“Imagine a dolphin dancing in the sky. Let it dance with joy. Think of yourself at the bottom of the ocean watching.”

Yoko Ono

It fell to the Dolphin to deliver the bad news.

Captain Monique McDowell ruminated inwardly how it was problematic to conceive of a sentient creature who physically seemed to be smiling all the time, to be inwardly sad, but Doctor T’krikkt seemed to master the emotion somehow. As he hung suspended in his envelope of ensheathing water that clung and flowed slowly around his aerodyne form, the Chief Oceanographer of the Genodyne Systems facility delivered his considered scientific prognosis on the inevitable decline of the ocean biome on Encedis-#5.

T’krikkt, a Cetacean, used his native telekinetic talent to maintain and hold the life sustaining medium of water to conform to his silver-grey flanks, as a human would wear clothes; the psionic effort required to do so being roughly analogous to the efforts that same human would expend on deciding what outfit they should wear today?

As with all Cetaceans from the lithe porpoise all the way up to the leviathan Blue – whale, Psionic talents were inherent to their species and had always been so (a fact sadly overlooked by Whalers on Earth until one such notable incident that occurred in San Franciso Bay in 2286).

As such the Oceanographer could have easily used telepathy to speak directly to each of the minds of the humans that had gathered in the Conference room, with its magnificent oceanic – vista commanding overhead, but as each participant would not be able to perceive the minds of each other, dolphins considered mass psionic conferencing with non – Psion’s the height of bad manners, so T’krikkt expressed himself through the Universal Translator in his native language of rills and clicks.

<<I’m afraid that Director Delain’s projections regarding the rate of acid ionization are sadly optimistic and in error. We face a planetwide loss of viable production within 96hrs or less>>

Doctor T’krikkt explained regretfully, as the dolphin ‘swam’ across the room and, dimming the lights, initiated the holoprojector that dominated the centre of the conference – room table.

As the shifting seas above the dome played a hauntingly distracting light – dappled shimmer of refracted beauty across the open – plan conference space that was perched high over the impressive central plaza of the immense hemisphere of the clear, geodesic protective dome that mantled the main hub of the undersea city of Mariner’s Deep, the holographic representation of that self-same ocean and the world it dominated, sprang to glorious life.

Dr Jin Motonobu shifted eagerly forward in his seat, the USS Astute’s Chief Science Officer obviously enjoying being in the company of peers.

<<As the Director has explained, nearly 200 years ago with the assistance of Genodyne Systems, her ancestors began the long process of terraforming this ocean world as part of a generational effort to stabilize the atmospheric environment which is habitually typified by intense ionic – activity. This was realized by the establishment of the Weather Control Network.>>

The rotating blue orb, which even at this magnification possesses such intense resolution so as to appear as if a tiny, perfect facsimile of Encedis-#5 less than a half meter in diameter, hung over the table. Monique could clearly see the miniscule movement of vast wave systems as they ranged persistently across the surface of the ocean world. The effect was quite disorientating for the uninitiated.

As the dolphin spoke, bright orange representations of tiny weather control – satellites and orbital mirrors appeared above the tiny world. A brilliant necklace of technology that slowly abated the fantastical detonations of simulated ionic lighting that illuminated the holo – globe.

<<The orbital network works to balance the total electron content that builds periodically every few hours in the Ionosphere, by reflecting the bulk of the solar wind back out into space via the orbital mirror arrays.>>

Jin frowned and despite himself, found himself asking.

“An elegant and intuitive solution Doctor, but surely the orbital mirrors cannot be wholly effective in achieving this reflection?”

The dolphin bobbed slightly in the air and signalled its assent.

<<Quite so, Dr Motonobu.>> T’krikkt agreed.

<<The Magnetosphere on a M-Standard planet is far more effective at re-directing Ions back out into the local solar system. Even with the significant technological advantage presented by the WCN, Ionic activity inherent to Encedis-#5 is such that it tends to gather at the geomagnetic poles with far more intensity.>>

As Dr T’krikkt circled the holo (the visual effect of a gigantic, psionically powerful dolphin swimming in orbit around a fragile planet making the tableau even more incongruous to the eye) the display was augmented by two strident, red spike-like structures that mounted the antipodes of the world.

<<As the saying goes, you can contend against the tide or you can reach the same destination eventually by going with the flow.>> Dr T’krikkt observed playfully as the Hologram shifted perspective and zoomed to the Northern Pole to reveal the red spike – like structure in increasingly greater detail.

“An attractor?” Jin wondered aloud, his mind catching up with the possibilities.

<<Correct.>> The dolphin sounded pleased to have the company of such a bright mind.

<<The “Lighting Spires”, as my colleagues so euphemistically enjoying naming such things with a completely predicable disregard for the complexities of the science – act as attractors for the residual electrons that the WCN cannot counter. They draw the field energy from the magnetic storms and use the energy captured to split oxygen and nitrogen atoms from the atmosphere. which we then harvest and repurpose for the component building blocks of our aquaculture operations here on Encedis-#5.>>

Dr Motonobu sat back in his chair and puffed out his cheeks happily.

“Dr T’krikkt, I have a thousand questions, that I am sure can wait for another time.” The diminutive Japanese scientist smiled & congratulated, “But I must say that I am impressed with the ecological – synergy with which your employer has approached these complex and novel problems, the simplicity of approach is certainly inspiring, if you’ll pardon the unintentional pun?”

If the Cetacean saw the joke, he seemed to ignore it as he thanked Jin and moved on, the globe doing its eye – wrenching vista change outwards again, the surface becoming dotted with a grid of tiny green dots.

<<We have established ‘Bio – rig’ installations across the oceanscape.>> T’krikkt expounded as the holo expanded and the view focused on one particular green icon at random and cannoned down through the clouds to just above the surface of the roiling seas and began to ‘fly’ towards one of the rigs.

<<These platforms ingest literal Yottalitres of seawater hourly through their intake pipes, taking the oxygen and nitrogen particles that we harvest from the lightning spires and combine them with a proprietary  mix of algae and nutrients to normalize the ocean PH and encourage an environment for the formation of healthy phytoplankton.>>

The view of the Bio-rig began to take on more detail as the perspective approached, immense bundled tubules, hundreds of feet across – plunged hungrily into the roaring surf, sucking up untold volumes of seawater for treatment and return. Vast tanks were observed nestling in the serried decks of the platform, the size and complexity of the rig bewildering to the eye.

<<As well as converting sunlight to energy & oxygen, thus forming its own part of the Terraforming effect, this healthy phytoplankton forms the base of the marine food – web, supporting the genetically moderated Krill that form the base protein for the majority of food products created and exported by Genodyne.>>

“But den da Vaadwaur showed up an’ smashed yer toys, now ya need some help ta fix ‘em, ain’t dat right, Doc?” Interjected Lieutenant Commander Aldridge in his thick Mainer creole. Bob had been patiently listening and all of this science – malarky was fine, but the Starfleet Engineer had come to fix things and tended to get antsy when there was work to be done and time was a-wasting.

The dolphin dipped in the air and regarded the Engineer with what could only be side – eye.

Although T’krikkt found the Commander’s strange brogue as impenetrable as anyone who was not native to New England, the Cetacean could read the man’s mind well enough and understood both his question and the need for action.

The hologram changed again.

Now over half of the orbital satellites and mirrors that constituted the WCN began to peter out of existence, depicting the damage wrought by the Vaadwaur as they passed through the system on their destructive rampage. More worryingly, the red icon that depicted the ‘lightning – spire’ in the southern hemisphere was evidently badly damaged by the Vaadwaur and the depiction of chaotic ionic activity across the tiny simulated – globe told the real time story of the fierce ionic storm that now had returned to ravage three – quarters of the ocean world after two centuries of relative calm.

Director Jenna Delain took this as her cue to take up the briefing.

“As you can see, Captain McDowell, with the majority of our orbital assets destroyed and the attractor – facility in the southern pole compromised, we have lost our ability to control the storm, and the ionic ‘fallout’ is exponentially – accelerating the rate of acid ionization of ammonium ions present in the salt-content of this world’s seawater. Without your help, our means of production is sure to fail as the ocean becomes too acidic to support marine – life.”

Monique nodded her head gravely, her hands making a steeple on the tabletop.

“Thank you for your assessment and updates Director, Doctor.” Captain McDowell confirmed and indicated to her Chief Engineer and CSO, respectively.”

“Chief Aldrige has formed an engineering assessment, based upon the data you have provided, and has tasked his engineering teams to work with your Facilities Management team to prioritize repairs to both the orbital elements of the WCN and also to address the damage to the Southern Attractor.” Monique indicated to Bob, who smiled his rough and ready smile and fiddled with his drooping grey moustache.

“Bob’s one of the finest engineers Starfleet has, I have full confidence in both the Chief and his teams to effect repairs to your schedule. Please provide our Operations Officer with any material requisition requests and personnel requirement projections and Lieutenant Zhelu will see that they are met.”

Director Delain nodded her thanks.

“Were grateful to you both Captain, Commander Aldridge. I’ll have you introduced to Grace Hanrahan – Head of Facilities Services. Grace will be overjoyed for the assistance; the last few weeks have been very testing for her and her team.”

At this juncture, Dr Motonobu enthusiastically broke Moniques diatribe and spoke directly to the dolphin.

“Dr T’krikkt, if I may? I have a team aboard the Astute, that includes a laurate – particle physics theorist and a very capable planetologist. I’d like to offer our collective services in assisting your team to see if we cannot form any viable strategies to address the rate of oceanic – acidification? I postulate that any time that we can buy the ecosphere is vital, given the rate of decline and magnitude of the volumes at stake?”

Had she been a different type of commander, Monique may have rebuked an officer in her chain of command for speaking out of turn so, but McDowell knew when to give her people free – reign and so she just smiled indulgently as Dr T’krikkt replied to the enthusiastic scientist.

<<Any assistance you can offer would be equally as welcome Dr Motonobu.>> The dolphin clicked diplomatically.

Satisfied, Captain McDowell nodded. “Then you know your tasks, get to it people. Dismissed.”

As the officers and representatives of Genodyne Systems rose and the meeting was concluded, Director Delain approached the Starfleet Captain.

“Captain McDowell.”” Jenna smiled, her crows – feet crinkling her eyes. “We can’t thank you, your crew or Starfleet enough for the assistance that you are extending us, even though we are not a Federation world.”

Monique smiled genuinely and shook her head lightly.

“Starfleet is sworn to the preservation of all life, Director, whether they be Federation citizens or not. If we allow food – production to fail here, millions of people will potentially starve in this system. Whilst we are glad to render assistance here, our wider mission is relief – operations throughout the former DMZ, trying to undo the considerable damage that the Vaadwaur have done before they were driven back to the Delta Quadrant.”

Director Delain nodded somberly as she turned to indicate the sprawling undersea city of Mariner’s Deep, as it reposed under Trillions and Trillions of tonnes of seawater, safe by merit of the encompassing dome.

“Our hearts and the souls of those that have gone before us have been poured into this place, Captain.” Jenna expounded somewhat wistfully. “We love this world, and generations have striven to make it the success that it was before the Blackout, before the invasion. It’s hard to put into worlds, but maybe I can show you? Captain, if you are not otherwise engaged – I’d love to take you out to tour one of the Rigs, so you can see firsthand what we have built here and what we are trying to protect?”

Monique smiled and turned to Lieutenant Søgaard, where her Chief of Security had been standing silently throughout the meeting – charged with the protection of her CO whilst Monique has planetside.

“What do you think Nat?” Captain McDowell smiled. “Up for another flight?”