The Ocean of Our Memories

The swishing of the tail made the water ripple. The fish lay on its back for just a moment in the shallow tank. This September 2020 day seemed solemn.

“There you go, girl,” shark biologist Linda Lopez said to the smooth dogfish shark in her laboratory. She righted it up again.

“The squalene from other sharks is supposed to save the lives of millions of people from COVID-19,” Trig Peugeot said.

“The compound is much more expensive to take from sources such as plants and bacteria than from shark livers, but it’s only because of government intrusion in the economy,” Linda said, looking at the shark under her care. “If they don’t come up with a better solution, we will have hundreds of thousands of dead sharks on our hands,” she said.

“I think if the private sector had been the one to head the development and implementation of the vaccine, we wouldn’t have had to use these animals I think,” Peugeot said.

Penelope continued to swish and sway in the tank.

“We’re competing with the government here,” Linda said.

“What we can do is keep this beautiful creature safe from harm by sending her back into the water,” Peugeot said.

“Not just yet. I’ve got a better idea,” Linda said. She attached a tracker to one of the shark’s fins. Then, Linda picked up her smartphone and dialed the various outlets along the shore in Delaware and along the Chesapeake.

“It’s Linda. I’ve got the first of what could be many deceased fish in the area if businesses aren’t freed up to use medical facilities to administer the vaccine for the coronavirus.” Linda said the same line to over a dozen newspaper, radio, web podcasts and television outlets down by the beaches.

“We just have to wait for their responses.” Her phone blew up with messages. Reporters wanted to interview her. Some of them she had acquainted herself with over the years. Others were new. She turned to the web podcast, “The Snarky Shark” to be interviewed.

“I’m Gunther Kinglsover. We have shark biologist Linda Lopez here in the studio to explain why she wants the American public to pay for a vaccine with a compound often found in skin care products and vitamins. Welcome, Linda.”

“Thank you for having me.”

“Let’s get right to it. You want private pharmaceutical companies to manufacture and administer the compound squalene, which does what for sharks? Please tell our listening audience.”

“Of course. Squalene is a compound which among other uses, aids sharks in floating. In order to obtain the squalene, you have to kill the shark. It is also used in industries like you mentioned. What I am saying is private citizens should pay for their vaccines, and limit the number of sharks that are potentially killed. The use of othet sources such as sugarcane, wheat germ, and amaranth seeds, among others, can prevent shark deaths. It can offer people this life saving component in vaccines. Presently, the COVID vaccine would be the most viable one to use these different sources.”

“But isn’t it the role of the government to take care of people?”

Linda looked incredulous. Her answer sounded like a nail being driven in a piece of plywood by a hammer. “No.”

“Why not?”

“Specifically, because the government is a gun. It’s here to protect, not provide medical care. In examples like this, the government wants to use the squalene from sharks when entrepreneurs and business people in the medical field can trade with Americans, especially, and others around the world, to find alternative ways to save the sharks.”

“So this is like Rockefeller who shuttered the business of whalers from hunting the mammals for their blubber to be converted into oil?”

“Exactly. The other ways we can create vaccines and other products with squalene and have people pay for them through medical care plans and with various private companies should be the appropriate response to this pandemic.”

“I thank you Linda for your time and for enlightening members of my audience, and me, on how the compound could be sourced without killing these beautiful fish.”

“Thank you.”

Linda returned to her lab. She helped Peugeot load her truck and run the smooth dogfish back to the ocean.

“We’ll see her until the winter on the system when the tracker expires,” Peugeot said.

“We’ll see her with the device and in time, the ocean of our memories.” The duo got back in the truck and headed back to the Rehoboth Beach mainland.