We were wrong.(Kevin Hughes) Nobody saw it coming. Not a single person. Not one. How could they? We were so filled with hubris, conceit, and self-importance that we totally ignored what was going on around us…in the water. We had studied dolphins, whales, and octopi for decades. We knew their limitations. Not knowing that the whole time we were studying them, and pointing out their limitations…they were studying ours.

And so it came as a surprise to everyone. A dose of reality that washed over Humanity like an existential Tsunami. Covid was a land based virus. As terrible as it was, it didn’t come anywhere near the communicable rate of Measles. Nor did it have the same mortality rate. The RO (number of people infected by a single person carrying the virus) of Covid was a robust 1.4 - 2.0. And that killed more than six million people world wide. Measles, the most virulent communicable disease has an RO of around 18. A single person with the measles is a Public Health emergency. One person could infect 18 people…so you can see how fast measles can spread.

If Covid 19 had that same RO, well, the Pandemic would have been orders of magnitude greater…with a Death Toll rivaling the “Black Death” of Medieval times. We learned to type, sequence, and diagnose the sub variants and mutations in record time. Vaccines were produced that were highly effective…but varied in efficacy over time. All of these viruses came from terrestrial animals, mostly mammals.

So we were caught looking in the wrong direction.

We thought octopi only lived one year.

We were wrong.

We thought Whales used their sound making abilities to communicate basic call across long distances.

We were wrong.

We thought the Sperm Whale Sonic Stun mechanism was solely for hunting.

We were wrong.

We thought dolphins were our friends.

We were wrong.

We thought squid, shrimp, and cephalopods - had rudimentary intelligences.

We were wrong.

And then the first Virus attack happened.

We were dead wrong.

Mankind did not wipe out Humanity. Sea Life did.

We were as unprepared for a virus born, bred and raised in Sea Water and Sea Creatures, as the Native Americans were for the Measles. Or Medieval Populations for the Bubonic Plague.

Estimates are that the so called: Omega Virus (Ironically named for the Omega Fatty Acids that are found in fish…and nurture Human Beings) wiped out nearly half of Humanity in those first few months. For those who were at sea, whether it was on a Naval Vessel, a Cruise Ship, an Oil rig, or just a family out for a day sail…the result was certain death. Entire AirCraft Carriers, gigantic Cruise Ships, and small craft of all types, were found floating aimlessly in every Ocean. Their crews long dead. Only on land did Humans have a chance of recovery. And that was a fifty fifty probability.

We finally got the message:

“Humans, continue to destroy the Land…if you must. Mess with the Sea or Air…and we will unleash another round of viruses to ensure you stop.”

Raja Bajaj and Clyde Hoffsteter shared the Nobel Prize for decoding the message for humanity signaled by color changes in Squid Skin. Once they figured out the pattern and converted the color scale to mimic our alphabet, the message was brutally direct.

STOP. War. Pollution. Greed. It is killing us as well as you. We will not sit by idly and watch our world collapse because you can’t take care of your part of it. We have evolved. We will survive. We are not certain you can make either claim.

If we don’t see evidence of a change in your actions and behaviors within the next six months, we will unleash a more virulent form of the Omega Virus. You will be gone before any of your technology can assist you with a vaccine. You have been warned. “


We thought they were being overly dramatic. We thought they would extend the deadline. We thought we could outthink them.

We were wrong.

Epilogue:

The giant whales, working along side the giant squids- under the supervision of an Octopus so large that Humans (if there were any) would have instantly labeled it a “Sea Monster.” And they would have been wrong. It was simply directing the last few pushes and pulls to place the abandoned Air Craft Carrier precisely were the new reef would grow.

Once the Whales and Squids had it directly over the space on the ocean floor that it would soon occupy, hundreds of squid, cuttle fish, and smaller octopi skittered around the empty stairwells, hallways, and rooms, opening sea cocks, blast doors, and watertight compartments. As the huge ship sunk to the ocean floor, the whales and squids provided just the right nudges for it to land on the bottom - upright.

Then the corals, muscles, and barnacles attached themselves to every surface area on the sunken vessel. On the large deck, kelp and seaweed, were planted and maintained by an army of starfish. Within a few weeks, the huge Octopus led his crew of: Whales, Squids, assorted cephalopods towards an abandoned Cruise ship floating in the middle of nowhere. The Dolphins acted as their guides to locate the new vessel.

The giant Octopus was using the Sperm Whale Sonar blast to signal his brethren- and ask where they wanted this one put into place. A Humpback would notify him when they got an answer. He signaled “good work everyone” as they headed for their next assignment.

On land a small band of Humans stood by the edge of a lake…all of them afraid to enter the water.

A little girl picked up a stranded sea creature. It was a fresh water squid. A species unknown to Humanity just a generation ago. She saw it was struggling…and in trouble. She was only five years old, but she knew she could help. So she did. She picked it up in her tiny hands and carried it out into the cold water. Her parents stared, transfixed and trembling.

A huge tentacle came out of the water. It pulled the small squid out of her hands with a very gentle swishing movement. Another huge tentacle wrapped around her. Her parents froze in fear. The girl was carried back to shore in the grip of that powerful tentacle. A huge eye looked at her for a long time. The little girl reached back out to touch the tip of the tentacle. She held it tightly and moved slowly along the shore. She wanted to show her new friend a flower. She thought it was pretty.

The huge eye followed along staying partially submerged near the shore line. The little girl let go and went and grabbed the wild flower, bright yellow with big brown center…she brought it back and offered it shyly to the giant tentacle. The giant squid took the flower and brought it closer to examine it. A few minutes later, the much smaller squid she had saved, crawled back into water only inches deep. Reaching out with one tentacle …it opened her hand, and with another tentacle it place a small smooth moon stone. The little girl squealed with delight.

It was a small thing…really. But a beginning. We didn’t think it meant much at the time.

We were wrong.

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