Work Text:
Godzilla vs the Starship Enterprise
Captain’s Log
Stardate 45160.4
The Enterprise is currently in orbit around Sarcos III, a largely agrarian planet that has recently been dealing with the resurgence of an ancient problem.
———
Sarcosian Ambassador Trilic would have been blue in the face were it not naturally a shade of lavender. “Captain, we don’t know what could have caused this creature to awaken! It slept since we joined the Federation and abandoned unsafe technologies! Its been sleeping underwater for generations… I didn’t even believe it was real! But now it’s on the move and our whole way of life is in danger!”
“I understand, Ambassador,” Picard said, calmly. “And I assure you that the Enterprise will do everything we can to assist with your… wildlife problem.”
This was, of course, an impossible understatement. The creature was less a wild animal and more a natural disaster of potentially world-shattering proportions. With its size alone, it level a city in minutes. And that’s if it wasn’t trying. If it turned aggressive or even universe forbid, ANGRY… Picard shuddered to contemplate the results.
“Are these readings accurate?” Geordi asked, studying a PADD. “100 meters from toe to head and twice that from toe to tail?” He whistled to show he was impressed. “That is one MASSIVE creature. Do you have a name for it?”
“I assure you,” Ambassador Trillic. “These are modest estimates!” He spoke the creature’s name. To do so involved lowering his jaw and running his three tongues together in a manner impossible for even the most dedicated human to attempt.
“Ambassador,” Picard assured, “you have our assurances that my crew and I will find a way to handle this…” he struggled with how to label the creature.
“Captain,” Mr. Data offered, “this creature bears a striking resemblance to a creature from Earth’s mythology, the Godzilla or ゴジラ spoken of on Odo Island in what is now Japan. Perhaps given your difficulty in pronouncing his creature’s proper name, it would be simpler to adopt this designation for the creature.”
The Ambassador waved his arm. “I have no problem with that, but please, find a way to remove this creature immediately!”
Picard smiled his most diplomatic smile. “I assure you, we will do everything we can, Ambassador.”
As the door closed behind the Ambassador, Picard turned to his crew. “Options?”
“Sir,” Worf broke in. “I recommend we eliminate this creature before it can make landfall. It’s power seems to be… devastating.”
Picard smiled. “I understand your concern, Mr. Worf, and of course we must be prepared for that possibility. However, this is a wholly unique being within the universe and as Starfleet officers, we must do everything we can to preserve such life.”
“Could it be contained somehow?” Dr. Crusher asked. “Moved to some uninhabited planet where it could live peacefully?”
Geordi shook his head. “Its size and molecular density is greater than almost any other life form we’ve ever encountered. Transporters are out of the question and it’s too big to fit in the ship.”
“Is there any ship it would fit in?” Troi offered. “A mining vessel, perhaps?”
Picard shook his head. “Any vessel large enough would not be friendly with the Federation. And that would beg the question what miners with little interest in ecological safety would do with a creature of this type once they possessed it.”
Riker stood up. “Captain, our first priority is to keep this creature from making landfall and damaging any inhabited settlements. Once we’ve pushed it back, we can worry about the next step.”
Picard nodded. “Agreed. What’s your proposal.”
Riker took a thoughtful moment before proceeding. “Three shuttlecraft, loaded for bare. Piloted by Worf, Data, and myself. We’d be small enough and fast enough to avoid the creature’s attacks and we should be able to herd it back into the sea without causing it any lasting harm.”
“Make it so,” Picard concurred. “Choose your crews and prepare to launch as soon as possible. Mr. LaForge, keep working on a more permanent solution.”
“Aye, sir.”
“Dismissed. We begin operations tomorrow at 0800.”
———
The next morning, Picard caught up with his First and Second Officers on their way to Shuttle Bay.
“Good morning,” he greeted them. “Fortunately, it seems our creature has yet to surface.”
“That is a stroke of luck,” Riker admitted. “I’m not sure what we could do if this thing caught us with our pants down.”
Picard nodded, that would indeed have been an unappealing prospect. “Mr. Data will you be able to track this creature before it surfaces? Sarcosian waters are unusually difficult to scan.”
Data nodded. “I am aware of the usual compounds making up the Sarcosian oceans, sir. Fortunately, I have found a unique radiation signature to Godzilla. We should be able to attack as soon as it surfaces.”
Picard nodded, glad to have at least that much secured.
As they walked down the corridor to the Shuttle Bay, Commander Riker could scarcely hide his exuberance. “Well, Data, we finally have a chance hunt for a Sea Monster!”
“I was not trying to be evocative in naming the creature, sir,” Data explained. “I was merely trying to ease communication between parties.”
“Be that as it may, Data,” Captain Picard interjected, “you have brought us along a unique line of thought. Our ancestors told many such stories of ancient and massive beings waiting below the seas. Not just your Godzilla… be it Cthulhu or the Biblical Leviathan, on the vessels that voyaged long before this one, ancient mariners were feared and dreaded… But at the same time almost wished for.”
They entered the Shuttle Bay to find Lieutenant Worf already waiting for them. Ensign Rodriguez, his copilot for the mission stood beside him, clearly both nervous and excited at the coming mission. “All preparations complete, sir,” Worf declared.
Riker nodded. He looked over to his own shuttlecraft where Ensign Ro was waiting for him. “Should I take it as a compliment or insult that you chose me for this mission… sir?” She asked him in typical wry fashion.
Riker smiled. “That remains to be seen, Ensign.”
Picard nodded to all of them. “Best of luck to all of you.”
———
Captain Picard entered the Bridge and took his seat. Counselor Troi had been taking one of her irregular shifts commanding the Bridge in preparation for their upcoming mission. Lieutenant Commander LaForge was currently onscreen and the Captain greeted them both.
“Is everything ready in the Shuttle Bay?” Geordi asked.
Picard nodded. “They’re ready to launch. Our sea monster hunt is about to commence.”
Geordi raised an eyebrow behind his VISOR. “Sea monster?”
“Something Commander Riker said,” Picard smiled, the Commander’s enthusiasm having proved somewhat infectious. “A reminder that our predecessors on Earth dreamed of such creatures for as long as they sailed.”
“And made monsters of something perfectly harmless ocean life in the process,” Counselor Troi pointed out.
Picard nodded. You didn’t serve aboard a ship called the Enterprise without coming to understand the thoughtless slaughter of dolphins and whales that had occurred centuries prior. “Indeed.”
“About that. I was thinking about Doctor Crusher’s suggestion,” Geordi said. “That maybe there was another planet where Godzilla could live peacefully.”
Picard nodded. “Yes, I would certainly prefer a mission of preservation to one of extinction.”
“The third moon of Sarcos IV is water-rich, the creature could live a happy life there. One reason the Sarcosians never colonized is the radiation levels,” LaForge explained, pulling up a graphic with the relevant details.
“Which the creature consumes…” Picard mused with a smile. “But there’d still be the matter or transporting the creature.”
“Let me work on that,” Geordi said. “I can feel there’s a solution out there, I just need to grasp it.”
Picard spoke gravely. “I have faith in your abilities, Mr. LaForge, but time is short.”
“I know it, Captain,” Geordi said meaningfully. “But trust me.”
———
In his shuttlecraft, Data scanned the waters of Sarcosia III for the massive, ancient creature he had nicknamed “Godzilla.” True to the Captain’s warning, the brackish, mineral-rich sea had proven unusually resistant to his scans.
Data adjusted the scanners again. There was a faint hint of a signal. He quickly made further adjustments.
Now he could see something. Deep below the surface, but moving towards the shore. And at astonishing speed.
He also noticed another reading. Similar to the signature on Godzilla, but smaller, fainter, and more intermittent. Anyone but himself would never had noticed it. He cocked his head in fascination and programmed the computer to scan further in the background.
It was time to report in. “Data to Enterprise.”
———
On the Bridge, Picard received Data’s report. The secondary source of radiation was of interest, but there was no time to consider it now. The creature’s trajectory put it on course for Nimsk, the seaside capital of Sarcosia’s Western Continent. Its speed would put it there within hours.
“Data will intercept the creature shortly, Captain.” Troi assured him from his side. “Will and Worf will be there momentarily.”
Picard nodded. Somehow at moments like this, his ergonomically perfect chair felt uncomfortable.
“Data is on top of the creature, sir!” Lieutenant Junior Grade Fang-Lee reported. “Waiting for your orders.”
The creature was too fast! If they didn’t stop it here, it might make landfall before everyone arrived. But if Data took it on alone, Picard felt he would be sentencing the android officer to death.
“Have Mr. Data fire a warning shot to try to stall the creature, then quickly retreat to a safe distance until the rest of the party arrives.
“Aye, sir.”
Picard watched the tiny shuttlecraft fire into the churning black-green sea, then quickly skitter away. For a moment, there was silence.
But only a moment.
The water bubbled up, in such great quantities and such a surge that for a moment, Picard thought the creature may be made solely of water, despite the initial data. Soon, though, the water passed over it to reveal the true shape of the mighty beast.
A wave of primordial fear ran through the seasoned officer, though he was quick to quiet it. The head of the beast was massive, fierce, armored. It was a charcoal verging on black, but the glistening water gave definition to the scaled visage. Its eyes glowed with fury, its sharp teeth were larger than full-grown humans, and set in two menacing rows. As it continued to rise, the huge, sharp, irregularly-sized dorsal plates growing in three rows down its back, the largest nearly the size of the Bridge he currently stood on. The monster stretched its powerful shoulders and took a breath, puffing out the thick plating of its breast. Even waist-deep in the water, it looked like a full-formed mountain.
And then it let out a powerful roar, loud enough that even witnessing it through the viewscreen, the crew was shaken.
“It would seem this is our Leviathan,” he mused darkly. He had hoped to set the crew more at ease, but his own voice seemed uncharacteristically small and hollow. He had seen larger creatures, the Crystalline Entity most prominently, but this was truly a monster.
“It is quite an imposing sight,” Troi admitted, her own fear evident in her voice.
“Counselor, are you able to get any readings from the creature?” As much as Picard hated to admit it, if this creature turned out to lack sentience, it would make matters simpler if they did had to destroy it.
Troi was momentarily froze, terrified by the hideousness and majesty of the being before her… but nodded and set herself on satisfying the Captain’s order. She focused her vision of Godzilla’s massive head, willing herself to see inside the ancient beast’s mind, to read its emotions. She reached out and…
Suddenly, the Counselor fell out of her chair, spasming violent. “Counselor! Counselor! Deanna!” Picard called out. When she didn’t respond and she continued to shake on the ground, he tapped his communicator. “Picard to Crusher! Emergency medical transport for Counselor Troi!”
“PAIN! PAIN AND ANGER! SUCH ANGER…” the Betazoid cried out frantically.
As he watched his friend and colleague dematerialize, Picard felt a wash of guilt, shame, and defeat run over him. He wished at least Lieutenant Worf or Commander Riker had been there to provide Deanna the dignity of being escorted to Sick Bay by a fellow sentient being, but even had they been on the Bridge, he couldn’t spare anyone while dealing with the creature before them.
But that wasn’t the end of the bad news. It wasn’t even the beginning.
“Data to Enterprise,” the android’s familiar voice called over the comm. “Godzilla is attempting to submerge. I am going to engage.”
“Negative, Mr. Data,” Picard called out. “This is not an enemy you can handle alone.”
“I am aware of that, sir,” Data replied simply. “But if I do not, the creature would reach the city too soon for preventative action.”
Picard closed his eyes and drew a breath. “Understood.”
At first, Data was keeping a safe distance, trying to direct the creature away from civilization with well-time phaser bursts to the back of the neck. These barely warranted a shrug from the mighty mountain that was their target and soon Picard came to the same reluctant revelation he knew Data would aboard the shuttlecraft: he would need to strike closer and he would need to avoid the well-armored back of the creature. If there was any vulnerable area on the beast, it must be on the front.
He could feel the horror in the eyes of the Bridge crew as they watched Data’s shuttlecraft rush around the massive creature’s airspace like a singularly annoying fly. He dared not look at any of their faces. Data was beloved on the Ship, perhaps more than anyone else, and none of those currently on the Bridge believed they would ever see him again.
Data struck the chest and torso of the monster with a barrage of phasers and photon torpedos, buzzing it with a speed few others could match, if only for his immunity from the g-forces. Godzilla swatted its mighty claws at the little ship, but Data had managed to evade the swipes… unfortunately his own attacks were equally useless. The few hits strong enough to generate a roar from the beast healed rapidly, closing up as quickly as they had opened.
Picard had a thought. It was a cruel one, and he felt ashamed of it, but millions of lives were at stake. “Mr. Data, target the creature’s eyes.”
“Yes, sir.”
Picard didn’t like that this would put Data at an even greater risk. Add to that he took a certain pride that even Klingons regarded him as an “honorable” captain. He could only hope that the creature’s healing powers would assist with its recovery even as he knew his primary obligation was to save the lives on Sarcosia.
Data pummeled the monster’s massive right eye with a barrage of phaser and torpedo strikes. Godzilla cried out in pain and fury. It seemed the idea had been a good one, whether the eyes truly were more vulnerable or it was the concentration had made a difference, the monster had been hurt in a way it had not been before.
Data registered the reaction and zipped behind the creature, preparing for another run.
This proved to be a rare mistake for the brilliant android.
On the Bridge, Picard watched in horror as with a mighty crack of the tail, Godzilla struck Data’s shuttlecraft out of the sky.
“Mr. Data! Mr. Data!” He called out.
“Sir… we’ve lost communication with Commander Data’s shuttlecraft,” Ensign Singh at Communications informed him. “No sign of the ship, sir.”
Picard knew the Bridge wanted to take a moment to mourn their fallen comrade. He felt the same way. But there simply wasn’t time. “How long until the creature makes landfall?”
“It could be fifteen minutes at full speed,” Lieutenant Fang-Lee explained at Tactical. “Possibly less.”
“Location of Commander Riker and Lieutenant Worf’s shuttles?” Picard asked.
“They’re… they’re right there, sir!” the Lieutenant exclaimed.
———
Onboard his shuttlecraft, Commander Riker eyed the beast before him. He had wanted to face a sea monster, and now he was getting his chance. And all it had cost him was a close friend and comrade.
“Mr. Worf,” he called out over the communications system. “It seems the odds are worse than we were expecting.”
“Acknowledged,” came the reply. He could hear the anger in Worf’s voice, barely restrained. He knew that the Klingon would probably rather kill the beast for what it had done to Data than preserve it. “Ready to fire.”
“Just remember, this is still a rescue mission. For Godzilla as well as the city,” he cautioned the Security Officer… as well as himself and Ensign Ro.
Data’s plan of keeping close was a solid one, despite the danger. Though incredibly fast under the water and destructive on land, Godzilla was struggling to deal with a small, nimble, flying threat. Riker focused on flying while relying on Ro to man the weapons and watch his back. “Keep an eye on that tail, Ensign!”
“Aye, sir!”
Still, the damage they were inflicting was negligible to be practically non-existent. Part of him wished they’d brought a whole fleet… but he knew that would be like lambs to the slaughter. The only thing that was saving them so far was that between his own attacks of the creature’s front and Worf’s assault from the rear, Godzilla didn’t know which way to turn and was shifting back and forth with its attacks. A denser cluster of ships would have just insured casualties by giving Godzilla more targets to lash out against.
But this was a stalling tactic at best, all they could do was keep the beast at bay for as long as possible and put their faith in the the Enterprise to deliver a long-term solution.
Suddenly, Godzilla stopped its roars and thrashing. This seemed like anything but a good sign.
“Brace yourself,” he advised Ensign Ro.
“For what?” she asked, knowing full well the answer was “anything.”
There was something in the creature’s eyes now. I certain light that Riker couldn’t help but take as recognition. As though it had learned from experience.
He watched a blue light began to rise from the ocean, then realized it was the traveling up the creature’s dorsal plates. Its eyes began to glow, the injured one practically on fire. And its mouth…
“EVASIVE MANEUVERS!!” he cried out.
It seemed to happen in slow motion, although given the time it took them to react, it must have only been seconds: Godzilla opened its mouth wider than he would have possible and spewed forth a thick, blue, billowing flame. The speed, the ferocity, the sheer, undeniable POWER shook Commander William Riker to a level he had rarely felt before.
They moved quickly enough to avoid the brunt of the blast, but couldn’t quite evade its wake.
“Sir!” Ensign Ro called out. “The shields are… melting! We’re at 60%… 40%… 20%… they’re going to buckle completely!”
“Radiation shielding?” Riker asked.
When he saw the Bajoran woman’s face, he didn’t wait for a verbal response.
“Riker to Enterprise,” he called over the comms. “Two for emergency transport with possible radiation poisoning.”
———
This just left Worf’s ship.
Worf eyed the young human ensign sitting next to him. A competent officer, masking her concerns admirably. But not a warrior.
“Ensign Rodriguez, I need you to arm the photon torpedos. After this, I am going to drop the shields for a split second and transport you back to the Enterprise.”
The young ensign looked to Worf with concern. “Sir, my mission is here with you.”
Worf smiled. “I would say the same. But this is a risk for commanding officer.”
The ensign knew Worf well enough to understand how much he valued Honor and Sacrifice. She armed the torpedos and gave the okay to the valiant Klingon. “It was an honor to serve with you, sir.”
Worf energized the transporter and sent Rodriguez back to safety. Then he brought Godzilla up to the view screen, staring directly into the creature’s massive eye. Would it be a good day to die? He could only wonder as he prepared for ramming speed.
———
As soon as Ensign Rodriguez materialized in the Transporter Room, she shouted to Chief O’Brien. “Emergency Transport Lieutenant Worf!”
O’Brien hadn’t made it through years at his job by being flustered and instantly set locating the Klingon officer’s readings.
———
Meanwhile, on the bridge, the crew watched in horror as the shuttle their Chief of Security had been commanding crashed headfirst into Godzilla’s injured orange eye, earning an angry howl from the massive monster.
“Mr. O’Brien?” Picard asked over the comm.
It was only a second, but it felt like an hour.
“Mr. Worf is shaken a bit, but safely aboard,” O’Brien’s calm voice broke over the system, causing everyone to relax visibly. “He’s more worried about his opponent.”
On the screen, Godzilla’s face was smoking, it’s mouth snarling… it was barely injured, but it was angrier than ever. For a brief moment, Picard feared the worst: that it would continue its journey to land, that the Enterprise couldn’t evacuate fast enough, that an assault on the creature from space would damage the Sarcosian civilization worse than the beast itself…
…But then Godzilla turned back towards the sea.
Picard smiled, he knew this was far from over, but at least they had bought themselves some time. “Tell him… our foe is returning to the sea to lick its wounds. And have he and Ensign Rodriguez report to Sick Bay for radiation treatment.”
“Understood,” O’Brien replied.
Picard opened a channel to Engineering. “Mr. LaForge, where are we with solutions?”
“I’ve figured out how to project our shields away from the ship in a bubble,” LaForge explained. “We wouldn’t be able to go to warp and we’d be defenseless, but with all of the tractor beams working together, we should be able to haul Godzilla to that moon.”
“Wouldn’t the creature suffocate?” Picard asked. “The warp bubble wouldn’t have any oxygen.”
“That’s why we’d need to get the water, too,” LaForge replied.
It was a dangerous plan, but the best they had. “Make it so.”
Ensign Singh at the Communications console let him know there was another channel looking to report in. “…It’s Lieutenant Commander Data, sir!”
Picard gave a sigh of relief. “Put him through.”
The call came through in audio only, and through heavy static. “Commander Data, have you been injured?”
“My injuries are not serious, sir,” Data’s voice broke through the static. “However, I am afraid the shuttlecraft is beyond repair.”
Picard smiled. “The shuttlecraft is replaceable, Data. We will beam you aboard.”
“One moment, sir,” Data cautioned. “I was able to locate the source of the radiation. Transmitting now.”
In all the excitement dealing with the creature, Picard had nearly forgotten the energy signatures. Now that the information was on his screen, he couldn’t think of anything else. “Mr. LaForge, are you ready?”
“Yes, sir, we’ve got that monster in a bubble,” Geordi’s voice confirmed.
Picard confirmed that visually. “Launch all tractor beams.” After confirming the action he said. “Ensign Singh, contact Ambassador Trillic.
The Ensign did so and soon the overjoyed Ambassador appeared on the screen. “Captain Picard! You’ve done it! You’ve repelled the monster and I can see now that you have the beast contained.”
Picard eyed the Ambassador angrily. “Ambassador Trillic, you told Starfleet that your people had no idea what caused this beast to awakened. However, when we scanned your planet, we found outlawed nuclear weapons facilities within miles of your shoreline. Hidden! Had we not been looking for the creature’s unique energy signature, these would have gone undetected.”
The Ambassador shifted uneasily, clearly trying to decide if denial or confession would have been the better option. “Captain, I…”
Picard brushed him off. “The Federation outlaws these facilities precisely because they are dangerous, uncontrollable, and prone to failure under the best of circumstances… and that’s on worlds without threats like your monster sleeping within them.
“My ship and my crew have put their lives at stake over your lie. Let that weigh on your conscience.” Picard signaled to cut the communication. “Have we confirmed that Mr. Data is onboard.”
“Aye, sir, all accounted for,” Lieutenant Fang-Lee confirmed.
“Let’s take our new friend to his new home,” Picard said gently. “One quarter impulse.”
“Aye, sir.”
Picard looked down at the beast as it hovered out of the atmosphere. This creature had incapacitated half of his Command Staff, and while prognoses were good, they easily could not have been. It was only extraordinary quick thinking and the miracles of Doctor Beverley Crusher and her team that would save Ro Laren, William Riker, and Worf Son of Mogh from a painful death by radiation poisoning. The population of Sarcos III were even luckier. While Starfleet Medical would be busy testing the citizens and waters or any traces of radioactivity, their beautiful cities would stand, their crystalline structures enduring for centuries to come… despite the best efforts of certain members of their leadership.
Still, as he gazed at the creature that they had called Godzilla, Picard couldn’t help but be moved to terror and inspiration that such a powerful, massive, and uncontrollable force of nature could exist, the same way he could see the beauty and majesty in an enemy ship.
They were safely out of orbit for about half an hour when Picard was about to order a tentative increase to half impulse. But before the words could leave his lips, the ship was rocked suddenly and violently.
“Report!” he called out.
“It’s Godzilla, sir!” Geordi’s voice echoed back. “Even in the bubble, it’s like trying to chain down a hurricane!”
The ship shook again and again. Picard had to fight the urge to raise shields, knowing that if they released the creature, his would all be for naught. Still, he could feel the beast’s fury as it shook his proud ship, struggling to keep the eldritch being on its hook.
Then, in its rage, the creature lashed out, releasing a powerful blast of its atomic breath.
The Enterprise shook with the impact as the blast seared through the shields around Godzilla to strike the ship itself.
“Report!” Picard shouted.
There was the usual listing of affected decks. Fires, radiation damage, multiple injuries… but at least no casualties.
“But we lost half of our tractor beams in the blast and the force sent us and Godzilla in two different directions,” Geordi reported.
“Stabilize the ship and can we try to get the creature back?” Picard asked.
He could practically hear Geordi shaking his head. “Captain, we were having a hard time with all tractor beams at full power. Add his current momentum and getting the shields around him again is pretty much impossible. Plus, I’m not sure we want to risk another blast of his breath.”
Picard slumped back into his chair. He knew, of course, that this would be the answer. As miraculous as the creature was, he was not about to put his crew at further risk to save it, especially knowing the futility of the gesture. He watched the new comet that was the rapidly-formed ball of ice surrounding Godzilla drift away, grateful at least that it was away from the planet.
“The Sarcosians and the Enterprise are safe,” he said as much to himself as the crew. “And I suppose this time, that needs to enough.”
———
In her sleep, Deanna Troi tossed and turned. She felt Godzilla’s will as it drifted away. More inhuman than any mind she had ever touched, she still could not understand its thoughts or its feelings, but she was aware of one thing.
It was alive, it was aware, and it was very, very angry.
———
Next Time on Star Trek: the Next Generation:
“The Admiral is hailing us, sir. He…” Data paused and tilted his head in confusion. “He is floating in space, sir.”
“On screen,” Picard commanded.
The view screen changed to display a figure of a powerful-built man in an outdated Starfleet uniform, broad-shouldered and noble, black hair somewhat greying at the temples, but hardly reflecting the passing of centuries. Troi wasn’t on the bridge, but anyone could feel the compassion and kindness radiating off the man floating in front of them.
“I never thought I’d see him in person,” Riker admitted through a broad grin.
Picard nodded. “He’s been touring deep space for decades.” He turned back to Data.
“Mr. Data, beam Admiral Kent onboard.”