Lara pressed her lips together firmly. She had already cried so much. But the tears still came, sometimes unexpectedly. “My daughter has leukemia. Her friends came to see her recently and told her about their field trip.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Alison said, her voice having dropped to a soft whisper.
The woman forced the next words out. “She…doesn’t have much time left.”
Alison placed a hand over her mouth and looked at DeeAnn.
“I’m here for her,” the mother continued. “She was wondering…we were wondering if we could arrange for a visit with your dolphins.” Lara was clearly struggling now. “Maybe a private visit? Sofia’s embarrassed of how she looks now, but she asked to see them…before it’s too late. If that’s possible.”
Alison dropped her hand and nodded. “Of course. Of course it is. We’d be happy to have her.”
“Thank you.” Lara smiled and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. “Thank you so much. Sofia loves dolphins. She’s wanted to come ever since you and your team arrived, but she’s been slowly getting worse. She doesn’t have much strength left. So her father and I are trying to make the rest of her time with us as happy as we can.”
Now all three of the women were near tears. They stepped in closer while Bruna placed a hand gently on the woman’s arm.
“How soon can you bring Sofia in?”
“Is tomorrow too soon?”
“Not at all.”
“Maybe ten o’clock?”
“That would be fine. We’ll make sure everything is ready.”
“Thank you so much. I can’t…” She stopped herself, unable to finish the sentence.
They each stepped forward and embraced Lara warmly one at a time. “You tell Sofia that we’ll all be waiting for her.”
Bruna then wrapped an arm around her and gently guided Lara back toward the double doors.
Alison and DeeAnn both looked at each other in silent amazement. They then glanced up, realizing Lee, Chris, and Juan were standing above them at the top of the stairs.
“I take it you heard all that?”
“We did.” They nodded solemnly.
“Can we count on your help tomorrow then?”
Chris smiled. “Hell, yes.”
From the inside of the tank, Sally watched Alison and the others speaking. They were talking quickly and for a long time. When it was over, the others disappeared, leaving only Alison, who remained staring at her and Dirk.
“Hello, Sally. Hello, Dirk.”
Sally answered as they both drifted effortlessly toward the tank’s glass wall. Hello Alison. How you?
“I’m good. Thank you. I need to talk to you about something.”
Outside, the computer beeped with an error when translating the last word. Alison shrugged. It didn’t matter. “I need to talk,” she repeated. Why IMIS had long been able to translate “need” and not “something” she didn’t understand. There were still a number of words the system couldn’t figure out and others it could. Of course now, given what Lee and Juan had discovered, there was no telling how deep IMIS’s translations went.
Yes we talk, answered Dirk.
“A young girl would like to come see you tomorrow. A child.” Alison thought for a moment and added, “She’s very sick.”
Why girl sick?
Alison frowned. She couldn’t think of a way to explain it. She knew IMIS didn’t have an exact match for the word “sick.” Instead, for the dolphins, the word IMIS translated it to was closer to “injury” but the context was close enough. “She’s been sick for a long time.” She hoped that would allow them to understand.
Girl come for talk?
“Yes. She’s very excited to talk to you and Dirk.”
We like talk her.
“She’s a very special girl. We want to make her visit special.”
They weren’t sure what Sofia would be able to do, but hopefully, with Dirk and Sally’s help, they were going to give her the experience of a lifetime. Even for one as short as hers.
7
When Sofia Santiago arrived at a few minutes past ten, everyone was ready, including Dirk and Sally. They both floated attentively at the end of the tank, watching as the small girl was wheeled in through the double-wide doors by her father.
Sofia looked frail in her chair, leaning slightly and wrapped in a light shawl. A beautiful pink and purple scarf was wrapped neatly around her head. Below the scarf, a set of warm brown eyes darted excitedly to Dirk and Sally on the other side of the glass. Her smile completed the picture of a beautiful young girl fighting bravely against a horrible disease. A girl who had a sickness, but the sickness clearly did not have her.
Alison and DeeAnn both stood beside the tank, amused that Sofia hadn’t yet noticed them. It wasn’t until her mother turned the wheelchair and introduced them that the girl’s eyes were peeled away.
“Well, hello there, Sofia.” Alison reached down and shook her delicate hand. “My name is Alison Shaw. We’re so very happy to have you.”
Sofia grinned. “I saw you on the TV.”
“Is that right? Is that how you found out about us?”
She nodded proudly.
“And this is my friend DeeAnn.”
“Hello, Sofia,” DeeAnn said, taking the girl’s hand next. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. We hear you’re crazy about dolphins. In fact, we have a gift for you.” DeeAnn brought something out from behind her back and unfolded it. It was a small T-shirt with a picture of Dirk and Sally on the front.
Sofia smiled and took the shirt with a, “Thank you.” She turned back to Dirk and Sally who were still floating in front of them. Her eyes opened wide when Dirk suddenly made a noise and bolted away. He quickly circled back and swam a tight corkscrew around Sally.
Alison laughed. “As you can see, Dirk likes to show off a little.”
Sofia watched excitedly from her chair as Dirk swam up and around the tank. All the while, Sally remained, floating gently in place and watching Sofia.
Alison looked to her father. “May I?”
Ricardo Santiago stepped out from behind the chair, allowing Alison to take his place. She leaned down over Sofia’s right shoulder and said, “We have something neat to show you. Are you ready?”
She grinned shyly and nodded. With that, Alison pushed the wheelchair forward and headed toward their observation room, the dolphins following alongside them in their long oval tank. As they moved along the wall, Sofia gingerly reached out and brushed her fingers against the cool glass. Sally, watching the girl closely from the other side, reached her fin out and brushed the same area of glass.
They reached the double metal doors and DeeAnn slid her card over the sensor. After she heard the loud click of the door unlocking, DeeAnn pulled one side open and held it for the others. One by one, they entered the larger room. There, Sofia and her family could see Chris, Lee, and Juan smiling and waiting for them near a large desk. The desk had been moved closer to the tank and had both a computer and large monitor sitting on top. Behind them the family noticed the high-definition cameras mounted at various points around the curvature of the tank. Thick but neatly tied cables ran from the apparatuses and converged into a larger bundle, which then ran the length of the room to the giant IMIS computer system against the far wall. The rest of the room was composed of more desks holding additional computers and equipment they didn’t recognize. To the right were two video cameras, side by side and pointed at the tank. Each at a different angle. Yet even with the extra desks and equipment, the room gave off an open, comfortable feel.
Chris bent down as they approached. “Welcome, Sofia. We’re very excited to have you here. My name is Chris. This is Lee and Juan. We all work together here at the center.” He glanced briefly at Alison before winking at her. “But Alison here is the boss.”
Sofia giggled.
Together, Chris and Alison eased her chair up to the desk. “Do you know what we do here that’s so special?”
&nb
sp; “You talk to dolphins.”
“That’s right. Would you like to talk to them?”
“Yes!”
Alison locked one of the wheels in place and bent down on the other side of Sofia.
“They’re very excited to meet you.”
Lee stepped around Alison and slid a small vertical microphone closer to Sofia before hitting a few buttons on the keyboard. “Just speak right into here. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“Are you ready, Sofia?”
She looked excitedly at her mother. “What should I say?”
Her mother laughed. “What happened to the million questions you had in the car?”
With one final keystroke, Lee nodded. “Okay. Go ahead.”
Sofia leaned forward. “Hello?” she asked. Unsure what to do, she turned back to Alison just as the whistles and clicks emanated through the tank’s underwater speakers.
Sally was still studying her and replied immediately. Hello. How you Sofia?
She gasped and looked at her mother again. “They know my name!”
Alison’s entire team smiled. There obviously was no translation equivalent for the name Sofia so they made one up. Similar to their own names, they created a manual translation in the database that was tied to a random set of clicks and whistles –– sounds the dolphins could repeat and IMIS would then associate with “Sofia.” And now, having her so excited that the dolphins knew her name made it more than worth the effort.
Finished with his display, Dirk glided in smoothly and stopped next to Sally. We happy meet you.
Sofia listened to the mechanized voice of each dolphin and watched their words simultaneously appear on the screen in front of her. “I’m happy to meet you too. Do you live here?”
Dirk bobbed his head. We live ocean. We come here. Eat much.
Alison laughed and turned to her parents. “If you’ve heard teenage boys could eat a lot, you should see a teenage dolphin.”
“They’re teenagers?”
“Yes. They were mostly grown by the time they came to live with us. But now they can come and go whenever they like. One thing we’ve learned is that they definitely don’t like to be in captivity.”
“What’s captivity?”
“It’s when we keep them in the tank all the time.”
Sofia thought a moment, still turned toward Alison. “Do any animals like it?”
“Mmm...We’re not sure about all animals. But I doubt it.”
The young girl frowned, but let it go. She spoke into the microphone again. “How far can you swim?”
Dirk responded again and thrust his tail forcefully, making a tight circle. Very far.
Everyone laughed. Only Lee and Juan noticed the quick change on the computer screen before the sound was heard. The actual translation was closer to “much far” but IMIS quickly corrected the grammar. Alison was paying more attention to Sally, who seemed quieter than usual. She simply remained, floating and studying Sofia in her metal chair. The girl was now grinning from ear to ear. “I can’t believe I’m actually talking to dolphins!”
Her mother and father smiled. Sofia asked another question just as Alison stepped away and pulled her parents to the side. She lowered her voice.
“Is it possible she can get into the water?”
8
Sofia eyed the clear blue water with a sense of both excitement and nervousness. It had been a long time since she’d been swimming, and she had been much stronger then. Her delicate arms were wrapped tightly around her father’s neck as he picked her gently up out of the chair and carried her in his arms.
Inside he was in agony, knowing the number of times he would get to hold Sofia was numbered. Soon he would yearn to do it just once more.
He loved the feel of her arms around him, clinging as they approached the edge of the tank. He stepped down into the water and onto a wide, shallow ledge at which point he carefully lowered Sofia onto the concrete lip. She immediately dropped her hands to balance herself while her father sat next to her, keeping an arm around her tiny waist.
Alison and Chris were also standing on the ledge smiling. Once Sofia relaxed, Alison took a step forward in the water. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
She nodded nervously.
“Good.” Alison softly patted one of Sofia’s hands. “We’re going to be right here next to you. Don’t worry.” Alison gave her another minute to relax before nodding to Lee and Juan, who brought some equipment forward and set it down.
Chris reached out and picked up the clear face mask. “Do you know what this is?”
“It’s a mask,” Sofia answered.
“That’s right. You said you used one before, right?”
“Yes.”
Chris turned it around so she could get a good look at it. The mask was a child-sized version of the one they normally used –– Lee and Juan had worked through much of the night to finish it for her.
Sofia took the small mask from Chris and examined it.
“Go ahead and put it over your face. You’ll see that you can breathe just as good.”
She looked back at the mask and moved the black oxygen hose out of the way. She pressed it into place and took a deep breath. “Wow,” she smiled. Apprehension was turning to curiosity. She promptly looked up at her mother and giggled.
“You want to dip your face in the water and try it?”
Sofia nodded and dunked herself. When she came back up, she was laughing from the inside of the glass.
“Just like the ones you wore before, right?”
“Yes. But nicer!”
Alison laughed with her. If little Sofia only knew.
Next, Lee and Juan laid a bundle down on the edge of the tank. It was a small oxygen tank wrapped in a floatation cushion with another dozen feet of tubing coiled on top. It was a simpler design used by many vacation resorts, allowing a swimmer to breathe underwater without the encumbrance of having to wear heavy scuba gear. Instead, the tank and regulator would float on the surface above the swimmer and follow as needed.
The team’s plan was to accommodate Sofia in the water at least enough to float with Dirk and Sally. They weren’t sure how much her illness would allow, but now an excited Alison found herself carefully explaining the precautions they would take to keep Sofia safe. She also tried to convey how much more exciting it was to both swim and talk with the dolphins at the same time. If at all possible, she and her team wanted Sofia to have that experience.
When Sofia pulled the mask away, her father looked at her softly. “Are you ready?”
Sofia glanced around, looking first at Alison and her team. Then she spotted Dirk and Sally, watching patiently nearby with their heads out of the water. She nodded at her father. Together they untied the scarf and pulled it gently off her small bald head.
The women continued smiling warmly at her, fighting back a sudden surge of tears. Without even looking, Alison was sure the guys were doing the same.
Sofia stared up at them nervously with her large blue eyes. She was so beautiful.
Chris never skipped a beat. He lowered his voice just above a whisper. “Are you ready to put it on?”
She nodded and tilted her head forward, allowing Chris to slide the soft straps over her head, pulling on each one until snug. He delicately moved his fingers around the edge of the mask, checking the seal.
“How does that feel?”
“Good,” she replied, her voice distorted.
“Still breathing okay?”
“Yes.”
“Excellent.”
Alison watched Chris next pick up a small weight belt. He snaked it gently around her waist and secured it in front. The swimsuit Alison had bought for her was a tad loose but still a close enough fit. Now that Sofia was comfortably breathing inside the mask, Alison reached out for her own gear.
Her Hollis unit was a rebreather. A redesign of the older scuba units allowing a radically more efficient use of its breathable oxygen. Even more important wa
s the ability to allow the diver to breathe almost silently underwater, compared to the older regulators which sent out waves of loud bubbles with every breath. Minimal noise or interference was critical for IMIS’s ability to translate accurately.
Alison smoothly clipped her buckles together in front and grinned at Sofia. Next, she pulled their waterproof vest over her front, turning so that Chris could secure it around her back. Finally, she pulled her own mask over the top of her head and wiggled it into place. She leaned forward, touching her mask gently against Sofia’s.
“Can you hear me?” she called out.
“Yes.”
“Are you scared?”
Sofia shook her head.
“Good,” Alison winked. “Nervous is okay. But if you’re scared we won’t do it, okay?”
“Okay.”
Alison took Sofia’s hand and helped her slide down onto her rear in the water. She then turned to the dolphins. “Sally. Dirk. Can you hear me?”
Their response was immediate. Yes Alison.
“Remember. Very slow. Okay.”
Slow, Sally replied.
Sloooow, Dirk repeated playfully.
Alison smiled and shook her head. He was such a boy.
Behind her, Dirk and Sally moved in and propped themselves on the tank ledge. Sofia leaned back apprehensively but slowly reached out to pet them each on the head. Their skin felt like wet leather. Smooth but almost spongy.
Sally lowered her nose and nuzzled affectionately against one of Sofia’s skinny legs.
Alison, still holding the child’s other hand, spoke loudly again through her mask. “Okay, ready?”
All she got was a nervous nod. With that, Alison fell into the water and quickly bobbed up, floating in front of Sofia. She gently pulled her small, delicate hand forward until Sophia slid in next to her.
Alison secured the girl with both hands. “Still okay?”
“Yes!” Sofia felt light again in the water. Like she used to before it became too hard to walk. “I’m floating!”
“Yes, you are.”
Alison guided her slowly away from the edge, watching Dirk and Sally wiggle back into the water. Together the pair began swirling around them, gently brushing as they passed.
Catalyst (Breakthrough Book 3) Page 5