Godzilla vs. Kong by Greg Keyes (e books free to read TXT) 📗

“Do you think he’d take directions from her?”

“No,” Ilene said. “No way.”

But he heard something in her voice. She was protective of the girl, obviously. She felt responsible for her. When it came to Jia, he couldn’t necessarily trust Ilene to tell the truth.

“If we have someone who can keep the reins on Kong…” he said, attempting to persuade her.

“No one can keep the reins on Kong,” she said. “And she’s a child.”

Monarch Office, Pensacola

“I’m sorry,” Mark said. “Can you repeat that?”

“It’s why I wanted you to come here,” Director Guillerman told him. “There’s a lot going on, and frankly, I need an experienced man at my side.”

“Sure,” Mark said. “But just go over that bit again, will you. About moving Kong.”

“We’re moving Kong to Antarctica,” the director said. “It’s part of a new initiative to enter Hollow Earth. Apex has discovered a power source down there; they think it’s the same energy Godzilla draws on. It may be our key to defeating him.”

“Apex,” Mark said, slowly. “As in the company that owns the facility in Pensacola that Godzilla attacked.”

“Exactly.”

“And you think this is a coincidence?”

Even as he said it, he realized he was echoing Madison, who was doubtless channeling her favorite conspiracy theorist. And yet it was now beginning to sound less crazy. Simmons had publicly declared war on Godzilla after his plant was attacked, but if he had this new information about some energy source in Hollow Earth, he must have been working on this way before that even happened. How long had Simmons and Apex been interested in Godzilla—and Kong—and why?

“Doubtless it isn’t,” Guillerman said. “We’ve worked with Apex in the past, mostly contract projects. But Walter Simmons has shown interest in the Titans since Godzilla first appeared in 2014. That’s hardly surprising, when you think about it.”

“Sure,” Mark said. “It makes sense for someone who made their fortune in tech to be interested in the Titans. Any one of those things is a walking source of potential technology. The question is, when and why did Godzilla become interested in Walter Simmons?”

“Agreed,” Guillerman said. “We’re looking into that.”

“And how did Apex end up running a Monarch expedition?” Mark pressed.

“They aren’t,” the director replied. “They’re supplying the tech, but Dr. Lind is heading up the project.”

“Dr. Lind. You mean Nathan Lind?”

“I believe you know each other.”

“Sure, but I mean—his track record with Hollow Earth isn’t exactly, ah, stellar.”

“We’ve seen his plan,” Guillerman said. “With these new Apex vehicles, he should be able to overcome the technical problems of the last expedition.”

“And they need Kong because?”

“Hollow Earth is huge. Dr. Lind believes Kong will lead us to the power source.”

“Oh my God,” Mark said, sitting down. “Again.”

“We have every chance of success this time,” Guillerman said. “The Apex vehicles can withstand the strain of the gravity reversal.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Mark said. “Again we’re rushing into a situation we don’t understand. Dealing with power we have only the faintest comprehension of. Have you asked Walter Simmons what he plans to do with that ‘energy source’ once he gets it?”

“He claims he will be able to control Godzilla,” the director said. “Take him out, if necessary.”

“Take him out,” Mark said. “How? With what? What were they building in that factory?”

Guillerman nodded. “As I said, we’re looking into it. If you have any thoughts on the matter, I would love to hear them.”

Mark sighed. “I know,” he said. “Answers are hard, and questions are cheap. But that’s all I have right now.”

“You and me both, Dr. Russell,” Guillerman said. “I know I had big shoes to fill when I stepped in to take over where Serizawa left off, but—”

“You inherited a mess,” Mark said. “A mess I had a part in making. I’m trying to come up to speed, too.”

“We’d better both come up to speed, fast,” Guillerman said. “If we don’t, I’m afraid there might be hell to pay.”

“Been there,” Mark said. “I’ve got the ticket stub and the receipt.”

TWELVE

From the notes of Dr. Brooks

And through the two of them heat took hold on the dark-blue sea, through the thunder and lightning, and through the fire from the monster, and the scorching winds and blazing thunderbolt. The whole earth seethed, and sky and sea: and the long waves raged along the beaches round and about, at the rush of the deathless gods: and there arose an endless shaking. Hades trembled where he rules over the dead below, and the Titans under Tartarus who live with Cronos, because of the unending clamour and the fearful strife.

Hesiod Works and Days, circa 700 BCE, trans.

Hugh G. Evelyn-White, 1914

Tasman Sea

Playing with her Kong totem, Jia could feel the Titan’s heartbeat through the metal skin and bones of the ship. It was smoother now, more even than it had been earlier, but she knew he was still angry, confused. More than that, he felt lost.

He had felt that way back in the fake jungle, too. He had known things weren’t right, that the island that had been the home to their kind for so long was no more. But at least the rocks had still been there, just as the bones of his parents had remained to remind him that they had once been real. Now even that was gone, and all that remained of the island was the two of them, Kong and Jia. The last members of their people.

She felt the loss, too, but she also had a mother. She knew Ilene wasn’t her real mother, of course, the one who had given birth to her. But with the Iwi, all women were mothers, whether they had given birth or not. Men, too for that matter, although that was sometimes difficult to explain to outsiders. Anyone who looked after you was a mother, and Ilene looked after her.

And in that same sense, Jia was a mother of Kong, and he of her.

Right now, he could not look after her. So