Chapter 4, Page 16
Dr. Aktin’s Personal Notes
Entry 40-233
One of the more unexpected results that we’ve discovered in Subject 37 is a visible steam-like discharge that sporadically emits from its mouth. I believe this happens when the creature feels threatened. In Subject 37’s abdomen we’ve located two small chambers, one holding hydrogen peroxide and another containing a hydroquinone enzyme. One of the only examples in nature I can liken this to is the bombardier beetle, which possesses similar compounds in its stomach. When endangered, the beetle empties the two chambers into a connected ‘combustion chamber’ to produce toxic benzoquinone. Fortunately, early tests have revealed that no harmful toxic traces have been found in Subject 37, but it does appear that the hydrogen peroxide decomposes in its stomach, oxidizing the hydroquinones into p-quinones. The result is a release of oxygen, generating enough heat to produce an oral “steam” discharge. Further testing will be required before I can be certain if this is, in fact, what we are seeing.
–Dr. Aktin
Danger Zone One. Story by Midnight. Art by Salaiix.
So it sounds like Godzilla?
What kind of idiot genetically engineers a bulletproof landshark?
Without knowledge of a weak spot to aim at, ordinary police ordnance is only going to piss it off.
Which I think it did.
Best tactic would be to shoot out the eyes, but sharks also have an “electric” sense that would guide it to a moving metallic object.(Great White sharks have been known to attack bronze propeller blades.)
Bronze is copper (a known electrical conductor) and tin (I have no idea how well tin conducts electricity) in a viscous fluid at relatively low velocities. A bullet may or may not be encased in copper, and the muzzle velocity of even a .22 is much faster than a propeller in water. It’s also traveling in a gas instead of a liquid, which reduces the amount of particles that the bullet is hitting. Overall, the shark’ll be hit before it senses the bullet coming and can react.
I wasn’t thinking of sensing moving bullets. I was thinking of sensing moving people carrying conducting objects and the fact that at close range the shark can attack an active nervous system.
In other words, blinding it might not do much good.
Ah. My mistake. In one sense (pun not intended) you’re right, they can track using the ampullae of Lorenzini, but there’s a huge issue. The skull behind the eyeball is notoriously weak. I’m assuming a bony skeleton due to the fact that it has to manage on land, and a cartilaginous skeleton doesn’t work very well on land. So shooting for the eye would do far more than simply blind. The big question from there is, would the bullet hit anything important? It IS possible to live with a gunshot to the brain, a pencil in the brain, even a steel pipe (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phineas_Gage). If it manages to hit the brain stem, though, I hear the melodious voice of Shao Khan proclaiming Fatality.
If its similar bone/soft tissue compostion as most marine life or terrestrial species you’re just plain wrong here. Even a hippo or polar bear will be severely inconvenieced by multiple large caliber handgun rounds (which remember Wynter is running) to the neck and head in quick succesion. Not immedieately fatal perhaps but defininetly not something it can just shrug off. For reference 44 mag is a pretty common back up bear gun for guides and other outdoorsy types in alaska and canada.
Now that said obviously it wont work cause we wouldn’t have a story but her logic at least is fairly sound
I’m reminded of the fight between Hulk and Ironman in “Age of Ultron”.
Hulk: {spits out a tooth…gives evil grin}
Tony: {realizing just how deep in it he is} “I’m sorry.”
Man do those guns ever actually work? Because it seems every time they use them they’re well…useless.