Ensign Talyra - Numbers Game
V'Nille
(( Actors’ Archive, Behind the Scenes, USPS Showrunner ))
Talyra: Come to think of it, one of them mentioned the use of “fifth dimensional technology”. It may or may not be relevant to our conundrum, but I’ll put the thought out there to include in your logic. Use of that technology may play a role in how they maintain these spaces and move both items and people around so easily.
Naledi: Tick Snap Pop Hiss Creak… Are you implying that this species does not possess these abilities as a result of natural evolution?
Talyra nodded to indicate that Naledi had the correct implication she was making.
Taj’el: At the moment, it does not concern us whether they are the source of the power or merely the ones who discovered and utilized it. That distinction is unlikely to assist our immediate objective.
Naledi: Crick Pew Snap Hiss… Do either of you believe that more primitive versions of this technology may exist? If so, an archive would not be an unreasonable place to put them.
Taj’el: This does appear consistent with a dumping ground or storage allocation zone.
Talyra: The sorting machine, pods of people, and scattered media and equipment certainly do paint a very distinctively “dumping ground or storage allocation zone” vibe, I agree. It’s a theory that’s worth checking.
Naledi: Snap Crack Tick Pop… If we could find this technology, and harness it. We could be able to bring the fight to them directly, on their own level.
Taj’el: I see what you are considering. I am uncertain how effective we would actually be in any form of direct confrontation or disruption of this system. However, if the intent is strictly to utilize any available means for escape, then I agree that such an application would be logical.
Talyra looked up at both of the others, then wandered over to the nearest pile of media.
Talyra: I haven’t seen any weapons here so far. Just props, people, and … what seems to be procedural police shows in that pile over there.
She paused to bend over and grab one.
Talyra: Huh. Try Hard. This one looks new. I wonder why it’s here.
Naledi: Crick Snap Pop Hiss… It has been here a year. For the first time, it believes it is speaking clearly and of it’s own mind. It is time to leave, and the answer may be in here somewhere.
Taj’el: I agree. I believe the two of you should prioritize environmental scanning for usable equipment, power sources, or interface components that may provide mechanical or operational advantage. I will focus on linguistic analysis and attempt to derive a baseline for symbol interpretation.
Talyra: Excellent. I will go … that way.
Talyra pointed at a pile that was mostly stacked around a different machine.
Upon closer inspection, it seemed to be some sort of primitive gaming machine. There was a screen. There were controls in the form of buttons and a joystick. The pile around it were discs of some sort but she couldn’t see where those discs would be inserted. They all had names in different languages too. She saw a few that were clearly in English. There was one in, interestingly enough, Klingon.
Taj’el: Are you both having any luck? I believe I may have identified a partial…
A loud metallic clank brought her attention back to Taj’el. A quick look showed that the arm was in a different position, meaning that it was likely the source of the noise. The Vulcan seemed unharmed.
Naledi: Crick Hiss Snap Pop… Are you alright, Lieutenant?
Taj’el: Yes, I believe I am beginning to derive the underlying structure, at least at a basic level. It appears the system is not using words in a conventional linguistic sense. Instead, it uses images or symbols to represent concepts directly. Each symbol likely corresponds to a state, function, or classification rather than a spoken equivalent.
Talyra: Oh, that’s fascinating. So they’re closer to ideograms than words.
Taj’el did a quick demonstration using their hand. Talyra nodded along in understanding.
Naledi: Crick Snap Crick Pop… It believes it understands what you mean.
Taj’el: Wait, what is this?
Talyra looked at the case she was holding.
Talyra: My knowledge of Klingon is admittedly basic, but I believe this is a copy of a game called Guts and Glory III: The Blooding of Lerpon.
Naledi: Tick Pop Snap Crick… Is it sadness. You mean to say that the glyphs represent states?
Naledi’s response forced Talyra to reassess what they were talking about. She looked at the screen to figure out which symbol the bug was referring to.
Talyra: Oh those. That does sound like what Lieutenant Taj’el is saying, yes.
Naledi: Hiss Pop Snap… If the theory is correct. What do you believe the translation is?
Taj’el: Response
Talyra: Hmm.
Naledi: Snap Pop… It sees.
Talyra put the game case back down and stepped slightly closer to the console. With the view of these symbols as pointing to a state or concept, the paucity of symbols suddenly made sense. The machine wouldn’t need a complex user interface, only a user that was familiar enough with the context to understand the intended meanings.
Talyra: We need to find a way to interpret this with minimal understanding of their culture, which means we need a reference point.
Taj’el: Response
Naledi rushed forward to touch the screen.
Naledi: Crick Snap Pop Hiss… The tactile response is interesting, each square inch has a differing heat dispersal pattern.
Talyra: Oh? That’s an interesting aspect to incorporate for a species that seems otherwise very visually driven.
Taj’el: Response
Talyra: That machine I was looking at isn’t in this same language. I think something within it forces it to display in the user’s own native language because all of the information is in Romulan to me. This isn’t. That means that machine is intended for usage by actors. This machine isn’t.
Taj’el / Naledi: Response
Talyra: Maybe if we look closer at the pods, we’ll find something we can cross-reference? Other actors wouldn’t need to interact with the pods. Only Astrachtoni do.
Taj’el / Naledi: Response
Talyra nodded and walked over to the nearest row of pods. She picked one that the others wouldn’t be looking at and studied the symbols on it and then the neighboring pod/
Talyra: Okay, these symbols below the window are unique enough that they’re likely labels or names. The ones on the side are consistent though. This one looks like a number, maybe?
Taj’el / Naledi: Response
Talyra: Every culture advanced enough develops accounting and inventory control. I suggest we look for the logistics trail to find a path forward.
It was the boring answer to their problem, which made it an annoyingly effective potential solution.
Taj’el / Naledi: Response