Passing a porthole on his way to the lab, Lev noticed that the sea outside their vessel was streaked with tar-like scars. Dark stripes, bleeding wisps of oil into the vast sapphire waters. Cursing under his breath, he dashed down the corridor to find Malik, his best research assistant.

“Have you seen all the fuel-surrogate floating around, contaminating the breeding ground?” Lev exclaimed as he entered the lab. “One of the Shell ducts from their damned subterranean networks must have broken.”

Malik smiled kindly. “Let’s hope it doesn’t interfere with our conservation program.”

“Sometimes I wonder…”

“What?”

“Well, if we’re wasting our time. If it’s too late.”

“The Squatina oculata aren’t critically endangered yet.”

“Not the sharks… I mean everything. Like we’ve missed our chance to fix it, to repent.”

“Lev-” Conversation stopped abruptly, as they heard glass break and metal tear apart from the other side of the vessel. Outside, the blood of their crew slowly stained the seas, as the ocean rebelled.