-Don Marquis
The Almost Perfect State
<What is wrong now, QyQy>!? Specifically directed information interrogative, agitation, and slight exasperation
<’Caraway’ is breaking out of the trance again>! Awareness, declaration, alarm, fading confidence
<We should get him in here for immediate imprinting>! Hint directive, urgency, and disbelief.
<Registered> Concurrence and acknowledgement
<Should we also do something about the quadruped entity ‘Angelo’>? Awareness and interrogative
<I’m sure we can eventually find a better use for him> Consideration and dismissal
<…> Pause and assent
<…> Discomfiture
<What else is wrong>? Awareness, specifically directed, information interrogative directive, and dread
<FeFe, there is something you should know> Uncertainty, anxiety, and reluctance
<What>? Information interrogative and suspicion
<Search me> Specifically directed, self-evident imperative directive and disquiet
<…> Strain, suspicion and curiosity
<…> Internal conflict
<The Carrier is here>!? Imputed interrogative, awareness, shock, and disbelief
<Correction: It has been here for some time> Smooth check, information declaration
<Where is it>? Information interrogative and curiosity
<The only place on this primitive planet that has enough energy to sustain it> Complacent declaration and vestigial condescension
<Won’t it be discovered>? Interrogative and concern
<The Galbadians haven’t found us yet> Self-evident declaration, dismissal, assurance, and disdain
<Not the best justification in the universe, QyQy> Quasi-patronizing declaration, impeding reminder, and dissatisfaction
<We’ve brought down entire power-grids and still none of the natives have caught on> Information declaration, referential reminder, and haughtiness
<It will only be a matter of time till someone from the power company comes knocking> Solemn declaration, indirect caution, and hint directive
<Not likely> Complacent declaration, haughtiness, and apathy
<Don’t underestimate them, QyQy> Imperative directive, implied, imputed warning
<Then don’t overestimate their chances, FeFe> Imperative directive, purposive check, implied, imputed warning, and pugnacity
<…> Hesitancy, doubt, and closer inspection
<…> Indifference
<Back to the matter at hand, what is the Carrier doing here>? Awareness, befuddlement, and information interrogative
<Guess> Deliberate inattention and absurd suggestion
<…> Distrust, interest, strained patience, and resigned closer inspection
<…> Pause and ambivalence
<They are looking for PuPu>? Awareness, surprise, and self-doubt
<Yes> Assurance
<I don’t understand why the Clan would send the entire armada to recover one soldier> Information declaration, non-specifically directed hint directive, and disbelief
<Think harder> Imperative directive and latent humor
<…> Pause and closer inspection
<You’re getting closer> Feigned encouragement and condescension
<Heavens>! Awareness and surprise
<Yes, you’re right> Assurance and smugness
<Comrade PuPu is a member of the Royal Family>! Information declaration, exclamation, and disbelief
<PuPu was the alias of our Prince> Didactic explanation
<…>! Shock and dread
<You just realized what will happen to this planet if we can’t find PuPu, right>? Self-evident, rhetorical interrogative
<Something only the Carrier can perform> Weak acknowledgment, information declaration, and horror
<It won’t be long before the Clan holds ‘Squall’ responsible for the missing Prince> Information declaration and self-assurance
<Let’s hope the ‘Archangel’ unit will turn up something> Passive imperative, wishful thinking and worry
<He doesn’t have much time left> Quasi-critical declaration and impeding reminder
<Apparently now neither do they> Self-evident declaration, fading effervescence and jadedness
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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.