by Steve Alten
Mac sprawled out across Jonas’s couch. “You beeped?”
“We’ve got a problem, Mac. Angel’s trying to break out of the canal again. She’s been bashing her head against the gate all morning.”
“What do you need me to do?”
“I’m finishing up a proposal. I want Geo-Tech to reinforce the gate, like we talked about doing several years ago.”
“How much to do the job?”
“About three million. We’d also have to close down and sedate the Meg for about ten days.”
“Celeste will never go for it. She doesn’t give a rat’s ass about safety, or this Institute, for that matter. Hell, it’s been over a year since Benedict made her CEO, and how often has she even bothered to visit?”
“Then we need to take matters into our own hands.”
“Like we talked about last year?” Mac smiled. “It’s about fucking time.”
“How long will it take you to get the necessary equipment?”
“I’ll contact my buddy right now. The transmitter should be no problem. The weapon may take a week or two.”
They were interrupted by the intercom. “Professor, Masao needs to see you in his office, right away.”
Jonas stood to leave. “I’ll talk to Masao about the Megalodon, but let’s keep everything else just between you and me.”
*
Masao Tanaka finished rereading the fax for the third time when his son-in-law entered his office.
“Morning, Jonas. Sit down, please.”
Jonas noticed the somber tone in the elder man’s voice. “What’s wrong?”
“I’ve just received word from Benedict Singer that the Proteus imploded in the Trench. Four people died in the accident.”
Jonas felt his blood run cold.
“Singer is insisting that you meet with him aboard the Goliath immediately. He’s sending a private jet to take you to Guam. His chopper will meet you there—”
“Masao, I can’t… I can’t go. We have an emergency of our own here. The Meg is trying to escape.”
Masao took a deep breath. “Are you certain? I thought we went through this last year. Once the whales completed their migration north, the creature calmed itself.”
“She’s a lot bigger now. It’s time we sealed the gates permanently.”
“You’re planning an inspection of the gate?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
Masao closed his eyes, deep in thought. “Jonas, I also received a call this morning from Dr. Tsukamoto. JAMSTEC is insisting that we conduct our own investigation of the Proteus accident. They specifically requested that you board the Goliath and analyze all sonar records of the event. Failure to complete our report on a timely basis will lead to termination of our UNIS contract.”
“Christ.”
Masao opened his eyes. “Now you see the importance of your journey. Can I count on you?”
“I understand JAMSTEC’s wanting my input as a submersible pilot, but why is Benedict Singer insisting that I go?”
“I don’t know. Truth be known, he can be a bit eccentric. I thought it best not to ask.”
Jonas shook his head. “I can’t go, Masao. Not now.”
“Jonas, no one is asking you to descend into the Trench, merely to meet with Singer aboard the Goliath and analyze his ship’s data.”
“I understand, I just can’t go.”
“You realize the awkward situation you are placing me in?”
Jonas looked him straight in the eye. “I know.”
Masao walked around his desk, placing his hand on his son-in-law’s shoulder. “I understand your hesitance in accepting Benedict’s invitation. Terry has told me about your dreams. At some point, you have to stop living in fear.”
Jonas felt his temper flaring. Standing, he walked over to the bay windows and raised the venetian blinds, revealing the lagoon below. “You want me to stop living in fear? Let’s drain the lagoon and kill the goddamn monster before it escapes. Do that, and I’ll sleep a whole lot better.”
Masao shook his head. “Killing the shark is not the answer. The demons that haunt your dreams come from your past. The sooner you realize this, the sooner you can get on with your life.” Masao sat back in his chair. “However, since you refuse to make the trip, I have no choice but to go in your place.”
Jonas nodded. “I’m sorry, Masao.” Masao watched him leave.
*
An hour later, Jonas was still thinking about Masao’s request as he drove south along the Pacific Coast Highway. Over the last four years, he had been offered no fewer than a dozen opportunities to return to the Mariana Trench. Some requests were to pilot submersibles, others were merely to appear in documentaries aboard a surface ship. No matter what the request, he had refused them all.
After all he had been through, no one could blame the paleo-biologist for being afraid of the abyss. But Jonas’s fears ran deeper. No psychiatrist could alleviate his anxieties, just as no medication or hypnosis could subdue his ongoing nightmares. Even Masao’s request to meet with Benedict Singer aboard a surface ship went beyond his phobia. The truth was simple: Jonas Taylor was convinced it was his destiny to die in the Mariana Trench. As miserable as his life had become, he had no intention of putting his theory to the test.
Pulling into his driveway, he was surprised to find a cab waiting in front. The driver emerged from the entrance of his home, carrying two suitcases.
Jonas pushed past him as his wife appeared. “Terry, what’s going on? Where are you going?”
“Don’t get upset—”
“Upset?”
“I’m going with Masao to meet with Benedict Singer.”
For the second time that day, Jonas was overwhelmed by a sense of trepidation. “Terry, listen to me, I don’t want you to go. Please… can we at least talk about this?”
“What’s to talk about? You already told my father that you refuse to go, despite the fact that Benedict Singer specifically requested that you meet with him.”
Jonas heard the anger in her voice. “Did your father happen to mention why I can’t go?”
“Yes, I heard all about it. We both think you’re overreacting. We went through this same scenario last year. The creature struck the gate for about a week and then calmed down.” She shook her head. “I have to tell you, Jonas, I’m really disappointed in you. You know Dad is too old to be making these trips by himself anymore. Where’s your sense of responsibility? My father treats you like his own son.”
“Sense of responsibility?” Jonas felt his temper flaring. “Let me tell you something, it’s only because I’ve felt a sense of responsibility that I even stayed with the Institute this long.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means I’ve wanted to quit for a long time, but I stuck around because I knew Angel was getting too big to handle. How do you think I’d feel if the shark escaped? The lagoon’s simply not strong enough to hold her, and something has to be done about it before she escapes.”
“Then fly out to the western Pacific and discuss the matter with Benedict Singer. It’s his shark now.”
“And what if he disagrees?”
“Jonas, it’s not your call. Singer owns the Meg now, not you.”
“Then I’ll kill her before she can escape. Let him sue me—”
“You want to kill the shark?” Terry stared at him in amazement.
“Better the shark than… better than allowing it to escape.”
“Jonas, listen to yourself. This obsession of yours is—”
“Is what? Is making me crazy? Go ahead, say it.”
“Jonas, it’s okay to be scared. Look at what you’ve been through.”
“It’s not my death that scares me, it’s the thought of losing you. In my nightmares you’re in the Trench. Angel appears—”
“Enough!” Terry grabbed him by the shoulders. “Here’s a news flash, Jonas. You are losing me.”
The words seemed to pierce his soul.
“What do you mean?”
She averted her eyes, wondering how much she should reveal. “I’m not happy, Jonas. I feel like we’ve grown apart.”
“Terry, I love you—”
“Yes, but you spend more time with that damn shark than you do with me. What happened to us? These last few years have been hell, and it wasn’t just losing the baby. Even when we’re together, your mind is elsewhere. What do I have to do to be the only female in your life?”
For a long moment he remained silent, allowing her words to sink in. “You’re right. Who would want to be with someone who constantly thinks about death?”
“Jonas, it’s not that I don’t love you—” The taxi’s horn interrupted her. She glanced back. “I really have to go—”
Jonas grabbed her arm. “Terry, wait, please! Look, I’m sorry. I don’t want to lose you. I can change. Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”
She wiped back a tear. “For starters, make an appointment to see that psychiatrist.”
“Done. I’ll make an appointment right away. What else?”
“I think it’s time you changed your career. Eleven years of studying these monsters is enough.”
“Agreed. I’ll quit the Institute. Just let me make sure the Megalodon can never escape.”
She pulled away. “Damn you, Jonas, you’re hopeless, do you know that?” She pushed past him, walking toward the cab.
“Terry, wait—”
“No more talk. I have a plane to catch.”
He strode after her. “At least promise me you’ll stay aboard the Goliath.”
“Leave me alone. Go play with Angel—”
He grabbed her, spinning her around. “Terry, please—”
She looked at him, anger flashing in her eyes.
“Fine. I promise I won’t be descending with Singer into the goddamned Mariana Trench. If you’re so worried, you can come with me.”
“I can’t. Not now, not this time—”
The cabbie honked again, calling out, “You okay, miss?”
“Fine.” She pulled her arm free and climbed in the rear seat, refusing to look back.
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About Steve Alten
STEVE ALTEN grew up in Philadelphia and now lives in Florida. He has written six novels in the MEG series, the first of which was sold in over 20 countries and became the book of the 1996 Frankfurt Book Fair.
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Meg: Origins published in the United States in 2011 by Gere Donovan Press
Copyright © Steve Alten, 2011
Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror first published in the United States in 1997 by Doubleday, rewritten and republished in 2015 by Viper Press, an imprint of A & M Publishers
Copyright © Steve Alten, 1997
This eBook edition first published in the UK in 2017 by Head of Zeus Ltd
The moral right of Steve Alten to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. All characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
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A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN (E) 9781786695734
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