Godzilla 2000 Page 23

  "Hey, Nick... what's that?" the satellite man asked, pointing toward the sky. Nick looked up.

  The overcast cloud cover was changing, swirling, opening up.

  "Yeah..." Nick said. "What is that?"

  * * *

  All around the city, people gaped in awe and wonder as the sky above Manhattan began to roll and shift. The low cloud cover seemed to part of its own will, and shafts of sunlight shone through the breaks in the clouds. The brilliant yellow sunlight cut through the gloomy morning like a laser.

  "It's beautiful!" Robin Halliday sighed.

  As cameras rolled, broadcasting images of the mysterious phenomenon all over the world, the huge hole in the cloud cover widened. The center of the hole was directly over midtown Manhattan and the Empire State Building.

  * * *

  "Something is dropping out of the clouds!" Nick Gordon spoke into his microphone, squinting against the luminous shafts of sunlight that poured through rips in the clouds. The cameraman focused on the sky behind the reporter.

  "I think... yes... yes, it is!" Gordon looked into the camera. "It's a parachute, ladies and gentlemen. A parachute is descending through the clouds."

  As Nick watched, his eyes widened in amazement. "I think the parachute is coming toward this very building!" he announced. The cameraman turned the camera toward the sky, and the millions of people who were tuned in to INN all over the world watched as a woman in a green flight suit landed on the observation deck of the Empire State Building... right in front of a startled Nick Gordon!

  * * *

  As Nick rushed outside to interview the mysterious woman, the clouds continued to part until the whole island of Manhattan was bathed in luminous sunlight. Then an eerie, penetrating shriek echoed through the canyons of New York.

  Nick reached the woman, who had torn off her parachute pack and let it tumble to the streets below. She was watching the sky above intently when the reporter reached her.

  "Hello," Nick said. "What's your name? Were you in a military aircraft? Do you have something to do with what's happening in the sky right now?"

  As Nick Gordon asked the questions in rapid fire, he shoved the mike into the startled woman's face. She turned and looked right into the camera.

  "My name is Lori Angelo," she said. "I'm a member of G-Force -"

  "What's happening in the sky, Ms. Angelo?" Gordon asked. Lori looked up, and a smile tugged the corner of her pretty lips.

  "Mothra is coming," she said simply.

  Nick Gordon looked puzzled. "Who is Mothra? And why is Mothra coming here?"

  Still smiling, Lori stared into the camera and answered. "Mothra is the Protector of the Earth, and she is leading Godzilla to New York to destroy King Ghidorah!"

  * * *

  As the world watched, a vision of wonder and mystery appeared over Manhattan.

  With a piercing cry, in a shower of brilliant color and bright, rippling motes of light, a gigantic moth with multicolored wings seemed to float in shafts of sunlight over the very heart of the city.

  Mothra seemed delicate and benign, yet everyone who saw the creature could feel her power. The blue, multifaceted eyes seemed imbued with both intelligence and benevolence. Even the most hardened, cynical reporter gasped in awe and wonder as the great winged creature descended from the sky on silken wings.

  On the promenade, Linda Carlisle blinked back tears as she watched the being. It seemed like a vision of heaven... an alien creature too wondrous to be on our dirty, insignificant planet.

  On top of the Empire State Building, Nick Gordon felt it too. For the first time since the Reyes-Mishra Asteroid Swarm had been discovered, for the first time since Godzilla had returned, Nick felt hope well up inside him.

  It felt good...

  29

  THE BATTLE OF

  THE MILLENNIUM

  Saturday, January 1, 2000, 9:37 A.M.

  The cockpit of Raptor-One

  In the sky over Manhattan

  The G-Force team watched from the cockpit of Raptor-One, hovering over New York City, as Godzilla moved majestically down the Hudson River.

  A fleet of military helicopters followed the monster like a score of bridesmaids. Across the frigid, dirty river, on the Jersey City waterfront, hundreds of cameras followed the creatures every ponderous step.

  Godzilla waded downriver, his lower legs and writhing, segmented tail submerged in the murky green water. The river was churned by Godzilla's movements, and white froth lapped against his black belly.

  High overhead, a military surveillance aircraft left a contrail across the clearing sky. Godzilla lifted his feral head and bellowed a challenge at the passing aircraft. The bell-like roar echoed through Manhattan's canyons of steel and stone.

  The Raptor, hovering low among the tall buildings of lower midtown, monitored Godzilla's movement as Toby announced constant updates on King Ghidorah's progress over the radio.

  The space monster was expected to land in Manhattan - the estimated time of arrival was less than ten minutes.

  High above the tallest towers of the city, the creature that Lori called Mothra circled patiently in the clear blue sky, occasionally emitting shrill, piercing squeaks.

  Meteorologists had predicted, snow for the afternoon, but the weather, like everything else on this momentous day, was unpredictable.

  Except that Lori predicted it, Tia thought sadly. As she watched the data scroll across her monitors, Tia recalled the things Lori confided to her the last time they spoke - before the attack in the Gunnison Forest. Lori told Tia about her dreams and about her belief that Godzilla was being guided by a higher intelligence - an intelligence she called Mothra.

  Tia didn't believe her friend that day, suspecting that Lori was suffering from a delusion. Now Mothra hovered over Manhattan, and a creature from deep space was coming to this tiny corner of the solar system at the same time as Godzilla.

  It can't be a coincidence, Tia thought grimly. She wondered what it all meant. The headphones crackled inside their helmets, interrupting everyone's tense concentration.

  "King Ghidorah has just passed the Coast Guard observation ships," Toby radioed from the mobile command center at La Guardia. The space monster was only minutes away now.

  "Roger," Pierce, piloting the Raptor, replied calmly.

  "Stay out of sight," General Taggart commanded from Raptor-Two, the V-22 Osprey that hovered above the World Trade Center's twin towers.

  Pierce smoothly guided Raptor-One out of visual range. He dropped to an altitude of only forty feet over Washington Square Park, ducking the aircraft behind a row of high-rise residential buildings that lined Fifth Avenue. The team relied on their electronic surveillance monitors to keep tabs on Godzilla's progress.

  "The waiting is the worst part," Martin declared as Pierce locked the aircraft in hover mode. Everyone in the cockpit silently agreed.

  * * *

  King Ghidorah entered United States airspace unopposed.

  After arbitrarily destroying a Coast Guard frigate in Long Island Sound with a single bolt from its left head, King Ghidorah banked its massive wings over City Island and swooped down over the Bronx.

  Another random blast destroyed an elevated section of the Bruckner Expressway, and the space monster crossed the borough, laying waste to everything in sight.

  Bronx Municipal Hospital, Yeshiva University, and the area around West Farms were totally demolished. The animals in the Bronx Zoo could not be evacuated. A single volunteer had remained behind to feed and care for them.

  Now the beasts howled, roared, and bellowed in their pens as jagged bolts of pure energy shattered whole sections of the park.

  Frightened lions, freed by a smashed wall, ignored the terrified zoo volunteer and charged down Southern Boulevard.

  Flying only a few hundred feet above the city, King Ghidorah continued to level buildings and annihilate streets. The vicious monster left a trail of fire and devastation in its wake.

  * * *
<
br />   In the parking lots around Yankee Stadium, the New York National Guard had placed batteries of Patriot missiles. As King Ghidorah approached them, the search radar array targeted the monster.

  As one, a half dozen anti-aircraft Patriot missiles leaped from their box-shaped launchers. At Mach 5.0, the deadly missiles streaked toward their target.

  The Patriots detonated uselessly against King Ghidorah's golden hide. The space monster replied with an attack of its own. Blasts of energy bolts rained down on the Patriots and on the famed baseball park immortalized by legendary athletes.

  In seconds, Yankee Stadium became a cauldron of fire. All around the blazing structure, unlaunched missiles detonated on their trucks, spewing flames and burning fuel among the scrambling crews.

  King Ghidorah passed the havoc below, cackling madly as it flew across the Harlem River toward Manhattan's Central Park.

  * * *

  "The Patriots have failed to stop King Ghidorah," General Taggart reported. "The kaiju is heading for Central Park... Raptor-One, move toward an intercept position."

  Pierce nodded grimly and tightened his grip on the joystick. The engines began to accelerate, and the huge aircraft rose above the high-rise towers. When the Raptor cleared the buildings, the aircraft converted to airplane mode and raced uptown, toward the park and King Ghidorah.

  As Raptor-One streaked past the Empire State Building, Lori watched her friends go by, her fingers pressed against the observation deck's window.

  "Mothra, protect them..." she whispered.

  * * *

  At Battery Park, on the lower tip of Manhattan, Godzilla thundered ashore. Sea birds scattered into the sky as the monster's booming tread shook the park and splintered concrete sidewalks. National Guardsmen scattered, too. Jumping into their Hummers, they sped away from the scene.

  Sirens blared all over the city, alerting the soldiers - posted there to prevent further looting - that Godzilla had entered Manhattan. The soldiers listened, glued to their radios, as reports of destruction streamed in from uptown.

  Now two monsters moved through one of the greatest cities on Earth. As the world watched, many wondered about humanity's future.

  * * *

  Pierce turned the Raptor over to Kip's control after the aircraft crossed the high-rise-lined street called Central Park South and entered the park itself.

  To his right, Kip could see sunlight gleaming off the Pond. Under the belly of the aircraft, the white marble statue of Christopher Columbus shone like a pearl in the morning sun.

  Kip slowed the Raptor and locked the aircraft in hover mode. Then he tapped some keys on his weapon's control panel, arming the Raptor's newest offensive weapons.

  Under each wing, a modified Tomahawk missile hung from pylons. These two cruise missiles were specially equipped with surgically honed, needle-sharp tips made of Teflon. The missiles were designed to first penetrate the hide of a kaiju and then detonate with ship-killing force.

  Twin electronic tones signaled that the Tomahawks were armed and ready for launch. Kip focused the laser-targeting system on the oncoming monster. While he watched with surprising detachment, the three-headed monster expanded in the HUD.

  Carefully, Kip placed the laser designator on the base of King Ghidorah's central neck.

  "You've got tone," Martin announced impatiently, letting Kip know he had targeted correctly. Kip ignored the co-pilot, holding back until he felt absolutely certain the missiles would not miss.

  Finally, as the creature completely filled the heads-up display, Kip depressed the firing button.

  In two bright flashes, the Tomahawks leaped off the wing pylons and lanced forward, toward King Ghidorah. Kip, while still painting the target with his laser designator, prepared to "get out of Dodge" if the missiles failed to stop the space monster.

  A second later, both missiles struck King Ghidorah. The first one lost some altitude and hit the monster full on its chest. The missile bounced off King Ghidorah's golden plates and arced down toward 72nd Street. It struck the upper floors of the historic Dakota apartment building, where John Lennon had once lived.

  The second missile actually penetrated King Ghidorah's flesh at the base of the center neck. But the warhead failed to detonate.

  As Kip dived the Raptor low over Heckscher Playground, King Ghidorah streaked right over them, spitting bolts of energy.

  One blast struck the Trump International Hotel at Columbus Circle, cutting the tower in half. The upper portion of the copper-hued skyscraper fell across Broadway, utterly demolishing a smaller office building that housed a religious organization.

  As King Ghidorah streaked over the park, a thick golden liquid spilled out of the wound on its neck, spattering huge droplets across the area of Central Park called Strawberry Fields.

  A second bolt of force rocked the Raptor. As the aircraft shuddered, Kip fought for control.

  "Hull damage!" Martin cried, staring at his engineering board. "Some of the heat-proof tiles have been knocked off." A monitor in front of Kip highlighted the section on a computer-generated schematic.

  Kip spun the Raptor on its axis, turning the aircraft 90 degrees and firing cadmium missiles at King Ghidorah's back. The missiles struck the creature without effect.

  "Go after him!" Pierce cried.

  Kip nodded and pushed the throttle forward, chasing the flying monster toward lower Manhattan's Wall Street - and Godzilla.

  * * *

  On top of the Empire State Building, Nick and Lori watched the opening salvo in the battle of the millennium.

  The Raptor had lost the first round. But though G-Force had failed to stop King Ghidorah, they had managed to survive.

  Now Nick and Lori saw that King Ghidorah was barreling toward them, spitting bolts of energy that arced to the streets, destroying building after building and tearing up great swaths of the pavement.

  "Duck!" Nick cried, dropping his microphone and grabbing Lori. As King Ghidorah flashed by, a scarlet bolt of fire shot from its right head, striking the landmark structure.

  The thick windows on the observation deck shattered and the Empire State Building shuddered. For a moment, Nick was certain that the upper portion of the building would tumble, dumping them into the street far below.

  But miraculously, it remained erect even as King Ghidorah blasted by, rocking the skyscraper with buffeting winds.

  "They don't build them like this anymore!" Nick cried to no one in particular.

  Smoke filled the air all around them, but when the structure stopped quaking, Nick was on his feet again. Lori rose from the floor, too, just in time to see Raptor-One flash by, this time heading downtown.

  Lori gasped when she saw the destruction in King Ghidorah's wake. The Chrysler Building's upper floors were blasted away, the silver aluminum facade blackened and melted.

  At the Empire State Building, more smoke began gushing into the observation deck, burning their eyes and making them cough. Lori felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and looked up at Nick.

  "The building is burning," he announced. "We've got to get out of here!"

  * * *

  Mothra screeched shrilly and swooped over the Brooklyn Bridge, then banked her wings and turned toward the financial center. The gigantic butterfly was on an intercept course with King Ghidorah.

  Godzilla, meanwhile, had slammed his tremendous bulk against the huge glass and steel International Hotel at the base of the World Trade Center's twin towers. Bellowing out a roar that could be heard across the Hudson River in Jersey City, and on the shore of Brooklyn Heights across the East River, Godzilla tore the structure to pieces with his front claws.

  Then the mutant reptile turned his feral head to the sky and gazed at Mothra as the gigantic winged creature wheeled gracefully over him.

  Mothra screamed out a shrill cry that shattered windows in the surrounding buildings. Godzilla slowed, blinked, and snorted. Then he tilted his head in a gesture of almost human curiosity. Mothra screeched again a
nd again as she circled the sky above Godzilla's head.

  On the Jersey City shore, reporters remarked on the obvious. It looked as if Godzilla and the mysterious creature called Mothra were having a conversation!

  But the peaceful moment ended abruptly when a jagged bolt of King Ghidorah's lancing rays struck Mothra's furry body in a shower of sparks and fire. Mothra trilled in pain and surprise, then banked away over the Hudson River.

  Godzilla's eyes narrowed and his lip curled, baring his long double row of uneven teeth. King Ghidorah dived and slammed into Godzilla with earthshaking force.

  The reptile was knocked end over end by the sheer power of King Ghidorah's body blow. Godzilla slammed into the structures behind him.

  Number Three World Trade Center, already partially damaged by Godzilla, was completely demolished in a cloud of dust, splintering shards of glass, office furniture, and debris.

  But from the center of that maelstrom, electric-blue fire poured forth in a steady stream, smiting King Ghidorah on its golden-scaled chest. The space monster cackled and spit fire as its massive feet crushed the Commodities Exchange Building, across the plaza from the Twin Towers.

  His tail flailing madly, Godzilla rose to his feet and bellowed in defiance. King Ghidorah responded by spewing a second blast, which struck Godzilla on the neck and chest, searing his rutted hide.

  As the monsters stared at each other from across the ruins of World Trade Center Plaza, Raptor-One arrived.

  * * *

  Even inside the soundproof cockpit, the crew of the Raptor could hear the bellows of rage from the two titans.

  Each time King Ghidorah spat bolts of energy, buildings were blasted, sending chunks of steel and concrete into the sky. Flames from a dozen small fires licked at Godzilla's legs as his spine danced with the electrical discharge that preceded a blast of his radioactive breath.

  Godzilla roared and spit radioactive fire at King Ghidorah in a stream of force that caused the dinosaur to backstep from his own recoil. When this powerful blast struck King Ghidorah full on its massive chest, the winged creature was blown backward across Church Street