The biggest difference seemed to be the complete lack of any concern about drowning. Of course, in a Manny, breathing wasn't a problem anyway. But the Poseidon dolphins actually were fish, so they absorbed oxygen from the water using something like gills. Interestingly, they could also absorb oxygen from the air while floating at the surface by pumping air slowly through their swim bladder, so holding one's breath would never be an issue. It was kind of a best of both worlds, thing. The resemblance to earth dolphins was remarkable though. The domed heads and beaked mouths could fool you into thinking you were dealing with Earth stock, until you spotted the vertical tail flukes.
Bridget shot past me, then glided to a gradual stop. She turned and repeated her actions.
Marcus bumped me then spoke over the universal intercom. “She’s very methodical, testing maneuvers one at a time.”
“You have no idea.”
“Hey,” Bridget said. “I'm swimmin’ here!”
“There’s a pod that hangs around this area because of the spillover from some of the aquaculture. I figure we’ll go join them for a while, and you can see what it's like to swim with the natives.”
Marcus swam off, clearly knowing where he was going. I glanced at Bridget and we turn to follow.
Over the next few minutes Marcus gradually increased his pace. I had a brief bit of trouble at one point, sort of like when you change from a jog to a sprint, and I couldn't get the new rhythm. But by letting go and allowing the autonomous systems to take over, I was able to correct. After that I kept up with Marcus with no effort.
“We’re going just about flat-out, for a dolphin,” he said. “We’ll have to slow down before we get to the pod, or they'll think were running from something. We don't want to start a mobbing.”
“That's not part of the autonomous systems though, right?” Bridget asked.
“Correct. There are some things you just have to learn through study,” Marcus replied. “How’s your swimming?”
“Fine, thanks. I feel a lot less concerned about that aspect of things. The Manny’s systems seem to be highly competent at mimicking natural reflexes.”
Marcus didn't reply, but he did an exuberant barrel roll. I did a barrel roll of my own, then found I’d overshot and had to complete a second one. Some things apparently did require practice.
Marcus slowed down and began taking a more circular path. Probably we were getting close to the pod and he didn't want to charge straight at them. Even at a lower speed, I could see that being a challenge. Within a minute, we slid up to a pod of the native version of dolphins. 15 individuals, including three juveniles, slowly swam through the water nabbing, small swimmers and scraps of plants or animals. They didn't appear to be very choosy, presumably most things were edible in this world ocean. On the other hand, I used to own a dog that regularly ate dog poo, so… who knew?
The adults in the pod turned and began circling us, more in a curious than aggressive manner, fortunately. They were making noises, and my translator rendered them as “What? Who? Friends? Marcus friend!”
That last one was interesting. Apparently, their proto-language included tags for individuals, which the translator converted to Marcus' name.
Marcus said, “Friends. Marcus friend.” That appeared to be enough. The pod did one more circuit, then went back to feeding. One of the juveniles came over briefly, bumped Bridget, then went back to its - uh, his – mother.
“That was cute,” I said.
“Not so sure,” Marcus replied. “That one is approaching puberty, he might've been checking out your wife.”
“That’s it, he’s sushi.”
Bridget laughed, did a quick barrel roll, then purposed into the air. She came down with a splash. That seemed to trigger the entire group, and soon everyone was leaping and splashing. The game lasted about 10 minutes, after which we all floated on the surface for a short time pumping air through our bladders. Then it was back to feeding.
“Not a bad life,” I said. “Might get a little boring after a while.”
“The big predators mostly avoid the mat, Howard. We've made our feelings clear enough about their attempts to radar farms, and they've gotten the message. If you want excitement, swim about a mile farther away from the mat. Krakens don't know the difference between a real dolphin and a Manny, and I can tell you from experience, that getting eaten is not fun.”
“I'll give that a pass thanks. There's a limit to what I'll do for research.”
“I understand you have some kind of a training program going on?” Bridget said, changing the subject.
“More of a selective breeding thing. Dolphins that have more facility with communications and comprehension get a fish treat. Better fed Dolphins have more and healthier offspring. See where I'm going?”
“You’re breeding them for intelligence.”
Marcus did another barrel-roll. “Uplifting by non-invasive means.”
I found myself simultaneously fascinated and a little shocked. “Have you discussed this?
“Some. By and large, people don't see a problem. The dolphins aren't a threat or competition, and on balance I think it would benefit them. And let's face it, Howard: Poseidon’s citizenry doesn't have any tolerance for a central authority, given our history.”
“No kidding.”
Marcus had been one of the key figures in the overthrow of the previous totalitarian government. What they had now was more like independent city-states. It seemed very ancient Greece, but it worked.
“Guys, the pod is acting funny.”
Marcus and I turned at Bridget's comment. The Dolphins had become completely quiet, and in fact were barely moving their tails enough to stay in place. They also appeared to all be looking down. I rolled enough to be able to point an eye downward. Sliding slowly through the
