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(Tursiops galactis)

Intelligent minor race originating on Terra (Sol / Solomani Rim 1827), raised to sentience by the Solomani corporation GenAssist during the Rule of Man.

A typical male Dolphin (Tursiops galactis) measures between 2.75 and 3.95m from the tip of its powerful flukes to its snout, and weighs about 100 to 150kg. Females tend to be smaller and lighter, on average. Their skin is smooth to the touch, and tends to be a purple-black along the dorsal surface, shading to white or light gray on the underside. Layers of fat make their hide equivalent to jack armor. Their eyes are located in the darker section of the face.

The brain of a Dolphin is 1.5 times the size of a human, although this should not be taken as a sign of greater (or lesser) intelligence. For the most part, this difference is due to the greater mass of the Dolphin body. The original wild dolphin life span was about 20 years, but the enhanced Dolphins typically live 50 to 60 years. Anagathics are available, with prices, benefits and risks similar to those used by humans.

The main Dolphin sense centers on their very accurate echolocation system. Geneering has improved this to give a 100m range. Dolphin hearing is able to detect sounds ranging in pitch from 150 to 150,000 Hertz (by contrast, Terran cats can hear sounds up to 50,000 Hz, bats to 75,000 Hz, and humans only up to 20,000 Hz). Underwater eyesight is fairly keen, as it has been adapted for that environment. The lenses of their eyes are very globular and hence convex in nature in order to reverse the negative effects of aquatic reflection. However, this makes the Dolphin very near-sighted when out of the water. To counter this, many Dolphins wear corrective lenses when not in a Travel Suit (which has a special visor built-in).

The diet of Dolphins, like their semi-sentient ancestors, is wholly carnivorous. Modern Dolphins do take great joy in sampling new foods and tastes. A Dolphin requires 110 calories per kg per day to sustain itself. This is far greater than the human need of 50 calories per kg per day. This translates to roughly 10% of body mass, per day.

Typical members of Tursiops galactis can dive for up to 15 minutes without respirator assistance. In practice, many wear tanked air supplies to allow a greater endurance for underwater operations. When swimming near the surface, Dolphins breathe 2 to 6 times per minute, increasing up to 8 after a long dive or period of exertion. Unlike humans, who normally use only 12.5% of their lung capacity, Dolphins almost completely empty and fill their lungs with every breath. Also, they store much more oxygen in their blood and muscle tissues than humans do, which allows them to make such prolonged dives.

A single glance at the Dolphin body is enough to reveal the perfection of their streamlining. Nowhere in explored space is there a creature so perfectly evolved in a hydrodynamic sense. As a rule of thumb, Dolphins can maintain 40 kph when swimming and can attain burst speeds of up to 60 kph.

Although normal swimming depth is above 30m, Dolphins can dive up to 200m in extreme cases (humans can only manage 125m unprotected). Furthermore, the physiology of a Dolphin is such that they are wholly immune to caisson disease ("the bends") which is a constant hazard to human divers.

The natural evolution of cetaceans on Terra is still something of a mystery, even to sciences of the 57th century (Terran dating). However, their "uplifting" to sentient status is well documented. The Solomani corporation GenAssist, established to adapt Terran native life forms to alien climates, saw a need for creatures that could assist in colonizing and developing worlds with high hydrographic percentages. To that end, GenAssist began research on dolphins during the Rule of Man. As other species were dropped from GenAssist 's overall project, the dolphins had the full attention of the company trained on them, and rapidly attained true intelligence. In -1988, just prior to the collapse of the Rule of Man, a handful of Dolphin colonies were seeded along the rimward frontiers of what is now the Solomani Sphere.

In the centuries since, the Dolphins have proved themselves to be fantastically adaptive and very loyal to the Solomani government. The reason for their loyalty has very little to do with political philosophies, as Dolphin psychology is radically different from their human patrons. Rather, each and every Dolphin is acutely aware that the Solomani gave them the gift of sentience, and they feel indebted to the Terrans for this. The Solomani have not discouraged this way of thinking; in fact, they have fostered it.

Dolphin culture is based on a belief in total equality. Everything is shared equally and each citizen is entitled to the full benefits of the society's capabilities. They are unable to understand many concepts, which seem almost absolute to humans, for example, the ideas of property and land ownership. If one Dolphin has a tool that another needs, the latter simply takes the tool and returns it after use (is customary to ask if the current holder has finished with the object first, but this is not unlike a human request to "borrow" an item). Further, the concept of land ownership is beyond them. They point out that "the sea is always in motion, so how can you claim a portion of it as yours?" In the same way, the land is in motion (although far more slowly), and similar reasoning results.

These concepts can result in problems when Dolphins interact with other life forms. On starships, for instance, Dolphin passengers have been known to take objects (such as jewelry) which appealed to them, without asking permission if the object did not seem to be currently in use. If confronted with the "theft", they gladly admit to it and cheerfully return the object as long as they have finished "using" it. Dolphins who have spent a great deal of time among other races eventually learn that many others consider this improper behavior. At this point, they usually modify their behavior and ask to use things which others seem attached to. In such cases, they see this as a game they must play in order to "fit in".

Dolphins do not usually gather in large communities, but live in extended family groups of between 15 and 20 individuals. Family groups interact frequently, and it is not uncommon for two or more of them to dwell very near to one another. They simply do not have a structural society such as envisioned by humans and others. In most cases, the Scouts classify colony worlds composed primarily of Dolphin settlers as government code 0 (anarchy).

The actual number of individual Dolphins varies widely from world to world. On Terra, the original dolphins are extinct (they still thrive on a few other worlds, though) and the latest census counted about 2.5 million Dolphins.

While Dolphins are well adapted for aquatic environments, they are handicapped when removed from them. In order to overcome such difficulties, science has come up with a number of devices, which make life much more pleasant for Dolphins who must function out of the water.

The first and by far the most important of these is the Travel Suit (or TeeSuit). This is the Dolphin equivalent to a vacc suit, and contains a super-humid environment. A grav "belt" and an in-built commo system allow a Dolphin to move around and communicate when out of the water.

The second device is the waldo. A serious handicap, which Dolphins suffer, is their lack of manipulatory appendages. This is unheard of in naturally occurring sophont species, but is not uncommon among the Solomani's "uplifted races". To overcome this problem, human scientists created mechanical manipulatory devices known as waldoes. Waldos act as artificial "arms", which permit a dolphin to handle objects almost as well as humans. At TL 12, neural control plugs are available to be surgically implanted into the skull of a Dolphin. Waldos can then be plugged in, allowing them to be directed by nerve impulses.

Finally, Dolphin starships have certain modifications specifically tailored to their occupants. The most instantly obvious change is that such craft maintain a zero-gravity field aboard them at all times (even while grounded) so that the crew can move freely about without TeeSuits. The atmosphere is a standard oxygen-nitrogen composition, but is very humid. This maintains normal moisture levels for the crew without having to keep compartments flooded. Waldoes or direct cybernetic links, as described above controls the ship.

( BOJ-2, 1104; DIGEST-13, 1122)

The Travel Suit (or TeeSuit) is a garment especially designed for Dolphins. This garment is a combination gravitic vehicle and environment suit, which contains a super-humid atmosphere for the health and comfort of its wearer. Early versions are available at TL 12, weigh 12 kg (with the grav modules turned off), provide fairly comfortable support for up to 12 hours and cost Cr125, 000. By TL 15, the cost has increased to Cr150, 000 but the suit only weigh 7 kg, and provides very comfortable accommodations for up to 48 hours.

In all cases, the helmet includes a polylucent cuprothallium visor with a full heads-up display tied into an on-board computer/communication array. This system is equivalent to a hand computer in data processing power with a regional (500 km) range audio/video transceiver capability.

The suit is capable of flight at up to 100 kph. Normal cruise speed is only about 75 kph and NOE speed is 20 kph. In combat, the suit is equal to cloth-1 (TL 12-13) and cloth-2 (TL 14+). The TeeSuit provides its wearer with complete protection from temperatures ranging from -100 degrees C to +100 degrees C, and pressures of up to 5 atmospheres. Waldos are an optional extra.

A combat version exists (Type D battle dress) with the same armor rating as human battle dress. It includes a sonar amplifier (range 1 km), integral waldoes, and a chameleon surface, often set to dark gray above blending to light Grey/white on the lower surface. A special snout ram can be fitted, as well as a torpedo rack.

(BOJ-2, 1104; DIGEST-13, 1108)

A waldo is a type of mechanical manipulation device, taking the form of an artificial arm and hand.

The first uses of waldoes were to manipulate objects in hostile or dangerous environments, such as in "hot cells" in radiation labs. Later they were used by humans as an alternative (or an adjunct to) artificial limbs. People who were too crippled or injured to use conventional prosthetics could have waldoes fitted to their travel chairs. Also, some races (most notably, some of the Solomani "uplifted" species) must use waldoes to substitute for their lack of "hands".

The major example of waldoes used by a species is the case of the Dolphins. Early versions (TL 9) were worn as a harness or mounted on a TeeSuit, and were controlled by movements of the tongue and head. They were very clumsy and weak, only able to move weights of 25 kg or less. They cost Cr150, 000 and weigh 20 kg.

At TL 12, medical and robotic advances allow the surgical implanting of neural control plugs in Dolphins. The brain of the user can then directly control Waldoes, becoming far less clumsy. At TL 15, Dolphins using waldoes are as adept as humans are. Strength is also enhanced, allowing objects of up to 100 kg to be freely manipulated. Cost of the operation is Cr150, 000 at TL 12, dropping by Cr15, 000 at each subsequent tech level. TL 12 waldoes cost Cr250, 000 and weigh 10 kg.

(DIGEST-13, 1108)

(Tursiops galactis)

Roger E. Moore

Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society Nos 6 and 7 (273-1106 and 090-1107) 1980 and 1981.

Editor's Note: Some grammatical changes have been made. Where it was unclear whether T. galactis or wild dolphins were implied, T. galactis was used to ensure clarity. All Editor Notes are in italics.

When humanity left the cradle of Terra, numerous other (life) forms went along. Many creatures were introduced into new worlds, sometimes to supplement the local ecology and sometimes as part of an effort to create a new ecology. On worlds having extensive hydrographic cover, there was a need for creatures that could assist in the colonization and development of the oceans. Scientists settled on using the Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin, enhanced by genetic engineering (or "geneering") to create a new and hardier species (Tursiops galactis) as a partner to human settlers of these worlds. The exceptional intelligence of the dolphin allowed it to be trained in many areas of work in the ocean communities, and some worlds even went so far as to enlist them as soldiers in local nautical force commands. These military dolphins proved to be invaluable allies as reconnaissance troops, and some were equipped with a special type of battle dress to increase their military capabilities.

T. galactis may be encountered on worlds with an atmosphere of 4 to 9 (ATM 4 - ATM 9), a hydrosphere covering of (at least) 30% to 100% of the planets surface ( HYD 3 - HYD A), and a minimum human population of 10,000s (POP 4). They are very similar to their Terrestrial ancestors in appearance. T. galactis is about 3.7 meters long, weighs an average of 380 kgs, and has (generally) a slate gray coloration dorsally with a white ventral region. Layers of fat beneath the skin give dolphins protection equal to Jack. They can achieve speeds of up to 40 kph while "cruising" through ocean waters (and faster for short bursts). Being mammals, they breathe air and may remain submerged for up to 30 minutes before they need to breathe again. Dolphins are capable of breathing tainted atmospheres without a filter.

T. galactis are hunters feeding on whatever local fauna are suited to their digestion. (In some cases, edible products have to be imported in and "grown" in ocean farms for T. galactis to survive.) While they are able to deal deadly blows to larger creatures by ramming, they are (generally) friendly to humans and are almost never known to attack people (Solomani co-habitors) without provocation. Military training may alter this generally pleasant nature. In determining reactions of T. galactis when encountering a party of humans, a DM of +2 is applied if the roll is 6 or less. The DM is +1 if T. galactis have been given military training. If attacked, T. galactis will defend themselves regardless of their initial reaction, and they will flee whenever possible, (especially) if outnumbered. Being intelligent, the referee should play them intelligently.

Dolphins, in the wild, form schools of 6 to 36. Roll 18 exactly on 3D6 (per member of the school) for that dolphin to have had training by humans. (REFEREES: Also develop the personality of the dolphin to see if the "attitude" positive to this military training.) The females become sexually active at age four and bear live young every year or two. Dolphins have been known to form mated pairs for life and have a life span of up to 55 years.

The visual and auditory senses of the dolphin are highly developed, and they have excellent senses of taste as well. They have no sense of smell being aquatic. The geneering performed on T. galactis has increased the sense of echolocation, the ability to detect objects by a form of biological sonar. The improvement allows T. galactis to be highly aware of terrain and moving objects within 100 meters of their front when submerged, and they are difficult to surprise or ambush (DM +1 to avoid surprise.)

T. galactis have limitations. While they have a limited empathic understanding of what humans may want of them, communication can be a serious difficulty. "Delphinese," a simple signal-call-sign language was developed to overcome this problem. Delphinese is understood by most T. galactis unless raised in the wild, and there is a small chance that the feral dolphin will have learned the language. Humans may learn Delphinese in a short time (see LBB Book 4 for information on learning new skills, under instruction, p13 - 14.) Human instructors of Delphinese are uncommon and (usually) live in coastal areas ( where T. galactis reside.) Some T. galactis can learn to speak human languages, bur this ability is uncommon.

Other deficiencies of T. galactis are their lack of mobility on land and the absence of manipulative (appendages.) The latter problem was solved by genetic modification of the flippers to form finger-like projections at the ends, which permit them to operate specially fitted waldoes. Waldoes are artificial manipulative arms, which permit T. galactis to handle objects almost as well as humans. Grav belts and other mechanical devices overcome the mobility problems. Additionally, to operate on land. T. galactis needs skin protection from drying out and excessive exposure to sunlight.

T. galactis may develop an intelligence of (D) 13 (INT = 13) and their intelligence does not decrease as they grow older. T. galactis of course, have no rating for education or social standing among humans.

T. galactis have less opportunity to learn certain skills (and none at all to learn others, such as gunnery) because of their physical handicaps on dry land. What skills they do learn, however, they learn quickly and well. There is little uniformity amongst the worlds of the Imperium regarding the training and use of T. galactis, so a special set of skills tables is presented for their development (as PCs/NPS) in Traveller. 6d6 are rolled for the number of hits a T. galactis can take before it goes unconscious in combat. 3d6 are used to determine the (additional) number of hits it takes before it dies. This system is taken from the section on animal encounters in LBB Book 3, p32.

Determine if T. galactis has received training. Roll 2d6, 2 - 9 for civilian training and 10+ for military training. Military training also implies that T. galactis was veteran of the home planet Wet Navy.

In civilian service, T. galactis is assumed to have served 2 - 12 two year terms before mustering out (equal to 4 - 24 years.) One roll may be made on the basic or civilian skills table for each two tear term. One mustering out roll per four year term may be made on the Mustering Out Table. T. galactis start their careers at age 4, so a T. galactis that served 8 terms in civilian service would be 20 years old when mustered out, have eight skill rolls and four mustering out rolls. DMs for intelligence are applied as shown.

In military service, T. galactis will serve 6 - 16 terms (2d6+4, equal to 12 - 32 years) in civilian and military positions. One roll is allowed on either basic, civilian or military skills tables for each two year term served. At least four rolls must be made on the military service table. DMs for intelligence and the home world tech level are applied to the rolls. Mustering out is the same as for civilian service. On a roll of 12 for 2d6, the T. galactis has received a special award or other recognition for particularly courageous or outstanding actions while in a combat situation, and may receive favorable treatment from humans it encounters. Aside from skills learned as a result for past experience, T. galactis have no skill level in any other skills.

For every two years of a T. galactis age beyond 30 years old, a saving throw must be made to avoid loss of two hit points from the base hit points (2d6 8+). If this number falls to zero or below due to these aging effects, T. galactis is assumed to have fallen ill and must make a saving throw to survive (2d6 10+). Having survived, T. galactis gets one hit point to go unconscious. Aging effects are applied immediately after mustering out. Mote that this rule applies only to aging effects and not wounding effects in combat.

+1 Hit: add one hit point to the basic total of hits taken before T. galactis goes unconscious

+1 Intelligence: Self explanatory

Brawling: improves chances of T. galactis hitting with a snout ram. Ramming inflicts 4d6 damage to the opponent. Treat as "cudgel" for penetration and range factors. Throw 2d6 8+ to hit, DM +1 per Brawling skill.

Waldo Ops: T. galactis fitted with waldoes has an increased chance of using them to perform simple tasks. DM +1 per Waldo Ops skill.

Verbalization: This skill allows T. galactis to understand commands in Delphinese and better communicate with humans. A T. galactis may successfully communicate with a human in Delphinese on 2d6 10+ and Spanglic on 2d6 12+, DM +1 per Verbalization skill.

Grav Belt: This allows T. galactis to move under power of a grav belt while operating in Battle Dress Type D on dry land or ship borne operations where there is a grav field present. While a minimum skill level of one is necessary to operate the installed grav belts of the battle dress, multiple levels can be used for higher stressed operations.

Herding: This skill allows T. galactis to schools of human consumable aquatic life into the nets or enclosures (farms) of near shore humans.

Hunting: This skill applies to marine life and is based upon the skill from LBB Book 4, p12.. It is the ability to locate food sources for T. galactis as well as for human consumption.

Survival: as per human survival skill for aquatic environment.

Liaison: This skill is used as a DM +1 on the reaction table when T. galactis encounters humans. It may also be used as a positive DM +1 when communicating.

Recon: Similar to human's recon and will provide a positive DM +1 in surprise situations, scouting enemy positions, scouting enemy movements and like operations. Higher levels of skill allow T. galactis to better estimate enemy strength and position. T. galactis must have Verbalization skill to receive Recon skill, otherwise this become Hunting skill.

Tactics: This skill is similar to the human skill but applies to small unit actions underwater, involving T. galactis or combined T. galactis and human operations. To receive this skill, T. galactis must have Verbalization skill, otherwise this becomes Survival skill.

Combat Engineering: This skill involves the proper placement of sensors and explosive charges in combat situations per LLB Book 4, p11. T. galactis use this skill as outlined for humans with appropriate allowances for the underwater environment. Verbalization skill is required to receive this skill, otherwise this becomes Survival skill.

Battle Dress: The nautical forces (Wet Navy) of some worlds use T. galactis troops equipped with a specialized form of battle dress (Type D). Type D battle dress cannot be put on T. galactis without the assistance of at least one human or two other T. galactis equipped with waldoes. The suit provides protection from damage as per normal battle dress, and gives full protection against water borne poisons or waterless environments. The suit is much like a vacc suit for T. galactis and contains the natural environment T. galactis would encounter while underwater. There are different models, some of which are water filled behind the head and provide a 100% relative humidity environment at the head, or filled totally with water, or provide just a 100% relative humidity environment. A set of waldoes are built into the suit. Skill in Battle Dress gives an automatic Waldo skill level of one. Type D battle Dress also has sonar amplifiers, range 1 km, an integral grav belt and air tanks. While using Type D battle dress, T. galactis can attain speeds of up to 75 kph in water (more if operating in less dense medium such as air). These suits are usually armed with a missile/torpedo rack. T. galactis with Waldo Operations skill 3 or better may use any human weapon as well, although this will drastically reduce swimming speed. The suits are camouflage capable and are generally worn with a T. galactis pattern. Most duplicate the pattern of the wearer. A specially fitted snout ram can inflict 8d6 damage. Type D Battle Dress can, with modifications, be used as a vacc suit for T. galactis, but situations are rarely developed where this is possible or necessary.

Waldo Set: this benefit is received on the mustering out table. These are a pair of arms with 5 fingers each. They are available at TL 7+. Weigh 4 kg and reduce swimming speed by 50%. The average cost is 1000 cr.

Type D Battle Dress Suit: This benefit is received if and only if the T. galactis has been a member of the home planet military.

SKILL TABLES (1d6 rolls)

Dolphins

(Tursiops galactus)

An Alien Minor Race for MegaTraveller

William W. Connors

Traveller's Digest - Number 13 - Digest Groups Publications

The natural evolution of cetaceans on Terra is still some- thing of a mystery, even to the advanced sciences of the 57th century (old Solomani dating). While the dietary pat- terns of modern dolphins and the structure of their teeth indicate that they are almost certainly descended from carnivores, other data, such as the structure of their stomachs and certain biochemical components, link them to ungulates (cattle and such). Current Solomani theories tend toward the former explanation.

Modern beliefs hold that, during the earliest evolution of the protocelaceans 45 to 50 million years ago, shallow seas covered much of the earth. In certain places, such as North Africa, competition for food on land was in- tense. In response to this, the protocetaceans began to forage in the water for food. As time passed, natural selection promoted those that could swim faster or hold their breath longer and the rest is, as they say, history. Similar evolutionary processes can be observed in many Terran aquatic mammals such as the seal, whale, and manatee.

Each of the three major human races excels in certain areas of technology in which the others are lacking. The Zhodani, for instance, have a far greater understanding of the mind, both physically and psychologically, than either the Solomani or the Vilani. This superiority has, to a great extent, shaped their culture.

The Solomani, in turn, have brought the sciences of genetic manipulation and engineering (often called simply "geneering") to levels undreamed of in the Third Imperium or Zhodani Consulate. In addition, no other known major or minor race matches the achievements of Terran scientists in such matters. (The Ancients, while no longer extant, were at their heyday an obvious exception to this claim.)

The first wide-scale use of these technologies occurred early in the Terran 22nd century (roughly -2400 by the Imperial calendar) following their first expansions into interstellar space. As they fought a long series of wars with the crumbling First Imperium, the Terrans found themselves acquiring more and more alien worlds. In order to promote their colonization. The Solomani government established a semi-autonomous foundation known as GenAssist which was charged with the adaptation of native Terran life forms to alien climates.

After a few initial mishaps, one of which almost destroyed the natural ecology of Ishimshulgi in Sol Subsector; GenAssist began to produce great breakthroughs in the under- standing and implementation of genetic engineering techniques.

While the scientists at GenAssist were hard at work making physiological modifications to Terran livestock, agricultural crops, and similarly vital colonial commodities, a splinter group within the organization began to look at other possibilities. Over the next several decades, under the guidance of Dr. Craig Carbone and, later, Dr. Victor Haerinck, modifications were made to the brains of several Terran life forms. By far the most successful of these were the improvements made to various cetacean races.

Early on in their research, they abandoned work with the species Orcinus orca which, although progressing toward true intelligence very rapidly, was deemed to be far too large (averaging 9.5 meters in length) to be easily transported off world. Although some fought the decision, GenAssist directors hold fast that the firm's charter specified that all work was to be aimed at the promotion of off world colonization projects.

One by one, other programs fell behind in progress and were dropped from the project. In the end, only the species Tursiops galactus (which had begun as Tursiops truncalus) was left. With the full attention of the GenAssist Sophontology program focused on them, the dolphins rapidly attained true intelligence and. in -1988, just prior to the collapse of the Rule of Man, a handful of Dolphin colonies were seeded along the rimward frontiers of what is now the Solomani Sphere.

In the centuries since, they have proven themselves to be fantastically adaptive and very loyal to the Solomani government. The reason for their loyalty has little to do with political philosophies, as the Dolphin psychology (see be- low) Is radically different from that of their human patrons. Each and every Dolphin is very aware that the Solomani gave them the gift of sentience and. as such, they feel indebted to the Terrans for this. The Solomani, it might be noted, have dons nothing to discourage such thinking and, indeed, have fostered h.

How could GenAssist be so successful in creating intelligence in these creatures? Some researchers point to the Ancients as being early assistants to the effort. The Ancients are known to have manipulated Terran canine stock to produce the Vargr race, and it is possible that the dolphins were already close to sentience thanks to a similar program that was never completed. In any case, GenAssist scientists learned a great deal from this first success and were quick to capitalize on R.

By the close of the Third Imperium's first millennium (the 56th century by the Terran calendar), GenAssist had virtually reached the status of a megacorporation within the Solomani Sphere. Over two dozen other species from various worlds have been elevated to intelligence under their guidance and each is now, more or less, a loyal member of the Terran Confederation. None of the other major races, human or otherwise, currently maintains efforts to foster new sentience in animal species.

PHYSIOLOGY

The typical male specimen of Tursiops galactus measures between 2.75 and 3.95 motors from the tip of its powerful flukes to its snout. Females tend to be somewhat smaller, on the average.

The average weight of a male Dolphin runs in the neighborhood of 100 to 150 kilograms and, again, females tend to be rather lighter due to their smaller size.

Their skin, which is very smooth to the touch, tends to be a purple-black along the dorsal surface, shading to white or light gray on the underside. The eyes are located in the darker section of the face.

The brain of a typical Dolphin is 1.5 times the size of a human's, although this should not be taken as an indication of greater (or lesser) intelligence. For the most part, this difference is attributable to the greater mass of the Dolphin body.

The original dolphin lifespan was about 20 years, but the enhanced Dolphins -typically live 50 to 60 years. Anagathics are available, with prices, benefits, and risks similar to those used by humans.

DIETARY HABITS

The diet of geneered Dolphins is not unlike that of their semi-sentient ancestors in that h is wholly carnivorous in content. Obviously, modern Dolphins have access to a greater variety of foodstuffs, however, and they take great joy in sampling now foods and experiencing new tastes. A typical Dolphin requires 110 calories per kilogram of mass per day to sustain itself at normal activity levels. This is far greater than the average human need of roughly 50 calories per kilogram per day. Normally, that amounts to food consumption equal to 1 0% of the Dolphin's own weight per day.

There are many reasons for a Dolphin's greater caloric intake requirements. Perhaps the most important of these is the fact that, on the average, sea water has a thermal conductivity over 25 times greater than that of air. Hence, the Dolphin loses far more of his body heat to the environment than non-aquatic lifeforms.

REARING

The vast majority of information, which a Dolphin gathers, about its environment, comes from its very accurate echolocation system. Dolphins who have lost the use of their eyes, in fact, have only a minimal reduction in their overall sensory input. This is not due to any weakness in their sight, only to the fact that their sonar system is of such great accuracy.

Dolphin hearing is able to detect sounds ranging in pitch from 150 to 150,000 Hertz (Hz). Byway of contrast, cats (a domestic pet popular among both the Solomani and Vegans) can detect sounds as high as 50,000 Hz. rats and similar rodents may perceive frequencies as high as 90,000 Hz, and numerous species of bats can sense sounds of up to 175,000 Hz. The typical range for human hearing ex- tends only to 20,000 Hz.

EYESIGHT

Although many people unfamiliar with Dolphin physiology believe that the eyesight of these sophonts is weak because of their dependence on an echolocation system, this is not the case. In fact, Dolphin eyesight is fairly keen. It should be noted, however, that h is adapted for vision in a different medium than human eyesight.

Two factors contribute greatly to the Dolphin's visual perception of his environment. The first of these is the fact that light drops off quickly in water, causing the depths to be dimly lighted, if not wholly in darkness. Dolphin eyes have highly developed rods in the retina, however, which enable them to make the most of what minimal lighting there is beneath the surface of the water.

Second, light waves passing through water are subject to a great deal of reflection (as opposed to the refraction which they undergo in air), requiring the Dolphin to compensate if it is to see things clearly. In order to counter this, the Dolphin's eye is structured somewhat differently from a human's. The lenses, for example, are very globular and, hence, convex in nature, so they reverse the negative effects of Aquatic reflection. This same structure, however, makes the Dolphin very nearsighted when out of the water. In order to counter this, many Dolphins wear corrective lenses when not in a Travel Suit (which is able to counter this effect with a special visor).

RESPIRATION

Typical members of Tursiops galactus are able to make dives of up to 15 minutes in length without respirator assistance. In practice, many wear tanked air supplies to allow a greater duration of underwater operations. When swimming near the surface, Dolphins breaths two to six times per minute normally. After surfacing from a long dive or period of exertion, this rate may La increased to as many as eight breaths per minute.

Unlike humans, who make use of only 12.5% of the capacity of their lungs in normal respiration, Dolphins almost completely empty and fill their lungs with every breath. In addition to this, they store much more oxygen in their blood and muscle tissues than humans do, which allows them to make such prolonged dives.

SWIMMING

A single glance at the body of a Dolphin is enough to re- veal the perfection of their streamlining. They have no external protrusions, which would retard their velocity when swimming and, as such, can attain speeds far greater than many other forms of aquatic life. Nowhere in explored space is there a creature so perfectly evolved in a hydro- dynamic sense. As a rule of thumb, Dolphins can maintain a speed of 40 kilometers par hour when swimming and can attain burst speeds half again as fast.

Although they do not normally dive to depths greater than about 30 motors, healthy Dolphins can go much deeper without harm. While a normal human can dive to only about 125 meters unprotected, Dolphins can go as deep as 200 meters in extreme cases.

In addition, the physiology of a Dolphin is such that they are wholly immune to caisson disease (the bonds) which is a constant hazard to human divers.

LANGUAGE

When speaking among themselves, Dolphins use a language known as Delphinese, which is composed of various clicks, rasps, and whistles. In many cases, the whistles pass beyond the range of human hearing and into the ultra- sonic. Without electronic assistance it is virtually impossible for a human being to speak or understand this language.

For communication with humans, however, most Dolphins speak ordinary, if often very flowery, Galanglic. They tend to repeat clicking sounds (like 'k' or 't') several times (al- most stuttering), and sounds like that made for a 'w' tend to turn into high-pitched whistles.

PSYCHOLOGY

At first glance, it might seam that Dolphins and Solomani could not help but see eye to eye on most issues. After all, both species evolved on the same planet and have shared much of their history together. In actual fact, however. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Dolphin culture is based on a belief in total equality. Everything is shared equally and each citizen is entitled to the full benefits of the society's capabilities.

They are unable to understand many concepts, which seem almost absolute to humans (or, indeed, to most other known races). For example, Dolphins have no concept of ownership. If one Dolphin has a tool, which another needs, the latter simply takes it and returns it to its place when he has finished with it. It is customary to ask if the current holder has completed use of the object first, but this is not akin to requesting permission to 'borrow' something.

Further, Dolphins cannot grasp the concept of owning land. In their native environment, they point out that "the sea is always in motion, so how can one claim that a portion of it is his?"The land, they remind humans, is also always in motion (though far more slowly) and a similar argument follows. Trying to explain human views on such subjects is both irritating (to the human and the Dolphin) and futile.

While on the subject of Dolphin psychology, it is interesting to note that Dolphins have the same chances for having psionic abilities as do humans, although of course this fact is not widely known or discussed.

Their psychological structure simply will not accommodate such thoughts.

This viewpoint can result in problems when Dolphins interact with other life forms that do not share their philosophical outlook. On starships, for instance, Dolphin passengers have been known take objects (such as jewelry) which appealed to them without asking permission if the object did not seem to be currently in use. If confronted with the 'theft', they gladly admit to it and cheerfully return the object so long as they have completed 'using' it.

Dolphins who have spent a great deal of time among other races eventually learn that many others consider this improper. At this point, they usually modify their behavior and ask to use things which others seem to be attached to. In such cases, they think of this as a game, which they must play in order to 'fit in'.

SOCIETY

In most cases, Dolphins do not gather in large communities but live in extended family groups of between 15 and 20 members. To determine the exact number of family members that are in a specific character's group, roll 5D.

These family groups interact frequently, however, and it is not uncommon for two or more of them to dwell very near to each other. They simply do not have a structural society such as is envisioned by humans and similar life forms.

This means that, in most cases, colony worlds that are composed primarily of Dolphin populations are classified by the Scouts as having a government code of 0 (anarchy).

The actual number of individual Dolphins varies widely from world to world. On Terra, the original dolphins are extinct (they still thrive on a few other worlds, though), and the latest census counted about 2.5 million Dolphins.

Persons who are familiar with true communism (as op- posed to the historical totalitarianism which claimed to be communist in nature) should consider the Dolphin race to be just that. They are totally free of any class-based or capital-based society when left to themselves. However, as many must interact with other peoples from time to time, some Dolphins are forced to deal in capitalist terms. When they do so, they are often confused and unsure of them- selves. One might even say that they are 'in over their heads'.

TRAVEL SUITS

While Dolphins are certainly well adapted for aquatic environments, they are handicapped when removed from them. In order to overcome such difficulties, science has come up with a number of devices which make life much more pleas- ant for Dolphins v. ho must function out of the water,

The first and by far the most important of these is the Travel Suit (or TeeSuit). This garment is a combination gravitic vehicle and environment suit, which contains a super-humid atmosphere for the health and comfort of its wearer.

Early versions, available at tech level 12 and costing Crl25, 000, provide fairly comfortable support for up to 12 hours and weigh 12 kilograms (when the grav module is turned off). By tech level 15, the cost has increased to Cr150, 000 but the suit has improved to the point where it provides very comfortable accommodations for up to 48 hours and weighs only 7 kilograms.

In all cases, the helmet includes a polyfucant cuprothallium visor with a full heads-up display capability, which is tied in to an on-board computer/communication array. This system is equal to a hand computer in data processing power with a regional (500km) range audio/video transceiver capability. The suit is capable of f light at up to I 00 kph. Normal cruise speed is only about 75 kph and nape-of- earth speed drops to 20 kph. In combat, the suit provides protection equal to cloth-I at tech levels 12 or 13 and as cloth-2 in more advanced versions. The TeeSuit provides its wearer with complete protection from temperatures ranging from -100 to +100 degrees C and pressures of up to 5 atmospheres.

WALDOS

One serious handicap that Dolphins suffer is their lack of manipulatory appendages. This is unheard of in naturally occurring sophont species, but is not uncommon among the Solomani's so-called 'enhanced races'. Once again, human scientists have come to the aid of their client race with the invention of mechanical manipulation devices commonly known as Waldos.

Early versions, first created at tech level 9, are worn as a harness (or mounted on the outside of a travel suit) and controlled by movements of the tongue and head. They are very clumsy, resulting in a -4 penalty to the user's Dexterity whenever a task roll is made. Their strength is also quite poor, allowing them to manipulate no more than 25 kilo- grams with safety. Greater masses may be moved, but there is a danger of system failure. Tech level 9 Waldos cost Crl50, 000 and weigh 20 kilograms.

At tech level 12, however, combined advances in medical and robotic sciences allow the surgical implanting of neural control plugs in the skulls of Dolphins. Waldos are then plugged directly into the brain of the user and directed by nerve impulses. Waldos operated in this manner are far less clumsy than their earlier ancestors, reducing the penalty for their use to only a -2. At tech level 13 this falls again to a -1 and at still higher tech levels h is completely overcome. Furthermore, the strength of the manipulators is enhanced to the point where objects massing up to 1 00 kilograms can be freely maneuvered. The operation to in- stall a plug costs Crl50, 000 at tech level 12 and drops by Crl5, 000 at each subsequent tech level. Tech level 12 Waldos cost Cr250, 000 and mass 10 kilograms.

Although a fully detailed description of Dolphin character generation is beyond the scope of this article, the following guidelines allow referees to generate them with ease using the tables presented in the MegaTraveller Players' Manual

ATTRIBUTES

When rolling to determine the starting values for a Dolphin's attributes, apply a +2 modifier to Endurance and

Strength characteristics and apply a -4 to Social Standing. The former adjustment is due primarily to the Dolphin's largo size and natural stamina, while the latter reflects the lack of such a concept in cetacean culture. Dolphins with high Social Standing scores are simply assumed to be well known, but have no special pull or power over others.

HOMEWORLDS

Apply a DM of +1 to the roll for size, a +2 to the roll for atmosphere, and a +3 to the roll for hydrographics. If the hydrographic rating is not 'Water World.' then the planet is assumed to be a human colony with Dolphins as a secondary element of the population. In such cases, the rolls for population, law code, and tech code are unchanged.

If the hydrographic code is 'Water World,' then the character is assumed to be from a planet which is primarily inhabited by cetaceans and may or may not have large numbers of humans there also. If this is the case, apply a -2 on the roll for population and law codes and a +2 on the roll for tech code.

CAREERS

Dolphins find military careers somewhat distasteful, but are not foolish enough to believe that their lack of a military would prevent others from raising (and periodically using) similar forces. As such, they can enter careers with the Army, Marines, and Navy, or as Flyers, Law Enforcers, and Sailors, In any but the last, however, they must accept a -2 DM on enlistment rolls.

Although it is unusual, some Dolphins manage to pursue careers as bureaucrats (usually working for GenAssist) or as Rogues. Dolphin rogues are usually the last survivors of a family which has been wiped out or are acting as terrorists defending the heritage of their Solomani! 'creators' behind Imperial lines. The sanity of such characters is often some- what in doubt. In both cases, they receive a -1 to enlistment rolls.

Dolphins cannot become Barbarians as all known Dolphin worlds are scientifically advanced. They are also unable to become Merchants (since the concept of trade and commerce is unfathomable for them), Nobles (since they believe in the absolute equality of all), or Pirates (for much the same reason that they cannot be Merchants).

Dolphins enjoy the freedom of space and are naturally curious creatures. As such, they find careers as Betters, Scientists, or Scouts to be exceptionally rewarding. Always apply a DM of 4.1 when a Dolphin is trying to enlist in any of the above professions.

All other fields are open to Dolphins and require no modifications on any )f the rolls for normal career resolution.

MUSTERING OUT

Whenever rolling on the benefits table, referees and players must keep in mind that items received do not belong to the specific character, but rather are considered to be in his possession. Although the difference may seem trivial at this point, it is very important. Consider the following situation: a Dolphin character receives a starship as a mustering out benefit. After using A for some time, the character en- counters a family of Dolphins who have been 'stranded' on a world and now lack the resources to return to their home. It would not be out of character for the character to turn over the ship to them d their need for it seems to be greater than his own.

Any benefit rolls which result in the receipt of some sort of weapon may be taken as a TeeSuit (without waldos). Additional results of the same type can be taken as a set of waldos or additional TeeSuits. If the character has a Tee- Suit or set of waldos they may also use weapon results as skill in the use of one or the other. To clarify, a Dolphin with a TeeSuit could use weapon rolls to increase his skill in ToeSu4 Operation but not to improve Waldo Operation skill if he did not also possess a set of waldos.

When rolling on the benefits table, all monetary results are reduced to 10% of their printed value to represent the total lack of interest in or understanding of money on the part of Dolphin characters.

DEFAULT SKILLS

All Dolphin characters receive Waldo Operations-I and TesSult-1 as a result of their basic training with such devices. Other default skills are exactly as listed in the Players' Manual.

UNAVAILABLE SKILLS

Dolphin characters who receive certain skills must re-roll them at once. If the second result indicates the same or another unavailable skill, then the roll is lost and the generation process continues normally. Skills unavailable to Dolphin characters are: Bribery, Broker, Equestrian, Gambling, Legal, and Trader.

SKILL ACQUISITION

Although Dolphin characters are able to learn almost any skill open to humanoid characters, there are some modifications which must be made to the skill list for their generation process.

In addition to the skills listed below, there are certain other factors which must be kept in mind. In many cases, the Dolphin's use of a skill depends wholly on his access to and experience with waldos. For example, although it is possible to mount a firearm on the outside of a TeeSuit, h is far from common practice. In most cases, a Dolphin making use of a weapon holds 4 in waldos. Whenever a Dolphin character's use of waldos is vital to a task, his skill with such manipulators is the maximum for any die modifiers. Thus, if a Dolphin has laser pistol-4 and waldo ops-3, the skill modifier would be only +3 when using the weapon with waldos. The same holds true for many other skills, but liberal use of common sense will normally resolve any unusual situations which coma up during a game.

Waldo Operation- Whenever a Dolphin character receives a +1 Dexterity during character generation, he may select waldo operations as an alternative. Waldo operations is simply familiarity with the design and use of such manipulatory devices by the character. It can be applied whenever a task roll is made to determine successful use of waldos.

TeeSuit Operation: At any time during the career resolution process when a Dolphin character is able to obtain vacc suit or vehicle skills, he may opt for TeeSuit operation Instead. In game terms, this is nothing more than experience with the use and maintenance of travel suits. It can be used to Improve any task roll made in which such expertise might be valuable.

Underwater Combat: This is a specialized form of brawling which may be taken in lieu of that skill whenever a Dolphin character receives 4. In combat terms, 4 functions just as brawling skill and can be employed whenever the character is fighting in an aquatic environment.

SUCCORING

In each of the Solomani 'enhanced species' there are some traits which, although not desirable, can not be bred out for one reason or another. With Dolphins, this is most obvious in their instinctive reflex to come to the aid of injured or endangered cetacean companions.

Commonly known as 'rescue fever' or 'succor syndrome', this natural reaction to the distress calls of another Dolphin is wholly overpowering. Although it is possible for a Dolphin to escape the effects of this siren call, @ is not easy. Remaining calm and rational while hearing such sounds is a task:

To avoid being overcome by succor syndrome: Formidable, (any combat skill), EDU, instant (fateful) Referee: Dolphins in the grip of succor syndrome are reduced to 0 in their mental attributes as they have effectively reverted to a pro-sentient animal for the duration of the panic a Dolphin succeeds at the above task, he may act in a normal manner and take whatever steps he wishes to se- cure the rescue of his endangered peers (or abandon them, if that seems the bast thing to do). If he fails, however, then he is overcome by the syndrome and will devote his every erg of energy to rushing to the side of those in peril.

In some instances, succumbing to the syndrome is not overly unfortunate. If the danger has passed by the time the Dolphin arrives, or is of a fairly simple matter which can be dealt with by the frantic rescuer, then all will be well and the Dolphin will soon return to normal. If, however, the hazard is on-going (i.e., the injured Dolphin has been shot and the attacker is still in the area) or is of a complex nature, then the newly arrived Dolphin may also fall victim to the threat,

On Terra, in times long past, Dolphin and whale hunters often injured a single individual and then waited for others to come to its aid. While the ethics of such tactics are certainly open to condemnation, this technique proved to be highly effective with many species of cetaceans.

DOLPHIN STARSHIPS

To enhanced Dolphins, the vast reaches of space are as exciting and alluring as the wide oceans of Terra were to their distant ancestors. It is not an uncommon thing to see a starship operated by a Dolphin family which travels the space lanes in search of beautiful and mysterious sights.

In almost all cases, these are scouting or laboratory vessels, and the day-to-day operating costs of the ship are picked up by @q company or similar patron.

Humans who travel onboard a Dolphin-operated starship may find the experience somewhat uncomfortable for many reasons. The most instantly obvious of these is the fact that such craft maintain a zero gravity field onboard thorn at all times (even while on the ground) so that the crew can move freely about without TeeSuits. To most travelers, a ship without artificial gravity is either primitive or in need of major repairs.

Human travelers will also be quick to notice that the air on a Dolphin vessel, although of standard nitrogen-oxygen composition, is very humid. In this manner, the crow maintains normal moisture levels for their health and comfort without having to keep compartments flooded. The latter method would be expensive in terms of mass and hazardous to the ship's systems in the event of leakage.

Controls are operated either with waldos or by direct cybernetic links via the Dolphins' neural plugs as described above. Ships which are equipped to run on input from neural plugs require additional electronic systems which cost 1% of the ship's total value. Although one might think that such direct interfacing was a more effective way to operate a starship than normal control panels, this is not the case. The delay caused by the computer processing of such in- coming command signals makes the two methods roughly equivalent.-

A fair amount of popular science fiction literature has dealt with dolphins (and other cetaceans) as fully sentient creatures. Perhaps the most noteworthy (and my personal favorite) would be David Brin's Uplift series. Published by Bantam Spectre Books, these works are entitled Sundiver, Startide Rising, and the Uplift War. Although only Startide deals primarily with dolphin characters, the other two provide a great deal of flavor for the use of a genetically enhanced species in any MegaTraveller campaign.

Larry Niven's World of Ptavvs and Alan Dean Foster's Cachalot also feature cetaceans as primary characters and should not be overlooked as inspirational source for players and referees.