[Gpdd] [Virtual] Fair Winds and Following Seas Chapter 5 The Sidney Aquarium Incident

[Sandra Oliver-Poore]

Merlin was the first to notice something amiss when he saw a crew emerge from beneath the huge structure, their furtiveness tipped him off. What to do? He wasn’t sure; all the piggies had gone on ahead and were now inside the aquarium visiting the many creatures. 

He dove under the building a found that the zodiacs had been turned into floating bombs. He eyed the timers, so little time! He flew to the top of the aquarium and let out a series of calls hoping to catch the ears of the piggies who had gone in different directions, maybe the guard piggies on the Pearl would hear. The first to hear was AR; he started squirming until Chip finally opened his cloak and listened. Chip changed direction and angled toward the Aquarium at a run. Only a couple of pelicans were close enough but they came swooping toward the Aquarium. 



Merlin was frantic, his worst nightmare was to be trapped inside a strange building but he swallowed his fear and entered, looking everywhere. But where were the piggie pirates, every where all over the huge building. Who could he find but only baby Bosworth and Rafferty and the elders Annie and Alexandra?  He chattered his distress until they understood something was wrong so they followed, Merlin high above, the piggies darting between people on the floor. Humans pointed at the unlucky bird trapped indoors; the humans never noticed the piggies dashing beneath their feet.  Along the way they found Mimi who had her cutlass tucked in her sash and GingerPuff the newest piggie pirate.  



Merlin got to the huge doors first but how to get out with the piggies? The people were packed like sardines themselves, the piggies could be crushed underfoot; Merlin could be trapped between automatic doors. Help arrived in the form of the pelicans who rushed the doors causing them to all open and bravely entering the vestibule, their huge wings caused the people to fall back giving the piggies and brave cockatiel room to get out. They escaped and ran toward the steps leading under the buildings. The pelicans took off to find the picnicking group and guard piggies on the Pearl. Only Merlin knew how little time there was but he couldn’t stop to tell the pelicans not to bring more piggies to the aquarium, into danger. 



Then luck graced the little crew, AR arrived just ahead of Chip and they caught up with Merlin. The elder ladies were totally out of breath and halted too. Chip took charge; he sent the ladies back in to the building to find more of the piggie pirates to help.



If the zodiac boats blew, the explosion would not only bring down the huge aquarium it would loose the millions of gallons of water over the entirety of The Rocks, the peninsula that housed the Aquarium on one side and the Opera House on the other. Conceivably the water could rush over the paved old town and sweep into the crowds at Hyde Park and the Royal Botanic Gardens adjacent to the Opera house and packed with people gathering for the fireworks display, a potential catastrophe.