Tlön (October 2022)

So, Professor, this book that you've been reading for the past two weeks— Well, let's just hope you haven't been wasting your time ... and raising false expectations.

As I've said all along, Captain, I can't make predictions about how well I will be able to make sense of the local languages, but it's all we have to go on. The book—actually, it's just one story in the book—'Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius' and fewer than 6,000 words altogether—that's our primary source. Lots of secondary literature, but I'm not a scholar of 20th century Earth literature.

But you're the closest we have. The rest of us are scientists and technicians. We can tell you all about general relativity and quantum mechanics but on literature and the arts, we're commoners I'm afraid.

The first part is certainly true. I've learned quite a lot and had to re-learn even more about Physics. As for the humanities, a philosopher of science, like myself, is just as out of place there as here. 'Neither fish nor fowl.' Nonetheless and despite the fact that I am predisposed towards philosophical materialism and instinctively averse to the subjective idealism of these beings, i.e., I believe in the reality of subatomic particles and black holes, I may be able to supplement the computer's translations from Tlön.

Well, here's your first message, Professor.

Thinking, reasoning complaisant upward newly-arrived and originated beyond constellated white shining around black pulling

I'm no grammarian, Professor, but this reads like gibberish. There aren't any nouns as far as I can tell.

No, Captain. Indeed, one of the peculiarities of the languages on this planet is that there are no nouns which would correspond to what we think of as entities. Roughly, the translation would be better understood as

We extend our greetings to our visitors from afar.

That much I think I could have figured out, Professor. What about this 'around black pulling?' Is there something else that could be meant? A black hole, for instance?

I may have misinterpreted, but I think that 'around' could also be rendered 'around in,' in which case if light is visible within or through the blackness then it couldn't be a black hole, could it? But then I can't explain 'pulling.'

So how can we be sure what they mean? There's nothing in our charts of this galaxy showing a black hole anywhere in this sector. Gravitational readings are, however, slightly higher than normal. Can you send another message to clarify?

Of course, Captain. Give me just a moment, please.... Here, transmit this message

Sudden threatening—dangerous matter-sucking black—immobilized, powerless, unnavigable—confirm

Computer, translate and transmit.

Message transmitted. Incoming response. Message reads

Confirmed—horizontal event-neutral imminent catastrophic expeditious navigational correctly absolutely imperative

This is not good news, Captain.

Computer, calculate the gravitational acceleration on the event horizon and calculate escape velocity. Navigation, set our course to retrace our route into this gravity well. Engineering, accelerate to escape velocity as per computer calculation.

Computer, status?

Gravitational readings returned to normal, Captain. Planet Tlön is edging closer to the event horizon. Estimated impact in 49 seconds.

Well, Professor, let's hope that your friends aren't going to be too badly treated by their new reality.

There's no way we'll ever find out, Captain.

There was nothing more we could do, Professor.

If only we had been able to communicate more effectively.

They knew they were drawing us into the path of the black hole. What they didn't know was whether we'd be able to pull them out of the path.

It must have been difficult for them to conceptualize and explain consistent with their linguistic view of the world. Such a shame. An interesting culture.

Evolutionary biology, Professor. Evidently, idealism is incompatible with the fitness required to survive out here.