Deep Contact

Your first day as a marine biologist aboard a deep-sea research facility takes an unexpected turn when the search for a rare cephalopod reveals the expedition’s true purpose.

Deep Contact is a work of speculative fiction designed for augmented reality smart glasses, transforming the physical space around you into the world of the story.

Once aboard the facility, you learn that the company is searching for a cephalopod believed to show signs of culture and language, including the ability to use tools. Use marine telemetry and underwater ecology to track the animal, then draw on zoosemiotics, the study of animal communication, when you finally meet.

What you choose to say to the creature shapes the fate of its species and the corporation pursuing it. As the story unfolds, Deep Contact asks what happens when scientific ambition and technological progress come at a cost to other forms of life.

The experience offers two ways to enter the story. Story Mode is a guided narrative lasting approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Conversation Mode allows you to speak freely with the creature and explore the encounter through an open-ended verbal exchange.

Deep Contact was created by OceanX Visiting Professor Dr. Danny Pimentel.