EPISODE 4: FIRST CLASH! KIRYU VS. MANDA!

 

Dark waves of the pacific broke against the bow of the massive aircraft carrier, USS Saratoga. The ship moved steadily across the ocean’s wavy surface without any of the rocking in its motion commonly attributed to boat travel. It was a well-lit night thanks to the half-moon overhead that provided a light blue tint over the flight deck. This was especially true with its main cargo; the 80-meter tall, mechanized fighting machine known as Kiryu.

Behind Kiryu, there sat two large white aircraft and a slightly larger dark-green third. The two white jets were more traditionally shaped planes with pointed noses while the green one had a blunt face to it. There appeared to be no one on deck that night except for a skeleton crew up in the bridge. The same was said for the two escort cruisers accompanying the Saratoga and a large barge that was travelling in tow.

At a staircase near the bridge, a faint metallic tapping echoed from its well. The tapping became progressively louder in succession until a head of long wavy brown hair emerged. It was Bri, dressed in her blue and silver USAF windbreakers. Once on deck she looked around at the nearly empty platform to gage where she was at before proceeding over to Kiryu. Though the night sky was a beauty to behold, with the bright moon and millions of stars twinkling in the eternal depths of space, Bri’s anxiety-ridden focus was on the steel and asphalt synthetic ground on which she was walking. Upon getting closer to Kiryu, she gazed up at her impressive new vehicle.

The blue tint of the moonlight gave the mechanical titan a cool glow against its metal-alloy surface. Though at first Bri was overcome with the same marvel she did the first time she saw it, her anxiety did not fade. Once she was standing in front of Kiryu, she felt just even more puny to it than she already was. Inside she was a maelstrom of thoughts, worries, and few hopes. For the past few days, she had trained hard in the simulator for at least 8 hours a day, and though she progressed fantastically, in the back of her mind she reminded herself that it was only simulations.

“Can’t sleep either?” A voice said from behind her.

Bri, slightly startled, quickly turned to find Akane standing in her fitness uniform as well.

               “Yes.” Bri replied.

               “I understand.” Akane said as she walked up next to Bri to gaze at Kiryu as well. “12 years and 9 missions, I still have nights like this.”

               “Why did you join?” Bri asked.

               “Originally,” Akane said, “I joined as Moguera’s Pilot. After my third mission it was decided I’d be better suited as part of the Capture Division.”

               “Why?” Bri asked.

               “Even though I was saving lives, I learned some things about Kaiju that made me want to capture instead of kill them.” Akane explained. “I saw a truth to them that most don’t.”

               “What truth is that?”

               “Monsters are a tragedy. Most are not evil by choice. They just do not belong in our world; born too tall, too strong, too heavy. They are born to our world where they do not realize that their presence is a problem because we are so puny that they probably aren’t even aware of our existence. To them, a trip through our cities, is like us walking through the woods; oblivious that with every step there is destruction and death. Worse still, most are here because of us. Our atomic testing, deforestation, pollution; so many things that bring these monsters upon us.”

               “Sounds just like us as well then.” Bri commented. “Not all of us are good and not all of us are bad. And those who we deem monsters aren’t always monsters by choice.”

               The left side of Akane’s mouth curled upwards slightly into a half smile before she said, “So, why are you awake?”

               Bri took in a deep breath, it was difficult for her to admit, but she spoke up, “I’m nervous. And I never get nervous.”

               “I understand.” Akane said.

               “I have been training hard for the last few days in the simulator.” Bri explained. “I have flown many combat missions in my career. Yet, I feel like I am not ready for what’s ahead. At first, I was excited at the prospect of everything; getting to operate this incredible machine, capturing massive monsters, and the lodgings aren’t bad either. It wasn’t until my first time in the simulator that I stopped and realized just how in over my head I was. Then watching the archive footage of prior missions and the battles against Godzilla 30 years ago; I found myself really questioning if I made the right call. I don’t know if I’m ready for this.”

               “I don’t know if you are either.” Akane commented, drawing a concerned glance from Bri. “As Colonel Hayashida pointed out to me though, fate doesn’t call upon us at a moment of our choosing. However, it’s better to go into the storm feeling anxiety rather than over-confidence.”

               Bri looked back up at Kiryu, remarking, “That is true…”

               “We won’t know until tomorrow.” Akane said. “For now, all I can do is trust you to make good, calculated decisions and look out for you to the best of my ability.” She looked at Bri and said, “Remember, you are never alone.”

               Bri looked at Akane, and with a little relief she said, “I will never forget it, Captain.”

               Akane, smiled back with a relief of her own before walking back to her quarters. Bri looked back up at Kiryu. This time, she did not feel quite so much judgement from the Mecha-Kaiju’s stare.

               On that same night, at the Monarch camp in Vancouver, Ken was having trouble sleeping on the cot in his tent. He tossed and turned his pillow wrapped over his ears, while a loud and endless snoring was emanating 10 feet to his right; from the perfectly comfortable Akira. The snoring scientist was sleeping sloppily in his cot with his left leg sticking out from under his blanket and his right arm dangling over the side.

               Ken sat up in his cot, frustrated and rubbing his tired eyes.

               He looked over at his snoring friend and loudly whispered, “Akira-san!” There was no response. “Akira-san!”

               Akira snorted a bit but did not hear his friend calling out to him.

               In a final effort, Ken grabbed a marker from the bag by his cot, unaware that the cap was off, and threw it at Akira. The marker’s tip grazed his face leaving a black streak that stretched from his left cheek to the right corner of his forehead.

               Akira flailed one of his arms and gasped while slurring, “Meganula…” before continuing his snoring.

               “Gojira could roar in his ear, and it wouldn’t wake him.” Ken thought to himself while sighing defeatedly.

               At that moment, he suddenly felt his bladder beckoning. Snatching up his hoodie, he quickly slipped on a pair of shoes and exited the tent. Once outside, Ken maneuvered his way through the small city of tents that awaited outside. The moon was shining just as brightly over the area as it was for the Saratoga, but the shadows of the tents were much darker in contrast as a result. Several times, Ken clumsily staggered over the tie-downs of other tents before he finally reached the edge of the woods.

               There was a chill in the air, enough to generate a thick steam from Ken’s breath. He proceeded to an area not too far from the shoreline before finally relieving himself. Before he was able to make his way back, movement down on the beach caught his attention. In the moonlight, he could make out the silhouette of a figure kneeling at the shoreline.

               Quietly, Ken crept closer to investigate. He couldn’t see who it was specifically, just that the person was kneeling and bowing with their arms out towards the ocean, worshipping it. He could hear the faint sound of what sounded like prayer, but it was in a language he did not recognize and in a tone of voice that was too low for him to recognize either. Just when he was about to move even closer, a branch broke behind him.

               “Hoy!” Akira’s voice called out with a tired slur. “Ken-san!”

               Ken ducked behind a tree, out of view of the beach, and cursed to himself in Japanese, “Kuso!”

               Akira turned and wandered over to him in a drunken daze, and called out, “Ken-san.” The mark on his face; still there.

               Ken waved his hand at him and quietly yelled for him to shut-up, “Urusai! Urusai!”

               Asking what was wrong, Akira said, “Dou shita no?”

               Ken peered back around the tree only to see that whoever was on the beach had vanished.

               “Ken-san?” Akira asked.

               Ken sighed and headed back to camp, and told Akira nothing, by saying “Nashi.”

               “Nashi?” Akira puzzledly said looking at Ken then peering down at the beach.

               He shrugged it off and then wandered back to camp after his friend.

               The sun broke the eastern horizon over the ocean the following morning. Onboard the Saratoga, A special lift carried Bri, dressed in her blue black and grey MFS-3 flight-suit, up to Kiryu’s hip where she entered the Mecha-Kaiju’s body through a hatch in the side. After closing and locking the hatch behind her she proceeded through a small walkway, lit up by UV lights, to another door. Pressing a button to the right, the door lifted revealing the cockpit which seemed to come alive with LED light as she entered. The control area was almost identical to the training simulator; albeit a little more open.

               On another part of the deck, Akane was being lifted to the side hatch for the large green aircraft, wearing a similar flight-suit to Bri’s. As the lift carried her up, she had her eyes set on Kiryu. Even upon reaching the side hatch to her new aircraft, she paused for a moment to get one last good look at her former partner. As she turned, she glimpsed the white insignia on the side of the craft; S-XIII.

               The aircraft’s cockpit was like Kiryu’s, the main difference being that Akane now had a front window, which provided her with a nice 180-degree view out the front and sides, and the monitors and panels sat lower as a result.

               As Akane sat in her seat, she flicked a yellow switch, powering on the monitors. On the main one in front of her, a 3D human face with blue gridlines outlining the features appeared against the black background.

               “Greetings Captain Yoshiro,” A pleasant voice said in Japanese, “I am Auto, at your service.”

               Akane cracked a slightly amused smile.

               In Kiryu’s cockpit, Bri had just finished powering on Kiryu’s systems as well. Like Akane, she too had a digital AI assistant that appeared named, Auto.

               “Preliminary diagnostics complete, Lieutenant.” Auto said. “You are clear to being lift-off procedures.

               Bri spoke into the small mic on her head helmet, “Diagnostics are all clear. Readying main thrusters.”

               8 jet-thrusters slowly ignited on Kiryu with bright yellow flames; two large ones on the shoulder and back mount, four smaller ones on the Mech’s back, two that emerged from compartments on the side of the thighs.

               Admiral Stanz, who was observing everything from the Saratoga’s flight tower said to the Carrier’s Captain, a bald strongly built African American, and said “Give the orders, Captain.” Before proceeding down, a flight of stairs.

               “Initiate long range TK Scan and clear the deck.” The captain said to his sub-ordinates. “The moment the TK Tracker is located, upload the information to MFS-3 and Super X-3’s computers.”

               A buzzer went off on the flight deck; signaling all crew aboard to clear the runway and Kiryu’s launch-pad.

               “Receiving the TK-Tracker now Captain.” The Auto on Super X-3 said to Akane.

               “Coordinates locked in Lieutenant.” The Auto on Kiryu said to Bri a few seconds later.

               “TK Tracker information received.” Akane and Bri said into their radio mics.

               “Roger.” The captain said. “You are clear to begin take-off.”

               Bri took in a deep breath and flexed her hands, making fists then stretching her fingers three times. She then gripped the control sticks firmly.

               “Kiryu…” Bri said. “Taking off.”

               The flames on Kiryu’s thrusters grew and Kiryu slowly began to lift off the deck. Once at a height of 600 feet, above the carrier, it hovered in place for a moment.

               “Locking onto TK-Tracker.” Bri said as Kiryu rotated in the sky towards the North-East. “Beginning pursuit of TK signal.”

               Kiryu leaned forward at a 45-degree angle and flew off to its destination.

               Back on the flight deck it was Akane’s turn.

               “Super X-3, moving on deck.” Akane said.

               The large aircraft rolled on its landing gear to the rear of the flight deck and turned towards the bow. Bright yellow jets of flame emerged from its four thrusters on its rear.

               “Main thrusters ready.” Akane said.

               “Roger.” Captain said. “Super X-3, you are clear for take-off.”

               “Roger.” Akane said, before taking in a deep breath as well. “Super X-3… Take-off!”

               The flames of the Super X-3’s engines suddenly grew in size and the massive jet rocketed forward, lifting off the end of the runway and flying off into the sky. Akane pushed the aircraft to Mach-1, breaking the sound barrier. She caught up to Kiryu which was travelling at only two-thirds the speed and slowed down enough to fly alongside it for a short while. Akane picked up speed and as she flew off, tipped her wings back-and-forth to wave at Bri and Kiryu.

               Bri, seeing Akane’s gesture on the monitor, smiled before the Super X-3 disappeared.

               “ETA to target location is 10 minutes Lieutenant.” Auto said to Bri. “Would you like me to assume controls until reaching the destination?”

               “No, thank you.” Bri said. “I’d rather get a feel for the real thing.”

               “Alright.” Auto said. “Would you like to take time to customize me to your liking?”

               “I can customize you?” Bri asked perplexed.

               “Oh yes.” Auto replied. “My former pilot, Captain Akane Yoshiro for example, had my avatar as a dog and referred to me as Pero, and I addressed her as Akane.”

               “Sure then.” Bri said. “Why not?”

               “Alright.” Auto replied. “What would you like me to call you.”

               “Just call me Bri.”

               “Alright, Bri. What would you like my name to be?”

               “How about… Ollie.”

               “Very well, Ollie will be my new designation. For my avatar, what would you like me to appear to you as?”

               “A black cat with a blue scarf.” Bri said.

               As requested, a cartoony black cat with a blue scarf tied around its neck standing on its hind legs, appeared in the bottom right corner of the forward camera screen.

               It issued a salute to her and said, “Hello Bri, my name is Ollie. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am at your service.”

               “Thank you.” Bri said with a slight chuckle. “Never thought I would rename Mecha-Godzilla after my old cat.”

               “You haven’t redesignated MFS-3, aka Kiryu, Bri.” Ollie said. “I am merely an assistant AI program to function as your co-pilot for Kiryu. Dr. Yun Arikawa created me to reduce the man-power necessary to operate Kiryu and the advanced attack aircraft known as Super X-3. As we spend more time working together, I will also learn more about your personality, flying style, and fighting style to better suit your necessities while on your missions.”

               “Essentially you are programmed to be MY perfect partner.” Bri said understandingly.

               “Exactly.” Ollie said. “One might say that WE are Kiryu.”

               Bri cracked a smile and responded, “I like you already, Ollie.”

               “Why thank you.” Ollie responded.

               Meanwhile at Monarch camp, Ken and Akira boarded the trawler with Sarah and 3 other team-members.

               “Today’s the big day!” Akira said with glee.

               Apart from Sarah, Ken and the others were still somewhat tired.

               “Well, I’m glad you slept well at least.” Ken said as he followed Akira on board.

               “Like a rock!” Akira said while assisting the others aboard.

               “More like a rock-quarry.” Ken remarked.

               “What are we doing today, Doctors?” Sarah asked.

               “We sent word to our home base a few days ago that Manda was to be relocated.” Ken said. “They are sending a specialized Capture Team to come retrieve the Kaiju and take it back to our reserve.”

               “That’s right!” Akira said. “Even better is that those of us here, are going to be the lucky ones to accompany Manda back to its new home!”

               Just as all were aboard, they heard the distant swooping roar of the Super X-3 as it flew the clouds about 10 miles to their south-west.

               “Cast-off, Captain!” Akira said with great enthusiasm. “We can’t miss the show!”

               Ken sat down at one of the on-board consoles and switched it on. A map came up on the screen outlining the coast they were on. Offshore there was a small island with a red marker on it.

               “Looks like Manda is 6 miles to the southwest on a small island.” Ken said.

               The ship’s motor started up with a gurgling growl and it began moving out to sea.

               2000 Feet in the air, Akane was banking the Super X-3 around the small island that the Monarch Team spotted. She peered out the window to get a good look at the area. The small speck of land was barely a mile in diameter. No buildings or any signs of life; just a small patch of brush at its center and a rocky rise that was one hundred feet at its highest.

               A cartoony anthropomorphic dog with orange hair popped up on a navigational map to her right and said, “According to the TK-Tracking device, the Kaiju we are after is in this area.”

               “Pero-2,” Akane said. “Can you lock onto the exact position?”

               “Attempting a scan as we speak, Captain.” The dog replied.

               “Good.” Akane said. “Super X-3, on station.”

               “Roger.” Bri’s voice said over the radio. “ETA: 3 minutes.”

               “Heron 1 on deck.” Nakajima’s voice said over the radio.

               “Roger.” Akane replied. “Heron 1 and Heron 2, Standby until I give the signal.”

               Pero-2 spoke, “We’re getting a lot of interference Captain. But it appears that there is a large serpentine signature just offshore to the east side of the island.”

               “What kind of interference?” Akane asked.

               “It appears to be electrical.” Pero-2 said. “The water surrounding the island’s east coast is charged to five percent above the norm. Not enough to cause harm but enough static to block the exact location of Manda. This is likely to do with Manda’s electrical properties theorized in Dr. Saegusa and Dr. Sahara’s report.”

               “Thank you.” Akane said. “Monitor the static area and let me know if it leaves the current locale.”

               “As you wish Captain.” Pero-2 said.

               Akane continued to circle Super X-3 around the island. The rising sun’s light reflected brilliantly off the water’s glossy surface. In contrast to the sparkly flashes of gold light, the depths below were a dark shade of blue green. There was no way of knowing what lied beneath with the naked eye.

               On her third pass, she looked up and saw Kiryu approaching in the distance. By that time, the trawler with the monarch team was three miles out from the island as well; between it and Vancouver’s coastline. They too could see Kiryu approaching from the south-west.

               “LOOK!” Akira shouted with glee. “HERE THEY COME!”

               Sarah’s eyes widened in wonder and at the same time, shock at the sight of the mechanical behemoth.

               “What is that thing?” She asked.

               “Multipurpose Fighting System Type-3.” Ken answered. “Also known as Kiryu. To some it is also called-”

               “Mecha-Gojira!” Akira excitedly finished.

               Kiryu slowly began dropping altitude as it began adjusting its position for a landing on the island.

               “There’s a good landing area directly ahead.” Ollie said, highlighting an area on the North part of the island on the viewing screen.

               “Thank you, Ollie.” Bri said. “Kiryu: landing on site.”

               Kiryu readjusted to an up right position and hovered in place over a flat area of land 30 meters from the shoreline. It then slowly came down onto the ground with only a slight metal thud from the impact and some hisses and creeks from the joints absorbing it.

               “Manda is somewhere offshore on the western side of the island.” Ollie said.

               “Guess that’s where we’re headed then.” Bri said.

               Kiryu began walking along the shoreline towards the area Ollie indicated. The joints in its legs letting out mechanical hums and hisses. The impact of every step making a low bellowing metal pounding.

               “It almost brings a tear to your eye seeing that magnificent machine again doesn’t it!?” Akira asked aloud.

               “You say that every time.” Ken said slightly amused.

               “I know!” Akira said. “And every time its truer than the last!”

               “Look there!” One of their colleagues shouted.

               Everyone’s attention was drawn to the surface of the water, one mile off their port-bow. The ocean seemed to churn unnaturally against the current. A wake then formed that began moving in the direction of the island; towards Kiryu.

               Overhead, in the Super X-3, Pero 2 alerted Akane, “Movement! Movement! Picking up a signature moving at two-knots in Kiryu’s direction.”

               “Kiryu.” Akane said. “Large signature approaching your location.”

               “Roger.” Bri said. “Arming weapon systems.”

               In the water ahead of Kiryu, the commotion witnessed by the boat became more pronounced. The emerald serpentine body of Manda broke the surface in several places. Once in about 10 meters of water, it anchored the lower part of its body against the bottom with its tail and hind limbs. The Kaiju then raised the upper part of its body out of the water; its body forming a bend to balance itself and keeping its eyes on the intruder to its turf like an agitated cobra. The whip-like whiskers flicked about in the air and its short forelimbs were held out, flexing the claws on its digits.

               The sight of the massive serpentine leviathan, sitting at a height of about 50 meters opposed to the 80-meter tall Kiryu, gave everyone a moment’s pause on the boat.

               “It has to be at least 100 meters long…” Ken said.

               Akira in stunned silence could do little more than watch with his mouth dangling open. Sarah was in equal awe as she stepped up ahead of the group.

               “Incredible.” She uttered.

               Back in Kiryu’s cockpit, Bri was in the same state of awe until Ollie said, “Weapon systems are ready to go.”

               “Oh right.” She said with a slightly embarrassed tone. “Initiating challenge call.”

               Kiryu let out its mechanized roar. Manda’s brow lowered and its whiskers flicked wildly for a few seconds as it growled with a gurgling bellow. It then roared back with a reply that sounded like a very deep lion’s roar mixed with that of a bear’s.

               “It’s a machine that roars?” Sarah questioned aloud.

               “It’s a challenge call.” Ken said. “Kaiju normally clash to assert dominance or establish territories. Before these encounters happen, they let out a challenge call of some sort. Our scientists were able to replicate the call for Kiryu so that the capture team can engage with the Kaiju without fear of that the battle will go too far. The battle will end when one submits or is rendered unconscious.”

               The group watched as the two combatants squared off 50 meters from each other like two dueling samurai. The water’s edge forming the median between them.

               “The best option would be to avoid the water.” Ollie said. “An aquatic Kaiju of this caliber would have a clear advantage in that domain.”

               “Good point.” Bri said. “Maybe I could get it to come to us-”

               Suddenly Manda lunged forward, giving it a 70-meter reach from the point it was braced.

               “Oh damn!” Bri shouted while pulling back on the controls.

               Though the Kaiju still head-butted Kiryu, Bri’s quick action allowed her to pull it away enough to lighten the blow. Manda reared back to its original position. Kiryu fired several rockets from the shoulder cannons. Manda’s thick scales protected it from any superficial damage, though the concussive force of the explosions did knock its slender body around from side to side.

               Agitated, Manda slithered underwater and out of sight. Kiryu looked around but the light reflecting off the waves provided the perfect concealment.

               “I’d advise stepping away-” Ollie said before suddenly Manda sprang out of the water from the front-right side.

               The surprise attack landed direct hit to Kiryu’s head again. This time knocking it a little off balance. As the Mech stumbled, Manda managed to coil its tail around its arm, pulling it over onto its side.

               “No, no, NO!” Bri shouted as Kiryu fell.

               The Mecha-Godzilla fell hard against beach; hard enough that the impact slightly rattled most of the island. With its opponent on its side, Manda began striking Kiryu’s head with its own.

               “Uh, we may be made of metal, but we can’t take too many of those hits.” Ollie said while Bri scrambled.

               Suddenly Manda was struck from above by a missile. The monster was, again, undamaged but the force of the blast was still an unpleasant surprise as it flared its fangs and looked up towards the circling Super X-3.

               “Now’s your chance!” Akane said over the radio.

               Kiryu’s metallic hand suddenly grabbed Manda’s head. Before the creature could struggle, Kiryu slammed it against the ground and then threw it back out into the water. Manda writhed in the water trying to regain its bearings. By the time it straightened itself out, Kiryu was back on its feet. Manda read back up to its cobra-stance.

               Just as it seemed like the Kaiju was about to engage in another skirmish, Kiryu’s mouth popped open, and a thick bolt of yellow plasma-energy shot out. The bolt struck Manda’s body and propelled it another hundred meters out to sea. Manda’s body slammed hard into the waves, and it sank underneath, seemingly unconscious.

               “Now I see why Sergeant Hayama talked so highly about Masers.” Bri said.

               “Um… Problem.” Ollie said nervously. “Its no longer on our scopes.”

               “What?” Bri said in shock.

               Kiryu began scanning the water looking for Manda.

               Akane, circling over head, asked “Pero-2, are you able to pick up anything?”

               “Searching now.” Pero-2 said.

               Bri and Akane waited in a nerve-racking silence as both their systems scanned for any sign of Manda.

               Finally, Pero-2 responded, “Search inconclusive. Given the super-conductive nature of Manda’s body, it is likely that the energy from Kiryu’s Maser was coursed through the Kaiju’s body and shorted out the TK-Tracker.”

               “That’s not good…” Akane said. “Bri move away from the water!”

               Just as Bri started to back away from the water’s edge, Manda sprang out of the water onto Kiryu. With no time to react, Manda hit its target head-on. It latched its jaws onto Kiryu’s neck and quickly coiled its body around Kiryu’s. Bri struggled to no avail, as the leviathan tightened its coils and rendered the Mech completely immobile.

               “Not good!” Ollie said. “Not good!”

               “No shit!” Bri said as she continued to struggle.

               Akane circled the Super X-3 around and shouted, “Hang on!”

               As Akane attempted to get a good shot, Manda suddenly began discharging the same Energy through its body that Bri had just blasted it with. 

    The massive discharge began shutting down Kiryu’s systems; controls ceased operating, weapon systems went offline, the viewing screen shut off.

               “What the hell is going on!?” Bri shouted.

               “Maser energy overload!” Ollie said. “Our digital and auxiliary systems are-” suddenly all panels and screens went black. “-Failing.”

               Bri’s cockpit was still lit but none of her console screens were on.

               For a moment Bri caught her breath before tensely asking, “Can… Can anyone hear-”

               The cockpit shook violently as Kiryu fell onto its side. Manda uncoiled itself from the Mech’s body and then rose over its opponent. It roared triumphantly as everyone was left watching helplessly…

 

-TO BE CONTINUED-