{F-3-B#1}

“I need to tell you why I came to get your help,” Toby says. “As a human, you probably don’t know this, but every coral reef has a government, and there is a council of representatives from every reef in the world.”

“Wow! I didn’t know that. Are you a representative?” you ask.

“Actually, I represent the Coral Sea Confederation,” Toby says, proudly. “The entire council meets once a year to make decisions for the world’s oceans. At the last meeting, the President, Dr. Volitan, proposed a plan that most of us thought would be harmful to the oceans and to humans.”

“To humans?” you ask.

“Yes and we were opposed to it,” Toby replies. “Then this past week, Dr. Volitan called a special meeting to address the issue. On my way to the meeting, I came across something I’d never seen before. They were mutated pearls. I decided to pick one up and take it with me, which made me late for the meeting.”

“How was it mutated?” you ask.

“Bikini Atoll was the site of nuclear testing in the 1940’s and 50’s so maybe that did it,” Toby explains. “When I showed up to the Council meeting I noticed that some of the most powerful representatives were not there and that everyone else was in agreement with Dr. Volitan.”

“Were the other representatives late like you?” you ask.

“That’s what I thought at first, but then I noticed that as Dr. Volitan discussed what to do next, the pearl started to vibrate, and I almost dropped it,” Toby said. “I couldn’t believe what Dr. Volitan was suggesting, and even more mind blowing was that everyone else agree with him. He was somehow controlling their minds, and I think the pearl was protecting me.”

“Where is the pearl now?” you inquire.

“I hid it at the bottom of the reef and as I did, I saw some mutated fish guarding a cell with all of the missing representatives locked inside,” Toby says. “I left to find help, that’s why I found you.”

You say:

“Maybe we should try to free the representatives. There is safety in numbers.” {F-4-A}

“Let’s get the pearl and then stop Dr. Volitan from controlling everyone’s minds.” {F-4-B}