Project Cetacea was created by the Scientific Studies Service (SSS) to develop an effective method of communications with Marine Life, in Jan YE 34.

The Scientific Studies Service (SSS) was charged with development of a means to communicate with Dolphins and Whales as part of Proposal 88 - Marine Life Protection Act. The SSS accepted the challenge and began developing a plan to approach this. The initial research was done on Yamatai (Planet) and Daichi. The two teams were given the same resources and worked separately for the first six months. After that the two groups compared their findings and worked to combine the two techniques to make a fully realized method.

The initial start of the project consisted of making extensive recordings of the various species communication and running pattern recognition programs. While this did not yield viable translation data, it did help to clarify that there were distinct differences within the various species. The data also showed that there was more to the communications that just audible tones.

So the second phase consisted of targeting specific groups, and recording a broader range of audio tones including the echo location emissions. This data proved to be much more promising, as it was clear that Cetacean communications involved multiple aspects.

Armed with this, they tried making artificial dolphin shaped drones. These while promising in the lab in performance, but were not at all successful in the field. The subjects refused to interact with the drones. And in several cases they attacked and destroyed the drones.

So the teams elected to take two different approaches.

They took tissue samples of several specimens and created a blank template using Hemosynthetics. They then mapped the brain structure of the blank and worked to develop a Synaptic Interface Unit that would allow them to make a copy of a living brain. They then sedated a pair of specimens that had been part of prior studies, and copied their mental patterns.

The team then analyzed the data with an IES and it started developing a rudimentary lexicon of concepts. They created a device that would reproduce the respective sound sequences and tested it. The prototype met with reasonable success, but was not deemed fully functional. A series of refinements were made during the project to improve the discrimination capability.

Using the work of the other team to create a blank, this team worked to implant cybernetic circuits that would allow the body to be remotely operated by an IES. This would allow the IES to both observe and interact. Two prototypes were created and deployed, this was done because it was felt that a pair, one male and one female, would be better accepted by a pod.

The drones went through testing until the IES could control the bodies adeptly, and produce the full range of sounds.

The drones were taken to a small pod and approached warily, using the body language exhibited by other dolphins in a similar situation. The drones were received with caution, and 'greetings' were handled. The first contact was for about one hour. Additional sessions gleaned more data, as well as identifying that there was a visual aspect of communication that was needed. This developed a second lexicon of language.

The third method was developed by taking aspects of the first two. Its purpose was to allow scientists to actually go into the study group and interact with them. Two new bodies were developed, and copy of the scientists mental backup downloaded into it. In addition to the normal memories of the scientist, the combined lexicons of the first two methods, were added as well as the motor skills.

After several days of getting used to their 'bodies' the scientists set out to make contact. Contact went very well armed with the information from the prior projects they were soon welcome with the pod. At this point the project accelerated since the scientists could interact directly.

These two served as 'ambassadors' between the science team and the dolphins.

It was found that there is a degree of commonality in the languages of the subspecies, which facilitates the translation effort.

After the successful implementation of process with Dolphins, the team proceeded to work on the Yamataian whale.

The project is an ongoing effort. In part because of the number of different dialects present. The translation unit is now in production, and can be used with any 'contacted' species.

It was found that one challenge that remains is dealing with the different mindset of a creature that lives in the sea. There is no concept of a home, the closest equivalent is their pod. Likewise the concepts of currency, property, etc are all alien.

• Dolphin
  • Primary Yamatai (Planet) species currently capable.
  • Primary Daichi species currently capable.
• Whale
  • Primary Yamatai (Planet) species currently capable.
  • Daichi has no native species.

• translator
• lexicon
• environmental_suits
• uplift
• academy