You Could Eat Me

Carl Botanist has gone off in the opposite direction, in his Nachoo.

He is looking for a lettuce.

A small green lettuce floats by.

Stop! cries Carl-Botanist.

The small green lettuce keeps going.

Carl-Botanist follows.

Are you following me? asks the small green lettuce.

Yes, says Carl-Botanist. But only in a good way.

What are you? asks the small green lettuce.

An underwater botanist, says Carl-Botanist. 

You look like a cuttlefish at one end, says the small green lettuce.

I am a cuttlefish at both ends, says Carl-Botanist. But my back end is inside my Nachoo.

I see, says the small green lettuce. May I go now?

Of course, says Carl-Botanist. But first will you answer a question?

If it's a short one, says the small green lettuce.

Are you the Karenia cristata? asks Carl-Botanist.

No, says the small green lettuce. I may be small but I'm not that small and furthermore I'm not brevetoxic.

Brevetoxic? asks Carl-Botanist.

Yes, I'm not, says the small green lettuce. You could eat me with no ill effects.

I don't eat lettuce, says Carl-Botanist. 

I know, says the small green lettuce. Do you think I'd have said that if I didn't?

Do you know where I can find one? asks Carl-Botanist.

You've asked your one question, says the small green lettuce.

It floats away quickly.

Carl-Botanist feels much like Jean-Botanist felt when he met a small green lettuce.

Only partly successful.

The Preconceived Lettuce

Take us down to the water, says Jean-Botanist.

Okay, says Terence. 

He helps Jean-Botanist and Carl-Botanist into their Nachoos.

This is good, says Jean-Botanist.

We can see where we're going, says Carl-Botanist.

And your arms are at the front, says Terence. So you can do swimming.

They had not thought about this.

 Last time they'd been towed along by Ageless.

But now, they can do swimming.

And go where they like.

Terence takes them down to the water, and sets them going.

They swim off, in their Nachoos..

Our second underwater botany mission, says Jean-Botanist. And this one is serious.

Really serious, says Carl-Botanist. What's that stuff called again?

Karenia cristata, says Jean-Botanist.

And it's small, says Carl-Botanist.

So Gaius said, says Jean-Botanist.

But what does it look like? asks Carl-Botanist.

Probably like a lettuce, says Jean-Botanist.

A small lettuce, says Carl-Botanist. Okay let's go.

Jean-Botanist heads one way and Carl-Botanist heads off in another.

Jean-Botanist sees something small and green floating in front of him.

He grabs it.

It looks like a small lettuce. 

He opens his mouth to taste it, although he is a carnivore.

Bugger off, says the small green lettuce.

Karenia cristata? asks Jean-Botanist.

Speak English, says the small green lettuce.

I am, says Jean-Botanist.

What's that thing you're half way out of? asks the small green lettuce.

My Nachoo, says Jean-Botanist.

 And what's that symbol? asks the small green lettuce.

A parrot, says Jean-Botanist.

And what are you doing here? asks the small green lettuce

 I'm an underwater botanist looking for Karenia cristata, says Jean-Botanist. Have you seen any?

No, says the small green lettuce. And what's the relevance of the parrot?

Nothing, says Jean-Botanist. It's just so I know it's my Nachoo.

Are there others? asks the small green lettuce.

Only one, says Jean-Botanist. My colleague has one with a fish face.

Is it nicer than your parrot? asks the small green lettuce.

What's wrong with my parrot? asks Jean-Botanist.

It doesn't look like what it's supposed to be, says the small green lettuce.

That shows how much you know about parrots, says Jean-Botanist.

I'm a lettuce,  says the lettuce.

It floats off in a lettuce-like way.

Jean-Botanist feels his encounter with the lettuce has been partly successful.

He made contact with a lettuce.

And it was a lettuce. It even said so. 

If Anything

We are interested, says Jean-Botanist. What is the job?

Reconnaissance, says Faith.

They are beginners in the field of underwater botany, says Gaius. So far they have identified seagrass.

That's something, says Faith. Could they identify toxic algae?

I think not, says Gaius. Too small.

We can see small things, says Carl-Botanist. 

I'll show you some data, says Faith. We now think the likely culprit is Karenia cristata.

Is that so? says Gaius. 

It is, says Faith. So far it hasn't been seen in these parts.

Are your cytobots looking for it? asks Denis.

We are looking for it, says Faith. The cytobots simply send us pictures.

It sounds like you don't need our botanists, says Gaius.

I suppose not, says Faith.

But that's not the end of it.

The botanists now know what to look for when next they go out in their Nachoos.

I was just having lunch, says Faith. I've got plenty more blueberries back in my tent. Would you like some?

Indeed we would, says Gaius. We only have a few apples. Are you sure you can spare them?

I bought ten punnets, says Faith. They were on special for some reason.

A judicious buy, says Gaius. Shall we come to your tent?

Yes, do, says Faith. 

Gaius and Denis follow Faith to her tent.

Terence is about to follow.

Wait! says Jean-Botanist. What about our symbols?

They left the knife here, says Carl-Botanist. 

You could do the symbols, says Jean-Botanist. We'd like to get going.

Okay, says Terence. 

He picks up the knife.

And a Nachoo.

This one will have a bird symbol, says Terence. Which bird?

A parrot, says Jean-Botanist.

Terence starts scraping.

Scrape scrape scrape.

His parrot looks like, if anything, an oystercatcher.

But Jean-Botanist does not mind.

Now the other one, says Terence. Which fish?

A sardine, says Carl-Botanist.

Too easy, says Terence.

He scrapes a fish shape onto the surface of the second Nachoo.

And a fish face.

Carl-Botanist looks at the fish face.

It looks like that lady, says Carl-Botanist. 

It's meant to, says Terence.

They all start to laugh at the face.

Men Of The Sea

We need to borrow a knife, says Terence.

May I ask what for? asks Mrs Sardine.

A bird and a fish, says Terence.

Your dinner? asks Mrs Sardine.

No, says Terence. We're scratching them onto the Nachoos.

What are Nachoos? asks Mrs Sardine.

Exploring ships, says Terence. 

I see, says Mrs Sardine, although she doesn't.

She goes into her tent and comes back with a knife.

Thank you, says Terence, holding his hand out to take it.

I'm not giving it to you, says Mrs Sardine. I'll come over and give it to one of the grown-ups.

Okay, says Terence.

And I'll have a look at the Nachoos, says Mrs Sardine.

Terence runs ahead of her.

Guess what! says Terence. It's Mrs Sardine.

Faith! says Denis.

From SARDI, says Gaius.

That's who I said, says Terence. She's bringing a knife.

Faith arrives with the knife.

Good afternoon, Faith, says Gaius. What brings you here to Point Lowly?

Cytobots, says Faith. We're sending them into the Upper Spencer Gulf to collect data.

Cytobots? says Gaius.

AI, says Faith. They generate high-res images of suspended particles, and send them back to us in real time.

I wouldn't trust AI, says Gaius. 

They're the latest technology, says Faith. I hear you have need of a knife.

Yes, good old technology, says Denis. I need it to scratch a bird and a fish onto these Nachoos.

Two cans of Red Bull? says Faith. Why, if you don't mind me asking?

In order to distinguish between them, says Gaius.

Faith looks into the Nachoos, and receives a surprise.

Oh! says Faith. There's a baby cuttlefish in each of these Nachoos.

I hope you don't think... begins Gaius.

I DO think, says Faith. It's unlawful to take sepia apama from these waters.

I know, says Gaius, but they'll be going back in as soon as we've made identifying marks on their Nachoos.

The crucial thing, says Denis, is that they've shown an interest in underwater botany. 

Pull the other one, says Faith.

What does that mean? asks Terence.

She thinks we're joking, says Denis.

Understandably, says Gaius. But let them come out of the Nachoos, and she'll see for herself. 

Come out, botomists! says Terence.

The botanists do not come out, having both forgotten that they needed to go in backwards.

Denis pulls them out.

What darlings! says Faith.

I am Jean-Botanist, says Jean-Botanist. And no one's darling.

I am Carl-Botanist, says Carl-Botanist.

As you see, they identify as botanists, says Gaius. We thought it worth delving into.

Botanists! says Faith. What gave them that idea?

Let them speak for themselves, says Gaius.

I wanted to learn mapping, says Jean-Botanist, but botany seemed more rewarding.

Let's admit it, says Carl-Botanist. We wanted the glory.

And underwater botany suits us, says Jean-Botanist. Because were are men of the sea.

Well said, says Faith. SARDI may have a job for you. Would you be interested?

Would they?

Mrs Sardine

They are back at the Point Lowly Campground.

Terence is showing the botanists the new Nachoo.

It looks like the old Nachoo.

How will we know which one's which? asks Jean-Botanist.

They're both which, says Terence. 

Can they have different names? asks Carl-Botanist.

I guess so, says Terence. 

How about Nachoo-one and Nachoo-two? says Denis.

Okay, says Carl-Botanist. I'll have the new one.

Okay, says Jean-Botanist. And I'll have Nachoo-one.

That's mine, says Carl-Botanist. The new one is Nachoo-one.

The new one is Nachoo-two, says Jean-Botanist.

The old one is Nachoo-two, says Carl-Botanist. Because it's older

Good thinking, says Terence. 

Terence is right, says Gaius. But it might be better not to use numbers.

How about a different symbol scratched on the side of each Nachoo? asks Denis. 

A sensible idea, says Gaius. Botanists, choose your symbol.

A seed, says Jean-Botanist.

A different seed, says Carl-Botanist. 

That might be confusing, says Gaius. 

I'll choose, says Terence. A bird and a fish.

Excellent choice, says Gaius. Now who'll do the scratching?

I will, says Denis. Is there a knife?

Gaius looks for a knife in his backpack.

I'm sure I had one, says Gaius. 

Maybe I've got it, says Denis.

He looks in his backpack.

But no.

We'll have to ask a fellow camper if we can borrow one, says Gaius. Terence, go and ask that lady.

Okay, says Terence.

He walks across to the lady who is sitting outside her tent eating blueberries.

Hello! says the lady. I thought it was you.

Mrs Sardine! says Terence.

Faith, says Mrs Sardine.

They Will Be Jealous

Denis wades into the water to pull in the dinghy.

Roo-kai lands on the shore.

Where are they? cries Terence.

Here, says Roo-kai.

Where? asks Terence.

Roo-kai points with his wing.

The two botanists are undulating nearby.

Terence steps into the water.

You made it! says Terence. 

We swam here, says Jean-Botanist.

All the way? asks Terence.

No, says Carl-Botanist. Ageless was supposed to show us how to row the dinghy.

Gaius sploshes into the water.

Where's Ageless? asks Gaius. 

Back at the lighthouse, says Roo-kai. I've just been back to tell Baudin we've found his dinghy.

Well done, says Gaius. 

He turns to the botanists.

And what have we here?

Samples of underwater botany, says Jean-Botanist.

It's seagrass, says Carl-Botanist.

So it is, says Gaius. And what do you know about seagrass?

Don't pick too much, says Carl-Botanist.

A thoughtful answer, says Gaius. I see that you didn't. And it's good that you didn't remove any seeds.

Is it? asks Jean-Botanist.

Seagrasses are fast disappearing, says Gaius.

Woo! says Terence. You guys had better guard those grasses.

Don't worry, says Jean-Botanist. We will.

May I assist you? asks Gaius. You appear to be tangled.

The botanists have become entangled in their seagrass samples.

Come closer, says Gaius. 

He begins to untangle the botanists.

Thank you, says Jean-Botanist. Now we'll go back and collect some new samples.

There's no hurry, says Gaius. Take a break. Would you like to come back to our campsite?

Yes! says Terence. You can go in the Nachoo.

Only one of us, says Carl-Botanist.

No! Guess what? says Terence. You can both have a Nachoo.

Terence has another empty can, says Gaius. 

Great. The botanists can both have a Nachoo.

They start dreaming of future underwater botanising. 

There they go, the other cuttlefish will say to one another.

Jean-Botanist and Carl-Botanist, collecting samples.

In their twin Nachoos.

The other cuttlefish will be jealous.

Bad Botanists

This is what happened:

Roo-kai flew above the  swimming botanists, keeping an eye down.

The swimming botanists swam below him, looking up at Roo-kai.

Roo-kai spots the Point Lowly Campground. 

He indicates to the botanists to swim to the shore.

But the botanists have disappeared.

Crark! thinks Roo-kai. 

Should he turn back or wait for them to resurface?

He circles, while deciding.

An empty dinghy floats by.

Craaark! thinks Roo-kai. I forgot about the dinghy.

I should let Baudin know where it is. 

But he can't lose the botanists.

Fortunately at this point the botanists resurface, their arms full of seagrass..

Where were you? asks Roo-kai.

We stopped because we saw some underwater botany, says Jean-Botanist.

And collected some samples, says Carl-Botanist.

That's seagrass, says Roo-kai. You shouldn't have picked so much of it.

Why? asks Jean-Botanist. 

One strand would do, says Roo-kai.

But it all came up when we pulled it, says Carl-Botanist.

Go back down and replant it, says Roo-kai. Except for one strand.

Each? asks Jean-Botanist.

I suppose so, says Roo-kai. And while you do that, I'll fly back to the lighthouse and let Baudin know about his dinghy.

What about us? asks Carl-Botanist.

Either wait here for me, or swim ashore to the Point Lowly Campground, says Roo-kai. It's just over there.

Okay, say the botanists.

Roo-kai flies back to the lighthouse.

The botanists swim their samples of seagrass down to the sea bed, and start replanting.

Lucky Roo-kai saw us, says Carl-Botanist.

Double lucky, says Jean-Botanist.

Now we know what it's called,  says Carl-Botanist. 

Yes, seagrass, says Jean-Botanist. And we have proper sized samples. Gaius can't call us bad botanists.

They finish replanting.

They swim up to the surface each with one strand of seagrass.

They look for the Point Lowly Campgound, 

The dinghy is floating close to shore. Terence is on the sand, waiting.

He sees the dinghy.

And runs back up the sand.

Moments later Gaius and Denis come down to look at the dinghy.

Roo-kai appears in the sky heading towards them.

The cuttlefish botanists swim shorewards 

Yes

It all makes sense now.