Read Online Startide Rising by David Brin - Free Book Online

irrationality was a perpetual danger.
    Toshio bit his lip. “They have their harnesses,” he said uncertainly.
    “One can hope. But is it likely they’ll use them properly when they are even now speaking P-primal?”
    Toshio struck the sled with his balled fist. Already his hand was growing numb from the chill. “I’m going up,” he announced.
    “No! You must not! You must guard your safet-ty!”
    Toshio ground his teeth. Always mothering me. Mothering or teasing. The fins treat me like a child, and I’m sick of it!
    He set the throttle to one-quarter and pulled up on the bow planes. “I’m going to unlash you, Brookida. Can you swim okay?”
    “Yesss. But-t…”
    Toshio looked at his sonar. A fuzzy line was forming in the west.
    “Can you swim!” he demanded.
    “Yesss. I can swim well enough. But don’t cut me loose near the rescue fever! Don’t you risk the aftershocksss!”
    “I see one coming now. They’ll be several minutes apart and weakening with time. I’ll fix it so we rise just after this one passes. Then you’ve got to get going back to the ship! Tell them what’s happened and get help.”
    “That’s what you should do, Toshio.”
    “Never mind that! Will you do as I ask? Or do I have to leave you lashed up!”
    There was an almost unnoticeable pause, but Brookida’s voice changed. “I shall do exactly as you say Toshio. I’ll bring help.”
    Toshio checked his trim, then he slipped over the side, holding onto the rim stanchions with one hand. Brookida looked at him through the transparent shell of the airdome. The tough bubble membrane surrounded the dolphin’s head. Toshio tore loose the lashings holding Brookida in place. “You’re going to have to take a breather with you, you know.”
    Brookida sighed as Toshio pulled a lever by the airdome. A small hose descended, one end covering Brookida’s blowhole. Like a snake, ten feet of hose wrapped around Brookida’s torso. Breathers were uncomfortable, and hindered speech. But by wearing one Brookida would not have to come up for air. The breather would help the old metallurgist ignore the cries in the water—a constant, uncomfortable reminder of his membership in a technological culture.
    Toshio left Brookida tied in place by a single lashing. He pulled himself back onto the upper surface just as the first aftershock rolled overhead.
    The sled bucked, but he was prepared this time. They were deep, and the wave passed with surprising quickness.
    “Okay, here goes.” He pushed the throttle forward to max and blew ballast.
    Soon the metal island appeared on his left. The screams of his comrades became distinctly louder over the sonar set. The distress call was now pre-eminent over the rescue fever response.
    Toshio steered past the mound to the north. He wanted to give Brookida a big head start.
    Just then, however, a sleek gray figure shot past Toshio, just overhead. He recognized it at once, and where it was headed.
    He cut the last lashing. “Get moving, Brookida! If you come back anywhere near this island again I’ll rip off your harness and bite your tail in half!”
    He didn’t bother looking back as Brookida dropped away and the sled turned sharply. He kicked in emergency power to try to catch up with Keepiru. The fastest swimmer in the Streak’s crew was heading directly for the western beach. His cries were pure Primal Dolphin.
     
    “Damn you, Keepiru. Stop!”
    The sled sped quickly, just under the water’s surface. The afternoon had aged, and there was a reddish tinge to the clouds, but Toshio could clearly see Keepiru leaping from wavelet to wavelet up ahead. He appeared indifferent to Toshio’s calls as he neared the island where his comrades lay beached and delirious.
    Toshio felt helpless. Another aftershock was due in three minutes. If it didn’t beach the dolphin, Keepiru’s own efforts probably would. Keepiru came from Atlast, a new and rather rustic colony world. It was doubtful he had learned the tools