Leviathan (28 page)

“
So you really think that Leviathan is evil?”

“
Yes.”

Frank paused.
“Why?”

“
It lives to kill,” Thor frowned. “It lives to destroy. To steal the lives of the innocent. And that is the heart of Evil.”

“
But Leviathan only does what it was created to do.”

“
Does it, Doctor?”

“
Of course.”

“
And can you say with absolute certainty that Leviathan is not used by other forces?” Thor asked, gazing steadily. “Can you say that Leviathan is not being used by a force even more powerful than itself? A force that has learned to use both man and machine for its own purpose?”

“
I ...” Frank began. “What do you mean?”

“
I mean,” Thor rumbled, “that superior forces use inferior forces, Doctor. Who is to say what force is ultimately using Leviathan? Leviathan is not merely an animal. Nor is it merely a machine. It is more.”

“
What kind of forces are you talking about?”

“
There are only two,” Thor said, solemn. “There is God. And there is Satan.”

A strange and uncomfortable silence and Frank finally
looked away. Then he gazed down, focusing on the battle-ax between them. “Well, I can understand what you've said, Thor. Because despite what you might think, I understand a lot more than just science.” He hesitated. “But let me tell you something. If you go against Leviathan with that battle-ax, it's going to kill you. Then it's going to eat you.”

Thor laughed.
“It will not like the feast.”

The scientist looked away, shaken.
“Look, there's no way to beat it with that thing, Thor. Not with your hands. I mean, there's a ... a very slim chance that Leviathan's armor can't take the impact of an edged weapon as well as it can take the impact of bullets and grenades but we've never—”

“
And why is that?” Thor growled, ice-green eyes glinting.

“
Well, it's hard to explain,” Frank replied. “But it's just physics. Leviathan's armor is composed of cross-laid multiplex fibers like, uh, some kind of Kevlar. And because the plates are living fibers, they bend. They're flexible. So when the scales receive a blunt trauma like the impact of a grenade or bullet, they surrender, absorbing the shock and displacing it over a wide area. That's what prevents penetration of the armor. It's like someone hanging a thick rug in the air. You could punch it as hard as you want but you'd never be able to punch a hole in it because it would surrender to the force, absorbing the impact. You could probably even shoot it and you might not penetrate it because the carpet fibers and the shock-displacement factor would take so much velocity from the bullet.” He paused. “But you could take a knife and stab it. And the edge of the blade wouldn't allow the carpet to displace the force of the impact. With a blade, you might penetrate it.”

Thor was staring at him.

“Anyway, that's how it works,” Frank said solidly. “It would be hard to do the same thing with Leviathan. But it's possible, I guess.” He paused. “Isn't that what they say? Anything is possible?”

“
Yes, Doctor,” Thor rumbled, gently nodding. “That is what they say. Anything is possible ... with God.”

With a frown Thor reached down, his hand settling on the
gigantic battle-ax. Then he lifted the weapon, studying the broad, sweeping edges as if to determine whether Frank's theory might be true.

And, seated so close to the weapon, Frank was suddenly struck by a new and profound respect. He stared at the huge slabs of steel, noticing for the first time the deeply engraved image upon the silvery sheen, the eerie image of a titanic, raging Dragon with its tail wrapped around the moon, flung from the sky by a warrior that crushed the monster's throat, driving the fangs downward from the stars ... toward the earth.

And for a weird, surreal moment, Frank felt as if he had been cast far, far back in time to sit beside some ancient warrior-king of God. He stared in silence until Thor finally lowered the battle-ax again to the ground, his hand solidly folded around the hilt.

“
You know, Thor, I ... I remember stories,” Frank heard himself speaking. “Stories told to me when I was a child, about heroes and heroic battles. It was stuff I believed when I was young. Until I grew up. Until I learned that there weren't any more heroes.”

A somber grin lightened Thor's face.
“Sometimes children know greater truth than men, Doctor.”

Frank closed his eyes, shook his head.
“You can't hurt it with that battle-ax, Thor. I'm telling you the truth. You can't hurt it. Leviathan is too strong. It will kill you.”

“
All strength has an ending, Frank.”

“
Look, Thor, I'm being honest with you,” Frank stressed, turning his head and amazed at his own concern. “I know this creature! Its strength is unbelievable! Leviathan is like . .. like a force of nature! It's been hit with everything we throw at it and it's still alive! What makes you think that you could ever hurt it with that ax?”

Thor stared at the image engraved upon the steel.
“God will decide the victory, Doctor Frank, and God alone.” He paused. “Nor do I relish the conflict. But if I am forced to make a stand against the beast, we may see if a weapon forged by unknown hands and, perhaps, blessed by unknown hands, can draw a Dragon's blood.”

Frank stared a moment and then closed his eyes, leaning his head back. He was silent a long time before he spoke.
“If it comes to it, Thor, strike for the neck. When Leviathan charges the scales on its neck separate and there's a gap of maybe two or three inches between the armor. If... if you hit Leviathan in the gap, you might be able to wound it. You won't live long enough to kill it.” He paused. “But you might be able to wound it.”

Thor's reply was somber.

“A wound is a beginning, my friend.” His massive hand tightened on the battle-ax. “And a beginning is half an ending.”

Ten minutes passed and then they were on their feet again. Two by two, they traveled in a ragged line down the Tungsten Passage. Several corridors led out of the tunnel as they ascended higher, toward the entrance, but none were closed by vaults. Connor remembered that there were no vaults at all on this side of Bridgestone. When they reached the Climbing Cavern, the elevator shaft at the far end was sealed by a colossal vault.

Connor glanced up as they entered. Because the cavern was a genuine climbing cave, it had an unstable ceiling. Truck-sized boulders regularly fell from the roof, especially during the early days of cavern construction. And even now Chesterton's men were often forced to set explosive charges high on the wall to bring down unstable formations.

“
All right!” Chesterton called out as they finally reached the elevator shaft. “Let's get this door open so we can get out of here! Frank! Give me a location on Leviathan!”

“
It hasn't moved yet, Chesterton,” the scientist answered. “GEO is going to inform us as soon as it does.”

“
Good enough. Let's get to work, boys!”

Connor set Jordan on the ground, and Beth reached down to take the boy's hand. She touch
ed Connor's face as he straightened, and he saw that her eyes were ringed with dark fatigue, exhaustion. Her hair was plastered back with sweat and she had torn off a piece of her shirt as a headband.

“
Be careful,” she said.

He smiled.
“I'm always careful.”

Chesterton was in full form.
“Let's get a move on! We're wasting daylight! Connor! Rewire that door so we can—”

The voice that came over the computer was stunning.
“Leviathan is moving north in Alpha Passage, passing the Observation Room.”

Everyone froze. Chesterton stood in place, turned his head toward Frank.

“What did that thing say?” he asked numbly.

His question seemed incredible in light of the computer's utter clarity and inhuman precision of speech.

“We've got to move,” Frank whispered, not moving.

Connor spun and dropped to the control plate. He savagely jammed a screwdriver in and twisted, but his hand trembled with the strain, and he realized imme
diately the screws were countersunk in the steel.

Face contorted with the e
ffort, Connor twisted the screwdriver frantically, grasping the shaft and handle together, twisting even harder. But the screw didn't move at all. Sweating and angrily blinking sweat, Connor sat back, staring at the plate in amazement.

“
This is incredible,” he whispered, breathless. “Why’d they countersink the screws of this plate and not the others? That doesn't make any sense.” He turned his head. “Thor! Get over here!”

Chesterton was leaning over him, face pale.
“What's the problem, Connor?”

“
Leviathan is passing the Command Center. Leviathan is entering the passageway that leads toward the Matrix.”

“
Come on, Connor!” Chesterton rasped. “Get that thing open! We're running out of time! It's going to take at least ten minutes just to get the elevator down here!”

Thor came up and Connor gave him the screwdriver.
“Get those screws out as fast as you can!” And Thor dropped to one knee, jamming the screwdriver in hard and twisting. Immediately the screw began to retreat, threading out slowly. In a minute it fell to the ground, and Thor began with another one, moving counterclockwise.

“
Leviathan has entered the Matrix.”

Adler was suddenly trembling
, turning to stare across Climbing Cave to Tungsten Passage. He spoke to Chesterton over his shoulder, unable to take his eyes off the distant corridor. “Perhaps we should move faster, Colonel! I believe that the creature is following our trail through the—”

“
Shut up, Adler!” Chesterton snarled.

“
Leviathan has defeated the exit vault of the Matrix and is moving in a northeastern direction through the cavern.”

“
Frank!” Chesterton called out. “Can't that computer slow that thing down? Do something!”

Frank
: “GEO, I want you to ignite all nitrogen pheromone ports in the cavern except those above the front elevator shaft! Attempt to lower the temperature of the entire cavern to minus 200 degrees. Do you understand?”

“
GEO is releasing nitrogen pheromones through all ports beyond the elevator shaft.”

Connor could hear nothing from deep inside the cavern but he knew that a haze of white nitrogen was filling every hallway and chamber in the cavern. He was afraid for a moment that GEO would make a mistake and open the nitrogen port above their heads but when nothing happened he ignored the thought. He didn't have any time for relief.

“Frank, give me a play-by-play of what that thing is doing!” Chesterton shouted, turning briefly to glare down Tungsten Passage.

“
Leviathan has turned in a southwestern direction” came GEO's soft reply. “Leviathan is moving toward the power plant.”

Connor looked up sharply.
“Why is it doing that?”

Chesterton shook his head, dazed.

“Frank!” Connor shouted. “Why is that thing turning southwest toward the power plant?”

“I don't know, Connor!”

Connor stared up at the ceiling, thinking furiously. His eyes scanned the ceiling, the piping and ventilation ducts.
“That's it,” he whispered, looking down. “Frank, where is Leviathan right now?”

The scientist asked and they heard,
“Leviathan has stopped at the storage chamber located near the power plant. Leviathan is attacking storage tanks used for housing nitrogen pheromones.”

“
That thing is attacking the nitrogen tanks?” Chesterton rasped. “But how did it know where the storage tanks were? It was never programmed to know where the nitrogen tanks were! That's impossible!”

“
It's following the pipes,” Connor whispered. “It's following the nitrogen pipes from the last vault.” He shook his head, sweat scattering. “Man! That thing is
smart
! But we've got to stop it from reaching the power plant, Chesterton. If Leviathan destroys the generators, we won't have enough power to get the elevator down here.”

“
Leviathan has used flame-throwing weapons arsenal to destroy the nitrogen storage chamber. Secondary explosions have damaged cavern integrity and corridor structure surrounding the Storage Chamber. Nitrogen pheromones are now completely unusable. Leviathan is continuing to move toward the power plant.”

“
Frank!” Connor yelled, rising fully. “What corridor is Leviathan in?”

The scientist asked the question, and the computer replied.
“Leviathan is in Omega Passage. Leviathan is continuing to move in a southwestern direction toward the power plant.”

“
Tell GEO to generate a power surge to blow all the secondary circuit breakers!” Connor shouted. “Do it now! That should knock out all the lights in the lower portion of the cavern and Leviathan might think the power plant is already dead!”