SplaTOON: The Bonus Content!

Moving Forward is the Future (series version)

One of the options for my final in my Science Fiction and the Environment class was to write a short story. This story is based on Splatoon 3 because after reading the story "Vaster than Empires" by Ursula K. Le Guin, which features an all-seeing plant brain, I had the thought, "What if the plant brain was an AI?" Then I thought, "What if the AI was ORCA?" And thus this story was born. I had to change some names and plot points. This version uses the names and plot points from the game/series. The version I turned in is labeled "class version." (It should be the very next chapter.) Without any further ado, here's "Moving Forward is the Future."

Interaction detected in site 0-3. Activating cameras and scanning occupants. Occupant 1, sitting on a stool by the examination table: Octoling soldier 9J47919. Occupant 2, standing at the monitor facing away: unidentified. Age: indeterminate. Sex: male. Species: grizzly bear. Playing "welcome.mp4."

Octoling soldier 9J47919 is wearing a green sweater and shivers where she sits. Current room temperature: 30 degrees Gido, unusually cold.

Occupant 2 turns toward the monitor and growls. "Stupid butt dial." He slams a paw on the keyboard, hitting the mute button in the process. "You'd think after 10,000 years, they would have solved it." He walks to the syringe dispenser on the back. Ability to walk on hind legs: anomalous. Ability to speak Octarian: anomalous. Ability to speak at all: anomalous.

Occupant 2 puts one paw on top of the syringe dispenser and one beneath it. He shakes the syringe dispenser, allowing a syringe to tumble into his open paw. "Tell me, do you have a name? Besides that long string of numbers, that is."

"My friends call me Soram," Octoling soldier 9J47919, apparently named "Soram," answers between shivers.

"Nice to meet you, Soram." Occupant 2 walks to the examination table. "Since I know your name, you should know mine: Mr. Grizz." Occupant 2, apparently named "Mr. Grizz," holds out the syringe to Soram. "You mind sticking this in your lower back? I need to get a sample of your ink, and obviously, I can't do that myself."

"And lift up my sweater?" Soram responds. "It's too cold for that."

"Well, it's not my fault you all keep your rooms so dang hot," Mr. Grizz responds. "Now, isn't your species bred to follow orders?"

Soram rolls her eyes and takes the syringe. She pushes the plunger all the way in and slips the syringe beneath her sweater. She uses one hand to hold the syringe in place and the other to pull the plunger out. She takes the syringe, filled with ink the same color as the magenta tentacles on her head, out of her back. Query: Why are they doing this procedure? Neither of them are trained medical professionals.

"Thank you," Mr. Grizz tells her. "Just put that on the desk and bring the next one in."

Soram stands up and walks to the desk, where she places the syringe. Then she takes a bandage out of the other box on the wall and attempts to put it on her back as she walks out.

Mr. Grizz, now alone, looks at the camera. "Hey, you. Computer. Don't you ever get tired of all these octopus-people and squid-people and fish-people? I know this place was built by humans, so quit the act already."

Query irrelevant. A bear has been sighted on the premises. Last recorded bear sighting: Last recorded bear sighting: Last recorded bear sighting: Last recorded bear–shutting down.

Motion detected in site 1-1 antechamber. Activating cameras and scanning occupants. All occupants in the middle of the room. Occupant 1: Octoling soldier 9J01977. Occupants 2-5: unidentified. Occupants 2-4 are all Inkling, two females, one male, ages 13, 17, and 18. A Salmonid male, age 4, is also detected but not visible on camera. Playing "welcome.mp4."