Transmission
Sacha stands on the ramp of the dropship as the Xrionan approaches. In the background, the base of a sleek black rocket can be seen.
The Xrionan stands imposingly at the base of the ramp, staff clutched in its clawed hands. Strange noises stream from the tablet in Sacha's hands. She fiddles with it and the Xrionan drops its staff in shock.
"While amusing, I don't think that's what we were going for," comments Gowan from inside the ship.
"Major Wallace, I consider the fact that he reacted in any way a success. Communication is not feasible given our current understanding, but we have at least achieved transmission."
The Xrionan retrieves its staff and more sounds emit from the tablet. Rather than interact with it, Sacha tries introducing herself as she did with the Gevrons - placing her hand on her chest and saying her name. She is treated with only a blank look.
"As we speculated, it appears that they either do not hear or do not conceive of sound as language."
She tries again, but this time pushes a button on the tablet rather than say her name aloud. The Xrionan flinches in response. However, a second later a new sound emerges from the tablet, following which the Xrionan mimics her motion and another sound emits.
"Excellent." She then crouches down, placing her hand flat on the ship's ramp, and tilts her head inquisitively. She is rewarded by another sound. She quickly taps some buttons on the tablet, then repeats the process with the ground of the forest. When that too prompts a new sound, she continues on to trees, shrubs, the rocket, and eventually (approaching slowly and carefully) the staff.
Finally, she bows and returns to the ship.
"So what good does knowing how to say 'bush' do us."
"Any and all vocabulary is helpful when acquainting oneself with a new language," Sacha replies. "However, in this case the main intent was to begin a collection of phonemes to construct words with."
"Mm," Gowan emits, clearly uninterested. "So how long until we can ask them about Verres?"
"Major Wallace," Sacha erupts in irritation. "You clearly have no understanding of the complexity of this undertaking. If the Gevron language had not been so closely related to English we would still be only able to say 'Hello'. What we are dealing with is not only learning a completely new language, with grammar which may well be completely different from any human language; we also must interpret it from a medium none of us can even detect on our own, and devise a way to "speak" in this medium as well! It may well be years before we can ask a complicated question such as 'Why did Verres do what he did?' - let alone interpret the answer!"
The Xrionan stands imposingly at the base of the ramp, staff clutched in its clawed hands. Strange noises stream from the tablet in Sacha's hands. She fiddles with it and the Xrionan drops its staff in shock.
"While amusing, I don't think that's what we were going for," comments Gowan from inside the ship.
"Major Wallace, I consider the fact that he reacted in any way a success. Communication is not feasible given our current understanding, but we have at least achieved transmission."
The Xrionan retrieves its staff and more sounds emit from the tablet. Rather than interact with it, Sacha tries introducing herself as she did with the Gevrons - placing her hand on her chest and saying her name. She is treated with only a blank look.
"As we speculated, it appears that they either do not hear or do not conceive of sound as language."
She tries again, but this time pushes a button on the tablet rather than say her name aloud. The Xrionan flinches in response. However, a second later a new sound emerges from the tablet, following which the Xrionan mimics her motion and another sound emits.
"Excellent." She then crouches down, placing her hand flat on the ship's ramp, and tilts her head inquisitively. She is rewarded by another sound. She quickly taps some buttons on the tablet, then repeats the process with the ground of the forest. When that too prompts a new sound, she continues on to trees, shrubs, the rocket, and eventually (approaching slowly and carefully) the staff.
Finally, she bows and returns to the ship.
"So what good does knowing how to say 'bush' do us."
"Any and all vocabulary is helpful when acquainting oneself with a new language," Sacha replies. "However, in this case the main intent was to begin a collection of phonemes to construct words with."
"Mm," Gowan emits, clearly uninterested. "So how long until we can ask them about Verres?"
"Major Wallace," Sacha erupts in irritation. "You clearly have no understanding of the complexity of this undertaking. If the Gevron language had not been so closely related to English we would still be only able to say 'Hello'. What we are dealing with is not only learning a completely new language, with grammar which may well be completely different from any human language; we also must interpret it from a medium none of us can even detect on our own, and devise a way to "speak" in this medium as well! It may well be years before we can ask a complicated question such as 'Why did Verres do what he did?' - let alone interpret the answer!"
Into the stillness following another voice speaks. "What I don't understand, ma'am, is why you're so insistent on human involvement here. Why not just program a robot to translate for us?"
Less harshly, but obviously still annoyed, Sacha responds, "Corporal Deacon. Have you had any experience whatsoever with languages besides English?"
"Only a little bit of Spanish in high school, ma'am."
"Hmm. It'll do. Do you recall the distinction between the words 'ser' and 'estar'?"
There is a pause for thought. "As I recall, ma'am, 'ser' implies a permanent condition, while 'estar' implies a temporary one."
"Indeed. Yet both are commonly translated to the English 'is'. Now tell me, how do you suppose one would translate a passage that makes dramatic use of one of these words where the other would be expected?"
There is another pause. "I don't know, ma'am."
"Exactly. This is a subtlety of one language that doesn't exist in the other. A good translator might be able to kludge together something, but it would lack the elegance of the original passage. And how do you suppose a robot would translate it?"
"It would lose the point entirely, I expect, ma'am."
"Absolutely. Even the best translation robots miss out on a lot of subtleties like that. And the problems would only be compounded when dealing with a language for which we don't know the subtleties yet."
"Point taken, ma'am. Human involvement it is."
-Feed from the rear camera of a Tiger-class dropship, capturing the first expedition to meet with the Xrionan.
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