See Chapter 1 for disclaimers.

Triangles
Chapter 4

       Anxious to get to exploring the boat, Trey tossed the contents of her duffle into the drawers provided and on the bed, and carefully stowed her boom box on the shelf, with the case of music next to it. She'd hang up the uniforms when she got back. Right now, after half a day of waiting in the airport followed by endless hours sitting still during the flight, she was feeling antsy and wanted to get out. Except ... she looked from the crisp new uniforms, provided back in the States and fingered the limp, wrinkled one, newly issued when she'd put it on, that she'd worn on the trip. With a shrug, she decided that it wasn't worth her while to change. From what the captain had said, there was no one around, anyway.

       Trey snatched up her backpack, crammed with manuals, notebooks and miscellaneous, and rummaged through it, tossing stuff out onto the bed until she found the printout of the SeaQuest corridors. It wasn't very clear, but it should be enough to get around by, and so equipped, she set out exploring. The gym turned out to be fairly close to her room, soundproofed and from the smell of it, in almost constant use when the crew was in residence. Not that it was dirty, but, breathing deeply, there was the smell of honest sweat about it. With a tight smile, Trey acknowledged to herself, honest male sweat, the kind she liked best. But, from what she'd read, crew complements were heavily weighted toward the male, even now. From there, she went looking for the other important areas, the galley, the bridge, the library and, finally, the moon pool.

       Nervously, Trey entered the room with the moon pool, straightening her new SeaQuest uniform and making sure she was presentable. Then the absurdity of her actions hit her :: you really think this animal will report you to the captain if your uniform is wrinkled::: she asked herself incredulously.

       Looking around, Trey didn't see anyone as she walked over to the body of water and stood there looking down into it. Annoyed with herself for being so anxious about this, she spoke aloud to herself. "OK, now how do I get this critter's attention?"

       "Like any other person," a rather high voice replied coldly from out of the far corner. "You just call for him and, if he's around, he'll come."

       Trey spun around, almost losing her balance in surprise. "Hello?"

       A **boy** came out of the shadows in the dark corner towards her, "Yeah hi," he said a trifle insolently. "You're the new crew member who'll be working with Ari, aren't you? You're not planning to touch the computer core, are you?" he asked, going straight to the essentials, for him.

       Trey felt a little off-balanced by his intensity. "No," she answered, drawing the word out. "I'm not qualified in computers. I do have a private personal computer to keep my research logs and records on, although I expect to use the main computers from time to time, if that's ok. I noticed a terminal in my quarters." She regarded him quizzically, wondering who he was. She hadn't been aware of any children on board. Then she remembered her own manners. Sticking out her hand, she said, "Oh, yeah. I'm Trey Barlow. I've been told that I'll be working with Ensign Adler, though. Not ... Not Ari. And you are...?" Before he had the chance to respond, she continued, cursing her nervous habit of chattering, "And excuse me if this is forward but aren't you a bit young?"

       Bristling, he snapped, "Nineteen is not that young. And you aren't qualified in languages or marine mammals either, but that doesn't seem to be stopping you." As if aware of his bad manners, he took a deep breath and continued, glaring at her a little less intensely from under the protection of his bangs, "I'm Lucas Wolenczak, chief computer analyst."

       Trey looked at him critically. Nineteen, huh? Somehow, he seemed both younger and older, especially with his blonde good looks. You usually expected a blonde to be younger and dumber. She shrugged. Not her business. "Sure, to you it's not that old, but then again I'm not sure how old I am anymore, 26 or 54......" Any further converstation was quenched as another member of the crew made his appearance, covering them both with water as he splashed up through the surface of the pool.

       "Hello Lucas. Hello lady. Lucas, lady Treysabarlow?" Trey blinked to hear the odd, electronic sound of the vocoder, translating dolphin speech into English, and felt even more surprise that it already knew her name. It sounded funny the way it said the name, as if it were one word. And, apparently, the animal was a special pet for the kid, she thought as reluctant grin appeared on his lips.

       In a friendlier voice, he answered, "Hello Darwin. I thought that you were off playing. Ari said that there were dolphins in the area. The lady is Trey, Dr. Trey Barlow. She's going to talking to you a lot and working with Ari."

       "Ari say Treysabarlow. Treysabarlow play 'I say'?" Darwin squealed, rising up on his tail and back pedaling. Lucas neared the pool, bending down.

       "No, Darwin. Just Trey. Ok?" He glared at her as if daring her to object, explaining brusquely. "It's easier on him if he doesn't have to worry about titles or anything. Of course, IF you'd rather be called Dr. Barlow, just say so." His tone of voice clearly indicated his opinion of people who did that.

       Feeling as if she'd just fallen through a looking glass, Trey gazed questioningly at Lucas, "It talks? It really talks? So that anyone can understand? If it can talk, then what is the blasted project that everyone's so excited about? What's Ens. Adler doing that so wonderful?"

       At the first word, the small smile disappeared from his face. "THIS is Darwin, and he's a him. IT's a computer program that translating for him," he explained shortly. "She's doing it without the program." There was an emphasis on the feminine pronoun that made Trey think that perhaps the kid wasn't as young as he first appeared afterall.

       "Is she the one who set it up? Ens. Adler's a programmer, too?"

       "I created the vocoder program," he answered shortly, turning his back on her and scratching the dolphin as Darwin nudged his hand.

       "Treylady play 'I say'?" he repeated.

       "Play I say? What does that mean?"

       Lucas looked back over his shoulder at her. "Talk to him," he suggested rudely. "Isn't that what you're here for?" Looking down, he spoke to the sea mammal, and Trey heard the friendliness in his voice that was absent when he addressed her. "Hey, Darwin, catch you later. I'm going to get something to eat."

       "Then Lucas swim fast, want to catch Darwin. Not swm fast, go hungry," the dolphin laughed at him. With a broad smile that disappeared as soon as he looked at her, the boy waved toward the pool in goodbye and left the room without another word.

       Trey looked Darwin over, trying to get it fixed in her mind this was not a fish but an intelligent life form. Kneeling down, she looked him in the eyes, and spoke slowly and loudly. "Hello Darwin. Like Lucas said, my name is Trey. Ummm, is it ok if I sit on the edge of the pool while I talk to you?"

       Squeeling gleefully, he nodded yes with his whole body, swimming over to right beside her after she seated herself, legs tucked up tailor-fashion. With a big sigh, she said, hesitantly, "OK, this is all very new to me, so if I make a mistake, will you tell me? OK?"

       "OK Trey."

       She nodded, trying to feel more confident, to find some kind of common ground with it, she stopped herself, with him. Muttering a little, she commented to herself, "At least he's calling me Trey, now. I hate being called lady, like a dog, but maybe that was better than Treysabarlow."

       Darwin answered the aside with a note of mild correction in his voice. "Trey not a dog. Trey is a person. Darwin knows what dogs look like. Darwin doesn't think Trey is a dog."

       She blinked with surprise. In a normal tone of voice, she asked, "You heard that?"

       "Darwin hears."

       "I'm sorry Darwin, I ... I guess I'm out of practice dealing with ..." she paused, then shrugged, "people. I just don't care much for being called a lady, that's all. I didn't hurt your feelings, did I?"

       "Darwin ok, Trey. Trey talk? What want?"

       Blowing out through pursed lips, Trey wondered how much this Darwin could understand. "Well, the UEO thinks that you and the other people on SeaQuest have formed a sort of a, umm, a family, a pod, and they want me to study how this, this community works. See how you interact with your friends and how they interact with you so maybe they can convince other humans to bond with other dolphins. Do you understand me?"

       Darwin appeared to be thinking this over. "Not all SeaQuest," he said. "Pod Lonnie and Tim and Miguel and Ari, sometimes Lucas, sometimes Bridger. Trey join pod? Play with Lonnie and Tim and MIguel and Ari and Darwin?"

       Swallowing heavily, wondering just what she was getting into, Trey nodded. "I guess so," she agreed hesitantly. "Well, once you tell me how to play with you, that is."

       Laughing a huge dolphin laugh, Darwin ordered, "Swim now!"

       Trey shook her head, "Ah, no. That I can't do yet. I don't have a wetsuit and it's a bit too cold in there without one."

       Darwin raised up on his tail again, insisting, "Water warm. Water nice. Trey swim now."

       Realizing suddenly, that if she gave in on this that he'd always have the upper hand, Trey repeated more firmly, "No! Not now. Later. I will swim with you when I have the means to do so." Darwin nodded.

       "Swim later," he agreed sadly. Tentatively, Trey reached out her hand to pet his snout, but he moved suddenly so she ended up near the top of his head in front of his air hole. As she started to pull back, he shimmied a little, like a cat, demanding to be scratched.

       With an incredulous smile of pleasure, she breathed, "OHH. Ok you like to be petted there not your nose." As she began to lightly rub in the indicated spot, she vowed, "I'll learn fast. I promise you, Darwin." But the action of scratching the dolphin brought her watch into focus. Noticing the time with a sigh, she started to get up to leave, apologizing as she did so. "I'll be back later. OK, maybe I can swim then."

       Darwin dove down into the pool, arching up with a great splash of water, drenching her new uniform and making her laugh to remember her earlier fears about wrinkling. "Well, I can see I'd better get that suit fast whether I plan do to any actual swimming or not."

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