Speak the Words

Posted on Sun Jun 29th, 2025 @ 2:41pm by Ensign Kasm

604 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: Wounds From the Mirror
Location: Science section
Timeline: current

::ON::

After leaving the security chiefs office, Kasm returned to his patrol area. Upon completion of his shift, where he would normally have continued to work the second shift, proceeded to the science section.

Approaching one of the crewmen in the lab area he says "I seek a word expert."

The crewman pauses, looks down confused at the appearance of a short anthropomorphic bear. And says querulously "ummm word expert? Do you mean a linguist?"

"Linguist?" opening his personal PADD he takes a moment to converse with it then says "yes, linguist"

"Lieutenant Haversill, is one of our communication specialists, her lab is in corridor 7Alpha."

Kasm nods and heads off to corridor 7Alpha.

Stepping into Haversill's lab he finds one wall covered in multiple monitors each with a different written language on it with parallel script in Federation standard running with it. Another wall is covered in cubby holes and file drawers. filled with physical books, scrolls and other written material. The other wall is covered in scrolls and written examples of various alien languages.

Looking up from her work table, which is covered with PADDs and written materials, she does a double take and says "Oh, ummm, hi there. What can I do for you?"

Stepping up to the Lieutenant Kasm takes his universal translator and says "I wish this to make better human words for me"

She takes the UT from Kasm and looks at it. "Hmmm, where did you get this from?"

"Gift from Federation at University to speak human words to learn" responds Kasm.

"Really? huh, odd..." spinning the UT in her fingers like a coin she says "this is a fairly old and simple model, usually given to travelers and youngsters."

Kasm just stands and stares at her as she is speaking.

Squirming a bit she sets the UT on the table and walks over to grab a linguistic tricorder that is linked to the ships primary linguistic database. Connecting it to the UT she runs a scan on its translation circuits, as the scan runs she just shakes her head in disgust.

Finally she says "I see the problem, well, I think I see the problem." Frowning she continues "it appears that the first contact team member responsible for the linguistic analysis not only did a piss poor job on collecting linguistic samples, but also created a loop in the translation program for your racial profile to kick out elementary level Federation standard, rather than matching the complexities of the linguistic, educational and more subtle understanding levels of the individuals who may be using the UT."

Kasm just continues to stare at her with a blank expression. Primarily because he has no clue what she is saying, which he has become used to over the past few years where most of the human words coming through the word machine given to him in his language are non-sensicle.

Pausing in her diatribe Haversill looks at Kasm unreadable expression. Though fluent in a number of Federation and Earth languages and familiar with alien physiology for some of them, she decided to attribute some of the micro expressions on his face to be somewhat equivalent to the Caitian's, being another anthropomorphic hominid race. "You don't understand a thing I'm saying do you?"

Deciding on a course of action, Haversill, pulls out a PADD and opens a new linguistic analysis process. Looking at Kasm "I think we will just have to try and fix what the contact linguist failed to do and start the translation process over." Setting the PADD between them she says "lets have a chat shall we?"

::OFF::

 

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