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

right,” Nathan replied. “But I think it means we’re on the right track. Kong is going for the source.”

They continued following Kong as he clambered up the increasingly radiant peak, and until they reached the summit and the sheer cliff hidden behind it. Here, gravity began to invert once more. In the threshold between the two mountains boulders large and small floated in midair, caught between the two gravitational fields. Kong studied them curiously, then poked at one, pushing it toward the peak of the other mountain hanging just above them. His improvised missile struck a second boulder.

Knocked from their gravitational purgatory, the boulders crossed the inversion point and began to fall “upward” toward the opposite mountain. As they did so, they clipped a rock formation that looked suspiciously like a giant hand, partly opened, as if reaching toward Kong.

For a moment the Titan stood there, grappling with what he had just seen.

Then he pushed off with his feet, floating gently toward the stone hand. He crossed the inversion point, and then began to pick up speed. He reached for the stone hand, brushed it, and used the friction to turn and land feet first on the mountaintop.

SIXTEEN

It was the secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learn; and whether it was the outward substance of things, or the inner spirit of nature and the mysterious soul of man that occupied me, still my inquiries were directed to the metaphysical, or, in its highest sense, the physical secrets of the world.

From Frankenstein, Mary Shelley, 1818

Somewhere under the Pacific Ocean

It seemed to Madison that the Skullcrawler eggs were pulsing, and more than once the shadows inside their translucent shells shifted. Josh yelped the first time he saw it.

“What the hell?” he said.

“It’s cute,” Madison said. “The baby is kicking.” She reached over and smoothed her hand against the shell. As she suspected, it was leathery and slightly pliable—like a reptile or monotreme egg, not the hard, brittle shell of a bird’s egg.

“You and these things,” Josh said.

“Skullcrawlers?” she said. “I’ve never seen a live one before.”

“I mean Titans in general,” he said. “The whole time I’ve known you. It’s like you’re friends with them or something.”

Madison studied Josh. He was scared, she could tell. And maybe a little mad that she had gotten him into this. Josh was a great guy, and she liked him a lot, but he wasn’t exactly the rugged adventurer type. That was actually part of what she liked about him.

Right now, though, he seemed like he was on the verge of being an ass.

“To start with,” she said, “the Titans aren’t all the same, any more than all animals are the same. They’re different. Some of them are pretty awful. Others—others I think really are our friends.”

“Like Godzilla,” Josh said. “The ‘friend’ who just trashed half of my town.”

“He’s reacting to something,” Bernie interrupted. “Like maybe these things. Skullcrawlers in Florida? That’s not okay. The big guy knows that. Even though I think there’s also something else going on. Something bigger than Skullcrawler eggs.”

“Like what?” Madison asked.

“I told you about the circuits meant to conduct through bone,” he said. “Well, what do Skullcrawlers have in abundance?”

“Skulls?” Josh said.

“Which are made of bone,” Bernie said, tapping his head with his finger. “What if Simmons is trying to put remote controls in Skullcrawlers? Imagine an army of these things, all under the command of Apex.”

“Hang on,” Josh said. “Remote control? You mean like, telling the monsters what to do with a game controller?”

“Something like that. You know, but on a more industrial scale.”

“Like a really big game controller,” Josh said.

“That makes a horrible sort of sense,” Madison admitted. “If that’s true, a lot of other things fall into place.”

“Hang on,” Josh said. “What about your big, giant eye?” Bernie shrugged. “Maybe part of the control system,” he said. “Maybe a whole other thing. Apex probably doesn’t put all of its eggs in one basket. Not even if they are Skullcrawler eggs.” He nodded in their direction of travel. “Anyway, our answers are up there. Hong Kong. It’s a little further than I had planned to travel this time around, but you know. Anything for the truth.”

“By the way,” Madison said. “The pregnant Mothra thing—you weren’t right about that one. I know from experience.”

“Sure,” Bernie said. “In this business you have to try every road. Some of them are dead ends. But you’ve gotta look at everything to see anything.”

“Like bathing in bleach?” Josh said. “That seems like something you should have looked at twice.”

“Shut it, Tap Water,” Bernie said.

“Tap water is clean, inexpensive, and disease-free!” Josh said. “There are people all over the world who would give anything for that luxury!”

“Sure,” Bernie said. “That’s the idea. Then, bam. Docile pets.”

“I’m not a docile pet,” Josh grumbled.

“What’s that?” Bernie said. “What’s that, Tap Water?”

“Never mind,” Josh said.

Bernie glared at him for a moment, then turned his attention back to Madison.

“So you’ve been up close and personal with Godzilla,” he said. “Tell me about that.”

Madison told him, and then they knocked around the Skullcrawler theory a little longer. She had to admit, given the evidence, it now made more sense than her ORCA theory.

She checked her phone.

“You won’t have reception here,” Josh said.

“I know,” she replied. “I’m checking the time. That readout over there gives our speed, so I’m trying to calculate the mileage. It might be useful for Monarch to have that information.”

“You don’t think Monarch knows about this?” Bernie asked. “You don’t think they’re in on it? C’mon.”

“No,” Madison said. “I don’t think they know anything about this.”

“Not everyone,” Bernie said. “Not your dad, I’m sure. But at the top. Monarch has used Apex as a contractor plenty of times. I mean, did you never wonder why Monarch put a base in Pensacola, of all places? And like, years later Apex built a base? You think that’s coincidence? You want me to name all of the cities where Monarch and Apex both have