Incident 3.1 – December 11, 2043, 1020 Local Time – Flying Worm Withdraws from Aura
“Oh Jesus Christ, it's huge.”
“Helicopter One, do you have visual?”
“I do. It's a huge... fleshy worm thing. Oh hell... oh god, the town's a mess. It's flattened. I don't think I see a single building intact.”
“Confirming that, we've picked up your visual stream. Army and Air Force are inbound, and we've got navy guns ready to start a bombardment once it rises out of the valley.”
“What are my orders?”
“Maintain range, we don't know how far that thing can strike. If it starts moving, follow it.”
“What about the people?”
“Hold position. The best we can do for them now is to keep the beast in our sights until the heavy firepower comes online.”
“...yes sir.”
“Don't do anything stupid.”
*****
The Worm's tentacles methodically swept the ruins for signs of movement. More of the tiny animals were swept up, to be held for later consumption. The hunt was slowing now, there was little sign of movement in the human nest.
It had been a successful first encounter. Dimly, the creature anticipated more feasts like this in the future. Content with its catch, the Worm reared back and began to flex its huge wings. Slowly at first, then with increasing speed the wings flapped. Huge winds blasted the ground, and the behemoth rose. Like some grotesque leech, the creature seemed to hang from its wings, appearing to have no right to generate such levels of lift. With increasing speed, it left the ruins of Aura behind, setting out to the southwest. Almost too small to be noticed, a small helicopter dutifully followed in its wake.
*****
Within minutes of the Kaiju's egression, Aura was swarmed. A Vallandic military convoy from Wasker entered the town from the south, while a second force from Langstead approached from the south. Emergency helicopters avoided the crowded roads, shut down to civilian traffic, and immediately began searching the rubble for survivors.
A portion of the military force joined in the rescue effort, but the majority, led by a small company of tanks, set out westwards down the interior highway towards Goldfoss, in pursuit of the beast.
Missing: ~8000
Injured: ~3000
Dead: ~800
*****
Across all three branches of military command, carefully-drilled exercises were being put to the test. Admiral Logan's southern fleet was steaming along the coast, approaching the optimal firing positions. General Toleman's recently-expanded Air Force surged inland from near-coastal airbases, nearly overloaded with ordnance. And from the ground, General Peter Helming assumed operational command.
“General. Admiral. Do you read me?”
“Yes.”
“Your signal is clear.”
“Our surveillance helicopter's maintained visual contact. Megaform 3, henceform codenamed as 'Flying Worm', has just halted its movement. It's setting down a short distance from the summit of Mount Kirkfell, 30 kilometers out of Goldfoss.”
On the other end of the connection, Admiral Logan bit his tongue and avoided commenting on Helming's... creative naming decisions.
“The beast does not appear to possess the same level of armour as Kaiser Schield, or even Morra Förfölja. Admiral Logan, apply constant naval fire on the target from the south and east. General Toleman, unload everything you have against the creature. We will observe the creature's reaction to different attacks, and modify our strategy accordingly to cripple it as quickly as possible. Due to the isolation of its current location, heavy bombing is an option which we will turn to if it shows the first sign of trying to move towards a heavily populated area.”
“And your forces on the ground, General Helming?”
“Will be within firing range of the beast in the next 20 minutes.”
*****
High in the crisp, wintry air above Kirkfell, the first of several Vallandic F-15E fighter jets entered into range. With the push of a button and a whispered expletive, the first missile raced towards the Flying Worm.
