lt_linguist | thirteenth translation // action

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thirteenth translation // action

[Uhura is on the porch today, surrounded by what looks like the insides of an old-fashioned transistor radio. She is utterly absorbed in messing about with the various wires and metal bits - she's been so busy with these experiments lately that she's kind of missed the fact that an experiment is going on.

After all, she can't see the thought bubbles if she doesn't even look up from her little wires.

Her current thoughts are full of wiring, circuitry and strange mathematical symbols, along with a smattering of other languages. There are some thoughts running by in English, though.

Like ((A signal boost would require a break in the barrier, but a break in the barrier would require a significant surge of power. What sort of power, is yet to be determined...))

Or ((Radio frequences are more than likely present, but I'd need to encrypt any messages and the likelihood of tampering is high...))

Or ((I wonder if Spock and Mal should meet...))]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Emil has taken to sort of wandering past House 7 every so often - not that he's lonely or anything, of course not - and today happens to spot Uhura on the porch surrounded by some of the most confusing thought bubbles he's seen yet. He can't make heads or tails of them no matter how hard he tries.]

Um...

[Her thought breaks off mid-equation at the sound, and she gives Emil a slight smile. ((Glad it's Emil today.))]

Hey there. Keeping yourself busy?

Kind of, but it looks like you're keeping yourself a lot busier than I am.

Well, if you want to help, you can hold these for me, for a minute or two. [She holds up a jumble of wires for him.]

Okay, like this?

[He takes them, holding them carefully in both hands while he watches her.]

Yep, exactly. [Now you get to spend several minutes watching her poking at more wires, until she finally holds out her hand.]

The red one, please.

[It takes him a moment to untangle it, but once he does, he hands it to her.]

So, um... what are you making, anyway?

[She's going to fit it in carefully before answering that question.]

I'm trying to rig up this radio so that it could possibly transmit a message beyond the barrier, should the opportunity ever present itself.

It's too primitive to access subspace frequencies, but I may be able to get enough power to boost the radio signal, if my calculations are correct.

((Or rather, Spock's. Which are always correct.))

...

[All of that went right over this not-very-technologically-inclined kid's head.]

I'm not sure I understand all of it, but that thing can send a message beyond the barrier?

Hopefully. There's no way to really test it right now, but that's my goal.

... could it even send messages to other worlds?

[She smiles a little.]

Not as it is, no. I'd need to figure out a way to access subspace frequencies to do that. This will only use radio frequencies, which have a much more limited range, even assuming I could manage enough power to boost this signal beyond the barrier.

It's a long shot, no matter what. But I have to try.

Oh... I was hoping I could send a message to Richter and Marta just to let them know that I'm okay, but if it can't reach other worlds...

((I'm sorry.))

Honestly, the odds that I'll ever be able to get any message sent at all are... slim.

[He shakes his head.]

That's okay. Just the fact that you're trying means a lot, and who knows? It could always end up working.

If Kirk were still here...

((Wow, I can't believe I'm saying this.))

If Kirk were still here, I'd say our chances of finding something that works would be pretty good. I mean, they're better than average even with just me, Spock and McCoy. But... I don't know.

((What am I even saying?))

This Kirk sounds like a pretty amazing guy. He was... [He thinks back to what McCoy and Buffy have told him.] He was your captain, right? Of your spaceship?

Yes, and with good reason, reluctant as I might be to admit it. [Have a wry smile.]

What do you mean?

Ever spent a long time really disliking someone, and then they do something that's completely unexpected?

Yeah, that's like what happened with me and Lloyd. At first I hated him... I hated him a lot for something he didn't even do. But then I arrived here and got to know him better, and I realized that everything I'd thought about him was wrong.

It's kinda like that, with me and Kirk. Well, I didn't hate him, I just thought he was really obnoxious. He's still pretty obnoxious, but I don't dislike him as much anymore. He earned my respect.

And now he's gone too, just like Lloyd.

You'll see him again, when we get out of here.

You really think so?

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