With two novels already written in the series, there
was little left to invent for this one. Although the majority of the novel
takes place away from Oceania, much of the technology and inventions in Oceania
are present in Shark Station as well. However, due to the new location for the
novel, three new inventions were needed.
Digital Hull Integrity Monitor (DHIM)
Much of the story revolved around excursions to the
deep. Shark Station was built as a hub of deep-sea exploration, specifically in
the deepest trench in the sea. To facilitate this research, submersibles are
used in an excessive amount compared to normal. They spend more time in the sea
than in the docking bay, which meant that the hull integrity of the submersibles
needed to be constantly checked for any abnormalities. At the depth of the
Sirena Deep, any tiny imperfection could cause a fatal implosion. The Digital
Hull Integrity Monitor (DHIM), was created to make the inspection process
faster and more accurate. It works by scanning the complete hull of the
submersible and then creating a 3D image to show the user where any imperfections
may be. A human could then inspect it visually to decide how it needs to be
fixed. The DHIM also has the capability to analyze the severity of any
imperfections to allow the user to make the best decision on whether or not an immediate
fix is necessary.
Com-Stone
Another Dr. Wilcox invention! The com-stone is meant
to work as an extension of the c-com and act as a conduit between it and the omniphones
used on land. Using powerful wave technology, it can send signals from the
depths of the sea to the highest peaks on land. Interfacing between Oceanian
systems and land systems, it can flawlessly connect anyone on the planet to
one-another and allow conversations as clear as if the person was speaking
beside you.
Shaped like a smooth, round rock, it has simple ways
of controlling it. To turn it on, you merely have to sweep your hand over it.
Using the lines on a human hand to activate it, it can be programmed to
activate to only your unique handprint. Once the holographic projection begins,
a menu can be used to access all other features. A simple double-tap on the
stone will bring up the menu after the stone glows twice. Turning off the
com-stone is as simple as waving your hand over it twice or choosing “off” from
the menu.
*Of course, all of this is the dream of Dr. Wilcox and
the system hasn’t been quite perfected yet and is still in development. Only
part of the features are currently available.
Fisherbox
Living in the deep sea has its challenges and being
away from Oceania makes Shark Station a particularly difficult place to live
due to the lack of resources. Thus, the Fisherbox was invented. Food in the
deep is scarce and so placing any bate out into the water is an almost guarantee
of catching something. To help supplement the diets of those on Shark Station
and learn about new species, the Fisherbox was invented. Shaped like—well you
guessed it—a box, the Fisherbox has the capability to catch many creatures of
the deep. The largest Fisherbox on Shark Station measures 3m (9.84ft) by 3m (9.84ft)
by 3m (9.84ft), but most boxes are around 0.5m (1.64ft) by 0.5m (1.64ft) by 0.5m
(1.64ft). They are attached by a cable and dropped through a moon pool and sent
below the reach of the station’s lights. There it sits until an organism larger
than 20.32 cm (8 inches) is caught, it automatically closes the trap and ascends
back to the station and floats at the top of the moon pool until its retrieved.
It is more high-tech than any mere fishing rod ever was, but functions in the same
way—catch a fish one by one.
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