CHAPTER TWO

Dom looked out the window and rubbed his sleepy eyes. Though it was dark, he could see the ground getting gradually closer. It was very, very early in the morning. An attendant had told Dom that the flight would last sixteen hours, which he thought meant he’d arrive in Tokyo just in time to grab lunch. Unfortunately, he had forgotten about the time difference… though it was 12:00 PM in the United States… in Japan, it was 2:00 AM. Lunch was the last thing on his mind now.

After leaning over Will to peer out the window one more time, he nudged his cameraman in the side and woke him. Will’s eyes reluctantly opened, and he stared at Dom.

“Uhhhhh… what time is it?” Will moaned.

“It’s two in the freakin morning.” Dom howled, falling back in his chair as the announcement that the plane was landing aired.

“Are you serious? Man…” Will mumbled, stretching and cracking his fingers.

“So what’s the first thing we should do when we get here?” Dom said after a groggy moment.

“Well… what I’d like to do is find somewhere to stay, and sleep.” Will sighed. “But I suppose that’s not what Jerry would want, huh?”

“No, I guess not.” Dom admitted. He had wanted to do the same thing. “But what else can we do? If we’re going to get footage of that monster, we’re gonna need a boat or something… and I don’t think anyone’s open this early. Besides, we’re going to need a translator for that, aren’t we?”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. But it seems wrong just goofing around until then… I mean, if Jerry finds out…” Will trailed off.

“Jerry won’t find out.” Dom reassured, buckling his seatbelt and looking ahead confidently. “So… we’ll just sleep in the airport or something.”

True to his word, they got as far as the airport benches before collapsing. Passing travelers stifled their laughter at the lazy Americans sleeping on benches, clutching luggage like stuffed animals. 10 hours and a case of jetlag later, Dom and Will found themselves in the streets of Tokyo looking for a place to eat. The streets were crowded and full of busy people, which would have troubled most people- but certainly not Dom or Will. They were New Yorkers. They were used to it.

Though neither of them could read Japanese, they managed to spot a restaurant. Had it not been for the flashy neon sign advertising a steaming bowl of rice and curry, they’d have surely missed it. The restaurant’s seats were located outdoors, under white umbrellas. Dom and Will sat down and picked up their menus, which were already at the table

“It’s a good thing I’m fluent in Japanese.” Dom said sarcastically, staring down at the massive jumble of nonsensical looking words.

“Hey, you did get our dollars converted didn’t you?” Will asked, looking up.

“Yeah, at the airport.” Dom mumbled, scanning the gibberish hungrily. Their waiter appeared, and said something quickly in Japanese. Dom knew what he was asking, but had no idea what to order. He randomly picked something, and struggled to pronounce it. Will was luckier. He had recognized the first half of one gibberish-word from a Chinese restaurant he had once visited, and ordered that. The waiter bowed and left.

“Okay. After this, we’ve seriously got to get shooting. Or at least rent a boat and BS for a while.” Dom muttered.

“Haha, I can see you now.” Will said, doing his best imitation of Dom. “Telling some hokey story about sea monsters for thirty minutes while you float around in the middle of nowhere.”

“Something like that, yeah.” Dom said, putting his hands behind his head and yawning.

The waiter returned a few minutes later, bringing the two trays. Will received his first, and was relieved to see that it was a rice dish with chicken and steamed vegetables served with a spicy smelling sauce. The waiter sat Dom’s dish down in front of him and grinned. To everyone’s surprise, he mustered up a sentence of English.

“Not many Americans order tako.” He said before bowing and departing.

Dom soon knew what he meant. On top of a small heap of rice and broccoli was a purple mass of slimy flesh, and dangling off the sides of the tray were eight dripping tentacles. Dom held back a gag and laughed.

“I guess tako is Japanese for Octopus!” He chuckled, poking the limp cephalic with his fork.

“Yeah… I think before we do anything else, we need a translator.” Will said.

“Nah… this isn’t so bad.” Dom said, chewing on a rubbery tentacle and fighting with his gag reflex. “It sort of tastes like calamari. Or… rubber… dipped in urine… and battery acid!” Dom spat the repulsive chunk of Octopus flesh into his napkin and gulped down half his glass of water, shaking his head wildly.

After finishing and paying for their meal, they began to search the streets for anything or anyone that might be able to lend them a helping hand. They found a vendor selling a small book on Japanese that came with English, Spanish, and French translations, but were discouraged to see the price. Just like in America. Everyone wants to make an easy buck off the tourists! Dom thought with mild amusement.

As they wandered around, a little old woman wobbled up to their side. Noticing Will pointing, Dom turned to look down at her. She was remarkably short, and had thin white hair. She smiled sweetly and spoke in a quiet, raspy voice.

“Hello.” She said. “Do you two need some help?”

“Yes… yes we do.” Dom said, grateful that they had finally found someone capable of speaking English fluently. “We’ve been searching for a translator. Could you…?”

“I would be delighted, young man!” She said, nodding her head.

“Great. Thanks!” Will said, reaching down to shake hands.

“My name is Dom, I’m a reporter from the United States. And this is Will, my cameraman.” Dom announced.

“And my name is Yuzuha Karosawa. Pleased to meet you.” She replied, bowing her head briefly. “What do you need translated, friends?”

“We don’t know just yet.” Will said. “We’re looking for a boat to rent, so we can go out in the bay- as close to the area where that ship sank as possible.”

“Oh my,” Yuzuha whispered. “Why would you want to go out there?”

“Well… between you and us,” Dom said. “We’re here to get whatever sank that ship on camera before anyone else does.”

“That creature has been filmed before.” Yuzuha said simply. “But nevertheless, I will take you to the pier nearby and help you rent a boat.”

Dom and Will followed her, baffled. How could the creature have been filmed before? Jerry had said that no one knew what the creature was. But it didn’t sound like she was interested in telling them anything, and since she was currently their only way to get around Tokyo, he didn’t want to push too hard.

Yuzuha led them through the crowds and to a relatively empty pier. Yuhuza told them to wait there, and she would go ahead and rent the boat. They spent a rather awkward ten minutes waiting on her, standing on the pier and being stared at by the native fisherman. Yuhuza finally returned to them, smiling brightly.

“Your ship is right over there.” She said, pointing to a small motorboat docked nearby. “I won’t be joining you on the boat, I’m afraid. I get terribly seasick. I hate to leave you so soon… here. Take this.”

Yuzuha pulled out a piece of paper and scribbled down an adress.

“Go to that address and tell the lady at the desk that Yuzuha sent you, alright? She’ll give you a room for the night, on the house. I hope I’ve been of some help!” She said, waving. “Farewell, and good luck finding Gojira!”

With that mysterious comment, Yuzuha left into the crowded streets of Tokyo and disappeared without a trace. Dom and Will scratched their heads and stepped over to the docked motorboat. It was fairly good condition, and looked seaworthy to Dom. They got in, untied it, and raised anchor. And as they flipped the switch to the motor and left from the pier and into the waters of Tokyo Bay, they couldn’t help but wonder… was this REALLY the first time this had happened?

Dom and Will took the boat out as far as possible before a line of buoys and coast guard ships stopped them. This must be where the ship sunk. Will thought, inspecting the grim look on the faces of the various coast guard workers on deck. He turned to Dom and pulled out his camera, holding it on his shoulder and steadying it. He couldn’t use a tripod here; the little boat would surely overturn if he stood up. He secretly wished Yuzuha had got them something sturdier than this. But he’d make do.

“Alright, Dom. Ready when you are. This looks like a good spot.” Will announced, aiming the camera at Dom.

“Right,” He said, reaching for his mike.

“Ready in five… four… three… two… one…!” Will whispered.

“Hello,” Dom announced, straightening himself up. “This is Dom Giovanni reporting for the Channel Four News. I’m here in Tokyo Bay, at the site of the mysterious ship sinking that took place yesterday. The ship was sunken, it would seem, by something alive. The claw marks on the bottom of the ship suggest an attack by an animal of immense size, though it is not known what kind of creature could have done this. It is this reporter’s opinion that it is a new species entirely. Whatever it is, its is most certainly dangerous. Behind me, you’ll see a line of ships from the Japanese coastguard. They are blockading the area where the attack took place, presumably for the protection of the Japanese citizens. The creature that sank the vessel has not yet been spotted, and is still on the prowl… My cameraman Will Griffin and I plan on finding this creature and catching it on camera before anyone else and broadcasting this story on Channel Four globally, as well as showing the tape to the local authorities in hopes of giving them the beast’s location. Any living thing of this magnitude could pose a serious threat to the people of Japan, and we feel it is our responsibility to do whatever possible to help against this menace.”

Will gave the signal, and Dom turned off his mike. Will put the lens cap back on and put away his camera. Dom ran his fingers through his hair and took a deep breath.

“So?” He asked. “How was that?”

“Better than the kitten story.” Will mused. “But are you sure you want to promise the world that your going to get footage of this thing? I mean, if we don’t find it… we’ll be letting down all our viewers. And not just the ones in NYC- this will be globally broadcast!”

“Quit being such a pessimist,” Dom sighed. “We’re going to find it. I can feel it in my gut.”

“Yeah, well… I’ve been thinking. Maybe it’d be better if we didn’t find this thing, man.” Will said nervously. “I mean, it chewed that boat up pretty good. And did you see the claw marks on the hull? That thing must be HUGE!”

“Yeah, so?” Dom chuckled. “We’ll keep our distance.”

“Yeah, we will, but it might not.” Will answered. “It’s obviously not friendly, Dom. What if it thinks we look like something good to eat, huh? What are we gonna do? Throw a microphone up its nose?”

“Don’t worry about it, Will.” Dom said, becoming more serious. “We’ve already got enough to worry about. But trust me, we’ll keep our distance. And if things start to get hairy, we’ll cut off the report and get out. Okay?”

“Okay.” Will agreed. “I’m trusting you Dom.”

“Good. Now… how are we going to find this thing anyway?” Dom asked.

“Uh…” Will mumbled. “That’s a good question.”

“You’ve got a waterproof casing for that camera, right?” Dom asked, scratching his chin.

“Don’t get too ahead of yourself. I’ve got the casing, but that’s it. We don’t have scuba diving equipment or anything like that.”

“Hmmm… there’s gotta be something we can do.” Dom sighed.

“Would’ve been easier if he had sent us here with something useful; a mini-sub, or scuba diving gear. I mean, hell, he didn’t even give us a translator. If you ask me, that cigar-chewing snake in the grass wants us to fail.” Will said with mounting frustration.

“No,” Dom said, shaking his head. “As much as it seems that way… he can’t. His career is running on this just like ours. If we don’t get a story, we won’t be the only ones with problems.”

“Yeah, only Jerry has enough money that when he loses his job, he’ll be able to support himself long enough to get a new job. We haven’t got that much money, Dom… you know that more than I do.” Will groaned.

“Calm down. I told you we’ll find a way, and we will. Just be patient, Will.” Dom said, giving a crooked grin. “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

“Then it’s a good thing you brought a Will, huh?” Will said, laughing.

They drove the boat around the bay for about an hour, disappointed. The coast guard’s barrier stretched all the way across the bay, blocking the deeper water and denying them the chance to look for the monster there. Not they’d have had much luck anyway. Unless it decided to swim up next to their boat, they wouldn’t have seen it.

They headed back to shore, discouraged and unsure of what would happen next. As optimistic as Dom had tried to sound, he was really just as nervous as Will. They didn’t have any way of finding the monster, and with the coast guard patrolling the prime location, there was a pretty good chance that they’d get the story long before Dom.

As they reached the pier and began to slow down, Dom noticed a small fishing boat docked on the same pier. He took one look at the catch of the day and the name of the ship, and ordered Will to pull out the camera and get ready to roll. Dom tied the boat up to the pier in a hurry and scrambled onto the wooden planks, pulling Will with him and running to the captain of the ship as he stepped onto the pier. Dom flashed the signal to start shooting.

“Hello, sir.” Dom said, holding up his mike. “My name is Dom Giovanni, I’m a reporter for the Channel Four News.”

“Eh… hello… I‘m Dale Mishubishi” Mumbled the captain of the Mountain Majesty.

“I noticed the fish you’ve brought in today are rather strange looking. Would you mind filling me in?” Dom asked, stepping closer.

“Eh, yeah.” The Asian-American fisherman gulped, looking back at his catch. “I pulled in these fish this morning, before the coast guard shut everything down. They’re all weird looking.”

Will zoomed in the camera lens, focusing on the open net and it’s contents. Heaped in a pile were hundreds of silvery fish, though many of them looked out of the ordinary.

“This one,” Dale said, picking up one of the fish. “Has got three eyes. And another one over here hasn’t got any fins on it’s body at all. Heck, I got one over here so messed up I don’t even want to show it to you.”

“What do you think caused this?” Dom inquired.

“Well… I’ve only been here a few months, but I remember hearing some stories about something like this happening once before.” Dale sighed. “They said it was because of radiation. Said it contaminated all the fish in the bay. Made them all mutated… totally inedible, too. Made anyone who consumed them violently ill.”

“Do you think that’s what happened here?” Dom asked.

“Maybe,” Dale shrugged, wiping salt from his squinted eyes. “But I don’t know why there’d be any radiation here. No nuclear power plants or anything like that for miles.”

“Fascinating…” Dom whispered, looking down at a fish with translucent fins and bleeding gills. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Mishubishi.”

Dom walked away from the ship, staring off into the sea with more questions now than before. He remembered that Will was still rolling, and turned back to face the camera.

“So, there you have it.” Dom said grimly. “Mutant fish caught in Tokyo Bay. Perhaps these unfortunate creatures have a link with the monster that is lurking these waters. Maybe it too is a mutant, and these fish are only a sample of what is to come? Only time will tell…”

Dom gave the signal, and Will shut off the camera.

“Weird.” Will said, shaking his head. “Radiation… you think that monster’s radioactive too?”

“Maybe, but it’s hard to say. They never checked that ship with a Geiger counter or anything, did they?” Dom asked.

“Not that I know of.” Will responded. “No reason, I guess.”

“Huh… this is getting more interesting all the time…” Dom said to himself.

“We still need a way to get under the water, though.” Will insisted. “None of this means anything if we can’t get down there. For all we know, this thing has gills and stays under all the time. It might never come close enough for us to see it from a boat.”

“Well, let’s check into that hotel Yuzuha told us about first.” Dom said. “We can clear our heads and relax for a bit. Then maybe we’ll think of something.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Will said. “I have been feeling a little stressed…”

“I couldn’t tell.” Dom remarked, grinning slyly.

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s go.” Will snorted.

****

After searching the streets of Tokyo for the address Yuzuha gave them, they finally found the right spot. It was a small, cozy looking brick building wedged in between a sweetshop and what appeared to be a Laundromat. They entered and approached the main desk. A middle aged Japanese woman was already there, as if expecting someone to come in. Dom didn’t know if she spoke English or not.

“Hello…? Uh… Yuzuha sent us…” Dom said, stumbling with his words. He wondered if she understood a word he said. Surprisingly, she nodded and stepped out from behind the desk.

She gave a hand gesture to follow, and ascended a lengthy flight of stairs. When she got to the top, she pointed to the first door on the left and handed them a key. She smiled and bowed to them, and feeling that it was necessary, they bowed back. She giggled and left down the stairs. Dom shrugged.

“Okay…” He muttered, putting the key in and pushing the door open.

Dom reached in his hand and searched for the light switch, found it with his index finger, and turned on the lights. The room was illuminated by a dim, orangish-yellow light. The room was not large, and had a beige carpet with a few barely noticeable stains in it. There was a wooden desk with a chair, and two beds with blue-gray sheets and fluffy pillows. There was a large window, currently covered by off-white drapes, and a dusty lamp sat in the corner.

“Let’s open these drapes and see what kinda view we got.” Will said, walking over and pulling the drapes.

As the drapes parted, they revealed a beautiful bird’s eye view of Tokyo and Tokyo Bay. They could see the coast guard’s buoy line from their room.

“Hey, great.” Dom said. “If anything happens out there, we can see it from up here.”

“Yeah, I’ll set the tripod up by the window just in case.” Will said, setting down some of his things and pulling out his camera.

“I wonder how Yuzaha knows the hotel manager.” Dom pondered.

“Maybe they’re just friends.” Will shrugged, placing his camera on the tripod.

“Or maybe Yuzuha lives here too?” Dom asked. “Maybe that’s how she knows the manager. She might have a room here, or live nearby…”

“Well, we can’t ask the manager,” Will sighed. “She doesn’t speak English.”

“But she does recognize the name Yuzuha.” Dom pointed out. “Maybe she could lead us to her?”

“I guess it’s worth a try.” Will said, stepping back from the tripod. He looked down at his watch.

“It’s almost three o’ clock.” He announced. “We’ve got plenty of daylight to burn.”

“Good… leave your stuff here. If we find Yuzuha, I’ll ask her for an interview here. That way you won’t have to move the tripod.” Dom said. Will nodded.

They left their room and locked the door, then looked around. There wasn’t much sound- there must not have been many people staying here right now. They descended the dreadfully long flight of steps, and reached the lobby at the bottom. The woman at the desk was sitting on a stool, sipping a cup of tea. She looked up at Dom and Will and smiled politely.

“Hello, again.” Dom said, not sure if it was even necessary to say hello. It just sounded like gibberish to her, he was sure. “You know Yuzuha, don’t you? Yuzuha Karosawa?”

She paused, as if trying to grasp what he said, then nodded slowly.

“Can you take me to her? Can you take me to Yuzuha?” He asked, making a gesture with his hands.

She shrugged and got up, then walked past them and up the stairs. Dom and Will exchanged glances and followed her. She walked swiftly, almost like she didn’t want to be followed. But Dom was sure that she did. She stopped abruptly in front of a numberless door at the end of the hall, across from the janitor’s closet, which smelled heavily of cleaning equipment. The woman pointed to the door and smiled, then departed.

“Cool.” Dom said, knocking on the door. No one answered.

“Maybe she didn’t hear you,” Dom said, knocking harder. There was a soft breaking noise from inside, as though the room’s occupant had been caught off guard and accidentally knocked something over.

“Who is it?” Yuhuza called, then repeated herself in Japanese. Dom could hear her sweeping something up.

“It’s Dom Giovanni.” Dom said. “And Will Griffin. Remember?”

“Oh yes,” She said, hurrying to the door. She pulled it open and beamed. “I remember you both, of course! What is it, boys? Do you need help?”

“Well, yes, we do. But we also came to ask if you’d mind being interviewed?” Dom asked.

“Interviewed?” Yuzuha paused. “Whatever for?”

“Well… we want to know more about the monster.” Dom said, clearing his throat. “We heard you call it Gojira. And then today we met a fisherman with a load of mutant fish, and he said it had happened before a long time ago. We thought maybe you knew something about this whole monster business that we don’t?”

“Indeed, I do…” Yuhuza trailed off, shaking her head. “You may interview me, Mr. Giovanni. But you will not like hearing what I have to say.”

“If it’s the truth, and if it has to do with the monster, then I want to hear it whether it’s pleasant or not.” Dom said firmly.

“Very well.” Yuzuha agreed. “I see you do not have your camera.”

“No,” Will spoke up. “It’s in our room. We were hoping you’d be willing to do the interview there?”

“Of course, dear.” She said, glancing at him.

Yuzuha followed them ten doors down to their room, and upon entering, gazed out the window at the ocean. She whispered something to herself and sat down in the wooden chair. Will turned the camera to face her, and Dom turned on his microphone. Will lifted his hand and counted to five with his fingers.

“Tonight I’m here with Yuzuha Karosawa, a local from right here in Tokyo.” Dom said, facing the camera. “She has agreed to let us interview her. She says she has information on the Tokyo Bay sea monster that will be of benefit to us.” He turned to Yuzuha. “What is it you know about the creature?”

“The creature’s name is Gojira.” She said into the microphone. “And this is not the first time it has shown it’s face in Tokyo. Fifty-two years ago, Gojira came ashore here in Tokyo Bay.”

“You saw the monster… Gojira?” Dom asked.

“Unfortunately, I did.” Yuzuha answered grimly. “I was here when it came onto land. In this very room.”

“You saw Gojira through this window, then? Is this why you wanted us to come here?” Dom questioned.

“Yes. If Gojira comes ashore again, you will be the first ones to see. But if you had only seen what I have seen, you would not wish for it. Never…” Yuzuha whispered. “I witnessed Gojira destroy this city. I watched Gojira kill thousands of innocent people and burn this place to the ground. I was lucky to escape with my life.”

“But if Gojira has appeared before and caused so much destruction, why does no one remember?” Dom asked. “No one has recognized the monster as Gojira.”

“Too many have forgotten it ever happened.” Yuzuha said. “It was before the time of most of Japan’s citizens today. And those who do remember it are old or dead. The only ones who know Gojira is responsible and are able to do something about it is the Japanese military. And as it is, they’re covering it up.

“Covering it up? Why? Shouldn’t they tell the citizens that Gojira is back?” Dom asked, surprised.

“They should. But they’re too ashamed of themselves.” Yuzuha hissed. “You see… fifty-two years ago they tried to stop Gojira. But they failed miserably. All their weapons were useless against Gojira, and no matter how hard they tried, they could never succeed. Not many people took them too seriously after that.”

“So they don’t want to admit it’s Gojira, because they know they won’t be able to stop him?” Dom asked. “That’s right.” She sighed. “They’re acting like cowards, if you ask me. They should swallow their pride and tell the people what is happening. Before it’s too late.”

“And Gojira itself…” Dom muttered. “What is it? Where did it come from, and where did it get the name?”

“Gojira was the name given to the creature by a tribe of natives on a nearby island.” Yuzuha explained. “They worshipped Gojira, and made human sacrifices to keep him happy. But then during World War II, the United States military tested H-Bombs in the ocean, near where Gojira was said to sleep under the water. The explosions woke Gojira and bathed him in radiation. He became angry and ravenous, and destroyed the natives. Then he came here, to Tokyo…”

“But what IS Gojira? What does he look like?” Dom pressed.

“Gojira… is the most terrifying creature you or I will ever see.” She said flatly. “He is far larger than any animal that has ever walked this Earth. The Japanese military estimated him to be nearly three hundred feet tall.”

“Three hundred feet tall?!” Dom stammered. How could anything BE that big?! He thought, amazed.

“Atleast.” She said humbly. “They said he was something left over from the prehistoric times. Some kind of gigantic dinosaur. That’s what he looked like… a dinosaur. But like those fish you saw today, he was a mutant. There were many things about Gojira that I will never understand…”

“I’m just… dumbfounded by this, Yuzuha.” Dom sighed. “I just can’t grasp it. A three hundred foot tall dinosaur in Tokyo Bay. And nobody even wants to admit it’s there.”

“Yes, it is a strange thing.” Yuzaha said, smiling quaintly. “But not everyone has forgotten Gojira, and that is what’s important. Tomorrow I am leaving Tokyo, and taking everyone I love with me. I fear for all of Japan… those who know, and those we do not… they are all in danger. Myself included.”

“I see…” Dom whispered. “I have one last question, Yuzaha. Tokyo is still here… so Gojira must’ve been stopped before. How? You said all the military’s weaponry had no affect on him.”

“Ah… and that is true. The military’s weapons did not harm Gojira. Not even a little. Gojira was defeated by a single man.” She said, remembering clearly. “Dr. Serizawa. He was an inventor… in secret, he had been working on a weapon. No one knew what it was or what it did, but Serizawa used it on Gojira. And he killed himself in the process- to make sure that no one could ever replicate that dreaded weapon of his, they say. People on the ship Serizawa took said they watched Gojira die, they said they could see the flesh burning from his bones, and said they saw him disappear into the ocean under red waves. They were all convinced Gojira was dead… an American reporter by the name of Steve Martin made a broadcast during Gojira’s rampage, telling the whole world… he called it Godzilla. That’s what Gojira is in English, I suppose… but the Japanese military confronted his story and called him a liar. They said it was only a prank… that there had never been any monster, or a Dr. Serizawa. They covered the whole thing up.”

“So… no one knows how to stop him? Not even the military knows?” Dom asked.

“No.” She sighed. “But they’ll bluff it as soon as Gojira shows up, I’m sure of that. They’ll tell everyone it’s under control…”

“I see.” Dom finished, shaking his head. “Well, thank you very much, Yuzuha. You’ve given us some very valuable information.”

“Your very welcome…” Yuzuha said, smiling. “But please… promise me you’ll be careful.”

“Of course.” Dom said, nodding. Will shut the camera off, and Yuzuha left without another word.