Praise for MEG: A Novel of Deep Terror “An adrenaline-pumping thriller . . . the perfect antidote to a sunny day at a crowded beach.” —New York Post “Two words: Jurassic shark!” —Los Angeles Times “Nonstop excitement.” —Library Journal “Hellishly riveting . . . an utterly amazing climax.” —Kirkus Reviews Praise for The Trench “An entertaining tale of gripping nonstop horror.” —Midwest Book Review “A fast-paced thriller with many plot twists.” —Booklist “Alten can still write a mean prehistoric shark scene.” —Publishers Weekly Praise for MEG: Primal Waters “An exuberant potboiling action thriller. The shark attack scenes . . . are numerous and exciting. Fans should devour it.” —Publishers Weekly “Alten’s imaginative tale will keep readers turning the pages.” —Booklist More Thrillers by Steve Alten MEG SERIES MEG: A Novel of Deep Terror The Trench MEG: Primal Waters* MEG: Hell’s Aquarium* MEG: Night Stalkers (forthcoming) DOMAIN SERIES Domain* Resurrection* Phobos (forthcoming) GOLIATH SERIES Goliath* Sorceress (forthcoming) The Loch* The Shell Game * From Tom Doherty Associates STEVE ALTEN A TOM DOHERTY ASSOCIATES BOOK NEW YORK NOTE: If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.” This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. MEG: HELL’S AQUARIUM Copyright © 2009 by Steve Alten Previously published in hardcover by Variance Publishing in 2009. Interior art by William Louis McDonald All rights reserved. A Tor Book Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC 175 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10010 www.tor-forge.com Tor® is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC. ISBN 978-0-7653-6585-9 First Tor Edition: May 2010 Printed in the United States of America 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 To my father, Lawrence Alten, for always rescuing me when I need it. Thanks, Dad. Contents Cover Title Copyright Dedication Acknowledgments Prologue Part 1 Chapter 1. Chapter 2. Chapter 3. Chapter 4. Chapter 5. Chapter 6. Chapter 7. Chapter 8. Chapter 9. Chapter 10. Chapter 11. Chapter 12. Chapter 13. Chapter 14. Chapter 15. Chapter 16. Chapter 17. Chapter 18. Chapter 19. Chapter 20. Chapter 21. Part 2 Chapter 22. Chapter 23. Chapter 24. Chapter 25. Chapter 26. Chapter 27. Chapter 28. Chapter 29. Chapter 30. Chapter 31. Chapter 32. Chapter 33. Chapter 34. Chapter 35. Chapter 36. Chapter 37. Chapter 38. Chapter 39. Epilogue ACKNOWLEDGMENTS It is with great pride and appreciation that I acknowledge those who contributed to the completion of MEG: Hell’s Aquarium. First and foremost, many thanks to my literary agent, Danny Baror of Baror International, along with his assistant, Heather Baror. I am also indebted to my friend and producer, Belle Avery, at Apelles Entertainment, as well as Craig Roll at The Masada Group for their tireless efforts to bring the Meg franchise to the big screen. My thanks as well to Tim Schulte, Stanley Tremblay, and Shane Thompson at Variance Publishing, who published the original hardback. It’s an honor to have Tor/Forge publishing this mass market edition. My grateful appreciation goes out to Tom Doherty, Linda Quinton, my editor, Eric Raab, and editorial assistant Whitney Ross. I have been very fortunate to have been associated with talented artists during my writing career, two of whom made valuable contributions to this book. Many thanks to Erik Hollander for his tremendous cover design and graphic artistry in the YouTube book trailer (listed under MEG: Hell’s Aquarium) and to William McDonald (www.AlienUFOart.com) for the original artwork found within these pages. Special thanks to the staff at the Georgia Aquarium for their information, insight, and behind-the-scenes tour of their amazing facility . . . especially Dave Santucci, director of public relations. Thanks also to David Zelski at the Georgia Public Broadcasting for arranging the visit. My appreciation to Dr. Maria Sdorlias and her colleagues at the University of Sydney’s School of Geosciences for their expertise regarding the mystery of the “undersea shelves” located in the Philippine Sea Plate, as well as the contribution of their outstanding maps of the area. To my assistant, Leisa Coffman, for her talent and expertise in updating the www.SteveAlten.com website, as well as all her work in the AdoptAn-Author