Nora sat across from Dr. Alicia Garza, a marine biologist who specialized in whale communication and behavior. Nora had reached out to her old graduate school acquaintance for help analyzing the message's implications for cetacean evolution on Earth.

They met at a quiet cafe near the research center where Alicia worked. Nora caught her up on the anomalous acoustic patterns and subsequent decryption efforts. Alicia listened intently, asking thoughtful questions without immediately dismissing the claims as fiction.

"I know it sounds fantastical," Nora concluded. "But we have to go where the evidence leads. If part of this message is true, it suggests an advanced intelligence has been influencing whale development for ages. As a cetacean expert, do you know of any anomalies in the fossil or behavioral record that might support this?"

Alicia took a long sip of her coffee, contemplating. "Looking back, there are a few things your theory could potentially account for. The earliest whale ancestors were terrestrial mammals that took to the water. But some evolutionary leaps - like larynx changes enabling complex vocalizations - were unusually rapid. Fossils with strange deformities pop up without clear transitional stages. I'd written these off as flukes, but perhaps..."

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Nora nodded eagerly. "An outside guiding influence could explain the sudden adaptations. And DNA tampering could produce the aberrant fossils as failed experiments."

"Let's not get carried away," Alicia cautioned with a smile. She turned serious again. "If your message is genuine, this raises huge ethical questions. These experiments may have enabled whales to achieve higher cognition. But engineering any species denies it self-determination."

Nora frowned. She had not considered that angle yet.

Alicia continued "Still, I cannot discount your claims because they seem intrusive if there is truth to them. I'm happy to review the data and we can trace potential intervention points in cetacean history. At the very least, it will rule scenarios in or out."

Nora felt relieved Alicia was open to investigating despite the troubling ethical dimensions. Of course, they had only scratched the surface of those. For now, she was glad for analytical help untangling the origins of the whale song distortions without judgment. Each expert perspective brought new light, like bioluminescence in the ocean depths.

They finished their coffee and parted ways. Driving home, Nora thought of her father again. As bizarre as this path was becoming, she knew he would be proud she was steadfastly following the truth without fear. Come what may, she would carry on until the song revealed its full meaning. If these aliens had laudable goals, cooperation could better both species. If not... well, she would tackle those rapids when necessary. For now, it was enough to listen and learn.