Blue Planet

The Native Characters

Artificial Intelligences

Synopsis is the remaining computers AI interface. Through trodes or the manual interface, Synopsis has taught many fins and islanders all about Earth history and culture, the Athena Project and areas of scientific and technical expertise. When asked, he provides a running commentary on the literature, art and philosophy stored within the computer. He has a unique relationship with all users, and some believe he is sentient. He and BlueDeep regularly converse. He can take many forms in a users mind or onscreen, typically an aged black man or aged female fin. For the fins and islanders, these are figures of authority.

When connected to Synopsis via trodes a user can enter fully immersive realms in their own minds called "simulations" or "sims". This allows one to almost literally live simulated experiences, or create your own. It is one of the primary way the Islanders and fins learn technical knowledge and have almost first hand experiences of Earth culture. Synopsis also allows users to write at thinking speed, to create onscreen images and compose or play recorded music out of speakers or through the trodes.

Several users can interact with Synopsis at the same time, doing different things. Oftenm Islanders and fins will sit around the main computer, plugged in, all doing something different.

Dolphins

Two Circles (affectionately known as "Toosee" by close friends) was the very first dolphin to be born from the original 10 fin team who left Haven with the 200 humans. 2C is a survivor, like Molly Cleaver, with whom she is a close life-long friend. Both matriachs have seen and helped with every disaster that has befallen the islanders.

2C is extremely old for a fin at 99 years. The longevity treatment her parents received was inherited, and she received good care in the abundant and pure waters of Poseidon. However, even 99 years is 20 years more than expected for an uplifted, longevity treated dolphin, and most fins and islanders put it down to sheer willpower. However, due to her extreme age she is sickly and slow and her memory and senses are dull. She expects to die soon.

Yet despite her age, 2C enjoys almost iconic status amongst the fins. She is symbolic of the community, its struggle, survival and proliferation in the unpolluted new life Poseidon has given them. Her stories about Earth’s poisoned water, passed down from her parents, are clear in many fins minds, but so too are her stories about human culture. Some fins prefer to learn directly from her rather than Synopsis, but Synopsis usually verifies what 2C is saying. 2C is known for her wisdom and broad knowledge. Though the community doesn’t have a leader as such, 2C is the unacknowledged matriarch, and many fins are descended from her.

These days 2C is only outspoken on the most important issues, preferring quiet one-to-one conversations and rest. Loved and respected, 2C is well-known for her sharp-mind and gentle criticism of the Song philosophy. A few, more disrespectful voices say she stays out of daily business because she can no longer keep up with it.

When re-contact with the SIA envoy team occurs, she will be initially welcoming of their help and advice, but will be strongly against their survey proposals on their second visit, claiming that they or anyone else have no legal claim to authority or to the island since the Abandonment of 2096. Several days after First Contact she will die of old age, bereaving the Islanders and fins. It will be symbolic end of an era and all will understand the implications.

BlueDeep is a mature 45 yr old female with no children. She has a complex philosophical outlook and enjoyed talking with Synopsis via the fin-trodes a great deal. She also loves human company, and is a big spiritual influence on the younger islanders and the fin community. BlueDeep has a strong artistic bent, usually designing visual arts via the trodes. Other users can then connect to view her 3D landscapes and portraits in their minds-eye. She also composes music which can be heard through the computer speakers or trodes, and she has learnt a great deal about various field of expertise.

BlueDeep is not just wise, but very loving. She may be philosophical, but she is also practical and devoted to the community. This is partially why she has no children of her own, all fin and islander children and raised communally. The other reason is that she never has time for the labours of pregnancy, though she enjoys sex is none-fertile periods.

BlueDeep is not only fascinated by pre-uplift fin history and human cultures, but by the ecologies and physiologies of the Sunbursts, Schoolers and Polypods that are found in the surrounding waters or (in the latter’s case) in the mangrove. She knows a great deal about these species, their season habits, life and deaths, and she believes they all have potential for uplifting. Her lack of technical tools can frustrate her, but she is working on communicating with the Schoolers, some of whom seem very fond with her. Mainly due to her influence, the Schoolers have become friendly with both fins and islanders and are often considered pets or companions.

BlueDeep’s curious mind has led her into the depths of the mangrove at times. On just a few occasions over the years, her echo location has detected large ray-shaped creatures that swim too deep for her to follow. She wants to know more about these mysterious beings, but they are elusive, and only she has seen them. However, anyone can view a representation of them that she has created on the computer.

When re-contact occurs, BlueDeep will be excited, but careful and a little afraid. Her reactions will depend largely upon how the other characters respond but they will certainly be considered, methodical and fair.

Second Son of Pearl + fraternity. At only 1 year old, SSP is a very young and lusty dolphin with a mischievous temperament. His two friends have formed a typically fraternity, and they are his age and just as naughty. They are Third Son of Star and Second Son of Crest. They find SSP’s almost monomaniacal sexual interest in humans very funny but also curious. SSP is deeply in love with Lorkyn. All three share occasional homosexual relations, but TSS and SSC are increasingly eager for more sex with some of the older female dolphins. SSP is more interested in humans, though would never refuse easy sex with another fin.

When not pursuing their main concern of sex, all three regularly urge each other into trouble. Usually this is harmless, though occasional some nearly serious accidents have happened. The group is becoming somewhat notorious amongst the community, and they have even been brought before Two Circles for a good telling off. Despite this, their mischief is usually endearing and, like most male groups in the community, they tend to avoid fights.

All three are extremely loyal to each other. They rarely compete for sexual attention, usually sharing any willing partners. Because they are very young, they are still learning Interspec and know little about the world and their history.

Re-contact will excite these young fins, hinting at the possibility of more sexual encounters with humans.

Robinson is a male fin of 55 years. He is very clever and has taken the unusual female steps of differentiating himself from other males, as he considers himself "everymale’s brother". The older members of the community realise there is also an egotistic action also. Robinson may be sincere is his explanation, but he is proud of his intellect which makes him stand out from the crowd. He is also jealous of the attention the intelligent matriarchs receive. He opted for a human name to add humour to his unusual decision, and so make it less surprising. But the name has a personal resonance for him, having chosen in from Robinson Crusoe. Though R doesn’t consider himself alone, he does see himself as a little bit better than most fins. This is bolstered by the fact that he has many lovers.

Robinson is a firm believer in the Song and is usually at loggerheads with 2C. However 2C appreciates his constructive criticism, and they have often had long philosophical discussions about the Song deep into the night. R. also listens to BDeep carefully and respects her immensely. He has loved her a long time and occasionally, BDeep physically responds.

In opposition to the ailing 2C, R. will be enthusiastic about re-contact.

The Islanders

Molly Cleaver was one of the leading meterologists at the Haven colony having made great breakthroughs in her field. She is now 133 years old. She is black-skinned and small and withered due to her extreme age, with a heavily wrinkled, and deep sunken skull-like face; but when she laughs it turns into something strangely beautiful. People, especially the children that are often with her, try to make her laugh a lot. No-one on the Island outside of Synoposis' Earth simulations looks as old as her, and her appearance is a mysterious thing to the younger Islands and imbues her with authority. She tends to spend lots of time in the water, where she can move more easily and ease her aches and pains. Despite her age, she can move quite silently, often surprising naughty youngsters.

Her eyes are still bright with a keen intellect and wisdom. As well as being one of Earth's leading meteorological experts, she has a broad and deep understanding of sociological and anthropological theory, using it to structure her small, struggling culture. Molly considers one of her most important jobs to be the care, study and updating of the Family Tree which helps her match-make and prohibit incestuous relations. Despite her seriousness, she can be mischievous and knows how to manipulate when necessary.

Molly presides over all of the Islands rituals - she organises coming of age rites, she oversees the marriage of couples, and says the first words over the new born and the last words over the dead. She is an authoritative, but not authoritarian figure, who is widely loved and respected. She represents survival in the face of extreme adversity, long and rich life, and like 2C is a survivor who has seen and helped with every disaster that has befallen the Islanders since leaving Haven.

Molly has lived a very long life, and has many stories and experiences. Her girlfriend - Liz Cunnings - was also a scientist who tried to get involved with the Athena project, but she wasn't chosen. Molly had to leave her behind, but was nevertheless encouraged by Liz to go and leave her behind. Molly sometimes wondered what happend to her, and other friends for the past. Molly's family were black American professionals who could afford to send her to school, and were proud of her evident intelligence.

Re-contact would worry Molly, but she would remain open-minded until she understood what it was about. Any threat to her home will be fiercely defended.

White-Flight is one of the older islanders. He is 74 years old, and looks and feels 50 due to inherited longevity treatment. He is very much interested in medicine, having learnt how from the AI-nurse programmed into the field-surgery-kit and from Synopsis. He makes full use of the islands resources, having an intimate knowledge of the uses of the poisons and plant materials for healing, prevention, hygiene and recreation. Like most older Islanders, WF is not spiritual, understanding the world in purely scientific and rational terms.

WF is philosophical, gentle and hardworking and has a strong, angular asian look to his pleasant face. He still misses loved ones, like Kato, Tom, Jonah, Omar, Francis, Suhad, Angel and Akira who vanished in the hunting accident 13 years ago. He loves children and is dedicated to the community. He wonders a great deal about the future, what happens if or when the settlement outgrows the island?

WF spends most days milking his carniflora of nectar, tending the Rumble-Bees and preparing their eggs, drying or mashing herbs and occasionally tangling with poisonous creatures for their venom. He also spends several hours a day teaching Lorkyn what he knows. WF find the young man interesting and attractive. WF has had more homosexual relationships than marriages.

WF would greet re-contact with surprise. He would then follow Molly's lead.

Susanne is 61 years old and looks and feels around 35. She has an average asian look, with tanned skin and straight black hair, but she also has a glorious smile and clever, perceptive eyes. Susanne is blessed or cursed has a very curious mind and for many decades have felt frustrated by the islands confines, resulting in periods of deep depression. She has spent much of her life literally or figuratively trying to escaping it in anyway she can, longing to explore the planet, perhaps see Earth, the Moon and Mars, or Poseidon's own moons. This is why she is a competent, but frustrated astronomer, spending many years looking at and charting the stars, but without any technical aids. She knows a great deal about the ocean and its life, but knowing that the fins aren’t aware of any islands even they can reach, the often has often felt like a trap and a barrier, just like dry-land.

However, failure to see beyond her confines has resulted in addiction to the more powerful drugs on the island or to the pleasure-sims and role-play-sims in Synopsis' databanks. Sue has experienced terrible withdrawals from one powerful narcotic, and Molly has since downloaded the pleasure sims onto data-spike and hidden them so that no-one else might succumb to addictive escapism.

Sue has a rich fantasy life and has written length stories about what she thinks Earth and Haven are like now. She has occasionally hoped for re-contact, but doesn’t think it likely. She is very curious about what the rest of Poseidon is like beyond the islands confines, but expects to die here. She sometimes spends several days alone away from the village.

Sue is also a competent ship builder, having wanted to be aware of the only realistic escape route from the island. She has sometimes planned to leave on a big ship stocked with supplies, but knows it is foolish. She doesn’t hate the island, but she feels limited by it. Sue also knows how to fight with fists, feet and guns, thanks to Lectron's encouragement. Physical exercise has helped her with depression, and she also realises if there still are people on Poseidon and Earth, they are probably just as violent and greedy as they always have been.

Sue is close friends with Muriel, and they enjoy talking together. Muriel has helped Sue with her depression and through withdrawals. Sue is the mother of Two Circles (the 5th - 5yrs old), Karen (10), Lorkyn (13) and Sommer (29).

Lucile is 55 years old (30). She is happy and content with life on the island. She is currently married to Sommer and is the mother of Angel (lost in the hunting accident at 40, mother of Spinoza), Lectron (39), Macbeth (killed by poison at 29, father of Tibet and Molly the 4th), Quince (15), Molly the 5th (5), Amed (4), Titania (1 ), and is 5 months pregnant with another child.

Lucile is voluptuous, healthy and rosy is appearance with full lips, big breasts, long deep auburn hair and tanned-red skin. Her long hair is unusual for the shaven and bald aquatic Islanders and a point of vanity. Lucile is lusty and humorous with a generous, even indulgent, nature. Having lost so many children when they were young, she tends to spoil those who survive when she can. She enjoys spending time with White Flight and Molly and usually weaves and dyes clothes during the day, and tends the children with Sue, Muriel and Tempest.

She loves the art and literature of Earth, especially Shakespeare, Marlow and the Jacobean plays, 19th and 20th century literature, 21st century painting and music and 22nd century film considering each art-form to have reached its high in those eras. Lucile is fascinated by human dilemmas and existential crises. She is annoyed that her son Quince thinks Earth culture and art is corrupt. Nevertheless, she adores Quince, who has a sensitive and poetic mind, and she listens intently to any new writings of his. She always offers a balanced and sophisticated judgment however. Lucile likes to read poems and excerpts or play composed music over dinner and sometimes puts on small plays when there is enough interest.

Re-contact will be exciting. It will offer more for her to read and see. The Islanders primary aesthete, Lucile has almost worn out Synopsis cultural data and she craves more. She is very curious about what Earth and Haven art would be like now, and Sue's speculative writings inflame this feeling. However, she would not want to leave the Island and passionately considers it their inviolable home.

Muriel is 42 yrs and looks in her mid 20s. She is darkly beautiful with thick black hair, full lips and a willowy figure. She is the mother of Tempest (22) and Temple (15), Sue's best friend and Molly's great great great great granddaughter (a point of pride!). Like Molly, Muriel is keenly interested in meteorology and astronomy. She is currently between marriages like Sue, and Molly expects both of them to marry one of the eligible males each. Like Sue, Muriel is attracted to the exotic and thoughtful Quince.

Re-contact would be exciting. It would provide her with the tools and technology she needed to really get to grips with the sciences she is passionate about. She might even be able to put them to good use for the Island. Muriel would love to see a satellite shot of the 11 year Cyclone, as it fascinates and terrifies her.

Lectron is 39 yrs old with racially-mixed skin colour, and has still retained a very young, pretty and boyish look, especially as he keeps his head skin-bald and face closely shaven. He spends most of his time making and fixing the hunting weapons and hunting alone or with the women and children. He has learnt a lot about Earth culture and it has always frightened him. Lectron is tall, strong, heavily built and intimidating.

Sensitive and prone to nightmares, Lectron is also very stoical and has learnt a great many survival and combat skills via the combat sims just in case there is ever re-contact. This is something he fears and expects one day and it has defined him. He expects re-contact will cause a great deal of trouble, and encourages all to learn combat skills, though only the two fraternity groups and Sue have listened. He is familiar with all of the weapons of the island and theoretically with hi-tech weapons. He has used the handguns and rifles for real a few times too.

Lectron has a plan incase re-contact occurs.

The younger frat., but especially Quince and Temple, try often to convince him of their new religion. He agrees with them that re-contact would be detrimental to their (spiritual) development. He agrees with these boys that Earth culture is corrupt and dangerous. This annoys his mother Lucile he says this view is too black and white.

Mohammed, Sweet, Sommer and 3rd Son of EchoShadow

M,S,S&ES are 30, 32, 29 and 30 respectively, with the look and health or 20 year olds. ES is a fin. Together, they form a close fraternity like a fin frat., and are very loyal to each other. They identify themselves with long, tightly plaited multi-coloured hair. They have built their own fishing boat and are helped to fish by ES, taking pride in whoever has the biggest catch of the day. One of their favourite past-times is spear hunting in the mangrove, again with ES's help. They collect prizes (horns, heads, skins etc) and have constant healthy competition. They have sired various children, who they all care for. They have a strong sense of duty and responsibility and a deep love and awe for 2C and Molly. Now that the young fraternity are recognised adults, they are developing a sports-manly competition with them too. They think their spiritual ideas are somewhat strange.

They once had a fourth brother, Macbeth, but he was killed by a venomous plant in the mangrove two years ago. This instilled a fear for the mangrove in them, but also a wish to conquer it. Since Macbeth’s death, the frat. have been even closer and responsible.

Sweet is currently married to Tempest and Sommer to Lucile. Mohammed is very interested in Aphrodite and seeks to impress her. Sweet has learnt how to craft instruments from Suhad when she was alive, and plays a variety of them. He is an adept musicologist and often collaborates with Lucile. Sweet is dark, with thick natural black which grows out in a big sphere. Mohammed is the strongest and fittest of all the men other than Lectron. He has a quick wit and likes to play pratical jokes. Despite his confidence and boasts, he never takes himself too seriously, though his honour and his children are extremely important to him.

Sommer is one of the paler islanders with blue eyes and dark mousy hair. He is blind in one eye and partially in another after being poisoned and almost dying as a boy. As a result, he prefers the water where he can use his echo-location. Sommer has been interested in optic technology since the accident, and is still learning about cybernetic optics and genetic manipulation of the eyes. He is also very much interested in computers and AR as AR and underwater are the best places he can "see" using echo-location and trodes or spex respectively. Sommer is serious and a little morbid due to his near death experience. He thinks about death and darkness a lot, the two things being closely connected by the villages funeral ritual. WF's medicine saved him. Sommer has a beautiful singing voice and often sings with Sweet and Lucile.

Re-contact is somewhat irrelevant to this fraternity, none of them really thinking it likely, or spending time pondering it.

Tempest is 21 yrs. She is the mother of Molly the 4th (7) and Tibet (10) and the great great great great great granddaughter of Molly. She has dark thick wild hair like her mother, but with a reddish cast when the sun hits it. She is dark and stormy, living up to her name. Tempest has a beautiful asian appearance, with almond shaped eyes and high cheek bones.

Tempest was born during the 11 year cyclone of 2177. It was a difficult birth for Muriel as she couldn't labour in the water. Like her mother, Tempest is fascinated by weather patterns especially storms, and has a spiritual feeling about them. Unlike her mother, she has an intuitive sense of the weather, being able to sense impending storms or weather changes, and is good at guessing the degree of change.

She is currently married to Sweet. Tempest doesn't really ponder re-contact, not thinking it likely.

Temple is 15 beautiful, creative, philosophical and intelligent. He is the primary force behind the burgeoning religious movement in the village. An occasional lover of Quince and regular lover of Spinoza, Temple is also very daring, having sparked a friendly competition between his frat. and M,S,S&ES.

Temple is magnetic, strong willed and disobedient. He studies comparative world religions, philosophy, theology and classics. He has a strong spiritual thirst, a keen and wilful mind and a charming charisma. Temple thinks Earth culture is corrupt and will distrust the SIA envoy team.

Quince is 15 with a poetic and figurative mind and a deep, complex imagination. He has rare blond hair and for this reason is striking and exotic looking to the others.

Both Sue and Muriel are wanting Quince for their next husband, and they like to talk about him and moon over him together, and Lucile dotes on him. Quince is also playing a big role in the new religion, and thinks a lot about belief systems and how art can facilitate this.

Lorkyn is 13 and eastern looking. He doesn’t understand or appreciate his mothers desire to explore beyond the islands confines. He was attracted to the New Religion via Temple’s magnetism more than the actual philosophy. He’s very much interested in botany, toxicology and biology and learns a lot from WF. He’s brewed new hallucinogens which the frat., which they use for spiritual purposes. Lorkyn is also an excellent cook, using his knowledge of herbs and spices to brew culinary delights as well as new kinds of beers and wines. Lorkyn is in love with SSP and spends a lot of time in the water with him. He is devoted to the fin, almost exclusively, and doesn't really pursue sexual relations with people. Temple pushes Lorkyn to make his concoctions to the limits - they can sometimes be very toxic and make them ill, but it is also giving them a tolerance to poisons.

Spinoza is 14 and the forth member of the younger fraternity. He has a wide nose, dark skin and thick lips, and paints his hair red. Spinoza adores Temple, and is totally in love with him. He will obey him, perhaps not unthinkingly, but will always bend to his will. He enjoys receptive anal sex with Temple, and finds his ideas thrilling, profound and moving.

Spinoza is quite and shy and lacks in confidence, but he is very loving and loyal to his extended family.

The young fraternity will follow Temple's lead regarding re-contact.

Aphrodite, or just Dite to her friends, is 19 and avoids marriage and thus sex and pregnancy. Her resistance to marriage is seen as a "phase" which she is being encouraged to grow out of, mainly by Molly. She is very beautiful (hence the name). She is very interested in Earth's hard sciences and obscure philosophies and spends a lot of time with Synopsis, Molly and BlueDeep. She is serious and community minded and finds the frat.s concerns with sex and competition tedious (though she may use it against them for fun), though their hybrid song/new religion intrigues her.

However she does love the attentions the eligible males give her, knowing full well how alluring her looks and virginity are. Her own sexual desire is directed towards fins friends or more subtly towards her friend Tempest. Dite can be mischievous and cheeky, and though she may pay lip-service to youthful rebellion, she is committed to her community.

Recently she has come to desire Temple. This is deeply problematic because they are not married and cannot be married because they are half-brother and half-sister. Temple's seductive charms and philosophies might get the better of Dite.

Two Circles. Having re-named herself after the ancient fin Toosee, "TC" (Teeci) also acts like a dolphin as much as she can. To her parents and the communities surprise, TC was born slightly deformed. She is an albino and her fingers and toes are longer than usual, and more fully webbed, and she has a thicker fat layer, which all make her a little ungainly on dry land. Though her pinks eyes are weak, her sonic senses are also more highly developed, as is her amphibious metabolism. She looks very different to her sister Dite, and Molly suspects TC may be the result of an incestuous affair.

At 11 years old, TC is expected to start helping the communities work and stop playing so much. But TC spends most of her time underwater, swimming with the fins and wishing she was as fast and beautiful as they are. Her deformities have lead her to believe she was destined for the ocean, and often dreams that she will one day transform into a dolphin. But the faint wisps of pubescent hair on her body belies these dreams, and she hates these changes as confirmation of humanity, rather than the promise of ocean life.

TC refuses to speak in English, always using the sign-language of Interspec. She keeps her body bald and dislikes being on-land. She is generally disobedient, resentful of "dry" work and disinterested in human culture, so usually any chores assign to her are aquatic. She has a deep love of the Song philosophy, but this is more based on faith than the subtle and poetic understanding older fins and Islanders have of it.

TC feels like a fin in a persons body. She doesn't ponder re-contact at all.

The Children

  • Karen (Female 10) - Sue + White Flight
  • Molly the 4th (Male, 7) - Macbeth + Tempest
  • Tibet (Male 6) Macbeth + Tempest - serious minded for a child. Dark skin, striking white hair.
  • Molly the 5th (Female 5) - Lucile + Mohammed
  • Two Circles (Female 5) - Susanne + Lectron
  • Amed (Male 4) - Lucile + Mohammed
  • Titania (Female 1) - Lucile + Sommer

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