Realm of Kong: The Culling Read online

  “Yes, sir,” said Captain Serling.

  Dracii made its jump. It cleared the facility casting a shadow on the area. Then Babel 4 fired one of its missiles.

  The missile broke into dozens of pieces. It scattered into the air surrounding Dracii. Each explosion rattled Dracii to its bones. The facility shook as if an earthquake was erupting from the sky.

  All momentum was lost. Dracii crashed to the ground. It slammed into the mountain. A landslide was set off. Rocks and debris fell into the facility perimeter.

  Another missile was fired. It was a direct hit on Dracii. The explosion’s impact reverberated over the base. Windows were shattered. Glass scattered across many of the people watching the fight outside. Hundreds of people were injured with the collateral damage.

  When the dust cleared, Dracii was motionless. The final attack had put down the kaiju. Babel 4 remained still. Many of its systems were locking up. Heat twisted the air above the giant machine. The pilots were afraid to push Babel 4 any further. The damage could become irreparable.

  Tengi slowly approached the facility. Those that were not injured from the last attack watched as the remaining kaiju got closer. She spread out her wings. The poison had eaten through three layers of Tengi’s right wing.

  The giant crane took to the air. It flew past the dormant Babel 4 and landed near the body of Dracii. Mud and dirt from the mountain covered the kaiju. It clung to the poison slime covering its skin.

  Tengi clasped down on Dracii’s body at points where skin had been ripped away and mud covered most of the surface of the body. Her left talon had already felt the pain of the poison. It had fared better than her feathers, but was still in need of healing.

  Everybody watched as Tengi took Dracii away from the area, heading north. She paid no further attention to the facility. She left with no fanfare. There were other matters to attend to.

  Captain Serling got on the radio. “I need all mechanical personal to Babel 4 immediately. I want this thing repaired from top to bottom. We approached critical, but stemmed it off. The coolant system needs repaired, as does the core. Let’s go. There is no time to waste.”

  Chapter 13

  The capitol, Ryugu-jo, sat in the heart of the new continent. It was home to the greatest concentration of the caudatas and was the location of the palace for their leader, the Doiar, Tol-in-Ar.

  The city was carved out of the bedrock of the Earth. The city was built in the center of a giant circular flooded canyon. The drops in the canyons were a natural barrier against enemies of the city. An invasion upon Ryugu-jo would be disastrous for most parties.

  Kong was not most enemies. His size made the canyon’s barrier only a minor obstacle. He could climb the rock walls with ease. The city shook with every grip that Kong made up the canyon wall. There was nothing that would stop him.

  Ever since the fight at the facility against the defending Tengi, Kong was on the pursuit of Lord Tatsumi. The beast-god made the trek across the remains of the Pacific Ocean to reach the shores of Mu. Since then he’s hunted the Mu kaiju-god.

  Kong’s presence outside Ryugu-jo alarmed the citizens. They ran through the streets in panic looking for shelter. As they ran for their homes every step of Kong’s knocked the caudatas to their feet. Kong would destroy their city for sure, and there was no sign of help coming. Lord Tatsumi had disappeared days ago.

  Many of the caudata found their way to the temples across the city. They prayed for their kaiju-god to return and save them from Kong’s attack.

  In the center of Ryugu-jo, Tol-in-Ar stood on his grand balcony overlooking the city. He could see out to the canyon. He had been watching the approach of Kong for much of the morning. As soon as Kong appeared on the horizon his people began to panic. Those that did not go to the temples rushed to the palace doors demanding their Doiar save them.

  Tol-in-Ar did not appreciate the way his citizens were acting. He quickly had his guards disperse the crowd. They were sent back to work despite the approaching kaiju. There was still a lot of work to be done around the city. Tol-in-Ar would not accept any setbacks.

  Kong was out of sight, but his rampage was imminent. The city had lost all focus. Tol-in-Ar turned to his guards.

  “Get my people back to work,” he ordered. “Tell the chiefs on the ground to round their people up and get them under control or they will be executed in their place. Kong will do nothing to our city.”

  The guards confirmed his orders and they left to carry them out. All, but one. The guard stood frozen in terror.

  “I said go,” commanded Tol-in-Ar.

  The guard gestured out to the canyon on the horizon.

  The beast-god appeared on the horizon. Kong’s approach never stopped. His strength was felt through the vibrations in the ground. Then his hand breached the top of the cliff. Kong’s second hand was followed by his head looking upon the Mu city.

  Kong was ready to break into the city, but he was attacked from below. An alligator kaiju, Estuar, emerged from the water at the bottom of the canyon. Its jaws grabbed hold of Kong’s leg. Kong roared in pain as Estuar’s teeth dug into his skin and bone.

  The weight of the reptilian kaiju’s attack brought Kong crashing down to the bottom of the canyon. They both submerged under the water into Estuar’s domain.

  The water at the bottom of the canyon crashed against the walls. It splashed up into the city flooding many of the streets.

  Estuar bit down on Kong’s arm. Its grip was too strong for Kong to fight out off. They rolled through the water back and forth against the walls of the canyon. Every collision thundered through the city’s foundation.

  The water was turning red with blood. Kong would break to the surface for a second before being drawn back down under the water. Estuar was powerful. Its hide was near impenetrable. Kong’s strikes did not affect the natural armor of the kaiju.

  Estuar’s teeth continued to dig into Kong’s arm. Before long his arm would be useless. Kong turned their proximity against his enemy. The beast-god brought himself in closer and wrapped his other arm around the head of Estuar. The kaiju was locked in a bear hug. The pressure Kong put on Estuar buried the teeth even further into his skin, but in return it began to crush the skull of the giant alligator.

  Finally, Estuar released its jaw. Kong let go of its death grip. They separated from their fight. Kong was forced to retreat back up the canyon wall away from Ryugu-jo. He could not beat Estuar down in the canyon. That was Estuar’s territory and Estuar’s advantage.

  Kong climbed the canyon wall with only one good arm. It was a relief for the citizens of Ryugu-jo to see Kong on the run, but for Tol-in-Ar it was a disappointment.

  Chapter 14

  Holding the monster chasers prisoners did not settle well with many of the Anazako villagers. They did not agree with the UN’s laws of deporting the chasers from Japan. The villagers believed everybody should have a chance to be on Japan, see the kaiju, and live under Tengi’s care.

  The UN did not see it that way. They did not want to risk an unauthorized person in the country disturbing the peace between mankind and the kaiju.

  After the first three drawn in by Waironun another chaser popped up several days later. He was starving and weak. The recent chaos in the country had destroyed his living space. He was now left with nothing and was looking for a way out. Most chasers knew of the village. There was always a chance they could slip into the village and become officially sanctioned there while the UN was away.

  McClare found the chaser and escorted him to the barn with the others. Tengi’s culling was disrupting the way of life in Japan. McClare feared more would start to arrive at the village. He decided to wait out as long as he could before returning to the facility. It was dangerous out on the roads right now, and he wanted to get as many people as he could to safety. That was becoming his biggest concern.

  He remembered Honsou used to ask the villagers if they wanted to come with them whenever they returned to the facility. It never
made sense to McClare until that day. People were safer at the facility. Tengi was rarely around now. If a kaiju came by, the village could easily be destroyed. All of the villagers lived there in the faith that Tengi would protect them.

  McClare could not live like that. Only he could protect himself, and he was going to save as many other people as he could.

  A fifth chaser appeared two days later. He was badly injured. It looked like half his body had been crushed. The man could not speak. Black soot covered the man’s face. He was in shock and his jaw looked like it had been ripped off its hinges.

  McClare was amazed that the man was even able to stand let alone walk to the village. Once through the gates, McClare did not bother to escort the chaser to the barn or even the medical cabin. He carried the chaser to his jeep. McClare decided that enough was enough and they had to head back to the facility.

  The chaser needed better medical attention that he or Anazako Village could offer. The only thing the man could do was scream. McClare left him secured in the jeep while he went to gather his men and the chasers. They would all be heading out by midday.

  Chapter 15

  Babel 4 was once again operational. The area around Mitake Mountain had grown quiet allowing Babel 4 the time to cool down and get the mechanics and engineers a chance to make the repairs that were necessary to keep Babel 4 running. Men and women worked around the clock to keep their only guard active.

  The facility had fixed things just in time. A new threat was coming from the south. The radar showed only one kaiju approaching the facility. Everybody followed the procedure as usual, only this time there was heaviness in the action. How many times could they keep doing this?

  They received a visual from their field cameras before the kaiju could be seen from the guards at the facility. Waironun was stomping through the country toward them.

  The kaiju rarely made its way this close to the facility. It was always out wandering through Japan attacking other kaiju, but with the culling Waironun was out of prey to stalk.

  Captain Serling and his men were ready to go in Babel 4. Blaster cannons had been positioned all through the perimeter. Despite their ineffectiveness against kaiju such as Waironun they were still the first line of defense.

  Waironun roared and growled on its way to the facility. The alarms began to sound alerting the residents to return to their quarters. Many of them did as they were told this time around. They did not want to risk the injury that their colleagues received during the fight with Dracii.

  Dr. Hallett watched the scene from the monitors in the control room. General Ellis stood nearby. The two men tried to give each other as little attention as they could, but the tension was too thick.

  “What would you have us do, Dr. Hallett?” asked the general. “Do we retreat and wait for Waironun to destroy our base or do we fight back?”

  “We should not even be here at this point,” said Dr. Hallett. “Everybody should have been evacuated weeks ago. We are not safe.”

  “Babel 4 is completely capable of keeping the situation under control,” assured General Ellis.

  “Until it isn’t,” said the doctor. “The fight with Dracii was costly, more than you think.”

  “Babel 4 has been repaired. We will be fine.”

  “Repairs are not the only thing Babel 4 needs. It needs a chance to shut down. It will overload.”

  “Waironun is upon us. There is nothing else to discuss.”

  The two men went back to standing in silence. Neither was going to win this fight. Waironun was at the perimeter.

  On sight of Babel 4, Waironun let out a challenging roar. It dug its hooves into the ground then charged forward. The perimeter fence came collapsing down.

  The blaster cannons released the first strike to no effect. Waironun rushed through the attack with ease. It continued its charge head first to Babel 4.

  “Get ready with that hammer,” Captain Serling instructed his pilot.

  Waironun’s horns were pointed out on its charge. There was nothing left in its way to its target, Babel 4. The giant machine braced for impact. It adjusted its footing, digging into the ground.

  Then just as Waironun got within range Babel 4 shifted. It hit Waironun with an uppercut using its metal shoulder blade and forearm. The blow sent Waironun straight up and back. It was stunned from the first blow. Then Babel 4 swung its right arm back and backhanded Waironun with its hammer across the kaiju’s head.

  Waironun stumbled forward to the ground. Babel 4 kept on its opponent. Several missiles fired from Babel 4’s arsenal. Captain Serling wanted to end this fight fast.

  Before the smoke cleared Waironun charged through. The pilots on board Babel 4 were not ready. The kaiju’s thick skull collided with the machine. Metal crunched against the impact.

  In retaliation, Babel 4 dropped its metal fists and hammer onto the back of Waironun before it could get away. This was becoming more of a physical fight than Captain Serling wanted.

  They set off several more missiles, but Waironun could not be stopped. The facility perimeter was set ablaze. Waironun let out another roar. The beast could not be stopped. It was on a mission.

  Babel 4 went into defense. It blocked several blows from Waironun’s fists and claws. When the strikes did not work Waironun began to back up, but Babel 4 grabbed hold of the kaiju.

  Serling was not going to allow Waironun to get any more distance from them. Another direct hit from a charge would leave Babel 4 in pieces.

  Babel 4 started to strike back at the kaiju. With its left arm it held tightly to Waironun’s wrist. With its right Babel 4 was delivering blow after blow to the kaiju’s chest and head with its giant hammerhead.

  Waironun began to use its head for defense. Babel 4’s fist collided directly with the top of its head. Each time Waironun threw more power behind it. Eventually, Babel 4’s fist and hammer began to grow mangled and dented.

  Then Waironun slipped in tighter to Babel 4. It started to head-butt the giant machine. Each blow sent metal debris flying into the air. The sound of cracking metal filled the inside of the mech. All of the pilots held tighter to their seats. They could feel the vibrations of the fight with every strike.

  “Sir, we’re beginning to overheat again,” reported one of the pilots.

  Captain Serling cursed under his breath. He looked over at the numbers. They were rapidly climbing to critical.

  “The hull has been cracked open,” said another.

  “Power is being diverted to the core.”

  “We’re losing nonessential controls.”

  “Dammit, where is there a weak spot on this kaiju?” Serling asked.

  “Aim for its throat,” was advised over the communicators. “Stop going for the skull. It’s a small target, but it’s the least protected by bone.”

  “You heard ‘em,” said Serling.

  Waironun roared in the face of Babel 4. Spit and drool sprayed all over the machine. Babel 4 was no longer fighting back. It could not defend itself from Waironun’s close range attack.

  Babel 4 collapsed to its knees. Waironun stood in front of the fallen war machine.

  “Now!” yelled Captain Serling.

  Babel 4’s arms jumped up. The right hand and the hammer smashed upward. It struck Waironun in the jaw. The sound of bones breaking could be heard inside the bridge.

  Waironun stumbled back in pain. Babel 4 slowly climbed back up to its feet. The pilot controlling the lower half of the machine struggled to gain control. Power was running out.

  Critical alarms were sounding all through the mech. They would reach overload in less than a minute.

  Waironun’s jaw hung loosely from its face. Its roar came out as a gargle. Babel 4 struck out again with its left arm and the sickle attached at the wrist.

  The blade cut across the kaiju’s throat. The jaw bounced against the blade and was almost knocked off from the blow itself.

  Blood poured out of the throat of Waironun. It started to step forward for a ch
arge, but no momentum was gained. Instead the kaiju drove itself straight into the ground at Babel 4’s feet.

  Residents in the facility started to celebrate except for a few. Several people were sitting near the monitors watching the up to date status reports on Babel 4. They had hit critical. The core was breaking down. This victory was nothing to celebrate.

  Despite the outcome the pilots celebrated the fall of Waironun. They were happy to have survived the ordeal. The alarms were going off letting them know of the situation. Babel 4 was less than good, but they did not care for the moment. They had another win under their belt.

  Through all the hoopla going on at the facility nobody noticed the other onlookers of the fight. Darkness was cloaked in the tree line. Inside the darkness was a pair of eyes studying the fall of Waironun.

  The realization would soon hit all of the residents. The UN facility was currently defenseless. Babel 4 had to be extensively repaired. For the first time in years, mankind was once again in desperate need of help.

  PART 3

  PAIN

  Chapter 16

  Panic overran the streets of Ryugu-jo. Kong had not yet abandoned his pursuit of Lord Tatsumi. Every day the beast-god circled the city and its canyon moat. Estuar did not fault in its duty. The giant alligator kept Kong at bay at every pass.

  That did not stop the citizens of Mu from being afraid. Kong was a looming shadow over the city. His presence alone filled the caudatas’ hearts with dread, and their savior Lord Tatsumi was nowhere to be found.

  The Doiar, Tol-in-Ar, watched from the balcony of his palace. He watched as his people mobbed the streets from every direction. They were heading for the gates of the palace. His guards stayed at the ready. They held back the citizens as best they could. The pearl gates did most of the job.

  As the citizens of Ryugu-jo smashed themselves up to the perimeter of the palace the gates held strong. There was no give to the overwhelming strength of people in fear.