The Monster That Challenged the World

(The Monster That Challenged the World)

By a strange phenomenon, the nature has placed four hundred square miles of salted water in the middle of the arid desert of South California. The government has created in the desert, close to the shore of the sea, one of its most important naval research base. In the isolated laboratory situated to the south extremity of the base, top-secret atomic experiences takes place under a very strict control. On the airfield, under the supervision of the unit of parachute tests, planes take off every day to the Salton Sea jump zone where men constantly test new parachutes to respond to the growing needs of the modern aviation. May 17, in the desert zone an earthquake bursted, strong enough to be felt at the research base although the epicenter was about 15kms in the rocky chain situated under the surface of the Salton Sea. However, two hours after the earthquake, the base renewed with its normal functioning. The Lieutenant Ollister, from the test unit prepared for a last jump. For him, this had to be a routine jump.

On the Salton Sea, crewmen Johnson and Sanders leave to reach Ollister. But once on the spot, the body of the parachutist is not here. Johnson also disappears when he dives to search for Ollister while Sanders dies by a heart attack when appears to his eyes the horrible monster that had killed his comrades. The rescue team led by the Commander John Twillinger, discovers a viscous matter on the bridge of the victim's small boat. He confides a sample to Dr. Jess Rogers in order to determined the source. Caught bodies of Ollister and Johnson no longer contain neither blood nor water. The Commander decides then to forbid swimming until further notice.

Analyses undertaken by the Dr. Rogers allow to assert that the gelatinous substance is radioactive; far more radioactive that the lake itself. Rapidly, and despite the swimming prohibition, two more victims are to deplore. The same strange matter is found on the place where they disapeared. Twillinger decides then to explore the bottom of the lake in search of a higher radioactivity. Although the level is regular, divers discover a cave that the recent earthquake opened out and an huge egg that they ascend to the surface.

But the hiding monster attacks and kills one of the divers. After hurting the thing compared to the Kraken, the direct ancestor of our marine mollusks, the zone is bombed. The radioactivity of the water of the salted sea and the recent earthquake have allowed eggs to obtain an ideal environment for growing. But if eggs are destroyed, the beast, that has escaped from bombing, makes other victims and hides in the surroundings canals of the lake...

 Spoiler ! the end of the story is revealed below…

While one attempts to trap it in locks, the egg preserved in Rogers's laboratory opens because of the accidental increase of the temperature. Without news from Gail MacKenzie, the pretty assistant of Dr. Rogers, Twillinger flies to his laboratory. He arrives in extremis to save the woman and her little girl Sandy the recently flowered monster threatens. Thanks to a cold liquid, he contains the beast until the arrival of marine corps who destroy it and put thus an end to the threat of the Salton Sea where swimming prohibition is raised.