Godzilla vs. King Kong
By C. L. Werner
II
King Kong Escapes
The Arizona night was cold and silent, broken only by the distant howling of coyotes. Two men stood, silent and grim in the black of the desert night. One of the men placed a pair of heavy binoculars to his eyes and pierced the darkness with the low-light scope. He focused upon the barely visible steel rails that writhed across the sand like a pair of frozen serpents. He could not see the small, shaped charges attached to the tracks at this distance, but he knew that they were there. MARS had hired the best their money could buy. Vice-president Maxford was certain that all would go according to plan. When the wreck was investigated, there would be enough 'unprofessional' touches to make the government look at militia groups rather than high-priced saboteurs. Maxford's only concern was that MARS' target performed as they desired.
The train suddenly entered the range of Maxford's night-vision binoculars. The executive watched in anticipatory fascination as the speeding military train drew ever closer to the demolition charges. Maxford wiped the sweat from his perspiring brow and licked his suddenly dry lips.
The explosion ripped across the night like the wrathful cry of a malevolent god of war. Far off could be seen the starburst of the fiery blast, shards of twisted steel scattering across the desert floor. The engine destroyed, the other cars barreled through the holocaust, until the lead car flew from the tracks, pulling the others after it to lie in a chaotic jumbled of steel a hundred yards from the still burning remains of the engine.
Secondary explosions still came from the remains of the engine as pockets of fuel and other combustibles were ignited by the flames. Maxford could not hear the moans of survivors at this distance, though he could see a few dark silhouettes stumbling away from the wreckage. Still, the executive remained immobile.
Suddenly, a tremendous roar shook the night. The side of one of the toppled rail cars burst and flew into the night sky. A broken, charred black fist rose over the lip of the rail car's opening and crumpled the steel as its fingers grabbed the metal. Another powerful arm followed, blood oozing from dozens of lacerations. The powerful muscles rippled beneath the black-furred hide as the arms pulled an enormous black body from the car. The huge simian head emerged first, bloodshot, beady eyes adjusting to the flickering firelight, huge mouth displaying man-sized fangs as the monster challenged whatever had harmed it. The arms flexed again, pulling the broad, immensely muscled torso from the twisted wreck. The huge ape swung from the top of the car, letting its short legs with their broad, splayed feet sink into the desert sand.
The monster reared back his head and roared at the night sky, smashing his fists into his chest, making a dull, thumping drumlike sound punctuate the bellowing roar.
Vice-president Maxford turned to the silent man at his side.
"Time to go, Stanley," the man said, his eyes still glued upon the roaring monster. "I think MARS can sit back now and just let nature takes its course."
*****
The huge, fortress-like complex stood alone in the mountains outside of Reno, Nevada. For almost ten years, the military base had stood in a state of constant alert, never knowing when and where the enemy would strike. But in recent months, the state of readiness at GARD - Godzilla Armed Response Division - had been stepped down. Godzilla was dead, his successor apparently docile and of no threat to humanity. Indeed, several times, it had been discussed in Congress whether or not GARD should be disbanded; its funding put to better use elsewhere. Thus far, more vigilant attitudes had prevailed, but the project's commanders wondered how long this would remain.
Two strangely shaped armored aircraft of immense size rested in the base's main hangar. The only two functioning examples of the American Eagle multi-purpose combat strike craft, the United States' answer to Japan's Super X program. At a cost of nearly 10 billion dollars each, the two aircraft were among the most expensive weapons ever constructed. There were some in the Pentagon who had secretly wished Godzilla would turn his attention to America just to see if the aircraft had been worth the expense. Already, some considered the untried strike craft to be obsolete. Their successor stood silent and immobile within the pit-like depression at the center of the hangar. The GARD insignia of a minuteman struggling with Godzilla covered the pit, but when its charge was called upon, the floor would iris open and reveal its contents.
Colonel Carl Armstrong raced across the hangar, his black pilot's fatigues immaculate, his highly polished helmet cradled in the crook of his left arm as he ran. The moustached officer passed a pair of armed sentries and entered GARD's war room. General O'Brien nodded at Colonel Armstrong as he entered and motioned for him to take a seat beside two identically garbed soldiers. The Colonel nodded at each in turn, the tall, lantern-jawed Captain Jack Cabot and the slight, intensely beautiful Captain Ann Wray. Col. Armstrong took his seat and waited for his superior to speak.
General O'Brien gestured for his adjutant, Lieutenant Delgado to lower the lights. The huge screen behind the General hissed into life.
"At 03:15 hours this morning, a military train was derailed in the Arizona desert 80 miles from Tucson." The General pointed to the aerial view of the wreck on the screen. "The exact cause of the derailment is being investigated, although terrorism is the present consensus. Our concern is not with the causes of the wreck, however, but its effects." General O'Brien indicated a huge, bestial print in the sand at the side of the wreck.
"The train was transporting the monster King Kong from Colorado to the naval base in San Diego for transport to a facility in Alaska." General O'Brien paused as the officers expressed their surprise. "Satellite tracking has Kong headed in a generally south-west direction. This will have him going through several population centers. Civilian casualties and property damage estimates are still being determined. Needless to say, the president feels that any collateral damage is unacceptable."
"I take it that he has authorized the use of the MK-601 proto-type?" Col. Armstrong interrupted.
"Use of the robot has been authorized," General O'Brien replied. "It has been decide for several reasons to give you the first crack at Kong. It is felt that this weapon represents the best way to subdue Kong while keeping collateral damage at a minimum. Plus, it is the only way to subdue Kong without killing him."
"What are we supposed to do, Sir? Use harsh language?" Capt. Cabot sneered. The General chose to ignore the outburst.
"Kong is vital to General Farnsworth's Omega Warrior project. His capture, if feasible, is desired. You are being issued a selection of freon bombs and super tranquilizers to effect this. You will not, however be held accountable should Kong's capture prove infeasible or interfere with your primary mission objectives."
General O'Brien stared at the three pilots for a moment before motioning for Lt. Delgado to raise the lights. "This is an important mission, for many reasons. The safety of this country is depending on you. So is the future of GARD."
*****
The border patrol officer looked again at the license of the stout man behind the wheel of the truck. Already the hot Arizona sun was making the officer irritable, a fact which did little to ease the truck driver. The officer's mirrored sunglasses stared down at the driver for a moment, silence hanging between the two men.
"Alright, let's make sure you're carrying only melons," he said at last. The officer opened the door of the truck and made to let the driver out, but froze halfway through the motion. The driver's license fell from a suddenly numb hand.
Climbing down the side of a craggy mesa not five miles from the road was a giant humanoid creature. Both men watched in stunned amazement as the black-furred monster scuttled down the rocks with amazing speed. When it reached the desert floor, the monster turned and began to slowly move in the direction of the road.
The border patrol officer scrambled into his car, turning the ignition with one hand as he screamed into his radio. The terrified officer was still making his report as his vehicle sped away from the approaching monster. The equally horrified man in the melon truck tried desperately to start his own vehicle, flooding his engine in the process. The man screamed as he saw the ape-like colossus walking on feet and knuckles toward the road and leapt from the cab of his truck, running for his life into the baking sands of the desert.
Kong drew near the road, watching it with a suspicious eye. Already, the burns, bruises and cuts from the train wreck had healed, leaving the giant ape's body unmarred. Only one concern plagued Kong now, hunger. In his nocturnal trek across the desert, the giant had managed to catch a few cattle, but the meat had done little to satisfy his enormous appetite. The odor of fruit had drawn Kong down from the top of the mesa, and now the giant inspected the source of that aroma. Kong batted the truck with an oversized hand, rocking it on its suspension. King Kong waited a moment for the truck to react. When it did not, he plunged one of his paws into the bed of the truck and raised a handful of melons to his mouth. Before long, the entire cargo had disappeared into the ape's gaping maw.
Kong strode away from the now empty truck, following the writhing, snake-like blacktop further south. The succulent fruit had been found along this path, and Kong was hopeful that more might be found. For almost an hour, the enormous ape continued to follow the road, now following alongside, since the warming asphalt had begun to sting his feet. Ahead, Kong could see the ground rising into a little hill, small buildings clustered about its top. Kong could see small shiny objects running along the blacktop, running away from him. He recognized them as being somewhat similar to the melon truck and increased his tremendous pace.
Kong's charge was interrupted by a blast of searing white light. The impact of the beam sent the giant ape rolling hundreds of yards across the desert sand. Kong rose to his feet, only to have the ground give way beneath him, sinking the ape to his waist. The giant roared angrily as he pulled himself from the mammoth sinkhole.
"That got him!" Captain Cabot shouted from his station at the weapons terminal.
"Keep him away from the town, Captain," Col. Armstrong reminded the weapons officer. "Live or dead, I don't want Kong anywhere near those buildings." The commander of the crew looked over his shoulder at Captain Wray. "Do a stress analysis of the ground. This area is honeycombed all over with old silver mines and I don't want us getting stuck like Kong."
"We might try a freon bomb before he frees himself," Captain Wray suggested.
Kong slowly pulled himself from the pit when the monster ape froze. An emotion similar to wonder seized the giant as a strange object closed in upon him. It was huge, easily his own size, its gunmetal skin gleaming in the sunlight. Jets of flame from feet and back kept the massive shape airborne, but as Kong watched, the metal titan rotated in mid-air and came to rest on the baked earth.
It was humanoid in shape, parodying the visage of Kong himself. Short, thick legs supported a barrel chest with long, dangling arms. A metallic, ape-like head rose from the robot's shoulders, the weak point of a rotating neck having been avoided in the mech's design. A large, crystal-like pyramid topped the robot's head, the source of the intense energy beam that had struck Kong. As Kong watched his robot doppelganger, the machine raised one of its hands to the ring of cylindrical objects encircling its waist.
King Kong roared and leaped from the pit as the small silver cylinder flew through the air and impacted on the side of the depression. A cloud of icy crystalline mist rose from where the bomb impacted, quick-freezing the desert sand. Kong bellowed again at the silent machine as the robot reached for a second bomb. The giant ape parodied the robot's action and ripped a huge boulder from the ground and sent the stone hurtling toward the machine's head. It had nearly reached the robot when the golden beam shot out again from the crystal pyramid and struck the rock, reducing it to a shower of dust.
"He'll have to do better than that," declared Captain Cabot, smiling wide.
"Don't get over confidant, Jack," cautioned the Colonel. "The Mechani-Kong was designed to fight Godzilla, designed to withstand his radioactive fire. We don't know what kind of physical punishment it can take. If Kong manages to get a good hit in with one of those boulders he's tossing at us, this fight might be over before it begins."
"The Tesla ray will make him keep his distance," Cabot rejoined, triggering the weapon to destroy another incoming boulder.
King Kong beat his chest in frustration as the Mechani-Kong's Tesla ray blasted the second stone into rubble. The giant ape dodged as another freon bomb exploded almost at his very feet. The giant roared and beat his chest, dropping down to his knuckles. Before the crew of the robot could react, Kong was charging across the desert, determined to close upon his double and rend it with his powerful hands.
Kong was almost on top of the robot when the ground opened beneath him again. The giant ape stumbled into the hole. Before he could react, a pair of steel darts shot from openings in the Mechani-Kong's shoulders, sinking deep into Kong's chest and stomach. Kong still struggled to free himself as a second and then a third salvo sank into his hide.
"I don't think that it is advisable to give him any more," Captain Wray advised her commander. Colonel Armstrong nodded.
"We'll just give the tranquilizer a little time to take its effect. Jack, keep a ready finger on the Tesla ray in case the drugs don't work."
The Mechani-Kong stood a s still as a statue as Kong's movements became slower and more sluggish. The giant ape swayed drunkenly for a moment and then crashed into the side of the pit, his eyes barely open. The giant's breathing became deep and his arms flopped lifelessly at his sides. The Mechani-Kong waited for a few more minutes and then closed in upon the giant ape. From the robot's waist, a giant metal claw emerged and closed around King Kong's waist. The machine arm locked the monster to the robot. Mechani-Kong's thrusters ignited and slowly pulled the two giants into the sky.
"Well, I would say that ends Kong's holiday," Colonel Armstrong declared. The other members of the crew cheered their success.
Several hours later, the Mechani-Kong was flying six miles from the coast of British Columbia, the unconscious King Kong sleeping in the grip of the machine arm. Suddenly, warning lights beeped from Captain Wray's consul.
"Colonel! Stress increasing on the machine arm!" the Captain cried. Colonel Armstrong swore.
"Why now? Another hour and he'd been safely locked away in the installation in Alaska," the Colonel cursed.
"The metal is starting to give, its not holding up to the strain of holding Kong's weight for such a prolonged period." Captain Wray desperately tried to do something to relieve the tension in the machine arm from her station, but there was nothing to be done. The sound of shearing metal was conducted to the crew from the exterior mics. The entire robot lurched as the tremendous weight of Kong's body left the machine. Cameras built into the Mechani-Kong showed King Kong's body with the claw of the machine arm still closed about his waist strike the water far below and sink below the surface.
"We have to go after him! He'll drown!" cried Captain Wray.
"With all of that exposed wiring from where the machine arm broke away?" Colonel Armstrong returned.
"There must be something we can do," declared Captain Cabot. The Colonel shook his head sadly.
"I'm afraid not. If we go in there after Kong, we might just stay there. I'm afraid that this part of our mission has to be declared a failure."
Colonel Armstrong watched the quickly dissipating wake where Kong had struck the water.
"Take us home, Ann. There's nothing more to be done here."