The Great Barrier

Chapter

: Big Red Button, Big Red Heart

Owen gave the brushes to Ophelia and asked General Richards to step outside tor a talk. Owen had a lot to say, but not a lot of time to say it. “See this, Owen?” General Richards waved around a green, diary-sized metal tool, with a big red button in the middle. “The second I push this button, Operation Uncreation will begin. All of my submarines will capture the mermaids before studying them and their empty homes. They were created by us, and we need to save them from the polluted reef and take them back.” Owen was clearly shocked by what he was hearing; he understood the army meant trouble, but this was on a whole other level. With the light of the sun glaring down on him, he had to think fast. “General, I assume you’ve been to this school before?” The General scoffed. “Of course, my military base is under our feet! This is no oil rig; this is an old military headquarters!” The day was full of surprises for Owen, but he did not let this get in the way of his task. “Right, then I imagine you came here a long time ago. Twenty, thirty years maybe?” Owen received a sly nod in approval. “I can imagine you taking a boat out here, General. Looking down at the ocean, you would have seen the vast and sprawling Great Barrier Reef. Thriving with beauty and life. The largest living organism in the world. What a sight to have seen! Oh, how we cheated Mother Nature by seeing such natural magnificence! But today, General, today it is not sprawling. It is not thriving. It is being bleached. But the mermaids, General, they have these brushes!” Ophelia held out a brush for Owen, who softly but passionately grabbed it. “One stroke of this brush, and the colour – the life – is painted back onto the coral!” General Richards, caught in his memory for a moment, reminiscing on the beautiful reef, snapped back to reality. “Don’t lie to me, Owen. The mermaids are incapable of such wonder.” He snatched the brush out of Owen’s hand, and pointing the bristles at the steel beam beside them, said, “I bet these were bought at the dollar shop!” With a swift swipe of the brush, General Richards struck the steel. To his amazement, however, he created a line on the beam that looked polished, good as new. He was dumbstruck with awe. “You see what I mean, General! I understand that you are hungry for power and satisfaction, but what we need right now is co-operation. Do not focus on your big red button, your power and ability to evoke negative change. Instead, focus on your big red heart! Your longing for the reef to return to its original glory! And let the mermaids live in peace. We may have created them, but they are much bigger than us now, and we should keep it that way. Please, General, open your eyes!” Owen’s voice was breaking and quaking as he pleaded with the General. General Richards glanced over at Ophelia, who had remained quiet during this conversation. “P-please, General, Sir.” Richards looked at the ground. Not in defeat, no- he had not been beaten. But rather, he had an awakening, he realised a new goal. “What a reef it was,” he said, voice brimming with nostalgia. He looked back up at Owen and Ophelia. “And what a reef it will be! Get me Sergeant Joe on the phone, now!” Owen looked at Ophelia, and they nodded at each other. We made a difference , they thought, and things will change.