why don't you steppe on through? | Glowfic Constellation

The probably-an-administrator tells a few people to do some things, and brings them over to a table set up in the large building, where she introduces herself as Talu Ritula and the man (who is wearing a slightly fancier-than-average dress) as Rian Larutel. Rian writes out a series of symbols on a piece of paper, and spends some time pointing out various objects and writing down the words he gets, while Talu does something on her own glass device. After a few minutes of this, another person brings out a bowl of dried berries, and the Murlocians immediately take some to eat. The pantomime is attempted as well, but Rian and Talu both seem to have some trouble figuring out what concepts it’s trying to indicate.

The delegation follows the woman into the building, although none of them touch the food. Rokaidim focuses on learning whatever language the Murlocians are speaking, while the other members of the delegation offer the canaanite names of whatever objects Rian points to.

Sensible! Both Rian, Talu, and the food-provider look somewhat concerned, and Talu indicates the food, takes some, and makes a questioning noise.

The man in the suit shakes his head and holds out his palm in what may look like rejection.

Talu nods, and says something to the food-provider, who hurries off and brings back a plate of sliced fish, some sort of bean-based pastry, and a bowl of nuts. Talu carefully eats a small amount of each, and makes another questioning noise.

The delegation declines all food.

After a while, a voice comes from the delegation’s radio, and (after some discussion) the third man in the delegation goes outside and walks back through the portal, returning a few minutes later with portable radio equipment. He starts making his way through the spectrum, trying to see how much radio activity there is.

The murlocians are all very concerned when they all decline food, but do stop trying new ones. Talu tries to talk to the radio in several languages, to see if their own people know any of them.

Someone does walk after him, and upon seeing the portal, freezes, blinks, swears, and starts sprinting back.

There’s a pretty high amount of radio activity! Some music, some talking, some unfamiliar signals.

Do they have signals originating in orbit?

No, nothing originating in orbit.

He continues to collect data for a while. Once he’s gotten most of what he can, he returns the equipment to the other side of the portal and heads back to report his findings.

Meanwhile, inside the building, they’re still trying to figure out how to talk to each other. Rokaidim has learned enough words to say, "mud building" and make an exaggerated face of confusion.

“…Yes?” attempts Rian. “Um, many mud and straw here. Small mud your home?”

"Rock, mix rock, wood. Small mud."

“Huh! Rock-“

His sentence is cut off as the portal-discoverer, still breathing heavily, runs in and starts rapidly speaking to those present. They freeze, blink, ask a few questions, and then Rian turns back to the delegation.

”You from other… uh. Word… From door in air?”

"Yes. Door open this morning."

“Oh! Um. That’s. More homes need to know, not just ours? Oh, is our food not your food? Er, name of your-“ he spreads him arms around, trying to indicate evething - “yes?”

Talu instantly starts rapidly tapping at a glass screen, swearing quietly to herself.

Rokaidim didn’t understand some of those words, but he can try to answer.

"We name Hadarites."

After a comment from the man in the suit, he gestures at the glass object and says, "that what?"

“Screen or tablet? For talking with other people very far away, farther than can be walked easily at all. So most homes will know that a door through air exists, and can debate about it.”

"...need more words."

Rokaidim continues trying to learn their language as fast as he can. After an hour, another man, also dressed in cream-colored robes, walks through the portal. He speaks to Rokaidim for several minutes, then to the Murlocians, asking for more words and making analogies to try to figure out how to talk about more abstract concepts. He seems to be learning the language much more rapidly than Rokaidim was. His name, should they ask, is Imenrala.

Rian’s the best they have at languages, but the tablet lets them have other more naturally talented people learn it and give them translations. Some abstract concepts generally translate better than others, or have different connotations, but the translations get much better.

They call the planet Murlocia, and themselves as a species Murlocians.

After a while longer, Imenrala knows enough of the language to try communicating some more complex ideas.

"Rian and Talu, what are your... tasks? roles? What do you do and who tells you what to do?"

Talu replies quickly.

“I’m the Home’s Administrator - I know the policies, people respect me, and I manage the supplies. I also make some choices about jobs and pay and emergencies and new buildings and whatnot - some of that is up to Council, there’s some, hm, debate on that. Generally if I suggest something, the Council agrees because I know what I’m doing and they know that, unless I really screwed something up. Rian normally gathers food-plants, but he’s the best at languages in our Home. I suppose I tell him what to do, in that if I need him to do something and ask, he will assume I have a reason and do it. I knew I wanted to be an Administrator when I was a child, and apprenticed under the former one, and then I was competent at it and became the new one when she died.”

”What are your own roles and jobs?”

"What exactly do you mean by 'Home'? It seems to refer to a settlement, but it sounds like there's more to it? How do you manage supplies? Do you manage supplies for the whole settlement?"

"Kalanit"—he points towards the robed woman—"and I are priests, Rokaidim and Paltigil"—the other man in fatigues—"are soldiers, and Alkiviad"—"is an officer. He works for the part of the government that is... probably supposed to handle portals to other worlds."

“Home refers to the large building where administration work is done, supples are stored, food is cooked and served, and the nursery is in - the types of things people can share and don’t need their own of. Generally it also refers to the surrounding buildings and land as well, though. Some places do multiple large buildings, and that gets more practical with higher populations. I keep track of the stores, make sure we’re not running out, tell people to get more of or use less of specific items if necessary (or the opposite), make trade deals, etc? For the entire Home, yes.

They make slightly confused expressions at the word “priests”, and tense significantly at the word “soldiers.”

”Is it. Customary. To bring raiders when opening diplomatic talks. For your people.”

Everyone seems pretty weirded out by Talu’s explanation of how the Homes work.

"Raider? To the best of my knowledge, the Union has done any raiding in five hundred years, at least. Soldiers would not usually attend diplomatic events, but this is not a usual diplomatic event." He talks quietly to Alkiviad for a few moments before continuing, "This group was not meant for diplomacy first, it was meant for exploration, and Alkiviad wanted to be prepared for multiple possibilities. He also says they did not bring any firearms."