1
[OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYS]
[ROARING]
You're gonna owe
me one, Cherise.
Looks like a dead end here.
Let's pack it up.
Whoa, wait, wait,
wait, wait.
What's that?
12 o'clock.
We've got active fumaroles
and volcanic debris on
the sea floor.
Ford was right.
Take us forward 20 degrees.
Ford's live right now.
How would you categorize
putting 500-ton machines
on the seabed, digging
and tearing up the sea bottom,
obliterating everything
in their path
to obtain a small amount
of minerals and metals?
It's not a small amount.
What about the sea life?
From what I understand,
the metals you seek
are found on volcanic sea
mounts and hydrothermal vents,
hot spots for hundreds
of life forms,
many of which are
completely new to science
and exist nowhere else,
life forms that may vanish
before we even identify
what they are if your mining
is allowed to go forward.
On the contrary,
we're ideally situated
to allow for the discovery
of new life forms.
Take us over that ridge.
Your detractors say
you are planning to tear apart
unique marine environments
that exist nowhere else.
If mankind is
to continue using technology
- like we have today...
- Keep going.
...we have to find new
sources of raw materials.
- Ocean mining is the answer.
- Keep going.
Look at that.
Polymetallic nodules,
hundreds of them.
Not all nodules
contain manganese.
Ones on volcanoes do.
Let's do what
we came here for.
Collect a sample.
We only have permission
to survey.
Come on.
You know what Ford would say.
"Rather ask for forgiveness
than for permission."
But we're not him.
Riley, you know the next step
will be to collect
a sample, okay?
And permitting
is gonna take weeks!
I mean, why go through all
that if this claim is a dud?
Let's dig! Let's bring up
some of that nugget!
[SIGHS]
The fines would be a lot less
than what it would cost
to bring us back out here.
[SCOFFS]
Why can
I never say no to you?
Yes!
Now I can show you
what this digger can do.
Here we go.
That's the motherlode.
Riley?
[RUMBLING]
What is that?
Experts agree that
this part of the ocean
needs to be left alone.
We've lost contact.
Today, we're inviting viewers
to our remote operating facility
to take a look at
the ocean floor
in a way that's never
been done before.
Follow me.
There you have it.
Iconoclastic billionaire,
Billy Ford, going his own way
as his legions of fans
and detractors will agree.
Love him or hate him, he's
pushed boundaries on land.
Now he's doing it in the ocean.
- I'm still on the call.
- Of course.
So this kind of mining,
it can be done remotely?
That's right.
Our machines are tethered
to surface buoys
and linked by our satellite,
technology pioneered here
at Benthic Prospecting.
Our operation
represents the future
and not just here on earth.
Benthic Prospecting are
gonna be in the vanguard
of those expecting
these materials
to safeguard our future.
Let me show you.
It only takes a team of two
to run one of our machines.
The rest is fully automated.
Now, Cherise, why don't
you load up one
of the live feeds
from our deep digger?
Uh, sir...
Now there's gonna be about
a one minute delay.
But given the fact this
machine's over a mile deep,
it's a great achievement to get
a feed from one of our relays.
- Sir?
- Yeah?
We don't have the video feed.
So I can see.
James, you on this?
When are we gonna get
that feed back online?
Mr. Ford, sir, it's Riley.
Can we speak to you
for a second?
These cameras go down
all the time.
It's just one of the hazards
of working near volcanic rifts.
We're currently surveying a
newly discovered volcanic area.
- Isn't that right, Cherise?
- Yes, sir.
Sir, we have a problem.
A very big problem.
Uh, we have a
slight glitch here, Susan.
Let's reconvene
this conversation.
And when we come back,
we're gonna have
something really big for you.
I take full responsibility
for going into the caldera.
No. It was me.
I take full responsibility.
- I pushed the issue.
- But I went along with it.
Yeah, but you didn't want to.
You didn't exactly
put a gun to my head.
Don't give me
any ideas, Riley.
- Ooh.
- Cherise!
Riley, you're new, but, Cherise,
you've been with me
from the beginning.
You're both too valuable
to me to be sitting around
playing blame games.
My mom always told me
you can't make an omelet
without breaking a few eggs.
Of course, her omelets didn't
set me back quite so much.
Tell you what.
Depending on what we find, you
can pay me back in installments.
That's a joke, Riley.
We'll salvage it.
Prepare for departure.
We're heading out
for the trench.
Billionaire mining magnate,
Billy Ford,
and his Benthic
Prospecting Company
deal with a major setback
as their premier
deep sea mining robot,
the Deep Digger, goes offline.
This 500-ton and billion dollar
robot was apparently surveying
an unexplored region of
the Pacific when it vanished.
International
environmental authorities,
including the ISA,
are looking into his operations.
And experts indicate this
could be a death blow
for Benthic Prospecting and
its dreams of mining the deep.
Ah, mon ami.
Ca va?
Listen.
We have this woman here.
I tried chasing her away, but
she has these official papers.
What type of papers,
good papers?
Billy, it's not a bad thing
we an extra woman on the vessel.
Thanks, Captain.
Good luck.
Mr. Ford, Sarah Murray,
marine observer
from the International
Seabed Authority.
Our office put in a call?
- We've been preoccupied.
- I see.
My job is,
by government mandate,
to ensure that
environmental regulations are
upheld on any maritime
mining expedition.
This isn't
a mining expedition.
According to your
ship's manifest,
you are on a salvage operation
of a deep mining R.O.V.
in international waters.
Listen, we need to leave.
Get your office to call mine
and we can set up an appointment
to discuss future
Benthic Prospecting operations.
Mr. Ford, I am authorized
to inform you that,
by refusing
a government observer,
you and your company
are subject to fines.
We'll pay the fine.
Fines and/or government
impoundment of your vessel
and equipment,
not to mention any
future applications
will be heavily scrutinized.
I see that you have a permit
for geological survey
and your mining permit
is still under review.
Correct.
Your cooperation
with the ISA
is one of the conditions
of the permit.
And this includes an onboard
environmental observer.
Like I said, this isn't
a mining expedition!
One last thing.
I'm curious.
How did you identify
the Kermadec Trench
as a source for mining?
All right, answer me this.
As a member of the ISA,
can you tell me who else,
what companies, nations,
other interested parties,
might have been looking
at claims on that area
of the sea floor?
I can do that.
Well, in that case,
welcome to Benthic Prospecting.
I can assure you my team
follow all maritime rules.
We're groundbreakers,
not lawbreakers, Miss Murray.
Ms.
Well, according to
our records, your company is
the only one who's applied for
a permit to survey that area.
It's kind of off the radar.
I'm curious.
What brought you
into this field?
Marine environmental observer?
Can't be the pay.
Unfortunately, not.
Frankly, there weren't
a ton of jobs
for a graduate with
a degree in geomythology
that didn't involve
sitting at a desk.
Do you know what that is?
It's a wooden platform
with four legs, isn't it?
You put things on it.
Very funny, Mr. Ford.
I know.
Yes, Ms. Murray,
I know what it is.
The use of stories and myths
to corroborate natural disasters
in the historic record.
That's right.
I told you my team and I use
every resource to our advantage.
If a geomythology treatise
proposes an eruption in an area
without previous
volcanic activity,
we take notice.
I'm impressed.
Would you like me
to leave the room?
[CHUCKLES]
How far are we?
We'll be approaching
the coordinates shortly.
How's the prep going
on the R.O.V., Riley?
Ready to deploy at
your command, sir.
Okay, let's take
a look at this terrain.
Initiating sonar scan.
What was the source that
led you to survey this area?
Subsonic tremor.
After the one at Madagascar,
we started keeping our eyes out
for something similar.
That turned out to be an
underground magma chamber
collapsing and emptying out.
That brought us on to look for
other similar unrecorded events.
We started picking up signals
from the Kermadec Trench.
Turns out they'd been there
all along, just no one had ever
noticed because the frequency
of vibration was too low.
Oh, there's no telling what
you can find out there.
I've been out at sea
for 20 years
and I'm still surprised.
St. Elmo's Fire, Fata Morgana,
Phantom Islands.
We know more about
the surface of Venus
than we know about
our own the ocean floor.
Maybe we should be looking
there for the Digger.
- What?
- Nothing.
Okay, we're coming up to
the area where we lost contact
with the Deep Digger Rig.
Can you enhance the view?
From this distance,
we wouldn't be able
to make out the Digger.
I know.
Look at the sea floor.
What do you see?
The caldera?
Look again.
These readings show massive
surface subsidence and erosion.
Something's taken off the
top third of this volcano.
What kind of
mining rig can do that?
That wouldn't
be corporate-owned.
Something that size
would be state-sponsored.
Chinese or Canadian?
Or the CIA?
Ah, so you know about
the Glomar expedition.
I like you.
Project Azorian.
Everyone in ocean mining worth
their salt knows about that.
Said they were looking
for manganese.
Turns out they were bringing up
nukes from a sunken Russian sub.
No, that wasn't nukes.
You've seen the film,
"The Abyss"?
Based on a true story.
Oh, come on.
No, it's true, really.
They are down there.
Something is there.
You sure no one else has
applied to mine this region?
Nothing on our books.
Well, it wouldn't be,
would it?
I mean, look at the scope
of that destruction.
I'd say they bypassed the mining
regulations altogether.
Let's scrap the R.O.V.
We need to get down there
and check this out ourselves.
Prepare the submersible.
Sir, under the circumstances,
I would suggest using the R.O.V.
It's much safer, sir.
I want to check this out
with our own eyes.
Yeah, I feel it's my duty
to inform you.
Riley, if you want to stay
on the surface, that's okay.
No, sir, I'm...
I'm with you.
- Cherise?
- I'm in.
Ms. Murray, hope you
don't get claustrophobic.
All right, let's get
this show on the road!
Au revoir.
All-righty.
Okay, Captain, lower us in.
Aye, aye, sir.
We are dropping you in.
How deep we
going today, Cherise?
3400 meters.
How deep have you gone
before in this thing?
3000 meters.
But it's been
tested way beyond spec.
This thing's designed
to take the pressure
at at least 4000 meters.
We could run into a mountain
and still be okay,
not that I'm planning on
running into any mountains.
And we can communicate
with the surface
if you fancy ordering a pizza.
I'm vegan.
- Oh, you and Cherise both!
- Oh.
Welp, vegan pizza,
we can't do,
but we can...
Oh, someone's beaten me to it.
Normally we have
some vegan cheese.
I've had a few problems with
milk products onboard.
It's not the milk or the cheese
that's the problem.
It's the after-effects.
You know, ventilation's
a problem...
Yeah, I get it.
You ever heard of
the Cheetos incident?
- No.
- On the shuttle?
Really bad.
Almost took out the entire
air ventilation system.
Not good if you're in space.
Should be getting
a reading now.
Any sign of the Deep Digger?
Negative.
I am getting something
weird, though.
When we were surveying the area,
it was covered in
polymetallic nodules.
Now they're gone.
The entire topography
is different.
If it isn't a rival mining
conglomerate, then...
what is it?
Go in for a closer look.
See there?
The entire surface of the seabed
has been scraped away.
What's that?
I don't know.
That ridge was not there before.
Is it volcanic?
Hey, is it safe to be going
in this close?
I was about
to ask the same question.
I'm not picking up
any volcanic activity.
Anything coming up on the lidar?
Image coming in now.
Surface is hardened
volcanic silica.
Move in for a closer look.
Okay.
I wanna get some
still shots of that.
Activating the forward lights.
- Oh!
- We've been hit!
- Hang on!
- What is this?
Riley! Full throttle!
We gotta get clear of this!
I'm giving it all we got!
We're stuck!
The momentum is too strong
for us to break free!
We gotta keep trying!
Use full thrusters!
The motors are gonna blow!
Okay, okay, you're right!
Shut it off! Shut it off!
Our rate of ascension
is increasing!
I thought you said there
was no one else down here!
I didn't say that!
I said there were no other
mining applications!
Looks like someone
missed something!
I don't think
this is a mining rig!
We're heading for the surface!
Everyone hang on!
Wh-wh-what is that?
The Captain was right.
They're here!
No, no, that's not it.
That's a Kaiju!
[GROWLS]
You're right.
"Born of fire...
from the sea..."
What did you say?
"Born of fire from the sea".
Indigenous lore tells of
a giant creature...
born of fire,
a volcano...
coming from the sea.
We gotta get
off this thing.
We gotta get off this!
We gotta...
We gotta get off this!
Ford? Can you read me?
Ford, come in!
We read you, Captain.
We are having
a close encounter with...
I don't know what this is.
Are you reading this?
I doubt
it's closer than ours.
We're stuck right on top of it.
Do you see us?
I see you.
What the hell are
you doing there?
I do not have
a good answer to that.
Can you communicate with them?
It's not a "them".
Our scans indicate
it's a single life form.
Kaiju?
Yeah.
We're wedged in pretty good.
But I think if it submerges,
we can float free.
Something's happening!
That's not good.
Captain! You will not be able
to outrun that thing!
I know.
If that thing hits you
broadside, you'll capsize!
Not on my watch.
Prepare for impact!
If it does that again, I don't
think we're going to make it.
Do whatever you have to
to get safe!
That wave was 40 meters.
Imagine what it's gonna be
like when it hits land.
This is Billy Ford of
the Benthic Explorer
reporting a tsunami wave
at my position.
36 degrees, 41 minutes east,
178 degrees, 37 minutes south.
It is headed due southwest.
I expect it to impact
the land in one hour.
Uh, copy that,
Benthic Explorer.
Is that a rogue wave?
We don't have any seismic
activity in your position.
Negative.
It is something different.
Listen carefully.
Something alive and very large
is headed for the coast.
Could you repeat that?
Some kind of gigantic aquatic
life form not seen before,
a Kaiju, is headed
for the coast.
Sorry, is...
Is this a joke?
I wish it were.
Can you get General Horne of the
Coast Guard to radio us back?
We supply tech for
his research vessels.
If this Kaiju carries on
at its current rate,
it'll make landfall
in four or five hours.
Sound the tsunami warning
and get General Horne
to call us back.
We'll be standing by.
Copy that.
Come on.
Oh, thank you, Mary.
- Cherise?
- Yeah?
Do a system scan.
See what we've got
in terms of power.
General, you need to see this.
Scramble to intercept!
Tell the FAC they'll be
getting their feet wet.
You need get
eyes on this.
- Yes, sir.
- Pronto.
How are we doing?
Power is at 85%.
Oxygen depletion rate is high.
We're not gonna last long
at this rate.
- How long we got?
- 45 minutes.
Oh, we're stuck
on top of a Kaiju
and now we're running
out of oxygen!
I'm feeling weak.
Anybody feeling that way?
To hell with that.
Where are you going?
Sir, if this thing submerges
again with the top hatch open,
it will flood the chamber.
Oh, we're running
out of oxygen
and now we're about
to be flooded.
I did suggest taking the R.O.V.
Why does no one listen to me?
I hear you, Riley.
I need to see what
we're dealing with.
[FIGHTER JETS APPROACHING]
[GROWLING]
That is not good.
Is that...
It's magma.
It's got magma for blood.
Sir! We got a problem!
I don't know
what's causing it,
but the heat from this thing
is off the charts!
I know what's causing it.
Molten magma.
I'm sorry. What?
It's got magma for blood!
M... m... Magma?
We need to get off this soon.
There's a chance we'll lose
structural integrity.
Mayday, Mayday,
this is the Benthic Explorer
calling the Coast Guard!
Come in!
This is the Coast Guard.
Go ahead, Explorer.
You are bombing our position!
Could you repeat
that, Explorer?
We are directly
in the strike zone!
I repeat, we are
in your target zone!
Call off your air strike!
You need to clear the area,
Benthic Explorer.
That is not possible!
Repeat, clear the area.
Our vessel has stranded
on your target!
We have run aground!
Stand by.
- Come in!
- [GROWLING]
They're coming back!
[EXPLOSION]
This is the Benthic Explorer!
I say again,
halt your bombing run!
[MAN SPEAKING JAPANESE]
[SPEAKING JAPANESE]
Please!
[SHOUTS]
Pull the hatch!
Riley, prepare to dump
the ballast tanks!
Gotta get the water out!
Emptying the tanks will affect
our control under water.
We won't be able to
maintain natural buoyancy.
We'll deal with that once
we're in the water.
Riley!
You can help, too.
We're gonna flush
the tanks on my mark.
Okay.
Three, two, one! Now!
[GROWLS]
Reverse thrusters now!
[SCREAMING]
[GROWLING]
Back it up! Back it up!
Keep the pedal to the metal!
I am, but without water
in the tanks,
positive buoyancy is killing us!
We gotta get clear
of that thing!
We're maxed out, full power!
Okay, bring it around,
bring it around!
[GASPING]
What's that?
It's a submarine.
It's a Class Four.
Prepare to fire torpedoes
on my command.
They're not seeing us!
Cherise, get us outta here!
Fire!
Hard to port! Dive!
That thing's coming
right down on top of us!
- We need to move!
- We can't go any faster!
Yes, we can!
Initiate evasive maneuvers!
Yes, sir!
Steer hard to starboard!
Full throttle ahead!
Yes, sir!
We're clear of the Kaiju,
600 meters out.
Cherise, do a sonar scan
for the sub.
I'm doing it.
[SONAR PINGING]
Anything?
It's gone.
We need to be sure.
Take it deeper.
Sir, we can't keep diving.
Without water in the tanks,
we'll burn the motors out.
Take it down
another 500 meters.
[CREAKING]
Are you sure
with this heat damage
we can sustain this
kind of pressure?
If that hull is intact,
we need to get a read on it.
Sir, we don't have any
rescue capabilities.
I understand that, Riley.
But if the hull's intact,
we can at least inform the Navy.
They can take over.
We have to do what we can.
Anything?
It's gone.
Are you sure?
I'm not getting any kind of
signature from the hull.
If it was intact,
I'd be getting something.
Bring it up.
Cherise, where's
that Kaiju headed now?
It's tracking away
from us at 50 knots.
How long before it hits the
coast on its current trajectory?
If it keeps going,
under six hours.
Well, but we don't know
that that's where it's going.
I know. We don't know
a damn thing about it.
We know it
has magma for blood.
Yeah. How does that thing
even exist?
Life forms that live
on volcanic vents
can exist outside
of known biology.
What did you say earlier?
"Born of fire"?
"From the sea".
Where'd you get that?
Legend tells of a gigantic
creature born of fire,
a volcano,
coming from the sea.
According to the lore,
this creature wreaked havoc
on their coastal civilization.
We had always attributed
this devastation
to earthquakes, tsunamis.
There is evidence
of massive destruction
in the historical record.
It wiped them off the map.
This is General Horne calling
for the Benthic Explorer!
General Horne,
this is Billy Ford, sir.
Sir, our vessel was onsite
for the submarine attack.
I'm sorry to have
to inform you that...
our scans indicate that the hull
was breached on impact.
They stood no chance, sir.
I know.
It's a tragedy and a disaster.
We're initiating
a salvage operation.
We'll help in
any way we can, sir.
What can you tell me
about this thing?
It's some kind of
gigantic sea life form.
It's a Kaiju, something
we've never seen before.
To say it's a large creature
is an understatement.
We have a geomythology
expert onboard
and she claims that
something like this
has happened in the past.
It's responsible for
massive coastal destruction.
What else do
you know about it?
It has molten magma for blood.
It seems to have a hide made out
of some kind of volcanic silica.
Any attempt to breach
this results in an upwelling
of this magma that
seems to heal it.
It's quite a defense mechanism.
Sir, I'm not sure
if you've heard of us
at Benthic Prospecting,
but we have a vessel onsite.
We have underwater drones
and R.O.V.s
that can get right up close
to that thing.
We can help stop it.
Anything we have is yours.
I appreciate the offer.
I advise you
to stay clear of the area.
Sir, my company
literally moves mountains.
We're experts
at underwater demolition.
And, believe me,
this thing needs demolishing!
This is a military operation.
Stay out of it!
Sir, my company designed
the Marine Mammal Avoidance tech
on your ships.
We pioneered subsurface
to satellite
communication technology.
We've received
three consecutive grants
from the Department
of Naval Research.
We can help!
You get your people to safety.
If you want to send advice to
my staff officers, go ahead.
I'll tell them
to leave a line open.
And, Mr. Ford, I want you
to know we're gonna be looking
into the origin of this thing.
And if we find even a hint
of your involvement,
the only mining you'll be doing
is for bit coin to pay off
your lawyer fees and
fines levied by my department!
And you'll be doing it
from a prison cell
where I guarantee you'll be
spending a long, long time.
Now get off the playing field
before you become
collateral damage!
That is not a request!
Yes, sir.
Son of a bitch.
If we were to mount our own
operation against this thing,
who's with me?
I'll stay.
- Me too.
- I'm with you.
- [SIGHS]
- Thank you.
Oh, God.
The Coast Guard
tried to run us off.
But I'm not gonna
leave you there, huh?
Thank you.
You got eyes on the Kaiju now?
Where's it headed?
Heading towards the Cape,
maybe 12 knots south.
Okay.
Let me know if it
changes course.
Ms. Murray, can
your geomythology
tell us how to kill this Kaiju?
We need modern science
to fight that thing, not myth.
I have to agree.
This thing's biology
is completely new.
We need science to fight it.
In geomythology, the myths
of monsters are just ways
to describe natural disasters.
Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions,
the Kaiju was just a way
to describe this.
But you did study
Kaijus similar to this one?
Yeah, but Kaiju
were not really deemed
a subject worth studying.
In fact, it was discouraged.
There was one professor,
Rena Hangaroa.
She believed Kaiju were real,
but it caused her to be
driven from academia.
So this professor Hangaroa
is the only living person
that knows anything about
these monsters.
Well, we should go to her
and ask her how to kill it.
I don't know about that.
Why not?
She lives
off the grid as a recluse.
She lives in a cabin in the
mountains on the South Island.
It's impossible
to get hold of her.
You can't just call her up.
Why not? Just go to her and
you can use my chopper.
- I can't do that.
- Why?
Rena was my mentor in college.
And I was the one who
challenged her theories.
I contradicted her in my thesis.
I thought that her classes
were wasting my tuition.
I didn't go to university
to learn about monsters.
I didn't see any point in that.
I was vocal in my complaints.
I'm afraid I was the straw
that broke the camel's back.
My complaints set a ball rolling
which led to a landslide.
I was the one
who sent her packing.
Well, if you want to help,
this is the way to do it.
Go to her.
Find out what she knows.
Otherwise, you're just
getting in the way.
Look, you're the one
who knows her!
You're the one who should
be able to talk to her!
Her time is now.
We're heading back to the labs.
Radio the chopper to pick us up!
[HELICOPTER ROTORS]
What's the latest
on the Kaiju?
Uh, still heading south
at a steady 12 knots.
I recommend staying at sea
until we know where it's headed.
I wouldn't want to be in port
with that thing around.
No, definitely.
And, Mr. Ford, next time you
charter my vessel
for a Kaiju hunt, please
give me a heads up, huh?
I might be in Fiji with
big bottom girls.
[CHUCKLES]
- Good luck, my friend.
- Merci.
Hey, Sam, crazy legs.
Based on my estimate of
the size of the Kaiju
and the amount of
destruction left behind
on the sea floor caldera,
this life form
has tremendous energy
requirements to sustain it.
I mean, I'm talking several
million kilojoules of energy
just to maintain
its metabolism.
Based on its size and
its energy requirements,
I believe it's seeking
a new place to feed.
And it feeds on volcanoes?
Or the byproducts
of volcanoes, yeah.
So where's the nearest volcano?
I'll have to do an analysis.
The sea floor here is home
to the greatest concentration
of submarine volcanoes
in the world.
What if it's not going
somewhere to feed?
We have no idea
what its motivation is.
I don't have
enough information
to speculate on its motivation.
But what I do know is that its
energy requirements are huge.
Something like this
doesn't emerge for nothing.
Listen, we need to deal
with what we do know.
We need to figure out
how to stop it
before it reaches the mainland.
Ms. Murray, go find
this Rena Hangaroa.
Find out what she knows.
That thing's gonna reach the
mainland in under five hours.
Tell her we need your help.
I will.
Good luck.
What's the operational status
of our underwater lidar drone?
I want to get a full
scan of that creature
to see what we're up against.
We've only got
two more underwater R.O.V.s
that are operational.
How long 'til
we get more online?
Half a day.
We'll have to go
with what we've got.
Prepare to send one up.
All right, let's see
what we can see.
How long before
we're in range of that thing?
This is Desolation Valley.
Not much to it.
Are you sure this is
where you want to go?
I'm sure.
There it is.
If you're looking for me
to change your grade,
you're out of luck.
I wish that was it.
I was wrong...
About everything.
Tea?
You were right.
Kaiju exist.
Where is it?
So you would say it
has many legs on all sides?
How many?
At least six.
It's hard to say.
Most of it was underwater.
It also had armored plates
on top like a pangolin.
Like this?
Yeah.
Are you sure?
What's wrong?
The record is very precise
on this kind of Kaiju.
It's called a Tengu.
The name roughly translates
as The Destroyer.
The Tengu lives under the
earth's crust in the mantle.
They feed on volcanic substrata
and that's part of
why they are so powerful.
They can use the stored up
volcanic material as a weapon.
It's considered
a being of the underworld.
The arrival of the Tengu
has always coincided
with a civilization's downfall.
Ancient people didn't have
the technology we have today.
This will not matter.
The power of the Tengu
is fire and earth.
Has man ever stopped
a volcanic eruption?
Man is insignificant against
the power of a Tengu.
Then how do we stop it?
Only...
...another Kaiju can.
The Living Mountain.
The Kaiju Killer.
It is said that
it lies into slumber
waiting for the Tengu to return.
This is the only thing
that can stop it.
The Living Mountain?
We already have one Kaiju
on the way to the mainland.
Are you sure there's
nothing else we can do?
Humans cannot
defeat a Tengu.
Come back with me.
They need to hear this from you.
Take it down a little deeper.
I want to get a look at
the underside of that thing.
Copy that.
Descending to 50 fathoms.
We should be within range.
I wouldn't go any closer.
Okay, we're close enough
to initiate the scan.
Is that
the highest resolution?
At this range,
that's the highest I can go.
We need to get closer.
Sir, I would advise
against it.
We need to get a better image.
Sir, I can't guarantee
the structural integrity
of the R.O.V.
if we go any closer.
I understand, but we need
to get a better image.
Now move it in!
If we lose this R.O.V.,
we only have one left.
It's not about
the R.O.V., Riley.
It's about the people in
the path of this thing.
Now move it in!
Initiating scan.
Oh, look at that.
That is one heck of a mouth.
We need to get closer.
- Sir...
- I know.
Oh, man, look at that thing.
The entire surface of
the creature is armored.
That's a vulnerable spot.
- Give me a scan of that.
- Yeah.
The teeth are amorphous metal
or a metallic glass.
It's one of the hardest
substances on earth.
This is one tough mother.
What makes you think
it's a she?
With deep sea life, extreme
dimorphism is the norm.
Females are usually larger
by a significant factor.
Well, let's hope she's not
here looking for a mate.
She could be
emerging to rendezvous
with another of her kind
and we can't even contain
one of these things.
Just imagine
what might happen if...
Okay, let's bring up
the R.O.V.
It would be better if
it were a he.
[GROWLING]
We lost it.
Yeah, but now we got a target.
We found a vulnerable spot.
Yeah.
Based on our scans,
I'm revising my total estimate
of the mass of the Kaiju.
The energy requirements
of something of this size
are vastly higher than
my initial hypothesis.
Based on these new parameters,
she must be headed to
a substantial volcano to feed.
Oh, there's nothing
of that size
on the ocean floor
around here.
What if it's not going
to a submarine volcano?
What if it's going
to one on land?
Where's the nearest volcano
home for the amount of material
that thing needs for feeding?
The Taupo supervolcano
complex beyond Auckland.
It's a rhyolitic
volcanic caldera.
It's also home to the most
recent supervolcano eruption
in human history.
By recent, I mean
like 70,000 years ago.
Thank goodness, because
it covered the North Islands
with nearly 200 feet of ash.
We need to get General Horne
on the line.
You should work up a simulation
based on the consequences
of that thing reaching the
Taupo supervolcano complex.
Hello! Who am I speaking to?
We have solid evidence
that this Kaiju is headed
for the Taupo
supervolcano complex!
Do you understand the
significance of that statement?
If Taupo erupts,
the resulting ash cloud
could throw the earth into
a nuclear winter scenario.
That is not an overstatement!
You need to convey that
to the General!
In addition, we believe we found
the Achilles heel of the Kaiju.
Repeat what?
Achilles heel!
You know, like a weakness!
How do we know this?
We were the first
to encounter the Kaiju!
Who are we?
We are a marine scientific
and exploration outfit.
What do we want?
We want to convey the severity
of the threat to the General!
Look, this isn't about the Kaiju
getting Auckland anymore!
It's gone way beyond that!
If Taupo were to erupt, it could
be the end of humanity itself!
Thank you.
So you know where to find
this Living Mountain?
The lore is
very precise on this.
There is only one candidate
where it can be found.
There!
It's called Motu Taniwha.
The rough translation would
be "Monster Island".
There are many different
kinds of taniwha.
They can be destructive,
but they can also be our
guardians and protectors.
Now if this Kaiju feeds
on volcanic compounds
like sulfur dioxide,
manganese sulfate,
I think it's reasonable
to infer there may be
a potential explosive mix
of chemicals inside its stomach,
a reverse volcano, as it were.
Now if we were to get the right
compounds into that stomach,
then, boom.
Internal explosion,
hopefully enough
to kill the creature.
But how do we
get past its teeth?
If they are metallic glass,
we're talking one of the
toughest materials on earth.
Well, we need to design
a delivery system that triggers
the payload on being crushed.
Use the creature's
own defense mechanism
to provide a pathway inside.
Yes, Mrs. Prime Minister,
I'm not saying you should
forego coastal evacuations.
We will stop it before
it reaches the coast.
You have my word.
But, ma'am, none of
us have dealt with
this type of threat before.
Who? Billy Ford?
Look, I don't want to tell you
what to do, but if it were me,
I'd steer clear of
that dog and pony show.
What?
No, I'm not being combative.
I will talk to him.
Yes, ma'am.
I'll get back to you as soon
as I have anything to report.
That piss-ant publicity hog,
Billy Ford,
has got some friends
in Parliament.
If he calls again,
put him through.
Yes, sir.
How long before
the blockade's in place?
We should be there
by 1400 Zulu.
Our ship will be in position
long before the Kaiju
reaches the continental shelf.
Okay. Forget what
the tree huggers say.
I want to use a sonic weapon!
I mean, it is
a national emergency, right?
Everything is in place
and ready for your command.
It better be.
I've got too many years under
my belt for my epitaph to read,
"Presided over
the destruction of Auckland."
I'm with you, sir.
Mr. Ford, I got an interesting
call from the Prime Minister.
Why didn't you call direct
like I requested?
Oh, you did, huh?
Who was it?
Media Relations?
Okay, well, don't take
it personally, but if I spoke
to every civilian
who has an idea
on how to deal with this thing,
our phone bill would
bankrupt the Treasury!
Go ahead, Mr. Ford.
General, we've got some
new intel to share with you
on the Kaiju.
We believe it's heading for
a new volcano to feed on.
And we think it's got
its sights set on
the Taupo supervolcano complex.
That is kilometers inland.
What indication do you have
that this creature
can even go on land?
I wouldn't limit your views
on what it might be capable of.
My people say the weight
of that thing is too high
to support itself on land.
We've done the calculations
and, yes, there would be
liquefaction of the soil.
But that's only going to add
to the collateral damage.
Once the soil is
in a liquid state,
it's going to allow the Kaiju
to move easier.
My job is to protect
the coastal cities,
not worry about a volcano
250 kilometers away.
Sir, its armored skin is
made of hardened silica,
volcanic glass.
Its teeth are made of
a polymetallic alloy.
Both are nearly indestructible.
However, we believe
we found a weak spot.
If we can get
a shot down its throat,
obviously, we got to
get past the teeth.
But if we can get a shot down
its throat,
we think we can start
a chain reaction
in the volcanic materials
of its digestive tract.
It's our only chance
of taking it out.
I'll send over our findings.
You do that!
And, listen, stay out of
the operating theater!
The last thing your friends
in Parliament want to hear is
that you and your people were
taken out by friendly fire.
You got that?
You got that?
I do, loud and clear.
I'm not gonna let that
thing destroy our planet!
We got one remaining
R.O.V., right?
Yes, sir.
Cherise, let's do
some calculations.
I want to see how much explosive
we can pack onto that thing
and still be able to
maneuver it to the target.
I want to get
the maximum we can
and still be able
to fly that thing.
Riley, we need to design
a secondary drone module
as part of the payload.
It'll deploy when the Kaiju
inevitably crushes it.
I want to use
the creature's own momentum
against it to deliver
the kill shot.
Copy that.
We need this
operational pronto.
Cherise did assure me
it'll still fly.
But I think this is
the safest place for us to be
during the launch.
Take her up.
Deploy the sonic weapon!
[ROARS]
Send another pulse!
[RUMBLING]
It's moving toward
the line, sir.
Battle stations!
Prepare depth charges.
Yes, sir.
Release charges!
[GROWLS]
Take her hard to starboard!
We got men in the water!
Everyone hold your fire!
We need to get 'em out!
Approaching the drop zone.
Watch your speed.
We need to drop
it nice and easy.
What? You don't want it to
detonate when it hits the water?
[CHUCKLES]
As soon as that thing
gets clear of our positions,
I want total air
and sea bombardment.
Stand by for my command!
In the meantime,
I want all hands on
getting our people out
of the water.
No one gets left behind.
That's not one of ours, is it?
Negative.
It looks to be some kind
of remotely operated
underwater drone
from the signature.
Aw, Ford!
Look, get a squad of MPs over to
Benthic Industries headquarters.
Shut it down.
Arrest anyone you find
on their premises.
Use extreme force
if you have to.
This is not a day to operate
in my theater!
Get to it!
On the double!
Yes, sir.
Somebody let me know when it's
clear to fire on that thing!
We need to take it out now!
We're almost within range.
Initiating deep scan now.
All right,
approaching target.
This is it.
We got one chance at this.
Steady!
[ROARING]
Keep it away from the legs!
Back on track.
Okay, Cherise...
Initiate scan for
final targeting.
Initiating scan.
Triangulating target.
[COMPUTER BEEPING]
[ALARM SOUNDS]
Oh, crap.
Oh, this is it.
Listen, Riley, Cherise, go!
I'll distract them
while you get away!
I'll take the blame for this.
Now go!
You need us to complete
the mission!
I'll guide it in on my own!
Now go!
Takes two to do this.
I'll stay.
- Cherise, you go.
- No! We're in this together!
Okay, let's do it.
Nearing target.
Nearing target in five,
four, three,
two, one...
Everyone! Hands up!
Away from your stations!
Did it work?
I don't know.
Now I'm sure you understand
the Posse Comitatus Act
prevents our detention.
Call up General Horne
and we'll sort this out.
Take that up with the General!
My orders are to bring you in.
Dead or alive?
What was that?
Nothing.
We're happy to cooperate.
[CELL PHONE RINGS]
Oh, maybe that's
the General now.
May I?
Hello, Billy?
Where are you?
We'll take that for evidence.
He hung up.
Why don't you call up
your boss and we'll sort out
whatever misunderstanding
this is?
Your coming with us.
Move!
Something blew up
the underbelly of that thing.
Call the MPs for a report.
I need to talk to Billy Ford.
[PHONE RINGS]
It's for you.
General Horne.
General, there's been
some kind of a mistake!
You can bet your britches
there is!
The Kaiju!
I don't know what you did,
but it keeled over here
and started laying eggs.
Eggs?
When I say laying, it would be
better to say shooting eggs.
I never seen anything like it.
They been shooting
out of the carcass
like it's Guy Fawkes Day!
Sounds like some kind of
terminal preservation reflex.
Yeah. We got a hell of
a mess on our hands.
General, if these eggs
start hatching,
they're gonna need
a source of food.
And if they're anything
like the mama,
they're gonna want to feed
on volcanic materials.
I'd say the biggest threat
we face right now
is they start feeding on
the Taupo supervolcano.
If that complex erupts,
it's gonna send the earth
into a nuclear winter.
I'm talking a new Ice Age!
Release me, and I can help
you contain these things!
I can't do that,
but I will direct them
to bring you here to me.
In the meantime,
we're scrambling to bring
the Air Force
and the Royal Marines in
to contain these things.
[ROARS]
General, I gotta go.
Stay here. Victor!
They're big.
Really big.
[CHITTERING]
Go! Go! Go!
Back it up!
Back it up!
Get us out of here!
[SCREAMS]
[CREATURE SHRIEKS]
Go! Go! Go! Go!
Out, out!
Go! Go! Go!
[CREATURE ROARS]
Shelter in the tunnels!
I'll do what I can!
[WINGS FLAPPING]
Come on!
[SCREAMS]
[CREATURE ROARS]
Go!
- [SCREAMS]
- Riley!
He's gone! Come on!
Go!
[CREATURE ROARS]
[PANTING]
[SIGHS]
[CELL PHONE RINGS]
Hello?
Billy, where are you?
We got some big news.
So do we.
I hope yours is good.
I'll send you my location.
You can come and pick us up.
Where's Riley?
He didn't make it.
I'm sorry.
So you predicted all this?
How do we stop them?
The Living Mountain.
The Kaiju Killer.
It has to be awakened
to fulfill its destiny.
Well, how do you know
this Living Mountain
is not gonna make things worse?
Because this is what
has been passed down
in the ancient stories.
People knew it was
so important that they managed
to pass it down generation
after generation
without the benefit
of written word.
The stories from the past
are passed onto
the future to protect us.
They survived because
they contain the knowledge
that will save them.
To ignore them is
to ignore the wisdom
that has enabled man
to prosper and survive.
The lore is very clear.
The Living Mountain
is our only hope.
If ancient people managed
to defeat the Kaiju,
then so can we.
But we have to trust what they
have chosen to pass down to us.
We have to awaken
the Living Mountain.
And if we don't?
All that we love will perish.
So how do we awaken
the Living Mountain?
The blood of the Kaiju
will cause it to awaken.
The blood?
Great.
It's got magma for blood.
How are we gonna
get that anywhere?
The eggs.
The eggs will have blood.
If we can jettison everything
that's nonessential
from the chopper,
we might be able to lift it.
And you say you know where
this Kaiju Killer is?
Yes!
The lore is very clear.
Monster Island.
[ROARING]
[WINGS FLAPPING]
[SHRIEKING, GUNFIRE]
[CELL PHONE RINGS]
General?
Ford, you were right!
Those things are all
over the volcano!
Yeah, they're digging
into it like you said.
Some of them have disappeared
beneath the surface.
We're engaging them, but
we discovered something else
- that's hampering our efforts.
- What is it?
If you even scratch a hair
on one of those things,
the whole swarm will attack.
Some kind of pheromone
response like killer bees.
If you wound one of them, the
whole group swarms to attack.
We've lost half a dozen
choppers already.
And we can't just
carpet bomb the volcano!
It's too volatile!
My people tell me that it's
primed to blow at any minute.
Look, pal, I hate to say this,
but I need your advice.
I have some, but
you're not gonna like it.
There!
Warm.
- What do you think?
- I don't know.
I can't hear anything inside.
It could be a dud.
There's no guarantee.
We need to move... now.
We're good to go.
Okay, Rena.
Tell us where to go.
We're going to Motu Taniwha.
So what are we supposed
to do with the blood?
The lore says when the
blood of the Kaiju
falls on the eye of the
mountain, it will awaken.
So what is this eye
of the mountain?
Could it be another caldera?
The closest one to
Motu Taniwha is White Island.
It's an active andesite
stratovolcano.
Eye of a volcano.
It sounds like a crater.
There's an active crater
on Motu Taniwha.
On Monster Island.
Well, that makes sense.
So we need to get
the blood into the crater.
But we can't just drop
the egg in because,
from the way it falls,
it'll probably be able
to withstand a direct impact.
And those creatures
can survive in a volcano.
We need a plan
to get the blood out.
What if we use
the volcano to open it?
Temperature difference.
So what you're suggesting
is that we...
We can heat the egg using
the volcano's thermal vents
- and then we....
- And then dip it in the ocean
so the cold water cracks it.
I've seen lava reduced to rubble
once it contacts the ocean.
And then we drop the broken
egg into the eye of the volcano.
Blood in the eye.
This could definitely work.
We're not gonna be able
to stay here long.
How much heat you think we
should give it, Cherise?
As much as we can withstand.
This is the limit.
Any more heat, and we
lose structural integrity.
Copy that.
Let's take it for a dip!
Yes, sir.
It's hatching!
It's hatching!
Get us to that volcano!
Abort! Release the egg!
Release!
We're gonna crash!
We're gonna hit the water!
Everybody bail out!
[ROARING]
Oh!
Everyone all right?
Anyone hurt?
The temperature difference.
It worked.
[SCREECHING]
That's a distress call!
Remember what the General said!
They'll come to its aid!
We're sitting ducks out here!
But what about the blood?
We can't give up now!
We need to get it
more on land.
Hey! Hey! Here!
Even if we get the blood,
how are we gonna get it
on a volcano?
We'll have to
improvise something.
Get it out in the open first!
- Hey!
- Hey! Hey!
- Hey! Hey!
- Here!
- Come on!
- Here!
- Come on!
- Come and get it.
[ROARS]
Oh, go!
Go! Go!
[SCREECHES]
[RUMBLING]
What is that?
The Living Mountain.
But we can't stay here.
[GRUNTS]
Billy!
[RUMBLING]
[GROWLS]
[STOMPING, GROWLING]
I'm not leaving him!
Me neither.
Come on.
Billy, can you hear me?
Don't move.
[CREATURE SHRIEKS]
Sarah...
[SHRIEKS]
Billy? Billy?
[MOANS]
It's okay.
It's okay.
I think it's only a rib...
Ah!
Or maybe two.
[MOANS]
It's okay.
It's okay.
Let's go.
[CREATURES SHRIEKING]
It's winning.
That Kaiju's a killer.
As you can see, the waterfront
is jammed with onlookers
who have come down to get
a first person look
at the creature responsible
for sinking the Navy's Destroyer
and submarine in
what is being called
The Battle of the
Bay of Plenty.
It is unclear how
the government plans to deal
with this now dead menace.
Call it a monster, a Kaiju
or what you will.
It is now a quarter million
ton nuisance.
Officials have told me
they are planning on
taking proposals on how
to remove the carcass.
There is no telling how
long it'll take
to remove from the harbor.
For now, there is a
new attraction at the port,
one we are hoping
we never see again.
This is Susan Meyerhold
reporting for Channel 7,
live at the waterfront.
My God, Oh my God!
This is Susan Meyerhold
reporting!
The Kaiju has awakened!
I repeat!
The Kaiju is alive!
It has taken to the air!
Anyone within it's flight path,
take cover!
[ROARING]
The Tengu!
I thought it was dead!
We gotta go!
We're too close!
[ROARING]
Oh, no.
It's killing it!
Come on, come on...
Get up! Get up!
Don't give up!
Rena?
What did you say about awakening
the Living Mountain?
When the blood of the Kaiju
falls in the eye
of the mountain,
it will awaken.
What if it wasn't a
metaphor about the volcano,
but it was literal?
We gotta get Kaiju blood
into that thing's eye?
It could be interpreted
like that.
Guys, that thing needs our
help, not lava in its eye!
What other choice do we have?
It's worth a shot.
This is highly unorthodox.
But some of the petroglyphs
could be interpreted
to support this.
Blood in the eye.
I have an idea.
The injured Kaiju?
The hatchling.
Come on.
We need to find something
to stab it with,
something that'll
withstand lava.
Look for obsidian,
volcanic glass.
Here!
We'll use the knowledge
of the ancients.
Let's do this.
I don't know how long
this will last.
Let's go.
If we survive this,
I'm changing my methods.
I vow to protect the earth.
It's going out!
Now!
Oh!
That's a...
An egg.
I didn't see that one coming.
What are
we gonna do with that?
We protect it,
like it protected us.
I think we're all in
agreement.
Rena, you got room
for some new students?
If you give up
your mines, yes.
Done and done.
We'll start with the mining
and then look at your
manufacturing facilities.
Don't push it.
We're still gonna
need some money
if we're gonna save the planet.
[CHUCKLES]
Rena? Any more of those
Kaiju out there?
Oh, yes, there are
many still,
friends and foes,
slumbering still.
You will see.
The whole world is
Monster Island.
Then we have a
lot of work to do.
[MUSIC PLAYS]
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