GTAG Chapter 9: Like a God
What in the world is that!?
Even the Engineer, with all his knowledge and experience, felt confusion the moment he saw Godzilla.
But his mind and body reacted quickly.
Inside the shaking ship, he forced his way into the control chamber.
When the vessel completed a rapid self-diagnosis, projecting the extent of the damage, his scalp went numb.
In just a short time, a third of the ship's outer hull had been ripped away. Vital systems across the vessel were damaged to varying degrees.
Technically, the ship could still fly, even make a journey through space.
But if this continued, it would be torn apart completely—and then he would be finished as well.
No, he had to eliminate that monster.
The problem was, this ship was just like the one hovering in the stratosphere—it was a research vessel, not a warship.
The only destructive weapon it carried was the Black Goo.
With no time to hesitate, he released every container of Black Goo aboard the craft, hoping it would kill the monster outside.
Fortunately, the launch system for the substance was intact. The black canisters were jettisoned with ease.
Several smashed directly against Godzilla's body, coating him in the black substance as the containers ruptured.
More crashed onto the ground and burst apart like bombs, releasing clouds of dark matter that swarmed toward him like a living virus.
This scene was captured by Prometheus, still floating high above.
The crew watched in confusion, baffled by the black fluid.
Only David's eyes gleamed with recognition, but he said nothing. He fixed his gaze on Godzilla, eager to see how the monster would respond.
Godzilla was dumbfounded. He had been careful, so how had the Goo been released?
No—wait! It wasn't him.
His eyes locked onto a hatch that had opened on its own. It had nothing to do with him.
But now wasn't the time to argue with fate. He wasn't ready to face this much Black Goo at once.
In the original story, everything tied back to this substance.
Where it came from, Godzilla did not know.
But anything created by such an advanced civilization demanded extreme caution.
Then it struck him—according to the story, there should still be one Engineer alive inside the ship…
Had he really just picked a random mound to dig into and hit the jackpot?
His luck was absurd.
In that instant, Godzilla realized what was happening.
There was only one way to counter the Goo.
Heat.
No matter the creature, nothing survived absolute heat. If something did, it only meant the temperature wasn't high enough.
And though the Black Goo wasn't alive, destroying it with fire seemed simple enough.
As the dark fluid tried to seep into his body, Godzilla drew his energy inward. In a brief charge, he unleashed it in a violent eruption.
A shockwave burst outward, sweeping away the Goo.
This wasn't just an ordinary blast of force—it carried devastating heat.
From the skies and within the Engineer's ship, they saw a colossal fireball ignite, burning everything black to ash.
Not a trace remained.
Everyone watching was stunned. Most of all, the lone surviving Engineer.
Inside his ship, alarms blared. Not only had the hull been shredded, but the sudden surge of heat caused exposed compartments to ignite, worsening the damage.
The fire suppression system activated, flames dying one by one, but the alerts didn't stop.
Because it wasn't only fire they had to contend with—
It was radiation.
The shockwave Godzilla had unleashed was a technique he'd developed after battling Xenomorphs, a way to clear out swarms of smaller foes.
It wasn't as hot or as focused as his atomic breath, nor did it penetrate as deeply.
But as a wide-area cleansing strike, it was perfect.
The complete annihilation of the Goo proved its worth.
Godzilla hefted the heavy ship in his claws, peering through the open hatch. The interior was pitch black.
With a shake, as though trying to pour the last crumbs from a snack bag, he rattled the ship upside down.
When no more canisters of Goo tumbled out, he discarded the vessel with disdain and turned toward another mound.
Without Goo, the ship was useless.
Watching Godzilla walk away, the Engineer let out a long, shaky breath.
He had survived.
But in his eyes burned a fanatic light.
This towering beast reminded him of a being from long, long ago—a creature they had once slain, a creature like a god.
When they discovered it, the planet it ruled was already infested with its offspring.
The Engineers were shaken to their core.
Though their lifespans were immense, producing offspring was difficult, and even artificially cultivated young were flawed compared to natural births.
That was why, when they found that creature, they had revered it as a god.
And then they killed it.
They had tried to communicate, but when that failed, all they could do was destroy it.
The Black Goo was, at its core, an imitation of that creature's blood.
That was why every being born from it bore some resemblance to the fallen god.
And now, before his eyes, stood another being no weaker than that one.
How could he not tremble with awe?
But just as his excitement reached its peak, Godzilla stopped.
The Engineer's eyes widened.
A blinding beam of blue light filled his vision.
And then, nothing.
He died without ever understanding what had happened.
[Please give powerstones if you're enjoying the story.
500 stones = 1 extra chapter
patreon com/GuessMyName33 for up to 30 chapters ahead]