"Well, you can't save us while we're stuck under this heat shield, General. How about we get moving?" said Eric, as calm as he'd been in the last 30 years.
"What are you saying, Doctor?"
"I can't calculate any way out of this, so it might as well be on our terms, eh?" He turned as far as he could, to meet the general's surprised eye. Nishikado inspected Eric for any signs of doubt. He could find none, and the steely fire reignited in the old soldier's eyes.
The alien ship rocketed downward, veering toward the failing heat shield. A powerful blast tore up the tracks next to the cannon as Eric grabbed the controls to move them out underneath the shield.
The drive mechanism jammed against the twisted rails - snaring the two men underneath the heat shield.
"We ... we're stuck. We're stuck under the shield!" Eric's voice wavered as he felt his newfound courage about to go unused.
"No. No! There has to be a way to get clear!" Emotion racked the old man's voice for the first time in his adult life. The roar of the landing craft rose in a deafening crescendo - one more pass and it would be on the ground.
Eric jolted as a lightning bolt of inspiration struck him. Squeezing from his seat, he yanked the eject cord. The section of the cannon's housing directly above his chair blew outward as the seat rocketed up into the collapsing heat shield.
"What the hell are you doing? Get back in here, you coward!" screamed the general, desperately grabbing at Eric.
"General! I'll be your targeting scanner. When I tell you, fire the laser. It's the 15th shot - it should be more than enough to blast through the heat shield and still take out the ship!"
The general contemplated Eric's idea for the briefest moment, then turned back to the controls.
"That's quite a trick, Doctor. You'd have made a fine soldier. With a little discipline, of course."
Eric laughed as he climbed frantically onto the control panel and put his head out of the cockpit to find the alien craft. The air was sharp with the acrid scent of destruction, but as it spilled into the cannon's cockpit, it had never smelled sweeter.
The invader raced toward them, its landing apparatus emerging from beneath the ship - a dark green hue gathering in the weapons port.
The general's hand hovered like a finely carved piece of granite above the fire button; unshakably steady.
"Here it comes, General! Now!"
Casually, the general pressed the weapon.
The cannon exploded, sending a column of light and fire straight through the heat shield and into the landing alien ship - disintegrating the last of the invaders.
Although the people of Tokyo didn't know it at the time, the searing blaze that cut through the summer sky that day was a beacon of their freedom.
From the hanger, amid the spontaneous celebrations that had erupted, Kaori looked out at the motionless wreckage of the cannon. Pride was something she'd wanted to sample for a long time, and now, thanks to Eric and Nishikado, she could experience the mixed sensations of comfort and sadness that such courageous endings bring.
Spanner has written articles for several publications, including Retro Gamer. He is a self-proclaimed horror junkie, with a deep appreciation for all things Romero.
