Testing one-two-three

Writers: Jelena, Suzee
Date Posted: 9th March 2013

Characters: Naton, Kirten
Description: Kirten and Birki help Naton in testing his device.
Location: Dolphin Hall
Date: month 12, day 10 of Turn 6

Kirten sat on the dock swinging his legs and flipping water back at
Birki when she splashed him as she dearly loved to do. She danced on
her tail laughing at him in the way of dolphins. He grinned back at
her. "He'll be here soon," he called as she came up out of the water
near his knee. He wasn't quite sure what Journeyman Naton had in mind
but they were going to be testing something today.

It wasn't often that Naton was this nervous, but today was quite a big
day. If the test went well, he could finish his report for the Masters
and his promotion was practically within reach. Carrying a mysterious
looking case to the dock, he gave Kirten a wave. "Thank you for coming
over so quickly."

"Oh sure," Kirten said and gathered his feet under him. Standing up he
smiled, "Birki is excited about this."

"That's good, because he's going to be the one doing all the work,"
Naton laughed. He looked out over the dock, now quiet as night time
had fallen over the Dolphin Hall. He put down the case on the dock and
opened it. "Birki is going to be testing a device I've developed.
Birki, is it okay if I put something on your head?" Naton knew Birki
had a very strong will to please, which was why he had chosen him as
his test subject and the question was really only a formality.

"Yesssss," the dolphin lisped at the Journeyman and bobbed near the
dock. "Birki heeelp!"

Naton smiled at the young dolphin's eagerness, that was one of th big
advantages when working with dolphins. They loved to work. Giving
Birki the sign to come up he stood ready with the headband he had
created with the smith's help. The band itself had gone through
several stages of test already, but this would be the first test with
the lamp attached.

The young dolphin floated within reach and did her best to stay still
while he put something on her head. In the meantime Kirten slipped
into the water with her to help settle the device in place.

"Thanks," Naton nodded as the lad helped him get the device attached
properly. He pushed back the cover to reveal the glow that had been
transfixed in a waterproof casing with extreme care to reveal it's
purpose to the dolphin and dolphineer. "Now, Birki, is that alright
with you? Does the light bother you at all?"

"Is okaaaay," she warbled at him then did a backflip away from the
dock and came back up near by.

"It stayed just fine," Kirten grinned.

"Great!" Naton said with a grin. "Now as for the real testing," he
trailed of for a moment, trying to look menacing but failing
miserably. "Earlier today I spread out ten small sacks filled with
rocks around the harbour floor. What I want you two to do is find
them, but without Birki using her sonar. She can only help you by
lighting your way, understood?"

"Yes sir," he said certain she could do the job. "Oh," he turned just
as they were to start. "Do you want me to bring them back or..." he
let his voice trail off.

"Yes, pick up whatever you can find and bring them back to me here."
Naton nodded. "You can come back after every one you find or when you
can't carry anymore, that's up to you."

They dove and found the first one rather easily. Kirten swam back to
the dock with it and went out again. The second wasn't too hard to
locate and soon they were dropping that one off too. "How many did you
say there were?"

"There's ten of them!" Naton replied, curious to see how many they
would be bringing back. There were a few that he'd lodged between
rocks, so that the boy would really need Birki's light to free them
and get them up. Hopefully it would work and his device would be
proven useful.

"Alright," Kirten called cheerfully. Birki whistled and chattered and
they were gone again. The search took them a little while but they
found two more and brought them in. "Thats four of them."

Off they went to find more and bring them back. After eight, no matter
how hard they searched they couldn't locate the last two.

"I'm sorry Journeyman, that's all we can find." Kirten was
disappointed and his shoulders slumped as he leaned against the dock.

"That is perfect, lad, don't worry," Naton said, obviously pleased
with a big grin on his face. It was more than he had hoped for. "Now
come on up here and tell me how you experiences working with the
light. You too Birki, did you like it?"

Birki chittered before she formed words. "Iss goood."

Kirten pulled himself out of the water up on the dock breathing a
little heavily. "It was harder than sonar and wouldn't really work if
the water was murky or we stirred up the bottom but when the water was
clear it was pretty easy to find them."

Naton grinned widely at Birki. "Thank you Birki, that is good to
know!" The Journeyman then turned to Kirten. "Where there bits of the
exercise you think the light really helped with? Something you think
Birki's sonar wouldn't be equipped for?" Naton

Kirtin thought about the journeyman's question a moment before he
answered. He felt like he was being tested and wasn't sure he knew the
right answer. "Um... well, in the past she's had trouble 'seeing'
around columns of bubbles... with her sonar... she sees the column but
not what's on the other side until she can get an angle on it. Is that
what you mean?"

"Alright, that is interesting," Naton said pensively. "So the light
helped you with that? And the sacks covered in rocks, was the light
helpful with that or would you rather have used the sonar?"

"Yes," he nodded. "It was easier to see those with the light. "

"Great," Naton nodded with a smile. "If you wouldn't mind writing a
little report on our exercise today, I would be most grateful, it'll
be a valuable addition to my documentation of the test. Write down
what you and Birki did as accurately as you remember and at the end
explain if you think the device is useful or not and why. Could you do
that for me?"

"Yes sir!" The young dolphineer just knew he could give good
description of everything they'd seen and done.

Last updated on the March 27th 2013

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Testing one-two-three