I got one! Chapter Three: Without Sentience
Written by LapisLucius42
Edited by Cimar
July 2nd, early afternoon,
"Good afternoon, Zootopia. I'm Fabienne Growley with my co-anchor Peter Moosebridge. Today, Mayor Lionheart met with the representatives of Outback Island this morning to discuss possible actions as a result of the fatal shark attack yesterday. After deliberating for hours, the Mayor is finally making the announcement. We now bring this footage."
A broadcast displayed Mayor Lionheart standing at a podium surrounded by town council members. Islanders and reporters were also seen in front of the city mammals.
"Before I reveal our decisions, the island council and I will first wish to extend our condolences and sympathies to the Venisant family. You have our support in this time of need. That being said, for the safety of the islanders and tourists, we hereby announce that the beaches of Outback Island will be closed until further notice, but the ports will remain open for operations."
The Islanders erupted in rage at the news and the reporters demanded answers from the lion.
"What plans do you have on dealing with the shark?"
"How will this affect the summer business?"
"Are the rest of the waters safe?"
"All we can say at this time is that we are taking the necessary actions. Nets will be installed along the beaches and patrol boats will roam the waters. Efforts will also be made to protect the city's fishing business. The shark is not expected to venture into the fresh waters of the Rainforest District and the frozen waters of Tundratown. Thank you."
The reporters and Islanders continued to voice their questions, concerns, and outrage over the decisions from City Hall as Lionheart and the other council members took their leave. The scene returned to the ZNN studio where Peter Moosebridge then concluded the news report.
"In addition, marine scientists are currently investigating the waters to determine what could have brought the shark into Zootopia despite the unfavorable conditions. No explanation has been given at this time. We will continue to bring you updates as more information becomes available. From the mammals here at ZNN, we wish you all safe fun and travels in the waters."
ZNN moved onto other reports, but Nick decided he had enough and muted the television. The fox let out a yawn and stretched his arms. He looked to his right and saw Judy on Muzzletime with her parents. Judging from the conversation, the doe was trying to calm down their anxiety. The call had been going on before the City Hall announcement.
"Mom, Dad, I know you are worried for me and it is unfortunate and sad that someone died from the attack, but I'm not going back home."
"Judy. Honey," Bonnie said. "This is exactly what we were worried about happening from fishing on the ocean. Not to mention it was very close to the city."
"It's only one incident," Judy said. "Do you and Dad stop farming because disease and weather strike the crops?"
"That's different," Stu rebutted. "They don't happen too often."
"So do shark attacks. I looked up the statistics," Judy could only sigh heavily over her parents' reactions. "If City Hall deems the situation a threat, then we will do something. But for now, nothing is going to happen to me and Nick. I promise."
There was a brief silence between the bunnies as Judy let her parents ponder her words before they finally relaxed, albeit slightly.
"You know we're just trying to look out for you, sweetheart," Bonnie said. "And you do make a point with the analogy."
"It still doesn't change anything about the dangers you face from your job," Stu said and quickly continued before Judy could respond. "But we understand there is no changing your mind. Bonnie and I just wanted to let you know that we care for you."
Judy smiled, happy that her parents understood her reasons. "Thank you, both. Nick and I promise to keep you updated on the situation."
"Okay, sweetheart," Bonnie said. "We love you."
"Stay safe now," Stu said. "Bye bun bun."
"Buh bye." Judy hung up and set the phone down before slumping back in her chair.
"You know," Nick said, trying to distract Judy. "I was certain that City Hall would try to deny the attack or at least downsize the severity in order to keep the beaches open. Then again, there is overwhelming video evidence and eyewitnesses against them."
"Anything short of acknowledgment would result in City Hall facing a lawsuit from the deer's family," Judy said. "Brushing the death off would result in severe negative public reaction."
Nick shifted on the sofa to see Judy on the computer with the shark tooth she pulled from the marlin carcass next to her. After receiving news of the fatal attack, the two decided to take time off from fishing and recuperate. Finnick also needed to return to his store and prepare the possible financial trouble from the announcement, leaving them temporarily without a boat.
Judy immediately wanted to get to work on identifying the shark and prepare for the hunt. But at Nick's insistence, she postponed those plans until the following morning when she was fully rested. So it was no surprise for the fox to find his bunny already on the computer searching the Internet.
"Any luck?" He asked.
Judy moved aside for Nick to see. "Take a look."
The fox got up and strolled over to her. He leaned down and saw the photo of the shark species, taking note of the distinct white belly. "So we're going to be hunting a great white?" He looked down at Judy with a serious face, making the doe worried that he might object. "You know we're not equipped with the right gear to hunt that type of shark."
The doe let out a sigh of relief at Nick's response. "I'm sure Finnick's store will have the supplies we need."
"He will. Just don't expect him to give us stuff for free since he does have a business to run. But I think I can convince him to give us some discounts."
Judy rolled her eyes. "Why am I not surprised? But you know it will take more than the two of us for this shark hunt. The average size is half the size of Finnick's boat and it took me, Finnick, and Kris just to lift half a marlin aboard." She put emphasis on the word half to get her point across.
"I do, but we'll work on gathering a crew after acquiring the gear. But you should also realize that catching our shark doesn't prove it's the one responsible for the beach attack."
"Then we'll just have to cut it open and find out. If it's not, we keep searching, but we feel better at knowing the shark that ate our big catch the other day is no longer a threat."
It was at that moment Judy's stomach decided to voice its complaint causing her to cover it in embarrassment while bringing out an amused chuckle from Nick.
"Seems your body agrees with me about you needing a break. Come on. Let's go make lunch."
Judy sighed heavily, silently admitting to feeling hungry. "Okay. Let me save my work first."
July 6th, Bayou Bay, Savanna Central,
At the beginning of the month, the Big family yacht set sail on a birthday cruise for Judy Big, daughter to Fru Fru, and granddaughter to Mr. Big. The itinerary involved making stops along the coast before sailing out to sea. They first docked at Sahara Square and later Savanna Central. Plans for Outback Island were canceled because of the fatal shark attack so the family spent extra time in Savanna Central and to pick up their special guest: the Angel with Horns, Gazelle.
At Fru Fru's request and being a fan of her music, Mr. Big arranged with her manager to have the singer join the cruise and spend time with her daughter and grandchild. Gazelle was more than happy to participate and enjoy a small vacation. Because of her schedule, she would join the cruise in Savanna Central and then be picked up by her agency in Tundratown. With Mr. Big's protection, she didn't need to have the tiger dancers accompanying her.
Little Judy squealed excitingly when she saw Gazelle board their yacht. Dropping anchor in Bayou Bay, the three ladies in their swimsuits launched a short distance away in a smaller sailboat that was connected to the main vessel by a rope. Little Judy sat in her mother's lap while Gazelle sat across from them and sang happy birthday to her. The young shrew squealed in delight and applauded the singer at the song's conclusion. Gazelle continued to play with little Judy as Fru Fru happily watched.
From the yacht, Mr. Big sat in a chair and smiled at the ladies enjoying their time together. But in the back of his mind, news of shark attack caused him to fear of it attacking during the cruise. He could not cancel the trip as a lot of preparation went into its planning. Instead as a precaution, the shrew ordered a rope to be tied to the sailboat so it could be a safe distance from the yacht. His fears were justified since small mammals like himself could be easily swallowed whole by such sea creatures.
As Mr. Big watched the ladies play, he slowly rose up in alarm when his eyes caught something in the water. His fatherly instincts took over from thinking the worst, but nothing happened after a few seconds passed. The Arctic shrew relaxed and let out a deep breath when he heard screams coming from the ladies. The shrew immediately shot up in his seat again, only to see that they were splashing each other, now assuming the scream was from a surprise attack.
Mr. Big relaxed again and began to reconsider his paranoia. He was supposed to be celebrating his granddaughter's birthday, yet the shrew had not been able to enjoy the festivities since the shark attack. He knew Fru Fru would chastise him for being overprotective, but he hadn't become the most feared crime boss in Tundratown by letting his guard down. His biggest fear has always been being powerless and helpless to protect his family when danger arrived.
In the midst of calming his mind, Mr. Big heard screams coming from the boat once again and opened his eyes to assure himself of no worry, only for them to widen in terror at seeing the sailboat being violently rocked and Gazelle protectively wrapping her arms around Fru Fru and her child. He quickly stood up and leaned forward to get a better look. To his worst fears, Mr. Big saw something thrashing under the sailboat and knew what it was.
"Bring them in now!" He commanded. "Get them out of there!"
Two polar bears reached for the ropes and started to pull in the ladies, bringing everyone relief. Mr. Big continued to calm Gazelle and his family down as they were pulled to safety. The sailboat was halfway to the yacht when the bears felt strong resistance. They pulled with all their strength before suddenly falling over backwards. Nearby polar bears quickly pulled the rope in. Their expressions became terrified when they saw that the rope had been snapped off.
The yacht could only watch as the shark tugged the sailboat away from them. The ladies remained huddled together as they were towed across the water. With such strength, the shark eventually flipped the sailboat over on its side, throwing Gazelle, Fru Fru, and Little Judy into the water. With his worst nightmares coming to life, Mr. Big helplessly watched as they surface and swim frantically to the overturned vessel for safety.
"Help us!" Gazelle cried.
"Daddy!" Fru Fru shouted in panic.
"We're coming!" Mr. Big yelled.
Realizing it would take time for the yacht to go rescue them; one polar bear, Stanley, quickly removed his tie and coat and jumped into the water. He swam rapidly to the distressed mammals. Time was not on their side since the shark moved faster than the mammals in the ladies continued their attempts to climb on the sailboat, frightened of the shark returning. Gazelle understood that Fru Fru and Little Judy were too small to climb aboard themselves and lifted them up.
Once the shrews were safe, the singer tried to pull herself up but kept on slipping back into the water. The shrews were crying from knowing that their size prevented them from being much help to the singer. After another vain attempt, Gazelle was suddenly seized by the abdomen and screamed, thinking the shark had gotten her until she felt herself be lifted onto the sailboat.
"Stanley!" Fru Fru cried joyfully.
An overwhelming wave of joy and gratitude flooded Gazelle, but she quickly pushed those feelings aside knowing the danger their rescuer just put himself in. The singer stood up and turned around to Stanley with her hooves out.
"Hurry! Take my hooves!"
As the polar bear reached for Gazelle, he was suddenly struck from his right and pulled away from the vessel. Stanley roared when he felt a sharp pain in his right thigh and was spun around in the water. Being trained to protect Mr. Big and his family, Stanley fought valiantly against his attacker with his paws. Fru Fru covered Little Judy's eyes as the child screamed and Gazelle froze in terror as the waters around Stanley turn red.
With the new threat arising, the captain of the yacht immediately changed course. The remaining polar bears brought out their weapons to kill the shark and rescue their friend. But the splashing caused by Stanley and the shark made it difficult for them to locate the creature and diving into the water for a rescue would only put them at risk at being attacked. Koslov took preemptive action to shield Mr. Big from seeing the carnage and was met with no reprimand.
Meanwhile, Stanley continued to fight with all his strength despite the wounds being inflicted on him. With his claws unsheathed, he went for the eyes and nose. He succeeded in clawing the nose and the shark finally released him, leaving the polar bear wounded in the water. As soon as the yacht reached Stanley, the polar bears quickly pulled him aboard before the shark could return. The crew assessed his conditions and injuries as the yacht went to rescue the ladies.
Gazelle and the shrews were promptly rescued and checked on for their conditions. They were shielded from seeing Stanley's injuries, but Mr. Big ordered Koslov to bring him by his side to comfort him. As they went to stop the bleeding, Mr. Big saw the massive injuries done on his right leg. He also took note of Stanley's violent seizure-like shaking and heard his fast breathing.
"How is he?" Mr. Big asked worryingly.
"He's going into shock." A polar bear said.
The shrew walked over to Stanley and placed a paw on his head. "Stanley my boy, you have my eternal gratitude for saving my family and Gazelle."
The wounded bear turned his head to his boss and weakly nodded before closing his eyes.
Mr. Big remained by his side as the yacht raced to the docks where an ambulance had been called and was waiting for them to take Stanley to the hospital. He looked at Gazelle and his family who were wrapped in towels. Little Judy cried loudly in her mother's arms as Fru Fru and Gazelle did their best to comfort the child. The mob boss glared towards the waters as if he could see the monster that attacked his loved ones and vowed retribution.
WildeHopps residence, two hours later,
"And there's nothing you can do about it…Are you sure? Okay thank you." Nick hung up the phone and brought a paw over his face, sighing heavily.
"What happened?" Judy asked from the living room.
Nick joined the bunny and fell onto the sofa. "The mechanic said it's going to take longer to get the boat fixed. Owes it to the staff going on vacation."
"Huh, you would think that they would want the extra cash to spend for the summer."
"Then you underestimate the allure of vacation time. Not surprising for you. If it wasn't for winter, you would be dragging me out to sea every day."
Nick picked up the remote and turned on the television while Judy resumed planning the shark hunt. She had already written a list of items they believe would be most helpful in her notepad and was now searching behavior patterns on great white sharks.
In the midst of her search, she heard Nick call her. "Carrots, you need want to come see this."
Hearing the slightly panicked tone, Judy turned around in her chair to see Nick staring at the television. "Nick! What's wrong?"
She got up to investigate when her eyes caught the television screen. Her expression became the same as Nick's at the words displayed.
One Dead after Second Shark Attack
The television remained on mute as Nick and Judy watched the news and saw the picture of a familiar looking polar bear as the victim. Their hearts dropped at seeing footage of Gazelle, Fru Fru, and little Judy huddled together and wrapped in a towel. They felt chills through their bodies as the news played footage of the incident. From the point of the polar bear coming to the rescue to the fatal shark attack.
After the footage ended, Judy frantically searched for her mobile and after finding it, she dialed her friend. "Come on. Come on."
"Judy!" Fru Fru shrieked from her end.
"Fru Fru! Is everyone alright? I saw what happened." While Judy knew they were physically safe, it didn't discount the emotional damage.
"We're okay, but Stanley…" Judy could hear the immense sadness in her friend's voice. While she didn't know the polar bear personally, the doe understood that he was still a member of the Big family.
Despite having seen the news, hearing Fru Fru say it only saddened her more. Evident from her ears drooping. "I'm sorry."
"He performed his job, even at a great cost. We should all be thankful for that. Oh hold on," Judy heard a conversation in the background before Fru Fru returned. "Daddy wants to talk to you."
The bunny's ears shot up, surprised and curious as at the mob boss's request. "Oh, okay."
Before long, she heard the shrew's voice through the phone. "Judith."
"Hello, Mr. Big. You wanted to speak to me?"
"Yes. You and Nicholas had an encounter with a shark before, correct?"
Judy looked Nick at who had been listening in since the beginning. They exchanged curious looks before Judy answered. "Uh, yes." The bunny mentioned the incident to the family shortly after the first attack.
At that moment, Nick's phone rang with an incoming call. He quickly apologized and excused himself. Once out of the room, he retrieved the device and saw Finnick on the caller ID.
"Hey buddy," Nick answered.
"Yo! You saw the news right?"
"Yeah. Just now. How are you holding up?"
"Everyone's freaking out over it and my store's being swamped right now with fishermammals buying up stuff to go shark hunting. Speaking of which, do you still plan on doing the same?"
"You know it. I assume you're calling about our current boating arrangements?"
"Yes, when are you and Judy heading out?"
That question was the last thing Nick expected Finnick to ask. "Huh? What?"
"You heard me, and Kris will be tagging along with us again. By her own choice mind you."
"Wait, I thought you were calling to back out?"
"Are you kidding? I want to get in on the action. Besides with my shop being cleared out for the bounty, it will take weeks to get restocked and I don't want to spend them bookkeeping. By the way, if you had planned on coming here for supplies, you're going to have to look elsewhere."
"Alright, Carrots and I will let you know the date, and we'll be fine with the hunting gear."
"Good. See you then."
July 10th, Outback Island,
That morning, Nick and Judy arrived at the docks in a white van with two of Mr. Big's polar bears, Raymond and Kevin. All four unloaded the shark hunting gear and the polar bears took over transporting them, letting Nick and Judy lead the way and carry the bare minimum. The mammals observed the high activity on land and sea as a result of the shark bounty in effect.
Zootopia erupted in a panic after the attack on Gazelle and City Hall was forced to take more extreme measures. All beaches and ports bordering salt water were closed indefinitely with the exception of business ports. But even they were closely monitored. City Hall chose to leave the matter of shark hunting to the citizens and put out a bounty as an incentive. This resulted in a madhouse all along Zootopia's southern coasts. Reasons for participation included the bounty's monetary reward, the excitement of the hunt, and lastly for the livelihood for those who work at the docks and on the water.
Judy's parents called their daughter once they heard the news of the second shark attack and to say the word 'Beg' would be an understatement. After an extensive phone call that involved quite the convincing from Nick, Bonnie and Stu finally relented and halted their plans to forcibly bring their daughter home when she refused to waver.
After their phone calls with Fru Fru and Finnick, Nick and Judy met with Mr. Big, courtesy of his limo service. The two were surprised that the mob boss wanted them to capture and kill the shark considering he had many other mammals to choose from. When asked, the arctic shrew reasoned that they would be more motivated to hunt because of family rather than a stranger hunting for reward. Nick and Judy accepted Mr. Big's assistance without hesitation.
Through his resources, the two were able to acquire their shark hunting gear. When asked about a boat, Nick and Judy turned down the shrew's offer for a new one, thinking their boat would be repaired in time. Unfortunately, they discovered their mechanic had been slacking on other boats when the shark bounty went into effect, pushing the timetable for theirs farther ahead. In the end, Nick and Judy chose to stay with their previous arrangement with Finnick.
The four arrived at Finnick's boat where the fennec and his otter girlfriend were waiting for them on the stern. Seeing the polar bears brought concerns to Finnick and Kris. Mostly Finnick.
Kris smiled and waved with no fear. "Hi."
Raymond and Kevin gave a small bow to the otter.
"Uh, guys," Finnick said. "How big do you think my boat is?"
"Relax buddy," Nick assured. "They're just here to help move our gear."
Nick and Judy boarded the boat and faced the bears with their arms out.
"Boys. Please?" Judy said.
Raymond and Kevin each grabbed an item and passed down to Nick and Judy. Nick would then move them inside the cabin while Judy remained outside.
"Sheesh, do you really need all that just to go shark hunting?" Finnick said, seeing the different equipment the polar bears were transporting aboard.
"We're going after a great white, Finnick," Judy said.
"You're going in as we're fighting the Leviathan." Regardless of the exact size, Finnick was not far from the truth after being informed of the species they were hunting.
"It never hurts to be prepared," Nick called out from the cabin.
"Oh I think this should be plenty," Kris said.
The polar bears finished transporting the last of the gear.
"Thanks for the help!" Judy said. "And tell your boss thank you again for the assistance!"
Raymond and Kevin nodded and grunted in acknowledgment before returning to their van.
"You two ready to go?" Finnick asked, climbing up to the wheel.
Nick stood to attention and saluted. "Aye aye, captain."
"You just love taking the fun out of things don't you?" Finnick grumbled as he started the engine.
Nick and Judy untied the ropes from the docks and Finnick gave the boat gas. Before long, they were leaving from the harbor and heading away from Zootopia.
On the way, the four watched other fishermammals and hunters roam the waters in search of the shark. Small and large, commercial and recreational boats populated the area. Horns sounded and shouts were thrown to taunt the competition. A few explosions went off from the dynamite thrown into the water. A few vessels had close calls from near collisions resulting in more horns and insults.
"And I thought we outgrew our savage ways," Finnick said, watching two boats nearly collide with one another again.
"We must look like idiots going out to sea to hunt," Kris said, hearing more mammals shout.
"Don't worry about them," Judy assured. "I say we have a better chance of finding the shark in its territory than ours."
"Considering the city had cut off its food supply, I wouldn't be surprised if the shark decided to move away from Zootopia." Nick speculated as another dynamite explosion went off.
The action did not end when they exited the Zootopia Sound. Mammals scattered along the banks scanned for any sign of the shark. A few tossed explosives into the water in hopes of killing the creature if it tried to escape. Those mammals merely shouted at the four for getting in their way. Even when Finnick's Folly finally began moving out to sea, boats were seen patrolling along the coast. Nick, Judy, Finnick, and Kris watched as the land disappear over the horizon where a cloud in the shape of shark has overshadowed Zootopia.