The reporting proceeded swiftly, with many agencies delivering concise updates. As most of these agencies operated on a day-to-day basis, they had few long-term projects to discuss. Some had already achieved their major objectives, allowing them to keep their reports brief. In under five minutes, many agency heads summarized their current progress before yielding the floor to the next speaker, maintaining the meeting's steady pace.There was no shame in delivering brief reports, as it was far more detrimental to drag out presentations with unnecessary details. The agencies with fewer ongoing projects understood that efficiency was key, especially in the presence of the emperor. Everyone in the room was acutely aware that attempting to prolong a report without substance would not only fail to impress but could lead to swift repercussions. The emperor’s keen insight into such matters meant that any attempt to waste time would likely result in immediate replacement.After about six hou

In the silent darkness of space, if one focused on a specific point with utmost precision, they might notice the faintest distortion in the light—a subtle bending, almost imperceptible to the naked eye. It resembled the phenomenon of gravitational lensing, where light curves around a massive object. Yet, this was no ordinary lensing effect. Only the most sensitive instruments, positioned in close proximity, could detect the anomaly within the vast emptiness of the void.But that subtle light distortion would go unnoticed by most, as something far more conspicuous dominated the scene. A ship, large and unmistakable, coasted through space, its presence impossible to miss. It made no effort to conceal itself, traveling at sub-light speed in the same direction as the mysterious blobs that bent light around them. Its open, steady approach seemed to signal a lack of ill intent, as if the ship’s very demeanor was an attempt to assure any observers that it posed no immediate threat.“Okay, le

Outer space.In the ship’s control room, an air of tense silence prevailed as they awaited a response from the other side.Half an hour passed without a reply. Then an hour, three hours, and finally five hours went by with no indication of contact from the Visitors.“Is it possible that our assumption about their understanding of binary was flawed, or are they simply ignoring us?” the captain wondered aloud, his concern growing with each minute of silence.“Should we consider shifting to another means of communication?” the vice captain inquired, glancing at the captain as the waiting game continued.The empire, known for its meticulous planning and preparation, always ensured they had multiple backup plans when dealing with significant situations like first contact with extraterrestrial civilizations. In this case, they had more than just one method of communication, anticipating the possibility that their initial approach might not be effective.“Not yet. We will continue monitoring

“So, how is it going to work? Are there things I need to keep in mind during our conversation?” the ship’s captain asked the AI, concerned that the script might need revision. The captain wanted to ensure that there were no limitations or special considerations for communication, given the AI's understanding of the other side's system and any potential nuances that could affect the exchange.{You don’t need to worry about that. During your communication period, I'll serve as the translator, ensuring that all contexts and reasons for your statements are conveyed clearly so that they understand your intentions with minimal loss in translation. The same will apply in reverse. However, please note that at the moment, we’re limited to sound transmission. We can’t transmit large amounts of data through our current means, which allows us to communicate in real time without delay,} the AI clarified, adding a slight pause to distinguish between the two topics.“Okay, good. Send a request to st

After five hours, the data transfer from the other side was completed. The transfer of information about humans only required about two hours, but it was intentionally extended by including filler and other white noise to conclude simultaneously with the other side’s transfer. This delay was a deliberate strategy to ensure that the other side wouldn’t cut off their data transfer once they realized that all of their information had been received.This approach also explained why both sides sent data in a format that could only be fully read once the entire transfer was complete. This was to prevent either side from analyzing the information in real time and drawing conclusions about the other’s capabilities before the full data had been exchanged.Everyone with access to the information began sifting through it at their maximum speed, which was determined by the AI’s processing capabilities. This race to analyze the data quickly aimed to provide an edge over the other side.Once Nova h