Subject 516 (Revised and Currently on Hiatus.)

New Day, New Life

The following morning, Noah awoke feeling significantly improved from the night before.

"Oh man, last night was an absolute disaster. But at least I'm feeling much better after getting some much-needed rest," he said, rubbing his eyes as he rose from the bed.

Noah observed his tail, curved and coiled beside him, with its tip swaying off the bed. Aware that his existence as a human-like Godzilla would drastically alter his life, he resolved to do everything in his power to adapt and simplify his new reality.

Noah exited his room and proceeded to the laboratory. Walking down the corridor, he sensed his tail trailing along the floor.

Noah sighed. "Oh man, it looks like I have a lot of work to do," he muttered to himself.

Noah entered the laboratory where Louis was reviewing the final results from the previous night's observations on the computer. "Good morning, Louis. I see you're checking the observation results."

"Of course, I'm still quite astonished that the Godzilla serum had such a massive effect on you, young man." Louis remarked as he jotted down some of the results on a piece of paper.

Just then, Dr. Stacy walked in and appeared surprised to find Noah already up and out of his room. "Good morning, Noah. I'm surprised to see you're up so early," she said.

"Yeah, I'm aware. But at least I managed to get the much-needed rest after last night's events," Noah said as he stretched his arms and yawned.

"I would like to inform you that NBC 7 San Diego reported this morning on your recent transformation at SDSU. Some of our team members who remained at the university after our departure have communicated to the college staff their willingness to assume responsibility for the events. The incident has also been featured in newspaper headlines," Dr. Stacy noted, presenting a copy of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Noah was wracked with guilt upon hearing the news. "I know. Honestly, I never imagined something like this could happen," he admitted, rubbing his right hand on his neck.

"But look on the bright side, Noah, you're still alive and here with us," Louis said as he rose from his chair and began collecting the printed test results and observation data.

Noah decided to check on Rachel, as he was concerned about her following the events of the previous night. "Is Rachel still sleeping in her room? I need to speak with her about everything that occurred last night. I'm a bit worried for her after what was observed," Noah inquired.

"Actually, Rachel is already up. She's at the observation deck on the second level," Louis replied.

Upon hearing this, Noah immediately headed to the second-level observation deck to meet his girlfriend. Rachel was seated on a lounge chair at the forefront of the observation deck, offering a vast, expansive view of the Pacific Highlands Ranch and Carmel Valley Open Space.

"Good morning, Rachel," Noah called out as he stepped outside.

Rachel turned, feeling a mix of surprise and relief at the sight of Noah. "Hi Noah. I'm glad to see you're okay after everything that happened last night," she said.

"It's great to see you as well. I would enjoy spending some time together up here," Noah said.

Noah settled onto a flat barstool at the front of the observation deck to take in the view. Rachel gazed admiringly at Noah's tail, the sharp dorsal fins on his back, and his now-yellow eyes.

"Oh wow, you look quite different, Noah, especially your back," Rachel said, her gaze primarily fixed on Noah's tail and dorsal fins.

Noah sighed to himself upon hearing Rachel's remarks about the changes to his body. "I know. It seems I must avoid lying on my back and sitting in certain chairs now," he said, feeling both disappointment and upset. "It's like I have to completely change my entire lifestyle because of what's happened to me."

Rachel sympathized with Noah, yet she believed it was crucial for him not to carry the burden of self-blame. "Hey, none of this is your fault, Noah. There's no reason to blame yourself. This might even turn out to be a positive thing for you," she said, placing her right arm around his neck in a comforting gesture.

Noah mustered a smile upon hearing Rachel's words. Deep down, he recognized that he wasn't to blame for what had occurred. Yet, he harbored some doubts about whether this was truly beneficial for him. "Thank you, Rachel. I really appreciate it. But I'm still worried about what comes next for me," Noah expressed, embracing Rachel gently.

Just then, Louis stepped onto the observation deck accompanied by Adam Nelson from the previous night. "Good morning, Noah. Louis and I have come to an interesting decision for you in your absence," Adam announced.

"Really? What is it, Mr. Nelson?" Noah inquired, turning towards him with a voice tinged with curiosity.

"Given that you're essentially a human-Godzilla hybrid, I'd like to invite you to join a small training session that Adam and other armed Monarch personnel have organized," Louis stated.

Noah was quite surprised to hear the offer. He knew he couldn't pass it up. "Wow, that sounds incredibly interesting. Sure, I'll participate. After all, how could I turn it down?" Noah said, agreeing as he walked towards Louis.

Louis smiled when he heard Noah accept the offer. "Very well then, follow Adam to the training room and you can start immediately," he said.

Without hesitation, Noah went to Adam, and together they headed to the training room within the outpost.

"You seem quite eager to participate in this, don't you?" Adam inquired, smiling at Noah.

"Absolutely, I am. There's no chance I would have turned that down," Noah responded confidently.

Word Count: 931