The coastguard’s radios buzzed with debate. Some demanded aggressive tactics—nets, sonar, anything to force the whale open. Others argued for restraint, insisting the creature’s behavior wasn’t predatory. The standoff became as much human against human as man against nature.
Nathaniel closed his eyes, listening. The pod’s vibrations resonated deep within his chest, a chorus of intent. It dawned on him: they weren’t just protecting him from predators—they were protecting him from themselves, from the chaos of their feeding and movement. He was fragile, and they knew it.