Reading Online Novel

Catalyst (Breakthrough Book 3)(17)



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?”

“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.