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
Earth, CUBE.In the expansive room atop the highest floor of the CUBE, Aron, Rina, Henry, his parents, her parents—his father recently released from prison a few months ago—the heads of the three ministries, Sarah, Felix, the head of all agencies collaborating with ARES on first contact, were gathered. Unlike their usual VR instances, everyone was physically present this time. The same with Nova, Nyx, Gaia, and Athena who were attending in their nanomachine bodies, seated around the massive table with the others.Despite their strong confidence in the security of the quantum network, they weren't willing to take the risk of being trapped in VR. The possibility of being imprisoned in a virtual space and used as leverage for an unfair agreement was not zero, especially when their lives, and not a random citizen’s, were on the line. Such a decision, if made under duress, would be far harder to resist when they themselves were the targets.As a result, Aron decided that all interactions
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
The back-and-forth between the two AIs continued as they worked to establish a common foundation for communication. Although this could have been an ideal moment to probe each other, neither side attempted to do so, recognizing that the limitations of the communication medium made such efforts futile.To ensure the communication foundation would allow for the exchange of information with full context and minimize misunderstandings, the process would take several hours or even days. The outcome depended on how quickly each side could comprehend the other's approach. For now, it had become a game of patience, where haste could easily lead to complications.………….While those aboard the ship waited for progress in communication, the rest of the solar system remained in a state of high alert. Military bases across the system were operating at their highest situational readiness, a level they had never activated before. All forces, including those previously off duty, had been called back
“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
For the next few days, there was no direct communication between the two sides. They were either exchanging technical manuals and codes for building the necessary communication technology or receiving them.Once the transfer was complete, a response came from the other side, stating that they would have the device ready in three hours before going silent again. This response alone hinted at their ability to rapidly produce such technology, suggesting they had advanced fabrication capabilities—likely akin to 3D printing, at least for small-scale devices compared to their massive ship.Regarding the use of "hours" in the conversation, it wasn’t literal Earth time; instead, it was based on the standardized measurement system established during their initial communication.What followed was a return to silence and waiting—a situation every imperial soldier trained for space warfare was familiar with. Much of their training involved long stretches of travel between points, while actual com
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
Aron paused for a moment, taking a deep breath to gather his thoughts and process the information he had just absorbed. The weight of what he had learned required a moment of reflection before he could continue reading.Although much of the information appeared legitimate, Aron remained cautious. He didn't consider it the absolute truth, knowing that the data from humanity's side also contained skewed details—while not outright lies, certain aspects were deliberately vague or not fully explained. This understanding made him approach the other side's information with a critical mindset.But the absolute truth of the information wasn’t what mattered most. What truly mattered was that the other side expected them to believe it. Aron knew they would act based on this information. From the information he had already reviewed, it became clear that the other side likely consisted of the so-called opportunists that were included in the information hoping to strike it rich. This led Aron to s