“Ton, I don’t know how to ask. What are swirls? What do they mean?”
He snorted, gently grabbing her arm and pulling her with him. He rolled on his back and she rubbed his chest and stomach, following his body as he rolled to his stomach and she stroked the length of his back. Swirls. Response to physical contact? It wasn’t the overwhelming bombardment of the image that she experienced with the pack. Maybe the multiple minds contacting hers at once produced the electrical current to activate the CNS.
“Let’s get back. I have some ideas,” she said, hopping on his back and holding the dorsal as he sped to the lab.
Michael was approaching the tank as she arrived exactly one hour later. “Good swim?”
“Yeah! Ok, I think I know what’s going on.”
“It’s not going to happen. Period. Discussion ended. One more word about it and I go to Scott.”
“That’s not fair!”
“Lower your voice. You have to trust me when I tell you it’s something we need to let go.”
“How can you call yourself a scientist when you are so afraid of learning something new?” she shouted, her eyes flashing. On impulse, she kicked his shin. Then froze. She had never struck him out of anger before. “Michael… I’m sorry.”
“I am calling Scott over here,” Michael said, his voice calm and low. He didn’t even act like the kick was noticed.
“Scott is a physicist and would not appreciate the neurosensory impulsing! No, please… shit,” the girl grumbled as her brother picked up the phone and called their uncle. She was fuming. How dare he snitch on her like she was a child?
“Can this wait until we get home to discuss it?” Scott was asking.
“That’s up to you. She’s being defiant during work, about work and refuses to follow my decision. She’s being completely insubordinate.”
“I’ll be there in 20 minutes,” Scott sighed, closing his eyes. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with bickering. He had a headache, was tired and HQ was breathing down his neck about the upcoming CG inspection.
Michael turned around to inform his sister of their uncle’s arrival and saw she had left without a word to anyone. The tank areas were clear and she did not respond to her transmitter. He bristled, waiting for Scott.
The girl swam deep within the center of the dolphin pod and allowed them to block Michael’s perception of her. They sense her anger and sadness, and tried to ease her pain by stroking and rubbing against her body. She vented verbally to them, distraught by the lack of respect her beloved brother had for her as a scientist. The pod seemed to understand the raw emotion, and began to image swirls into her mind.
They were much different that the whale’s swirls, smaller, gentler and softer. She felt herself relaxing and starting to float without trying to stay upright. The pod pressed against her, soothing and stabilizing her body as she relinquished all control. Their whistles and squeals became voices, like patterns of speech sung to a melody of tones unknown to mankind. It was beautiful, the song. A lullaby they sang only for her. She felt the ache in her heart go away as it was replaced by peaceful contentment and tranquility. Slowly the song quieted.
The girl awoke on the shoreline just outside her home. She shook her head as she tried to clear it from the fog. How did she get here? What happened? What time was it? She tried to stand, but her legs refused to cooperate. She remained on her back in the sand as she blinked at the sky. She guessed it to be around 5:30. The sun was just starting to set and warmed the blue sky with prints of every color. When was the last time she watched the sunset, she wondered.
Her transmitter buzzed somewhere in the distance. It blended with the crashing waves and cries of gulls. A shadow blocked her view and outlined a tall, broad-shouldered man. He leaned over her and she could see his lips moving, but her mind was still filled with the song. It was so beautiful.
She was gently lifted and carried closer to the sunset, but was unable to wrap her arms around his neck as he cradled her closely. She felt safe and warm, resting the side of her head against his neck. She knew who he was. He made her heart sing, like the dolphin song. But the song still permeated her thoughts. Sam was placed on a soft couch, facing away from the sunset. No! I want to see the sunset! Her lips mouthed the words, but no sound came out.
Far away, she heard a low, soft voice. She couldn’t tell what it was saying. It wasn’t like the song, but still had a feeling of sensual beauty. She loved that voice. As long as she could remember, it was there. She felt the fog lifting slowly, becoming more aware of her surroundings and the large, calloused hand holding her own.
“Hey, are you with me yet?” Michael questioned, watching her face. He glanced at the clock, wondering what was taking his father and Scott so long to get home. He had called them an hour ago to let them know he had found his sister.
“Michael?” Sam whispered, slowly looking over at him. “What happened?”
“Are you okay? You need to tell me where you’ve been. I’ve been worried sick.”
“How did you find me?” she asked, slowly sitting up with his help.
“I finally felt you when I got home. Splasher sent me images to go to my pod. Do you remember anything? You seemed to have a concussion, but I don’t see any bruises.”
“Is she all right?” Dr. Quimby demanded, racing into the house, followed by Scott. He was on the floor next to the couch in seconds.
“She seems to be okay. I’m worried she might have hit her head or something,” Michael said, moving out of the way for Scott.
“Baby, what happened? Is your transmitter working? We’ve been looking for you all afternoon,” Scott clutched her hand as Dr. Quimby examined her.
“Honey, you need to be truthful. Did you take any drugs of any kind?” Dr. Quimby asked gently, peering into her eyes.
“No, Sir. Nothing,” she said quietly, studying his face. She lifted her hand to trace his cheek, noticing some lines forming. “You are so handsome. Did I give you these?”
Her father placed his hand over hers, bringing her palm to his lips and kissing it. “A few. What happened to you?”
“I don’t really remember. There was a song. It was pure heaven. I hear it, but I can’t sing it. It made me sleep.”
“Where did you hear it?” Scott asked softly, rubbing her leg. She smiled at him and he flinched. Something was different.
“You are so handsome, too. Your eyes, they penetrate my soul,” she whispered, locking her gaze on him.
“Honey, we need to know what happened,” her father said. He also sensed a change. He looked at his son. “Mike? Do you feel any different? I’m freaking out here.”
Michael nodded. He knew. He always knew. “I think she was completely integrated into the dolphin pod. She may have allowed the full convergence without fighting it, making her one of them. If so, she’s higher than a kite right now and I have no idea when she’ll come down. I told her I didn’t want her to do this because of the endorphin response. It’s instantly addicting.”
“Her pupils are dilated, vitals very low, slow CNS response, it’s almost like she’s on a narcotic,” Dr. Quimby said. “What is this song she’s talking about?”
“I don’t know, maybe a hallucination?”
“No, not a hallucination. It’s very real,” the girl said dreamily, allowing her father to lay her back down. “You can feel it in every pore, every nerve ending. It vibrates through you and becomes part of you.”
“Do you still feel it now?” Scott asked, standing.
She shook her head sadly. “No, but I remember how it felt. I have never felt more peaceful and happy. Everything that hurt went away.”
“How about if you take a little nap, okay?” her father kissed her forehead. “We can talk some more when you wake up.”
“Ok, Daddy. I love you,” she murmured, closing her eyes.
Dr. Quimby gestured to Scott and Michael to go outside to the deck. Closing the glass door behind him, he walked to the rail. “What is going on
, Mike? Spill it.”
“She took off right after I called Scott. We had been arguing about this integration thing. She wanted to study it more. I wanted to trash it, with good reason. You see what happens. She’s not hurt, but it changes something inside you. I can’t explain it but it makes you want to keep going back and experiencing it. Remember the dolphin sex thing? That’s part of what they feel when they are content or, from a cetacean perspective, in love.”
“Why would she be so insistent on revisiting it? What purpose was she looking for?” Scott asked.
Michael sat on the railing. “That’s what we were fighting about. She said I think like a physicist and not like a scientist. She wanted to see what cultural benefit there was to this… thing.”
“Son, I love you more than the world, you know that,” Dr. Quimby said, noticing his son’s distress. “You are who you are. You aren’t going to change that any more than she is. I must say, though, that you can be a bit stubborn at times and forget that science isn’t always about measurement and fiddling with dials.”
“Are you saying it’s my fault she took off?”
“No, not at all, that is her responsibility. What I am saying is I’d like you to try to open yourself up to her thoughts and ideas a bit more before you pass judgment. Come here,” the man sat on a bench, patting the space net to him.
Michael sat as his father wrapped a strong arm around his shoulders. “I’m a physician and a research scientist. My world is medicine, chemicals, and biological studies. Scott, like you, regards the world around him as a series of dials, numbers and things he can blow up.” Dr. Quimby smiled affectionately at his brother-in-law. “I remember Scott fiddling with everything he could get his hands on since we were kids, just like you did. And, like you, he wasn’t always able to put things back together. When things didn’t work the way his mind thought they should, he would get pissed. Like you. Your sister, however, is more like me in how she views her work. She’s a healer. She wants to find ways to make things better, to understand and become part of life around her. Do you understand what I’m trying to tell you?”
“Yeah, I’m being an uptight asshole like Uncle Scott,” Michael said, hiding a smile.
Scott snorted. “I’m not uptight.”
Dr. Quimby grinned, hugging his son close. “I can’t tell you enough how proud I am of you or how much I love you. I just would like you to stop limiting your own potential by becoming overly set in your ways. Now, put on your thinking cap, my boy. What do dolphin and whale pods have that we don’t? Look through your sister’s eyes.”
Michael thought for a moment. “Peace. No war, no violence, no greed or power struggles. There is no disease, either. They live life like a well-loved child, free from worry, cares, fear or anxiety, knowing they are safe within their community,” Michael said quietly.
His father nodded. “I suspect that this is one reason they chose you two. You were raised in an environment like that and know what love is. They connect with that. It also explains their confusion when you are in your military roles.”
“Because it’s the opposite of whom we are inside. Wow. When did you get to be so smart?” Michael asked, hugging his father back.
“When he moved in with me,” Scott responded, squatting in front of his nephew. “I hate having to say he’s right because his ego is already out of control, but he’s right. You and I need to start giving our girl more credit for her ideas and try to work with her instead of against her.”
“Ok, with that settled, let’s talk about today. She was pissed and frustrated, but should not have taken off. We need to know if she intentionally ignored her transmitter or was physically unable to hear or respond to it,” Dr. Quimby said, crossing his legs as he sat back on the bench.
“It was really strange, too, that I couldn’t sense her at all until I got home. And that was because Splasher sent me. I found her on the beach head near where we dock.”
“So you got none of that feel for her when you were out?” Scott asked.
Michael shook his head. “She was completely blocked. I knew instinctively that she was okay, but still couldn’t feel her presence like I’ve always been able to.”
“Maybe when she comes down from her high, she can explain some things. In the meantime, why don’t you go get cleaned up and I’ll start dinner,” Dr. Quimby said standing and yanking his son to his feet.
“One question,” Michael asked. “Is she in trouble?” Both Scott and Dr. Quimby nodded. Michael sighed. So what else was new?
Chapter 13
Sam woke to sunlight in her face the next morning. She was in her brother’s room with his heavy arm protectively wrapped around her waist as he slept soundly. She frowned. He only held her like this when there were nightmares that he had to chase away after she crawled into his bed, crying and demanding protection. What happened yesterday? What day was today?
“Saturday,” Michael murmured, rolling onto his back. Did she ask that aloud? She sat up slowly, rubbing her temples. It all came back to her—the pod, the song, taking off after their fight, the clouded memories of her homecoming. Carefully, she crept into her room where she changed from her sweats into a bathing suit and then headed downstairs.
The cold ocean water was refreshing and sharpened her senses to bring her into the present. She swam out of the private inlet into the ocean and waited patiently for Ton to arrive. The little chill that trembled through her was comforting and told her that she was in balance. She saw Ton’s dorsal break the surface a few yards away and braced herself for his greeting. His snout caught her bare feet from below and rocketed her straight up into the air for a high dive. He then joined her, rubbing his side against her body. Swirls. He was content.
“Ton, the weirdest thing happened yesterday,” she said, talking aloud to her companion. He flashed images at her, noting his disapproval of the extent in which the pod touched her and deemed it too much for a calf. He was then concerned if she had her tail flukes bitten. She hugged him, telling him not yet, but would probably have to face her bull for leaving the pod without his approval. Ton grabbed her foot in his jaw, gently shaking her. He agreed. She was too young to do anything without the bull’s consent. Sam sighed. All she needed now was for the whale to start agreeing with her family’s overprotective tendencies. Her transmitter buzzed.
“Lt. Quimby.”
“Where are you?” Dr. Quimby demanded.
“Good Morning, Daddy. I’m just off the inlet with Ton.”
“Home, now.”
“Yes, Sir, on my way,” she agreed. “Well, my friend, I have to get home so I can have my tail fluke bitten. I’ll see you later, okay?” she said, hugging the large head then starting to swim in long strokes to the dock. She pulled herself up and quickly dried off, wrapping the towel around her body as she walked up the stairs to the deck.
Dr. Quimby was waiting for her outside, hands on his hips, still in his robe and slippers. “Are you okay? You gave us a scare yesterday,” he said, looking at her carefully before hugging her wet body.
“I’m fine, Daddy. Just a bit cold.”
“Go upstairs, get dried off and then come back out here to talk with me. Don’t wake your brother or uncle.”
After throwing on some shorts and towel drying her hair, she hurried back down to meet her father on the deck. The sun was warm and already starting to get uncomfortable.
“It’s going be a hot one today. Sit next to me. I want to know what happened yesterday.”
“Am I in trouble?”
“Yes, ma’am. The extent will depend on what you tell me.”
The girl slowly explained everything—from the fight with Michael, to kicking his shin, snitching to Scott, taking off out of anger and then meeting the pod. She said once the song began and she submitted herself to it, everything changed. Time no longer existed, nor did worries, concerns, pain, fear. It was pure euphoria. She remembered the dolphins pressing into her, the feel of their bodies and how the song became
voices. Time stopped and then she was on the beach, seeing the sky like it was the first time.
“Were you able to hear the transmitter?”
“I think I heard it, but it seemed so far away. I don’t know if I could have answered it. I remember that I didn’t want to because I just needed to float there and listen to them sing to me.”
“Do you think studying this song could be beneficial?”
“That’s not exactly the right type of question to ask me. I’ll study anything different. However there is something incredibly healing in that tune. If the sound waves could be bottled somehow, I really believe it can help people. Just think of the diseases that are caused by stress? And what if the vibrations actually can heal some things? I wasn’t healed, obviously, but I do think about it.”
“At the same time, my dear, you need to consider your brother’s concerns. I spoke with him yesterday about this as well. For everything that can heal, a weapon can be made. What type of things can happen if that song is released?”
“Control, addiction … a new type of bloodless warfare that leaves the victims happy, but mindless idiots…” she trailed off, suddenly understanding where Michael was coming from.
“You see the application of basic physics, honey. For every action—”
“There is an equal and opposite reaction,” she finished.
“So our job, as scientists, is to determine which one outweighs the others, and then decide if the benefit is worth the risk. Atomic power can light a city or destroy the world. We live in fear of the latter because we use it for the former.”
“I didn’t think of things that way,” the girl said quietly.
Her father hugged her against his chest, kissing the top of her wet hair. “Neither did your brother. Maybe I should send the two of you back to school to take some classes in critical thinking, philosophy and debate.”
“I don’t wanna go back to school,” Sam pouted.
“Too bad, it would be good for you. And you know your daddy always wants what’s best for his little girl,” Dr. Quimby smoothed his hand over her flawless face. “Would you like to take a walk on the beach? Give me a minute to change.”
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