It took some time, but the Mariner eventually reached the edge of the estuary, where the sea finally overtook the river. Here, the water was deep enough to drop the shark cage, and Nigel, eager to see a certain killer arthrodiran, took the plunge. A few moments later, bait was dropped in after him - and what better bait than chum?
As the fish meat descended into the depths, Nigel was on the lookout for any potential rescues - many Devonian animals would soon go extinct, so this was the perfect time for a major rescue.
This time, though, he didn't have to wait long for a familiar face to show up. Though this wasn't the one he was expecting.
Hastily, the small shark charged into the chum, greedily eating up the pieces that still floated. Others of its kind were quick to join in, all eager to feast on the free meal.
There was only one thing that set these small sharks aside from any other Devonian shark.. - they had very distinctive, ironing-board shaped dorsal fins. Just like a pair back at the park.
"These aren't Dunkleosteus," noted Nigel, "but they certainly are beautiful. These are Stethecanthus - the same species I saw on Sea Monsters, to be exact. There is another shark with this unique fin shape, but that genus is on the other side of the world at the moment, so I doubt we'll see any here."
Nigel continued to observe the shark, his expression never really changing, though it did grow a bit pained after a moment. "You see, no one actually knows what that fin does - is it for display? Perhaps courtship? Even intimidation? No one knows, and even with how long they've lived in the park, we still have no idea - the pair we rescued move out of sight of the cameras whenever its breeding season, and besides that, I haven't actually seen them breed at all. Maybe if we rescue a few more, though, we'll be able to find out what the functions the fins have."
As he finishes his thoughts, Nigel notices that the sharks are no longer alone - joining them is a horde of rather large placoderms, ones almost comparable in length to Dunkleosteus. Compared to that giant, however, this fish are practically rail thin. Their presence, however, sends the sharks into a swift retreat, though only to a nearby rocky outcrop, where the larger fish cannot pursue them.
Yet while the sharks are in terror of the fish, Nigel is amazed.
"I wasn't expecting to see these! They're Gorgonichthys, one of the larger varieties of placoderm. These are the sharks of their age - they are the kings of the ocean. Given what they face for competition, though, I think it'd be more accurate to call them lords. They must prefer to hunt in the shallows where larger predators won't be able to maneuver properly."
Nigel has seen an animal he likes. And those are always creatures he wants to rescue.
XXXXXXXXXX
Back at the park, the aquatic staff are having a team meeting. It's getting...rather odd.
"Seriously?" asked Elise, surprised by the question. "You want to...teach the Pontolis to do tricks?"
"Well, them and the Allodesmus," replied Sean. "I have reservations about teaching whales tricks, but pinnipeds and mustelids have proven more amenable to training under more...favorable circumstances."
"Plus it might give us insight into how intelligent they are," offered Ted. "Also, it gets boring around here doing nothing but feeding the animals and offering them toys."
Elise looked at the rest of the assembled team. All of them seemed to be a least interested in the idea of teaching the semiaquatic mammals tricks.
"...Eh, fine. But only on one condition."
"And that is?"
"...You guys help me get the Basilosaurus to go through underwater hoops."
"...Seriously?" asked Sean.
"Don't repeat the conversation we just had with our positions reversed!"
All the while, the whales and pinnipeds in question just stared on, except for one Allodesmus who was in a tug of war with an Osteodontornis over a fish. Both eventually fell into the water when the fish split in two.
Any further attempts at planning were put on hold, however, when a loud bellow turned both groups' attentions toward a particularly interesting sight: one of the Pontolis had gotten into a scuffle with a Desmostylus over a particular piece of beach that just happened to be near some appetizing sea grass. Both animals were now shouting at each other, though it seemed like both would soon come to blows. The herbivore was at the disadvantage here, though - it would be virtually unable to move if knocked onto land.
Thus, the fight was swiftly cut short by the humans. As for the dueling mammals, both leanred to fear the water hose that day.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Back in Prehistoric Ohio, Nigel is preparing to rescue the sharks and placoderms.
Carefully, Nigel readied up the portal. Whilst the placoderms had yet to disperse, the sharks were starting to make mock charges, trying to see if the larger fish would respond. If not, then they would try to swim in and snap up some chum while they still could.
"Now, I've talked with the rest of the team, and here's the plan: they'll drop a load of chum into the water, and whilst the carnivores are distracted, I'll use the specialized portals we made for coral to get all of the placoderms into the present. Then, we'll use the main portal to send the sharks in after them. I'd try to rescue both with the same portal, but then there's the risk of the sharks ending up as food for another. I just hope this works."
As soon as the chum falls, Nigel begins tagging fish. The mass of flesh has been dropped practically right on top of him, causing the fish to swarm with reckless abandon, making them easy to hit. It only takes a few seconds to rescue all of them. After that, it is a relatively simple matter to rescue the sharks.
When the larger portal fades, Nigel turns to look toward the camera...only to realize a very large, and very familiar looking fish, is headed rght for him.
XXXXXXX
AN: Yeah, I am a jerk.
Also, it turns out Stethacanthus is about the size of a dog. Go figure.
To those of you who want Nigel focused chapters, you got part of your wish. I'm going to cycle focus on and off for him, though - much as Nigel likes running the park, he has other work to do. And he can't run the park forever.
So, Read and Review! This is Flameal15k, signing off!
