powerful whirlpool in its wake. Some of the people swimming were caught up in the swirling waters. Most of them were too weak from trying to stay afloat to even scream as they were sucked under.
For a terrifying instant, it felt as if the lifeboat was going to be sucked into the vortex, too. Kim's mother screamed as the raft was turned around by the whirlpool once, then twice. Finally, the swirling movement slowed and the raft - incredibly - remained floating on the surface.
After the noise and violence of the sinking, the silence that followed the disappearance of the ferryboat was eerie. Will, exhausted, peeked over the edge of the raft. In the distance, he could see Godzilla, still moving away from them. He watched for another minute, until the creature finally vanished into the haze and fog.
Then Will sank to the bottom of the raft, where he remained for the next half hour. He was tired, cold, sore, and dazed by his experience.
Will only looked up when, in the far distance, he heard the sound of rotors. Helicopters!
Will almost burst out laughing. He heard Soonji sob and whisper something in Korean to the little boy.
I can't believe it.... We're saved! Will said to himself. But he only half-believed it.
Godzilla is still alive - and he's still out there.
CHAPTER 8
SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT
May 29, 1998, 2:29 P.M.
The newsroom, INN headquarters
Tokyo, Japan
Brian Shimura was happy that Nick's dire predictions about his life at INN had not been realized.
True, he had toiled in the mailroom, but only for two days. And he had worked as a fact checker for three more days. But, finally, at the end of his first week, Brian had been moved up to the newsroom and given some real journalistic duties.
At the moment, those duties consisted of sitting in his cubicle, watching a television screen that was tuned to a rival network - in this case, CNN. Brian's job was to monitor the broadcasts on the Cable News Network. If a story broke on CNN that was not covered by INN, Brian was supposed to notify Mr. Takao, the newsroom chief. Other interns, mostly Japanese, monitored NHK and some of the other Asian news networks.
Occasionally, a reporter would assign Brian to other jobs. Some of those jobs were interesting, others were a pain. But mostly Brian just watched television.
"You've got that glassy-eyed stare again," Nick said, tapping Brian on the shoulder "Isn't it time for a break?"
Brian peeked at his watch and smiled. "That it is," he announced, pulling off his earphones.
"What's hot, news wise?" Nick asked as they headed to the break room together.
"Ohhh, well, the U.S. president is threatening trade sanctions against Japan again," Brian said. "The dollar is falling against the Japanese yen, the British pound, and the German mark; another baseball strike is looming, and Kevin Costner's new movie is getting panned by the critics."
"In other words, nothing," Nick replied.
"You said it," Brian agreed. "Sometimes I wonder why we bother becoming journalists. There's no real news to report. Nothing ever really happens."
"So you want to go out tonight?" Nick asked, changing the subject. "Yoshi's back. I'm sure he'd like to join us. How about midnight karaoke?"
Brian groaned as he yawned. "You know, Nick," he said earnestly, "you got to sleep in this morning - the third morning in a row."
"My job stinks," Nick replied defensively. "Lacks Pulse is a real pain to work for - and he doesn't get in until noon!"
"Mr. Hulse is management," Brian explained. " You are not."
"That'll change when my talent is finally recognized." Nick stated. "Now what about midnight karaoke?"
"No way," Brian insisted.
"Come on!" Nick urged him. "It'll be fun. You haven't lived until you've seen a middle-aged Japanese businessman singing 'Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves' just like Cher."
"Don't be so sure," Brian replied. "I've already seen my parents dance the hokey-pokey at my sister's wedding."
"The horror... the horror," Nick replied, pretending
For a terrifying instant, it felt as if the lifeboat was going to be sucked into the vortex, too. Kim's mother screamed as the raft was turned around by the whirlpool once, then twice. Finally, the swirling movement slowed and the raft - incredibly - remained floating on the surface.
After the noise and violence of the sinking, the silence that followed the disappearance of the ferryboat was eerie. Will, exhausted, peeked over the edge of the raft. In the distance, he could see Godzilla, still moving away from them. He watched for another minute, until the creature finally vanished into the haze and fog.
Then Will sank to the bottom of the raft, where he remained for the next half hour. He was tired, cold, sore, and dazed by his experience.
Will only looked up when, in the far distance, he heard the sound of rotors. Helicopters!
Will almost burst out laughing. He heard Soonji sob and whisper something in Korean to the little boy.
I can't believe it.... We're saved! Will said to himself. But he only half-believed it.
Godzilla is still alive - and he's still out there.
CHAPTER 8
SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT
May 29, 1998, 2:29 P.M.
The newsroom, INN headquarters
Tokyo, Japan
Brian Shimura was happy that Nick's dire predictions about his life at INN had not been realized.
True, he had toiled in the mailroom, but only for two days. And he had worked as a fact checker for three more days. But, finally, at the end of his first week, Brian had been moved up to the newsroom and given some real journalistic duties.
At the moment, those duties consisted of sitting in his cubicle, watching a television screen that was tuned to a rival network - in this case, CNN. Brian's job was to monitor the broadcasts on the Cable News Network. If a story broke on CNN that was not covered by INN, Brian was supposed to notify Mr. Takao, the newsroom chief. Other interns, mostly Japanese, monitored NHK and some of the other Asian news networks.
Occasionally, a reporter would assign Brian to other jobs. Some of those jobs were interesting, others were a pain. But mostly Brian just watched television.
"You've got that glassy-eyed stare again," Nick said, tapping Brian on the shoulder "Isn't it time for a break?"
Brian peeked at his watch and smiled. "That it is," he announced, pulling off his earphones.
"What's hot, news wise?" Nick asked as they headed to the break room together.
"Ohhh, well, the U.S. president is threatening trade sanctions against Japan again," Brian said. "The dollar is falling against the Japanese yen, the British pound, and the German mark; another baseball strike is looming, and Kevin Costner's new movie is getting panned by the critics."
"In other words, nothing," Nick replied.
"You said it," Brian agreed. "Sometimes I wonder why we bother becoming journalists. There's no real news to report. Nothing ever really happens."
"So you want to go out tonight?" Nick asked, changing the subject. "Yoshi's back. I'm sure he'd like to join us. How about midnight karaoke?"
Brian groaned as he yawned. "You know, Nick," he said earnestly, "you got to sleep in this morning - the third morning in a row."
"My job stinks," Nick replied defensively. "Lacks Pulse is a real pain to work for - and he doesn't get in until noon!"
"Mr. Hulse is management," Brian explained. " You are not."
"That'll change when my talent is finally recognized." Nick stated. "Now what about midnight karaoke?"
"No way," Brian insisted.
"Come on!" Nick urged him. "It'll be fun. You haven't lived until you've seen a middle-aged Japanese businessman singing 'Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves' just like Cher."
"Don't be so sure," Brian replied. "I've already seen my parents dance the hokey-pokey at my sister's wedding."
"The horror... the horror," Nick replied, pretending
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