To speak of trouble, I had trouble with this week’s Crispina Kemp’s Crimson’s Creative Challenge. Lots of lovely pictures, but none really appealed. The Maybug/Junebug/cockchafer was the most promising, knowing how much I like the bizarre.
I have been working on my new book and the promotional elements for it. There are some extracts for people who would like to do a promo post for me (with rafflecopter), but what am I doing to promote it myself? Maybe some original stories with characters from the book? That would work for my cockchafer, so to speak. (After extreme pruning, this is 153 words. I hope Crispina will forgive me)
To Speak or Not to Speak
Lars Nilsson nearly fell over Rebekah Consani as she stopped to peer at a sizeable insect, about six cents from head to tip. She was doing her job, surveying the planet Karla. Lars had tagged along for a groundside break.
“The trouble is, we cannot tell whether this type of life-form is intelligent.” She sat back on her haunches, observing it. “The big giveaway is communication. But the translator doesn’t translate unknown languages.”
As the resident software specialist, Lars pondered possibilities for AI enhanced translation software.
A clickety-buzz sounded in Rebekah’s detector. “Hear that? I’ve not heard anything like that before.”
The sound repeated.
“Hello. Are you saying something to me?”
Click-click-buzz-buzz.
“It’s probably just told us to leave.”
“If only I could prove that.”
“We could come back tomorrow with enhanced software.”
The next day, there were no insects around. None at all. Whatever they had said, they were not going to repeat themselves.
© J M Pett 2025
Oh! Jemima this looks really interesting and l really liked this little story you have definitely wet my appetite! 💜💜
At the risk of sounding like an echo, I have to say ditto to what Willow said!
Nice! They’d better just head out and leave that planet alone. Definitely intelligent life 😀