Nobody will learn English

When I first started writing the modern version of Rome's Revolution, I was determined to make it a "you are there" type of experience. Everything about the new world would be strange and inexplicable. And as I have mentioned before, nobody would speak English.

However, after the first nth rejections and paying a professional editor, everyone told me I was wasting my time having my characters speak in Vuduri so I scaled it way back. Being the passive-aggressive person that I am, I got a little dig in early into the introduction of Part 2 of Rome's Revolution:

     “Psst, Rei,” MINIMCOM whispered from a grille near the bed. After waiting a moment, the little computer spoke again, this time a bit louder, “Please wake up, Rei."
     “What is it, MINIMCOM?” Rei Bierak asked in a fatigued tone.
     “I need you to look at something.”
     Rei opened his eyes. He turned to his left and saw that Rome was still asleep. “Hold on,” he said. He jumped up and padded into the refresher, closing the door behind him. Standing at the sink, he splashed some water on his face and peered into his reflection.
     “Vroggon Chrosd ta Jasus,” Rei said out loud, shaking his head.
     “You speak Vuduri even when alone?” MINIMCOM asked from another grille, this one mounted to the left of the sink.
     “That’s all we use now. You know that. I have to keep practicing. Rome says nobody is going to take the time to learn English on Deucado. Especially the mandasurte. And she’s right.”
     “Very well. Fiu veler ebanes am Vuduri.”
     “I don’t need help from you,” Rei said sharply. He paused for a moment. “Sorry I didn’t mean to snap at you, I’m just tired.”

The fact of the matter is, being the modern, responsive writer that I am, it turns out everybody took the time to learn English on Deucado. Well, except maybe for Rome's father. But by the time The Ark Lords rolled around, English had become the lingua franca, the trade language, of the planet. Certainly the Essessoni spoke it and the Deucadons spoke a dialect of English. The Vuduri had learned English from the Overmind so that only left the mandasurte known as the Ibbrassati to catch up. Rome spent a day or two each week teaching English to those Ibbrassati that wished to learn.

By the time I got to Rome's Evolution, I didn't even bother with Vuduri except for a few words. The same will be true with The Milk Run. Aason and Lupe Bierak consider English their primary language although they are very, very fluent in Vuduri. That way, when they encounter the colonists on Hades, there is simply no language barrier whatsoever.

You're welcome.