May 2021 75 Word Writing Challenge -- VICTORY TO DAYSMAN!

[Perpetual Man]

RULES:

Write a story inspired by the chosen theme and genre in no more than 75 words, not including the title

ONE entry per person

NO links, commentary or extraneous material in the posts, please -- the stories must stand on their own


WHEN WRITING YOUR STORY, PLEASE REMEMBER THIS IS A FAMILY-FRIENDLY FORUM

All stories Copyright 2021 by their respective authors
who grant the Chronicles Network the non-exclusive right to publish them here


The complete rules can be found at RULES FOR THE WRITING CHALLENGES

Contest ends at 11:59 pm GMT, 23 May 2021
Voting ends at 11:59 pm GMT, 28 May 2021

You do not have to submit a story in order to vote -- in fact, we encourage all Chrons members to take part in choosing a winner


The Magnificent Prize:

The Dignified Congratulations/Grovelling Admiration of Your Peers
and the challenge of choosing next month's theme and genre



Theme:

Language/Translation
**Please be aware that the theme is about Language/Translation and should be (mostly) written in English**

Genre:

Science Fiction/Fantasy



This thread to be used for entries only. Please keep all comments to the DISCUSSION THREAD.


We invite (and indeed hope for) lively discussion and speculation about the stories as they are posted,
as long as it doesn't involve the author explaining the plot


** Please do not use the "Like" button in this thread! **​

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Incunabula

The warrior Kha, nearly hidden within a heavy cloak, staggered up a rocky slope. Her companion, the geomancer Volen, followed close behind, only a light robe protecting his stout body from an icy wind.

"Much work to find a scroll no one can read," she said. Her daggers had recently tasted the blood of bandits.

"That is why I seek it," Volen replied. "Deciphered, it will yield new wisdom."

"From the ancients?"

"No. The future."

 

[reiver33]

First Contactless

Lieutenant Briggs shook his head. “Sorry, sir, but the translator can’t make any sense of what they’re saying. There are just too few points of reference.”

The largest of the humanoids stepped forward. He held out a closed hand, palm uppermost, and made a small winding motion beside it with the other. While doing so he raised his middle finger until it was upright.

I smiled. “The universal language of abuse. Now we’re getting somewhere!”

 

[Cat's Cradle]

The Peacemakers

“Susie,” the scientist called. The girl looked up attentively, but didn’t speak.

He handed her a tablet – across its screen flashed images of Earth’s varied people. He gave her white poppies, too.

Susie examined the objects then took the alien by its smallest appendage, one that ended in tendrils; these burrowed into her fingers’ skin.

In moments, she turned to the scientist and nodded. He handed her a stalk of wheat and a broken arrow.

 

[Astro Pen]

Key Change

The Avian general tapped the map, "rrrriktik", he was alarmed, emitting a short tune with his flute like voice.

"Minor 6th key," said J.S. "He isn't happy."

The border line was moved away from the wood.

An ominous Phrygian mode scale was tweeted in three dissonant pitches by the delegation.

"Okay," sighed Roberts, moving the line to include the cornfield.

J.S. went to the piano, keying a C Major.

The Avians left, satisfied.

Negotiation concluded.

 

[Serendipity]

Viithmassmulch

“Dad, I’ve invented a new word.”

“Sure, honey.”

“I’m serious.”

“Riiight. Let’s have it.”

“Viithmassmulch.”

“Sounds like gobbledegook. What’s it mean?”

“Can’t explain.”

“Use a phrase. Works most times.”

“Not this time.”

“Translation from another language?”

“Nothing translatable from any tongue. I checked.”

Dad hesitates. “New political system?”

“Nope.”

“New type of matter?”

“Yep. Definitely not the classical four or dark side ones.”

“Then what?”

“Look.”

He views her screen. He cannot describe its picture.

 

[BT Jones]

Methuselah Speaks​

Odyeck’s head bowed. Today was the day.
Inyo County, spring; leaves of chartreuse, needles of pine green.

But Odyleck wasn’t here to savour Foreworld’s resurgent beauty.
Forty-two years studying Lingua Arboribus, he’d been unanimously chosen to discover why the trees had manipulated Foreworld’s atmosphere, making it unbreathable for man.

And Methuselah answered, Odyeck fathoming its sapient timbre from oscillations in the air.

‘We adopted man’s doctrine…,’ spoke Foreworld’s oldest tree; ‘to maximise our growth potential.’

 

[bedyak]

Bosses Right?!

Klump checked his pad. The translator was down. Intelligent-net non-responsive. “Great. Super. Fantastic.”

Four clicks and a wet sound. The iridescent blue shelled alien seemed impatient.

“Me too man...” Klump said wishing something would work today.

A slight hiss and the blue shells own com-link opened up to a series of clicks, rattles and sharp scratching sounds and suddenly went dead. Blue shell slumped a little.

“Bosses right!?” Klump said

They both laughed.

 

[emrosenagel]

Life and death

“Behlneri…no,” the boy muttered. “Helneri. That isn’t it either.”

His trembling hands hovered above his mother’s chest; if he didn’t relax, no spell could save her. He steeled himself and tried to remember the right word.

With each attempt, his fingers sparked with arcana, only to fizzle out.

“Doth…” his mother wheezed.

“No, you can’t die. I need the word for life.”

“Same…meaning.”

He squeezed her hand once, and she returned it. “Dothneri.”

 

[G.T.]

Man's Best Friend

"What is he trying to say?" Dr Pavlov said, patting the subject on the head.

"I want to sh*t in your shoe... wait, that can't be right," replies Dr Skinner.

"Skinner, reset the Audio Translation Analyser."

"Yes, yes. Perhaps we should incorporate physical cues?"

"Splendid idea Skinner, activate the Visual Analyser and re-analyse... what does it say now?"

"I want to sh*t in your shoe..."

Pavlov stared at the subject. Was it smiling at him?

 

[nixie]

Somethings Should Be Left Buried.

November 2019;

Finally he had found it, after years of searching; costing him his marriage, bringing him close to madness and bankruptcy. It was now within his grasp.

Ignoring his men’s pleas to wait for the inscription to be translated, he breached the final barrier.

December 2019;

NEWS FLASH.

An unknown virus has brought the Chinese City of Wuhan to a standstill.

 

[AlekseiVashchenko]

"Thank you for entrusting us with last moments of your life."


"They wouldn't let me do this on Earth, and the trip here cost me everything."

"Your sacrifice will be rewarded with the answers you seek, and, if you're able to articulate them, your words will help all of humanity understand our purpose for being."


The injection took hold, “Every….dark…..light……we are….we’re..just.”



Eyes closed as a smile traversed, took the last breathe.



“Words….can’t describe it.

 

[JS Wiig]

Unanswerable Questions

Rosetta pored over instrumentation, equations, and computer simulations. Thirty years she dedicated to deciphering the languages of the universe. Interpretation was illusive.

Then her peers found an alien craft deep in the Mariana Trench. Its inhabitants did understand and translated into scientific terms, but it was beyond human comprehension. Rosetta grew disillusioned.

Long wandering, she came to a Japanese monastery. Songs and chants in voices she could not understand brought her great solace.

 

[Guanazee]

Prompt Concord

The tagalong peeked from within her father's four legs, her whiskers tangling in the ribbons of the Second Galactic Republic uniform.

"Oosh yaaaa. NEEE!" Her giggle pierced through the voices of the court.

The second tagalong stepped from behind his mother's two legs, leaving chocolate fingerprints on her United Earth uniform.

"Uh huh, uh huh." His eyes darted towards the dark recesses beneath the seats.

The agreement made, so commenced the game of hide-and-seek.

 

[Luiglin]

Close your mouth and open up your heart

Artichoke eyed the monstrous plant. His halfling side wanted to soothe itself with a juicy pie, the druid wanted to get to know it better.

Horticulturists, this just proved talking to plants is dead breath unless both understood.

He cocked his head to the rat on his shoulder.

“It’s an Audrey, Sprout. A King. Count me in.”

The rat tapped 1, 2, 3.

“A little less conversation, a little more action, please,” sang out Artichoke.

 

[therapist]

Can you hear the drums?

Fern tried communicating her peaceful intentions with language, hand gestures, and drawings; the Baddatatti didn’t understand.
With long bony fingers, the natives drummed out a threatening yet irresistible beat on their hollow abdomens. One inflated its stomach to deliver a commanding bass. Another examined Fern with emotive fills and flourishes.
Driven by the percussive symphony, Fern pulsed to the rhythm. The Baddatatti stepped back and expressed a more challenging tempo.
Fern danced for her life.

 

[Marvin]

Tower of Babel 2.0

The Tower pushed upwards. One third complete and already it brushed the high clouds.

Earth could scarcely believe such an achievement. So many from around the globe, collaborating!

Computing. The language to unite the people. This marvel existing entirely in cyber space before a spade broke the ground.

With such a shining example, who knew what humanity could finally achieve.

The alien ship in orbit thought the same. They fired their EMP.

Reset complete.

 

[paranoid marvin]

Fact or Fiction?


The book was clearly very old. He'd discovered it hidden behind ancient cobwebbed tomes in the basement of the university library. How it had come to be there was a mystery, as was the language of the author. Until now. Years of painstaking research were rewarded as he finally deciphered the strange runes and text and revealed the history of a long forgotten civilization. He determined that the world must know of this 'Middle-earth'.

 

[Iwroteathing]

The Magician's Remission​

"Will there be any precipitous drops?"


"Nay sire, the evening will be dry"


I hesitated before following my guide up the mountain, lit by the last throws of daylight.


"Won't it get dark soon?"


"Don't worry sire, the mages said they'd illuminated me!"


"Illuminate, you say?"


"Aye, illuminate. But... they said they'd never see me again?"


Just as the sun set, my guide exploded into a white light. The mage's guild always keep their word.

 

[Bren G]

The Course of Things.

Conan, I muttered to myself, you will find peace today. Coming to a crossroads, two signs pointed each way, strange characters scribed upon their unflinching faces. I saw these once. As a young boy.

To the left : Elysium

The right : Hades

Anger flared within. I could not comprehend their meaning! I, who slew Thulsa Doom himself, humiliated by symbols upon wood. Crom help me! I should’ve never dropped Stygian class in grade school!