elsewhere, Ethan had been trying to make contact with the Australian military for some time. Unfortunately, he was having a hard time getting a hold of someone who would take him seriously. He simply couldn't reach high enough in the Chain of Command to get anywhere. Finally, Ethan decided to try the Archimedes Organization instead, as they were supposed to be the authority on fighting giant monsters. It took a little while, but eventually he got routed to Marcus at the Command Post, who took the call for Admiral Malek.
By that point, Ethan had become aware that the military were planning to use Masers to fight against Gabara, and he urgently warned Marcus that it was a terrible idea. Ethan recounted his entire story, in particular, Gabara's assault on the powerplant. He emphasized that the monster was able to absorb electrical energy. Ethan was certain that the beams from the Masers would only make Gabara stronger. Marcus listened to Ethan closely and believed what he was saying, but he could hear the defense line's artillery starting to open up. Gabara must have closed within firing range already. There wasn't much time before the Mazers would join the fray.
Marcus immediately dropped the phone and ran to Admiral Malek to alert him to the danger. It was already too late though. Bright flashes were flickering across the dark battlefield, which could only mean the Masers were engaging. Marcus looked up and saw energy bolts being discharged and hitting the monster. Curiously, Gabara was reacting to the shots as though they were hurting him, but his bulbous green skin was absorbing much of the energy as well.
As Marcus frantically tried to explain what he had just found out to Admiral Malek, a squadron of Australian jets flew over their position. The roar of their engines made it impossible for the pair to hear one another. The jets approached Gabara on an attack vector, but they were careful to keep their distance while unleashing their rockets. Unfortunately, the power Gabara had already stolen from the Masers had increased the strength and range of his own electrical attacks. He could now project them twice as far as before. Gabara's horn lit up, and he lashed out savagely, downing half of the planes in an instant. Marcus knew he had to call off the Masers before the monster became even more powerful.
"How the hell is he even aiming that attack?!" Brock yelled to one of the Australian officers, irritated.
"He doesn't have to…" The Aussie Captain began to yell back to him. "…the damned buggar can simply fire them off like a static shock. Get too close, and poof!" He motioned with his hands.
"Sir, you have to call off the Masers!" Marcus said as the noise had finally calmed down enough for him to be heard. "That monster can absorb electrical energy and turn it back against us. Every hit we land makes him more powerful." Admiral Malek just stared at Marcus for a moment, seeming to digest what he was saying. "We're just supercharging him. He's like an energy vampire!"
"You are sure of this?" Malek asked with a frown.
"I think the results are speaking for themselves." Marcus gestured out to the battlefield where Gabara was letting loose with another powerful electric attack. Frontline units were exploding.
"Well blast damn it!" Malek cursed exasperated. "Very well, hurry up and call them off then!" He told Marcus.
"Yes sir!" Marcus saluted and then got to work, reaching for the radio.
Within moments, all of the Masers fell silent. Regular tanks and artillery kept pounding away at Gabara, but they weren't having much effect. The battle already seemed lost. Gabara was closing in on their position. He seemed especially interested in getting his hands on the Masers. They were an irresistible source of nourishment for him.
A general retreat order was issued to all ground forces. However, actually getting away would prove to be complicated. The Masers were blocked in by conventional units on both sides and couldn't escape. Behind them were some rocky hills, but the Masers were simply too heavy. They had no chance of climbing up them. Their lack of mobility was coming back to haunt them.
Gabara closed in step by step, until finally, the Mazer crews lost their nerve and were forced to bail out of their vehicles. Just as Gabara was leaning down to snatch up the first unit, he was interrupted by a blast of blue nuclear fire. Gabara stumbled backwards, falling on to his back. Marcus turned to see Godzilla marching out of the ocean. In all of the turmoil of the battle, no one had detected the King of the Monsters coming.
Godzilla roared, issuing a challenge to Gabara. Gabara got back to his feet and glared menacingly at his attacker. Gabara was so enraged that he released an involuntary jolt of electricity which danced along the spikes on his head and even behind his eyes. Gabara roared back, seeming to accept the challenge. He was pulsing with freshly acquired power.
Godzilla advanced towards Gabara, unintimidated by his flashy light show. Between the two titans was a small body of water. Gabara saw this and sensed an opportunity. Just as one of Godzilla's feet plunged into the lake, Gabara reached down with his hands and discharged a powerful electrical shock. The voltage rapidly travelled through the water and gave Godzilla a nasty surprise on the other side. The King of the Monsters shuttered as he was electrocuted. He pulled his foot out of the water just as quickly as he could and then glanced down suspiciously, as if the lake itself had attacked him.
Gabara cackled from across the field, moving his arms up and down tauntingly. He was very satisfied with himself. Godzilla slowly began to understand what had happened, and it made him mad. He resumed his march towards Gabara. Gabara stopped cackling when he noticed his attack hadn't stopped, or even slowed down, his opponent. Gabara focused his energy, and his fists began to glow furiously with raw power. As Godzilla got halfway to him, two bolts shot out from Gabara's fists and hit him in the chest. Godzilla stopped in his tracks and convulsed. All of the muscles in his body were contracting, including those within his heart.
Gabara kept the power flowing for as long as he could before he was forced to stop. Gabara was highly resistant to electricity himself, but he wasn't immune. If he wasn't careful, he would start to damage himself right alongside his opponent. Godzilla stood there stunned as the flow of voltage ceased. He suddenly realized that his enemy was more powerful than he had anticipated. But it didn't matter, he wasn't about to walk away from a fight.
Gabara watched Godzilla, both surprised and impressed. His adversary was still standing, which was much more than he was expecting by that point. Gabara wasn't worried though. He still had so much energy left in him. He'd just have to wear his enemy down. Godzilla started forward again. Gabara let loose with a series of smaller electrical attacks that were meant to drive Godzilla back, but they failed miserably. Godzilla was gaining momentum, unbothered by the pain. As long as he could still move, he was going to crush Gabara once he reached him.
Gabara realized too late that his new strategy wasn't working, and Godzilla bowled him right over. Without a tail to balance him, Gabara had no chance of staying on his feet. He ended up flat on his back with Godzilla pummeling him relentlessly. Gabara was pinned down and taking a lot of punishment. He realized he had to act quickly. Gabara let out another concentrated strike of electricity which stunned Godzilla long enough for him to be pushed away.
Godzilla was quick to recover this time. As he rolled over, he used a certain amount of finesse to get right back up. Gabara was also fast to get back on his feet. At that point, the two monsters stood there facing off, looking at each other eye to eye. There was a brief standoff. Godzilla was the first to make a move. He came forward, clenching a fist and punching towards Gabara's face. Gabara reacted, moving just enough to avoid taking the impact on his nose, but he still got hit in the shoulder. Gabara struck back, using some energy to charge a counterpunch. Godzilla blocked the strike with his arms, but he still absorbed the energy of the attack anyways.
Enraged, Godzilla bit down into Gabara shoulder at the base of his neck. Gabara was taken by surprise, and again, unleashed an electrical attack by reflex. It was a mistake. The power rushing through Godzilla's jaw muscles constricted them tightly, forcing him to bite down even harder. Blood began to pour out of Gabara's shoulder as Godzilla's sharp teeth penetrated even further down. In desperation, Gabara punched Godzilla in the face repeatedly until the King of the Monsters was forced to let go.
Godzilla stepped back a little to avoid any follow-up strikes. At that point, he decided to change tactics and attack Gabara in a way which wouldn't require physical contact. He reached down for a boulder and then heaved it at his opponent. The rock struck Gabara in the face and knocked out one of his front teeth. He brought a clawed hand to his mouth to swipe away the pain.
Gabara soon recovered, and then rushed towards Godzilla, grabbing him around the waist and hoisting him upwards into the air. Gabara locked his hands together behind Godzilla's back and held him up in a grand spectacle of a bearhug. The raw strength was impressive. Once he had Godzilla up there, Gabara hit him with the biggest shock of the fight, pushing himself to the limit. Godzilla convulsed again, this time, foam was forming at the sides of his mouth. Gabara struggled to keep the intensity of the attack going.
Eventually, Gabara was once again forced to stop his electrical attack, but he didn't let Godzilla down. Instead, he started to absorb the nuclear energy from within the King of the Monsters. The nuclear fission within Godzilla's body was a nearly endless source of energy for Gabara to feed on. He could never actually drain Godzilla completely, but that meant Gabara could recharge himself endlessly as well.
Godzilla however had no intention of letting himself be fed on that way. With his free hand, he hammered down on Gabara's defenseless face until his adversary was obliged to let him go. As he landed on his feet, Godzilla let loose with his nuclear breath once more, which drove Gabara even further away and put him on his back. Gabara had taken the shot to his armored plates though, which kept him from sustaining any serious damage.
While Gabara was still recovering, Godzilla looked around and saw something that would help him end the fight swiftly and decisively. Godzilla turned and withdrew in the direction he had initially come from. As Gabara got up, he saw Godzilla retreating and thought that he'd given up the fight. Still feeling hungry for more power, Gabara gave chase. Godzilla changed direction when he reached the beach and began to clamber up the nearby rockface. Once he was at the top of the plateau, he turned to face Gabara. Godzilla was happy to see that his opponent was in hot pursuit.
Gabara was feeling very confident at that point. He'd cornered Godzilla against the side of a cliff and thought that he had him trapped. Gabara rushed forward eagerly, gaining momentum as he went. Power was surging through his outreached arms. Just as Gabara reached Godzilla, he prepared another powerful electrical attack. Godzilla however ducked down and got under Gabara, taking him entirely by surprise. Godzilla lifted Gabara up onto his back and then flipped him over the cliffside.
Gabara plunged downward until he finally hit the water hard. Upon impact, all of the energy that he had stolen came pouring out of him all at once. In the water, Gabara couldn't control the surging power and electrocuted himself intensely. He shuddered, jerked, and wrenched violently.
As the electricity in the water finally died away, Godzilla looked down from the cliffs at his fallen enemy. Gabara lay in the surf motionless. He just stared up aimlessly into the sky. Godzilla couldn't tell if he was alive or dead. One thing was for certain though, there was no more fight left in him. That was enough for Godzilla. He'd won another hard-fought battle and once again reigned supreme. He walked down the hill and came around until he was wading into the waves.
Godzilla spared one more glance towards Gabara, who still lay there immobile. Satisfied with the outcome, Godzilla departed.
…
By the next morning, the British fleet arrived to confirm Gabara's demise. However, in the darkness of the night, the monster had disappeared.