Setting 10: 1910 DAY 15, Directly over Esthar City

-Dante Alighieri

<Are you soliciting an actual answer>? Rhetorical question and smugness

<Tell me, because this time, I do not know>! Imperative directive and testiness

<Easy there, my friend> Mitigating concession, surprise, elliptical imperative directive, and fading effervescence

<I am your colleague and I have the same stakes as you in completing this mission by the book> Critical declaration, referential reminder, and implied, imputed warning

<…> Pause, surprise, and uncertainty

<I should have been consulted before you made any moves> Critical declaration, indirect plaintive declaration, and anger

<My apologies, FeFe, but you were comatose at the time and such a trivial matter did not seem to merit disturbing you> Preplanned explanation, wishful thinking, declaration of self-exculpation

<You deem direct interaction with a sample individual without the Carrier's order a trivial matter>? Derisive rhetorical question, implied, imputed warning, and intimated challenge

<It does not interfere with the rest of our data collection because no one will know she is missing, including her father, as we both know you already know, on whom we have experimented for quite some time> Mitigating clarification, referential reminder, steadiness, and slight humor

<I still think you are out of line> Quasi-patronizing declaration, implied, imputed warning, hint directive, and hesitancy

<Just think of it as my gesture to reunite the girl and her father> Mitigating ludicrous explanation, imperative directive, and humor

<Unlikely even if were not a lie> Rebuff, false concession, latent affront, and dissatisfaction

<Again, I apologize, but at least consider that I have not put her through the testing process yet> Mitigating concession, passive directive, and declaration

<Why else would you have Archangel intercept her and take her to the test site>? Specifically directed interrogative, suspicion, and self-satisfaction

<Clearly in the interests of the father and daughter's well being and reconciliation did I act> Reflex ludicrous response and feigned benevolence

<Right> Scorn and doubt

<I made the decision under duress> Mitigating explanation and impeding reminder

<From what source>? Interrogative and curiosity

<I have learned recently that the two of the specimens have been tailing us> Declaration and pensiveness

<You were so sure that they were too primitive to detect us, though> Quasi-dismissal, jeering reminder, and humor

<What do you propose we do now to amend the situation>? Sudden interrogative, deliberate deference, and intimated challenge

<…> Pause, uncertainty, and fruitlessness

<We both know we can not just set her back where we found her> Self-evident, didactic declaration

<You did not just happen to 'find her'- you targeted her> Brusque correction and purposive interference

<So I did, but I had a reason> Preplanned explanation, smugness, declaration of self-exculpation

<And what would that be>? Derisive interrogative, information interrogative, and intimated challenge

<You already know> Patronizing reminder

<Even if your theory that one of their kind kidnapped PuPu is accurate, you need not target an individual so closely associated with the one they call 'Squall'> Critical declaration, false concession, curiosity, latent affront, and dissatisfaction

<In the eventuality that our comrade is still alive, I think we should have one of theirs to ransom for his release> Preplanned clarification and intimated challenge

<Would not that other girl be enough>? Derisive rhetorical question

<Precaution minimizes the unexpected> Didactic quotation, pride, and imbedded excuse

<But why the one they call 'Rinoa' out of all the possibilities>? Interrogative, curiosity, and reflex defensive protest

<You already know that too> Patronizing reminder

<All you have is circumstantial evidence; what makes you so sure Squall was involved in PuPu's disappearance>? Critical interrogative, curiosity, mistrust, and amusement

<Turn your attention to the recording> Calm directive and smugness

<I have heard it already and noted how ambiguous and inconclusive it is> Reflex dismissal, aloofness, and quasi-patronizing reminder

<Turn your attention to our new digital recording> Preplanned explanation, imperative directive, calmness, and high hopes

<What is that>? Deferential interrogative, interest, uncertainty, and closer inspection

<My attempt to reveal the true, depraved nature of these self-destructive savages> Stalwart declaration, biased opinion, deliberate denigration, and pleasure

<My word>! Awareness, shock, and disgust

<Yes> Casual acknowledgement and internal revel

<The entire lusty band is converging on the one they call 'Quistis'>

<Is this the behavior of a species at peace with itself>?

<Unbelievable>! Sudden exclamation, suspicion, internal conflict

<Their actions as a group reflect negatively on their leader's character, the one they call 'Squall'> Didactic declaration, stalwart proposition, biased conclusion, and disdain

<I never would have guessed> Passive declaration, imbedded concurrence, and resigned admission

<The one they call 'Squall' is no less impure at heart; he would have been perfectly capable of abducting, or killing, our comrade> Stalwart declaration, self-assuredness, and accusation with finality

<I am still inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt> Earnest opinion, hesitancy, and internal struggle

<True innocence reveals itself, and so far his has not done so> Didactic quotation, self-assuredness, and insinuation of stalwart conclusion

<I hope you know what you are doing> Earnest opinion, hint directive and implied, imputed warning

<We both know I do> Complacent, self-evident declaration and passive reminder

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

Jeremy's Scribbles:

If you didn't catch this in the notes after the prologue or after setting 03, 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.

The more aggressive alien is pretty sure that Squall is the perpetrator. While he acts like the authority figure, just know that they are equals.

I would appreciate your reviews for this chapter and every chapter so I can see what you are thinking and go back and make corrections for other readers if I see that everyone is stumbling between the same two chapters. It would also facilitate correcting spelling or grammar errors if you would report them in that chapter's review.