Setting 20: 2315 DAY 21, Deling City, Caraway's Mansion B1

"Men are born ignorant, not stupid. They are made stupid by education."

-Russell, Bertrand

       What did I do now? Specifically directed information interrogative and annoyance

       I want some answers from you, QyQy  Imperative directive, deliberate neglect, and gravity

       About?  Elliptical interrogative and dismissive boredom

       Explain all these outrageous energy expenditures on the logs  Imperative directive and suspicion

       …  Contempt

       Well?  Elliptical interrogative, tested tolerance, imbedded warning

       Am I supposed to say something?  Interrogative, smugness, and disinterest

       You are damned well aware!  Critical declaration, imbedded, imputed warning, and anger

       I have to put 'Caraway' through operations constantly because he keeps breaking out  Preplanned explanation, wishful thinking, declaration of self-exculpation

       At the cost of compromising the mission when you cause electrical shorts all over this city?  Derisive rhetorical question, implied, imputed warning, and intimated challenge

       This is the cost of controlling him for extended durations  Mitigating clarification, referential reminder, and steadiness

       The city is on alert  Declaration and hint directive

       This is the way it has to be  Stalwart declaration and exasperation

       …  Lingering suspicion

       My mission objectives from the Carrier are clear  Declaration of self-exculpation and bloated patriotism

       …  Uncertainty and discomfiture

       Are yours?  Elliptical interrogative, imbedded challenge, and skepticism

       Just what are you insinuating there?  Information interrogative and anger

       I think, FeFe, you are starting to develop a sympathy for them over the Clan  Derisive declaration and scorn

       I am just trying to rationalize everything  Defensive declaration and denial

       I know  Condescending declaration and false sympathy

       I know you know  Stalwart declaration and sudden annoyance

       Anyway, with the meticulous coverage you've provided over these years on 'Caraway,' I think I know how to run his office  Patronizing declaration, mock deference, and self-assured dismissal

       You'd have to with all the time you're putting into it without any overseer  Self-righteous retort, contemptuousness, and intimated challenge

       …  Indignance and annoyance

       …  Smugness and imbedded challenge

       Any news from the 'Archangel' unit?  Mitigating concession, sudden interest, hint directive, and interrogative

       Nothing new  Complacent declaration

       No news is good news for you, I suppose  Calm declaration and latent affront

       …   Pause and frustration

       And the status of subject 'Ellone'?  Elliptical interrogative and mild curiosity

       She is as you left her  Calm declaration and patronizing reminder

       Excellent  Marked satisfaction

       So what is on the docket for today?  Casual interest

       Have you seen the digital recording for last night?  Rhetorical interrogative, hint directive, and high hopes

       I did not know there was one  Denial, interest, and dread

       Take a look for yourself  Imperative directive, smugness, and pleasure

       First tell me where you got this  Imperative directive and suspicion

       From one of our scouts who was monitoring the cliffs yesterday  Preplanned explanation and information declaration

       Oh!  Awareness, numbness, and shock

       …  Eager anticipation and giddiness

       So?  Elliptical interrogative, imbedded challenge, suppressed disdain, and dismissal

       It means more when taken in conjunction to this latest recording

       It is real  Casual acknowledgement and internal revel

       Where did you get this?  Interrogative, numbness, and suspicion

       From one of our scouts who was monitoring the beach this morning  Preplanned explanation and information declaration

       Interesting  Passive declaration and internal conflict

       Now do you believe me when I say the entire race is depraved?  Interrogative, stalwart proposition, biased conclusion, and superiority

       You still cannot condemn the entire population for having one philanderer  Passive declaration, defiance

       Then I suppose their society finds it acceptable to be lying under two different women in two days' time while indebted to yet a third one?  Overly agreeable concurrence, brusquely feigned deference, condescension, and blatant sarcasm

       I am sure there is some explanation for this  Calm declaration

       If it needs explanation, then it is wrong  Didactic quotation, bias, and superciliousness

       You know that is not what I think  Denial, irritation, and patronizing reminder

       Are you willing to concede that he could have murdered comrade PuPu?  Stalwart declaration, self-assuredness, and accusation with finality

       The last recording from PuPu is ultimately not enough evidence to support that claim  Earnest opinion, hesitancy, and internal struggle

       Truth will declare itself soon enough  Didactic quotation, self-assuredness, and insinuation of stalwart conclusion

       …  Pause, uncertainty, and fruitlessness

       In the meantime, go secure 'Caraway' for another operation  Imperative directive and undaunted dismissal

       …  Pause and reluctance

       …  Obstinacy, anticipation, and implied, imputed challenge

       Fine  Grudgingly conceded accordance

* * ** *** ***** ********

Jeremy's Scribbles:

If you didn't catch this in Setting 01, the syntactical structure might seem a bit weird at first glance, because I have a unique method of transcribing what the aliens are communicating.

The "stage directions" after each line they communicates are necessary, and they aren't stage directions; PuPu's alien clan does not communicate with their voices, only their thoughts. They don't have facial expressions either, which means to communicate elements such as sarcasm or emotion, I have to add the "stage directions" and, if you noticed, keep the emotion-denoting punctuation marks (question or exclamation) outside of the brackets.

In actuality, those "stage directions" are called the "pragmatics" of language. The words they actually "speak" are called the "semantics" of language. Because they aren't actually making any sounds with their mouths, I used brackets instead of "quotations" to indicate what they want to communicate with their thoughts. Also, throughout the rest of the story, thoughts are italicized and speech is unmodified. So what the aliens want to communicate show up like this.

However, even by including the pragmatics after the semantics, there is still no way I can differentiate for you which alien is which. If they did not greet each other when a third or fourth being waltzed in, or say their respective names in each line, we would have no idea who the addresser and addressee were for any given statement. That is the flaw of indirect narration, I'm afraid, and I will try to find was to rectify it.

I would appreciate your reviews for this chapter so I can see what you are thinking or feeling, so as better to go back and make corrections for other readers if I see that everyone is stumbling between the same two chapters.  Also, if you catch any spelling or grammar mistakes, would you please notify me via email so that I may correct them as soon as possible?  Thanks in advance.