The captain, being autistic, is generally good at reading the feelings and intentions of animals; but when it comes to sapient animals, such information takes much longer to process if it gets through at all. Her solution was to work with her husband, Chief Engineer Bob Shimbo, on the Babel Fish device. Unlike the fish it is named after, it does not translate language, but can be used to sync the feelings and nuances of other Babel Fish wearers nearby. It can also be used for data storage, such as notes on things found in passing that one might want to be reminded of later. Several of the Trouble's crew, such as Dorcas, also wear these devices and find them useful.