Varan lands on boat

Suddenly, the peaceful night turned to chaos.

There was a tremendous crash that rocked the massive ship. Then the lights dimmed and the whole supertanker listed to port, throwing sleeping men out of their bunks onto the steel decks.

On the bridge, First Mate Howard was tossed to the floor. The sailor at the controls, who was standing in front of the huge glass windows, clung to the wheel. Suddenly, the thick windows shattered, and rushing winds and splinters of sharp glass filled the bridge. The blue of the collision alarm echoed throughout the craft.

"What happened?" the first mate cried, picking himself off the tilted deck. But the wheelman did not answer. He clung to the wheel with one limp hand, and the first mate saw a river of blood running across the spotless white floor.

Howard leaped to the wheelman's side and clutched the man by his shoulders. The first mate eased the stricken sailor to the deck as more blood washed over his shoes.

With mounting horror, Howard saw that the sailor had been hit by a shard of glass. The piece, bigger than a carving knife, had struck him in the throat, severing the carotid artery.

The wheelman's eyes slowly closed. He was already dead.

First Mate Howard remembered his duty to the ship. He reached up and pulled the throttle, cutting the power to the huge five-bladed screw propeller. The ship was still listing to port, so Howard grabbed the mike and demanded a damage report.

At that moment, Captain Dingle, in a robe and slippers, dashed onto the bridge. He halted and visibly paled when he saw the sailor lying in a pool of blood.

"Collision?" the captain asked.

First Mate Howard shook his head. "There's nothing on radar," he replied.

"Then what -"

But the captain did not finish the question. He was interrupted by a thunderous, shuddering roar of rage and confusion that echoed throughout the corridors of the ship.

The captain and the first mate exchanged nervous glances.

"Turn on the exterior floodlights," Captain Dingle commanded. The first mate complied.

A moment later, the floodlights snapped on and bathed the entire deck in brilliant light. The captain and the first mate peered through the shattered windows.

Two gigantic eyes, each one the size of a luxury car, stared back at them.

The captain grabbed the radio and contacted the Coast Guard. He informed the authorities that the monster Varan had landed on the deck of his supertanker.

...

Each time Varan shifted its weight on the deck, the Texas Star shook and threatened to capsize. Captain Dingle ordered the sailors to fill up the hull with ballast to level the ship and keep her steady.

In the glow of the floodlights, Varan looked like a gigantic lizard sunning itself. Its scales gleamed in the harsh white light, and the creature closed its eyes against the glare. Its steady breathing and an occasional twitch of its tail were the only signs that Varan was alive and not a huge museum display.


Godzilla 2000, Chapter 18