The facility was already hopping with activity. The part-time students, Bobby Hannigan and Mindy Endo, were carrying buckets of fish to the large training pool for trainers Cindy Fletcher and Doug Murakami to use in the day’s session.
Cindy Fletcher, a dishwater blonde with a baby face in spite of her nearly forty years, hurried past Kaia with a wave. The other trainer, Doug Murakami, about thirty, strolled behind her in his usual leisurely stride. His straight black hair fell over a smooth forehead. His family had emigrated to the islands from Japan before Doug was born then had moved back without him five years ago. His easy manner made him a favorite with the staff.
He paused to smile at Kaia. “Nice vacation? You look rested.”
“Other than last weekend’s crisis, it was great. I’m ready to get back to work though.” Kaia turned to watch the dolphins jumping in the oversized pool. “Looks like they’re impatient this morning.” Seaworthy Lab had several Atlantic bottle-nosed dolphins. Though they looked similar to Nani, the Atlantic bottle-nosed thrived in shallow water, a trait dolphins like Nani didn’t possess.
Dolphin research had ebbed and flowed over the years since the navy first began to investigate dolphin intelligence in the sixties. Opinion had run the gamut; some believed dolphins were like dogs, and at the other extreme, some believed they were even smarter than humans. Of course, the fact that dolphins lived in a unique environment made it hard to know for sure. It had only recently been discovered that dolphins could recognize themselves in a mirror, the only other animal besides a chimp to have such self-awareness.
“We’d both better get to work,” she told him.
He grinned. “A poor man’s work is never done.” He patted her on the arm and continued his jaunt to the pool.
Cindy and Doug worked on regular dolphin training and put on shows for the public that brought in needed research money, while Kaia headed up the research project on dolphin intelligence. Her assistant, Jenny Saito, waved at her. Jenny, a thirty-two-year-old of Hawaiian and Japanese descent, came toward her carrying their communication device. The Dolphin Advanced Language Environment—DALE for short—was a computer gadget that utilized a touch screen and microphones to transmit clicks and whistles and was used with a hydrophone. The researchers dropped a touch screen in the water and used it to interact with the dolphins.
“Nani is raring to go.” Jenny put DALE beside Kaia.
The dolphin chattered and rode the wave. She sank into the water then zipped past Kaia’s legs before leaping out of the water and splashing Kaia with a huge wave. Rushing to Kaia, Nani rose and presented her nostrum for a kiss.
Kaia grinned and hugged the dolphin. “How have the other dolphins done while I’ve been away?”
“Liko has been bullying Mahina, and I had to scold him.”
“They seem fine now.” Kaia watched the three dolphins interact. It never ceased to amaze her how like a family they were. The pods all spoke the same “dialect” of whistles and clicks and taught it to the babies. They looked out for one another, and the mothers exposed themselves to danger to save their calves. If a member of the pod was too injured or sick to get to the surface for air, other dolphins bore the injured member to the surface and supported it so its blowhole was above the water.
Her own mother should have been so self-sacrificing. Kaia blinked and dragged her attention back to the dolphins. What was with all these thoughts about her mother? The woman was about as relevant to her now as the abandoned sugar plantations were to the island.
“You’re supposed to go to the office,” Jenny said.
“What’s up?”
Jenny glanced around and lowered her voice. “We’ve got a new boss.”
“You’re kidding.” She’d hoped to be further along in her research by the time a new owner came on board.
Jenny shook her head. “Nope. It must have sold last week, and no one told us. He came first thing this morning and took over the office. Not only is he the owner, but he’s going to be the director.”
“Who is it?”
“Curtis Latchet. Seems nice enough. Maybe he’ll be more open with you than he was with me about his plans.”
Kaia’s earlier ebullience faded. “I guess I’d better go see what I can find out.” She scrambled up and shoved her feet into her Locals and hurried to the office, a sterile box that looked out on the training area through a wall of windows.
The man behind the desk looked up and gave her a confident smile. Nearly fifty, she guessed, the wings of white at his temples gave him an air of distinction that seemed out of keeping with the casual lab. His grin was amiable though, and she smiled back cautiously. “I’m Kaia Oana,” she said.
“Ah, so you’re the marvelous Kaia. I’ve heard wonderful things about you and your work,” he said. “Have a seat.” He indicated the cracked vinyl chair across the desk from him. “I’m Curtis Latchet. You might have met my brother, Duncan, owner of Latchet Engineering.”