Brian Keene - Deluge - The Conqueror Worms II

“The White Fuzz,” Gail said.

“Indeed. The Book of Job tells us that ‘The waters wear the stones and wash away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth, and destroy the hopes of man.’ Although much of the Bible’s content has been perverted, re-written, and obfuscated by mankind, that particular passage still rings true. Everything around us—this building, your boat, ourselves… all solid matter—will eventually transform into water. Thales, the pre-Socratic Greek philosopher, called this the First Principle. He proposed a cosmological doctrine—the foundational principles of existence, based upon the belief that the world had originated from water. He believed that the entire universe was nothing more than a giant ocean that he referred to as the Great Deep. Earth formed by solidifying from the water on which it floated. One day, it would return to such. Obviously, we know that the universe isn’t an ocean, but when you consider what is happening outside, his theory that the planet would revert back to water isn’t that far off.”

Novak cleared his throat. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I need to get this straight. You’re saying that all matter on this planet is slowly turning into water?”

“Yes. Forget the supernatural aspect of what I’m saying and look at it scientifically for a moment. One of the first laws of physics is that matter cannot be created nor destroyed. It can only change form. Matter on our planet is slowly changing into water.”

“But if that’s true,” Novak said, “then maybe the water around us isn’t getting higher. Maybe the ground is actually liquefying.”

Simon opened his mouth to respond, but McCann cut him off.

“That’s bullshit. If the planet is turning into water, then what keeps all that water from floating out into space?”

“The planet still has a core,” Novak reminded him. “It’s still rotating on its axis, so we still have gravity. Picture a big bucket of water. If you tip it over on its side, the water spills out, but if you spin the bucket as you tip it over, the water stays inside because of the centrifugal force. So we’d be okay until the planet’s core began to liquefy.”

“We won’t simply float off into space,” Simon said. “The Earth is changing form, yes, but as that happens, the Great Deep is absorbing it. Thales was partially correct about the existence of such a place. The Great Deep does exist, but not on Earth. It is another dimension, one composed of nothing but water—a vast, supernatural sea. The Great Deep is Leviathan’s home. As our planet slowly liquefies, it is being absorbed by The Great Deep. The barriers between our dimensions are weak right now. Our plane of existence is crossing over into the Great Deep. Picture two sheets of paper. One of them is the Earth. The other is the Great Deep. Now slowly place one sheet of paper atop the other, until they are lined up evenly, appearing as one sheet rather than two. That is what is happening to our planet.”

“So how do we stop it?” Gail asked.

“We don’t,” Simon said. “We can’t.”

CHAPTER 55

They sat in silence for a moment as the enormity of what Simon had said weighed on them. McCann sniffled and turned away. In the flickering firelight, Gail thought she saw tears shining on his cheeks. Novak simply stared into the fire. His expression was sullen. Finally, Gail cleared her throat and spoke.

“But when we first found you, Simon, you said you could help us get rid of the things outside. You said that if we didn’t act soon, our actions might be the last thing any of us do.”

Simon nodded. “Right before you freed me, Mr. McCann stated that he wanted to know where the creatures had originated from and how we could get rid of them. I advised you that I could answer those questions for you if you freed me, and now I have. I’ve told you where they came from. Sadly, at this stage, there’s no way to rid the Earth of them. Our planet is finished.”

“Turning into water,” Novak said. “Getting sucked into this other dimension—this… What did you call it?”

“The Great Deep.”

“Yeah. That. So what you’re saying is that we’re pretty much fucked.”

“At this point, I’m afraid so. There are still individuals out there who are valiantly trying to save the planet. A biochemist named Steve Kazmirski, for example. He has a theory about how to reverse the White Fuzz. He believes that if he can obtain a pure sample of a protein that is essential in the machinery that replicates the White Fuzz’s DNA, then he can stop it with drugs. If the DNA can’t replicate, the fungus can’t grow, and therefore, will stop liquefying everything it touches.”

“Is he right?” Gail asked.

“I don’t know. The White Fuzz is supernatural in origin, but his theory is scientifically sound. Sadly, Mr. Kazmirski will never get a chance to learn if it would have worked, because it’s already too late.”

“At least he’s trying to do something.”

“My group were trying to save the planet, as well. Black Lodge defends humanity.”

“You did a hell of a job,” McCann muttered.

“As I explained to Gail earlier, we ended up divided. Half of Black Lodge wanted to enact an old ritual that called for the sacrifice of a human infant. Summoning Leviathan and Behemoth—opening a doorway for them to enter our world, required the sacrifice of an infant. A number of our members believed that banishing them and closing the doorway would require the same thing. They learned of several surviving infants—one in Australia, one in Illinois, and one or two elsewhere, and went in search of them. The other half of my group labored to stop them. We were convinced that there was another way to banish Behemoth and Leviathan, seal the gate, and undo the damage caused by the cultists. Regrettably, we wasted too much time in-fighting when we should have been acting together, and now it’s too late. Behemoth and Leviathan have both moved on to another version of Earth—another level.”

“I can’t accept that,” Gail said. “There has to be a way. Thousands of years of human history—all of our struggles and achievements. It can’t just be over!”

Simon’s smile was sad. “The planet is already destroyed. It’s already being absorbed. I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do.”

“But you said you could save us! Were you lying, just so we’d free you?”

“No, I told the truth. I can save us. I just can’t save the planet.”

Gail scowled. “You’re not making any sense.”

“I told you before that there are other realities—other versions of Earth. The cult in Baltimore opened the doors to other dimensions and brought both Behemoth and Leviathan through. I can do the same. We can escape to another world. A version of Earth where this hasn’t happened yet. But we’re running out of time.”

“Why?”

“Because opening a doorway into the Labyrinth isn’t my forte. There were some in my organization who were quite adept at it. I was not one of them. But there are certain places on Earth—places of great power—and in those areas, my skill won’t matter. In those places, on spots such as Stonehenge, the great Serpent Mound, and the area known popularly as the Bermuda Triangle, the doorways already exist. All we have to do is go through one of them.”

“Are we near one?” Novak asked, looking up from the fire.

“Not near, as in, close by. But I can guide us to the nearest one, yes.”

Gail leaned forward, staring at Simon intently. “Where?”

“An area in Central Pennsylvania called LeHorn’s Hollow. It is undoubtedly under water by now, but the doorway should still be there. All we have to do is reach it.”

CHAPTER 56