CHAPTER 19
The Giant
“WE WILL BE APPROACHING THE MONSTER SOON, BUT YOU HAVE DIVERTED FAR TOO THE NORTH,” pathed George to Mary. “Why?”
“ELLEN IS PRETTY PISSED ABOUT THAT. SHE SAYS HER BOSSES WANTED HER CLEAR OF THE NUCLEAR BLASTS AND THE BATTLE.”
“WHERE ARE MY NUCLEAR BLASTS, SMALL ONE?” interjected Freedom. “ASK THEM THAT.”
“ELLEN SAYS THEY HAVE BEEN APPROVED, BUT THAT IT WILL TAKE A FEW MORE HOURS FOR THE WEAPONS TO BE DEPLOYED,” said Mary.
“YOU AND ELLEN ARE EXPECTED TO BE MUCH CLOSER TO US," said Freedom. "TELL THEM THAT ALSO.”
“SHE HAS TOLD THEM THAT," said Mary. "I HAVE A BAD FEELING ABOUT THIS; THAT SHE IS NOT BEING TOLD EVERYTHING. WE’RE LANDING IN CAIRO SOON AND I EXPECT WE’LL HAVE SOME SORT OF BIG TO-DO WITH OFFICIALS THAT WILL GREET US. I CAN SENSE IT!”
George could sense Mary’s frustration and concern. “WELL, GET YOURSELF DOWN HERE TO NIGERIA SOMEHOW ASAP,” George said. “INSIST ON IT. IN THE MEANTIME THE GIANT ZOMBIE MONSTER IS NEARING A BIG CITY, I CAN SENSE THAT. SEE YOU LATER,” he added, ending the three-way conversation.
“Maybe we can divert it until the nukes and Mary arrive?” he asked Freedom.
“WE WILL DO THAT,” replied the dragon. From six miles up, the dragon began to spiral down towards the ground. It was morning; they had passed through night while they flew over the Atlantic.
Far below, George could sense raw terror emanating from thousands of people as they fled, but due to thick cloud cover, he could not see details. Flashes of light lit up and broke through the clouds occasionally, and distant thunderous sounds could be heard, but the source of the commotion remained hidden.
“THE CREATURE CALLS ITSELF KRAKARA,” said Freedom. “IT IS SMART ENOUGH TO BE SELF AWARE BUT NOT SMART ENOUGH TO HAVE A SERIOUS DISCUSSION. IT IS VERY POWERFUL AND GROWING EVER STRONGER. IT CONSUMES ANIMALS, PLANTS, METAL, AND ENERGY FROM FIRE.”
It was only as they broke through the clouds that George realized that much of what he had at first took to be normal clouds was actually thick smoke. Far below, fire and explosions rent the air, while his telepathic senses were filled with the terror that gripped the fleeing populace.
A huge black structure towered high over the city. It was only when it moved that George realized that it was KraKara itself that he was looking at. It was a monstrously huge, vaguely humanoid figure, larger even than the dragon Jewel, and with every ponderous step it took, impossibly large feet crushed buildings, bridges, power lines, and anything else built by man. The steps taken appeared slow, but each covered a hundred yards, such that hundreds of the fleeing populace were overtaken.
As he watched, the giant stopped and knelt down, and using long arms that stretched grotesquely longer, it swept up burning buildings and crushed people alike, and lifted the hundreds of tons of mixed debris above its monstrous mouth, which stretched open funnel-like to accept everything. The creature than stood motionless for perhaps half a minute, while it visibly grew several dozen feet in height and girth. As Freedom flew lower George could see pieces of buildings, vehicles and dead human bodies imbedded in the creature’s distorted body, poking out through its skin.
“IN TERMS YOU MIGHT BEST UNDERSTAND, THE ENTIRE CREATURE IS A STOMACH,” commented Freedom, “IT CONSUMES NEARLY ANYTHING, BUT ENJOYS BEST THE REFINED MATERIAL OF LIVING THINGS, AND THE REFINED MANUFACTURED MATERIALS GATHERED BY MAN. IT ALSO SIMPLY LIKES TO DESTROY THINGS,
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