Atomic Rex_The Conquest of Chimera

  ATOMIC REX 3

  The Conquest of Chimera

  Matthew Dennion

  Copyright 2017 by Matthew Dennion

  This book is dedicated to my fans and to their love of Atomic Rex! Thank you all for making this book series such a success and for always pushing me for more Atomic Rex. I love you for it!

  Author’s Note – In addition to being the third novel in the Atomic Rex series, this book also follows the events of my novel Chimera Scourge of the Gods.

  Prologue

  Three massive figures stood in the space outside of time and between worlds. One being appeared as a giant human adorned in robes and a loincloth. The giant had a muscular build and olive-colored skin. His face had the weathered appearance of old leather. The giant’s beard was long and tangled. His eyes glowed with a blood-red color.

  The second being had the appearance of a colossal gargoyle who was wreathed in flames. The creature had pitch-black skin and huge bat-like wings that protruded out of its back. In his right hand, the figure held a flaming sword.

  The third creature was a large wingless four-legged dragon with the horned head of a goat. The combined power possessed by these three beings was comparable to that of the sun itself. They were conquerors of worlds. On countless planets, throughout numerous dimensions, they had conquered worlds and destroyed every form of life on those planets to absorb their life energy. Once they drained a world of its life force, they would move to the next world, leaving only an empty husk of rock in their wake.

  The three figures stood before a swirling vortex that was between them. They were staring at a world that had once been theirs but had been lost to them. They had ruled over the world, letting its population grow so that they could one day absorb the life energy of its inhabitants. During their rule over the planet, they carelessly indulged in their baser instincts and produced offspring. Their own children would rise up against them and drive them from the planet that was rich with life and potential energy. For centuries, the offspring now calling themselves gods, ruled over the planet. The gods were able to absorb energy from the planet Earth without taking life. The gods became caretakers of the planet, doing all that they could to ensure its survival. As long as the Earth thrived, it would sustain the gods until the planet’s sun reached the end of its existence. Much like their fathers and mothers before them, the gods had the native population of the planet worship them. Then, much like the gods did to their parents, the natives of the planet would turn on them. The natives, known as humans, would turn their backs on the gods for other gods that were less tangible and offered much more rewards than they could.

  The gods accepted that they had been replaced as the deities of the humans and they moved on to dimensions where they could still access the life force of the planet and guard it against the coming of those who they overthrew to gain possession of it. During their absence, the humans had not only turned on them, but they had also turned on the planet itself. The humans were slowly draining the planet of its life force through their abuse of its resources in the same manner that the progenitors of the gods had. The gods decided that they needed to intercede on behalf of the planet that sustained them. They sought to wipe the humans off the face of the Earth with their army of mythical creatures. The mechanical weapons that the humans had created over the centuries were powerless before the gods. The arrogant gods thought that the destruction of the humans would be more of an extermination than a war.

  The gods were quickly proven wrong. While the gods’ mastery over electromagnetic pulses rendered the humans’ technological weapons useless, mankind had created a biological weapon that was more powerful than anything the gods had ever encountered. The humans, led by the brilliant Dr. Jonathan Toombs, had created the kaiju known as Chimera. Chimera was a gigantic monster created from the combined genetic material of a sperm whale, a gorilla, and a lion. The monster had the rubber grey skin, thick face, and fluke tail of the sperm whale, the torso of a silverback gorilla, and the hind legs, teeth, claws, and mane of a lion. Chimera stood at a height of two hundred and fifty feet tall. In addition to his tremendous strength, near inexhaustible stamina, and extreme durability, the creature also possessed the power to emit a sonic blast that would temporarily disable an opponent’s central nervous system. With their technology largely unavailable to them, the humans turned to Luke Davis, a teacher of students with autism, to instruct Chimera using Applied Behavior Analysis techniques. This approach helped Chimera to not only bond with Luke but with all humans. So that when the time came to battle the gods and their beasts, Chimera felt as if he was not only fighting an invading force but that he was fighting to protect his very family.

  Chimera crushed the gods and their monsters. Olympus had been left in ruins and the gods who lived there had fled to another dimension. The gods that had ruled over ancient Mesopotamia had nearly been exterminated. The Norse gods had been defeated and the Rainbow Bridge between Earth and Asgard was destroyed. In addition to these losses, most of the mystical creatures that the gods had at their disposal had also been slain by Chimera. Cerberus, the Scylla, Fafnir, and countless other beasts had all fallen in battle against the hybrid monster.

  The gods had also attempted to create a new race of demi-gods by having their nymphs Allison and Aiden seduce young men and women to use as breeders. This part of the gods’ plans also crumbled when Allison seduced Dr. Toombs. With Toombs under her sway, Allison kidnapped all of the young women who were carrying demi-gods and disappeared with them.

  It was the raspy voice of the dragon-like creature known as Tiamat who commented on these events. “The gods who opposed us millennia ago are at their weakest. The monster the humans created has scattered them and greatly depleted their forces. They will not be able to mount a defense against us if we attempt to reclaim this Earth.”

  The demonic Surtr shook his head and when he spoke, his voice sounded as if someone was talking through a pyre of burning wood. “The creature, Chimera, as the humans call him, represents a threat. We could take the planet with our forces, but a war against that monster would leave us depleted as well. The gods could seek to attack us at that point and reclaim the planet from both us and the humans.”

  The majestic and yet terrifying titan known as Cronus settled the matter for them. “We can negate the threat posed by Chimera through the use of our own monsters and by adding a new variable into the equation.” Cronus waved his hand over the portal they were viewing, causing it to shimmer and then reveal a different version of planet Earth.

  Tiamat hissed when he saw the version of Earth that Cronus had brought into view. “The Earth of that dimension is dying. Most of the life there has been exterminated. There is not even enough life energy left to warrant our attention.”

  Cronus shook his head. “There is one life there that is of extreme interest to us.” The titan waved his hand over the portal and the view shifted along the top of what looked like a primordial jungle until some massive creature could be seen in the distance. Cronus closed his hand, forcing the view through the portal to condense on one creature. As the view condensed, a colossal theropod dinosaur came into view. The kaiju had long, powerful, primate-like arms and a thick crocodilian caprice on its back. The monster turned and roared at the portal as if he could sense that something was approaching him. Cronus pointed at the creature. “This is the kaiju known as Atomic Rex! He has killed millions of people on his world and destroyed over a dozen other monsters that had dared to challenge him. He is currently near a nexus where the walls between worlds are weak and that is why I have called you here. We shall take advantage of this monster’s current position. We will use our combined might to tra
nsport him to Chimera’s Earth. Atomic Rex is extremely aggressive and will typically attack any other creature that he sees. Still, we shall ensure that Atomic Rex sees Chimera as his enemy by making him think that the god-destroyer has attacked him. I have watched this Atomic Rex as he laid waste to his homeworld. At first glance, the monster seems to be an agent of pure chaos, but he clearly remembers those creatures that he perceives as enemies and will stop at nothing to destroy them. By tapping into the monster’s thirst for vengeance and directing it at Chimera, we will leave nothing to chance as to the outcome of placing Atomic Rex on Chimera’s world. At some point, he and Chimera will battle to the death. In addition to Atomic Rex, we shall also unleash the monsters under our command on Chimera’s Earth and specifically into the country where Chimera lives. As Atomic Rex and our other monsters slay the population of this Earth, we shall absorb their life energy. Chimera will battle our forces which will weaken and exhaust him. Then when he is wounded and near death, Chimera will face Atomic Rex. Chimera has never faced a creature as powerful as Atomic Rex. The nuclear dinosaur is nearly invincible. After he slays Chimera, Atomic Rex will walk across this Earth, killing everything as he did on his Earth but this time, we shall be there to absorb that life force. Atomic Rex will be our most powerful weapon in conquering and ending this world!”

  Atomic Rex was engaged in battle with a large horned kaiju when he felt something pulling at him from behind. The nuclear theropod turned around to see a large green vortex moving toward him. The monster roared at the vortex as it approached him and he saw a glimpse of what he thought was Chimera reaching for him. A second later, Atomic Rex found himself surrounded by a green light and seemingly falling through nothingness. His mind was experiencing a sense of confusion and disorientation while his body felt as if it was being ripped apart on a molecular level. Atomic Rex saw a quick flash of three strange figures staring at him and then he saw a flash of bright yellow light.

  Sahara Desert, Africa

  The kaiju blinked his eyes several times to adjust to the light. When his vision finally cleared, he was able to ascertain that he was no longer in the rainforest but rather in the middle of a desert. The intelligent monster was well aware that he had moved much farther than simply from one place to the next. He fully understood that he was on another Earth. The nuclear theropod’s body could detect the slightest amount of radiation in the air. If he was on his own heavily irradiated world, the monster’s body would have detected a much higher amount of ambient radiation than he currently was.

  Atomic Rex lifted his head and roared a challenge to this new world. He then began walking across the desert, intent on returning to this Earth’s version of the Americas and what he perceived as his territory.

  Through a portal, Cronus, Tiamat, and Surtr watched as Atomic Rex began walking across the desert. Surtr shook his demonic head as he stared at Atomic Rex. “As the beast passed by us, I could sense his power. He is truly a force to be reckoned with. Atomic Rex may even present a threat to us should we find ourselves engaged with the monster.”

  Cronus smiled. “The beast poses no threat to us. I am more than capable of influencing the monster’s actions if need be. Even without me directing him, Atomic Rex will attempt to make his way back across the Atlantic toward North America. Even on a different Earth, he will still consider North America his territory. By placing him on a different continent from our main attack, we shall not only increase the number of lives that are being lost to multiple continents, but we will also force those who oppose us to spread their resources thin as they try to deal with threats on both sides of the Atlantic. Our power shall grow as we absorb the life force energy from this planet as Atomic Rex extinguishes it on his great journey. I shall direct the monster toward every city across Northern Africa as he makes his way to the Atlantic, ensuring the deaths of millions. The first move in our war on this Earth has been made. Our most powerful piece is on the board. Now we must surround him with pawns until we are ready to move into a position to crush those would resist us.”

  Tiamat turned his snake-like head around and the other two followed his gaze. In the darkness behind them, massive, terrible forms shifted in the darkness. The dragon hissed, “Go, and destroy the world that the gods stole from us. Do not stop your rampage until every last form of life on the planet has been extinguished.”

  The creatures slithering in the darkness walked past their masters and entered the portal that was swirling before them as the imagery within it continued to change, sending the horrors to destinations across North America. When the last monster entered the portal, Cronus peered into it and said, “Once Atomic Rex and the monsters at our command have the attention of the humans and their hybrid, and we have amassed a sufficient amount of life energy, we three shall play our parts. Surtr, you shall use your sword of flames to destroy part of the world with fire. Tiamat, you shall use your flaming breath to destroy part of the world with water. While you two are engaged in these tasks, I shall continue to guide Atomic Rex and coordinate the flow of life energy the kaiju sends to us.”

  Surtr stared into Cronus eyes. “I shall warn you once more. I sense great power in that monster. Be careful that your new pet does not decide to turn on his master.”

  At the second suggestion that Atomic Rex could be too powerful for him to control, Cronus glared at the fire demon. The two held a silent stare for a long moment, then the titan’s face shifted as his glare changed into a smile. “I can control the beast for as long as we need him.” He looked at the portal. “Go and prepare yourselves, while the humans and their monster are engaged with our pawns.” He looked back at Surtr and Tiamat. “Within two weeks’ time, we shall have all of the energy this world has to give. Then we shall seek out the gods that banished us from this planet and destroy them as well.”

  Chapter 1

  Virginia

  The sun was shining brightly as Luke Davis turned the ignition on in his SUV. He drove off the military base and into the forests of Virginia. His wife Melissa was sitting in the passenger seat and she smiled at him. “So what are you working on today with the big guy?”

  From the back seat his daughters, eight-year-old Sally and four-year-old Suzie laughed. Sally joked with her dad. “Yeah, Dad, what’s Chimera going to do today? Balance a building on his nose?”

  Suzie chimed in. “Yeah, Dad, is Chimera going to throw it in the air and catch it?” The two girls continued to laugh hysterically at their jokes while their parents smiled.

  Luke finally replied, “Today, Chimera is going to work on navigating through a fake town without crushing anything. He is getting better at keeping down collateral damage when moving through populated areas, but he is so big that sometimes by simply taking a step, his footfalls create shockwaves that wreck entire houses.” As Luke finished what he was saying, the aforementioned fake town came into view. In a clearing in the middle of the forest was a street length’s worth of quickly erected houses. Luke drove around the back of the houses to show his family that the structures were not full houses but only hollow one-sided constructs.

  As she was looking at the mock street, Melissa commented, “They’re just prop houses like from an old-fashioned movie. Just boards and scaffolds on the back with the front painted to look like a house.”

  Sally’s voice rose with excitement as her mother’s words sunk into her mind. “Daddy, are they going to make a movie about Chimera?”

  Luke chuckled. “No, honey. I don’t know if Chimera is ready for the pressures of the movie star lifestyle yet. Today, we just need to see if he can walk through this pretend street without destroying all of the houses.” Luke shook his head as he contemplated the events of his life that had brought him to this point. Two years ago, he was a master teacher of students with autism who used Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) concepts to teach his students. That all changed when representatives from the government approached Luke and told him that they needed him to be a part of an operation of vital national s
ecurity. Luke had no idea what they needed an ABA teacher for, but when they offered him four times his current salary, he accepted the job. Of all the scenarios that ran through Luke’s mind about what the government could have needed him for, the thought of having him train a giant monster to fight gods and mythological beasts was not one of them.

  Luke was taken to a secret military installation in Virginia and introduce to General Sam Parsons. Parsons informed him that the ancient gods of Olympus, Mesopotamia, and Asgard had returned to Earth with the monsters of their mythologies to wipe out the human race. Parsons explained that conventional weapons were useless against these gods. The only option that humanity had was a giant monster that the government had created. The problem was that they needed someone to train the monster to follow directions on what to attack and what to spare. Given Luke’s proven success with aggressive students, Parsons felt that he was the person best suited for the job. At first, Luke didn’t believe any of the story until he found himself staring at a two hundred and fifty-foot-tall hybrid gorilla, lion, sperm whale monster named Chimera. Luke was no hero, but with the fate of the world on the line, Luke agreed to work with the monster. Chimera responded well to Luke’s training and within a few short weeks, the giant monster or “kaiju,” as the monster’s creator Victor Toombs called him, was ready for combat.

  Luke and Chimera would battle all manners of legendary gods and creatures including the hellhound Cerberus, the shark god Asag, the dragon Fafnir, and even the likes of Thor and Zeus themselves. During the course of the war, the gods used the nymphs Aiden and Allison to seduce young men and women for the purpose of using them to breed a new species of demi-gods who replace the humans after the gods had wiped them out.