by Flash Rex
"Should people be afraid to go in the water?"
"The chances of being attacked by a shark are remote and no one should change their daily lives as a result of this discovery. However, humans are in the sharks' element when we enter the water so attacks are possible though highly unlikely."
"So you see this episode as just a scientific curiosity and nothing more?" A booming voice asked.
"Scientifically, this is probably the biological surprise of the century. If we could catch a live one or even get the body of a dead one to study, it would be the find of the century. This shark is great news for biologists and paleontologists everywhere. This is like Christmas morning for us."
"What about the boy who was killed?" Asked the booming voice from off the screen.
"What about him?"
"Don't you care that a young boy lost his life yesterday?"
"Of course we care. But this find could lead to..."
"You care more about some fish than you do about a boy's life don't you?"
"No but this..."
"You sound like you admire the shark."
"It's hard not to admire something that has been able to survive for millions of years. This shark is really the perfect creature."
"Perfect? It's a killer! We all saw that yesterday! But its obvious white America doesn't give a damn when a little black boy is killed! The killer is admired and even called perfect! This is an outrage and I urge African-Americans in New York and everywhere to stand up and demand justice!" The camera turned to get a view of the speaker as he was being dragged out of the room. The speaker was none other than the Reverend Willie Walker.
"That pain in the ass is going to cause us some serious trouble," said Grimshaw.
"Tell me about it," I said.
"I'm gonna grab a bite to eat. You guys hungry?" Asked Grimshaw.
"We'll probably grab something a little later. I'll see you this afternoon," I said.
My father and I walked over to the restaurant. It was the first time I'd been there in years. I was way too young to ever see the Mick play but my father thought he was great and he was always a Brooklyn Dodgers fan. I always used to hope we'd see him at the restaurant but I never did.
As we ate lunch, we could overhear other conversations about the riots and the shark. Out the window, we could see an increased police presence. This was a big tourist area of the city even though it was too hot for the horse drawn carriages today. I guess tourists were drawn to Central Park. I wouldn't know why because I'd never actually been in Central Park.
"Why didn't Katie join us?" My father asked.
"Well, probably because she's nuts."
"What happened?"
"She hates the shark. Plus I said I didn't know if I could make that pre cana nonsense."
"The Catholic Church requires it. You have to do the pre cana."
"I know! I know! I know! It's just such a pain in the ass. I mean, we just caught a monster and brought it to Pearl River. We're supposed to open on Friday. What am I going to tell Burns? Sorry, Mr. Burns, I have to sit around and talk about my future marriage with strangers, so I can't be here when we unveil the scariest animal that has ever existed."
"It's a couple of hours. Just suck it up and do it. Then you won't have to do it again. If you didn't procrastinate for months it would have been over by now, so I don't want to hear it."
"Well then what the hell did you ask for? From now on don't ask me any more questions, okay? If I have some information that I want to share with you, you can rest assured I'll tell you."
"I'm sorry for being a pain in the ass. But I'm not your enemy. You just have to realize that marriage is a commitment that sometimes requires sacrifices."
"I realize that! But without my job there is no marriage. Without my job, I'd be living at home until I was forty or until I went berserk and started picking off pedestrians with a high-powered rifle from my window."
"You're not going to be fired for taking a few hours off on a Friday night. Without you Burns would already have gone out of business. He would have no shark. He would have nothing. So give me a break! Go to the pre cana thing and get it over with. Stop making excuses."
"Yes Dad."
"I'm serious. I may not be right about everything but I am right about this. Aren't I?"
"I suppose so."
"Alright then. Hey, who's that guy?"
"That would be some big, fat guy eating a sandwich."
"I thought he was a ballplayer."
"I think it's time to fill out some nursing home applications for you, Dad. We don't want to wait until the last minute on those things."
After lunch, we walked back to the office. I found Grimshaw asleep at a desk in the library. He woke up as I came over to him and he pretended he wasn't sleeping. It was clear we'd exhausted or research for the day. I was excited to get back to see the shark, now that we knew what it was. We decided to take the bus home because there were no commuter trains at this early hour. The ride home was uneventful. Upon arriving in Pearl River, all we had was a five-minute walk to Grimshaw's car and then another five minutes until we got to the Aquarium. A couple of school buses were in the parking lot but it looked like another disappointing day. This was prime class trip season and we only had two busloads of students. And they were probably pissed off because the shark exhibits were closed. Just as I got out of the car, some guy with a microphone ran up to me.
"Do you work for the aquarium?" He asked.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Peter Boyle. I'm a reporter for WPRN. Pearl River News."
"I live a mile from your transmitter and I can't even pick up your station."
"We're a new station but we're growing. Do you have any comment on the shark attack or on the disclosure that it was a megalodon?"
"I have no comment right now. But we're going to hold a press conference tomorrow at noon. We have big news to report. Go tell your friends."
"Since I'm the only one here, do you think I can have a scoop?"
"A scoop? Who are you? Jimmy Olsen. If we gave you an exclusive story, how would anyone find out about it? You have no audience. How many advertisers do you have?"
"A few."
"Like who? The Army-Navy store? Mention this ad and we'll give you a free hat." I walked past him. "Isn't there some school closing you have to cover?" Poor Peter Boyle just stood there staring at me as Grimshaw and I entered the Aquarium.
"You really should work on your public relations approach," Grimshaw said.
"I was a little hard on him. But if he's the only one here for the press conference tomorrow we're in trouble. We'd better make some calls tonight to get some real reporters here. I don't want the main media coverage to come from ham radio operators."
"Hey, don't knock ham radio operators. I was one growing up."
"No kidding," I said.
I told Grimshaw to call the networks and the major wire services to inform them about our press conference. "Just tell them we have some information on the shark," I said. Meanwhile I went down to check on the monster. It was swimming around the tank but all the other fish, large and small, were keeping their distance. I thought I noticed fewer smaller fish than usual but I never really noticed the fish that were there before. I heard someone come up behind me.
"Looks like he's doing okay," said Burns.
"I guess so, but no one really knows how a megalodon is doing, since this is the only one ever seen, let alone captured."
"I can't believe the speed and agility. The fish it goes after don't have a chance."
"It's similar to a great white in that respect. Older, larger great whites mainly like to hunt mammals, like seals and whales, and even humans. The younger smaller great whites can't really tackle the bigger prey so they pretty much go after fish. As great whites get older they replace agility with raw power."
"But megalodon attacked a kid."
"Well, great whites as young as this shark probably is aren't nearly this big. So I wo
uld guess the increased size of the megalodons in general allow the young to go after bigger prey, while still being very agile. Of course, I wouldn't know for sure but it sounds reasonable." I let out a big yawn.
"Why don't you go home and get some sleep. There's nothing more you can do today. Besides I want you to be rested for the press conference tomorrow. You're going to have a worldwide stage."
"Did you get a new marine biologist yet?"
"Not yet. I'm afraid there are not a lot of people out there I would trust to step in now. So you're the guy for the time being."
"How am I supposed to answer questions tomorrow? I don't know all the answers."
"Nobody knows all the answers. You said so yourself. Nobody's ever so much as seen this kind of shark before. Besides I think you'll be able to explain this shark and answer any questions in a manner that anybody listening can easily understand. The last thing I want is some brainiac scientists in white lab coats going up there and explaining the evolutionary process. I want you to go out there and explain what it is we have and make people excited to plunk down their money to see it. Now I know you can do that."
"You're probably right. I'm gonna get going'."
"Get a good night's sleep."
I went home and dozed off in the recliner with the TV on. I was vaguely aware of reports of more rioting in New York City and in cities around the country as I drifted in and out of sleep.
May 27, 1992
For the second night in a row, the ringing phone woke me up. It was only a quarter to one. "Hello."
"Mr. Bolding? This is Tommy Thigpen down at the Aquarium. Mr. Burns said..."
"What is it Tommy?"
"The black shark attacked the other shark! It just happened. It was just..."
"Is the black shark okay?"
"I think so."
"You didn't see any blood coming out of the black shark did you?"
"No, sir."
"Okay, who else saw it?"
"Just me."
"Are you sure? Only you saw it?"
"Yes, I'm the only one."
"Did you tell anyone else?"
"No, just you."
"Great Tommy, keep up the good work and don't tell anybody about the attacks okay?"
"Okay. Are you going to come in?"
"Not until the morning. I just needed to know that the black shark was okay. Don't be afraid to call me if you see anything else though, okay?"
"Okay."
"Good night, Tommy." I went to bed.
It seemed like the alarm went off about two seconds later. I got up and showered and turned on the morning news. All the networks were showing footage of rioters from the night before. Most of the footage showed looters and burning cars and cops in riot gear walking down streets. The footage didn't get me as mad as it normally would because I was nervous about the press conference.
I had the same feeling as I did when I was taking final exams in college. Often I would put off studying until the last minute. I would then convince myself that I knew the stuff. On the way to the test, I would be so nervous I could hardly walk. Every time I got away with a good grade though. I knew I wasn't ready for the media but I could probably B.S. my way through it like in college. Since my boss knew the limits of my information, I wasn't worried about my job. I was more worried about looking like an ass in front of the entire world. Well, not so much the entire world, but rather my friends and future in-laws.
There were a couple of local news vehicles in the Aquarium parking lot when I pulled in but I didn't see anybody I recognized. They didn't recognize me either, but why would they? Until noon, I was just some ordinary shmuck. Once the press conference started I would become the spokesman for the Aquarium. And since the Aquarium had the most unique creature ever held in captivity, I was going to be seen by the entire world. Strangers would know who I was. I'd have my fifteen minutes of fame. I hope I survive the fifteen minutes.
Even as a kid I knew I'd never want fame without fortune. There were too many nuts in the world. If you became famous then the nuts notice you. You're no longer just another face in the crowd. In fact, fame proves you're not some sort of nut yourself. Of course there are some notable exceptions to that rule. In fact, it's probably more of a guideline than a hard and fast rule. If you're famous, other famous people aren't afraid of you like they may be afraid of the general public. The nuts, on the other hand, have you as a potential target now. There's no real point in stalking just another member of society. That's where the fortune part of the equation comes in. If you have enough money, you can shield yourself from the downside of fame. Now I don't expect to make any magazine covers because of this press conference, but I'll be the most visible face on the biggest story of the day and who knows what that could lead to.
I spent a little while getting my thoughts together for the press conference. I wasn't worried about blurting out something I shouldn't, mainly because there wasn't anything we had to hide. Of course I wanted to avoid mentioning the chum slick that lead to Jones Beach. And nobody really needed to know that the shark killed two other sharks while in our custody. We don't need to give some animal rights lunatic any ammunition. Above all else though, I had to avoid confirming that this was the shark that killed the kid. There was no doubt that the public would assume it was the same shark, but assuming is different than knowing. Given the riots of the last two days, I wanted any potential troublemakers to have to make the decision to act on something as brittle as an assumption, rather than the solid ground of facts.
The morning flew by and before I knew it Burns and Grimshaw were in my office. Outside my office were two of Mr. Burns' assistants with some visual aids Burns and I had somehow put together along the way. It was like they were trying to psyche me up. Like this was a high school football game or something. "Go get 'em!" Burns slapped me on the back.
"Break a leg," said Grimshaw.
"I'm not an actor, you moron. Grimshaw thinks we're doing some Shakespeare festival here. Get in the game, Grimshaw."
Grimshaw looked at Burns. "This is going to be some press conference. He's just oozing charm."
They followed me out the door and down the stairs to the conference room. All morning I'd been vaguely aware off the arriving press corps but I was still overwhelmed to see so many people and lights and cameras. At that moment I wished I were a little, make that a lot, more prepared. I became aware that my mouth was dry. All the tension shot to my neck and I could barely turn my head. I somehow made it to the podium. The lights were blinding. I could feel the eyes of everyone in the room boring into me. Forget the shark; get a load of this freak behind the podium!
"Good afternoon. Welcome to the Hudson Valley Aquarium. My name is Brian Bolding and I'm the spokesman for the Aquarium. We have exciting news that we wanted to share with you."
"Are you going out of business?" Someone yelled from the back. Everyone laughed. My first heckler. For one moment I was panic stricken. I couldn't say a word. The silence was awkward. It was too late to continue on and ignore the question. I didn't have a snappy comeback. I lost control of the audience. Nothing a speaker does is worse than losing control of his audience. That heckler made me look like an ass. I started to get mad and I was able to pull myself out of the nosedive I was in.
"We're not going out of business. We will reserve some time for questions, even the stupid ones. So just relax back there. The Hudson Valley Aquarium has captured the most unique and frightening creature that has ever existed. We captured a shark, a carcharodon megalodon. The shark will be displayed to the public beginning Friday morning at 9:00 A.M. The Aquarium will be open nine to five every day until Labor Day. The shark can be viewed between nine and noon and one and five each day. Now let me give you a little information on the shark." I gestured to the first card held up by the assistants.
"The shark is a carcharodon megalodon. It probably will simply be called megalodon. I say probably because it was thought to be extinct and it doesn't have a common nam
e used by the general public, like great white or white pointer, yet. As the first card shows, a full-grown megalodon will be at least twice the size of a full-grown great white. We all know how great whites are feared by beachgoers, just wait until they get a look at megalodon. Next card please." The assistants held up the next card, which showed a black and white photograph of two men standing upright inside a giant set of jaws.
"As you can see, megalodons grow to enormous size. The teeth are razor sharp despite their enormous size." I could hear the background noise of conversations growing louder. I looked over at Burns and he gestured to move it along. I felt like I'd been talking for hours and I knew people were getting bored so I scrapped the rest of the presentation. "At this point I'll take some questions."
The crowd of reporters started yelling out questions. The TV lights were blinding me so I had difficulty picking out one reporter. After a moment of chaos, one voice, the loudest and the deepest, overwhelmed all the others. I should have recognized it and didn't. "Is this the shark that killed the little boy?" It was none other than that hatemonger Reverend Willie Williams.
"I don't know," I answered. "Next question."
"I have a follow up question. The Museum of Natural History said the shark that killed the boy was a megalodon. Now you say you've caught a megalodon. Did you catch the same shark or is this just coincidence?"
"Reverend, why don't you pay attention to the answers I give? I said I don't know. It may be the same shark. But it could also be a different one. The existence of one means there must be more out there. Unless you think our shark is a million years old. You don't think that do you Reverend?"
"I think you want to make money off the body of a little dead, black boy! Where did you catch the shark? Right off Fire Island?"
"We caught the shark in the Atlantic Ocean. Since I'm no nautical expert, I'm not sure exactly where. And Reverend, how about keeping your opinions to yourself? I wish to express my personal condolences to the boy's family as well as the condolences of the Hudson Valley Aquarium. It was a tragedy."
"Oh save it! You lured the shark to the beach didn't you?"