Chapter 8 third part capture

The tour boat sailed on its way back to the Institute.At this moment, Ryan and the others are still thinking over and over again: Is there a way that they didn't think of at the time.If they could bring that mermaid back...their regret was indescribable when they thought about it.They were silent and motionless, but they stamped their feet and beat their chests with hatred in their hearts, wishing they could get into a hole in the ground. Billy, who was still hazy, didn't understand the situation. When Haluku said that he had let the mermaid go, he sighed leisurely: "I really want to at least take a look at it", but everyone silently responded to him.

Less than five minutes into the home journey, Jack cut off the engine.The tour boat rose and fell with the waves and began to sway sharply. Jack at the helm came to the deck, dropped the bow anchor on purpose, and turned back.No one knew what he was planning to do with the boat parked in such a place.Jack deliberately said seriously: "I apologize for what happened just now. I also ask Gordon to forgive me." "Forget it, I'm not fine either." Gordon said with a wry smile. Two people shake hands and hug each other.Holding Gordon, Jack went on: "I was so excited at that time, I didn't think about it, and when I calmed down, I felt that I understood the opinions of the people on the island. I made a fool of myself in front of them and hurt our reputation on this island. This is the worst thing about me, But Ryan, you can be regarded as an accomplice, right? At that time."

"Eh?...Really." Ryan vaguely agrees. "But think about it again, what if we were calm at the time?" Jack raised such a question suddenly, and everyone was surprised. "Hey, what on earth are you trying to say, stopping the boat in a place like this?" Gordon said. "Our cooperation was not in place just now. On such an important occasion, to do such a thing, it is not difficult to imagine what will happen when something happens in the future. Isn't it?" "...ah, yes, but..." "So I want to confirm, if we can judge calmly, what will we do to the mermaid?"

Ryan had a hard time answering. "Please answer me frankly, don't hide it. I just want to know what everyone really thinks. What do you think? This is not just Ryan's problem, it is all of us." The people in the cabin looked at each other with puzzled expressions.After a while, Haruku spoke. "If I judge calmly, I will take it back." "why?" "There's no reason not to take it back." "Is there a reason to take it back?" "The reason for bringing it back... is because I want to investigate. But is it a crime to investigate it? We investigate dolphins every day. Is this also a crime?"

"Say 'judgment calmly'..." Ryan said, "Of course I adopt the attitude of a scientist. Whether calm or not, I want to investigate when I see something of scientific value. This seems to be the instinct of a scientist." "That is to say, no matter what, you want to grab it and take it back?" Jack was impatient to draw conclusions.Ryan couldn't figure out Jack's original intention, so he replied ambiguously: "If the people on the island are not there, they will take it back without hesitation." "For you, this situation, that is, the situation we are here now, was deliberately obstructed by the people on the island, and the result was a situation where important material was thrown back into the sea?"

"Well, it's hard to say that." "why?" Jack urged Ryan impatiently. "Difficult. We need time to think. What is that merman? What is the biological significance? What about aspects of the natural environment? These cannot be concluded immediately. However, the merman will not wait for us to figure it out Make a decision. So, I just want to grab it and get the bare minimum data..." "There's also a question of limits. If excessive inspection kills a mermaid, it's a crime. But we know the 'limits' better than anyone, right?" Hanuriku said.

"What do you think, Gordon?" "Should I... take it back? I don't know. But, seeing something like that, even if someone tells me to calm down, I can't do it." "Well, what you said also makes sense." "It is true that human beings will immediately exceed their limits," said Ryan. "Scholars are the most important among them. To avoid crime, only conscience is left in the end. Conscience as a scientist, conscience as a person. But we have so far, Didn't play well with those things. We didn't pretend to eat and live with dolphins just to put on a show, did we?"

"That's something we're proud of," Gordon said. "It's true that you lost your cool when you met such an astonishing creature. To be honest, I even thought about naming it after myself, and the shameful thought once crossed my mind. So, when the people of the island I panicked at the time when I was accused of being a cold blooded scientist. I am human too. Honestly yes, even if I did what Sieber said, maybe it was just to prove to the people on the island that I am not a cold blooded scientist. Maybe I just want to be cool. But think about it calmly, no matter in terms of protecting the environment or protecting nature, we are all scholars who can judge correctly. This is also true. Only we know how to treat that guy better."

"So, will you eventually bring the merman back to the Institute?" "Well...eventually it will be." "What about the caught mermaid? Will it be raised in our swimming pool?" "Yes. Of course I want to raise them if I can. This is my instinct—Lian Norris. But I also know that it may not be possible. If they are not suitable for breeding, they have to be put back nautical mile. This is the principle." "Even if it's the first creature you've ever seen? It's not like a dolphin." "Of course, we don't have enough information. We are laymen about that guy. But similarly, human beings were also laymen at one time when it came to dolphins. No matter what, you can't move forward without going through an era of ignorance."

"That's right. For example, the intelligence of whales is indeed improving day by day, which has played a great role in protecting whales. But the basis is the intelligence of the whaling era. At that time, humans used whales as gas stations floating on the sea. They are not even animals, they are just fuel. We have the correct preliminary knowledge about dolphins from the very beginning. The hard work gathered the intelligence. But it also included the dolphin intelligence that the Navy collected for military purposes, which was data that was stained with the blood of dolphins. We said we were doing clean research, but in fact we relied on that data. In this, we are also guilty.”

"Jack, we don't want to use mermaids as candles," Hariku said. "That's not what I said. What I want to say is that that guy is the number one mermaid discovered by humans, but at the same time, wouldn't he become the number one mermaid sacrificed by humans?... Didn't he become it?" "Things have changed dramatically," Ryan said. "We're not twentieth-century humans who cut everything open in formalin. We've done stupid things like hurting a dolphin or opening a hole. experiment?" "But we have so little knowledge, are we qualified to deal with that guy?" "Jack, so you're thinking in the twentieth century." "A stupid idea? Am I stupid?" "……no." "You say that, and I'll be more comfortable that way." Jack, strangely less composed, pointed the finger at Billy. "How's Billy? You're a guest, but being a reporter for an animal magazine has something to say?" "Ah, yes. From my standpoint, I really want to write a report, but a reporter also has a reporter's conscience. If I lose my conscience, I won't be able to stay in "Natural Paradise". About bringing the mermaid to the research institute , I have no objection to Ryan's opinion, but I cannot agree with it either." "why?" "Because I don't have Ryan's technical knowledge. That's the domain of the experts." "I don't know how to deal with merfolk either," Ryan said, "but even if I don't know, there are some minimum things you can do. Indeed, that's the domain of experts." "May I say a word of criticism?" Billy said. "You can say as much as you want," said Jack. "From the standpoint of a mermaid, what are the benefits of being brought to the research institute by us?" "Huh?" Ryan obviously showed a embarrassed expression. "It's embarrassing for you to say that." "What? Has the situation reversed all of a sudden?" Jack said, "Haneriku, don't you have any contrary opinions?" "Indeed, it's not good for the other party. Maybe it wants to leave it alone. No, maybe it thinks that what we want to do is to meddle in other people's business. If we think about it this way, can we give up quickly?" Yu Lu said. "Haha, that's true. Human abandonment is important. Mind your own business, that's true." Ryan laughed too. "At the end of the day, we didn't catch the merman, that's a fact, Jack. Sorry, this discussion was fruitless, and if you want any conclusions, you'll have to wait. We're talking here, but no one knows : What did the failure to catch the mermaid bring? And what didn’t it bring?” "Why, have you already given up? I thought everyone would be more cruel, but I didn't expect you to be quite a gentleman." "So, what did hard-hearted Jack think?" Billy said. "Interview me?" "no." "Yeah, I'm more cruel, because I'm from a different background than you. When I was a little boy, I used to steal in a store and was turned over to the police station with my partner. But I met a good policeman. He treated me Said 'I used to steal when I was a kid'. He touched our heads and said, 'I also stole with my friends, so seeing you reminds me of my old self.'” "What are you talking about?" Gordon asked. "Boring stories, listen up. Where did it go? By the way, that policeman, yes, that guy was also turned over to the police station for stealing, just like us. But at that time, the policeman in charge Taught him like his own father. The policeman said that even his own father did not discipline him like a father. After that, he vowed to be a policeman. Then he got his wish. One day, he arrested a A robber, whose face looked familiar, turned out to be his former partner who stole together... The policeman said that everyone has occasional evil thoughts, but at some point, evil will be rewarded with evil. He also said that at some point, You have to think for yourself about good and evil. But after listening to him, I began to hate myself. Because I was still hiding stolen gems, just thinking about how not to be found. Ah, that's the kind of guy I am, Now I still like to play tricks like I did back then." "We all know that," Gordon said. "Haha. So I don't have the right to say anything, you decide." "Decided what?" Ryan said. Jack gave an odd smile. "Jack, I don't understand you the most. It's inexplicable. What was the discussion about just now? What exactly are you trying to say?" Ryan said. "I don't have self-confidence. So I hope you can help me think about whether it is good or bad if I catch a mermaid. It is true that it is nosy for a mermaid, but I want to know, I want to know what a mermaid is. I don't think This is a sin. This is the same opinion as Haruku. It is impossible to remain calm when seeing something like that, and I agree with Gordon on this point. I have thought about it several times while steering the helm since just now, but I still cannot come to a conclusion. I want to hear everyone's opinions, but I still don't quite understand it in the end." "Weird guy," Ryan said, "but yes, maybe there's no conclusion." "That's hard!" said Jack a little excitedly. "Don't let me decide. I don't understand." "What's wrong." "I don't understand, I don't even know what to say or not to say." "Say what?" "Aren't there any cops here? Cops who say hello to me? Guys who tell me 'no more stealing,'?" "What's the matter with you, Jack," Billy said. "Billy, you can do it too. Say to me: Don't think stupid things. From the mermaid's point of view, you're nosy. Eh? Who said 'nosy'? Hajiku? You can do it too. Say it to me again and say: 'You mind your own business!'" Being held tightly by Jack's shoulders, Hanuri reluctantly repeated: "...You meddle in your own business." "Speak more harshly for me." "Jack, what's the matter with you?" Jack's expression became frantic, which made Haruku extremely frightened.Jack took his hands off Haguri's shoulders, and ran around the boat by himself, yelling: "Ah! No way! I've reached my limit!" Ryan and the others don't know what to do about his derailment. Suddenly, Jack stopped.He sighed loudly and looked this way.His face, which was trying to keep calm, was very strange.He said: "I confess. Right now, directly below this boat, there are mermaids." Everyone's eyes widened. "I put the sensor on when I let him go. It's on his ass." "What did you say?" Everyone looks at the monitor screen.A green dot flickers on the screen.Jack finger green dot: "This is the gemstone I stole. You decide, you can bring it back to the research institute here, or just let it go." No one answered.Jack said: "Ryan, you decide. You're the boss." Ryan looked around, wanting to say something, but he looked speechless. "It's okay not to make a decision now. It can't escape until the battery of the sensor is exhausted. No matter where it escapes, it can be tracked by satellite for three years." "You're so annoying, Jack." Ryan said, "People gave up with great difficulty, but you..., and put the blame on others..." "Not bad. Ha, I finally said it, it's so comfortable." Jack has taken it easy.He smoked happily by himself and relaxed. Ryan looked at the monitor screen, staring at the little green dot.After a long silence, he finally made up his mind. "Okay, but no one has any objections, right?" Seeing everyone nodding, Ryan said: "Catch it." The battle to capture the mermaid begins.Once it was decided that Ryan and Gordon would dive into the sea, they immediately started scuba diving.Sensors showed the merman was slowly moving north about 15 miles offshore to the south-southwest of St. Lawrence Island. "Swimming slowly. About 4 knots," Jack said. "The strength of the anesthesia hasn't completely passed yet," said Hanuriku. "If you don't catch it now, maybe you won't have another chance. If it sings again, there's nothing you can do." After speaking, Ryan put on his mask and jumped into the sea.Then Gordon also threw his huge body into the sea. "Sharks are more terrifying," said Billy Hareuri. "You have to catch the sharks before they come. Because in this area, it takes less than a minute for the sharks to come and bite the tuna you catch." Billy couldn't help being horrified, and looked at the mermaid in the sensor again.Indeed, its speed would not last even a moment if pursued by a shark.Looking at the sensor with him, Hajiri said: "The weakened fish made abnormal noises while swimming, and the shark reacted so quickly that it made you suspect that it was actually here just now. Think about it, releasing the mermaid in that state is in itself ill-considered, Why didn't you think of that just now?" "Stop talking about it now." Jack steered the helm, looking at Haruku resentfully. What appeared in front of Ryan and the others who dived into the sea was a school of barracudas.Huge barracudas form rings, spinning gracefully across the ocean's arena.In the center of its donut-shaped ring, there is something. Ryan's voice came over the wheelhouse radio. "Not good! It's a man-eating shark!" Jack and Haruku's eyes intertwined, relatively stunned. "What's up?" Billy said. "It's a man-eating shark," said Hanuriku. Hearing the name, Billy's face turned pale. White sharks... the most vicious sharks, once ate Jessie's mother in front of her eyes.The standard length is six meters and the weight is about two tons.But Ryan reports far more than that. "I've never seen one so big." Ryan said, "It's ten meters long." "Maybe sunbather sharks (basking sharks)." "Idiot, how could I be wrong!" The basking shark is more than ten meters long and is the second largest shark after the whale shark. However, like the whale shark, it has a gentle personality and only eats plankton.It didn't have a single tooth in its big mouth, nor a huge tusk.In order to prey on plankton, it often swings and floats on the water with its mouth wide open, so it has the reputation of sunbathing shark.Both are large sharks, the difference between a sunbather shark and a white shark is like the difference between heaven and hell. "That's right, it's a shark." Ryan repeated. "Where's the mermaid?" Jack asked. "I didn't see it. What's the response from your sensor?" "Still flashing, moving slowly." "White sharks are also very slow swimmers," Gordon said in the water. Billy gasped.Even if eaten by a shark, the green dot will continue to flash as long as the sensor is not damaged.The sensors installed on the dolphins for observation are sometimes sent by fishermen on the island.At that time, fishermen always said that they found it from the belly of the shark. "Oh, God!" Jack exclaimed. Hajiri checked the fish finder and called out: "Wait a moment! The shadow reflected in the sonar is no more than two meters." "What did you say?" Ryan said. "Where's the barracuda?" "Barracuda?" Hariku asked. "Is it in your area?" "The barracuda's ring circles the shark." "No display on sonar." "how so?" Ryan in the sea looked at Gordon in surprise.Through the underwater mask, he saw Gordon's eyes widen.Suddenly, a barracuda leaped from his face.That is, the barracuda jumped out through Gordon's face.The next moment, Gordon saw a barracuda pass Ryan's face and out the back of his head. The two were speechless at the same time. Ryan tried to catch the barracuda swimming in front of him.The barracuda did not run away, and was easily captured by Ryan, but as soon as it showed its face from the back of the hand, it quickly slipped away.It's like a hologram. "What's going on?" Jack said from the boat. "The previous high-frequency sound waves started again, with higher and higher pitches." "It's an illusion," Ryan said. "Is this also the 'magic sound'?" Gordon exclaimed. "Maybe……" At this moment, Ryan suddenly thought: "The camera didn't record the wide-pharynx fish. Is it also a trick?" "You mean, are they all phantoms created by that guy?" "I can only think so." "Then, is that man-eating shark too?" "……Probably." Even though he said so, Ryan was not convinced. "Try it with a tranquilizer gun." Ryan said, aiming the gun at the white shark. "What if it's a real guy?" When Gordon said that, Ryan became timid.If it was a real guy, he didn't know what kind of commotion would happen afterwards. "Will that anesthetic work for such a big one?" "If it's a real guy... it will work a little bit." Ryan said, "From a human point of view, it's equivalent to going to the dentist for anesthesia." Gordon felt dizzy. "No problem, we will definitely be able to pass through. That must also be an illusion caused by the 'magic sound'." After speaking, Ryan tried to shoot.The tranquilizer round hit the shark's flank and stayed there.The orange vial of anesthesia was shaken gently. "Lyan!" Gordon yelled and couldn't help clutching Ryan's arm tightly.Ryan was already stiff from the blow. ——The gigantic shark leaped forward, with the tip of its nose toward them. "Run!" The two looked around, and there was not even a rock to hide around.The improvisation on this occasion has been decided in advance. The two fled in different directions. Sharks will go after one of them.The person being pursued takes a blow from the shark and suffers a mortal wound.The shark came back after a circle, this time to take everything into his belly.During this time another person fled to the boat.Who can escape, only the shark knows. The Sharks chose Ryan.Ryan paddled desperately, but all in vain, the shark caught up with him in the blink of an eye, opened his mouth and swallowed him.The slightly black blood immediately stained the sea red. "Lyan!" Gordon yelled. "What's wrong?" Jack's voice came. "Lian was eaten!" There was an unbearable silence in the boat.Hanuri hurried to the deck, his brain went blank due to panic, he didn't even know what to do. "Run! Gordon!" Jack yelled. What Gordon didn't expect was that the shark swallowed Ryan whole --- he was wiped out in an instant.Ryan's sacrifice didn't even buy time to save Gordon.The shark turned on Gordon and charged again.There is no escape.The shark's big jaws caught Gordon, who was swimming hurriedly.No pain, just a terrible force passing from the flanks to the spine.Gordon could only watch his body break into pieces, as if watching slow motion. "Ahhh!" Shouts vibrate the loudspeakers inside the ship.Jack's eyes were red, and he tapped the dashboard.The violent slapping sound and Gordon's call induced the previous magic sound phenomenon. Hearing that terrible echo, Ryan came back to his senses.For some reason, Ryan, who was supposed to be eaten by sharks, was floating in the sea at this moment.Looking back, Gordon was struggling and suffering alone. "What's wrong?" Ryan murmured involuntarily.His voice reached Jack over the radio. "Ryan! Can you hear me?" "Ah... ahh." "you are still alive?" "Ah... I don't understand what's going on at all." "Where's Gordon?" "there." "Didn't it get eaten by a shark?" I don't know when Gordon also came back to his senses.Touching the belly that should have been bitten off, he was at a loss. "What's wrong?" "It must be a hallucination." Ryan said, "This is also a magic sound phenomenon." Ryan looked around, and then he spotted the white shark in the distance.The shark looked weird, it couldn't stay level, it was staggering, and it was floating precariously.Soon, the shark sank sideways to the bottom of the sea. "Did the anesthesia work?" Gordon asked. "It can't be effective. If it's a white shark." The shark lost his balance and fell toward a crevice in the coral reef. "Is that also the magic sound phenomenon?" Gordon whispered. "The high-frequency sound waves have weakened, you can go!" Jack's loud voice almost broke their ears. The barracuda in the water began to disappear from Ryan's eyes, and the barracuda whirled and gradually became blurred.The illusion is ending. The white sharks that sank into the dark place of the bottom of the sea are also disappearing little by little.Then, the mermaid appeared in it. On the mermaid's flank, the small orange glass bottle shook gently.Ryan hurried to catch up, and caught the unconscious mermaid at a depth of thirty meters. "Jack, can you hear me?" Ryan's voice came from the radio in the pilot room. "Ah, please speak." "Catch the mermaid."