Gargantua by K. Robert Andreassi

Author:K. Robert Andreassi [Andreassi, K. Robert]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 0812570987
Publisher: TOR BOOKS
Published: 1998-05-10T07:00:00+00:00

Paul Bateman saw Ralph Hale’s jeep approaching just as he was walking over to Manny’s for lunch. He hadn’t expected to see Hale and Jack so soon—Hale had said that he expected the trip to last well past lunch. Curious, he approached them as they parked it near Hale’s bungalow.

Jack hauled a sealed container out of the jeep. Paul arrived right in the middle of a friendly, if heated, discussion.

“—don’t know what the hell was happening out there, but we got batted around like a Ping-Pong ball. Whatever it was, it didn’t like us.”

“Jack, take it easy,” Hale said. “It wasn’t a creature. A creature that size couldn’t spin a submersible around like a top. No, those quakes cause a lot of underwater turbulence.”

“What happened?” Paul asked.

“The Scorp got knocked for a loop,” Jack said. “Conked the power for a minute, then twirled us around like a dervish. I think it was one of Superlizard’s relatives.”

“And I still say it was another quake,” Hale insisted.

Paul said, “We did get nailed with a pretty nasty quake while you were gone. One of my reference books fell over onto Mak’s head while he was bringing the mail.”

“See?” Hale said.

“I don’t know.”

Paul shook his head as the three of them started walking toward Hale’s bungalow. Figures. The marine biologist says it’s aquatic life, the geologist says it was an earthquake.

Aloud, he said, “Well, whatever it was, I’ve got an interesting tidbit for you guys. I checked the Internet for facts about the Iozima Ridge. In the 1960s, when a lot of pesticides were banned, an international group of chemical companies dumped thousands of concrete containers into the Pacific—over the Iozima Ridge. Concrete can leak, you know.”

Jack stopped walking. Paul turned to face him; Hale did likewise. Jack had an expression that made Paul want to look for the light bulb on top of his head.

“What’re you thinkin’, Jack?” Hale asked.

“I’m thinking about frogs.”

Paul raised an eyebrow. “This a common thing with marine biologists, or is it just you?”

“No, I’m serious,” Jack said. “You’ve got Internet access, right?” he asked Hale.

“Yeah, ’course.”

“Good. I want to show you a particular web site.”

“Why don’t we do this in my office?” Paul said.

Hale asked, “What difference does it make?”

“I know for a fact that you just have a 28.8 modem and your ISP’s in Melbourne, so the phone charge is probably an arm and a leg. I, on the other hand, have a T1 line and free access.”

Hale’s eyes widened. “How the hell’d you manage that one?”

Paul grinned. “Friends in low places. C’mon.”

Still carrying the container—Jack said it contained fish and soil samples from Iozima—they walked at a brisk pace to Paul’s office. Paul sat at his computer—which he never turned off—and tapped the mouse button, clearing the screensaver of a nude centerfold, then clicked over to his web browser. Jack rolled his eyes at the screensaver; Hale just grinned. The pair of them flanked Paul as he said, “Okay, shoot.”

Jack gave him the URL, which Paul dutifully typed in.

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