Monsters On Attack! - Round 1
***Robert Porter <sleestak2@juno.com>***
And so it begins...
The comet tumbled through space at a fantastic velocity. It was nearing the yellow star and was in the early stages of spewing the gasses that caused the distinct corona. Also, faint wisps of the gaseous tail began to appear as the solar winds pushed at the comet as it came into its influence.
It was not a natural phenomenon. The comet had not been placed there by collisions of heavenly bodies. Rather, it had been placed there by a long ago and far away people. Their world had been ravaged by a rampaging, gigantic creature for many years. It was a creature so horrible that it nearly destroyed their world. Eventually, their greatest minds had devised a plan to rid their planet of the creature forever. Through many days of planning, cunning and luck, they had lured the creature into a rocket and blasted it off into space for a collision course with their sun. Things had gone awry and the creature never entered the sun, but at least it was gone from their planet forever.
Through the years, long after the rocket's engines had stopped functioning, the creature lay dormant in the cold vacuum of space. The rocket tumbled through space and encountered several celestial bodies. It picked up wandering debris, including rocks and gasses, to become the comet as it existed today.
It was never the intention of those long ago people for this deadly comet to enter another solar system. That was the fault of someone else. Unseen, but powerful forces nudged the comet and its dangerous cargo just slightly enough to put it on a collision course with the third planet of the solar system-- a planet with a thriving population of human beings.
* * *
"Yoshi! Put that telescope away and go to bed!"
Young Yoshinori Iko started at the sound of his mother's voice. He knew better than to be up this late at night, but he couldn't resist.
"Mom!" he called out innocently, "I found a comet!" He beckoned for her to step out on the little patio area outside his bedroom and look at his discovery.
"Oh?" She stepped outside and looked into the little eye piece. All she saw was an indistinct point of light against a background of black space. It looked like every other star that Yoshinori had wanted to show her and she doubted its authenticity as a comet. Backing away, she gave him a stern look. "Yoshi, don't tease your mother." She pushed him away and toward his bed. "Come. You have to get up early tomorrow. You'll never wake up if you're up all night watching your stars."
"But, mom. It's a comet. I hardly ever get to see those."
"Mmm, hmm," she agreed condescendingly as she pushed him into his bed.
"I've been tracking it for three nights now. I think it's going to come close to the earth."
"Oh? You figured that out all on your own?"
"Mmm."
"Go to sleep."
"But mom!"
She sat on the edge of the bed and touched his face affectionately. "The comet won't be here tonight, Yoshi. You can see it again tomorrow night."
Dejected, Yoshinori's face pouted. "Okay."
She tucked his blanket under his chin, satisfied that he would stay put. Standing, she closed the large sliding glass door leading outside and to his telescope before walking to the bedroom door to leave the room. "Good night," she said as she turned out the light and closed the door behind her.
Mere seconds later, Yoshinori threw back the blanket and headed for his telescope and the comet.
* * *
Just a week later, Yoshinori's calculations had proved correct. The comet tumbled toward the
earth with its deadly cargo. It flared an angry red as it entered the atmosphere...
***Gertrude Smith <gsraptor@arkansas.net>***
Yoshi was not the only stargazer who had watched the distant point of light seem to take on a life of its own in the vastness of the night sky. Much more powerful telescopes than his, both on Earth and in space, and teamed with computers, recorded the object's movement for their human tenders to ponder. Young Yoshi's wonder and delight, which has sustained many an astronomer, were soon replaced with surprise and dread as information about the comet was compared and analyzed. Communications between observatories soon included NASA and their country's state departments. When its great threat to the Earth became undeniable, even the United Nations was advised.
All eyes were on Japan as the data indicated the comet would come down in the North Pacific Ocean. The Naval Research Laboratory's Ocean Dynamics and Prediction Branch tried to calculate the tsunami damage that would result from the extremely large object displacing so much water. Great waves would engulf the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido.
Given the sudden onset of the tsunami and its high energy, surely many people would be killed and property damage would be enormous. Rescue, damage assessment and survey teams were mobilized under the auspices of the U.S.-Japan Cooperative Program in Natural Resources (UJNR) and special response teams from around the world geared up to do what they could for survivors.
Around the world, people waited with bated breath for the inevitable impact. Those that could, fled the threatened area but millions of others had no choice but to remain and accept their fate. Amid the chaos, a young woman in Kanazawa, Japan was suddenly distracted from her preparations by a sensation she had not felt since 1995 when she was in Tokyo and working for G-FORCE. As the radiation level from Godzilla's meltdown dropped, her mind filled with the presence of the great kaiju's son. It was a fleeting sensation that left Miki Saegusa as quickly as it came and didn't return until now. In America, Meru Ozawa had a similar experience.
Beneath the North Pacific Ocean, there are deep basins and trenches such as the Northwest Pacific Basin with depths of over 10,500 meters. Shallower regions are found along the continental shelves and the marginal seas. Honshu and Hokkaido are also part of the volcanic Ring of Fire circumscribing the Pacific Ocean. It was here that the comet finally reached Earth, dramatically slowing its speed before hitting the water.
It descended, deeper and deeper toward the bottom of the ocean. The Japanese Self Defense Force's and other tracking stations in the northern hemisphere lost the target on their screens. Below the ocean's surface, a single entity took up the vigil.
Wakened from its slumber, a giant creature stirred and responded to the threat it sensed deep in
its soul, powerfully swimming toward the descending rocket. Massive by human standards, it
waited for the invader to settle to the bottom.
***John C Barthelette <kingGhidorah@juno.com>***
The huge rock fell slowly to the bottom. As it slowly settled to the ocean floor it created huge bubbles of oxygen from the overwhelming heat as the water evaporated. Slowly approaching from it's left side, Godzilla attempted to appraise the object. He slowly lit the deepest area of the ocean as his spines began to glow in an area that had not seen light since the dawn of time... The strange rock formations that had been forming for thousands of year abruptly became radiated dust as a nuclear pulse smashed away a huge chunk of the mysterious object.
The object slowly shimmered as the rock and dust of another star system fell away. Godzilla looked slowly moving towards it. He saw a small opening in the side and dodged it just in time. The rock was a Millennian space ship. Godzilla tried to move aside as the object took aim again but failed and was blasted down to the floor of the ocean covered by piles of ancient debris.
The ship slowly ascended to the surface. It reached the surface near Okinotori Island. With amazing speed it suddenly flew at Mach 8, shattering windows and buildings. It slowly stopped above Osaka. It landed, heedless the of the pedestrians smashed under the falling debris. The JSDF sent a squadron to investigate the matter. Four hours later, they appeared only to be blasted out of the night sky.
***Stefan Criswell <criswell@mosquitonet.com>***
The creature inside the spacecraft was pleased with the carnage he had caused. The Millennians who had created him were not around for him to take out his anger on. The creatures of this planet would have to do. The ship scanned the area and the being inside it observed the little creatures fleeing from him. Soon, the ship's tentacle-like projections stretch out and grabbed entire groups of people and dragged them into the ship. The creature inside ate one of the people out of curiosity.
He was surprised at how delicious these tiny creatures really were! The monster then ate the other screaming little humans alive!
Then, the ocean waters near Osaka began to churn. Out burst a flying saucer-like object that is very familiar to the people of Japan. It was Gamera! Gamera quickly rammed into the Millennian spacecraft, knocking it aside. The ship opened fire on the great turtle, but he dodged it. Gamera then rose his arm, (which is still missing it's hand after the battle with Irys) and a fist-shaped ball of plasma formed in the stump. Gamera rammed the plasma weapon into the ship, breaking it in half. Gamera waited for a second. At first there was no movement. Then, the ship broke apart to reveal a strange creature inside. The creature looked like a cross between a shark and a swordfish with a bird-like beak. The beast ballooned to nearly twice Gamera's size right before his eyes! The creature communicated with Gamera using his mind.
"I am Zigra. You shall pay dearly for this outrage!" it told Gamera. Then, a small red ball above the shark monsters beak began to glow. It fired a beam at Gamera, knocking the turtle back several meters.
Gamera landed on his back. He closed his eyes and becomes still. Green blood flowed from his mouth. Zigra screeched in triumph and returned to the ocean waters.
Meanwhile, at the same time the battle between Gamera and Zigra happened in Osaka, a second
object approached from space. This object was a gigantic blue crystalline object that was also
carrying a monster inside. This second monster was in pursuit of Zigra and now followed the
shark beast's trail to Earth. It lands in the ocean where Zigra's ship had just landed. And like
Zigra, it got a big surprise. Godzilla was there waiting for it! Godzilla roared a challenge to the
crystalline object and then blasted it with his blue breath. The being inside the object was
angered by Godzilla's interference. The crystal then vanished to reveal it's occupant. Godzilla
found himself faced by the most bizarre creature even he had ever seen. It was blue and gold in
coloring. It had a bird-like head, ant-like mandibles on the sides of it's mouth, a large red eye
which stretched out across the top of it's head, hook-like arms and feet and a long saw-like
structure going down the front of it's body. The monster's name was Gigan. Gigan roared back at
the King of the Monsters and lunged at him!
***Bob Schneider <schneidr@westol.com>***
Godzilla unleashed a blast of his radioactive breath temporarily blinding his cyborg opponent. But Gigan was quick to retaliate. The space monster clamped its talon arms into Godzilla's sides and used the buzz saw built into its chest to slice a gaping wound in Godzilla's neck. The king of monsters bellowed in rage as the water darkened with clouds of blood.
Content with its temporary victory, Gigan surfaced, erupting from the sea and soaring into the air. The crew of a nearby ocean freighter, which had capsized in the massive tidal wave caused by the comet's impact, reported sighting the gigantic monster as it flew over their life raft and headed for the mainland.
* * *
Yoshinori's eyes bulged as he watched the footage broadcast live from Osaka on the television. He couldn't believe what he was seeing -- Gamera, apparently slain by a monster from outer space!
"Mom," he said, "where do the Millennians come from?"
"Nobody knows, Yoshi," she answered. "The one that appeared last December was first spotted on the ocean floor, but there's no telling how long it was hidden there. Maybe centuries."
"But this one turned into a shark monster. It must be different from the one last year."
"Some scientists think it's an alien life form that can take any shape it chooses."
Yoshi thought this over for a moment, then asked, "But why are they coming to Earth? What do they want with us?"
"I wish I knew, dear," she replied. "I just wish I knew."
Suddenly, the coverage of Osaka's plight was interrupted by a new report: a third monster, with a single cyclopean eye on its crested head, had risen from the South Pacific and was heading for Japan in the wake of another meteor fall.
Yoshi gasped in surprise. "Mom, another monster!"
Yoshi's mother stepped away from the table where she was collecting the used silverware and stared at the screen. For the first time that evening, she couldn't ignore the news reports any longer. "My God," she whispered. "It's like the end of the world."
"This can't be a coincidence," Yoshi said. "Two monsters suddenly appear from outer space at the same time. And they're both headed for..."
He didn't finish the sentence. Another thought had suddenly occurred to him, something too important to delay, even for a moment. For once, his mother was too caught up in her own worrisome thoughts to reprimand him as he ran through the house toward his bedroom. It was after 8 o'clock by now and already dark enough outside to lend Yoshi a fine view of the heavens from his bedroom window. He carefully aimed his telescope in the direction he had been watching the night before when he observed the first comet. Eagerly he scanned the twilight sky with one thought burning in his head: if two visitors had simultaneously dropped from the heavens into Earth's oceans, could there be more to follow?
He didn't have to wait long for an answer. Though still too distant to make out clearly, several
more objects were hurtling through the void, rapidly approaching Earth....
***Jason Vilon <jasonv@jarda.on.ca>***
...He counted four and shivered. If they all contained what he feared, it may just be the end of EVERYTHING. As soon as he had this thought, the wind started. It was hot and dry and tasted of copper.
* * *
They came by the hundreds.
Zigra had moved out of the Osaka area satisfied that he had beaten his foe and following his own secret agenda. That was about 20 minutes ago and since then, droves of children had left the 'safety' of their homes and shelters and had been closing in on Gamera. They had no beads this time, instead each child brought what they could find, Gamera toys, pajamas, a Gamera beach towel. One small 5 year old brought his own pet turtle that he called "Gamma".
The beast was almost cradled in the debris of several buildings. It's chest rose and fell sporadically, always accompanied with the same wet gurgle of it's breath. Gamera was dying. Even the children might not save him this time.
* * *
Gigan had been amusing himself by playing with the aircraft of this world. Flimsy little things really. He would bat them out of the air, or zap them with his eye beam. His favorite trick was to fly over top of them and using his chest saw to slice through the tough outer shell to get to the chewy center. This was something he remembered doing to the insects of his own planet. That was . . . before he was changed.
Then he felt the presence. It cut through his nostalgia and cleared his head instantly. You see, Gigan was a lonely creature. Everything he cared for was ripped away when he was changed. So when he felt the presence of a creature that he thinks of as "friend" he was overcome with glee. His back fins flicked out and he rocketed away from these buzzing insects.
All he was thinking was "Friend".
* * *
Yoshinori's mom had been watching the TV reports of the children and the parrot creature with so much attention that she barely noticed the wind storm outside.
There was a "POP" and an electrical arc flashed outside of one of her windows and lit up the dusk that had settled in round the countryside.
And that's when the power went out. She glanced around, a little lost at first, and then she heard the wind. She could even smell it: sulfur.
She raced upstairs to check on Yoshinori. She found him staring out the window at the fog that had been rolling in. It was filling the small valley where they lived, swirling and spiraling. A puff of it wafted into the open window and they both choked!
It's not fog! Smoke!
* * *
Sharks had begun to swarm the growing cloud of blood that was filling the ocean.
Of course, the blood would eventually kill these creatures. It came from the gaping wound that Gigan had given Godzilla. He lay on the ocean floor, oblivious to the sharks that were tearing at the gash, pulling off bits of the softer interior flesh. He was pretty much oblivious to everything except for the thought that kept him going. The thought of "REVENGE" on the freak that did this to him! This was the thought that he had, as he passed out.
He couldn't know that events that were mere minutes away, would forever deny him that revenge.
The sharks continued to feed on their lethal morsels, forever circling. And then, just like that, they were gone. Spooked. Out of the darkness of the ocean depths came a thorned creature, shelled like Gamera, and just as kind. Angilus had arrived to take care of his friend.
* * *
The vigil in Osaka continued as the children prayed for Gamera. And still more came. An ocean of children spread out for as far as the eye could see. Sometimes singing, sometimes weeping, often both. Each one had their own home fashioned talisman.
Gamera's breathing had long since stopped however.
Was this the end of Gamera?
* * *
Zigra had made his way to a large forested area, several miles north of Osaka. There he had been waiting, watching the sky.
Finally the time of waiting was over as three large meteorites smashed into the ground vomiting earth in all directions. When the dust settled, several minutes later, Zigra was standing in a ring of three craters. And inside the craters, was movement.
If there was an outside observer, someone to put all of the pieces together, this person might very well ask themselves, "What ever happened to the fourth meteor?"
* * *
It defied all natural laws.
The hot, electric wind swirled the gathering smoke into one area about a half click from Yoshinori's house. He and his mom watched, mouths open. Over the distant mountain range, a figure appeared, heading straight for the valley! The residents of the house barely gave it any attention however since they were focussing on the smoke that was taking on a shape!
The smoke still snaked into the valley, weaving through trees and down the streets. It grouped with the mass and it got tighter and tighter. A thin warbling sound was added to the howl of the wind and it grew louder as the smoke form got larger.
Finally from the center of the shape a massive flame shot out in all directions! When it cleared the smoke was gone, and a creature stood there in it's place.
King Ghidorah was once again on earth.
He let out his chilling cry with all three heads and turned towards the town, letting loose his electrical storm. Each head tossed randomly about as the energy poured out of the mouths. Houses exploded and the town was soon in flames.
Gigan was happy. He soared through the air towards the golden one that he had fought with before. The one that he thought of as "friend." He set down not far from Ghidorah and gave out a shrill shriek clashing his hooks together and stamping the ground.
King Ghidorah's right head whipped around to see who had arrived and with what could have been a smile, he let loose with a blast of lightning. Gigan was stunned. One, then the other of Ghidorah's two heads snaked towards Gigan and also blasted with full force. If there was any intelligence behind the Kings' dead black eyes, you would almost have to think that he was taking great joy from this.
Gigan was convulsing from the powerful energy coursing through his body. His last thought was "Why?" as his head exploded and his internal organs cooked.
One of his mandibles spun away and tore through Yoshinori's house tearing it's roof off.
Ghidorah followed it's path and closed in on the house. Three sets of eyes were staring down at the couple. Minutes passed as they were frozen in fear. Yoshinori was also trying to make sense out of what had just happened. His mother had other thoughts occupying her. Then Ghidorah's middle head started to come towards them. Yoshi had heard about Ghidorah stealing children before and tried to cover himself, but he was astounded as the giant golden maw moved past him and gently picked up his mother!!! She screamed and screamed and the beast leapt up and took flight, heading off into the distance.
His mother had been screaming words. But Yoshi couldn't make sense of it. The same thing over and over.
"NOT AGAIN!"
It seems that Yoshinori's mom has dark secrets indeed.
***Steve <Godzillaa@AOL.com>***
The earth surrounding one of the holes made in the ground from the "meteors" began to shake and crack. Hot steam rushed into the air, as if an airlock was suddenly opened underground. A low groaning roar was heard, as what looked like a gigantic shark fin emerged from the ground.
But as more of the object became visible, it became clear it wasn't a fin... but it was a gigantic sharp blade, and it just kept getting bigger. The edge of the blade was silver, but it was surrounded by a light blue-green flesh like covering. As the object continued to emerge, a pair of eyes and a mouth lined with razor sharp fangs became visible.
The monster Guiron was on Earth. He pulled himself out of the hole, shaking dirt from his body. Slowly, he inspected each of the other craters. He came to one, and began to dig the dirt away from it like a dog would. When the meteor was on surface level to him, he chopped it open with a great slam of his head-blade. A black ooze immediately rushed out of it, and before Guiron's eyes...the monster Hedora was born. The evil creatures roared a greeting to one another, and began to travel in the direction of Osaka.
* * *
On Monster Island, a lone monster sensed the impending danger. He too had watched the meteors crash down to earth, and he could sense the deadly cargo they contained. He knew Godzilla was hurt, and that Angilus was busy tending to the monster king. Slowly, the beast entered the ocean, and headed for the Japanese mainland, away from Monster Island.
* * *
King Ghidorah carried the woman into outer space at an alarming speed. She was safe from the atmospherically changes inside the creature's mouth...what an odd thought...safety in the destroyer of life itself, Ghidorah. The creature spotted a man made satellite and destroyed it with an energy ray just for fun, with one of his heads. Another head emitted a sound like insane, gleeful laughter, as the third kept Yoshi's mom inside his mouth, so therefore remained silent. After a long journey, Ghidorah landed on the surface of an unknown, barren planet. He set the woman down on the surface, and a cylinder rose from the ground.
"Ah...how nice to see you again, Miss.....Iko, isn't that what you go by these days?" a voice came from somewhere.
"Let me go, why did you bring me here!?" the woman demanded
"Ah, but I think you know, quite well, Fumiko" the voice repeated.
"I HAVE A NEW LIFE NOW!" she screamed.
"Hmph. You cannot change who you are. Now, please, we've wasted enough time. Please enter the cylinder and return to your duties" the voice said.
"I WANT TO GO HOME!" the woman screamed once more.
"Ha Ha Ha....oh, but you are home....welcome back to Planet X"
* * *
Godzilla laid on the ocean floor barely breathing. Little did he know that Gigan's blades were coated with a substance that severely combated his healing and regenerative powers. Angilus nursed the wounds the best he could, but it was a slow and tiresome process......
* * *
Guiron delighted himself in the way the people screamed when he chopped the train up, car by car. He liked it even better how good the tiny creatures inside tasted when he devoured them. Hedora entertained himself by dissolving buildings with his horrible toxic sludge. Guiron spun around, cleaving a skyscraper in two, as the top part crashed down to the street, shaking the ground. A large group of policemen ran to the street, firing upon Guiron with shotguns and bazookas, but the space monster merely shook it off, and impaled the humans with the razor blade stars from the side of his head. Hedora took care of the others by spewing a cloud of acid in their direction, melting their flesh and bones to a chunky soup. A swarm of fighter jets closed in, firing upon the monsters, but Guiron jumped through the air, taking out four of them with his huge blade, while Hedora picked off the rest with a red laser beam from his eyes. The tanks did no better, as Guiron entertained himself, playing with them as though they were dog toys before destroying them. Hedora made a noise to get Guiron's attention, and Guiron slashed the roof off of a building with his blade, and the children inside screamed. It was a day care center, and the children were hiding from the monsters, too scared to evacuate the building. The evil creatures delighted in what they were about to do, and prepared to feast upon the children, when a loud roar challenged them from behind, a horrid screeching sound. They turned, and couldn't believe their eyes....all the way from Monster Island, Minya had come to fight.
And instantly, he regretted it. Guiron charged at him, and Minya leapt aside screaming. He rolled to his feet and spat a radioactive energy ring at Guiron, and it attacked the monsters eyes and noise, annoying him, and he pawed at his face, as Hedora slapped Minya in the back of the head with a solid sludge covered "hand" Minya fell onto his face with a screech, but he got up quick, knowing he would be vulnerable if he stayed down. He didn't want to come alone, but his father and Angilus were both busy, and Rodan only mocked him when he asked for help. Gorosaurus wasn't too found of the small monster to begin with, Spiga and Kamakiris were just plain mean, and Baragon and Manda seemed to live only to torment him. He roared and charged at Guiron, headbutting him in the side, but Guiron sent him flying backwards with a shoulder tackle.
Minya uprooted a street light and jammed it into Guiron's eye, and the monster fell back with a groan. Minya danced, pleased with his cleverness. Hedora laughed at his comrades predicament, before hurling a mess of toxic sludge at Minya, knocking the monster down, and burning at his skin. Minya cried in pain, and fired an atomic blast at Hedora, sending chunks of the monster flying in all directions. Hedora's eyes widened. He didn't know Minya could do that! Minya got up, impressed with himself, and ran and speared Hedora in the midsection, slashing and clawing at the creature. But as he clawed deeper, his hands began to burn. He pulled them out and screeched, as Hedora began to breathe a cloud of paralyzing mist, which prevented Minya from moving. Guiron took advantage and wanted to hurt the little monster, so he stomped on his tail, HARD. With a screech, Minya overcame his paralysis and rocked Hedora with another Godzilla-worthy atomic blast. The evil monsters decided playtime was over, and Guiron bit down on the back of Minya's neck, slamming him to the ground. Hedora recovered, and began to fill a pit in the streets with ooze. They were going to bury Minya in it, and watch as the ooze stripped the flesh from his bones. Guiron kept his death grip on Minya, as Hedora filled the pit. When it was ready, Guiron began to drag Minya towards the hole. He was about to toss him in, when the ground behind him exploded, and with a loud high pitched roar, Angilus erupted onto the scene....