Within this chamber, seated passively on a solitary piece of furniture, is a strange, stunningly coloured creature, of indeterminate species, and utterly alien, although from something in its presence and demeanour, clearly male.

Five or six long, blue-ish tentacles, spaced laterally across the top of the head, and roughly equidistant, like a star-fish, bend gracefully down either side – those lower down progressively shorter, giving the impression, somewhat, of dreadlocks.

When it has reason to speak, the voice is deeply tranquil, with fluttering sub-harmonics, lending an airy, hypnotic quality.

Quarantined inside the sealed, rather inhospitable observation case – a virtual prisoner – it nonetheless appeared supremely untroubled, requiring nothing that we were able to provide, except for a modest reduction in the air pressure, which had necessitated installation of an intercom system.

After preliminary discussions, including a formal recognition of its political status, it had, for some hours, and in the most unhurried manner, delivered a rigorous dissertation on alien physiology and culture.

This it had followed with some highly technical accounts of several arcane technologies, punctuated by frequent requests for various items to be presented, and assembled, according to the most exquisitely detailed instructions.

One such device – claimed to produce ‘ongoing fluctuants of celestial continuance’, which we translated rather prosaically as ‘graviton emissions’ – seemed exceptional enough to consider fabrication of a complete, and functioning, scale model, an operation that would, as we soon discovered, entail considerable efforts.The primary element to consider was a source of rotational inertia, and involve the procurement of two massive five-hundred kilogram cadmium cored superconductor, pre-formed lead pieces, winched to position at the top of a circular track seventeen feet from the floor.

The rest of the device, however, proved remarkably compact, and we felt sufficiently confident to order components and begin assembly of the support and control circuits.

So work then proceeded, in shifts, the main components arrived, with the winching eventually contracted out to a private concern.

Approximately thirty hours later, the creature, having overseen the entire operation from behind its window, and satisfied with our efforts, stood, for the first time, to announce the construction phase complete.

It was barely mid-afternoon but we decided to break until morning. The creature’s diurnal cycle seemed to be set around 57 hours, at least 15 of which were spent asleep, and it did not generally stand on ceremony when the ‘diplomatic exchange of ideas’ was about to be broken off.

And, if one of us was asleep, there was little point in the other hanging around.

In any case, we had all but exhausted our available shift allowance; and securing more, or conspicuously utilising resources, in general, would require what was currently under auspices of a general debrief – be actually submitted for funding approval, a nightmare of paper and accountability, and effectively passing off jurisdiction to persons having no intrinsic interest in the outcome.

Our principal mandate was directed to ‘associations and exchanges’ with our visitor, not to the potential fruits of any such discourse, and discretionary privilege was safe only so long as such protocols were maintained.

To avoid such a consequence would merely require the cancellation of unexpired requisitions, and signing off on the time–sheets for the evening shift, before notifying maintenance staff and security of a lock-down until oh-nine-hundred on the morrow.

And this we had done.

_____________________________

It was an exciting enough prospect – that tomorrow we would be operating the alien machine – and a subject on which we were, of course, bound in the strictest of confidence.

But, experience and some common sense told us it would be simply naïve to imagine the day passing entirely without incident. In fact, on convening the following morning we were faced with our first unexpected dilemma.

_____________________________

I had tabled a preliminary analysis standardising the principal linguistic elements of the alien tongue and a transcription into reasonably corresponding analogues for the human vocal apparatus, and which had generally met with approval, apparently from all parties, and subsequently allowed us to render a name for our visitor – currently being expected to labour under the insult of a stock acquisition code, which we felt as a basis untenable for mutual respect and were anxious to amend.

(roughly: "cos here we hurry, a Tia Marie hurry arch")

Typical tracts of speech reveal an elegant stylistically compact spoken dialect with fewer forms but a greater control over their use; we tend to string words in a row, and coin new ones whenever we find something we need to express. But, here, partly due to their complexity, forms are subtly re-used to generate new meaning.

The phonemic basis of the language is clearly the vowel. In fact it is overwhelmingly vowels, many of them polysyllabic, with an uncommon diversity of voicing modifier, or resonators, and what we have termed articulators that signal the onset or conclusion of vowel strings, and modify stress.

These three elements provide a passable account of the auditory features of intonation that supports semantic distinction in otherwise identical constructions, as though the phrase "What did you DO?" could carry new meaning when stressed as "WHAT did you do?" and of course "What did YOU do?" and "What DID you do?

Although far from, as they are for us, essentially inquiries into the prior actions of a ‘second party’, such restriction of meaning is not nearly as severe – and when rhythm and spacing is further considered – might analogously probe deeper aspects, conditions or propositions of the subject

This was its own revelation, in fact, and caused us to lucidly ponder how such an explicitly intelligible and obvious device had failed to be exploited in any language of humans so far discovered – intonation plays its role in human language, but it cannot be said to carry explicit meaning; rather it points to the elements of meanings that make up the phrases themselves. And there is never moreover a shortage of words to invent when we need to express something different.

What was remarkable was the very fact itself, that this species had developed such complex and functional procedures that were so completely different.

For word forms, and syntax, a database will need to be prepared indispensable before practical translations can begin – for now, to refine the phonetics and typography to a useable form, we resorted to another innovation – this one was thankfully our own – a dual representation of compounded vowels and mutations, for which a merely phonetic nomenclature – of symbol to sound – would be either unwieldy or inconsistent.

Thus we proposed that the common or standard polysyllabics be depicted as single inscriptors – this was no more than signifying compounded diphthongs such as ‘aeiou’, for example, as é, (or with dashes as -é-) and hardly revolutionary. But the second or networked tier enables the stress point in any such group to be moved while retaining the underlying morphemes – a system that discerns variation and related constructions, and considerably more elegant than that with which readers are normally encumbered.

The vowel ‘aria’, for example, – and ‘r’ is customarily suppressed as a rule, yielding (‘are ya?’) – may be rendered ária, like the song-form, aría, (in arrears), or ariá, (roughly, hurry up), although in this case, the vowel ‘aria’ is below the semantic threshold for meaning and the underlying form gives nothing to track. But unless we had something to lose (over nothing to gain), applying the rule is merely consistent.

Let us not lose sight of the quarry however. Here we find language transcending the merely poetic – a speaker becomes nothing short of dramatist or musician. Poetry might justly be a synthetic emulation, if only, that is, it carried meaning in its beauty; we must be content with a beauty in language that is empty if pure.

But, this alien speaks a poetry of almost Miltonic aesthetic; romantic effect, classical in form, and in a

Kíéri-ar, K’iér-ari–, Ka–heer-ria, Kia-e–ariá ,

K’hier-hee–ari, Kiery–aria, K’-hia K’-aria – Kieri

Cujieria-hier ari–K’–riai Jiery-atRe Zhier-Hiaria

(car here key are

Kier K’aria – (key a key aria)

Our alien – we have transcribe the four main vowels that occur in his name –

Generally the mouth remains open, and the voicing continuous (‘lay low’ not ‘let me’)

ee ( -í- ), air, are, or,

ier – as Frontier, not Pierre – always stressed as ‘ear’

ia – same but no "r" before next. hia–ee is ‘he are ‘ee) not (hear ree)

ári – as in "are we?"

riá as in "we are"

– : dashes :encloses composite syllable

‘ : the ‘curtail’ :unstressed articulator

K : stressed [eg Kia–ria (roughly: here we are !)

K’ : stress on next. [eg K’ee–ari or K’– a’ee

eg Kieri-aar (roughly: "here we are")

Kia-ee-arr (mouth open and no breaks)

K’ hia – ee – aar

Karr-ee K’ee ari

Cujiéria

ee, air, err, are, orr

a’ria

ari’a

a’hia -

ieri

hia (here)

K’ee, K’he, K’

K’hier

Gz, H, N, R, L r, l,

Sibilants

js (jeax)

zr (tongue as R, plus Z) ,

sz, (Zzzz)

cs (tongue for K, plus voicing)

K, K’, T, T’ D, D’

kRe

tRe

chRe

certain other words native to his tongue, not as letters or phonemes, since they are not static vowels but entire complex but as syllables or word-forms, subsequently rendered his name;

here we are in here we are

Hira Wiar

Ee iy ee iy

comprise his name fluttering subsonic vowels that and á é í ó ú ã ð õ H

Ku yee ar ee ar.(K’year–ear

Keery Ar Cujeria Kieria Key Aria E Cos ‘ere ‘e are

Kier Re Ya–tRe a-Jar–tRe

Kaleer Rial –"Korea we are"

Kiery Arch Kigeriatre

Karreria Calia-rial

re are

Keleer Riar l Kejieria–tRe

Cozzie Year Ku rear re are

cos ‘ere are ee ‘ere

Akea Icharia – ‘ee cha ria’– are key are itch harry are

_____________________________

And so, after seamlessly resuming his platform following 15 or 16 hours of REM recollected landscapes of Tieri K’ria-ee-‘re, and a brief summary of progress, Kugzee had requested that one of us stand inside the framework of the machine, so that its ring-shaped track could be raised and lowered around them.

Upon inquiring why such a thing was necessary, we were immediately treated to an exhaustive primer on quantum field theory, the upshot being, in the end, that operating the device would be entirely pointless without an apparatus capable of detecting gravitons, something we did not possess.

Accordingly, therefore, it would be necessary for a live subject to report on the effects directly. Having failed to anticipate the rather obvious issue of test gear, a lengthy debate ensued on the potentially hazardous, but completely unquantifiable effects of alien technology on a human subject.

This was weighed against the effort required to construct a test device, which, despite assurances that such could easily be done, after the rigours we had just put behind us, was something we were keen to avoid.

At the very least it was an untidy addendum to proceedings. We were trying to make less work, not more.

Gamblers, or the fatally minded, faced with the outcome of a coin toss or throw of the dice, will often, quite arbitrarily, adopt an ongoing "best out of…" policy, until the result more conforms to their liking.

You can appreciate that such a ‘gambler’s solution’ was at work here. Because, whenever caution threatened to prevail, over the prospects of human testing, valid justification was immediately produced to overthrow the decision.

It was becoming patently clear that we were not really debating the issues – in due course, testing would proceed – and even were it revealed that operating the machine might, say, cause the sky to fold, or the physical universe to crack into three equal-sized pieces, we would have calmly considered four to be excessive, but that we would live happily in such a triad.

So, to break the stalemate (and as a matter of species pride) I forthwith volunteered to be the test subject, offering no further justification.

The point, I think, was tacitly appreciated, and the interminable discussions were concluded.

The alien, informed of the decision, had responded with the slightest of gestures and, in view of our having come to consensus in the most roundabout fashion, completely without trace of irony.

Preparations then got under way.

I was assigned no other duties, apart from that of guinea pig, so I took up a position inside the framework that we had constructed, glancing up at the suspended, toroidal track and its hugely unlikely freight.

The whole apparatus, clearly designed to rotate, was perfectly symmetrical around its vertical axis, although exactly how perfect was now a more reasonable cause for concern.

At least, I mused, the space directly above me was clear of encumbrances, and so whatever perils awaited did not apparently involve my being crushed beneath a tonne of lead.

But, after a final, curious glance at the implacable features of the alien failed to shed further light on my predicament, I resolved to put such needlessly worrying speculations aside, and simply waited as patiently as I could for the procedure to begin.

The test phase commenced.

Power was firstly applied to a series of charging modules, exploiting, as best we could understand, the ‘strong force’ of the atomic nuclei, and not the electrostatic, as normally the case for electric currents.

The track then latched automatically into the circuit, and an audible mess of harmonics ringed the circumference.

Next, the system clocked down, seeking the first harmonic, creating two coherent, and equal, differential phase gradients, each at 180 degrees.

Finally, the inertial reference was engaged and the two massive, lead-cored blocks began to slide effortlessly around the track, attempting, in vain, to flatten their relative phase gradient, but which, by virtue of their fixed orientations, remained continuously locked.

Their instantaneous angular displacement, mapped back as an increasing differential signal, served to propel them ever faster.

The astounding efficiency of the machine, and its refusal to shudder, was disquieting, and I felt a mounting apprehension.

As the weights continued to accelerate, I quickly realized that the track – which we had assembled in links, rather like a chain – was slowly turning in, to offset the enormous angular momentum, until it functioned more as a girdle, than a track.

This was entirely reasonable, if unexpected, although I was perversely happy that I had not bothered to inquire into the details of the sequence beforehand.

_____________________________

To this point, the actions of the machine conformed, more or less, to those of any terrestrial body bound by the laws of physics, even if some of the principles behind its operation were beyond me.

These constraints, however, were dramatically, and effortlessly, cast aside in what was to follow.

The whirling masses, now a continuous blur, began to descend, slowly encircling me within a cylindrical tube of grey light.

This I had not been expecting. And yet, despite this incarceration by such overwhelming forces, I felt, at the same time, reassuringly protected from the furious wall of energy immediately beyond.

I could detect a faint pressure, or field, the space around me condensed into a resilient cocoon, and my vision ……distorted.

Somewhat alarmed, but remembering my assignment, I resolved, at least, to remain attentive.

Besides, it was not an unpleasant feeling, and I was confident enough in the credentials of its designer.

But, this turn of events ran contrary to expectation… I had been expecting to report on objective

….I felt a bombardment of impulses… No I didn’t. As soon as I focussed on them, they were gone… No… they still there… Was that …my skin ..?

I was feeling …my skin… or aware of ….my skin… I couldn’t decide whether they were tiny sensations or …incredibly intense… and wwwwwwwwwWhoa!!…

I snapped to … The sensations had whipped awwwway.. … and they ….were ….sssso faint….

Did I tell them about this? Was this anything? My skin?? …that I felt my skin…? No..that wouldn’t dooo ….there…. was ….something …I was too …report ….onnnnn…

….if I were a …yardstick four reeality… or should I be checking reality four a yardstick….. yeeaahhh What?

Was I saying…. what? That didn’t make sense …didn’t …. it?

I couldn’t ……think ….what I was …..thinking of something was thinking of …..sssomething ….odd…

..The ….task of what it wassss …..trying to do… which ….was…. …yardsticks… of… …clocks… of infinity….. of …cloxxxxssssssSSSSS!

Huh!? Oh. Damn, I kept drifting off… how did I know…I was….drifting…. if I was …drifting…. how did I …knowwwwwwwwwwwwww. ..w..w..w..www..wwww…

Whoop. Ohhh. Kayyyy Hello again. …just ….concentrate. …No. ….don’t ….concentrate… that seems ….a …dumb …myyy dearrr….. concentrationnnn …...mmmyy ddeaarrrr….. Uhh? no… on … what I was ….concentrate …on …concentrating ….on …concentrating ….on ….concentrating …on ….concentratinggggg … ooooonn nnnoooOOOHHH!!! …Ohhh!!

OHhThat was intense!! …What was that!?

I could feel skin …again.. The field was exhibiting a spongy compliance……..But … if I ssstayed perfffffectly sssstill, …rrrrright …..at the ccccentre…. …..the ssssslightest ……presshhhsure….ssssseething viiiibbbbbratttttttionnnnn …..onnnn …ssssssssssskinnnnnnnnnnn…...

.sssssSounds had ccccccceased to penetrate from ….. outside…..

….Wasss I …..thinking about ….something…?.

Where wasss I …? ….I’m in…. a minima Am I… ….a machine… of ….gravitons …..sarrrr …quantum …. not molecoooll…. …wave…. awayyyyy a wavicle … what? ……made of conscience of … consciousness… of… tiny… …finite.. summmm thing.. nesssss, esssssss ..made …of …..innnn….funn itt ..tummm mmmountss of ….nothinggggg….nessss, …ssessssssss….

planessssss…of ..arrangmentsss …innnn…. …ennnn-dimennnn shunnn allll …icosaheeee …dralllll…. aaa….…. …tetra….cathedral … Hmmmmmmmmmmm m m m mm…. that’sss ….funny. do …de…ca …thedral

….anna a cuppa laaa…kk. ssentric esssso-terra kaaa centa ralll intellla ….caththth thornna deities, inn ssset innaa …tetra …catheeeeedral …a what in a ….corner what? …anna lesss sonn innn …deaththth…less effffect …lesssss efforrrttt lesssssss exxxxxssss eeesss eeeesss …sesszzzzzzsssssssssssssss…

…SSSSSSSHHHhOOoooooooooTTTt Ohhhh!!.

.. …back …Am I … Back where? ..From …what? Where? …..I’m…a …..confusing…?

No …There’s no confusion, gentlemen. We just don’t know what’ssss going …..on… This is the sort of thing we should be asking the ..K’e …oh whatever… the blue alien..

what did he call these … waves … of celestial attraction ??

rrreally …should ask …the …..blue alien…. aboouuutt thisssss sooooorrtt of thhhthinggggg

These aren’t ‘gravitons’

And, presently, no information of any kind passed into or out of my tiny, complete universe.

I was ….alone.

The outside world …faded away, …and a…feeling of calm …washed over me.

I was ..an unborn child. …Pain, and thought, and …time …all came to an end.

And, …I still didn’t know which was which.

_____________________________

Outside, however, the march of time was continuing.

At a quarter past two, from the centre of this frameless, ambient void, the soft and complete envelope of my protective cocoon suddenly buckled, and collapsed, sickeningly.

Without warning, the entire energy of the system – until now so elegantly contained – was dumped, abruptly released in a shuddering derailment of elastic concussions that bounced me around inside the confines of the dwindling field.

The weights had slowed, jumping from their synchronous harmony, instantly transformed into mere heavy objects.

The outer tube – all along an optical creation of the high velocity masses – cleared to a flickering, translucent screen, and I could dimly make out figures in the room.

I was completely disoriented by the sight of people, stationary, in front of me, and momentarily lost my bearings, startled, for some odd reason, to find that I was not spinning.

The illusion that I had come to rest, from fantastic speed, was so convincing that I reached out to stop from falling.

The protracted deceleration of the weights – like the stylus on a slowing record, magnifying every scarp and pit on its way down to infinity – seemed, to me, the slowing of the entire world.

The alien machine had finally ground its way to a profound …and miraculous ...halt.