The Monster That Challenged the World Page #4

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THERE'S QUITE A BIT

OF DEFINITION IN THE HEAD.

UNTIL OUR STUDIES

ARE COMPLETED,

WE'RE KEEPING IT ALIVE

BY CONTROLLED:

WATER TEMPERATURE.

YOU'LL NOTICE THAT

THE THERMOSTAT READS

38 DEGREES EXACTLY.

IS THERE ANY DANGER

THAT THE EGG MIGHT HATCH?

NO, THE TEMPERATURE

IS LOW ENOUGH:

TO KEEP IT FROM HATCHING.

AS LONG AS THIS KNOB IS SET

SO THE TEMPERATURE

REMAINS CONSTANT,

THERE'LL BE NO PROBLEM.

I SEE.

GENTLEMEN, WE BELIEVE

THAT THIS CREATURE

IS OF THE:

SAME FAMILY AS:

THE HISTORICALLY

DOCUMENTED KRAKEN.

A GIANT SEA BEAST

THAT WAS THE DIREC ANCESTOR OF THE MODERN

WATER MOLLUSK.

I'VE HAD SOME FILM

OF COMMON MOLLUSKS

FLOWN IN:

FROM SAN DIEGO.

I'D LIKE YOU

TO COMPARE IT:

WITH THE CREATURE

THAT ATTACKED US.

DR. JOHNS?

YES.

RIGHT THIS WAY, PLEASE.

SHERIFF, WOULD YOU

CUT THE LIGHTS, PLEASE?

[Doctor]

AS MOST OF YOU KNOW,

THE MOLLUSK FAMILY

IS COMPRISED OF ANIMALS

WITH A SOFT BODY

USUALLY COVERED:

BY A HARD SHELL.

THIS IS:

GONAXIS KIBWEZIENSIS.

IT'S ONE HALF INCH

IN DIAMETER.

YOU'LL NOTE THE SIMILARITIES

BETWEEN IT:

AND THE GIANT CREATURE

IN THE SALTON SEA.

FOR EXAMPLE,

THE GONAXIS HAS:

A PREDATORY NATURE.

IT ATTACKS OTHER

LIVING CREATURES,

WILL DEVOUR THEM,

EAT THEIR FLESH.

THE LARGER IT IS,

THE LARGER ITS APPETITE.

THIS IS A BRANCH

OF THE GONAXIS,

THE EUGLANDIA.

IT SHREDS THE FLESH

OF ITS VICTIM:

WITH SCISSOR-LIKE TEETH.

SOME SPECIES SUCK OUT

THE BODY FLUIDS:

IN MUCH:

THE SAME MANNER:

AS THE CREATURE:

WITH WHICH WE'RE DEALING.

AS I MENTIONED,

MOST OF THESE CREATURES

LIVE ENTIRELY:

IN THE WATER.

BUT IT'S NOT UNUSUAL

TO FIND THEM ON LAND,

SEARCHING FOR FOOD.

THE SAME THING:

IS TRUE OF OUR KRAKEN.

THESE MOLLUSKS:

ARE ONLY:

RECENTLY HATCHED,

YET THEY'RE AS LARGE

AS THE ADULT.

THE REASON BEING

THAT THEY DEVELOPED

TO FULL GROWTH:

WITHIN THE EGG SAC.

FROM THE INSTANT

THEY'RE BORN,

THEY'RE HUNGRY.

THAT BUBBLY SECRETION

YOU SEE:

IS FORMED:

IN THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM.

IT ACTS AS:

A DEFENSIVE WEAPON.

INCIDENTALLY,

IT'S CHEMICALLY SIMILAR TO

THE SECRETION:

WE FOUND ON THE BOAT.

THAT'LL GIVE

YOU AN IDEA.

IT'S INTERESTING,

BUT WHAT'S THE POINT?

THE CREATURE:

WAS KILLED:

AND ALL THE EGGS

WERE DESTROYED.

THAT'S RIGHT,

BUT WE'RE NOT SURE

WE DESTROYED:

ALL THE OTHER:

CREATURES.

DO YOU THINK THAT

MORE THAN ONE:

HAS DEVELOPED?

WE'RE SURE OF IT.

FROM THE NUMBER:

OF SHELLS:

IN THESE:

PHOTOGRAPHS,

I'D SAY THERE

ARE AT LEAST 10

OF THESE:

GIANT CREATURES,

EACH ONE:

WITH THE CAPACITY

TO LAY:

SEVERAL THOUSAND

EGGS IN ITS:

LIFE CYCLE.

THERE WAS:

A CAVE HERE:

WHICH WE SEALED:

WITH EXPLOSIVES:

AND PROBABLY TRAPPED

THE REST OF THEM INSIDE.

WE HAVE TO BE SURE,

DOCTOR.

THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE,

BECAUSE THE MOUTH

OF THAT CAVE:

IS COVERED WITH:

TONS OF ROCK.

IF ANY:

DID ESCAPE,

IT WILL HAVE TO SURFACE

SOONER OR LATER.

IT WON'T FIND

ENOUGH FOOD:

IN THE SALTON SEA,

IT'LL GET HUNGRY.

WE CAN KEEP:

A 24-HOUR

BEACH PATROL.

YES, I THINK

THAT'S IMPERATIVE.

BUT OUR REAL DANGER

DOESN'T LIE AT THE SEA.

LET'S REMEMBER

THAT THESE CREATURES

CAN TRAVEL:

OVERLAND, TOO.

A FEW MILES:

FROM HERE:

IS THE ALL-AMERICAN

CANAL SYSTEM,

WHICH IRRIGATES:

THE ENTIRE IMPERIAL VALLEY

AND THEN IN TIME

EMPTIES INTO THE GULF.

I DON'T WANT

TO ALARM YOU UNDULY,

BUT IF JUST ONE:

OF THESE CREATURES LIVED

AND GOT BY:

THE PATROLS,

INTO THE CANAL SYSTEM

AND MULTIPLIED,

THE SPECIES COULD THREATEN

THE ENTIRE WORLD.

FIRST, DEVOURING ALL LIFE

IN THE OCEANS:

AND THEN,

FORAGING ON LAND.

CAN YOU IMAGINE:

AN ARMY OF THESE THINGS

DESCENDING ON ONE

OF OUR CITIES?

WHAT CAUSED IT?

WHERE'D THEY COME FROM?

WE DON'T KNOW,

WE CAN ONLY GUESS.

PERHAPS YOU SAW:

THIS ARTICLE HERE IN LIFE.

A FEW MILES:

FROM HERE,

THIS LAKEBED EXISTED

IN A DRY STATE,

VOID OF LIFE:

FOR MANY YEARS.

THEN A FLASH FLOOD FILLED IT

WITH ABOUT 2 FEET OF WATER.

IN A FEW DAYS,

THERE WERE MILLIONS

OF SHRIMP IN THAT LAKE.

THEY HATCHED FROM

DORMANT EGGS:

THAT WERE THERE:

FOR CENTURIES.

I BELIEVE THE SAME THING

HAPPENED HERE.

I THINK THA A POCKET OF EGGS

FROM THIS:

PREHISTORIC SPECIES

WAS TRAPPED HERE,

BELOW THE BOTTOM

OF THE SALTON SEA.

SUPPOSE AN EARTHQUAKE

CAUSED A FISSURE TO OPEN

AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA,

ALLOWING WATER:

TO SEEP DOWN:

TO THIS POCKET.

BECAUSE THIS WATER WAS

SLIGHTLY RADIOACTIVE,

AND BECAUSE THE EGGS

HAD A CAPACITY:

TO ABSORB THIS:

RADIOACTIVITY,

THEY FOUND:

AN ENVIRONMENT THAT WAS

PERFECT IN WHICH

TO HATCH AND GROW.

THEN A MORE:

SEVERE EARTHQUAKE

WIDENED THE FISSURE,

ALLOWING THESE CREATURES

TO ESCAPE INTO THE SEA.

I'D LIKE TO ALERT

THE CIVILIAN DEFENSE.

MR. PATTERSON, THERE

ARE 100,000 PEOPLE

IN THIS VALLEY.

A MOVE LIKE THAT WOULD

LEAD TO HYSTERIA.

I SUPPOSE:

THAT'S TRUE.

I THINK WE SHOULD

SET UP A JOINT PATROL

AROUND THE SEA,

COMBINE YOUR STAFF

WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE,

SET UP A HEADQUARTERS

AT THE AIR BASE:

AND COORDINATE:

FROM THERE.

DOES THAT SOUND:

PRACTICAL TO YOU?

YES, SIR.

HOW ABOUT YOUR:

OFFICE, SHERIFF?

SOUNDS FINE TO ME.

I'M DUE TO REPORT BACK

TO JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF.

I'LL TELL THEM THAT

EVEN IF THERE ARE

SOME SURVIVING:

CREATURES,

THERE'S STILL

NO NATIONAL DANGER.

UNLESS, AS YOU SAID,

SOME ESCAPE:

FROM THE SEA INTO

THE ALL-AMERICAN CANAL.

THAT'S CORRECT.

I'LL BE IN

TOUCH WITH YOU,

COMMANDER.

CALL ME IF:

ANYTHING DEVELOPS.

VERY GOOD, SIR.

GOOD DAY,

GENTLEMEN.

GOOD DAY.

GOOD DAY.

THE GOVERNOR:

ADVISED ME TO OFFER YOU

ANY ASSISTANCE:

YOU MAY NEED.

WE APPRECIATE THAT

VERY MUCH, THANK YOU.

YES, DOCTOR.

I THINK WE'D BETTER

MEET IN MY OFFICE

TO SET THIS UP.

OKAY.

GOOD NIGHT.

GOOD NIGHT.

GAIL, HOW'S CONNIE?

ALL RIGHT.

SHE'S STAYING WITH ME

FOR A WHILE.

GOOD.

I FEEL KIND OF:

EMBARRASSED TODAY,

COMMANDER.

WHY?

THE PERSONAL THINGS

I SAID YESTERDAY,

I HOPE I DIDN'T

EMBARRASS YOU.

YOU DIDN'T.

I DON'T USUALLY

CARRY ON THAT WAY.

YOU OUGHT TO,

AT LEAST ONCE:

IN A WHILE.

WE'RE ON OUR WAY BACK

TO THE BASE NOW,

AND WE HAVE:

TO EAT SOMETIME.

WHAT I MEAN IS,

WHY DON'T YOU LET ME

TAKE YOU TO:

DINNER TONIGHT?

I FOUND A WONDERFUL PLACE

TO EAT IN MEXICALI.

THANK YOU, BUT I

CAN'T LEAVE CONNIE.

I MEAN,

I SHOULDN'T.

OKAY.

I'M AWFULLY

SORRY.

IF YOU SHOULD:

CHANGE YOUR MIND...

I NEVER DO.

IF YOU SHOULD,

THE NUMBER'S 254.

YOU ALREADY:

HAVE IT.

SO I HAVE.

GOOD NIGHT.

GOOD NIGHT.

[Sheriff]

ANYTHING HAPPENING?

NOTHING.

NOTHING BUT MOONLIGHT.

WALLACE AND HANSON

WILL REPLACE YOU AT 10:00.

[Scottie]

THANKS.

OKAY.

THAT ABOUT TIES IT UP.

THIS REMINDS ME:

OF LAST YEAR.

WE HAD A STAKEOUT

ON A FEDERAL BANK

FOR 3 MONTHS.

WHAT HAPPENED?

NOT A THING.

YOU SURE YOU:

WON'T COME HOME

AND TAKE POTLUCK?

JENNY WOULDN'T MIND.

MUCH.

NO, COME ON!

NO, I'LL GET SOMETHING

FROM THE CAFETERIA.

OKAY, SEE YOU LATER.

YOU BET.

THIS IS JUST:

LIKE THAT:

FEDERAL BANK STAKEOUT

LAST YEAR.

THE ONLY TROUBLE IS,

NOTHING EVER HAPPENS.

NO, MOM.

I DON'T KNOW.

YES, I'LL HURRY.

NO, I DON'T KNOW

HOW LATE.

THIS IS WALKER,

SECTION 5 NORTH. ALL CLEAR.

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