Author's Note: If you wish to comment on my story, either positively or negatively, don't hesitate to contact me at treetop@voicenet.com. Sailor Moon and all related characters are the property of Takeuchi Naoko, Toei Animation and DIC. So, please, don't sue me because I haven't any money. I do this strictly for entertainment purposes, not copyright infringement.
The Frankenstein Syndrome
by Jeffrey C. Branch
EPILOGUE
Rating: PG-13
For the next two hours, the company medic in General Bullinger's rogue force was kept busy as he stitched up and bandaged both wounded soldiers and the Scouts who suffered injuries fighting the Mitsumos' creatures. Sailor Mercury suggested setting up the makeshift triage in the clearing near the helicopters, saying they should get as far away from the building because of radiation leakage from the wrecked laboratory.
While the soldiers were cleaning up in preparation for departure, Lieutenant Fukoda talked with Mercury and Captain Conway, the young, blond officer left in charge after Bullinger's death at the hands of one of the man-beasts in the lab. The discussion: what to do about the building, and the horror within it.
"There's no way we'll be able to go back inside, gentlemen. Not even the Scouts are immune to the effects of radiation," said Mercury, studying readings on the screen of her mini-computer, a bandage on her left cheek. "The levels within are dangerously high. If the walls of the structure weren't lined with lead like you told me they were, Captain, we would have been affected by now. However, the longer we stay, the greater the risk we run of contamination."
"I guess I'll have to take you at your word, Sailor Mercury," said Conway. He then turned to Fukoda. "Lieutenant, I still think I should contact my superiors in Washington and let them know about this place instead of blowing it up like you suggested. My government's been kept in the dark about General Bullinger's scheme long enough."
Fukoda shook his head, his stony expression indicated he would not be swayed. "I'm sorry, Captain, but I haven't changed my mind on that. Since we can't get back in the building to search it, there's no way to know what sort of records the Mitsumos kept on their experiments. Should someone of the same mindset as Bullinger dig up anything of substance on Project Shapeshifter after we leave, they could start this nightmare all over again. We can't risk letting that happen."
"I agree. Destroying that building is the only viable option," said Mercury. "Under no circumstances must this abomination be allowed to return and haunt mankind. If it did, then we would be responsible for whatever misery it would wrought. And I don't want to live with that on my conscience. Will the explosives you used be enough?"
Conway nodded. Although he was sworn to defend the interests of the United States, which he considered that building to be, deep down, he knew Fukoda and Sailor Mercury were right. The building, and the dread secrets within had to be destroyed. "My men and I got as close as we could and planted one hundred pounds of C-4 all around that place. Not only will it take out the building, but shear off half this hillock."
The officer handed Fukoda a black box about a foot long and four inches wide. It had two buttons, one red, the other green on it and a foot long whip antenna on top. "This is the detonator. It's radio controlled. Pressing the green button activates the system. Press the red one and that place goes up in smoke. I recommend you be off this rock when you do it. The signal range is a full mile so distance won't be a problem."
"I understand. What will you do?" Fukoda asked.
"As the officer in charge, I've decided to return to our base and turn ourselves in. I've talked to the men, and they agree with my decision. Even though we didn't know what Project Shapeshifter was all about until today, we're still involved because we were acting under General Bullinger's orders when we helped outfit that place," Conway replied. "I'm not even gonna guess where Bullinger got the money to fund his crazy scheme, or how he got ahold of the plutonium the Mitsumos used in their experiments. The answers to those questions died with him. We'll keep quiet about the Scouts, and the monsters, but we'll probably lose our careers, maybe even wind up in prison for our part in this mess."
"That's a courageous thing you're doing, Captain," said Mercury.
Conway shook his head. "No. Just the right thing to do. Like you, Miss Mercury, I have a conscience, and after what I witnessed today, I have to act as I see fit, regardless of the consequences."
A soldier ran up to Conway and saluted. "Sir. The men and equipment have been loaded. We're ready to go."
"Very good, Private. Start up the birds. We leave in five," said Conway, returning the soldier's salute. After he left, Conway held out his hand to Fukoda. "Well, I guess this is it. Good-bye."
The detective grasped Conway's hand and shook it. "So long, Captain. Good luck to you and your men."
Then Mercury shook the officer's hand. Several hours ago, he and his men were her enemies, now she felt genuinely sad for them. "Good-bye. On behalf of the Sailor Scouts, we wish you well."
Conway smiled. "Thanks. I appreciate that. Take care."
A few minutes later, Fukoda and Mercury watched from a safe distance as the Army Hueys lifted off from the clearing and flew off into the distance. Once the choppers were gone, Sailor Mars walked gingerly towards them, her entire midsection wrapped in a bandage.
"Hello, Miss Mars. How are you feeling?" Fukoda asked.
The Scout of Fire chuckled, then winced. "Wonderful. It only hurts when I walk, talk or breathe. I feel like I'm in a vice. But it sure beats the alternative."
"How are Venus and Jupiter?" a concerned Mercury asked.
"They're resting in the bedroom on Goro's boat. Hiyata's making sure that creep doesn't get near them. The medic said Venus should recover from her concussion in a day or two. Jupiter's wounds looked worse than they really were, but the doc suggested we check her into a hospital when we get back. Just in case. Still, they'll be fine." Mars replied.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Mercury turned to Fukoda. "Lieutenant, what happens next? What about the warrant that's still out for our arrest after yesterday's incident?"
"Consider that APB officially cancelled. Even before I trucked all the way out here, I received info on the John Doe from the zoo that'll clear you ladies of any responsibility in his death."
"Sailor Moon will be glad to hear that," said Mars. "She's been sick with guilt over what she did. We've all been worried about her."
Fukoda nodded. "I expected no less. On the way here from the mainland, she told me how much she cares about you and the others. Now I can see why."
The girls blushed. "She's our friend. And we love her," said Mars.
"Well, I'm going to break the good news to Miss Moon. We'll leave once we return to the boat," said the detective.
At the furthest end of the island overlooking the ocean, Sailor Moon sat on a large boulder near the edge of the cliff, her head down, her mind burdened from despair. She was burned out, exhausted, not just physically, but mentally. The violence, the deaths, and the bloodshed she witnessed over the last day and a half left her a shattered, emotional wreck. Moon found herself wondering if it was too late to stop fighting, to give up being a Sailor Scout and try living a normal existence before she went insane, or if such a thing was forever beyond her grasp. Staring down at the rocky shoals below, she even wondered whether life itself was worth the bother. So caught up was Moon in her dark thoughts, she barely heard footsteps behind her. She turned and saw Fukoda approaching her.
"Mind if I join you, Miss Moon? You look a little down," he said.
"I'm a lot down, but you can anyway," Moon replied. Once Fukoda sat, Moon let out a long sigh. "Now that the fighting's over, I take it you've come to arrest me?"
"Hardly. In fact, I have some good news for you. Just before the disaster downtown, I found out from the FBI that the John Doe from the zoo, the one you killed yesterday, was Elroy Jenkins, a psychopath from Texas who murdered, dismembered and ate the remains of a dozen women in the Fort Worth area back in 1994. The guy was sentenced to die two years ago when he suffered a massive seizure, and a resulting physical uncovered an inoperable brain tumor.
"Jenkins was taken off death row and put into solitary. I guess the courts figured he'd croak before he ran out of appeals to avoid the electric chair. Somehow, Bullinger found out about Jenkins and used his military clout to get him sprung. From there, he was left to the not so tender mercy of the Mitsumos. The rest, as they say, was history. The guy was literally a dead man walking, Miss Moon. If the radiation from the experiments hadn't finished him off, the tumor certainly would've. All you did was speed up the inevitable. As far as I'm concerned, you're cleared."
"Then why don't I feel happy about that?" Moon said glumly. "For what seems like the longest time, my friends and I put our lives on the line to guard our world from the forces that would destroy it. Before today, I never thought that ordinary people could be so evil, it really hurts to find out I was wrong. That the very people we've shed our blood to protect are sick and twisted like General Bullinger and the Mitsumos. I've had it, Lieutenant. Had it up to here with fighting. I'm ready to quit. I mean, is it really worth it anymore?"
"I think it is. And I speak from experience. Every night when I go home after a hard day on the streets, bone tired in body and spirit after wallowing in the filth human nature produces, I ask myself the same thing: is it worth it? Then, I see my wife and daughter, the lights of my life and I say: hell yes! For every dirtbag like Bullinger and the Mitsumos, there are millions of decent people who struggle each and every day to make this world a better place. They don't have super powers like you do, but they do have every bit as much desire and devotion to do what's good and right. Those are the people I fight for, Miss Moon. If you give up now, the bad guys win, and we all lose."
Fukoda's words, and the power they conveyed sank in, and, for the first time since yesterday, Moon finally felt the crushing weight of guilt lift from her shoulders and a lightness filled her heart. She knew it would be a long time before the horror of the past two days would fade into the mists of memory, but she was young and had all the time in the world to forget everything she and her friends had endured. The thought of that brighter future put a huge smile on her face.
"Lieutenant, as long as you're going to keep on fighting, then I will too!" said Moon who then hugged the detective.
Fukoda returned Moon's smile. "That's great. Only, don't send any more monsters my way. I wanna live long enough to enjoy my pension."
Moon laughed out loud. And it felt good. "I'll keep that in mind."
Sitting at anchor a quarter mile away from the island under a setting sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Hiyata and Goro stood on the stern of the Moon Princess as Fukoda powered up the detonator left him by Captain Conway. The detective then pointed the device at the building on the hill.
"Hasta la vista," said Fukoda, pressing the red button. Seconds later, a massive series of explosions, loud as thunderclaps shook the island as the top of the hill, and the building it sat on disintegrated in a huge cloud of smoke and flame. When the dust cleared, most of the hill had vanished.
Hiyata gave a low whistle. "Conway was good to his word. There's nothing left of that hill."
As everyone went inside, Goro glared impatiently at Fukoda. "Well, if you're done, can we leave now? That place gives me the creeps!"
"Cast off, skipper. Take us home," said Fukoda. Keeping the promise he made to himself, he and Hiyata dismantled the rifles Goro gave them and dumped the pieces in the ocean before they returned to the boat. Even though Goro would walk because he promised not to arrest him, Fukoda felt confident that the Yakuza gunrunner would slip up one day, and when he did, he'll be there to bust him.
"Sir? What's going to happen to us when we return to headquarters?" a concerned Hiyata asked him.
Fukoda shrugged as he sat on the couch in the boat's living room. He was too worn out to care about the future. "Who knows? What counts is that we solved the case, Shiro, and the bad guys paid the price. If Mura can't accept that, then screw him. We'll worry about what to put in our reports to him tomorrow. For now, all I wanna do is catch some shuteye. It's been one hell of a long day."
As Fukoda stretched out on the couch, Hiyata, not feeling all that tired went up to the bridge to keep an eye on Goro.
Behind the locked door of the bedroom the Scouts appropriated, Venus and Jupiter, the latter heavily bandaged were sound asleep in the king sized bed. Mercury, seated at the edge of the bed checked Jupiter's pulse while Moon and Mars stood beside her.
"The explosion didn't wake them. Thank goodness. They certainly need the rest," said a bone weary Mercury, a yawn escaping her lips. "Since Lita lives alone, I'll stay with her until she's back on her feet. I figure she'll be out of action for at least a week. Maybe longer."
Moon knelt and gently brushed a stray lock of hair from Jupiter's face. "As long as she's alive. That's all I care about. Any one of us could've died on that island today."
Mars, grim faced, nodded. "Yeah, I know. Not even Queen Beryl and her army of goons hurt us as badly as the Mitsumos and their monsters did. I never want to go through anything like that again."
"I'll second that," said Mercury, yawning again. "Guys, if you don't mind, I'm gonna crash for awhile."
"Go ahead, Amy. You deserve it," said Moon.
While Mercury settled into a recliner near the bed and nodded off, Moon and Mars sat together on a small couch in a corner. Almost immediately, Moon noticed how somber her friend was.
"What's wrong, Raye?"
"Me. When Lita, Mina and I were prisoners on the island, I didn't think you'd come to our rescue. But I was wrong. You saved us," said Mars in a halting voice. She took Moon's hand in hers and held it tight as tears rolled down her cheeks. "You're my best friend in the whole world, yet, I had no faith in you. Oh, God, I've never felt so ashamed in my life. Can you forgive me, Serena?"
Moon, her heart tugged, smiled and hugged Mars. "Sure I can. I know I don't always inspire confidence in everyone, so I don't blame you for thinking that way. I'm just glad we all came through this together. As long as we stay together, nothing, or nobody can beat us. Ever."
"You can say that again....Meatball Head!" said a grinning Mars, her sagging spirits lifted. A few minutes later, the girls fell asleep in the comforting security of each other's arms and all was quiet aboard the Moon Princess as it sped north under the star lit night sky for the bright lights of Tokyo. And home.
THE END