"How best to begin..." The words stuttering forth in seemingly-random intervals from his fingertips as he struggled to write a piece of fiction. And yet, nothing would come to his mind, so unusually full of emotion. Frustrated, Dorsola sat back at his computer, unsure of what to make of the myriad of thoughts and emotions running around in his head.
He looked out through the window of his cluttered bedroom, trying to figure out where all the confusion was coming from, and why. Parting the blinds slowly and peering through them, he saw people running down the street, a stampede of men, women and children frantically trying to get away from something. He could feel a sense of panic more powerful and more urgent than any sort of emergency he'd seen before. The confusion seemed to blare at him and echo through his mind even more strongly now. Almost wincing at the onslaught of emotion, he closed his blinds again and returned to his computer.
Dorsola sat still for a moment, trying to sort out what was going on. Mass confusion... panic... urgency... must get out of here... Somehow he felt this himself, but he couldn't figure out why. Hoping to find an answer to his question, he flipped on the radio.
Within moments, the hurried news flashes told him everything, and then he understood the reason everyone was so panicked. The Foresight Committee had been right all along: Dorsola's world was dying, and the panic had begun. Without thinking, the young writer got up and left his computer, his bedroom, his house, and joined the masses running for the nearest spaceport.
Woefully out of shape, Dorsola couldn't run for very long. He fell to the back of the ever-growing crowd, then slowed to a walk, panting and gasping for air, and then finally collapsed on the ground, unable to go any further. He had run as fast and as hard as he could for more than twenty minutes, longer than he had ever run before... yet it wasn't enough. He realized that he would be extremely lucky to make it to the spaceport where, like every city all over the planet, the population was trying to get out into space before their world ended.
Resting for only a minute, he got back up and continued running. Most of his neighbors were far ahead of him, using whatever means of transportation they had. Some were passing him up by bike, others by car, some by hoverjet, and still others by hang-glider. But, like him, the vast majority of the people were running on foot, screaming and waving their arms just like in the old horror stories and movies.
But this was no movie. Dorsola knew that he had to run for his life, literally. He had no bicycle, no car, no glider. And the nearest spaceport was still five miles away. Once again, he had to sit down and rest out of the way of the stampeding crowds. He saw others collapsing from the intense heat of the day, out of breath and exhausted. He saw a little girl's teddy bear fall onto the ground, only to be trampled under the feet of still more people.
Then he looked up at the store that had been left open in front of him in the panic. He saw the big-screen TV that had been tuned to the news channel. He read the screen, which showed what appeared to be a timer counting down. And he knew exactly what it meant: He had exactly 26 minutes to make it to the spaceport. He would never make it.
Sitting there on the bench, his mind instantly recalled what the ForeSight Committee had said a few weeks before: "This planet is unstable. It could suddenly explode on not more than an hour's notice! We MUST get everyone out into space now!" But the population had laughed at them. In an almost certain act of defiance, spaceports all over the world had become deserted, save for the few believers of the Foresight Committee. The worldwide government even dissolved the Committee and charged its members with attempting to create a worldwide panic.
Not even Dorsola had believed them. Though he was an avid fan of science fiction and even wrote it himself, he had laughed every time he heard about the so-called "Doom Day" he was now staring in the face. His mind filled with grief, disgust and a newfound loss of hope, he turned back toward the street, watching the diminishing crowd running toward the spaceport.
He shook his head. It's futile, he thought. Futile, just plain worthless. These people are never going to make it, and they don't even realize... he broke down in tears. A few minutes later, he slowly got up and walked back up the empty street. He turned at a corner and headed down to the beach, where he could see other people standing on the shore.
When he arrived on the beach, he found two men standing together, one with a surfboard tucked under his arm. They were looking out at the sea. Without saying a word, he gazed out with them toward the setting sun, shielding his eyes. It was a beautiful sunset - the bright orange primary sun sinking slowly into the water, the sky around it a radiant pink.
The familiar roaring of the waves crashing onto the beach filled Dorsola's mind, replacing the unwelcome panic and confusion of the stampedes. With his mind quieted, he turned to his comrades and reached out to sense what they were feeling. They were also quiet, filled with the peace and tranquility of the open ocean, yet aware that something was about to happen. They did not move, but just stared out at the water, the wind rustling their hair and blowing sand around their feet.
He turned back to the waves to take a closer look. The sun had fallen below the horizon, and Dorsola no longer had to shield his eyes. He could now see something he hadn't been able to see before: a pod of aseilas leaping out of the water and seeming to play around in the distance. He recalled the ancient legends he had been taught as a child. "Children of the sea," they were called. He could sense their playfulness. And now Dorsola too was standing still on the beach, watching the aseilas as they continued to play. He wished that he could be out there with them, that he could just leave all of his worries - everything - behind to play with them.
Finally, the man with the surfboard spoke up: "How much longer?"
The other man looked at his watch: "We have 4 minutes."
"Thanks dude," replied the surfer, and was silent again.
Dorsola then turned to the men. They looked at him, studying the tall, young writer for just a moment. Then they looked again out to the ocean. Dorsola found his voice finally and said, "So this is it."
"Yep," replied the guy with the watch. He didn't take his eyes off the pod of aseilas, but continued: "We're about to see the most spectacular fireworks show ever."
"But we're going to die!" Dorsola exclaimed.
"We know." said the surfer. He was now looking at Dorsola. "We knew we couldn't make it to the spacedock in time. But it doesn't matter now."
"That's right. There isn't anything we can do but just watch," the other guy said.
"But..." Dorsola faltered, having lost words and having come up against the realization that there indeed was nothing he could do, but just watch. Finally, he turned back to the ocean, watching the sky fade from its brilliant pink to a deep red - easily the most awesome sunset he had ever seen. He looked down at the water, seeing that the pod of aseilas had moved closer to shore and was now organized in a large circle, just a bunch of heads poking out of the water, all looking at the sky. They were silent. The waves crashed upon the shore once again.
Then it happened. The ground began to shake and tremble violently. The towering rocks around the men began to crumble. The sky began to darken quickly and ominously, and in the distance Dorsola could make out a dull, reddish glow on the horizon. The surfer called out over the roaring: "There it goes!"
Just as he said this, a large rock fell on his head and knocked him out. He collapsed to the ground, blood running from his head where the rock had struck him, and he laid still. The other man rushed over to help the surfer, but Dorsola simply walked slowly to the water's edge. He stared transfixed at the pod of aseilas, still in their circle. They had turned to look at him, their high-pitched chirps and shrieks rising above the din of Armageddon.
The circle of aseilas... the rumbling... the darkened sky... the boiling water... a flash of light...

...water...all around...can't move...the explosion...quiet. you must rest...

It was daytime. Dorsola awoke to find himself floating face-down in the water. He panicked and tried to flip himself over so he could breathe. His body ached all over. He couldn’t move! He opened his eyes. Nothing but water all around him.
#Calm down. Rest for a bit.#
What? Who said that? He tried to look all around him, trying to find out who had spoken to him. It was an odd feeling - he couldn’t tell where the voice had come from. He was confused and became even more panicked.
Dorsola slowed his movements, attempting to kick his way into an upright position. It felt to him like his legs were tied together, or that he was wrapped up in a tight bag. Finally, he managed to get himself into a more familiar position. He felt his heart racing, much faster than he was accustomed to. He tried very hard to calm himself down. He looked around, twisting his whole body to move around in the water. Nothing but water all around him. Even below him... water.
He opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn't find his voice. Frustrated, he looked around again, searching for a hint of any life nearby. Suddenly he found himself sinking and beginning to take in water. Panicking again, he tried to flail his arms, but it seemed that he just couldn't move them... he was too sore, and he still felt like he was tied up.
Then, just as quickly as he started sinking, he was floating again on his stomach, again face-down in the water. Amazingly enough, he could see clearly, and finally he was able to see what was holding him up - it was an aseila! But how...? The planet had just come to an end!
Where am I? Is this heaven?
Dorsola exhaled, expecting a stream of bubbles to flow out of his mouth and up to the surface. Instead, he felt something open up on top of his head, and the air flowed out of it there. Then, when he breathed back in, the air seemed to suck in through that same hole, which closed up again when he was done. I’m definitely not where I was ten minutes ago, he thought.
The aseila surfaced in front of him and was facing him with its head poking out of the water. Dorsola was about to try to get himself vertical again when he heard the voice: #Please, lie still for a while and collect yourself. You've had a rough day.#
He listened more closely this time. Where was this ... this strange, but somehow entrancing... even beautiful... where was this voice coming from? It almost seemed to be emanating from his own thoughts. He wondered if he was thinking these thoughts himself - the results of his beleaguered mind.
Or perhaps it was the voice of an angel...
The voice answered his thoughts: #You fell into the ocean from the sky about two hours ago. You're lucky my pod happened to be in the area, or you would have drowned. You were out cold when you hit the water, and you're likely to be bruised from the big splash you made.#
Who are you? What happened?
#My name is K’ani,# said the voice.
But... I don’t understand. There’s nobody here but just myself and an aseila. Where are you?
#I'm floating right in front of you, silly!#
Dorsola looked at the aseila. How could this... this thing... how was it talking to him like this? He had never been able to do more than feel what others were feeling. He had never been capable of telepathy. What was happening? Am I dreaming? No, this is madness, this can’t be possible. I died... I have to have died! This isn’t happening!
#Calm down! What’s troubling you?#
I... Calmness, Dors. Calm, cool, collected. Remember what you always used to tell yourself. Calm down and gather your thoughts. He concentrated a bit.
#Where am I?# he thought to the creature, who was obviously female from the sound of her telepathic voice.
#We’re about 25 miles off the mainland. The water is warm here. My pod was looking for a good place to spend some time when you "dropped in."# She giggled.
Encouraged by her playful nature, Dorsola felt a little more at ease. But he still couldn't seem to coordinate his movements. Finally, he asked, #What's wrong with me? Why can't I move?#
#You're still really sore. I'm surprised you didn’t break any bones! You must have hit the water at 70 or 80 miles an hour! Probably went in nose-first or something.#
#Wow. But... why are my legs tied together?#
#Legs? What legs?# The aseila looked at him quizzically.
#What do you mean, what legs? These legs!# Dorsola tried to point to his feet, but he still couldn't move his arms. Finally, he just looked down at himself. And what he saw next froze him solid. To his amazement, where he was expecting to see his feet and legs, there was a broad, flat tail. He struggled to see more, and could just make out the tips of a set of fins, a little higher than where he expected his arms to be. He could almost feel his jaw drop - My god, he thought to himself, I’ve become an aseila! But, how...?
#Poor thing! You seem to have suffered some memory loss.#
#No no no! My memory is clear! I... I remember lots of things! There was the Foresight Committee and my planet exploding and I was standing on a beach watching a bunch of aseilas and... and... then I showed up here.#
#What? Planet exploding? Foresight Committee? I don't understand. What’s an "asayla?"#
Oh man... this is deep, Dorsola thought to himself. He tried to think back some more, collecting his thoughts and attempting to make sense of what had just happened. He must have died when his planet exploded! It had to be! Yet, here he was, obviously alive and even able to communicate. Becoming even more confused, he again tried to maneuver himself into a vertical position. This time, it was easier - he had a better idea of what he had to do. Before long, his instincts managed to get him into the same position as his new companion, with his head poking out of the water just far enough that he could see and breathe comfortably.
#I see you’re getting your coordination back. That’s good,# said his companion.
#Thanks. I’m kind of new to this.# He replied.
#How old are you?#
#I’m 20.#
#20!?# she replied incredulously. #You’re lucky if you’re even four! I’m only six years old myself!#
#What? No! I’m 20 years old, I tell you! Or, at least I was...# Dorsola’s mind drifted, having realized once again that something far beyond his understanding had just happened to him. Finally, he collected himself again and thought, #I’m sorry... you’re going to have to believe me, that I don’t even know what’s happened to me. You said I fell out of the sky?#
#That’s right,# she said. #I saw it along with my podmates. We were playing around right over there,# she gestured with her head, #and my brother suddenly stopped and looked up at something. We all stopped and asked him what he was looking at, and he said, "Something’s falling out of the sky!" We searched for it, and then imagine our surprise when we saw it was a dolphin! We thought you might have been a piece of space debris or something.#
#Wait, what did you say I was? What’s that?#
#Well, now isn’t that an interesting question? You’ve been calling me an "asayla" ever since you woke up. I still don’t know what that is.#
#It’s... it’s the name my people gave to creatures like you. Um...# Dorsola tried to figure out a way to explain what had happened in a way that she would be able to understand. #See, I used to be a thing that walked on land on two feet, and had two arms. I used to write science fiction. And my friends, my people, we had always called you "aseilas." Is there a different name you call yourselves?#
#Well,# she explained, #what I see before me is what I am myself. So you too are an "asayla," but the humans call us dolphins, and so we’ve adopted that name for ourselves as well. And you described your previous self as a human.#
#So you are called "Doll-fins?"#
She chuckled. #That’s close enough. You’ll get the pronunciation down once you practice it a little.#
#For some reason, you don’t seem all that surprised to see me. Do you have any idea what I used to be? What happened to me?#
#Not really, but perhaps now’s a good time for us to become acquainted and to get to know each other better. What’s your name?# She moved a bit closer to him.
#Uh...# For a moment, he couldn’t remember his name, but finally it came back to him. #Dorsola. My name’s Dorsola.#
His new friend had appeared to be smiling the whole time that they had been talking, but for some reason, he could now tell that she really WAS smiling. She said to him, #Welcome to our pod, Dorsola.#
#Thanks. I guess in a time like this, I could really use some friends. What did you say your name was again?#
#K’ani.#
#"Connie?"# He had imagined a more exotic-sounding name for her.
#No. K’ani, like "Ki-AH-nee," but you’ll learn it soon enough.#
#Kee-ani.# Dorsola thought about it for a moment, then said it again in his mind. #Kani... Kiani... K’ani.#
#There you go!# she said enthusiastically.
#That is a nice name.#
She smiled at him again. #Thanks. Come on! I’ll introduce you to the rest of our pod! It’s not too big - only five of us. I’m sure they’d love to meet you!# K’ani flipped around and swam away from him.
Dorsola did his best to follow, but he found himself only fumbling around in the water with no sense of direction. He called out #Kani! Wait up! Help!#
K’ani stopped and turned around. She came back and nudged him under the chin until he was pointing up again. He resurfaced, took in another breath, and thought to her, #I don’t know how to swim!#
#That’s all right. It’ll come back to you. Just give it time,# she replied.
Dorsola paused for a moment. He tried very hard to convince himself that everything would be all right. He tried to envision how an aseila - no, a dolphin. He had to get used to calling them dolphins - how a dolphin would move. He remembered what he had seen when he visited the aquariums. The aseilas appeared to almost wiggle their way through the water. They used their tails to propel themselves.
He gave it a try. He still couldn’t believe he was one of these creatures now - it still felt like somebody had tied his legs together. But with some effort, he pushed his new tail up, then down, then up again, and soon he found himself moving away quickly.
K'ani caught up with him in no time. #See? It’s not that hard.#
Now understanding, he continued pushing his legs - his tail - up and down, and after a few moments, his newfound instincts took over. He suddenly felt like he had been doing this all his life! It was almost as if he really had lost his memory temporarily. This new ease of movement made him feel much better.
#K’ani, look! I know how to do this!#
#Excellent!# she replied. #Follow me!# With that, she took off again, with Dorsola following closely behind.