The United Nations

They had decided to drive to the UN. Not knowing where they would be heading next, it was the Professor who made the suggestion that having a car would simplify their subsequent travels, especially since he believed they would end up back at the Institute after the meeting. If they took the shuttle from Boston, they would have to fly back to Boston, pick up the car, and then drive back to the Cape. Besides, he stated, "The car offers us five hours of undisturbed meeting time."

So drive they did, and between driving shifts, supplemented by the occasional cat-nap, they spent the majority of their time discussing the current situation and potential solutions. A check of the radio news confirmed the attacks, although apparently less frequent, were still occurring.

Because of construction delays, the planned 5 hour drive took almost 6 1/2 hours. Arriving at the United Nations, Dave looked at his watch, it was 11:15 AM. Unable to park under the building, they ended up pulling into a parking garage on 1st Ave. and 43rd St. By the time they actually entered the lobby of the UN it was almost noon. The Professor showed the guard his Woods Hole identification and they were issued special entrance badges. The guard then called over a guide and they were instructed to follow him to the General Assembly Room. As they were walking down the corridor to the General Assembly Meeting Room, turning a corner they came upon Jack Webster standing in the corridor talking to three men. Seeing the trio, Jack signaled them to wait, excused himself from the group he was with and turned to them. "Where the hell have you been?" he asked. Before they could answer, he continued, "You were supposed to be here at 10:00, it's now 12:20. Don't you understand how important this is? I've got my neck out a mile and you guys wander in at your leisure. What have you got to say for yourselves?"

Claire and Dave were not sure what to say. The Professor simply looked at the Director and said, "Afternoon Jack, good to see you today, I'm glad to see you're pleased we made it alive."

Jack looked at the Professor, then glanced at Claire and Dave. No longer able to maintain his anger, smiling he said, "Follow me." They turned and walked down the long corridor. The Professor glanced at Claire and Dave and winked. Dave squeezed Claire's hand, they were all smiles.

Entering the General Assembly Room balcony they took seats in the second row to watch the floor debate. Looking around the enormous room Dave saw TV cameras from all the major networks. Scanning the balcony, he was amazed to see the most prominent names in marine sciences. He even saw the most prominent underwater explorer in the world, Jacques LaFleur, and a number of his crew sitting across from him in the balcony.

For the next hour they listened to the reports of attacks being told by witnesses from all over the world. As each speaker finished, members of the General Assembly would ask questions. Although in some cases the questions varied, inevitably each speaker would be asked, was the attacked provoked and was there any retaliation? After the questions were completed, the speaker would be thanked and the next speaker introduced. At about 1:25, Jack signaled for them to follow him. The three got up and left the hall. Jack pulled the three of them aside and, in a low voice, said, "Later today the three of you will be given an opportunity to speak to the General Assembly, but before you do, we need to do a little politicking with our fellow scientists."

"What do you mean politicking?" asked Dave.

Jack looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping and continued, "You are going to have to convince some of the most prominent names in marine research that you can communicate with whales. If you don't then they will not support our position."

"What position?" asked Dave.

"The position that we need time to try to communicate with these animals, using your recently discovered ability, to stop the attacks," replied Jack.

The Professor and Dave understood. Claire, not certain of the options then asked, "Well what are the alternatives?"

The Professor turned to Dave who was looking at Claire and said, "The alternative is to stop the attacks, using force." For some reason that alternative had not occurred to Claire. Her week with Dave on KT had gotten her so close to the whales that she never gave annihilation a thought. Suddenly her knees grew weak and she lost her color at the thought of massive killing of these majestic animals. She now further understood the importance of today.

Seeing that there was no further discussion, Jack said, "Follow me. We have some people waiting for us," and he started down the corridor.

They walked to the far side of the building and entered the Security Council Meeting Room. Looking around, Dave saw that the room was already full. Some of the prominent marine scientists that he had seen earlier in the balcony overlooking the General Assembly were already in attendance. Jack Webster asked the three of them to take a seat at the table that was set up in the front of the room. As they were taking their seats, more people were entering the room. Through the door at the far end Dave saw LaFleur enter and sit down. His hands suddenly got sweaty.

Jack Webster walked to the podium and switching on the microphone began to speak. "Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention." Although the room began to quiet, so many conversations went on that Jack had to call them to attention a second time. As the group quieted, Jack went on "I have asked you all to leave the main meeting in the General Assembly Hall because I believe the three people you see sitting at my right may have the solution to the current problem. After you hear their story you will understand why I have asked for a private meeting with the scientific community. The findings of Dave Richardson and Claire Snyder I believe will amaze all of you, I know it did me. Working with Dave and Claire for the last two days, Professor Edwards from Woods Hole has helped them devise a plan to halt these sudden attacks. So without wasting any more of your time, I would like to introduce Dave Richardson, the first marine biologist to communicate with whales."

Jack's introduction worked, the room was buzzing, Dave stood up and walked over to the podium. As soon as he went to speak, the room went still, you could hear a pin drop.

Jack’s hands were sweating, his legs weak as he supported himself on the podium. "Thank you Mr. Webster," started Dave. "Ladies and gentlemen, Jack Webster told you that I can communicate with whales. That I assure you is correct. But my ability to communicate would not have been feasible without the help of Claire Snyder, sitting at the table with Professor Edwards." He paused and glanced at Claire and then the Professor. Then facing his audience he resumed, "About a year ago, I discovered the key to the basic communication link between whales to be a series of sounds, the 4th & 5th element to be exact, of each sound chain as I will call them. These sounds are what we would call the primary noun, or verb of the communication. I could tell that they were going to dive, eat, sleep, swim, or a number of other actions, from these sounds. Unfortunately, the only way I could do it was after the fact when I went back to my lab and played the recordings, which I had made earlier, over and over to pick up the key phrase. Thanks to Claire and her work with computers, we recently were able to communicate in real time with these animals." The audience again broke out in a series of whispers.

"Two weeks ago we modified my boat by installing a special amplifier and underwater transducer. Claire installed a specially programmed computer, with an artificial intelligence module, and I will let her describe those in a few moments. With our new equipment we set out to talk to the animals, as Dr. Doolittle would have said. As I continue, I believe Mr. Webster has some film we took on the trip," Dave turned and looked at Jack. Jack nodded and the room lights went dim. As the film ran, Dave described what was happening. As it had with Jack Webster, the film had the audience on the edge of their seats. Here were wild whales interacting with Dave. Others had swam with wild animals such as these, but none had ever been allowed to climb on their backs, to pet them, to approach calves. Then the film ended and the lights came back on. Dave added, "By the way, not only is Miss Snyder good with computers but she is a pretty good photographer, don't you agree?" The audience clapped while Claire blushed.

After Dave completed his presentation, which lasted approximately 20 minutes, he turned to Claire and asked her to join him at the podium. He opened the floor to questions. The international community responded immediately:

How did you first discover the 4th & 5th sound element?

What is the basis for your meaning of these sounds?

How can we be sure that we are not seeing a coincidental sound versus reaction situation?

How many observations were made?

How many whale species were studied?

Do all species communicate the same?

How does the computer analysis and response work?

What type of underwater transducer was used?

Will we have access to the equipment and programs to perform our own studies?

The questions continued while Dave and Claire answered each as best they could for what turned out to be more than an hour. By now word had gotten out to other uninvited members of the technical community at the conference and the hall slowly filled to standing room only. Then Goodman from Canada asked the key question:

"Assuming, Mr.Richardson, that your theory is correct and you are now able to communicate with whales, I suppose you will be able to explain what is going on out there."

Dave looked at Professor Edwards. He stood and walked towards the podium. With the three of them now standing at the podium, the Professor looked at his old friend and answered, "Matt, I asked myself the same question when Dave and Claire first told us about their breakthrough." He turned to Dave, "I guess that was two days ago, wasn't it?"

Dave nodded.

"I asked them the same question. But you must remember, all this started after they had finished their study and were on their way back to the Cape. If it wasn't for the Coast Guard intercepting them and escorting them back to port, they might very well not have found out about the situation until after they docked. Anyway, since then we have attempted to answer that very question, and have come up with a plausible answer. So if you will bear with me, I will explain."

"But before I do, I must ask that you hold off on any rebuttal or comment until we show you the proof of our theory." He waited scanning the audience until he was relatively certain they agreed. The Professor then went on to describe the two theories which they had considered. He explained why he discounted the old whale theory and began explaining his evolutionary mutant theory. Obviously from the audience reaction there were a number of skeptics, as the Professor expected. He very carefully spoke about Leonardo da Vinci and why he classified him as an evolutionary mutant. It was obvious that none of the audience had ever considered such a theory, but when one presents a case as the Professor did, the audience suddenly started to show a little more respect for what started as an outlandish theory.

Matt Goodman couldn't contain himself any longer. He stood up and asked, "I understand your theory, George, but even if we accept the preposterous theory that one of the most respected men in history, Leonardo da Vinci was, as you called him an evolutionary intellectual mutant, do you expect us to accept this theory as to the cause of our current problem on face value?" Turning to face the audience he smiled as he sat.

"No I don't Matt," responded the Professor. "As you and I know, we have disagreed before on each others suppositions or theories, but we have always listened to each others arguments before we discounted them. I ask you to listen a little longer." He looked around the room; no one was stirring. He continued, "What would suddenly make the world's whales, basically the gentle giants of the ocean, attack worldwide without provocation? We wrestled with that question." He smiled, "Even the alien control theory, which I have heard put forward at times, did not seem to be an implausible explanation given the facts," he said. "But don't worry Matt, even we discounted that one." The audience snickered.

"No something had to trigger the response. What was it? The only single occurrence that we could pinpoint was the Peder ARRSETT incident two days prior to the attacks beginning. We tried to explain how one whale could have such an affect on the world population. Then we got our break. Fortunately for the world, Dr. Jack Sherman was aboard the Rainbow Savior as a scientific observer, during what is now referred to as the North Atlantic incident. He was an observer studying the whale reactions to outside disturbances. It so happened he was listening to the whale communications after the harpooning of the cow and calf and during the subsequent attacks. Jack, an extremely experienced cetologist, heard a sound he had never heard before from a whale. Even with the incidents unfolding as they were, he had the presence of mind to record what he heard. I would like you to listen to this tape." The Professor played about 3 minutes of the 10 minute tape.

He could tell from the audience reaction that many of the scientists in the room, at least those that knew anything about whale sounds, agreed that this was a strange sound.

Professor Edwards asked Claire to explain what she had uncovered with the computer analysis from the information Dave and she had accumulated during their study. "Please only address the data from the trip, not the tape I have just played," he asked. Claire nodded and started explaining how in the last 48 hours they had taken all the observations they had made on the trip, the communications they knew, sounds they had heard and what they suspected they meant, and fed that information into the university's analytical computers. She explained the results. How they learned the meaning of 14 additional 4th & 5th elements. The listing of several others as probable meanings, and now they were beginning to understand the relationships of other parts of the sound chains. Claire went on to explain the meaning of speed and volume and the relationship that they believed existed between the repetition chains.

When it was obvious that Claire was done, the Professor turned to Dave and nodded.

Taking the cue, Dave began, "With the additional information we now had, I asked Claire to have the computer analyze the sound recorded by Jack Sherman, after the attack on the Peder ARRSETT." He opened the computer printout and continued, "I would like to read it to you now,"

"animal is issuing a challenge, extremely slow speed indicates a very severe fervor to challenge, appears to be in answer to provocation, animal appears to be issuing command communicating in more than one whale dialect. Intensity indicates animal is enraged."

Dave waited. He looked around the room, the scientists were now whispering to each other. The Professor then added, "Ladies and gentlemen." The room quieted down. "I believe we have an intellectually advanced animal, call him an evolutionary mutant or whatever, but the facts appear to bear out that this animal is singularly responsible for the current situation. I believe that the catalyst to his behavior was the slaying of the cow and calf in his pod." He quietly returned to his seat at the table followed by Dave and Claire. The room was now full of side discussions. The Professor leaned over to Dave and whispered, "We may have put them into mental overload," and laughed. Dave could only return his smile.

Jack Webster moved to the podium and asked, "Would anyone like to speak?" There was then a 30 minute debate among the scientists in the room. There appeared to be three sides; those that believed the data presented, those that thought it was possible but wanted more data, and as with every issue, those that did not and would never believe the facts presented.

Finally Jacques LaFleur stood up and approached the front of the room. Walking to Webster, who was still standing at the podium, he asked if he might say a few words?

Jack knew that on his words rested the position of the scientific delegation to the UN. Jack asked the other scientists in the room to "please quiet down." When they did, he announced to the group, "Mr. LaFleur would like to say a few words." The room went silent, and he turned the podium over to him.

The Frenchman slowly and methodically positioned himself behind the podium, adjusted the microphone, and with the audience sitting on the edge of their seats, said, "Thank you, Mr. Webster." Then turning to the table he looked at Dave and Claire and said, "And thank you Mr. Richardson and Miss Snyder. I have sat here today and listened to the facts that you have presented. They are very interesting. They chip away at the very foundation of scientific understanding of the under- water world. Whales communicating across species, an interesting supposition. An intellectually advanced whale, a touch of science fiction. A whale seeking revenge, a remake of Moby Dick. Mr. Richardson, Miss Snyder, Professor Edwards, you have given us a series of far-fetched conclusions this afternoon." He paused to look around the room.

After what seemed an hour to Dave, but was truly only a moment, he continued, "But as far-fetched as these conclusions seem, I stand before my colleagues to tell you that I believe they are correct." You could hear a pin drop. No one spoke. Dave, Claire, Professor Edwards and Jack Webster just looked at each other. With the Frenchman's endorsement, the theory they put forth would be accepted by the scientific community.

The Frenchman continued, "There is no other plausible explanation. I believe when this is over, whatever the outcome, the scientific community, the world community will owe you a debt of gratitude." Slowly the impact of his words took hold, and one by one the scientists in the room stood up and applauded, slowly the rest joined in.

Holding his hands up to stop the applause, LaFleur added, "Gentlemen, it is time we put down our differences and unite on an approach to stopping this mayhem that is occurring in our oceans. Put yourself in the position of the world body. What are their alternatives? Either we find a peaceful solution quickly or we begin the methodical elimination of whales from this planet." He paused again. "My fellow scientists, I for one do not want to see these beautiful animals killed. Do you?" There was a sudden mumbling in the room. He turned to the trio at the table and asked, "Now, since it appears that the three of you have determined how this crisis started, may I ask how would you propose to solve it?"

The Professor looked at Dave and pointed to the podium. Dave stood up and slowly walked to it, his slowness giving him time to think. He just wasn't prepared for this. God, everything is happening so fast, he thought to himself. Jacques LaFleur, stepped aside as Dave approached. "Thank you sir," he said. LaFleur had been his idol since he was a child. He remembered watching the documentaries on TV. There was the 'Red Sea', the 'Coral Reef', 'Sharks' and 'Whales.' He was standing next to the man who introduced the world to scuba diving. The man that had been his inspiration to become a marine biologist. And here he was being asked his opinion by the Frenchman.

Speaking into the microphone while looking at LaFleur, Dave began, "We have given that a lot of consideration, sir." Then turning to the group, he continued, "As we see it, there are three alternatives:

1- We can kill all the whales in the world. That sure as hell will solve the problem. But I think you will all agree that's a pretty stupid solution.

2- We can kill the Humpback that appears to have started this but we're not sure that stop the attacks, since we do not fully understand the communications sequence that started it. We would all look pretty foolish if we killed the Humpback and the attacks continued. Then we would only be left with option one.

3- The most probable solution, as we see it, is to use our new found understanding of whale communications. As limited as it may be, we believe the best solution is to confront this whale and attempt to communicate with the animal.

Now we're not sure how to communicate or what to actually say, we're still working on that, but we believe that is the only method to resolve the situation."

He waited for a reaction. The room buzzed with the scientists speaking to each other. Jacques LaFleur moved closer to the microphone, handed Dave a piece of paper in such a manner that everyone in the room could see him do it, and then speaking into the microphone, he said, "I wrote my recommended solution on this piece of paper before coming to the podium. Please read it out loud."

Dave took the paper and unfolded it. It was a piece of note pad paper from the Waldorf Astoria. He looked at it smiled, then, as requested, read it out loud. "Confront the whale, attempt to communicate."

Just then a man walked into the room and approached Webster. Leaning down to Jack, he whispered into his ear. Jack nodded his head and stood. Walking to the podium he asked Jacques and Dave to step aside and informed the group that the General Assembly was waiting for them. He asked that before they go into the General Assembly that he would like a quick verbal vote on the proposed solution. He asked, "All those in favor of confronting this animal, please say yes." The room resounded with "Yes." He then asked," All those against please say no." The room was still. "Very well then ladies and gentlemen, we will tell the world body what we, the scientific community, believe to be the cause of the current problem and the proposed solution. Let's not keep them waiting any more." Pointing to the doors he said, "Shall we."

They all began to rise and exit. Turning to LaFleur, Jack asked, "Mr. LaFleur, you are the most respected and known figure in the room. You are the senior statesmen of the marine scientific community. We are going to have one shot at these politicians, I would appreciate it if you would speak for the group."

The Frenchman was surprised. "I do not believe I carry the authority that you believe I do. Your people did an excellent job here today. Other than being old, and people treating me nicely out of respect for my years, all I bring to the meeting is a charming French accent," and he smiled.

Jack returned his smile and replied, "Whatever, I would like you to be the spokesman."

"I will be honored Mr. Webster, but only if I might share the stage with these fine people," and he pointed to Dave, Claire, and the Professor. They agreed. He put his arm out and asked, "May I escort you Miss Snyder."

Claire put her arm in his.

Walking down the corridor to the General Assembly, Dave heard him say to Claire, "Are you going to marry that man?" Claire turned her head to look back at Dave. Smiling, she turned back to the Frenchman and whispered in his ear. They both laughed.

Dave, wondered what she had said.