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Gary Gygax. Knowing him, I suspect Death is still playing.

As beautiful as that is (And I might end up stealing it lol) in the story it's more a brought up thing that humans having tons of living languages and needing universal translators between one another is WEIRD.

Going out into the wild to stab rare and likely endangered animals in order to discover new food recipes is more important than saving the world from the darkness.

Love it! And I hope I'm not spoiling anything, but I was expecting our Keeneetaa to be music! And the other species just hadn't realized it.

[deleted]

Clearly not since we don't know if the 'daughters' are actually the girls they saved. And if it is, why haven't they returned to their families?

I think all the details you're asking for are in the story as is.

Yeah. We definitely need and want more details 😁

And 'daughters' being the princesses staying in the guesthouse. She's referring to two different groups of people.

"Welcome back to Good Morning Nations, I'm Janet Tillsdale and today we have someone very exciting on the program," Janet beamed at the camera, offering a smile she'd practised so meticulously Harold said she did it in her sleep, "today on Good Morning we have an exclusive interview with Rebel Ovishir Scientist, Dalia Kinderith, who is making the claim that humans are, in fact, sapient."

Some people in the audience laughed, others scoffed, it was a contentious topic.

The camera pulled back from its close up of Janet and revealed the guest, a pearl skinned feminine alien covered in thousands of fish-like scales; a powerful tail was tucked behind her on her chair and she was wearing both a tight space suit and a small mask that covered her mouth.

"Welcome Delia," Janet greeted.

There was silence for a moment, longer than was allowed in an interview in most cases. The network had added support for the alien translation devices to the studio, but it was still far from real-time. Dalia waited as English was translated into something she could understand. Then she opened her mouth and a moment later, over the speakers, a simulated voice spoke up "Thanks for having me Janet, I've found your program very interesting over the past week."

"Is that how long you've been on Earth?"

"Ten days now," Dalia's fake voice corrected. To the audience the whole thing looked like a poorly dubbed movie from the 90s with Dalia clearly making her point before any words came out, "I do love the planet. You've been very welcoming to the Ovishir."

Janet nodded along and her producer shout-whispered something in her ear about steering away from the 'welcome' that the Aliens had gotten. After the first contact skirmishes just beyond Pluto the United Nations had welcomed Aliens to see the planet with open arms. It was a hot button issue and not something she was supposed to bring up on an all audiences program. "If you've been here that long, what's so interesting about our program?"

"Well," Dalia started, "it's actually quite similar to the programming we have back on Ovilatia, almost shockingly so."

Usually Janet would have made a joke there, but she'd been trained on the alien translation technology and how poorly it dealt with English sarcasm at the moment. "Well I'm glad you like the show."

"I never said I liked it," Dalia shot back with a proper humorous tone. The audience laughed. For some reason she was able to joke through the translation. Must have come with practice.

"Fair enough, I guess we'll have to look for other fans in the stars," Janet responded, "I haven't had a galactic audience before."

Dalia offered a sharp exhale, which Janet had been told was the Ovishir equivalent of a polite chuckle.

"Speaking of the galaxy at large," Janet pivoted, "would you mind telling us a little bit about your theory regarding humans compared to the other species?"

"Certainly," Dalia shifted a little in her chair, giving her tail space to unwind behind her for a moment, "so the general galactic opinion at the moment is that humans have been exempt from Galactic Integration Procedures because they aren't a properly sapient specie due to the lack of Keeneeta but that view seems myopic by my study."

'"We-" Janet went to start but noticed that Dalia was still speaking, the translator was just buffering.

"There is a lot of evidence to point to humans being a Sapient species, and the fact that you aren't be treated within Galactic Integration Procedures could be disastrous for your species, should you ever keeneetaa."

There was the word again. Nobody quite understood what it meant, but she'd been told not to ask about it because it mostly got a reaction of 'see, they're obviously not sapient, they don't even know what it is.'

Janet nodded along with Dalia's conclusions and then, once she was confident that she was finished her piece, spoke up, "So these Galactic Integration Procedures, they're important in your mind?"

Dalia thumped her tail twice, which was the Ovishir equivalent of nodding, "Absolutely, it's about regulation, and right now the lack of regulation around human-galactic integration could be disastrous for your species."

Janet understood that she wasn't allowed to ask the specifics of GIP rules, but she could at least prod a little, "Disastrous how?"

"The Galactic Integration Procedures are the outlines for how we're supposed to interact in the early days. I don't know much about human history, but if there were any instances of Colonialis-"

"There were," Janet cut in.

"ism," the translator caught up.

Dalia thumped again and then continued, "right, so most instances of Colonialism result in cultural decay. Galactic Integration Procedures are set up to promote the flow of human cultural traditions into the Galactic Sphere as opposed to having the arrival of other species erode the human cultures by having off-world species be economically dominant on your home planet."

Janet frowned at the statement 'home planet' she understood that Dalia was being kind there. Humans had a single colony, but they were a single planet species, which was apparently well behind the usual curve for galactic integration. "So you're worried about the lack of regulation surrounding Alien arrival on Earth?"

"Exactly, Janet," Dalia confirmed, "even the fact that I'm allowed on a program like this speaks to the complete lack of GCA oversight regarding humans, and considering the fact that humans have most other markings of PAS, Planetary Advanced Species, it's reckless."

"The other markings?" Janet prodded. Her producer told her to be careful.

"Things like an advanced economy, space flight, abstractions," Dalia explained, "it's all very baseline requirements but they've been solid in the past. The suggestion that brought me here is that your language system obviously isn't inhibiting you as much as the GCA wants to suggest and you should be under Galactic Integration Protocol."

There was a moment in people's careers where they needed to make a choice between playing it safe and risking their job to do it well. Janet had always told herself that she was going to take the hard-hitting path, which was likely why she instinctively asked, "so keeneeta is a linguistic concept?"

"No, pivot," her producer growled in her ear.

"It's difficult to explain because it doesn't translate to your personal language but yes," Dalia said, "and you deserve to understand what's holding you back so that you can argue your case. Whether they will judge your species for it or not."

"Do not be the reason I get calls from the fucking Press Secretary," the producer hissed.

"Perfect," Janet said, brushing her hair back in a practised motion and pulling our her earpiece alongside it.

"Keeneeta is the," Dalia considered for a moment, "it's a base tongue. A unified language that your species inherently understands."

"Like a universal language?" Janet asked.

"Not quite, my species has two main languages alongside our keeneeta," she explained, "but it seems like there are many humans who, without a shared language, have no way of understanding one another."

"So if everyone learned the same language?"

"No because you would need to learn it," Dalia pointed out, "a keeneeta is an inherent thing to the birth of a sapient species," she paused and a moment later her 'voice' did, "or at least-"

The translator cut out and Janet shot her eyes over to the side of the stage and was met with glared from producers and the sight of one yelling into a phone.

Dalia turned to look at the chaos unfolding, she said something but without the wider translation there was no way for Janet to understand her, that said, her eyes showed something close to apology.

A pit gnawed its way into Janet's stomach. She didn't have the context of the future texts that would outline this was one of the most critical interviews of the 2110's. Right now she just understood that she was in deep shit.

​

----

This is somewhat a prequel / world building for my ongoing series Six Orbits over on /r/Jacksonwrites :)

I worked for 20 years as a research assistant in a government secret project known as the Project Olympus. It’s main goal is to know how humans will become part of the intergalactic community and convince the extraterrestrials to accept us as equals. In short, to walk among the gods.

For hundreds of years, different types of aliens have been in connivance with leaders of the world to keep their existence hidden from the public.

On earth there are already twenty alien species that are doing business with us and with the other alien species staying here.

The most popular are the Greys, we call them Zeta Reticulans but they call themselves, Izho’karya. Then there’s the Reptilian humanoids or Draconians, but they call themselves Zygerethion. Another species you can mistaken to fays and elves, with almost ethereal features, we sometimes call Pleiadeans, but their race known to them as the Qartholan. And many more.

These three major aliens are hard to deal with. They have superiority complex. The Greys consider themselves as highly intelligent beings and mingling with humans are an insult to their intelligence. The Draconian are a fascist and xenophobic race. Anyone who is not them doesn’t matter. While the Qartholan were nearly immortals, they tend to just observe every life in the universe.

But the specie the governments are in constant communication with are the octopus-like creatures, known as the Khe’plan. They walk upright with bipedal legs, almost humanoid but they have extra boneless limbs protruding at their backs and two thin and long tentacles on their sides. They have bulbous heads, a pair of eyes in front flat nose, gills on the upper neck and beak for a mouth. They evolved to be amphibious creatures. And they are here as tourists. Earth is a known tourist destination to them.

“Asan’rho!” Shouted the President, as he entered the receiving room. A Khe’plan is sitting on the sofa, patiently waiting for us.

“Mr President. I hope you are doing well.” He stood and offered his hand for a shake but the president gave him a hug.

“I’m all well. Why it took you three years to pay me a visit? You were not here in my inauguration.” Mr President asked.

“You know i’m only here on vacations. I never would have thought you’ll become president!” Asan’rho answered.

“I prepared us a dinner, join me.” The president offered. Asan’rho shape-shifted into an old man wearing business suit before we could even leave the room.

The two had long conversations, trying to catch up with each other. The president canceled all his appointments that night. Then their conversation went to intergalactic community.

“You know one of my dreams is to be known as the president who brought Earth in the intergalactic community. But the Greys, Draconian and Pleiadeans still look down on us. If only one of them considered us as equals, the whole intergalactic community will accept us too.” The president said.

“I considered you as our equals. We both have so many similarities.” Asan’rho replied.

“I know that. And I appreciate it too. But we both know, the Khe’plan can’t recommend us to join the intergalactic community.”

“I’ll let you in on a secret. The intergalactic community doesn’t really consider humans as ‘sentient’ in our standards.”

“Why not? We can talk, we can communicate, we built communities, empires, orders. We created structures for ourselves.”

“Ye-ah, but ants, bees and termites does that too. But did you consider them sentient in your standards?”

Looking defeated, “Then how can we meet this standard you are talking about?”

“Humans doesn’t know how to Keeneetaa. Once you learned to Keeneetaa, you’ll be considered as one of us.”

“I don’t even know what Keeneetaa is, how am I supposed to achieve it if I don’t even know it?”

“I also don’t know how to explain it in a simple way.”

“What?”

“Okay, so, keeneetaa is like a severed mind. That you should be able to access in command. It is a network of hive mind connected to the great source and the cosmos. It sounds like tripping but you can compare it to almost dreaming. You can only access the network by simple leaving your conscious mind.”

“I still don’t get it.”

“Why do you think humans haven’t discovered space travel yet? Or at least stop believing in nonsensical religions? Or legends and mythos? You kinds hasn’t reach the keeneetaa that’s why you are still bonded by superstitious beliefs.”

“But by the way you were describing keeneetaa, it sounds like superstitious.”

“Keeneetaa is a network between hive minds gathered by the great source. When you die, your mind will merge with the keeneetaa and be one with the great source. The mortal body only gives us individuality. But your kind is so severely disconnected to the network by your worldly nature and the only chance you get to achieve keeneetaa is by dying.”

“So, you are telling me, all members of the intergalactic community has the ability to connect to this network of minds?”

“Yes, even the fascist Zygerethion can do keeneetaa, they just don’t usually do it as many of us do. You can mistaken keeneetaa to a sabbath day to you humans. But we do keeneetaa to refresh our minds.”

“Unless we learn to keeneetaa, we won’t be part of the intergalactic community?”

“Keeneetaa is the reason why there is an intergalactic community. Do you really think it is possible for millions of intergalactic species to live a harmonious life with one another? Without being connected in a web of understanding? That’s why other species are afraid to give you all our technologies. Once you have all of our technologies without being connected to the keeneetaa, you will only bring war on a galactic scale. Everyone knows that.”

“That’s a bit harsh. You also agree we only cause wars?” The president asked.

“Hey, i’m just being an honest friend here. Even you know how humans were in a short span of ten thousand years. Civilization rise and falls, wars broke thousand times. You can’t blame us for not including you in our community.” Asan’rho answered.

The Khe’plan visitor left the next day to continue his vacation on our planet, leaving our president pondering on what he learned.

But his dream is more important than the connection to keeneetaa. He will be known as the president who brought humans to the intergalactic community whatever the means are.

The Project Olympus was dissolved and replaced by Project Columbus.

Thank you, that was hilarious!

A young businesswoman who is working alongside numerous clones of herself.

I thought so too. That's why I'm confused by "daughters".

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Me playing BOTW collecting golden poop while Zelda holds back Ganon.

"Sweet Pea. What happened?"
"Daddy. Daddy! I did just like you said. I flew down and surprised the invaders before they knew what was happening. I am so good. Just like you said."
Mr. Jon Albright stood in his backyard with his four year old winged daughter. She was flying around him in wide swoops, laughing. He reached out and caught her and gave her a hug. Her wings disappeared. 
All around them lay stunned chickens making weak clucking noises while trying and failing to stand up.
"Sweet Pea. Chickens are not invaders."
"Oh Daddy." Cleo said with a sad frown.
Her Dad hugged her."That's ok. Sweet Pea. When the invaders show up,you'll be ready for them. Let's eat. We are having your favorite tonight."
Cleo clapped and hugged her Dad around his neck. "Goody Daddy. I love mac and cheese."
				                                                                                                                                ***
In an empty classroom Mr. Albright found his daughter standing in a corner. "Cloe?"
His twelve year old daughter turned around. She was covered with dirt and one of her sleeves was torn. She faced him with determined crossed-arms, pursed lips and unshed tears she was fighting to hold in. "Daddy. I did just like you said Mom did. I didn't take it sitting down and protected the weak with a big spell."
Jon knelt down and gathered his daughter in his arms. "Yes you did, sweet pea. Yes you did. Mom would have been so proud of you. But next time try to tell a teacher first. Ok?"
Cloe hugged him back. "Ok Daddy."
		                                                                                                                          		***
After a five hour drive Jon pulled up to an abandoned stone church. There were a large number of magic users flying around above the structure. He struggled to climb the dilapidated stone stair case to the top floor which was open to the sky. He had a stretch bandage around his left elbow and stopped several times to catch his breath. Even in the golden setting sun he was drawn and pale.
One of the flyers swooped down on him. "Who is the old jerk? He has no aura. He is a useless normal nora." The flyer mocked and thru a chunk of rock at Jon.
From above Albright heard. "Dad! Dad? What are you doing here?" 
Cloe landed next to him kicking up a dust cloud.
Jon coughed. "The Dean of Students called me. You haven't been to school in four weeks. This is where you were supposed to learn all the magic I couldn't teach you."
Cloe let out an aggrieved huff,"I don't need this crap. Dad." She was dressed all in black, her wings inky black as well. "Daddy you don't understand."
"Sweet Pea, yes I do."
"How could you possibly understand who I am and how I feel?" She crossed her arms and glared at him. "You didn't teach me anything."
"That's not true." Her dad countered.
Cloe held up her mothers spell book and shook it at him. "No. No you didn't."
Jon tried to step nearer to her but she stepped back."Sweet pea, of course I couldn't teach you magic. But I did teach you right from wrong and we did the best we could without your mom."
"But it's not fair." She cried.
"No it is not. Nothing is fair unless we make it fair."
Cloe yelled and shot a bolt of lightening skyward.
Her Dad moved a step closer. "We both miss your mother. But no matter where she is, she's never stopped loving you. Come home and let's have dinner."
Cloe scowled at him. "No. Dad. I have to go."
Albright watched as his daughter soared up and away out of sight. He sighed and scrubbed his eyes."Oh Cloe, my sweet pea."
		                                                                         	                                                       	***
On the night of the first battle, the sky battalions flat-top troop ship rocked in the swells caused by the cover storm.
Lieutenant Cloe Albright finished putting on her flight suit, adjusting it to accomodate her wings. New bright gold bars graced her collar. Glancing at her image framed in the mirror she adjusted her gloves and concentrated, her mother's worn spell book in her hand. Around her reflection a bright strong halo of light grew. It sparked and crackled as she stared at herself with grim determination. On the desk was a picture of her father. Next to that another frame held his medals. 	The PA rung out in the barracks area. "Officers and troops of the 65th Enhanced Flight Battallion we are about to face our most difficult challenge yet. Our lands have been invaded by the Magisterial Opposition. We must repel them at all costs." 
She heard cheers from all around her.
"Keep in formation and cast when you have a clear shot. WE CAN TAKE'M!" 
At the sound of a klaxon, Cleo ran out onto the flight deck. The carrier was turning into the howling tempest. She joined her squadron of winged soldiers, taking the lead position. She nodded to her chiefs. They stood wing tip to wing tip and leaned into the churning winds. The first squadrons spread their wings and lifted off in formation. All around them energy bolts exploded on contact with the dark ship. The midnight skies were filled with hundreds of shapes outlined by bursts of white flame. Cloe lifted off, followed by her squad. "Finally found the invaders Dad."

Do I detect a bit of KSP leaking in? Because if so, that's great, and if not, it's a hilarious coincidence.

I think Tom and Helen are their biological, non-adoptive children.

[removed]

Goddamn it! I hate trying to get mentions right on the phone since there's no smooth way of writing while looking at the source...

See what happens when you’re late for a date. Your calendar misunderstood and made your date blind.

Distracted by side quests.

Frightening either way.

Now you've got me imagining a GAU-8 designed to be wielded by a full size dragon. Fuck, the equivalent weapon in this world probably references dragons in its name. Either out of reverence, or because it's designed to kill them.