The GNP Presents:
The Cosmos Apocrypha
Based on the 1992 film Godzilla vs. Mothra
Screenplay by Kazuki Omori
Adaptation by Daniel DiManna
[FOR THE DESK OF MINISTER TAKAYUKI SEGAWA]
AN INTRODUCTION AND FIELD NOTES BY EXPIDITION HEAD TAKUYA FUJITA
The document you now hold is the end result of nearly a year’s hard work and dedication. As we hoped, the return to Infant Island yielded amazing discoveries regarding the history of Mothra and her people, shedding much-needed light on the many mysteries surrounding this so called “Goddess”.
Since Mothra’s departure from the Earth over 9 months ago (in Heisei year 5), many questions have been asked regarding the nature of this incredible new creature. How long has she existed? Does she originate from this planet? What were the people who worshipped her like? What is her relationship to the Earth, her Cosmos allies, and to the so-called “Black Mothra”, known as Battra, that emerged at the same time?
Owing to the goodness and forgiving nature of the Japanese government, I’m proud to say that I was given the opportunity to answer some of these questions. Not only did it allow me to continue my quest to finish what I had started in the field of Mothra research, but it also allowed me to atone for past mistakes regarding the handling of the initial situation 9 months ago. It’s no secret that horrible mistakes were made, and I make no excuses for my past actions. However, I believe that through this opportunity to seek answers, I have become a better man on many levels. For that, I cannot thank the Japanese government and the UNGCC enough. You have my eternal gratitude.
Our expedition back to Mothra’s island yielded several amazing finds, including a system of caves and evidence of primitive dwellings long abandoned. My initial journey to the island revealed only one of these caves, filled with depictions of Mothra and Battra engaged in brutal combat. However, I could never have guessed that the island would be covered in such caves, and that each would contain new and exciting information on the advanced civilization that surely, in one form or another, existed there over 12,000 years ago.
The details of these findings are still being compiled and will be submitted for your consideration at a later date. However, the subject of the enclosed document is by far the most exciting find of the expedition. On the third day of our journey into the heart of Infant Island, we discovered another cave, this one intentionally concealed behind a great stone. Age and time had worn enough of the stone away that we could easily slip through a small crack one man at a time, and to say we were shocked at what we found inside would be an understatement.
Within the hidden cave rested 7 massive stone tablets, each measuring roughly two meters from both side to side and top to bottom. And chiseled into each tablet were enigmatic symbols (including the cross-like symbol associated with Mothra herself) and writing in a language unknown to us. While we had no way of knowing what these tablets said, we were certain of one thing: they surely told a story.
And we were right. After their recovery and shipment back to Japan, the finest linguists in the world were brought in to decipher the cryptic message on the tablets. The entire endeavor was documented and will be included with further research at a later date, but by cross-referencing the mysterious characters with other languages (including Indonesian, the languages of various South Pacific islands, and even Japanese), we were able to craft a full translation of the story told across the seven tablets.
And what a story it is.
The enclosed document is our recreation of that story, told as accurately to how it would’ve been spoken or heard by the people who wrote it as possible. It chronicles the final days of the unnamed civilization that worshipped Mothra, told in a similar style to a holy text or epic. In particular, certain similarities to the various books of the Christian Bible are rather astounding. (This led to my colleagues humorously dubbing the text the “Gospel of Mothra”, although officially dubbing the text as such would no doubt be controversial.) Please note while reading, however, that certain culturally specific phrases have been replaced with modern equivalents for ease of reading, but the intent and spirit of the text remains unchanged.
Before ending this introduction, an abnormality of note is that no author is given for this text. It’s unclear who wrote this or when, or even that it was ever meant to be found and read. Given the nature of the story the tablets tell, it’s very possible that this text was forbidden or even outlawed as the remnants of the ancient civilization gradually died out, leaving Infant Island uninhabited. Owing to its mysterious authorship, we have dubbed this story “The Cosmos Apocrypha”. Whatever its origin, purpose, or history, it is our belief that our current civilization can learn much from this horrific story. As we worked on piecing together the tale, it was hard to shake the feeling that history has a terrible habit of repeating itself, especially where the folly of mankind is concerned. In the end, not only are we and the ancient people in this story frighteningly alike, but it could be argued that they pale in comparison to our own civilization’s atrocities. Perhaps their story is yet another warning. Perhaps, this time, we should listen.
-Takuya Fujita, August 1994
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The Godzilla Novelization Project 