Breakthrough Page 13

  Professor Wong’s image filled the screen as he spoke. In his early fifties, with glasses and very little gray hair, Wong’s reputation in the astronomical field was well known. “Yes I have.”

  “What is your opinion?”

  “Meaning?” asked Wong.

  “Meaning…” said Miller, “are we even talking about humans anymore?”

  Wong frowned. “Well…while it’s feasible that this ring may be a portal of some kind, I doubt this man Palin is an alien if that’s what we’re asking. Judging from his anatomy, including the patient x-rays from Dr. Kanna on the Pathfinder, they look far too human.”

  “What do you mean too human?” asked Bullman the Army chief.

  “Well let’s take some rather broad assumptions here. Say we were dealing with an alien race that built this wormhole, and they are able to power it from somewhere else, potentially far away. Their anatomy is simply not different enough,” Wong explained. “The bottom line is that any life form developing on a different planet would have its own evolutionary path. Another planet for instance would have wildly different environmental variables than Earth. Maybe it’s smaller than Earth, maybe it’s hotter, maybe the days are shorter, maybe there is less water. The fact is that with millions of small, even tiny differences between our environments there would be an infinite number of variations of physical form for them to evolve into. So with an almost limitless amount of diversity, the odds of another race developing into near identical beings is…well, a mathematical impossibility.”

  “An impossibility?”

  Wong nodded. “Damn near.”

  Miller leaned back and sighed. He then raised his hand to rub his eyes. “Okay. So let me get this straight, we think we have a wormhole under the ocean, going somewhere we don’t know, requiring more energy that we can ever hope to produce, built by someone a lot smarter than us and they are not alien.” He looked around the room and then at the screen. “Have I missed anything?”

  No one replied.

  “Admiral Langford,” Miller suddenly leaned forward in his chair. “We need more information and I’d like your team to get it.”

  “Yes sir,” Langford responded.

  “We have an interrogator due to arrive at your location shortly. Let’s see what we can find out from this captive Palin. But we need to be careful here. Dare I say that taking any action prematurely could be very dangerous?” Miller looked around the room. “Let’s reconvene in the morning when we hopefully know more. Thank you, everyone.” With that he reached for the remote control on his conference room table and his window blinked out.

  “Thank you gentlemen,” Langford said. “We’ll be in touch.” He reached for his own controller and closed all of the calls except for Borger and Caesare. Langford and Foster both stood up.

  “Clay,” said Langford, “Head back to the main base and get some sleep. “ He turned to Foster. “Do you have a plane he can use?”

  “We’ll find one.”

  “Thanks,” he turned back to Clay. “In the morning, I want you in the air.”

  “Yes sir,” answered Clay.

  “You two,” he said to Borger and Caesare. “Keep on that video. See if there is anything else you can find out.”

  “Yes sir,” they answered in unison.

  Both Langford and Foster left the room.

  Clay watched the door close behind them. He then turned to the giant monitor where Borger and Caesare were still on screen. “Well that was interesting.”

  23

  Alison watched as the harness holding Dirk slowly swung over the aquarium’s giant glass tank and then stopped. It then began to descend until it gently touched the water. It continued down until Dirk was a few feet below the water line. At this point a small rope was pulled which released a large clasp allowing the harness to unfold and fall away. Dirk wriggled out and swam excitedly around the tank several times. He then headed to the large glass wall where Sally was watching the children press their hands and noses against the glass and waving at them. After a few moments, Dirk turned, swimming under and away from Sally and the children. When he reached the far end of the tank, he sped back directly toward the glass then suddenly twisted around and around, performing several barrel rolls through the bright blue water. The children went crazy.

  Alison was always struck at how much Dirk and Sally loved children. Many times in the mornings, the dolphins were waiting at the glass wall when the doors of the aquarium opened and the children came streaming through. They clearly had a connection with each other, and she never tired of watching them. She walked back to her lab at the other end of the tank leaving the lobby and the laughing children. When she reached the metal door she slid her card through the small slot and waited for the door to unlock with a loud click. She pulled the door open and stepped into the green carpeted room of their lab.

  She walked up behind Lee Kenwood and looked over his shoulder. “How are things looking?”

  “Fine,” he said. “All systems are good. In fact, IMIS picked up a few more words while we were gone.”

  “Our vocabulary list is getting long,” she noted, looking at his monitor.

  Lee nodded. He finished typing and closed a window on his screen. He opened another window, a new program that Alison had not seen before. Lee slid his chair to the side and looked up at her. “I have a surprise for you.”

  She looked at him with a puzzled expression, expecting him to finish the sentence. He just sat smiling at her.

  “What?” she finally asked. She looked back to his screen. The new program showed a large black circle with a thin green line through it. She looked back to Lee wondering what she was supposed to be looking at.

  “Lean in,” Lee said.

  Alison leaned closer to his desk. She still had no idea.

  “Now talk,” he whispered.

  She still looked puzzled.

  He whispered again. “Say hi.”

  She frowned and looked at his screen again. “Hi.”

  The thin green line danced when she spoke, then went flat again. A moment later she heard IMIS translate the short word into the tank.

  Dirk and Sally turned around and swam over to the lab. Hi Alison, they replied.

  Alison’s eyes widened. “Did IMIS actually hear me?”

  Lee smiled. “Voice recognition, no more typing.” He reached out and slid the keyboard away from them. “Just talk into the microphone and IMIS will automatically translate.”

  Alison watched Lee as she spoke again. Again the green line danced at the sound of her voice. “How are you today?” she asked.

  We good, said Dirk. How you?

  “Lee,” she cried, “you are amazing!”

  He smiled. “Pretty cool huh?”

  Alison picked a banana out of her bag. She peeled it and walked over to the tank where Dirk and Sally were floating on the other side, watching her. She took a small bite and reached out and put her hand on the glass. Dirk floated forward and touched his nose to the other side. Sally remained where she was and continued watching Alison. She peeled more of the banana and took another bite.

  What eat Alison? asked Sally.

  Surprised, Alison looked at Sally. After a moment she turned from the glass and walked back over to Lee’s desk. She took the mouse and opened the window listing IMIS’ current vocabulary list. She scanned the list trying to decide on the best word to use.

  Alison leaned in close to the microphone. “I am eating a plant.” As an afterthought, she walked back to the glass and held the banana up for Sally to see. Very slowly, Sally drifted forward to examine the fruit.

  You like plant? asked Sally.

  Before Alison could answer, Lee rolled his desk a little closer so the microphone could pick her up from where she was standing.

  Alison nodded. “I like many plants.” She grabbed her bag and pulled out an apple. After taking a small bite, she held it up for Sally to see.

  Sally examined it. No eat plants.

  “I
know,” Alison smiled. “But I love plants.”

  Sally wiggled her tail excitedly. Me love Dirk.

  Alison chuckled this time. “I love Dirk too.”

  A sound burst out through Sally’s blowhole that Alison’s team took to be laughter.

  “Why did you laugh?” Alison asked.

  Sally wiggled her tail again. You no love Dirk. Me love Dirk.

  Alison looked curiously at Sally. She turned slightly and glanced at Lee’s reflection in the glass, which now had Chris standing behind him. Both men were watching.

  “You love Dirk?”

  Me love Dirk, she said again. Dirk love me.

  Alison looked back at Chris. “You don’t think?”

  Chris raised an eyebrow. “I think so.”

  “Is Dirk your mate Sally?” Alison asked.

  Yes. He my mate. I him mate. Me love Dirk.

  “Oh my goodness.” Alison said turning back to Chris and Lee. She made a cutting motion across her neck signaling Lee to stop the microphone. He quickly clicked the ‘pause’ button. “They love each other.”

  Chris picked up on her excitement. “Are we surprised?” he said.

  “Well no,” she replied. “I mean there has always been an assumption that animals experience levels of affection but it sounds like Sally is describing something deeper.” Alison suddenly gasped and covered her mouth. “Oh my god. Do you think…is it possible that they don’t just love each other, but are in love?”

  Both Chris and Lee looked at each other speechless.

  We go back Alison? asked Dirk who had joined Sally at the glass.

  Lee un-paused the microphone as Alison spoke. “Go back? Go back where, Dirk?”

  Outside.

  Alison’s mood changed instantly. She took a deep breath. She was expecting this. Dirk and Sally had lived at the aquarium since they were ten years old. It had never occurred to Alison that they would be back in the ocean. But now it was downright inevitable after taking them out to help John Clay.

  She opened her mouth to reply when Dirk spoke again.

  How long stay?

  Alison closed her eyes. The question was like a dagger through her heart. “Do you like it here?” she asked.

  Yes like here, Dirk said. Much food. He broke away excitedly, swam a small circle and returned. When food?

  Alison forced a smile. Dirk was getting fed more often now that he could actually ask for food. “You just ate, Dirk.”

  Sally was still floating and watching Alison. You sad.

  “They read human emotions so easily,” Chris said stepping up to the glass. He placed his hand gently on her shoulder. “While we can barely tell when Dirk is hungry.”

  Alison shook her head at Lee who paused the microphone again. “We’re going to lose them Chris. All because of that damn trip to help out the Navy.” She was suddenly overwhelmed with frustration. “It’s all Frank’s fault! Why the hell did he have to agree to that! He has totally screwed us, Chris! We’re going to lose Dirk and Sally and that’s going to be end of this whole thing!”

  “That’s not true Alison and you know it. Frank could have said no, but that could have brought an end to our project even faster. We both knew this was a risk.” She tried to act innocent, but Chris shook his head. “No don’t give me that. I know you’ve thought about it too, we both have. We set out to be the first humans to actually talk to another species and we have, and it’s huge! But neither one of us ever thought for a second that Dirk and Sally liked being in captivity. Oh sure they have a good life, free food that they don’t have to hop through rings to get, constant medical attention, no environmental dangers. But being safe doesn’t mean being happy.” He looked back through the glass and sighed. “The level of communication we’ve achieved with IMIS is beyond our wildest dreams Ali. And now we find out that Dirk and Sally don’t like living in a cage; that’s not a big surprise to either one of us. Sad yes, but we can’t blame Frank for that, and we can’t blame the Navy either.”

  Alison began to tear up and quickly wiped it away. Chris was right, but it did not make her feel any better. They had done something amazing and now she was going to lose them as a result.

  Your friend here, said Sally.

  Alison forced a smile. “Yes my friends are here.”

  No other friend, Sally replied. From metal.

  “Oh.” Alison realized that Sally was talking about John Clay. “No friend not here.”

  Sally laughed.

  Chris squeezed Alison’s shoulder and walked back over to Lee’s desk. He picked up his cup of coffee and looked back. “You never know, maybe if we let them go they would come back.”

  Alison frowned.

  “Well maybe once in a while,” Chris shrugged.

  Me like talk Alison, Sally said.

  Alison looked at Sally through red eyes. “I like talking to you too Sally.”

  Why you wait long?

  Alison laughed. Why did it take so long for humans to talk to them? She had to be kidding. “We had to build a metal to help us.”

  An error could be heard from Lee’s monitor. Something did not translate correctly. It didn’t matter.

  We no talk very long time.

  Alison gave a confused look. “We haven’t talked in a long time?“

  No.

  “You and me?” Alison asked.

  No. People.

  Alison’s jaw dropped. Did she hear Sally right? She turned to Chris. “Did she just say what I think she said?”

  Chris was also frozen, holding his cup just inches from his lips.

  She must have meant something else. Alison suddenly jumped when someone behind her said, “Hello.”

  She whirled around to find John Clay standing at the back of the room, near the rear exit. He looked around and realized that he had either startled them or interrupted something important, or both.

  “Sorry,” he motioned toward the lobby. “The lady at front recommended I come in this way.” He looked at Alison. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yes,” she said. She looked away and checked to make sure her eyes were dry. “Just a morning full of excitement.” She looked at Clay and saw that he looked tired.

  He crossed the room and gave a short wave to Chris and Lee. “I’m sorry to interrupt. I’m also sorry for all the drama aboard the ship. Things got a little…interesting.”

  “I bet,” she replied walking toward him. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yes. I wish I could explain but-“

  “That’s okay,” she said. “I understand.” Alison motioned to Chris and Lee. “We all appreciate you bringing Dirk and Sally back quickly.”

  Clay smiled. “Well it was the least we could do after all the trouble you went to bringing them out to help us.”

  He didn’t know the half of it, thought Alison.

  Clay looked curiously at Sally who seemed to be staring at all of them. Dirk was swimming small circles around the near end of the tank.

  “So are you here on pleasure or business?” Alison asked. “I hope you don’t expect a free pass to the aquarium.” His hair seemed thicker and more wavy than she remembered.

  “Both,” Clay replied. “I was also hoping to talk to your dolphins. We never had a chance to ask them about our submersible.”

  “Sure,” she waved him over to the tank by Lee’s desk. She called into the microphone for Dirk. He swam back and stopped near Sally who was still moving gently to keep herself in place. “Did you find the metal bubble?” she asked them.

  Yes, Dirk answered.

  “Do you remember where it is?”

  Yes. Dirk paused as if thinking or trying to articulate. South. East. After a moment IMIS combined the words to Southeast.

  “How far?” asked Alison with a glance at Clay.

  After a longer pause Dirk replied. Very far. Many clicks.

  She frowned. “What is a click?”

  Click is go.

  Alison shook her head. She was going to have to approach t
his from a different angle. “How far is a click Dirk?”

  Dirk turned to look at the other end of the tank. He darted off, swimming to the far end and then back to the glass in front of Alison and Clay. Click.

  “That was a click?”

  Yes.

  “How many clicks to the metal bubble Dirk?”

  Dirk was silent for long moment. Finally he replied. Hundred. Eight. Again IMIS changed the words. Dirk’s reply became Eight hundred.

  Alison and Clay looked over at the sound of Chris dropping his cup. He was staring at Dirk. Clay looked down at the spilt coffee at Chris’ feet and then back at Alison. “What happened?”

  Alison looked like she had seen a ghost. “They can count.”

  Clay raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Wow.”

  “They can count,” Alison said again to herself. “I’ve got to sit down.” She backed up and lowered herself onto the edge of a nearby table.

  “This is big,” said Chris. “I mean really, really big.”

  “I know,” nodded Alison. The ability to count had far reaching implications. It indicated a depth of understanding far removed from simple hellos and questions about feeding time. Just the indication that they understood the difference between words and numbers were staggering. In fact, just their understanding of words would have been incredible. Alison was beginning to feel completely unprepared for the kind of information that Dirk and Sally were revealing to them.

  Clay smiled. “It seems I’m amazed every time I come here.”

  Alison was not listening.

  Clay leaned toward her. “Not to spoil the mood but can we ask them how deep our sub was?”

  Twenty, replied Dirk.

  Clay was startled. “They can understand me too?”

  Alison smirked. “Evidently.”

  Clay turned back to Dirk. “Twenty clicks deep Dirk?”

  Yes.

  “Thank you,” Clay nodded. He looked at Dirk and Sally for a long time before turning around to the team. “Well I’d better-”

  Near them city.

  Clay suddenly stopped. He turned back. “What?”

  Near them city.

  Alison quickly stood up again. “Did you say a city?”