Languages, so many
Posted on Sun Aug 25th, 2024 @ 4:24pm by Captain Luka Mahone & Lieutenant Commander Lylja Tigerlilly & Lieutenant Commander Sofia Nikedoros
740 words; about a 4 minute read
Mission:
Crossed Wires
Location: The Alien Ship
Lylja followed along, looking at the corridor, this ship was old. It was a wonder. and a testament to the original builders, that it was still functioning.
"Excuse me, sir," she said. "What sort of media do you use for your computer storage?"
It took a moment for the Lee-Zurian scientist to let the words sink in. She was unused to the translator technology; truth told, they had yet to really have it on their ship. But she caught on, and as they turned the corner into their housed storage for their 'server,' Lylja's question "was answered. A series of odd, blobby objects hung from the ceiling, each different muted colors. "We have found this to be most efficient," she slowly explained, trying her best to let the translator catch up with her, pointing to the console nearby. "This gives us information. It is... stored in the... " she paused, pointing at the odd sacs on the ceiling. "Liquid... liquid data helps us to not be... attacked."
"Wow, amazing," said Lylja scanning the storage medium. "Who would want to attack you?" she asked as the tricorder data was fun into the translation program of a datapad specifically configured for such a lexicographical task.
The Lee-zurian lowered his head. "Many. We are nomads... but we have a home planet that is home to many resources." He tilted his head toward the ceiling. "Many creatures... we work with them to help operate this ship... but other races... they see food... and power... Some of our fauna... are delicacies to others, but... they are smart. They understand language. We work with them... to create systems that communicate... with each other. Other races? They want... what we work with. Cruelly."
"That is terrible," said Lylja, sharing the universal (for the Federation) disgust at the idea of eating sentient. "We will do our best to help you. The Federation would be interested in helping you to keep your planet safe from such predators."
"That interspecies cooperation is impressive," Sofia put in, thinking after this new information that this was not just a colony ship but an ark of sorts - and one in which the animals were also crew. "Which suggests sophisticated communications systems, if we can access and adapt to them." Turning to the Lee-zur, she nodded. "If we can work out your planet of origin, we can at the least send a survey vessel to determine what remains after your long journey here. And we will help you find a planet in our space where you can be safe."
The scientist Lee-zurian tilted his head. They seemed empathetic to the plight of their race. Seemed being the key operative word. And the captain also trusted Sofia; which was odd to do at the outset, even for their race. "Could be a war if you did that," he pointed out. "Or at least... very angry races in same sector of space." There was a pause, as his head tilted to the other side. "Do you... do this all the time?"
"Yes," said Lylja looking up from her datapad. "Helping people and cultures by working together is why the Federation exists. By working together, we magnify our strengths and minimize our weaknesses."
She tapped a few holographic keys, the interface between the biological systems was not so different in the way it worked from the neural-gel packs but there was still some fuzziness on the feed that she did not like.
The Lee-zurian's face crinkled. "That sounds... like how we..." He trailed off, trying to see what the technology in front of him was doing. The words, while still foreign to him, seemed to denote analysis. "How we work with... our crew. The Lee-zurians and... our fauna. They are equals, not lesser. When we work together, we all succeed." The translator seemed to be catching up faster now. "I will have to report this to Captain..."
"We also consider all sentient life to be equal," Sofia explained. "If you decide to find a planet within Federation space, I believe you would be an excellent candidate for becoming a member, if you should so desire. We'll gladly discuss all options with you, though that would perhaps be more productive once the translator is working better."
"Working on it,"said Lylja. "Maybe if I apply a Binar filter . . . that seems to have stabilized it. The system is analyzing it now, we should see marked improvements in minutes."
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