by Peter Wood
‘Sonic, our dolphin friend, has requested time to invite his Earth relatives to a place in our ceremony.’
Without waiting for a response Akama turned again and started towards the beach. A murmur grew, and looking round, Wirrin took in some puzzled looks.
Well, they had no idea of Sonic’s capabilities, and Akama’s acquiescence to a request from a dolphin in regard to a traditional ceremony must be quite incomprehensible.
Wirrin gave Thom a nudge and said softly, ‘Akama’s just told them how important Sonic is and they don’t understand.’
‘They’re in for a shock if he starts speaking.’
They both smiled but were interrupted in their thoughts when the person walking just in front and a little behind Akama turned and gave them a curious look.
‘Excuse me, your voices carried on the breeze and I couldn’t help overhearing. The dolphin is important to Akama in more than a formal sense? And you seem to imply it can speak intelligently?’
Oops! Wirrin and Thom exchanged a grimace. Had they said too much? After a hasty contact with Turaku in retinal mode granted them permission to speak freely, Wirrin gave a nod and a friendly smile, wondering who he was talking to. He did have an important air about him.
‘That’s right. Sonic is so important that Akama came on this trip to help him … And he can speak better than any of us.’
‘Better?’
‘Believe it, my friend, and invite anyone still at the marine station to join us. My intuition tells me they should.’
The breeze was doing a good job of carrying voices because Akama was speaking. He sat on the sand and turned his head to stare at the bay.
Wirrin stared too, first of all at waves – real ones, building like giant ripples in the distance, then cresting and falling in the shallows with a rush and swirl on the sand. They weren’t very big, but there was something fascinating about them.
All the people, taking their cue from Akama, sat on the sand and watched expectantly. A soft questioning buzz rippled back and forth as people looked and wondered. Wirrin noticed Gulara talking quietly with the man who’d welcomed them. Several dolphin fins broke the surface near Sonic’s transporter then disappeared. Hundreds of metres away more shapes came into view, gliding directly inshore, going under then reappearing in the classic behaviour of a dolphin pod on the move. Thom’s head turned and Wirrin followed his look.
A stream of people was leaving the marine station, dozens of them and not far away from what Wirrin remembered was the access to the underground living areas an even bigger stream was appearing. There was a gasp of surprise and Wirrin turned to see dozens of pods coming from all directions. No, more than that. Scanning the distance he saw even more pods.
Thom grabbed Wirrin’s arm.
‘He’s getting them all.’
Not all, but it did look like it. It turned out that Sonic, aware of causing a delay, had called to dolphins within a radius of 4 to 5 kilometres.
‘How can he do that? They’ve never even met him.’
Wirrin was as amazed as Thom at the way the Earth dolphins were responding to Sonic.
‘Calen will tell us. He’s down there with him somewhere.’
‘I wish we were.’
Wirrin switched into retinal mode just long enough to query Turaku. He was zapping the external scene at the moment and didn’t like interrupting that.
‘We’ll see it all later, Thom. Turaku’s watching through the local surveillance units and he’s organised a guardian drone for Sonic and Calen.’
‘Calen’s got his own guardian? What a dingo!’
The man next to Wirrin, the same one, caught his attention. There was something about him that Wirrin liked.
‘I’m Wirrin and this is Thom. We’re Sonic’s friends.’
‘Thank you, Wirrin and Thom. My name is Narn. Your friend Sonic can control other dolphins as effectively as this?’
Wirrin smiled at Narn’s carefully chosen use of the word ‘effectively’, when he was clearly finding the evidence of his own eyes hard to believe.
‘It’s not control. He wouldn’t like that. He would have spoken to them and they’re coming because they want to.’
‘He communicates that well? I mean it’s obvious he can, but you make it sound like human conversation.’
‘Yes, I’m sorry, I was being too general. Your dolphins aren’t the same as ours. Sonic understands human speech as well as anyone. He doesn’t speak it himself because he produces sounds differently, but the translators do that perfectly for him. He communicates with other dolphins in the normal way, except his range of ideas and vocabulary is enormous. We talk to him every day so we just think of it as normal speaking.’
‘Every day? You have such a close association with him?’
‘Yes, Calen is closest though. He’s out there in the water with him now. We’re like his human pod. He comes to our home every night to relax and mess around.’
‘Mess around … as in youthful companionship?’
Thom and Wirrin both laughed.
‘Yes, but you could say dolphin companionship. He messes around with anyone he likes. When Akama was in our pool Sonic splashed and bumped him the same way he plays with us.’
‘Akama visits your home?’
The tone wasn’t quite disbelief, more like, ‘who are these boys to be visited by someone like Akama?’
‘Only once. To meet Sonic.’
‘He likes seeing you too, Wirrin.’
Thom and Calen had built up a theory that Akama was interested in Wirrin because they looked so alike when they were little children. Wirrin gave Thom a shooshing nudge and glanced at Akama, hoping he hadn’t heard. He was gazing at the bay with a slight smile.
‘Hey look, Thom! It’s Calen.’
With one hand holding the side of Sonic’s transporter for support, Calen surveyed the people on shore till their eyes caught. He raised his other arm for a quick wave then disappeared underwater again.
‘What a wombat! We really should be out there,’ said Thom.
Wirrin felt the same. Calen clearly wanted to share his excitement, but they couldn’t go. It would feel like they were pushing in when they hadn’t been asked. Wirrin turned to Narn, thinking he liked the sound of that name.
‘Calen goes with Sonic because they do nearly everything together and he can speak dolphin properly.’
‘Properly?’
‘Well, Thom and I know quite a few words, but we don’t say them right because we can’t make all the sounds. Calen can because he has special implants.’
There was a lengthy silence.
‘Wirrin, I don’t quite know what to say. You speak familiarly of a world I didn’t know existed. Do many people on Attunga speak to dolphins?’
Narn was overwhelmed by the idea of talking dolphins.
‘Not really. Calen’s the only one with real dolphin language and there aren’t many dolphins. Sonic’s the first one who speaks to everybody, but the others like to get to know you first. They mostly speak with their rangers and other dolphinarium people.’
Narn clearly wanted to say more but their attention was drawn to the water where two distinct pods, probably thirty or forty dolphins, were now active near the transporter only 20 metres away. Not far to the left was another pod, and close by another, and another.
Everywhere pods were milling, and further out innumerable pods were still approaching. A wondering silence settled on the humans at the astonishing sight. The whole ocean seemed to be full of dolphins.
Chapter 15
‘Earth, air, and sea!’
Akama’s voice rang loud and clear across the water, and Wirrin, standing with Calen, Thom and Sonic chest deep in the water by the transport module, listened to a symbolic call for Earth dwellers, sky dwellers and water dwellers to meet in this place that embodied those three fundamental elements so well. It was short and powerfully presented and everyone watched quietly, wondering what was to happen next.
; For Wirrin and Thom there had been an awkward but proud moment when Sonic and Calen had surfaced and called to them and they’d had to walk from the shore and stand with Sonic under the curious gaze of a crowd that now numbered several hundred people.
Akama finished and stood, waiting, his attention fixed on Sonic, who ducked under the surface. Standing right next to Sonic, Wirrin sensed the rapid transmission of sound as the message was translated in terms the gathered dolphins would understand. A multitude of dolphin heads lifted from the water and looked towards Akama, who raised his arm in formal acknowledgement.
From his low vantage point Wirrin’s view was limited to the dolphins close to the transport, but the effect was still incredible, hundreds of dolphin heads rose, all looking in the same direction and waiting. Burilda said that from the shore the great sea of faces gave her the uncanny feeling that every single one of them was looking directly at her. Akama motioned to the man who’d made the original welcome, and to Gulara as well, then walked with them into the water and towards Sonic.
Wirrin watched them approaching but his attention kept flicking to the nearby crowd of dolphins, their fixed smiles strangely overpowering en masse, and to Sonic whose body was vibrating with excitement and energy.
Sonic left the trio and whisked through the water to meet Akama and the representatives of Australia and Attunga. There was a burst of dolphin sound and Akama looked to Calen for its meaning.
‘It was a call of happiness at being in such a beautiful place and a thank you for the welcome.’
There was another burst of sound and suddenly Sonic’s translated speech resounded over the gathering.
‘Dolphins are excited to meet humans and be part of a ceremony.’
The trio jerked with surprise because Sonic needed to be in his transporter for the translator to work. Wirrin made hasty contact and said quietly, ‘Turaku’s collecting the sound and relaying it to the translator.’
Akama repeated the Welcome to Country, but this time, with the dolphins so prominently included, it felt even more important and moving. At the end Sonic’s amplified voice thanked Akama and invited all the people into the water. At first people were too surprised to respond but when Akama beckoned, that changed completely and all the watchers crossed the wet band of sand and waded tentatively into the water. Sonic disappeared, and two seconds later every dolphin followed, leaving the surface eerily deserted in contrast to the great gathering of a moment before. Calen dived as well, to hear what was going on, but reappeared in moments, shaking his head.
‘It’s chaos. They’re all talking at once and it’s too much sound for me to cope with.’
Sonic reappeared, and like magic the waters of the bay were again filled with myriads of dolphins.
The Earth representative, looking quite overwhelmed, was carried on Sonic’s back with crowds of dolphins accompanying them, while Akama asked people to spread themselves along the beach so there would be plenty of clear space for the dolphins to approach. People and dolphins mingled along several hundred metres of coastline. These dolphins were all used to human contact and their elegant body language and friendly bumps and nudges sent everyone’s spirits soaring.
Every person Wirrin could see was smiling. Certain dolphins, who turned out to be the pod leaders, approached first Sonic, then, after a short rapid exchange of dolphin speech, Akama, Gulara and the Earth representative. For twenty minutes dolphins and humans mingled, till the last pods headed out to deeper water.
Akama raised his arm in a formal gesture then waded towards the shore. As one, people all along the shore congregated to hear what he had to say.
Wirrin was struck with the way the people were following Akama’s lead. Calen stopped him. ‘We’ll have to find out what he says later. Sonic wants us with him. Jump in the transport because the dolphins are going out to deeper water.’
‘What’s happening?’
Calen pointed at the people gathering round Akama. ‘The same thing really. A big dolphin meeting so Sonic can explain everything properly.’
The transport zipped straight out into the bay, following the cruising form of Sonic for about a kilometre. Sonic stopped and the trio donned facemasks and dived to join him.
The first shock was the deeper water. The Attunga reaches were no more than 4 metres deep. The second shock was the number of dolphins. Sonic sank deeper and deeper with the trio following, and as they did a wall of dolphins closed round them till they were almost completely englobed. Wirrin understood why. They were in deeper water and Sonic was thinking in 3D. This way the maximum number of dolphins could see Sonic and the trio.
For the next forty minutes Wirrin wished for implants like Calen’s so he could hear more clearly. Ordinary human ears really don’t function very well under water. He sensed many things though, through his knowledge of dolphin body language and sounds – the presentation and identification of the trio as part of Sonic’s pod; the thrill of massed warning sounds when Sonic explained the deadly danger and the death of the earlier pods; an almost unbearable moment when the whole group expressed sadness and loss when Sonic made it clear they should leave their homes forever; and then a longer period of growing excitement as they heard what was in store for them.
Every five or six minutes the globe formation dissolved then reformed as every dolphin, following Sonic’s cue, surfaced for air, and once the trio had to return to the transport module to replace their masks.
Calen was very much involved, speaking directly to the dolphins and sometimes to Sonic, and occasionally swimming close to an individual who must have asked him something. Eventually there was a great swirl of motion and, as the dolphins dispersed, Calen headed for the surface. Back in the transporter he took a few deep breaths, then started towards the shore.
‘Wow! This is harder than I thought.’
‘Where are we going now?’
‘I’m taking you back to Akama.’
‘Us? What about you?’
‘I’m going with Sonic, Wirrin. We’ve got three more meetings – one near Faure Island, one in Denham Sound, and one up near Bernier Island.’
‘Why was it hard? You were amazing,’ said Thom.
Wirrin nodded vigorously.
‘They use the same words as our dolphins but it’s hard to understand them. It’s like they’re on different wavelengths. Sonic had to repeat some of what I said in a different way to get the meaning across properly.’
Wirrin wanted to ask zillions of questions but they were fast approaching the shore.
‘Calen, how come we’re not going with you?’
‘Akama wants you with him. There’s a delay with some dolphins arriving from North America and the dolphins won’t start loading into the Comet for another four hours. He’s taking you to visit Gnardune Springs.’
‘Sonic told you all this?’
‘Yes, Turaku has been keeping him updated about everything.’
Wirrin’s connections to the InterWeb and Turaku didn’t work while he was underwater. Sonic’s were designed to, as long as he was near his transporter or other specialised equipment.
‘Four hours? You won’t have time for three meetings.’
‘Yes we will, and we’ll be back in time for Sonic to talk to all the Monkey Mia people. Sonic’s transporter is too slow so we’ve got air transport.’
Of course they’d have air transport. Turaku would make sure Sonic had security wherever he went. Thom pointed. Sure enough, a big air transporter was approaching from somewhere inland of the marine station. No, not just one – four more came into view and accelerated at high speed in the direction of Faure Island. The first one passed almost overhead, moving relatively slowly and quite low. Calen brought the transporter to a halt at the water’s edge.
‘Quick! I have to get back with this transporter. They need it to move Sonic, and for Turaku to keep in contact when he’s underwater.’
Wirrin and Thom leapt to the sand and watched as Calen took off at great speed.
Wirrin laughed.
‘Yes, Thom, about half the speed you’d be doing.’
They watched a moment as Calen raced towards the big air transporter, which was now hovering near where they’d parted with Sonic, then swivelled to watch yet another air transporter, travelling very low and coming along the shore. All this open space. Things could happen from any direction.
The air vehicle settled close by and when a door slid open Gulara appeared, beckoning them aboard. Inside, as the air transporter lifted and accelerated, they joined Gulara and Akama along with Narn who smiled in recognition.
‘Narn tells me you’ve already introduced yourselves. He’s taking us to visit Akama’s home country.’
***
Akama turned to watch the display as the waters of the bay raced beneath them, his eyes fixed ahead on the dark band of green, which Wirrin knew was the course of his river. Everyone was quiet as the first silver sparkles of water appeared and rapidly enlarged, watching Akama as he stared with rapt attention.
Wirrin felt a lump forming in his throat, wondering what it would be like to return to a home you thought you might never see again.
Akama looked straight at him with a gentle smile, as if he knew his thoughts, and Wirrin couldn’t help smiling back.
The air transporter landed then departed, leaving the group of five in a clear area not far from the water, which Wirrin could see glistening through gaps between the scattered eucalyptus trees. Akama stood for a moment, looking all round, then pointed.
‘This way first. I want to show you something.’
As they walked Wirrin took in everything. It was like one of the enviro parks on Attunga, except it went on and on in every direction, with the wonder of the blue sky above, and the rich red of the sandy soil rough beneath their feet.
There was a sudden high-pitched screech and twittering and Wirrin whirled to catch a glimpse of flying green shapes disappearing into some high branches.
‘Lorikeets. There is quite a concentration of bird life along the river.’
Wirrin and Thom looked at each other. Calen was missing this. Well, at least he’d see the zapped version.