We are not alone (FT, CLOSED, ATTN Macisikan and Sunset

[Genomita]

Research station Nejir's Foresight, in orbit above Okasha, Gamma Quadrant

Head researcher Nejir Bai- Hadora stared at the collection of screens that took up most of the wall in front of her, deep green eyes sitting at the top of her head widening as one blip after another appeared on the the long- range sensors where there shouldn't be any. All around her diran in various states of alarm worked diligently at curved screens that seemed almost old- fashioned in the dim light of the living, coral- made walls of the reseach station, bringing in sensor data from both the station's sensors and of the moderate number of research ships in this sector. She made an effort to straighten her coat while her headcrest slowly but steadily rose as the number of blips continued to increase.

"Whatever they are, it appears they are gathering in this area just within reach of our long- range sensors." Yelen, her faithful assistant said in his raspy voice. The charcoal- grey male's striking blue eyes were fixed on the screen just like her own, but his body language was more one of intense curiousity and interest than of alarm. He had been her assistant even before their clan had discovered the secret to unlocking the farcaster gates and had led a multi-clan expedition that had culminated in the discovery of the planet they now knew as Okasha and more recently the foundation of the fledgling settlement the Diran had named Okashasura.

They had been there every step of the way, first as part of the expedition through the strange realm behind the farcaster gates and then as head researcher and assistant of this station as the station and research vessels carefully scanned the planet's atmosphere and wildlife and eventually declared it fit for their kind. Once the high council of Dira and the council of shamans had given their blessings and the settlement efforts were safely underway they had received the order to turn their station's sensors outwards, aand so they had. Being the foremost representative of the clan who had done the majority of the work had afforeded her a position in what had soon grown into Okasha's own council of clan representatives.

Bai- Hadora took a deep breath, resisting the urge to clench her fingers. "Focus all sensors in their direction! What do the sensors say regarding the objects' composition and trajectory? Are there any sources of strong gravity within the area that could cause such a gathering?" she asked, her deep contralto voice carrying a mixture of curiousity and mild concern.

A younger female with leaf- green skin further to her left was the first to respond. "Objects arriving from different directions. Movements appear to be coordinated, no sources of gravitational anomalies detected. Long- range chemical scanners... " The young female's auburn headcrest shot up in alarm. "...indicate that the objects are primmarily comprised of metal, ma'am."

The head researcher blinked. "Could you repeat that?"

"According to our sensors, the objects appear to be mostly composed of large quanities of refined metals, although the exact composition is impossible to determine at this range. They're also emitting large amounts of heat!"

That completely rules out asteroids or comets. Spirits preserve us. Could... could it be?

Bai- Hadora could feel herself slumping into her gel seat but quickly rose again. She felt the eyes of every diran in the room resting on her before they, along with her own, moved to the scroll shelf in the room's center, next to her desk. It consisted of six comparmtments, each of them containing a number of scrolls in numbered waterproof cases which together held the full text of the council of shamans' directive. "Yelen, which part contained the directive on the possible event of the discovery of intelligent life?"

To Yelen's credit, the question did not send him reeling, although his body language made it clear he understood the gravity of the question. "I think it was in part three. But I have-"

"Not now Yelen, I need to find that passage. I belive we just discovered another intelligent species and I won't be the one who'll get us into trouble with the councils for missing this chance or for not following protocol!" said Bai- Hadora as she slithered over to the scroll shelf. Great spirits, listen to me. Another species! Now, where is that scroll?

A polite cough from Yelen snapped the head researcher out of her thoughts. When she raised her head she could see that her assistant had already found the relevant passage in the local databank and had projected it onto one of the larger screens that wasn't occupied with data for everyone to read. A very long- winded passage written in the swirling, traditional script used for formal decrees and read from the bottom.

"We, the council of shamans, voices of the spirits, keepers of -" blah blah blah, yadda yadda yadda- Ahah! Here it is "hereby declare that, in the event that this expedition should discover the existence of intelligent life from beyond the stars it shall immediately inform the council of shamans and the high council so that the people can be informed of this joyous discovery. The local representatives shall also- Comms, send a message to the councils on Dira and alert the other councillors here and on Okasha and tell them there'll be an emergency meeting. Yes, all of them! Everyone else, keep scanning and broadcasting towards the objects, vessels, whatever. I want to make sure we don't miss a thing and won't be missed either."

[Macisikan]

Subject 251.030.499 terminated on RK3381.04.12; remains recycled and reclaimed. 508 items of value extracted; 337 mental (incl. 185 stellarcartographic items of interest), 171 physical. Connection to cross-galactic raider node 1283 identified. Search and destroy authorised. R-Adm. Usah to deploy. Take prisoners and remand to Benignity custody. God Save The King and The Prince-Regent.
-ISS Command

System 456-651-132, Gamma Quadrant

Thirty years ago

HSMV Forthright
Realm of the Federated Star Empire of Macisikan flagship

The soft murmur of voices was a soothing counterpart to the chitter of electronics in the Forthright’s CIC. Strictly speaking it wasn’t necessary to speak, but the Rear Admiral had always found it to be psychologically helpful to his crew.

That and there were traditions to uphold, though word on the street was that the Prince-Regent was losing patience with them. The entire Realm was hurtling along at a pace that felt more frantic every year – occasionally Usah wondered what they were becoming.

“Sir, the final squadron has arrived,” the sensor officer’s voice intruded on his thoughts.

“Thank you, Lieutenant,” he smiled. The sensor officer herself was rather an anachronism; the ship’s computer, and his own integration, was advanced enough now that he was aware of Commodore Tako’s arrival before the young woman had opened her mouth.

“Signal the taskforce; prepare for transwarp to Raider Node 1283, and-” he was cut off.

Incoming transmission.

“Identify.”

Alien origin. Preliminary viewing suggests first contact package. Inference; uncontacted starfaring nation.

Usah frowned, and looked first to his comms officer, who nodded, and then at the trio of analysts wired into the wall behind him.

“Agreed with assessment,” said one.

“Alien first contact package. New species. New worlds. No common tongue,” said two.

“They are scanning us,” said the third.

“Probability of non-hostile intent; 62%,” said two.

“Agreed,” said three. “Supply of biometric information suggests diplomatic approach.”

Usah’s frown remained. “Suggestions?”

“Disregard,” the three said in unison. “Presence of unknown species irrelevant to mission parameters. Seek and destroy Raider Node 1283.”

“I agree with the creepy chorus,” the ship’s captain murmured. “We’re not here to glad-hand with some foreign pakrah, we’re here to make a problem go away. The sooner we do that the sooner we can be home.”

“Indeed. Comms; do not respond to the incoming messages. Signal the fleet to maintain operational silence, and prepare for immediate jump to Raider Node 1283. Scan and comms; package and dispatch all relevant data home for Oracle analysis as soon as we clear the transwarp corridor.”

The long, sleek, grey tubes of the Realm’s task force swivelled their orientations towards their destination, then tore a hole in space and threw themselves through it.

No response was sent to the Diran signals; it would be nigh on three decades before the two saw each other again.

[Genomita]

Yelen watched Bai- Hadora visibly deflate in her seat as the unknown objects disappeared from their sensors, webbed hands clenching and unclenching, pectoral fins pressing against her seat. He had known her long enough to have a good idea of what went on in her head right now. He knew she was a bit of a stickler for the rules and could tell she was worried that her delayed reaction jad cost their people the chance to meet an unknown civilization. He reached out to comfort her when the diran in control of the sensor banks spoke up.

"Unknown spacial anomalies detected. Coordinates match unknown objects' last known coordiantes. I'm getting a lot of data that doesn't make any sense. Instructions?"

He had never seen her shoot up so fast. Her eyes were wide with excitement and her head crest snapped open as though by hydraulic pressure. "Get one of the research ships out there! Collect as much data as you can!"

As she said this the door behind her and Yelen opened and Haqun Bai- Klachan and Yuqin Bai- Qas, the station's fleet commander and chief enginner respectively and local representaives of their clans, slithered into the room. And judging by their breathing and agitated body language they had arrived here in a hurry. Klachan was the first to speak after regaining her breath. "Hadora, what was that talk about vessels of another civilization? And did you just try to commandeer part of my clan's fleet?" Her tone made it clear that she was more curious than indignant about the latter, although it still would have been seen as improper.

"I was about to send a research ship to collect data on the spacial anomalies likely caused by the unknown objets' departure, which will likely continue to degrade while we stand here bickering." Bai- Hadora's tone was a mite sharper than she had intended, but it seemed to have the desired effect.

"Very well, you may proceed."

"Comms, dispatch a message to the research ship closest to the anomaly's coordinates.Tell them to get to maximum range for drone scanning and deploy all available drones to scan the anomaly. And keep scanning and broadcasting! I don't know if the unknown vessels didn't respond because they didn't receive the message in time or because they didn't understand it, but there is someone out there and I'll make sure we find them."

"Or that they find us. I assume you have a plan in case something answers our broadcast? And how long to you think will it take until the Bai down on Okasha hear about this?"

"Oh, I asked Yelen to inform them and the shamans here on the station and planetside along with you, to save us time. It's the middle of the night down there, so I hope I'm not interrupting anything. But I assure you, what we have here is much more important than any business they could have at the moment."

[Sunset]

RDF... No; SDF-Tennessee, Near GEC-5575, Gamma Quadrant... Thirty-Some Years Ago...

Thirty years...

'Has it really been thirty years?' Captain McDaniels looked in the mirror, studying the fine crop of stubble that had grown up since the previous morning before leaning close to examine a smaller patch along his angled jaw. With more gray than brown and even the occasional strand of white it was easy to put a date on his weathered face. So had the message he'd just received from Fleet, congratulating him on thirty years of service.

He'd signed up the day he'd turned eighteen and things had been... Different then. One hand sought out the uniform blouse that he'd tossed over the glass door to the shower - privileges of a Captain's suite - while the other exchanged it for the thick towel. He'd been young and full of patriotic vigor then and the Republic had been right in the thick of the Ardan War. They'd been a Martian nation back then, with enemies and allies spread out all across the Red Planet. He pulled the shirt on over his head, glanced back to the mirror, and realized the stubble was still there.

Oh well. Time for something new.

He went for his underwear and then his pants. The War that everyone had worried would turn from Cold to Hot hadn't and that had left the SDF with a surplus of ships they didn't need to fight a war that had never come. Never one to waste what she could use, the new Secretary-General had transferred as many ships as she could justify over to the Exploration Command and he - a thirty-five year old firebrand - had come with them. What a combat commander was doing on the front line of exploration...

'Bleeerp', a chime sounded from the cabin intercom, "Sorry to interrupt, Captain, but we've got something interesting..."

Well, he'd asked himself that question a lot in the early years. Now it was just his job, "I'll be right there."

It wasn't very far. With few exceptions, every SDF starship was laid out the same in one particular area. The bridge was in the center of the saucer section and right outside on the left and right were the officer's quarters. His was the first on the left, Commander V'kit's was across on the right, and so on until the end of the hall and the armory that sat across from it. His door opened with a 'swish', the double-doors to the bridge opened with a 'swoosh', and Commander V'Kit was just rising from the center chair as Hiram waved him off and turned to the side where the Sensor Officer was waiting at her station.

After fifteen years he knew the drill, "What do you have, Lieutenant?"

Rochelle 'Rock' Westerly had been his sensor officer for five of those last fifteen years and aside from a well-deserved promotion from Second to full Louie, she didn't seem inclined to go anywhere. She'd been a late enlistment - nearly forty herself - and a biologist by education who'd figured that the Force was the best was to get out there and see something really new. Turned out she was right, "Long-range sensors picked up a big FTL signature a few minutes ago. Just on the outskirts of an un-surveyed system..."

One of the nice things about the space-warp drive was that it let them stop and smell the roses along the way from here to there. Or at least point the Venture-B's quartet of long-range sensor arrays at every point-of-interest as they shot past.

"How big?"

"Really big," she pointed to a portion of her display that showed a series of numbers and symbols he didn't quite understand. "Rough match to an artificial wormhole;" he wasn't quite sure of the technical difference between an artificial and natural wormhole, but she knew and that was good enough for him, "but I'm not picking up a structure there now. Whoever it was, they closed the door after themselves."

Which didn't seem very useful on the face of it, but he rubbed his fingers over the stubble of his chin. The Gamma Quadrant was pretty new to the Republic and the Exploration Command, which mostly concentrated its activities around Sol and its rapidly-growing colonial capital in the Ares System. The Tennessee was on a simple assignment - go out along a specific vector to a third of its range, take a brief look at everything along that line, and then turn around and come back. That left him with another third to play around with - was this the time to burn some of that reserve?

"Whoever it is, they moved on - and who knows where they could have gone?" he half-asked. "Is there anything else there worth looking at?"

Rock looked offended, "You know there is, or I wouldn't have interrupted your morning rendition of 'O Sole Mio'." She caught the question his face had given her in the reflection of her console. "It's an aria. Opera. Italian. You don't sing in the shower?" He shook his head and she shared an odd expression with Commander V'Kit before continuing, "There's a ship near the contact, on a vector that will put it in the area shortly."

That was definitely interesting. As stated, the Republic was new to the Gamma Quadrant and by-and-large any civilizations in the area unknown to it. A ship meant a spaceship and that meant it belonged to a spacefaring civilization. Definitely interesting and an easy decision.

"Alright, let's go see who it is then. Helm, course change. Take your coordinates from Sensors. Rock, keep an eye on them. I want to know everything we can about them before we get there..."

[Genomita]

A research vessel was dispatched at Bai- Hadora's command, it's gravitic engines carrying it towards the anomaly until it was just within range of the living shp's sensor biodrones. A swarm of of drones in different shapes and sizes detached from the vessel's corraline surface, revealing nodes that were as much docking stations as they were feeding spots. The drones spread around the anomaly, their senses and integrated sensors scanning for different kinds of data, ranging from heat and radar waves to gravitic distortions and energy density.

Meenwhile,within the ship's control center surrounded by low, winding corridors was a trio of diran, each of them linked to different parts of the living vessel's brain. They were suspended but also secured and nourished in the middle of this room, their hands and tails interlaced, their heads raised and crests flat against their heads in deep concentration. At the walls surrounding them sat three other diran, monitoring the linked triad's vitals and sensor input.

"Aaah, our children have reached the anomaly and will now begin to learn it's secrets." spoke the sole male among the three, his deep, booming voice and the way his deep brown body's crimson crest flared fitting his dramatic declaration.

"You know Gramun, I'll never get tired of the way you say that. Most drone operators would just say 'drones have reached their destination' and be done with it, but you manage to make everything sound like a religious revelation and it makes out task that much more entertaining. The voice of the female to Gramun's left was soft and melodic yet firm, and tinged with genuine amusement. "But I don't get why you became a drone operator in the first place. You could have been a a shaman or a shadowdelver, searching remote places for traces of the spirits, but instead you decided to join the fleet and signed up for this expedition."

"Aye, I could have been all these things Leshmy, and it pleases me that you find joy in my enthusiasm. I chose to travel the void because it felt it was my calling. The first time we passed through the Spirit Gate was indeed a religious experience for me. As it should be for all of us."

The female to Gramun's right shook her head, although the way the corners of her mouth twitched and the curve of her crest made it clear that it was was humour, not mockery that moved her. "You know barely anyone calls them that anymore, right? Most people call them Farcasters now." Her voice was husky and calm. "But yeah, II know what you mean. It never gets dull. It'll be some time before we get some data from the drones, so I don't mind if you want to joke around."

"Thanks, Vara, I'm glad you understand. Gramun, you have many friends groundside, yes? Have you heard anything interesting on your last visit?"I
"Indeed I have. The council of Ojashazura has made a decree, stating that the hopeful families shall delay their mating until one of their number undergoes the metamorphosis into an elder. Perhaps not the most popular decision, but a wise one."

"Agreed, I don't even want to imagine all the health risks for the eggs and the larvae and tadpoles without a caretaker to protect and nourish them until they can eat solid foos and leave the water. I have a cousin who grew up in a village near the exclusion zone left by the war of shame. One night their caretaker was snatched out of the water by some kind of mutated predator and disappeared into the wilderness. My cousin'sbody never developed entirely past the tadpole stage, meaning her lung development was stunted and she needs to rely on special equipment that cycles water through her gills and protects them from infection. And she was one of the lucky ones." Vara's crest fell and she lowered her head as she recalled the sad memory.

"A sad story indeed. But your cousin is alive and well, and down on Okasha my good friend Gulas is old enough to undergo the metamorphosis any night now. And he is not the only one. So Okasha's families will have nothing to fear!"

They shared a moment in companionable silence after this encouraging statement. Eventually it was Vara who spoke first. "Do you really think the anomaly was caused by a vessel of another spacefaring civilization? I mean, that's pretty wild. I mean, we found Okasha and the living ship on one of the homeworld's moons before that, but an actual vessel of another civilization? That would be amazing if it's true."

"Exciting, yes? The Bai seemed quite convinced. And i guess we're about to find out."

"We are indeed, because our children have just begun to send me their findings. I shall relay them to you and the monitors... now!" Just as he was finished a stream of data transmissions began to flow into the minds of the triad and the monitors surrounding them. "I'm getting a lot of odd data here, this really doesn't match anything in our databanks. And is it me or is that one blip coming closer? Looks like it'll arrive right in the middle of the drone swarm!"

"Something approaches!"

[Sunset]

SDF-Tennessee, On Approach to GEC-5575, Gamma Quadrant...

"...looks like they are interested in whatever it was too, Cap'n," Rock decided, not sparing a glance up from her sensor console as the results from the long range scans continued to come in. "Their one ship has launched sub-craft..."

"Fighters?" McDaniels interrupted, hard fingers drumming out a quick rap a do on the simulated wood of his armrest as he half-spun the chair to give himself a clear line of sight to her station. Tennessee's bridge was laid out like many before and most after it, though the science station was more off-and-to-the-right than it was back-and-up like he'd seen on some of the new Venture-C's.

"I don't think so. Mass and volume varies and I'd expect to see higher energy signatures. There's something else there, Hiram. I'm getting odd results back from spectroscopy. There's more CHON in the spectrum than there should be - well, there should be if they are built in the usual way..."

CHON. Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen; the building blocks of life. Captain McDaniels had been around the block enough times to have a good guess for what that meant and what she was about to say next, "Bioships? Living vessels?"

"Or they decided to cover their ships in the skin of their victims," Commander V'Kit put in, a predatory grin crossing his canine features. "Seen that one before..."

"Would you advise we ready weapons then?"

"No," and the Kitsune countered his own statement, "Not unless the Lieutenant presents us with specific evidence to that effect. I can only recall one such encounter while the Republic maintains friendly and neutral with the Dargonese and the Snel, both of whom utilize living vessels - or in the case of the Snel, are living vessels. Odds alone suggest that these will join the second, though I am particularly interested to see what form these take."

"Forty seconds out," the Helmsman added usefully to a nod from the Captain; "Alright, we'll split the difference. Load torpedoes but keep the launch rails and main particle cannons off-line with the point-defense array at stand-by."

Cautious, but not too cautious - or confrontational.

"...though I suppose that depends on your interpretation of 'confrontational'," he thought out loud. "Anything else, Rock?"

The sensor officer looked over her board again, "In twenty seconds? Sure... Gravimetric distortions indicate their vessel and sub-craft are moving around by manipulating gravity." Which was somewhat unusual, as to their experience. While Tennessee used the same for slower-than-light travel, most non-Yut nationstates were still getting around with good old chemical or reaction thrusters of some kind - the fusion torch was a popular option. "And they are clearly interested in the residual traces of the wormhole."

"Could it be theirs? Are we looking at an experiment?"

"Plausible. Advanced skill with gravity manipulation is required to generate an artificial wormhole..."

"Five seconds," the Helmsman warned; "I'll keep looking at it."

...and then Tennessee was there, its own envelope of highly distorted space-time falling away as it fell below the lightspeed barrier. An elegant arrangement of saucer, twin space-warp nacelles, and a pair of sweeping secondary hulls connecting them both top and bottom, she cut a graceful arc as she heeled slightly over to enter into a long orbit around the site of the original event. Navigation lights blinked steadily in the darkness while spotlights here and there on her gray and brown hull picked out the lettering across the top of her saucer, the sunburst flag raised across the very top, and the blue-silver-gold roundel of the Triumvirate of Yut on the outside edges of her nacelles...

[Genomita]

Meanwhile, aboard the research ship

"Gramun, did you just say that thing consists entirely of metal?" Vara's entire body language spoke of surprise an disbelief. The strange object that had just appeared in front of them defied what she knew of space travel and material sciences.

"Indeed. We detect large amounts of metals, many of which we have never seen before." Gramun's voice boomed. The other diran who weren't connected to the ship were busy sorting through all the data the living drones brought in, all of them caught in a mixture of fascination and disbelief.

"Dear spirits. So it's true, aliens are real, and they travel through space in ships of metal! That is so awesome!" Leshmy was almost bouncing in her safety harness, her tail swishing in front of her as if she was trying to gain spead to leap up a waterfall.

"It is, but we need to focus people. Gramun, let's pull your drones back before the aliens think we're going to attack them. Have them form a line to the Foresight and transmit the data back and forth by laser. That should speed things up. Leshmy, comms. Open all channels safe the one we need to report back to the station. We're going to hail this thing. The Bai won't be happy about this breach in protocol but I'm sure at least most of them will understand. The longer we sit up here awkwardly staring at each other in silence, the bigger the chance it'll slip away or that someone gets nervous. We'll try to establish a line of communication to the council on the Foresight and on Okasha."

Gramun and Leshmy nodded. "Pragmatic and quick- thinking as always. As you wish, I shall send them out."

The living drones began to move away from the unknown ship, gradually forming a line of communication lasers to the research station. It would take a while until it was set up, but once it as done it would make communication between the council members and the aliens a great deal quicker. Everything would be recorded and sent to their superiors to ensure no detail went unknown. Vara took several deep breaths, her crest settling as she mentally prepared herself for what she was about to do. Eventually, Leshmy chimed in.

"We're ready when you are."

Alright, here goes nothing.

This is Haqun Vara calling the unknown vessel. Do you read me? Hail, travellers. On behalf of all Diran I greet you from this humble vessel. We come in peace. Thank you for joining us on this blessed night."

The message the Tennessee would receive was decidedly not in any common trade language but in native Diran. What's more, the voice speaking was on the deep end of the human- audible spectrum and much of the message would be audible only in the infrasound range. Yet the message was sent, transmitted both to the unknown vessel and the research station.

[Sunset]

SDF-Tennessee, GEC-5575, Gamma Quadrant... Circling the Drain...

"...they've finished re-orienting their vessels, Captain," Rock called out, not bothering to look over her shoulder. At the moment she was the most important voice on the bridge and everyone else had dialed it down a notch to make sure she was heard; not that this was hard - her voice tended to cut through the chatter like a fog horn. Still; "Odd way to lay things out. They've got a line of them running back from the carrier to some kind of station."

McDaniels scratched his chin, "Huh. Why?"

"A relay of some kind. Messages back and forth from the station to the ship? Maybe they're worried we'll toast their ship and they want to know what happened..."

"At that point, I'd just bug out..." But their speculation was interrupted by events; "Captain," Lieutenant Ito back at the communications station called out, "Incoming message. I think?"

He spun around, intent on a remonstrative, but already Ito and Westerly were looking back and forth at each other with the same mixture of questions, "Electromagnetic, radio band," he explained while Rock looked at the incoming stream on her own console, "but not in the usual bands. But these are aliens - so it could be a message. There's no match to anything we've seen before."

"It might not even be directed at us," the sensor operator added. "Radio, so it goes wherever. I'm watching their ships though and I'm not seeing any movement in response. At least not yet. Hell - it could have been a transmitter shorting out. There's just not enough there to go on. I suggest we want and see if it repeats."

Hiram looked to Ito, who nodded his own agreement, "The computer thinks it might be a message - twenty-five percent - based on some repeated patterns, but it will need more. Or they'll need to re-send a few times."

"Do we want to try establishing communications ourselves?" V'kit suggested, his canine features suddenly more inquisitive. "I would say this is their territory - this could even be the standard warning..."

"Hippity hoppity, get off my property?"

"There's no sign that they've readied weapons," Westerly put in. "Or at least not anything that I'd call combat-capable."

"Alright, then we'll wait and see if they say anything else. Though there's a lot of them - they could be talking to each other. But if we say something, at least the inference could be drawn that we're trying to talk to them. Make it so, Mr. Ito - try to open comms with the unknowns!"

"Yessir;" the Lieutenant turned back to his station. There at least the Tennessee and the SDF had the advantage; they'd done this kind of thing before. Matching the frequency band that they'd intercepted purposefully or not, the ship began to broadcast a regularly spaced series of nothing then something. On - Off. One - Zero. From there it would work up through the basics of regular math - One plus One equals Two - and hopefully by then they'd have something more concrete to work with...