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As he approached,
Sue noticed Max first. Seeing him from the corner of her
eye, then warmly smiling. "Aloha!" She blurted. The other two, now
looked from over their shoulders. Murphy adding... "About freakin' time!
You missed all the scary stuff!" "So I heard... In fact,
I've been trying to call you all day." Max pressed. "...Shit!, I
forgot to turn it back on... Sorry Max!" " That explain's why we
haven't heared from you." Added Sue. "That would be a good reason...
So,.. What's the news?" Max hedged, looking over the table... Noticing Tammy's
warm smile, and vacant chair next to her. "Take a seat, and
we'll fill you in." Murphy said.
Max sat down in
said chair. Tammy saw the stitched up gash, Max had aquired from
Maalaea. "That looks Painful, Max." She said, throwing his train of thought.
"Wha..? Oh... Only when I laugh." He replied to the girl, smiling. "Then try
not too, for a while." She returned... But the rest of the table did.
"Thanks... So, what exactly, did they tell you?.. About Maalaea?" It was back
to business. "They didn't have to tell us, shit! Sue and I were
there...We saw the whole thing, Max!" Murphy shot out, Max gave a
confused look. "You told me, you wern't..going..." "They asked us, to
keep an eye on the volcano, while they continued the search."
Sue explained. As she did, Murphy leaned in. "Then, the monster showed up!
It's freakin' huge, Max!.. Bigger than anything I've ever seen...Alive or
dead!" Max recalled the secret file, then added. "650 feet,.. Nose to Tail...give
or take." He looked to the others, for any sign of surprise, over
this hidden fact. Tammy was the only one. "Easily, if not, bigger!.. And,
it's hotter then Three Mile Island!" Murphy continued, not missing a
beat. Max knew about the radiation factor... Again from the file in
Stanton's office. Murphy went on. "The Navy's got the whole bay
sealed off, They're evacuating residents as we speak. No one's
allowed in or out!" "...Unless they have clearance." Max finished,.. Knowing
he could get in. "Yeah, pretty much." Affirmed Murphy. "...It, creature...monster.
Why don't you ever call it by name? It has one, and you
should damned well, respect it! You people don't get it... Godzilla's
another extension of Natures wrath, and should be treated as such!"
Tammy had finally a reached a point, were she couldn't hold back.
The rest of the table fell silent. Considering all that was in
the file, Max had to agree. "She's right... Godzilla's no different
then say,.. St. Hellens', or Pompei." He said. Tammy looked to
him, a smile returned to her face. " Yeah...A living, fire-breathing
version!" Murphy pressed. Max looked at him, That fact was on file,
too. "You saw this??" "That's what finished the Battleship." Murphy shot
back. "I have to get back, to my tables." Tammy inserted. "Are you alright?"
Sue asked the woman. "Yeah, I'll be fine... Just don't go anywere."
She said as she got up,.. Then looking at Max, she added. "...You
hear me?" He smiled with a nod, Murphy and Sue gave one-another
a glance of approval. Max caught it, this time. A kind of
look, parents give... Or something else. Either way, with Tammy absent,
he could address it.
Murphy jumped in,
before he could... "With everything going on, I forgot to ask
you... How was Washington?" Caught off guard, and unsure... Max answered. "Cold
actually... Very cold." Murphy nodded. "I bet... Did you, get that
promotion?" Connection made. Stanton was running things, Murphy talked
to Stanton... Before Max knew anything about Fendtech. "I take it,
we all have the same boss, then?" Max threw out. "Welcome
aboard, Pal." Confirmed Murphy, smiling. It made sense, now. Opperations
like Fendtech, built themselves through 'sponsorship'. Field agents would
look for other people with needed talents, and induct them at
the proper time. Funny,.. Thought Max. You never really know people,
the way you think you do. Anyway, it was all cleared up...
Now, the real discussion could begin.
"Well then, now
that we're up to speed... Where exactly, were you when this all
went down?" He inquired. "On the back of a destroyer, a few
hundred yards off." Answered Murphy. "The 'New Bedford?" asked Max. The
other two gave a nod. " Then, you guys fished out survivors....
So, how many people they lose?" He continued. "About 140... Mostly Navy,
with a few cival tech. Everyone we pulled out, still in
Decom." Murphy stated. "Decom? Was the radiation that high?" Max questioned with
surprise. "Worse than we anticipated... Not lethal,.. But I wouldn't
expect any of them, to have kids." Sue filled in. "The real spike,
came with super-lizard's Firestorm... It peged the meters." Added
Murphy. "...Behold, the true legacy of opperation 'overkill." Sue reflected. "So...
What do we do, about it?" Max inquired.
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"After we were
cleared from the ship, I went to see Stanton..." Murphy said. "Earlier
this afternoon?" Max interrupted. "Yeah, after you guys checked in.
Fendtech's got a toy shop out here... John's hooked the Navy up,
with some new water balloons." Murphy said... Max looked at him, slightly
confused. " You'll see tomorrow,.. That's when we punch in." He finnished.
Max felt even more lost, and at the risk of sounding
green, he asked. "Now that we're FendTech... What do we do, exactly?"
Sue, seeing him struggle abit, answered. "The same thing we always
do...Theorize, analyze... Take endless readings... We're the science end,.. The
only difference, is the name on our Paycheck." She smiled. "This ain't
spy stuff, Max... The only reason we keep quiet, is common sense.
We don't need to start a panic." Murphy added. "At this rate,
we won't have too...The Jolly green lizard's gonna do it for
us." Max offerd. "If everything goes right, tomorrow morning... Godzilla
will be a myth, again.!" Murphy said.
"You sound
pretty sure of that, Can you put it in writting?" Tammy
had returned... Murphy seemed unsettled for a moment, As if lost.
That's when Max realized... Tammy didn't know. "The Navy's gonna
try an offensive, tomorrow." Max quickly put forth. "...So, they think it's
that easy? Kill him, and be home for supper??" She said, sounding
irritated. "Well, I wouldn't put it, like that,.. But..." Murphy attempted.
She sat down, leveling her frustration (And gaze.) with him. "The Japanese
military tried everything from tanks, to bombs... All they did, was
piss him off." She impressed. Murphy sat for a moment, looking
sorry. "They'll be trying something a little different, tomorrow." He
informed. Tammy thought for a moment. "Then we should pray, they
have better luck" She said somberly. The air seemed heavy for
a moment. "Look,.. I'm sorry. It's just that...I've heared the stories.." "I know,
Tammy... We're just as concerned as you are. Believe me." Sue said,
trying to settle the woman. "I have to do my drawer... I'll just
catch up with you. tomorrow." Tammy said, getting up from the
table with flusterd haste. " I'll try not to be so morbid,
either." She added, forcing a smile. "I wish you knew, everything I
do...Thats all." This said to the group, but aimed at Max, once
again. With this parting comment, she hurried off. "But, we
do..." Said Murphy, after she left earshot.
"So,.. Why isn't
she part our little group?" Max questioned. "Who says, she's not?"
Murphy asked with a smile. He was clearly in 'test mode.'
"I saw your fumble, earlier... Obviously, she's not in the loop. So,..
Why not?" He repeated. "She is... She just doesn't know it, yet." Offered
Sue. "...And, that would make you, her Sponsor." Max filled it
in, sitting back with a smile of his own. "you're on a roll,
now." Murphy added. "That was the original plan, yes... But I think,
chemistry's taking over." Sue said, smiling toward Max... Who saw where this
was going.
After punching
the time clock, Tammy got her belongings, and headed for the
hotel's lobby exit. She was still very upset, as she walked
out the doorway and into the night air. "You don't think,
we can win." Came a newly familiar voice. Startled, she stopped. Looking
for it's owner. Max was standing by a tree, on the hotel's
groomed lawn. "What are you doing here, Max?" She asked, with confusion.
"Well, I do pay for a room, after all." He replied in
a light manner... Meant to dissarm. "...I don't think, I'm breaking
any laws." He continued as she walked toward him. "Only that
one." She said, pointing with a smile. A sign saying 'Keep
off the grass', That Max now noticed. " Then, I guess... You'll just
have to call security." He said, smiling. She laughed.
"So... What are,
you doing here?" She repeated. "Lets walk" Said Max. She looked
at him for a moment, thinking this over. "All right, I'm game." She
said. The two started off, toward the beach. " I know, we didn't
exactly, start off on the right foot." Max offered. "It's not your fault...
I just have a problem with science." Admitted the girl. "What about
it?" He inquired. With this, she stopped to face him. "We use it for
a magic answer, Max. Science can explain the entire universe... But
half the time, it's wrong!" Point taken, he thought... But she wasn't
done. "It gave us the cold war, and the greenhouse effect...
Creating the problem." Now, the point had become a spear.
drivin home with deadly accuracy... Max recalled 'Opperation Overkill' once
again. "So, you think Godzilla's something we made?" He asked, taking care
not to affirm the fact. "Not you directly,.." She said, dissarming again.
"... But look how we've screwed up the world,.. Who's to say,
he's not our fault?" She pressed... Max knew, she was right.
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