Permission To Affect Your Mortality

Gaius is in his kitchen, washing some dishes.

The food has rusted on.

Drat, says Gaius, scratching away at a brown encrustation with his thumbnail.

Let me help you, says Sören.

No, they just need to soak, says Gaius. They've been here since I left for Tasmania.

What were you doing there? asks Sören.

Counting  forty-spotted pardalotes and swift parrots, says Gaius. I'll show you my notes. There's also a photograph of Arthur with a forty spotted pardalote in the background.

I'd like to see it, says Sören.

Gaius heads for his bedroom, where the notes are.

Sören picks at a dirty plate. What is it? HP Sauce? Bacon?

We haven't been introduced, says Kobo, from the window sill. I'm Kobo.

Where are you? asks Sören.

Here, says Kobo. The fossilised clam.

Sören Kierkegaard, says Sören. I'm to be Gaius's right hand man, temporarily.

I hope you'll be as reliable as Arthur, says Kobo.

I'll try to be, says Sören. We're going to do an experiment involving sand crabs and microplastics.

I'll contact Ageless, says Kobo. He's a crustacean. This is his field.

Good idea, says Gaius, returning with his notes. Ageless's help will prove invaluable.

Kobo and Ageless are on the same wavelength.

She contacts him now.

ageless, mmm?

what my beloved???,,,crick crick,,,

mmm...stop it! where are you?

at the state library beloved,,,,,,may i,,,,,,?

mmm....no.... what do you know about sand crabs?

they are unhappy, ever since that american study came out

i knew you would be up to speed with the issue....gaius wishes to see you

on my way dear heart,,,,,uh,,,,,crickcrick,,,,,ho!!

He's on his way, says Kobo. What's the process?

First, catch a few sand crabs, says Gaius.

How do we do that? asks Sören.

With crab nets, says Gaius. Then, I suppose we should get the sand crabs' permission...

For what? asks Sören We're not going to dissect them?

We're going to feed them low concentrations of microplastics, says Gaius.

Do we have any? asks Sören.

No, we must obtain a collection, says Gaius. I suppose we should do that first. Any fragment of plastic less than five millimetres in length will be suitable.

I'll look around the house, says Sören.

Wait! Here are my bird notes, says Gaius.

But Sören has disappeared into the bathroom.

Permission, Gaius? says Kobo. To do what exactly?

Feed them different doses, says Gaius, and see how it affects their mortality.

I'm shocked to think you would do that, says Kobo.

The sand crab is an indicator species, says Gaius.

Kobo remains shocked.

And she knows Ageless won't like it.