O.R.C.A.

O.R.C.A., short for Omniscient Recording Computer of Alterna, is a computer system in Return of the Mammalians in Splatoon 3. It is located in Alterna and serves as a guide for Agent 3.

Splatoon 3
As revealed in the Alterna Logs, O.R.C.A. is an archival-oriented digital information management system that was created by the scientists who built Alterna. Its purpose is to record and preserve the knowledge gathered by the surviving Alternan humans. In Return of the Mammalians, when Agent 3 enters their first kettle in Alterna, O.R.C.A. is booted up and introduces itself. After explaining the basics of missions, it begins collecting information on Agent 3, referring to them as a citizen of Alterna. At the start of each mission in Alterna, it offers a brief explanation of the mission's goal and purpose and information on the weapons available in the equipper. If Agent 3 fails to accomplish certain missions' special objectives (such as running out of ink in a mission with limited ink), O.R.C.A. will inform them of their failure and pour ink directly above them, splatting them. It is also strongly implied to have written the Alterna Logs.

Personality
Unlike its fellow AI Commander Tartar, O.R.C.A. is rarely hostile towards the player and does not attempt to deceive them, instead seemingly only being interested in conducting tests and maintaining Alterna. Agent 1 comments on O.R.C.A.'s deadpan humor, and in the mission Amusing a Bemused Muse, it responds with silence at the Squid Sisters' failure to recognize a crate statue as an orca, the very same animal its name and icon are modeled after.

Trivia

 * O.R.C.A. plays a similar role to that of C.Q. Cumber in the Octo Expansion: both explain each level in the opening area, provide the selection of weapons available for the level in the equipper, and splat the player if they fail a special condition.
 * When first booted up, O.R.C.A. makes a sound similar to the Wii U's power-on jingle, but in a different key. This is followed by the sound effect heard just before the reveal of a Splatfest theme by the "Voice from on High".

Etymology
Omniscient Recording Computer of Alterna describes the system's intelligence, purpose, "species" and location. The orca is also a species of dolphin, making the abbreviation "O.R.C.A." similar to the Japanese name of the AI, which is the Japanese word for "dolphin".