"We control this city now," she announced. "And it is our task to remake the Earth in our own image."

"So you sent the monsters?" Nick Gordon asked. "To destroy mankind?"

The woman on the dais nodded. "That, and the Babel Wave that cut off your communications. They were but the first step, however. Soon humans will be extinct, and we will rule over all."

"Those creatures behind the wall," Captain Dolan whispered angrily to Sean Brennan. "They are somehow controlling her ... forcing Zoe to do these terrible things against her will!"

"What have your friends got against humans, anyway?" Sean Brennan demanded, pointing at the things behind the wall. Again, Zoe Kemmering's eyes danced angrily and seemed to glow with an inner light as she gazed at the soldier.

"It is not personal," Zoe announced. "The Earth is to be cleansed to make way for a superior species. Out there, beyond the city, the first seed of the Earth's new life is growing.

"Soon Biollante will be ready to cover the Earth with her roots and branches, and wipe mankind from the face of this planet forever."

16.

THE SLEEPERS AWAKEN.

In the necropolis of the Ancient Ones.

It looked as though the woman on the dais could hold those below her in a hypnotic thrall forever. But a moment later, the gigantic chamber exploded into pandemonium.

It started when Captain Dolan spoke.

"We've got to free my niece from the control of those creatures," he hissed to Corporal Brennan. The soldier did not reply. But Leena Sims, who was close enough to overhear the captain, did. Remembering the warning from Mothra, Leena exploded.

"That's bull!" she cried loudly. Then the girl locked eyes with the woman on the podium.

"You don't fool me!" Leena cried, shaking her fist at Zoe Kemmering. "Those creatures aren't controlling you. You're controlling them!"

"Quiet, Leena!" Robin cried, reaching for the teenager. But Leena shook herself loose from Robin's grasp and moved in front of everyone. Warily, the soldiers glanced around them, fingering their triggers nervously.

As a Kamakite scrambled to stop her, Leena pointed up at Zoe Kemmering.

"You may have the others fooled!" Leena cried. "But not me! I know who's controlling whom around here!"

"What are you saying?" Captain Dolan demanded.

Leena faced the girl's uncle. "You're blinded by the guilt you feel for not coming to her rescue sooner," she said. "Don't you understand? Can't you see the truth?

"When Zoe says we, she doesn't mean she and the Ancient Ones - she means she and her father!"

Then Leena turned and faced the girl on the dais above her. "You're bitter and angry, aren't you, Zoe?" she cried. "You've taken on your father's obsession with discovering this new world ... and you've taken on all of the pain, rejection, and alienation he felt, too."

Suddenly, Sh.e.l.ly began to understand Leena Sims's argument. As Sh.e.l.ly helped her father build the airship, she'd also felt every single one of his disappointments, failures, and rejections, as her own ... even though it had never been Sh.e.l.ly's intention to build airships for the rest of her life.

"Your father is dead!" Leena cried emotionally. "Stop living his life! Stop letting a dead man control you!"

Zoe Kemmering's eyes flickered for a moment. For a brief instant, Sh.e.l.ly was sure she saw a flicker of humanity cross Zoe Kemmering's inhuman face.... And then it vanished as suddenly as it came.

The woman on the dais looked down at her army of Kamakites, which surrounded the humans.

"Kill them," she said simply.

As one, the Kamakites moved toward the humans, their crystalline spears raised.

But just then, a sound like a tremendous hammer hitting a door echoed over the city, shaking the foundation of the building they occupied. The booming sound repeated two more times. Each blow was so intense that it vibrated the floor under them. Surprised, Zoe Kemmering stepped backward until her spine pressed against the crystal wall behind which the Ancient Ones waited motionlessly.

The sound also halted the Kamakites' advance, breaking their limited concentration.

Sean Brennan used the respite to good advantage. He lowered the muzzle of his M-16 and pointed it at the Kamakite closest to him.

"Let's rumble!" he cried as he pulled the trigger. The slugs tore through the creature, sending jets of black, bubbling ichor splattering in all directions. The Kamakite collapsed into a heap on the smooth floor, spilling black blood.

As the rest of the soldiers opened fire, the room exploded in chaos and ear-shattering noise.

Above it all, the strange, booming sound continued. Something was banging on the crystal iris through which the Destiny Explorer had entered. But too much was happening in the chamber for anyone to find out who - or what - it was.

In the confusion, Leena Sims ran up behind Michael Sullivan and turned his wheelchair. "I need your help!" she cried as she pushed him toward the bank of computers.

Jim Cirelli moved until he was back to back with Private Mike Templeton. Blasting away together, they raked the ranks of Kamakites with round after round of explosive bullets. Composite eyes exploded and bone-hard carapace shattered.

A Kamakite scrambled up to a Ranger who was reloading and shoved its crystal staff through his belly. Screaming, the soldier dropped his M-16 and drew the service revolver from its holster. Choking on his own blood, the Ranger pumped round after round into the Kamakite's head.

They died together.

"Get them out of here!" Brennan cried, pushing Captain Dolan toward Sh.e.l.ly, Ned, and Peter. The captain stumbled forward, then halted. He took a last look at the lone figure on top of the dais. Finally, the airship commander turned and pushed the others out of the chamber, toward the crystal bridge.

The teens took off in a run, followed by Nick and Robin.

"Come on!" Captain Dolan cried to Leena and Michael, who were still studying the makeshift computer setup in front of them.

"Look at the cable up there," Leena cried to Michael over the noise and gunfire. She pointed to the wires that led into the central creature's crystal head.

"Somehow these computers are controlling the monsters," she announced. "That cable proves it!"

The revelation lit up Michael's face. His fingers flew across one of several keyboards on the crystal stands. When nothing he liked happened with the first keyboard, he moved on to another. This time, as he tapped the keys, the monitor above it began to display raw data. He continued to work feverishly, hacking into the system. Leena, who was good at engineering but bad with programming, tried to grasp what he was doing.

She couldn't.

"Zoe Kemmering has adapted a navigational computer from one of the wrecked airplanes," Michael announced. "She's fixed it to work with the crystal machinery. I'm sure she's using the computers to somehow immobilize the Ancient Ones. They are in some kind of electricity-induced sleep or something."

"Get out!" one of the soldiers cried to them, pointing at the exit. His warning to the teens cost the man his life, as three Kamakites swarmed over him, stabbing repeatedly with their crystal spears. Leena closed her eyes in horror; then she turned and hissed at Michael.

"What are you doing?" she cried.

"I've almost got it!" Michael replied. "There! That ought to wake them up!"

But behind the wall of the Ancient Ones' crystal cage, nothing seemed to happen ...

Outside the edge of the city, the booming, pounding noise continued during the firelight. Finally, a crack appeared on the ma.s.sive crystal iris at the entrance to the city. Then another appeared. Soon those two cracks joined.

Finally, with an ear-shattering crash of tumbling crystal shards, the wall exploded inward. As thousands of tons of gushing water rushed into the necropolis from the underground lake on the other side of the iris, G.o.dzilla stumbled through the opening he'd made and into the city of the Ancient Ones.

Bellowing a challenge to the rulers of this lost metropolis, the King of the Monsters moved forward as dark water rushed around his legs and tail and splashed against his belly. G.o.dzilla flexed the fingers of his forepaws and tilted his feral head back. His jaws opened, and G.o.dzilla's primeval roar echoed throughout the ancient city.

At that instant, Biollante attacked.

Suddenly, long vinelike tentacles whipped out and wrapped themselves around G.o.dzilla's immense body. As the monster struggled, more and more tendrils lashed out, each with a toothy pod on its end. The mouths, with long thorns for teeth, sank into G.o.dzilla's flesh. Tugging against the tentacles that entwined him, the King of the Monsters was dragged off his feet.

With a mighty splash, G.o.dzilla hit the churning, rushing water that flooded the city. Biollante's tentacles whipped back, releasing G.o.dzilla. The monster struggled to rise against the force of the water. Finally, as G.o.dzilla stood erect once more, Biollante's chest began to glow bright red.

The tip of the central bole, which had been pointing to the roof of the cavern, now moved slowly, until it was pointed at G.o.dzilla. Then a huge maw opened up in the center of the bole. Twin glowing eyes opened on either side of Biollante's long snout. Then Biollante's mouth opened, and the creature issued a bellowing hiss that could be heard as far away as the airship itself.

With a rumbling sound, the plant monster literally uprooted itself and shambled toward G.o.dzilla, tentacles waving, red eyes flashing ...

Inside the chamber, another soldier died as five Kamakites descended on him.

Sean Brennan turned in time to see his man fall, and the corporal opened up on the creatures who killed him.

"Let's go, people!" Brennan cried, pushing the last of his surviving men out onto the bridge. The chamber was empty, except for Zoe on the dais, and Michael and Leena near the computers. With a curse, the corporal turned and ran back into the chamber to retrieve the two teenagers.

Blasting another Kamakite apart in a hail of gunfire, Brennan approached the teens. Michael was still furiously tapping on a keyboard. Leena was urging him on. As Brennan crossed the chamber, he eyed the dais warily, alert for any sign of trouble from the woman called Zoe. But he glimpsed her only briefly as he gunned down another Kamakite. The girl was on her knees before the crystal tomb of her father. Corporal Brennan could swear he heard her sobbing.

Brennan finally reached the teens. He glanced down at the ruined body of one of the other soldiers.

"Come on, kids!" he cried, pushing Leena toward the door. "Let's get out of here!" Then the soldier grabbed the handles of Michael's wheelchair.

"Wait!" Michael cried, putting on the brake. He tapped two more keys, then looked up at the corporal and Leena.

"Okay," he declared. "If that doesn't do it, nothing will. I'm ready."

As the three of them rushed for the exit, Leena spoke. "What will happen?" she asked.

Michael smiled. "I think I woke the Ancient Ones up," he announced proudly. "I tried everything else, then I figured out that Zoe wasn't using electricity to knock them out - she was controlling the voltage so that they couldn't wake up."

"I don't get it," she cried.

"I sent enough electricity through the Ancient Ones to shock them awake ... I hope."

Leena turned. It looked as if Michael's idea was working. She sensed movement behind the wall. To Leena's surprise, Zoe Kemmering remained paralyzed, kneeling before the entombed remains of her dead father.

They reached the exit, and Brennan thrust Michael's wheelchair into Leena's hands. "Go!" he barked. "I'll cover you."

As the corporal turned, a Kamakite rushed him. He pulled the trigger, and bullets ripped into the insect's body. The creature continued on. As Sean ducked, the dying Kamakite rushed right past him and plunged over the edge of the crystal bridge.

Then Brennan felt a cold pain reach into his guts. His body was yanked backward. As he hit the crystal floor, he tried to rise, but couldn't. He looked down to see the point of a Kamakite's spear jutting from his abdomen. Blood gushed around the shaft. Brennan finally managed to raise himself to one knee, draw his handgun, and shoot the creature that had stabbed him.

Then the corporal dropped his gun and slid soundlessly to the floor of the chamber. Through a haze of pain he saw several more Kamakites scrambling across the smooth floor toward him. Their spears were raised above their ugly heads ...

G.o.dzilla grappled with Biollante as the creature's many tentacles wrapped around him once again. One tendril wrapped itself around G.o.dzilla's neck. But the monster seized the pod at the end of the tentacle and ripped it open until the jaws separated and dropped into the b.l.o.o.d.y water flowing around their feet.

The plant monster, which was at least 120 meters tall, shuffled forward awkwardly on thick, twisting roots. Biollante slammed its full weight into G.o.dzilla, sending the monster flying backward. More tentacles reached out, closing on G.o.dzilla's neck again.

Thrashing and struggling helplessly in Biollante's grip, G.o.dzilla felt his strength ebbing as the life was literally choked out of him.

G.o.dzilla raised his forepaw in defense, and Biollante lashed out. A thick, th.o.r.n.y point ripped through G.o.dzilla's hand and burst out the other side to penetrate the monster's throat. G.o.dzilla opened his eyes wide in surprise. As he gurgled, b.l.o.o.d.y foam flecked his jaws.

But still G.o.dzilla battled on, yanking on a single tentacle until it finally gave. Ripping the arm free from its root, G.o.dzilla bellowed as the pressure was released from his neck. Rising with a snarl, G.o.dzilla faced the plant monster, his lips curled to bare a mouthful of long, sharp, uneven teeth.

Blue lightning danced along his dorsal spines, shimmering eerily in the deep underground cavern. Then a blast of radioactive fire burst from his powerful, slavering jaws and washed over Biollante.

The plant monster howled in pain ...

"Where's Sean?" Sh.e.l.ly demanded when Leena stumbled into the airship, pushing Michael's wheelchair through the narrow airlock.

"He's right behind me," Leena cried, turning. "He -"

But the teenager fell silent when she saw that the bridge behind her was empty.

"I've got to go - " Sh.e.l.ly bolted, but her words were cut off as Captain Dolan dragged her back inside the airship.

"You and Michael have to help me launch this airship!" Dolan declared.

"But what about Sean?"

"You are responsible for the lives aboard this ship, Sh.e.l.ly. Remember that! They need you ... I need you."

"But what about Sean?" she cried again.

"He's a soldier. He knew the risks," Dolan replied. "Do you think I wanted to leave Zoe back there? I didn't, but I had to."

Sh.e.l.ly nodded finally as tears streamed down her face. But suddenly a figure raced past them.

"Get the ship up and running," Nick Gordon cried as he rushed by. "I'll go fetch our American hero!"