A Tale of Dolphins

<h1>A Tale of Dolphins</h1> Are you ready to face the truth? [[Tell me!]] [[Not really...]]

Okay, if you're sure, then let's begin. Be warned, you'll be so fully immersed in this truth that it will be as though you're experiencing this firsthand. Our story begins in the glory days of SeaWorld... [[Enter the park]]

Understandable, you're just not ready. Honestly, it's probably for the best, this is a tale of such epic knowledge that you'll likely never be the same. It's okay. Go and be merry.

The sun is blinding, you're sweating but thrilled. You're in the first row of the bleachers at a dolphin show in what would be called the "splash zone". You're hoping for some waves to cool you down. You're not disappointed as a dolphin tears by, sending a small but powerful tidal wave over the aquarium wall. The crowd goes wild. The show ends and you get up, realizing that jeans were a bad idea. The water felt good but the rash you'll get from tight, soaked jeans will not. You've got a long day at the park left so you shrug it off and go to see the dolphins up close. It's a down day at the park and as you approach the dolphins’ enclosure you find yourself alone with the dolphins. To your great excitement a dolphin comes right up to the glass. You find yourself slightly intimidated as the dolphin stares you down. You're about to leave from the discomfort when suddenly the dolphin winks as you and you're hit with a brief vision that disturbs you. [[Leave the enclosure]] [[Stay]]

A telepathic dolphin is NOT what you came for. You decide it's time to go feed the manta rays and quickly walk/run from the area. You spend the rest of the day wandering the park, trying to forget what you saw. Eventually you head home, vowing never to return. Your story ends here. You really didn't want to break the illusion, did you? Are you sure you were ready for the truth?

What in the actual… what exactly did you just see? Was that the dolphin that did that? You’re feeling brave and return your gaze to meet the dolphin. The dolphin winks again and you’re hit with a second vision that continues where the first one left off. This time however you’re still half aware of where you are. [[Give in to the vision]] [[Leave the enclosure]]

Your surroundings fade and you find yourself back in a vision you can only imagine comes from the dolphin. Or heat stroke. You're standing on a beach. A dolphin swims by. A heavily armored and weaponized dolphin. What in the actual, you think again. The vision changes. You're viewing earth from a distance. A dolphin balanced on the tip of its tail navigates a flight deck. They bark out orders... IN ENGLISH. You're in too much shock to register what they're saying, but you get the impression it's not good for humans. The vision changes, you see the dolphin in front of you except this time they're being held at gunpoint by other, weaponized, dolphins like a criminal. You watch as they're forced near a boat that captures them. You know this is how they came to be at SeaWorld. What, or who, exactly are you talking to? The vision is brief but horrifying, and confusing, and you have a lot of questions. One would think that your first question would be about weaponized and alien dolphins, but no. You want to know who spoke English first. As soon as you think the question, you get an answer, seemingly from the dolphin. It's one word. "Us". [[Wander off into the park]] [[Stay with the dolphin]]

Your brain can't process what you saw. In a daze you stumble away from the enclosure and into the park. People give you strange looks, probably because of the shell-shocked look on your face. You want to run up to them, shake them, and tell them to get out while they can. However, you know that if the dolphins are in charge, you are completely out of luck. The illusion is too great. Your story ends here, you slip back into your daily life, though you're never quite the same. You were not ready to face the truth.

You struggle to remain present; you need to have your wits about you if you're going to deal with this. As you look back at the dolphin something horrifying happens. The other dolphins in the tank have caught on to what's happening and begin to maul the dolphin that was... speaking... with... you... You cry out and run to get a worker. By the time you find one and get back to the enclosure the dolphin is in bad shape. You're shunted to the side as they work to get the dolphin out of the tank. You know it will be no small feat to get to the dolphin after this. How will you proceed? [[Start the long game of becoming a SeaWorld worker]] [[Break into the hospital enclosure]]

You're no rule breaker and if you want to get in to see the injured dolphin, you're going to do it the right way. However, you underestimate how long it will take. A year later you're a volunteer and you get into the hospital tank as soon as you can. Realistically it is not the same dolphin there. You run to the tanks and realize it's nowhere in the park. Hesitantly you ask a long-time worker. They recognize you from the incident. After informing you of the dolphin's passing, you're fired. Your story ends here, with you never knowing whether what you saw was real. Time has faded the memory and your obsession has alienated you from friends and family. Your life is in ruins and you must now focus purely on rebuilding.

You have a job and a life and you’re not about to jeopardize either of them by spending all your time trying to get in to see a potentially telepathic dolphin. It’s definitely a risk to your job to get caught sneaking into a restricted area of SeaWorld, an arrest would not look good. But you have to solve this mystery and prove that you are not crazy. You find the area where you imagine the hospital enclosure to be. There are two ways to go, you could [[Go through the bushes]] or [[Sneak into the employee entrance]].

You're a crap liar and if you get caught in the employee restricted area, you're sure to get arrested, so through the bushes you go. You don't know quite where you're headed but, under the impression all roads lead to success, you forge on. Eventually the bushes give way and present you with a fence, on the other side at the bottom of a slope is what appears to be the hospital enclosure. You're going to have to [[jump the fence]] or [[give up]].

What could be more direct than the employee entrance? You wait to make sure no one is looking and then you slide right in. As you enter you notice employee lockers along the wall and one of them is ajar with a uniform inside. You could [[Steal the uniform]] or [[Keep going]].

You've seen enough movies to realize you aren't getting anywhere without a good disguise and decide to don the uniform. As you finish getting dressed a would-be coworker approaches and asks who you are. You are going to have to [[lie]].

Deciding that the uniform might not fit, or that you might get caught in the act, you move on through the building until you see an outdoor enclosure through a window with the injured dolphin. Your heart leaps, you're almost to your goal. Unfortunately, you never make it to the dolphin, you are caught and arrested, and your story ends here.

Thinking on the spot you look down and see that you're wearing a junior vet badge. You may be no junior in age, but who's to say you're not a junior at heart? Quickly you jump on the meager info and announce you're here to see a recently injured dolphin to learn care and treatment. The SeaWorld employee shrugs and points you in the direction of the hospital tank, warning you that the vet hasn't arrived yet and not to touch anything. Attempting to walk at a normal pace, you head in the direction gestured to and find yourself outside the dolphin hospital enclosure. [[Approach the hospital enclosure]]

Ever trepidatious, you approach the enclosure, checking to make sure you aren't seen. As you crouch next to the water, the dolphin slowly floats over. They're in bad shape. Before they pass, they whisper to you one thing, “find. the. squirrel.” You can hear others coming an it's clear you need to [[get out of there]].

Ever adventurous, you try to hop the fence. However, your jeans are still tight and wet and limit your mobility. As you clear the fence your belt loop catches. Struggling to free yourself, your belt look breaks, and you go careening down the slope and into the hospital tank. This does not go unnoticed. SeaWorld is unimpressed by your antics and now broken ankle and call the police. You're taken to the hospital where you're shackled to your bed and rack up a high bill before being taken to prison. Your story ends here.

This has been a long day and you’re not risking life and limb for a potentially telepathic, likely criminal, dolphin. You’re just not. Hoping to go unnoticed on your way back you find yourself lost. There’s a break in the fence and a rudimentary path leading through it. You follow the path and find yourself at the bottom of the slope. [[Approach the hospital enclosure]]

“Find the squirrel”? Seriously? WHAT SQUIRREL. Did that dolphin have ANY IDEA just how many squirrels there are in the world? These are the thoughts filling your mind as you quickly but quietly slip out of the enclosure and back into the park. You’re aimlessly wandering the park, not paying attention to where you’re going, when you hear something that doesn’t fit in with the cacophony of sounds and conversations that surrounds you. You stop dead in your tracks when you hear it again, but louder. “STUPID DOLPHINS” Now not everyone loves dolphins, but this is a rare thought to be spoken at SeaWorld of all places and furthermore the voice appears to be ringing in your head, not your ears. A small motion to your left attracts your attention and you notice a scraggly squirrel next to an overflowing trashcan. They’ve clearly seen better days. You look around you to make sure no ones paying attention before slowly approaching the squirrel. The squirrel seems to not to notice you at first, but as you crouch down you lock eyes. The squirrel tenses before you hear, “YOU KNOW! YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO ME, TO THE PROPHECY”. Feeling as though you have no choice now that you’ve found what might be the squirrel that dolphin mentioned, you nod once. [[Listen to the prophecy]]

The squirrel leans towards you, on all fours, with its tail up and every hair on end. “You’re the one! You have to listen” You nod again and the squirrel enters a sort of trance and begins to mutter. “When the chosen one wanders the park… When the criminal dies… IT IS TIME FOR THE WORLD TO BECOME WISE Who is in on it Who believes For one is King Triton, RULER OF THE SEAS But he is not in charge His life is a bargain HEAD TO THE OVERLORD AND CHARGE IN Just take heed Do not be seen OR THE TIME LORD DOLPHIN WILL LIQUIFY YOUR SPLEEN” Exhausted, the squirrel collapses. “I have but the power to send you on one path. Do you understand what to do?”, the squirrel pants. Set me on the path to [[King Triton]]! Set me on the path to the [[Overlord]]! Set me on the path to the [[Time Lord]]!

The world disintegrates around you and you find yourself on a rock at sea. There is a conch shell next to you. You’ve seen enough movies to know what to do. You know you need to [[sound the horn]].

Wow, you seriously decided to head straight to the dolphin overlord? You’ve got guts kid. You find yourself in an empty kitchen. This is no ordinary kitchen as you can see nothing but empty space outside the window. Quietly you move through the kitchen. Though typically quite non-violent, when you see a large knife you grab it. You hear motion outside the door and quickly press yourself flat against the wall. Whoever, whatever, comes through that door is going to die. The door opens and you tackle… a human? Hesitant to stab, the two of you stare at each other. You realize in this moment that there are others aware of the dolphin illusion. You slowly get up and they back away. You hold a finger to your lips and they nod quietly. They gesture towards spare uniforms in the corner of the room and you quickly change into one that looks to be about your size. Slipping the knife into your sleeve, you adjust your collar and stride false-confidently into the hallway where your unintentional friend emerged from. As you close the door behind you, you notice a group of three dolphins up ahead. One is clearly in charge. You’ve had it. You lunge, shoving the lesser dolphins out of the way and sinking your knife deep into the commander… You thought this was the solution, did you? Killing someone? Since when is violence the answer? The rest of the dolphins surround you. You are executed and the dolphin chain of command continues. Perhaps you should have taken a less direct path.

You hit the ground hard and look up, shaking. Everything is chrome. In front of you there is a large dolphin staring out at the vast expanse of the universe. They turn to stare at you. You realize in this moment that no sea king or overlord could match up to the raw power of this dolphin. A laser jet shoots out of the dolphins blow hole, but you dodge in time. It’s time to [[begin the fight]].

You grab the conch, take a deep breath, and empty your lungs. An earsplitting sound emits from the conch and then… nothing happens. Should you [[blow again]], or [[just wait]]?

You blow again, not once, but twice. A total of three blasts. Unfortunately, and unbeknownst to you, three blasts are a sign of war. The sea around you begins to boil as merfolk surround the rock. Then King Triton himself appears; a cyclone of water holds him aloft. His eyes are pure white and his triton crackles with electricity. Slowly he lowers it towards you. You cry out, you beg, you realize you are too late. The last thing you see is a blinding white light and the last thing you experience is pain illuminating your soul as the strike resonates through your body. You fall to the rock, dead. Your story is over. Perhaps the squirrel didn’t mean for you to seek out King Triton?

You’ve lived enough life to know that making a ruckus typically doesn’t give you the kind of attention you want. You settle down on the rock and wait. Unsure of if or when anyone or anything will come for you. Hours pass and you start to realize this could very well be the end. Just as you’re starting to lose feeling in your extremities from the cold ocean air and sea spray a small lobster crawls up the rock. You gaze down at it and then start as a new voice fills your head. “I am Killian, King Triton has heard your summons. State your purpose directly or suffer the consequences” [[Laugh]] [[State your purpose]]

You weren’t thinking when you laughed. You saw such a small lobster and thought he wouldn’t be a threat. You were incredibly wrong. With the speed you thought only a mantis shrimp could muster, Killian scuttles up your leg and power punches you in the chest. The blow is fatal. You die with the ghost of your last laugh upon your face.

You thought about laughing for sure but honestly the end of your sanity is no laughing matter. This mini lobster is obviously important if he’s speaking for King Triton. Trying to be quick and direct you explain to Killian about SeaWorld and the dolphin. Killian quietly listens and then says, “I see”. “Come with me”, Killian says in a demanding voice as he scuttles towards the edge of the rock. You look nervously at the freezing ocean waters and think about that whole need-to-breath thing you’ve got going. You make a split-second decision as Killian stares you down. [[Enter the water]] [[Refuse]]

Shivering from the cold and trembling from your fried nerves you place your hands on the edge of the rock and look in the water. Killian's pinchers strike out and latch on to your shirt. In a miraculous feat of strength Killian dives into the icy depths before you have a chance to scream. As you expected you cannot breathe under the water. You could [[struggle]] now or choose to [[accept your fate]].

It’s funny at this point that you think you have any control left in this situation. Killian launches at you and in one fluid motion grabs your shirt and hauls you into the deep. The shock of the cold water causes you to pass out and really you didn’t expect to survive the ordeal anyways. After a while you realize you have too much conscious thought to truly be dead and decide you must be asleep or in a coma. Why don’t you try to [[open your eyes]]?

Your will to live kicks in and you struggle against the lobster pulling you down. Eventually your bids for freedom pay off and Killian releases you. In a split-moment of triumph you watch him swim away into the depths. At this point you realize you couldn’t find the surface if there was a neon sign pointing to it. Your story ends here.

You’ve had a long day and you think about how they say drowning is the most peaceful way to go. You’re starting to go numb and the world around you is black. Just as your consciousness begins to fade you see a light up ahead. You barely register your surroundings as you are brought through the halls of King Triton’s kingdom. As your world goes and remains black you wonder how you still have a conscious stream of thought. At some point you realize your eyes are closed. Maybe you should [[open your eyes]].

Blinking into the dim light that surrounds you, you quickly register that you aren’t in Kansas anymore. Just kidding, we all know you aren’t cool enough to live in Kansas. Anyways, you fully open your eyes and come to terms with the fact that you’re on a throne room floor in front of King Triton. You have no idea how your breathing but decide not to question it. King Triton demands your story and a decent reason to have interrupted his kingly duties. When you plead to him for help with your experiences he pauses. He doesn’t try to trick or lie to you. He explains to you the illusion the dolphins have created. Humanity, earth, it’s all just a biodome zoo created by and for dolphins. They are the unknown superior species. After a deep sigh he announces that he has taken pity on you and offers you a place among his people. You know this is your only survivable fate. You [[accept your new life]] as a mer-person.

As soon as you tell King Triton you've accepted his offer, he waves his triton once and you find yourself rid of legs and sporting a lurid pink tail. Huh. Hopefully that suits you. King Triton leaves, rubbing his head, and warns you not to dwell on any of this. You're set up in a small home and integrate into the mer-society. This is your life now.

You're quick to your feet as another laser jet streaks by you. Thinking fast you see a chrome door. You also see a loose chrome gas line on the wall. You could [[run for the door]] or [[break the gas line]].

You use every last bit of energy hauling butt towards the door. It’s locked. You’re thrown to the floor as a laser hits the door in front of you. “That’ll do”, you think as the door is blasted open. You throw yourself inside and try to pull it shut. The time lord dolphin shrieks and launches one more laser at you as you swing the door. The laser hits the chrome door and bounces back at the time lord dolphin. There is dead silence for a split second before you hear the dolphin hit the ground. Unsure of what to do you, you decide between [[investigating the body]] and [[continuing through the door]].

Thinking that you could catch the dolphin on fire with some loose gas hit by a laser beam you throw yourself at the chrome gas line. Your full weight hits the line and you drop to the floor. The dolphin pauses. "I'm not an idiot you know, I'm a freaking time lord", they say. "You know what, I'm done. Be gone", they announce, and your world goes dark. [[open your eyes]]

You need to make sure this son of a porpoise is dead and abandon the doorway to inspect the body. You reach out to touch them and as your hand connects your head is filled with the knowledge of the universe. You have accepted the time lords’ power by making contact with the prior host’s remains. Dolphins rush in as you stand up. They gasp as they recognize your authority and realize that their reign is at an end. [[Epilogue]]

Honestly, what did you think would happen if you killed the time lord dolphin and then ran for it? Dolphins begin to come out of every side door and hallway and straight towards you. They are not merciful. Your story ends here.

Well. You did it. You freed the human race from dolphin dominance and now you’re the lord of time. What will you do with your power? You have quite some time to ponder this. As you daydream you turn up the volume on that wonderous song humanity wrote for you. We are the creatures who can fight With hands and nails and teeth that bite Who the hell gave dolphins the right To talk and dominate Well we raised a mighty one Whose quest is done Whose sacrifice is sung All across the earth