‘Have all preparations been completed?’ asked a male figure who was standing on the bridge of the craft.
He was around five feet five inches tall in human measurements and he had scarlet skin that contrasted surprisingly well with the crisp white of the uniform that he wore.
‘Yes, commander,’ responded a female of the same species who was sat at a computer terminal at the front of the bridge. ‘We have downloaded all the information from the initial probe to our data banks and the computer has analyzed it. We are now capable of communicating in their native language through the automatic translator. Furthermore, we have completed the required five days of observation of the beings below. I believe we are sufficiently prepared to make contact.’
The male figure crossed all four of his arms and looked at the images being displayed on the holograph in the centre of the room. Sections of the planet below were shown from various angles whilst information about the detected life-forms was also displayed.
‘What about potential hostile reactions? Are we prepared to defend against that?’ he asked, mildly worried.
He had been on plenty of exploration missions before and he had seen many things and collected much data but he had never before been the one responsible for making first contact with a sentient alien race. He silently cursed the fact that they were the closest ship to the probe which had first discovered unusual activity on this planet and thus were the ones dispatched to investigate it by their superiors.
‘Threat analysis has already been completed,’ announced the female as she used her eye movements to enter commands into the computer at which she sat. ‘The beings on the planet surface do not possess advanced weapons of any kind. I am detecting short range intra-atmosphere craft and high levels of construction across several continents but nothing that would constitute a threat. In any event, I suggest we raise our energy shield as a matter of prudence as we enter the atmosphere, just in case.’
‘Agreed. Do it,’ concurred the male as he unfolded his arms.
‘All commands entered, flight path plotted and engines ready. Do you wish to proceed with making contact, commander?’ asked the female without taking her eyes off the screen of the computer terminal.
The male paused before inquiring, ‘What do these beings call themselves again?’
‘The term they use is hoo-mann, commander.’
The male figure nodded and prepared himself.
‘Very well. Open a communications channel to the beings on the planet surface. Override all their transmissions and replace them with our communication. Begin descent into the planet’s atmosphere,’ he ordered. ‘And do it as slowly as you can. We don’t want to alarm them any more than we have to.’
‘As you command,’ said the female as her eyes darted this way and that as she gave instructions to the craft’s main computer. ‘Communication channel secured. You are free to speak whenever you wish, commander.’
The male took a deep breath and then spoke loudly and clearly as the computer instantly translated his words into English with the transmission reaching across the entire planet.
‘Attention, all humans. Attention, all humans,’ he said. ‘Do not be alarmed. I repeat, do not be alarmed. I represent the Hoth’Maral race of the Galactic Network. We mean you no harm. We come in peace.’
The female couldn’t help but snigger at some of the clichés coming from her commander’s mouth. The male heard this and frowned but decided to ignore her and continue. What exactly were the right words to say to an alien species who probably still thought they were alone in the universe anyway?
‘You are on the edge of a galaxy that is teeming with other life-forms and we wish to be the first to offer greetings. We hope that we can learn from each other, form relationships with one another and extend the reach of the Galactic Network across the stars. We are preparing to land in the central landmass on your planet’s equator. Do not be afraid. I say again, we come in peace....’
Chapter 1
Aboard a transport shuttle near the planet Nexus One
Two hundred and sixty years later