Leviathan(36)
“But after the Allied invasion at Normandy, the war was lost,” he added. “And Hitler's famed V-2 rocket scientists were offered American citizenships and received into NASA and every other private and military enterprise with open arms. Because military and monetary expertise overrule all other commandments, Doctor. Or sins. And for that reason, Frank, I am committed to ensuring that your government is the first and only country to possess the power of Leviathan. I would have preferred to have worked beside you. But you refused. So the situation eventually worked to my advantage. You defied the mandate of the project, refusing to cooperate, so you have been outcast. And now I alone possess the power of the Dragon.”
“So what are you saying?” Frank asked. “You're saying that we have to rush the tests and confirm Leviathan's true potential so Stygian can close their deal with the government?” He shook his head, arguing the point in desperation. “But why can't other nations share the technology? Other nations share atomic weapons, and everyone uses treaties to control their use! The same could be done with Leviathan!”
“No, no, Doctor.” Tolvanos frowned. “What I am saying is that the time has come for you to reluctantly accept the truth.” He paused, an exasperated professor staring upon a disappointing student. “We have surpassed the age of treaties, Frank. And you are far, far too intelligent not to realize it. Neither America, nor the powers which control America, can any longer risk the tenuous security of treaties. That is the truth which your moral blindness has prevented you from recognizing from the beginning.” Tolvanos hesitated, frowning. “The simple truth that has evaded you, Doctor, is this: America can, and will, use Leviathan to control the entire world. That is why America does not wish for any other country to have its equal.”
Frank stared at the Russian. “But ... but how are they going to do that? If America ever used Leviathan against any country that possessed a nuclear arsenal there would be an immediate nuclear response!”
“And how could that be, Doctor?” Tolvanos posed, pausing as if he were willing to wait forever for an answer. “Leviathan is simply a beast. It would come from the sea and return to the sea. No one would know that America was responsible for the atrocity. Leviathan would rise from the ocean as the beast of ancient lore to destroy a single city, army, nation, or even a targeted individual. And absolutely nothing on the face of the earth, save a nuclear holocaust, could stop it.” He paused. “No nation would ever call down a nuclear holocaust upon itself. So they would be left with conventional defenses which would, of course, be wholly inefficient. And eventually, within a few short years, the entire world could be brought to the feet of the very men who control the Dragon.”
Frank closed his eyes. “I'll talk,” he said simply. “I swear to you, I'll talk. I won't let you do this.”
He felt Tolvanos staring upon him, almost sympathetically. “No, Doctor. I doubt very seriously that you shall talk.”
Frank looked up hard. “You're crazy, Tolvanos. You people can kill me if you want. I know you can. But it won't make any difference because Leviathan can't be controlled. Leviathan has brought itself into its own Hunter-killer Mode, and it cannot differentiate between friendly and non-friendly organisms! Don't you get it? Leviathan's unstable DNA promoted itself ahead of programming, and it doesn't have any program parameters to limit prey. It's not going to work with anybody! If Leviathan ever gets out of that cavern it's going to kill every living thing on the face of the earth! Everything! Including us! Because Leviathan actually believes with all its heart that it has to kill every other living thing on the planet in order to survive! It's something that can't be corrected! It's too late to undo what's been done!”
“I don't agree with you, Doctor,” Tolvanos said. “And I will tell you that I am not, as you say, crazy.” He stared down. “Crazy is a man who throws away his life because he will not finish an experiment that will be finished with or without his help.”
Adler spoke. “The situation is out of your hands, Doctor.”
“Nothing is out of my hands!” Frank shouted, glaring. Tolvanos had taken his headset, but Frank knew that the panel microphone of GEO was still activated. “Nothing! All I have to do is tell GEO to wipe out everything in her memory and the backups and then you won't have anything but an uncontrollable creature. And you'll never be able to find the right formula to repeat the genetic transformation of another Komodo dragon. It'll be gone!”
Tolvanos froze and Adler paled, sweat gleaming on his face. Instantly Frank realized that they had never anticipated this movement. They had been caught completely off guard.