Cdr Tyler walked into the cetacean ops to find the 2 dolphins playing with a beach ball in their pool. LCdr Mee IH was on duty in the navigation control, and Tyler knew this. He wanted to meet and chat with his 2 dolphin officers and hopefully get some insight into his new second officer. At the moment he was feeling quite awkward, Tyler was coming to go for a swim with them as Tesa had reccomended. He wore a simple grey sweatsuit with a newly replicated swimsuit underneath. Tyler took a breath before addressing them.

‘Hey guys, uh, I just thought I’d come down and uh, maybe go for a swim with you…uh, perhaps have a chat about things, I know you both are off duty and I dont uh, wanna imp…’

Up until he started equivocating the dolphins had continued playing while they listened. But we he sounded like he might back out, they stopped and swam over to the edge nearest Tyler and propped themselves up on the sidewall of the pool with their flippers.

‘No, wow wow wait. You, you want come for a swim with us Cap?’ Joe said eagerly.

‘Well yeah, you guys invited us a few days, I figured I’d take you up on the offer.’ Tyler said as he began taking off his sweatsuit.

Looking on in disbelief, the other dolphin could only manage a bewildered ‘no, waaaaaaay’

Joe was ecstatic ‘F$&#^ yeeeeeeah!’ He swam over to his buddy and tapped him with his nose. ‘Yo, you drop the tubes, I’ll clean the place up. Go go go’ the 2 were over the moon happy that their CO was coming for a swim and high fived eachother with their flippers before quickly racing around the pool. One swam down and hit a button with his nose that caused 2 3/4 inch translucent tubes to lower from the ceiling and 2 ‘cradles’ to extend from the sidewalls of the pool about one foot under the water. Joe, meanwhile swam around and knocked all the various toys out of the pool, knowing how fragile humans were around water.

Tyler, now feeling quite awkward since he had stripped right down to his swim trunks, somehow mustered the courage to just walk right over to the edge of the pool ‘mind if I just jump right in guys?’ Tyler asked.

Joe stared at the CO from the other side if the pool, dumbfounded for a second ‘Uh, bu, I, sh…yeah Captain, dude totally, that’s, that’s what its all about’ finally regaining his composure.

Tyler, still feeling ashamed of his gangly figure, threw caution to the wind and just jumped in, the pool was cool but not cold. Quite refreshing actually, Tyler thought as he swam to the surface. When he got there he wiped the water out of his eyes. He quickly became the one who was dumbfounded.

The 2 dolphins were now in their cradles. Joe was sucking clear liquid through the tube, and the other was staring right at Tyler, who was treading water about 4 feet infront of them.

‘Welcome to level 1 of the circle of trust Captain Frederick Tyler, I am Bob. You have been a loyal friend to the cetacean races, we will not forget what you have done for us, and our comrade Mee IH. His mother’s pod wish to ask if they may be allowed to name their next child Fred in honour of you.’ It was very eery, the voice had changed completely. Bob(who Fred thought was named Meh Ee ih) now had a very deep and bassy voice reminiscent of the ancient Earth actor James Earl Jones. His voice was expressive and flowing, and the dolphins sat nearly motionless in their cradles, Bob now also taking a suck on the tube that had lowered from the ceiling aswell.

Tyler was beyond feeling awkward now, he was straight up weirded out. Tesa had told him their personalities would change. But the officer had asked him a question, so he answered. ‘Uh, I mean, sure that’d be fine. Its not neccesary though.’

‘Thank you Captain, I will inform his mother of your answer. Now that you are at Level 1 of the circle of trust, we can now inform about our genetic condition that prevents us from interacting as we are now before you entered the circle. Its is a deeply evolved defensive mechanism that all cetacean species share, until another species come and shares water with us, we may not open up ourselves to them, and must act as you have seen us previously throughout your entire life.’ Bob said in low rolling rhythm.

‘Uh, well, jeez, I had no idea, no one ever told me about this genetic condition before.’

‘It is a deep seated shame for our species. Our best scientists have been working on a potential therapy for nearly a century without success.’

Joe, who now had a voice reminiscent of the ancient earth actor known as Joe Pesci, said ‘So level with us Captain, are you an ally of the cetacean community, or did you just like Mee IH, why’d you promote him, give us the goods on that.’ He took another slurp from the tube.

Tyler felt absolutely terrible. Just a week ago he had been lecturing his XO from a position of knowledge on the cetacean ops department. And yet he hadn’t known this very important basic fact about them. ‘I thought with his record, he deserved it…and to be fair, I did use to think I was an ally of cetaceans, but considering I’m just learning about this condition you have now…maybe I havent been.’ Tyler admitted.

Joe nodded sympathetically ‘Don’t worry about that Fred, may I call you Fred?’

‘Yeah sure, we’re off duty. May I call you Joe.’

‘Certainly, I wish you would…so anyway Fred, for over a hundred years our species has been working faithfully with and for starfleet to help keep your ships safe. In recent decades a small community of us have begun to uh, become slightly disillusioned by our treatment at the hands of the Federation. We know you mean well, but honestly, we feel a bit like we’ve been taken advantage of in some ways. As the first Captain to ever give command of starship to one of us, our people have asked us to relay some requests to you, if you’d be willing to read them. Its not short. I will download it to your padd before you leave if ya wanr.’ Joe said.

‘Your people asked you?’ Tyler replied. This was beginning to sound ominous, he had always heard rumors that some cetaceans weren’t happy with their treatment in Starfleet, but he had always listened to his colleagues who had written it off as, a lazy few, or malcontent dolphins. But Tyler was getting the sense, that this was something bigger. Tyler had always firmly believed in the freedom and liberty of all people in the federation, and this was very troubling to here.

‘Uh yeah, our whole species, all cetacean species… I know the orcas signed on at the last minutes, wait Bob, did the Greys and the blues both sign off on that memo too? They did right?’ Joe asked Bob.

‘Yes Joe, all cetacean species have signed on to the memo, in confidence. Captain Tyler you are only the second none cetacean to read the memo. We want you to help us deliver the memo, and have the reccomendations there-in adopted if possible by Starfleet command’

‘I’ll gladly do whatever I can to help, of course…oh, I feel so terrible that it has taken till now for me to realize…so for you all to open up with you fellow crew members like this, all they have to do is come for a swim? Not even a skinny dip? Why do you all always ask for us to come skinny dipping?’ Tyler inquired.

‘It is an error, or a technological artifact within the universal translators themselves. It is listed as complaint number 178 on the memo we have sent to your padd.’ Bob said.

Tyler sighed and pulled himself up and sat on the edge of pool, looking at his dolphin officers, he was feeling utterly demoralized now. ‘I promise I will read the memo tonight. Bob, Joe, on my honour I will.’

‘Enh, I doubt it cap, the memos 957 pages long and has 17 appendices. It lists all the grievances and complaints and requests made by our species over the last century. Very few of our requests have ever been granted…even then we usually gotta threaten to mutiny or talk alotta shit to get em to just listen.’ Joe said.

Tylers entire life force sank as he heard this. What had been occurring for the past century? Threatening mutiny just to get people to listen? Had he been complicit in the restricting or denying of freedoms to cetaceans over the years? Was starfleet actually oppressing cetaceans? It was all very heavy and worrisome for Tyler. Has his life in starfleet been hiding a monumental lie?

‘I will read it with every waking minute I’m not on duty, until I’m finished. And I will help you send it up the chain of command, you have my word on that.’ Tyler was despondent now. He hoped that the cetaceans might be embelishing a bit, but deep down he had a feeling, that this was very serious indeed. It almost certainly was somewhat based in truth based on the increasing cases of cetacean lead mutiny and insubordination over the past few decades.

‘Sir. It is clear to me that you are an honorable man. And we appreciate your words. Would you be willing to share a drink with us?’ Bob said.

‘Yeah, you own know what, I think I could use a drink about now.’ Tyler said dryly.

Joe squeezed ‘On it’ as rolled out of his cradle and small down and tapped a button with his nose that lowered a tube down to Tyler and then returned his cradle. ‘Go ahead, take a swig. Wait until we tell your grandma about this Bob, oh boy she’s gonna be gossiping for weeks.’

Tyler shrugged and grabbed the tube, put it to his lips and sucked. It was a very cold, very coconuty pineappley flavored liquor. He only took one gulp ‘Thats kinda nice, whats it called?’

‘Its an Earth liqour known as Malibu. We have had it chilled to 0.9 degrees Celsius. Our liqourists discovered that at that temperature this beverage is the greatest beverage known to our science.’ Bob said.

Tyler took another sip. It was rather good. ‘Yeah its pretty good.’

Joe ‘Ah, be careful there Cap, humanoids have a tendencies to come down with something called ‘brain freeze’ when drinking well chilled drinks….’

It was too late, the affliction had struck Tyler already, the freezing pain behind his eyes and forehead erupted. ‘Owww….ow.’

‘Breath in through your mouth and out through your nose to end the pain quicker Captain Tyler. You should have warned him sooner Joe.’ Bob said.

‘Whatdya mean I didnt tell da guy swig it like it was water, did I? How is this my fault Bob, youre the one who offered him the drink.’ Joe said.

Tyler was feeling several different kinds of regret now. He regretted that last gulp, and he regretted not being a proper ally to his cetacean officers. He made up his mind in the moments before leaving cetacean ops, that he would do better in the future, and not let his fellow officers down again.