A Bedroom, Residence of the United States Envoy, Esthirant, Parpaldian Empire
"You've got mail."
Doctor Louise Banks immediately reached over to her Dell laptop and mashed the spacebar a couple of times. After waiting for Windows 2000 to wake up the laptop from sleep, she opened the America Online 6.0 app, navigated to her Mailbox, and opened the top email.
'Subj: RE: Parpaldian Language Identification
Date: 10/07/2001
From: Sharon Hargest
Dear Doctor Banks,
My colleagues and I at the University of Washington's Department of Linguistics have examined the material you sent us. We have identified a probable candidate for an Earth-origin 'twin' language to Parpaldian.
We agree with your analysis that Parpaldian is twined to the West Germanic language family. We have been able to drill down to conclude that specifically, Parpaldian most closely matches Old Franconian. A Word document containing our detailed analysis has been attached for your reference.
For confirmation, please check whether your references can understand and translate the list of Old Franconian words and phrases we have attached in a second Word document.
Unfortunately, as our modern understanding of Old Franconian relies on reconstruction from loan words found in Old French and Old Dutch due to a lack of attested sources, we are unable to properly translate the Parpaldian medical texts into English.
From,
Doctor Sharon Hargest
Department of Linguistics
University of Washington'
Louise was filled with joy at the likely identification of Parpaldian as the twin language of Old Franconian, but she was equally disappointed that it meant no one was going to provide a viable translation of the Parpaldian medical texts without creating a whole bilingual dictionary, unlike the Latin documents provided by the Muans.
The cryptologic linguist Marines she tasked with filling out that dictionary by badgering the Parpaldian medical staff providing aid to the American mission would have to continue slogging through their work.
Rooftop, Residence of the United States Envoy, Esthirant, Parpaldian Empire
Lance Corporal Enrique Martinez aimed the Stinger at one of a pair of Parpaldian wyverns patrolling the airspace above their capital.
"Get anything Lance Corporal?"
"Got no tone, Sergeant," replied Enrique. He'd been standing here all day pointing the anti-air launcher at every wyvern that lazily flew in the sky around the not-embassy since some officer got the idea to check whether their weapons would work against the animals. This was originally a good idea, honestly. However, every time, once again, not a single sound came from his launcher indicating he had a lock-on.
No tone, Sir. None at all. Zilch, zip, nada. Please stop making our squad stand out here and repeat this stupid task that's not going to produce a different result.
Unfortunately, the butter bar was not around for him to voice his complaints. Not that Enrique would have complained in his presence anyways, being a lowly Lance Corporal.
"What about you, Corporal? What do you get on the CLU?"
"Same thing as before and the time before that, Sergeant," replied the Corporal as he aimed a Javelin Command Launch Unit at one of the wyverns. "Abnormally low infrared signature shows up for an animal, even for a lizard, compared to its human rider. It can still lock on, however."
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The Big Ones
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