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[asaqueenshould]

As I believe we should all be more capable of thinking clearly now, I'd like to pose a couple of questions that have been on my mind for a while.

First is the matter of language barriers - or rather, the complete lack of them. Quite aside from meeting an American who admitted to no knowledge of Japanese (and my English certainly isn't good enough to fill in the gaps), I've had perfectly comprehensible conversations with people who aren't from Earth at all. Is it more likely that something about this world is translating for us on an individual basis, or somehow taught us all a common language without us noticing? Either way, can the translation effect be chalked up to Chroma, or is something else at play?

My second question circles back to Chroma itself, building off its local importance as both currency and energy source. We've been told that the locals see Chroma as the solution to their clean-energy woes (if only breaking oil dependency were this simple...). Our hosts believe that higher rates of Chroma generation will permit faster development of their technological capabilities, possibly including a means to return us to our worlds of origin.

How, exactly, do they intend to sustain that technological capability if all of us return to our homes?

I'll grant that that's a rather large assumption; there's a very real chance that this world is preferable to where some of us came from. However, a substantial majority of us refusing to stay here, once the means is in place, could still decimate Chroma production to the point where little to nothing that we help them make can be powered. That could potentially impact the ability to return everyone who wants to leave. If nothing else, it's something those of us who intend to get hands-on with the local technology should keep in mind.

Comments

[yakiniku]

Do not be a fool. They have no intention of allowing us to leave this place.

[asaqueenshould]

What makes you so certain?

[Hey, if he's questioning her assumption of good faith on the part of the locals, she's going to question his assumption of bad faith.]

[yakiniku]

It would be foolish of them to let go of such a sustainable resource. Sending any number of us home will result in less for them.

[Oh he has more than enough pessimism to share with the whole class.]

text;

[takingchances]

I would imagine that creating technology to generate Chroma would predate creating technology to return us home. That's probably why, besides our heightened Chroma production itself, they were so eager to study all of us when we first got here.

So pretty much you're looking at it being a while before we go home unless we just spontaneously leave the way we arrived. R&D cycles take a while.

[asaqueenshould]

I had already expected it to take some time before this was even a remote possibility.

Given the prerequisite of physical contact, I do have to wonder to what extent they could artificially generate Chroma, or whether attempts to do so would simply produce the less effective version they already have. But I suppose that would be a component of the research, one way or another.

[takingchances]

There seem to be a lot of 'what ifs' at the moment. I get the feeling they've never really run into people like us who can produce large amounts of Chroma so they're still feeling out how exactly it works and the potentials of it.

If they can't artificially generate it then they can at least collect and store it. Not that that makes it any easier for them to let an inexhaustible sort - the Moonblessed - go for a limited supply either.

[abracafcku]

i'm with tall dark and broody up there - like hell if they're going to 'let' us go.

when it comes down to it, we're going to have to fight our way out of this hellhole of a neon eyesore.

[asaqueenshould]

We certainly don't have the necessary information to push back anything like effectively now. Building knowledge and resources would likely take about as long as producing the means for us to return.

I haven't seen anything so far to suggest a diplomatic solution is entirely off the table.

[abracafcku]

yeah sure maybe they'll be happy to let their money-makers and power generators just walk off into the sunset

that seems totally plausible

yep

toooootally

( TEXT. )

[herocomplex]

honestly tho im pretty sure they abducted us and brought us here!!!
so yeah im gonna have to agree with some other ppl here i doubt it’ll be easy as just letting us go

don’t q me man i know all about aliens

the language thingy is all their doing cuz how else can we moonlace with ppl without communication?? i mean ya i know a few sexy gestures butt it’s just easier to talk

[asaqueenshould]

I would think a mass abduction would either be more consistent in our places and times of origin, or involve less surprise on their part that we arrived, if not both. [Sure, there's the chance the locals are faking their surprise, but all of them being in on that cover story?]

The lack of communication barrier does make things more efficient. On the other hand, unless anyone can report language difficulties before those examinations, I doubt it was a deliberate act on their part.

[herocomplex]

wow
uh

u talk smart

idk maybe they just wanted variety for their shenannies
u know
shenanigans
for science??? maybe they wanna see all sorts of different species fuck cuz i mean that's sth i've been all about since i was a kid

u think it was a coincidence then?? the whole language bee ess
cuz i mean i don't wanna sound like i know everything
(even if it's true)

butt like also
coincidence usually means cover up for conspiracy!!
trust me i know what im talking about here
i wouldn't get too cozy here just yet

even if it's like.. a vacay of some sorts in a way
like fuck
im so glad i don't have paperwork
i can sleep in
stay in my pjs all day long
its fucking baller man

_{[ She didn't ask for that rambling. But she got it. ]}

[acquittals]

Now that I think about it, you're right. Ther is no language barrier.

Do you think the technology here allows us to bypass all that? Then again, all this technology is beyond me so it affecting how we communicate doesn't seem like it'd be that hard to imagine for a simpleton like me.

[asaqueenshould]

The technology isn't dissimilar to what's available at home. Well, other than the magical elements.

[acquittals]

What elements are considered 'magical'? I mean the animal traits, I imagine, but what else?

[sometimespawnskillkings]

Well, I plan on staying.

And if anyone tries to send me back to where I’m from, I’ll make sure they’ll regret it.

[Temple has no idea how he’ll do that but if the time comes, he supposes he’ll find a way. Or try to, at least.]

[asaqueenshould]

There's a reason I acknowledged 'all of us leaving' was a large assumption.

[The only reason Hifumi's not necessarily planning on it herself is because Ren was able to tell her how the situation she left behind resolves. Even then, her mother's not here, and that's still a very strong selling point.]

[princessascended]

Okay, I get everyone being kind of suspicious, but I think there's a much simpler solution to your question here.

Look, you said it yourself. This actually isn't too bad of a place, random transformations aside. What if, when they said they plan to send us home, what they actually meant was they plan to set up permanent two-way portals to our worlds?

Sure, that'd probably be more difficult than just popping us back home, but it'd be worth it for them if we could travel back and forth between here and our home worlds whenever we want... And just maybe, bring other people with us. Who would probably be decent sources of Chroma themselves, even if they don't get "Moonblessed". That earns them a heck of a lot more than just keeping us trapped here does.

[asaqueenshould]

I admit that possibility hadn't occurred to me. It would solve a number of potential problems.

[paladorable]

This isn’t the first time I’ve been someplace where there’s no language barrier. There, it was the work of magic. Here, I’d bet technology or some combination of the two.

Also, if they find a way to send those of us who want to go home, mayhap they can find a way to bring in volunteers. You know, find people who want to live here instead of snatching people at random.

[asaqueenshould]

I don't think we know enough about the local technology to say for certain, yet, but either or both are certainly possible.

Someone else mentioned the possibility of establishing two-way portals, which would tie into finding volunteers instead of randomly grabbing people through... whatever mechanism is currently doing so.

[bloodisthicker]

...I guess I can’t actually sit over here and be confused that you have different languages considering most people seem to be confused by bending, but I have to admit, that sounds pretty inconvenient.

In any case... I have to admit, I understand all the suspicion people have about our prospects of going home and whether or not we’ll actually be allowed to, but at the same time I haven’t really been given the indication that the Prismals can’t be reasoned or negotiated with. Honestly, I’d rather be home, but I can’t deny the potential benefits that could come from trying to set up actual diplomatic relations between my world and this one if we can establish proper contact between the two.

[asaqueenshould]

Different cultures developed their own ideas on how to best express what was happening around them. Sometimes a geographic area will include several languages with common features, but not always, and time can bring about as many changes as location.

Meanwhile, this makes me yet another person who doesn't know what you mean by 'bending,' other than it's clearly a technical term of some sort from the way you used it.

I wouldn't say caution is unnecessary, it's true, but diplomacy isn't off the table yet, and will likely ease the path going forward. Pondering the long-term ramifications of the situation will make it more likely we reach a mutually beneficial end than one where one side or another feels at a complete disadvantage.

[genrouzan]

I don't think there's much of a language barrier where I'm from, so I hadn't thought about one here. Not sure I've heard of the languages you mentioned though.

... And sorry to make this sound like a parrot situation, but I agree with a lot of people here. I doubt they'll be rushing to send us home, if they're even trying to sent us home at all. Whether that was their plan all along, I don't know, but just be being here we'll have changed things and they might not be eager to change it back.

[asaqueenshould]

If you're not from Earth, or even then depending on your time and place of origin, you may not have. They use two completely different base alphabets, which is only the beginning of the possible confusion.

[Why are so many people assuming this is a dystopian jamjar isekai?] Perhaps, but no matter what, we're all going to have to put up with each other for quite some time before any meaningful progress is made. There's plenty of room for them to learn about us in ways those examinations couldn't have covered, and that also has the potential to change things.