We watched human television programmes and despaired of the humans ever noticing that their world was changing. There was lots of singing, dancing, cooking and house maintenance. There were simplified pictures with simple stories for human children. Maria bored of these quickly and found a channel that played longer movies, with only minimal singing, dancing or cooking.
She watched this for most of the day, as one movie would finish and another would start.
One movie bored her and she changed channels again. This time, the channel was showing a news programme. Humans were killing each other in one country and people from Australia were being killed by the humans from another country where the Australians were dressed in mottled clothing. There were pictures of large numbers of people on small boats, low in the water, wearing life jackets. These people were leaving one country to come to Australia and their vessel was not safe, so humans from Australian vessels were assisting these people to transfer to the Australian vessels and taking them to a camp much like those at the Abrolhos. These camps were in much better repair and not in such bright colours as Abrolhos camps. The programme concluded with a short feature on how a human became injured whilst wearing very small tight shorts and carrying some sort of ball on a grass field, as he collided with another human. This was portrayed as a very grave event.
“They are interested more in their society than the world which permits the society to exist. This may explain why they seem to know so little about the changes to the sea floor that will reshape their lands.” Maria’s words surprised me.
I tried to defend them, as Vanessa might. “Perhaps it is simply that they do not know. They have technology to detect the changes; once the humans know, perhaps they will take more interest in changes to more than their society.”
Maria snorted. “Vanessa is too optimistic. Does she not know that the humans are too preoccupied with themselves to see?”
“I suspect she knows more of human preoccupations than we ever could. I think she will save our people and theirs as well, if she can,” I said fondly.
Maria shook her head. “What you say is an impossible task that she cannot accomplish.”
“For us perhaps, but not for her,” I replied slowly. “You will see. We will bring our information back to our people and they will send her to obtain more, even as she reports that there is not yet more. On land, she will inspire the humans to find what she needs to ensure the survival of our people. She will even strive to help the humans, if she can.”
Maria was incredulous. “Why? Is not doing her duty to our people enough?”
Maria did not know Mother. I tried to explain. “Not for her. She cares for our people, above and beyond simple duty. I think she cares for the humans, too. It is not in her nature to allow life to be lost when she could save it. Even a human life.”
Maria voiced the dread that we both felt. “I still feel she works toward an impossible goal in which she cannot succeed.”
I tried to see hope. “Yet I feel she will succeed, despite our doubts. She understands humans better than any of our kind ever has, yet she is one of our elders. She will accomplish what none of us could. In her own way, she is the ocean’s gift to humans, ensuring their survival when their world will be irrevocably changed.”
Maria’s shock was written plainly across her face. “She would reveal the ocean’s gift to humans? It is because we are hidden from humans that we survive!”
I made my voice soothing. “No, she protects our people above all, above even the humans’ interests. You will see.”
The television blared a musical advertisement about a singing and dancing programme that would soon be broadcast. In annoyance, I pressed a button that silenced the sound and bright images. “I have had enough of what humans consider entertainment. I think we should venture to the hotel bar, consume some alcohol and watch some real humans for entertainment.”
Maria hesitated. “I do not wish to become drunk. I would prefer one of those cold coffee drinks.”
I agreed and we both left the hotel room to go to the bar downstairs. There were a few humans there, including one behind the bar who sold the drinks. Maria chose a table whilst I went to order drinks.
I had learned that whiskeys varied as much as humans did, and poor whiskey was best with ice to dull the taste. “I would like a whiskey with ice. What do you have that is cold and tastes of coffee?” I asked the man behind the bar.
“We have coffee cocktails,” he told me.
I didn’t know what he meant, but I asked for two of these and brought all three drinks to the table where Maria was seated. I placed the two coffee ones in front of her and kept the whiskey for myself. We were thirsty and finished our drinks quickly. I ventured to the bar to purchase more.