Chapter 36: Melted Heart, Part 1

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="95" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 46 WIDTH="91"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="46" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="91" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#003333" FACE="Arial" ><B>Ultra Symphony</B></FONT>    </div> <bR> <div> Chapter 36: Melted Heart, Part 1</div> <div> Ai Sakamoto looked down at her computer screen and just barely stifled a gasp of shock. </div> <bR> <div> "This has to be a mistake..", she whispered, her eyes widening. </div> <bR> <div> Her seat toward the rear of the MEU command tower was just enough out of the way that Captain Kubose, who had the bridge, was as of yet unaware of what it was Ai was seeing. </div> <bR> <div> Her headset beeped, and she gulped, momentarily wondering why it was that she, the communications officer, was given this sort of information before the command personnel. She tapped the "receive" control, and her headset was flooded with at least 5 or 6 voices all talking at once. </div> <bR> <div> "...MEU remote patrol 1...... reporting.... patrol 2... Urgent..5... Tokyo Bay... Urgent..." </div> <bR> <div> "MEU remote patrols.. please repeat message.." Ai said, her voice shaking. </div> <bR> <div> MEU had its 5 remote patrols; each equipped only with a communications center and a tiny array of the lowest level of weaponry; in 5 different areas of Tokyo, as well as several throughout the rest of the world. Ai felt only a little relief when she saw that it was only the Tokyo patrols reporting to her.</div> <bR> <div> All 5 Tokyo patrols. </div> <bR> <div> "MEU Remote Patrol 1, reporting monster sighting. I repeat, monster sighting. Full size." A man's voice said.</div> <bR> <div> "MEU Remote Patrol 2, reporting monster sighting." A woman's voice repeated. </div> <bR> <div> "MEU Remote Patrol 3, We've got a full size monster in the business district. Full size." </div> <bR> <div> "MEU Remote Patrol 4, Full size monster.... my gods!!"</div> <bR> <div> "MEU Remote Patrol 5, Urgent... monster in downtown Tokyo.. I repeat..." </div> <bR> <div> Ai interrupted them, "Thank you!" She began to click the disconnect control, but her headset was once again flooded with sound; static, screaming, more garbled speech.</div> <bR> <div> "Remote patrols 1-5, repeat message!" She said loudly. </div> <bR> <div> She suddenly heard distinct screaming, and more static. </div> <bR> <div> And then, silence. </div> <bR> <div> Then, the silence that only comes from a severed connection. She looked down at her computer screen again and saw the words: "Lost signal".</div> <bR> <div> "Remote Patrols 1-5, come in. Remote Patrols 1-5, please respond...." She said, shakily. </div> <bR> <div> Her only response was high-pitched feedback.</div> <bR> <div> "Oh.. god... CAPTAIN KUBOSE!!" She screamed. </div> <bR> <div> ***</div> <bR> <div> Kakei and Ikeda stepped out of the elevator onto the command deck, feeling more than a hint of apprehension. The large control screen in the center of the far wall displayed one Ultra monster after another, and Ikeda's heart ached as she realized they'd never fought them before.</div> <bR> <div> "We've got 5 monsters coming from 5 different directions, on their way to the center of the city. They've disabled our remote patrols, and we just now got video feed." Kubose said calmly. </div> <bR> <div> At that same moment, Murasaki entered the command deck. Kubose moved aside from the command chair, and she turned to a cadet. "Red alert." She then looked at Itoh, who was nervously chewing his finger. </div> <bR> <div> "What is the status of our battle mecha?" </div> <bR> <div> He looked at her, his finger still in his mouth. "Commander, we don't have enough of *anything* to take 5 monsters all at once." </div> <bR> <div> "What's been damaged?!" Murasaki demanded.</div> <bR> <div> "Very little, except for the..." He trailed off, looking at Ikeda, who had her forehead in her hand.</div> <bR> <div> "Launch a full ground and aerial assault." Murasaki said, gritting her teeth. </div> <bR> <div> "Commander, I really don't think..." Itoh began.</div> <bR> <div> "Where are Sairai and Mikono?" Kakei asked, looking behind him. </div> <bR> <div> "Sairai went home, and I think Mikono's with her manager." Ikeda replied. "Ai... do it. Tell them to transform and get their asses downtown." </div> <bR> <div> Ai shook with apprehension, but she nodded. </div> <bR> <div> "We'll be downtown." Kakei told Murasaki, leaving no doubt that they would be fighting.</div> <bR> <div> "Be careful." Itoh said to them. "Their levels are pretty high."</div> <bR> <div> "How high?" Ikeda asked. </div> <bR> <div> "Oh.. you know... like.. 19-20." He said, shrugging.</div> <bR> <div> Ikeda and Kakei stared at him. </div> <bR> <div> "Give or take..."</div> <bR> <div> "Oh... oh my." Kakei said quietly.</div> <bR> <div> ***</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="id78.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 37: Melted Heart, Pt.2"><U>Chapter 37</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ultra Symphony"><U>Back</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>