by Peter Wood
‘This place is amazing. There are nearly fifteen thousand dugongs there.’
‘What’s a dugong?’
‘A mermaid.’
Thom laughed – Calen must be pulling his leg – then looked at him strangely when he saw Calen was serious.
‘So?’
‘Dugongs are mammals – find an image for him Wirrin – and when they feed their baby they swim upright and hold it against their teats with their flipper. Sailors thought they were women with tails.’
That was interesting. Trust Calen to know something like that. The image appeared and set Thom laughing.
‘They thought those were women? Their faces look like an elephant with its trunk cut off.’
‘The sailors might have been drinking alcohol, Thom, and you’re cleverer than you think because they really are elephants. Well, they’re in the same superorder.’
Wirrin found a clip of a dugong swimming and set it going.
‘They’re as big as dolphins.’
The clip finished and Wirrin shifted the view to the south of Monkey Mia where another interesting feature was highlighted.
Stromatolites? What are they? A command brought up a picture of some lumpy-looking rocks.
‘Why are we looking at rocks?’
Calen nudged Thom in the ribs.
‘Because they’re alive.’
‘Living rocks? What!’
‘Thom, you need to do more biology studies. They’re one of the first living things on Earth! They put oxygen into the atmosphere. We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them. They’re cyanobacteria, and they bind together sand which eventually forms rocks. Amazing.’
For a few minutes they watched an explanation about these stromatolites and everything Calen had said was correct.
The boys absorbed themselves in exploring the islands, beaches and bluffs, and Calen pointed out the familiar heritage animals – eagles, kangaroos, goannas, and pelicans. Wirrin’s favourite was the echidna and they seemed to be everywhere.
Calen looked for his namesake, the sparrow-hawk, but they were very uncommon in the area.
‘There’s the big transporter,’ Thom said.
They turned to the main viewing screen.
‘What’s it doing? Is it landing in the ocean?’
It was big, really big, and it did look like it was landing, which was a puzzle because it was still 90 kilometres away. Burilda must have been keeping up to date with Turaku because she had the answers.
‘It’s not landing. It’s preparing for a drop of surveillance devices.’
The view moved closer and showed a smaller unit disengage from the big one, then another and another. A black mist trailed from the first smaller unit as it increased speed and headed south. The second smaller unit set a parallel course and started its own controlled release of surveillance devices. Twelve more units did the same, before the big transporter lifted and started speeding towards Monkey Mia. For the next hour the fourteen smaller transports systematically dropped their clouds of tiny devices, returning to the big transport several times to restock, till the total area of Shark Bay was covered. Wirrin brought up the data and turned to Thom because he liked big numbers.
‘Look at that. There’s nearly forty billion of them.’
‘They made all those in half an hour?’
It did sound impossible. Wirrin looked for more information.
‘It’s a standard robotics picofactory, Thom, and this job took priority.’
‘That’s a standard factory? The advanced ones must be amazing.’
Wirrin had a general understanding of robotics but hadn’t realised they were so capable and decided a study unit might be a good idea.
Data poured in from the minute surveillance devices as more and more were guided into position and came online. Every 90 metres there was a larger device in the water that controlled the behaviour of the smaller ones nearby. It gathered all the information they were sensing and retransmitted it to a receiver on the big transport craft at Monkey Mia for processing and storage.
‘What are you smiling for Burilda?’
‘The research centre there is going to be happy. They’ll have a database like they’ve never seen before. How long will the system stay in place for them?’
‘One week … And then everything is recalled and reclaimed.’
Wirrin thought about it. A database with forty billion units recording everything they were sensing in one of the planet’s special marine areas. No wonder Burilda was smiling.
The main screen changed to a view of the whole area with hundreds of little markers dotted randomly across the ocean.
‘It’s the dolphin screen. It’s showing the exact position of every single one of them.’
‘How many?’
‘Hmm, 784. See those green numbers near Monkey Mia? They’re the targeted ones. The rest are wild.’
All the dolphins would have to be protected, as previous attacks had targeted without any discrimination. Monkey Mia worked closely with twenty-seven dolphins and not quite so closely with another forty-five.
‘Burilda, we should eat as soon as we dock. There’s an hour and a half before the craft from Exmouth arrives and after that we’ll be keeping watch.’
Once they were back on Attunga, Burilda led the way to one of the dolphinarium food centres where Calen and Wirrin appointed Thom to do all the ordering because he had a knack for knowing what would taste best. Three-quarters of an hour later Gulara and Burilda were joining the chorus of appreciation when Gulara suddenly fell silent.
‘We need to get back to the tech room.’
‘Has something happened?’
‘Yes, but not on Earth. Our Witnesses have been watching everything of course, but Akama wants to be involved first-hand and he’s waiting for us.’
Everyone froze.
‘Akama?’ Calen’s voice expressed the astonishment they all felt.
‘Yes.’
Akama was the oldest Witness, the first Witness, and the most universally recognised person on Attunga, and the prospect of seeing him in person was not something Wirrin, Thom and Calen had ever even considered. They were stunned.
Gulara gave a reassuring smile. ‘There’s nothing to be nervous about. He’s easy to talk to.’
‘You’ve spoken to him?’
‘Yes I have, Thom. Several times in conference but when I started my training we met personally, and he’s contacted me a number of times recently.’
Conferencing meant by holo.
‘Were the recent contacts about the dolphins?’
‘And your trio.’
‘Us?’ That was a startling thought.
‘Because of your association with Sonic of course, but he has a personal interest as well.’
Gulara led the way in quite a hurry and a couple of minutes later they re-entered the tech room. Wirrin’s first impression was of distinctive white hair and ebony skin until Akama turned from the screen and smiled.
‘Welcome to my place.’
Everyone responded, and Wirrin, caught by the strength of personality and rather awed, watched those dark eyes survey everyone in turn then settle on his own.
‘Wirrin, the dark featured one. My brother returns.’
He moved close, extended his arm and rested his hand on Wirrin’s head. Was it some kind of special greeting? Not knowing how he should respond, Wirrin stood, quietly wondering for five or six seconds, till Akama removed his hand. He moved to Gulara and in a formal, traditional greeting, they grasped each other’s wrists.
‘Gulara, introduce me to the rest of your companions.’
As Gulara said their names, Akama repeated the wrist clasp with Burilda, Thom and Calen and then, surprisingly, with Wirrin. The hand resting on his head must have been something different.
‘So, I finally meet our notorious trio, our catalyst for change.’
Notorious? Finally? Catalyst? Wirrin’s mind whirled as he tried to put meaning to the words. Well, he
didn’t mean anything bad, because the smile he had when he saw them first had brightened so much that everyone was smiling back.
‘Calen, dolphin boy, tell me about Sonic. Is he really as friendly as all the reports say?’
Calen’s eyes lit up and for the next five minutes he excitedly answered all the questions he was asked.
Wirrin watched. Akama was different. He looked old and that was very unusual, as most people preferred to keep themselves looking young. Akama brought Thom into the conversation, asking him about his organic studies and his interest in flying different craft, and then it was Wirrin’s turn.
‘Tell me about your gift for information technology. Have you always had it?’
‘Um … it’s not really a gift. I’m just interested and I’ve done lots of courses.’
Thom and Calen laughed.
‘It’s a gift, Akama. He was playing with databases before he even started Basic Training.’
Akama nodded. ‘Yes, I’m sure it’s a gift. To come up with an idea the AIs didn’t consider must involve more than training and expertise.’
Wirrin started to say it was a fluke but on the big screen a yellow light was flashing in the Indian Ocean to the west of Shark Bay.
‘What is it?’
Wirrin found the right link.
‘There’s a query about a sea-craft there. It seems legitimate but the AIs are making a closer check because it’s moving towards the northern end of Dirk Hartog Island.’
Dirk Hartog Island was a long thin island forming a natural barrier between the Indian Ocean and the waters surrounding Peron Peninsula, which in turn sheltered Shark Bay. At the northern end was Naturaliste Channel, and beyond that open water.
Wirrin scanned for more information. ‘There are fifty-seven sea-craft in the critical observation area. Thirty-five are in the bay and the rest are in the Indian Ocean. Most of them are regular or permanent but there are five vessels new to the area in the last twenty-four hours, and that includes the flashing one.’
The view changed and zoomed to an aircraft flying over. It was moving south to north and the data said it was a regular passenger flight. The view switched to a different aircraft, a large pleasure ship, and then back to the craft under investigation. The yellow light was no longer flashing.
‘They’re not querying that craft anymore and the others are standard checks on anything in the area.’
There was an exchange of looks as everyone relaxed.
‘How long before the assistance from Exmouth arrives?’ Akama asked.
Wirrin wondered briefly why, yet again, adults assumed he would be the one to access information.
‘Twenty-six minutes. It’s due to take off nine minutes from now.’
This was much more exact than the earlier forecasts.
‘Seventeen minutes travel time for 430 kilometres? That’s fast through an atmosphere.’ Thom was in his element.
‘It’s going to be a spectacular trip. There’ll be a sonic-boom and anyone in its path on the surface will wonder what’s hit them.’
‘They’ll fly over the ocean and I’m sure they’ll transmit a warning.’ Gulara was making sense but Thom brought up an interesting point.
‘If they transmit anything it might warn the wrong people.’
Akama spoke. ‘You like the idea of help arriving on wings of thunder don’t you, Thom? It’s a striking image, which I rather like myself. I’m sure that all necessary precautions were taken and the aircraft has reached Monkey Mia.’
With a little mental jolt Wirrin realised Akama was right. Despite its seeming immediacy, everything they were seeing was really twenty-seven minutes in the past. It was quite reassuring to think that at this very moment the defensive picobots must have started a rush from Monkey Mia to the dolphins.
Akama turned to Burilda. ‘How are our dolphins reacting to what’s happening on Earth? I understand they know what’s going on.’
‘Much more positively than we are. Evidently they’re confident that Turaku will fix everything. Calen understands them better than anyone and that’s his interpretation.’
Calen nodded when Akama glanced at him for confirmation and then spent some time explaining the dolphin’s different way of looking at things.
‘Does Sonic fit the same pattern?’
‘Yes and no. Basically he’s the same, but sometimes I can tell he’s modifying his natural instincts and I think it’s because he understands so much more than the others. Sonic is very complicated and I never really know what he’s going to surprise me with next. He’s way smarter than I am.’
‘He’s smarter than all of us, and he’ll stay that way unless we try a similar enhancement technique for ourselves. But what sort of things does he surprise you with?’
‘Well, a couple of weeks ago he started reading, and last week he suddenly got interested in music.’
Akama looked thoughtful.
‘Music? Do you mean dolphin music? I know they have communal sounds which fulfil similar functions to our music.’
‘No, human music. He’s known dolphin music since he was tiny.’
‘Human music is a broad definition. What type of music does he like to listen to?’
‘He loves it all. You should see how excited he gets with some of the more complex music – old classical pieces, jazz …’
‘And how interested is he? Does he spend much time on it?’
‘He must. I’m only with him for one and a half hours each day and we’ve got too many things to fit in, but we use half an hour for music every time.’
Use? Wirrin wondered why Calen hadn’t just said listen, but decided he’d ask later what he meant.
‘Music currently involves more than fourteen hours of Sonic’s day,’ Burilda said. ‘This behaviour, where he immerses himself till he reaches a level of competency and understanding that satisfies him, is one of his strongest patterns.’
‘Fourteen hours? As much as that?’
‘Six of those hours are passive listening, Honoured One, while he’s alternating between left and right brain sleep.’
‘Sonic is using sleep time to listen to music? I understand how left brain right brain sleep is a natural dolphin mechanism to prevent drowning, but does it let him remember what he’s heard when he wakes up?’
The significance of Akama’s question was just dawning on Wirrin when Burilda answered.
‘Yes it does, except when he’s logging.’
‘Logging? I don’t know that term.’
‘It’s the deepest form of dolphin sleep where one side of the brain is switched off and the other functions minimally. It’s called logging because they often float in the one place with hardly any movement. The other form of sleep still switches off left brain and right brain alternately, but there is much more activity in the conscious side, with awareness of their environment and enough control for basic synchronised movement with other dolphins. Sonic’s level of awareness has been improving recently and we think that will continue till he’s just over two years old.’
‘Does he ever seem lonely?’
Burilda and Calen looked at each other in surprise.
‘Never. He acts like the happiest dolphin on Attunga. What do you think, Calen?’
‘I think the same. Puck and Flute are always with him, the rest of the pod is never far away, and there’s always interaction with the other pods as well.’
‘I wasn’t thinking of physical loneliness. He’s unique in his abilities and has no like mind to meet with. The AIs are too different.’
The trio had talked about this a great deal so Wirrin knew what Calen would say.
‘It’s not an issue, Honoured One, and Sonic says it won’t be. He understands how he’s been enhanced and the possibility that something serious could go wrong. He says if it does then he won’t know about it and it won’t matter, and if it doesn’t then it’s only another four years till there are more dolphins like him.’
Akama smiled and rested a hand o
n Calen’s shoulder.
‘Forget the ceremonial address, Calen. We’re gathered as a like-minded group to watch the resolution of a nasty situation and it’s a delight for me to share this company. Now, if Sonic were a human I’d be reverencing him for his wisdom, but from what you’ve been saying a strong element of this viewpoint is part of his nature?’
‘Yes, but he is wise too.’
‘I wonder what he’ll be like when he’s an adult? Wirrin, bring up the Shark Bay area on your holo and move to Burringurrah country in the north-east.’
A holo of Shark Bay sprang into view and Wirrin quickly shifted the focus to the north-east. Burringurrah was unfamiliar to him, but it was clearly labelled and with a slight adjustment it was centred.
‘Good. Change to topographical and zoom in on the river.’
The river was obvious, a big one flowing to Carnarvon on the coast.
‘That’s it. Now go to Gnardune Pool.’
Rich red sand bordered an expanse of clear water, with a scattering of gnarled and ruggedly striking trees stretching along the shore.
‘It’s beautiful isn’t it? It’s my place. I was born there 119 years ago.’
Everyone stared at the holo, now focused on one of the bigger trees, and Wirrin thought, surely Akama must mean somewhere nearby? There were no buildings.
‘My people had a cultural centre there and we stayed for five weeks each year for traditional reasons. When I was seventeen the buildings were removed and we returned the whole area to its natural wild state.’
‘You lived there? Under the open sky?’
‘Yes, Thom. For that five weeks. The rest of the year we lived a normal life in underground communities like everyone else on the planet.’
‘What’s open sky like? … Is it scary? It is for me when I try it in virtual.’
‘It’s never scary. You don’t even think about it till it’s not there. It’s wonderful.’
‘What about lightning? You must have seen that too … Like Gulara?’
‘Of course. I’ve seen all the weather we simulate in different ways on Attunga so people won’t forget – rain, wind, thunder, lightning, hail, snow – and the effects of weather – floods, droughts, blizzards, cyclones, rainbows.
