Fremda Memo

The Fremda Memo is a top-secret e-mail leaked by Nils Ortega to his website The Broken Seal on August 24th, 2007. It's subject matter is the communication, or lack thereof, between the government and a group of seemingly non-human beings, led by a Čefo. At the time of leaking, the exact nature of the Fremda group was still unknown.

Transcript
"From: REDACTED

To: REDACTED

Re: More Language Samples

March 6, 2007, 7:31 P.M.

REDACTED

I understand your frustration having so little to work with. If we had any means of getting you more or a better sampling of their language, we would give it to you. But in forty years of watching, waiting, and recording, that ninety-seven seconds is all you have to work with. Sorry.

Between you and me, I am plenty frustrated, too. REDACTED had given up any hope of communication, or even an attempt at communication, from our guests years ago, so that after forty years of nothing, we get a minute and a half of blathering, only to be followed by more nothing, it’s probably more frustrating than if we’d never gotten a sampling of their language at all.

And no, I cannot answer any questions on their behavior, because for all intents and purposes, there is none. No language-related behavior to study except for that ninety-seven seconds. The only one of them they’ve gotten moving (“Čefo”) responds to human engagement, but doesn’t give us language samples. The long and short is this—they cannot force the Fremda group to give up language samplings, because they don’t know how. If that changes, you’ll be the first to know.

I remind you that REDACTED and every single expert and organization who’s had anything to do with attempts to establish communication with the Fremda group has had

less to work with than you do now. So make do. This may be the most we ever get.

—REDACTED"

Ortega, Nils. “Fremda Memo.” The Broken Seal. August 24, 2007. http://www.thebrokenseal.org.