Of Dolphins and Sea Monster

This is a work of fiction and any resemblance between the characters and persons living or dead is purely coincidental.... (In any case, I am not famous or have enough money if you are planning to sue me. Although I do have a towel in my possession which I am very much attached to since last four years. It’s a good towel - just tender enough to slowly diminish my rate of settlement on chair to a level where I can firmly position myself without flinching and just hard enough to smack a spider on the wall. As anyone will tell you, a good towel is hard to find.)



(today)
Booooooooooooom.

(yesterday)
For months the DolphX News Channel had been locked into a debate which had invited every known famous Dolphin from all around the world.
'It's not gonna happen' chimed Dr Felicitious Closedoptica.
'I agree, it ain't gonna happen' said the all-knowing pundit Christopher Doodlehead.
'But if it happens, it will slowly take over our kingdom. We do not know what can come out of it? The legend of Mandolph talks of the giant sea monster which shall awaken one day and cover the entire world with a venom so dark, that there will be blood everywhere' - the lone voice of Dr Factodian Truthadux protested.

(* the legend of Mandolph... it was more of a myth now... the type of myth which everyone agreed was just a myth and decidedly false, yet there was a consensus that it should be feared nevertheless... That is the fate of legends... passing on from a generation to next and getting diluted every time until one day it becomes one of the ‘stupid and hilarious stories’ the grandpa used to foretell…

For long the Dolphin Kingdom had been living in perfect harmony with other inhabitants of the sea... The new born were taken care of... The shrimp and other food industry was regulated properly and everyone agreed happily paid their taxes to help the unfortunate few who had their fins or tails cut off in some unfortunate accident... yes, once or twice there were some impropriety... like the time Mrs. Readbeak ran off with much married Mr. Tukoto Kosami - father of Kosami klan of Japanese waters. But overall, it was very much a dull happy place. Food was in plenty. There was plenty of room and dolphins from around the world were invited with open fins… there was no anti- immigration law and racial profiling was unheard of… although the dolphins from Pacific were often ridiculed for their unbearingly voice modulations… There was just too much C-sharp in them which made them sing like a tuning fork… *)

‘The myth of Mandolph?? That is a heap of diggity-doogity goo goo my friend. No one believes it. There is no evidence of a sea monster. The only monster I have seen was my physical instructor back in high school and he made me clean all the reef one time. Now I know they are not the most intelligent of the species, but surely no one is so stupid to do a suicide as the legend says.’ said Dr Closedoptica.

‘I am sorry, but have you forsaken our own history in prejudice of our present times? Our much worshipped ancestors moved to land from the sea. But they had to return back to sea once again for they could not see the destruction caused by the upperdwellers. The Book of Mandolph specifically talks about the potential of upperdwellers to cause depredation everywhere they go. There savage desires know no bounds. Our wise ancestors had warned us that one day, the lust of upperdwellers will seep into our worlds and awaken the giant monster which will be the end of our world as we know it. WE NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR THOSE MOMENTS’ – said Dr. Truthadux almost screamingly.

‘I am sorry Dr. but there is no need to be so much in alarm. We have witnessed them over several centuries. Surely we have seen them over years. There is an agreement between them and us now. Look at the history, look at the number of their lives our kinsdolphins have saved. They have no business down here! Yes, sometimes some of our members have been captured, but then they were the ones who had breached to surface and trespassed onto forbidden zones. We cannot blame upperdwellers for the foolhardy actions of our kin.’ uttered Mr. Doodlehead .

‘Look, are you so blind to see the upperdwellers are already encroaching upon our lands? For months we have seen them putting their things in the sea. Have you looked at that long piece of tube drilling on our basin and slowly churning the sea. I am telling you, we do not know its motives. Don’t be so naïve to trust that upperdwellers are doing this with all the goodness in their heart. They do not care of us. It is about the lives of our children’ – said Dr. Truthadux.

‘I disagree, I think Dr Truthadux is raising an alarm which should not be raised. We threaten no one, we are the gentlest of sea creatures, the upper dwellers think we are adorable… yeah, that is what I have heard them say sometimes… surely they need us and the sea as much as we need it… There is no sea monster here! There is no reason to move an entire country just because of a myth‘ said Mr. Doodlehead.

‘Yes, We have already sealed the entire area and passed the order not to go around that tube. That should take care of things‘ said Dr. Closedoptica.

(today)
The Sea Monster gushed forth from the beds of the sea… In a moment, the chest of the sea was ripped apart and laid bare as the ‘Sea Monster’ awakened from thousands of years of sleep… just as the legend foretold…

And then there was darkness forever…