John's Perspective
God, I hate receptions. It doesn't matter why I'm here; there's always something to figure out, something to keep my head on a swivel for. Today, I was one of the so-called "Guest of Honor" as a member of the expedition. But that didn't mean my head wasn't still on a swivel. At least there was food – for whatever reason, there was, despite Zenthara and his company not exactly consuming it.
But hey, that wasn't going to stop me from enjoying it, even if my hip felt empty without my holster.
As I munched on a canapé, I casually glanced around to study the different forms of Zenthara's people. They were strange, fascinating even. There was Zenthara and one other like him. Then there were those that looked almost humanoid but with four arms and elongated heads. A few resembled five-foot-tall crabs with opposable thumbs instead of pinchers. And then there was that bizarre cross between a kangaroo and a gorilla, complete with folded-up bat wings.
But the one that really caught my eye was the one that looked almost human. Two arms, two legs, one head, no wings, and about six feet tall. It was like staring into the uncanny valley – if the uncanny valley had been invaded by terminator robots.
I refilled my plate after doing a lap, as Zenthara's twin drifted over to me. I couldn't help but be intimidated by his hulking form. It was like standing next to an elephant. I really wished I had a bigger gun, especially considering the arsenal of weapons he had strapped to his body—swords, daggers, what looked like pistols.
"You are military, are you not?" he asked, his five eyes boring into me.
"Uh, why do you ask?" I diverted my gaze to my plate, trying to sound casual.
"Ah, so you are intelligence." He sunk down to my eye level. I felt my heart rate pick up, feeling caught.
"What makes you say that?"
He used one of his smaller arms to point to the scientists, administrators, and diplomats bustling around the room. "They walk around like they are blind and curious. They walk like they are in charge and feel threatened. They are walking stiffly while pretending to be calm." He then pointed one of his larger arms towards me and held out a smaller hand to indicate the security personnel stationed at the edges of the room. "You walk like you are one of them."
I chuckled nervously. "Not today. I'm underdressed for that role." I gestured towards the guns and bladed weapons holstered on his body.
"Those wouldn't help you against us," he stated matter-of-factly.
I sighed. "I know, but it would against a human, and it's a comfort thing. I don't like feeling naked I'm armed."
As if on cue, my stomach growled, reminding me of the finger sandwiches I had been enjoying earlier. I grabbed another one from a nearby tray. Why did they make these so tiny?
"Curious," Zenthara's twin said, watching me intently. "What does that taste like?"
"Want some?" I offered, holding out the sandwich and searching for a mouth.
"No, we don't eat. I was just curious about the sense of taste. We have hearing, sight, touch, and chemoreceptors." He explained casually
"That last one sounds like it would be helpful for bob detection," I said, giving up on finding a mouth.
He looked around at the security guys. "And tracking..." he trailed off the way I did when I remembered something...unpleasant from my past lives.
I chewed thoughtfully for a moment before responding. "I guess it's like feeling with my tongue, but in color. Instead of just being pressured like my hands, it's a combination of several tastes—four or five, I think—that combine for the final effect. I guess your closest resemblance would be your chemoreceptors- I mean, your sense of smell."
"That makes sense," he nodded. "Do you think we are a threat?"
I exhaled, inhaled, and snapped my face towards his mid-chew, feeling the crumbs stick to the inside of my mouth as all the saliva vacated the premises. "I think everything is a threat. That keeps me alive." I managed to croak out candidly
"I am the same," Zenthara's twin admitted. "But I am restricted by my superiors in my actions."
I chuckled in spite of myself. "You and me both, buddy."
Zenthara's twin rose suddenly, his imposing figure towering over me again as he prepared to leave. I swallowed and blurted out, "What's your name?"
He turned and looked down at me, his five eyes focused on me again. "I don't have one. My title is Second. I never needed a name."
I shook my head, unwilling to accept that answer. "I'm not gonna call you Second. Zenthara isn't Picard. How about Duoborg?"
Zenthara's twin, now Duoborg, glanced at Zenthara and then back at me. "Doesn't that just mean second robot?" he asked. I could swear on a stack of Bibles that his voice tinged with amusement.
I smiled and shrugged. "I mean sorta. But it actually sounds like a name."
Duoborg shifted on his legs, the joints clicking softly as he adjusted his weight. "You do realize we are speaking for your benefit and comfort. We have our own languages."
I nodded with a smile, acknowledging our differences. "Yeah, I figured. But that doesn't make it less good." The connection had been made, however fleeting it might be, and that was enough for me.
Duoborg walked away, leaving me to drift toward the next conversation while waiting for the formal reception to begin.
Miles Perspective
And there I was, speaking in front of a crowd again. I couldn't help but think that I really needed to do something to get fired. Or demoted. Anything to avoid this nerve-wracking experience in the future. Maybe I could promote someone else to do the talking for me, like Sarah or another diplomat who could talk geek. But for now, I was stuck here, in front of a collection of Space Agencies administrators, diplomats, military personnel, and aliens.
My hands trembled as I fumbled with the projector equipment, my nerves getting the best of me. Isaac, the saint, walked up to me and helped me insert the flash drive into the projector, handing me the remote.
Then, without a word, he abandoned me!
The traitor!
With a deep breath, I clicked on the PowerPoint of questions we had come up with for the aliens. Facing the projector screen, I started talking, "So um...the first thing..." A voice from behind me interrupted, "Microphone." I turned to see Isaac and Sarah standing next to each other, giving me thumbs up. With a sheepish grin, I stumbled over to the microphone.
"Sorry. So yes. Um. The things we wanted to talk about from the engineering departments are Propulsion systems, Energy systems, Material Science." As I spoke, I drifted further away from the microphone with every bullet point, the words barely audible to those in the back. Realizing my error, I caught myself and turned, grabbing the microphone and repositioning it. Now facing the projector screen with my back to the crowd, I continued more calmly and composed, "Construction in space, Radiation shielding, Communication technologies, Integration of AI and advanced computing."
As I delivered each presentation topic, I tried my best to focus on the material and not let my nerves take over. I managed to get through the introduction.
I swallowed hard, turned to face the crowd again, and positioned the microphone comfortably. Taking a deep breath, I scanned the room again - my brain went blank. The faces of humans and aliens blurred into an indistinguishable mass of anticipation. Panic set in, and as much as I tried to remember what came next, my mind betrayed me.
"Help," I squeaked, searching for Isaac's familiar face among the crowd. He face-palmed at my distress, sighed, and walked up to me with a kindness that only a true friend could muster.
"Want to just face the screen again, click the next button, and focus on delivering your lines?" he whispered, loud enough for the microphone to pick it up.
"Yes," I said into the microphone, my voice cracking slightly. Isaac closed his eyes and suppressed a smile, then returned to his seat, leaving me to fend for myself once more.
I thought you were my friend!!!
I sighed into the mic, turned back to face the screen, and clicked the next button. "The first category is propulsion systems..."
Somehow, I managed to make it all the way through the presentation on autopilot. Thankfully, I didn't need to answer any questions, and as soon as the last slide went black, I turned to the audience, looking straight at the floor.
"Thank you for your attention," I said, my voice no longer quivering. Applause broke out in the room, and my cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
I waddled off the sage, somehow managing not to faceplant off the one step of the stage. With stiff legs, I waddled over to where Issac and Sarah were.
"See? You didn't need any help after all," Isaac whispered in my ear. He patted me on the back, and the next person made their way to the stage. But I knew better.
"Thanks, Isaac," I said quietly, grateful for his unwavering support.
Issac's Perspective
I couldn't help but feel sorry for Miles as he stumbled his way through his presentation. I had genuinely thought he would overcome his fear of public speaking and social anxiety after all the effort he'd put in back in college and after – dragging me along to countless toastmasters and training camps. But as he fumbled with the remote and stammered, it was clear that old habits die hard.
"Come on, you've got this," I whispered under my breath, willing him to find his stride.
By some miracle, he managed to complete his presentation, and though it wasn't pretty, it made a sort of sense. The whole goal of his speech wasn't to ask the aliens for help – that was already something Zenthara and Sarah's boss were discussing – but to set up an argument for why humanity should accept the generous offer the aliens presented. At least, that's how Sarah had explained it to me.
As Miles stepped off the stage, he walked over to me, and another engineer explained another topic. Miles was visibly relieved as he swayed, standing next to me and Sarah.
When it was my turn, I walked onto the stage and plugged in my thumb drive. My speech was going to be a lot simpler, focused on astronomy and exploring the stars of the sky with telescopes and math. Sarah gave my hand a reassuring smile, making me waver for a bit; from her unwavering confidence, she always seemed to have in my abilities.
"Good luck," she mouthed, her eyes warm and encouraging.
"Thank you for your attention," I began, scanning the faces in the room. "With our new neighbors here, we have answered a question that we've been asking and attempting to answer for a long time when we looked up at the night sky: are we alone? And now we know that we are not."
The room seemed to hold its breath as I clicked on the next slide. On-screen, a pixelated image of a solar system appeared. "Our current understanding of the stars is limited to telescopes, where an entire solar system is represented by just a few pixels in total." I gestured to the screen. "This is the best image we have of the Centauri system, taken with the most powerful telescopes we have. The entire solar system is represented by around 1000 pixels in total, with bright stars taking up the vast majority of those pixels."
I noticed Zenthara watching intently from the front row. "We're hoping that, with cooperation, we can view images like this," I said, clicking to the next slide, which showed a beautiful artist's rendering of what we imagined the solar system might look like.
That's when I noticed the robot moving erratically near Zenthara. It seemed almost...excited. "Oh! Can I show them, please?" it asked, running up to the imposing alien. Zenthara twitched and scuttled a bit in place. I might be imagining but it looked like a sign of irritation.
"You are being rude," Zenthara admonished before turning to me and raising to be my eye level on stage.
"Isaac Shepherd," Zenthara addressed me, "Nolivrex shares your profession. Would you permit him to join you on stage?"
Surprised, I glanced at Sarah and her boss, who both nodded encouragingly. "I'm...I mean...sure," I stammered.
"Thank you, Dr. Isaac Shepherd. I do appreciate this," Nolivrex said, bounding onto the stage with enthusiasm, his four arms swaying in a rhythmic pattern as he/she/it walked. I hadn't expected this behavior from a robot. "When we were in range, I cataloged the 'Centauri' System. as you called it." Nolivrex stepped in front of the projector screen, then moved aside and held out one of their four hands. A holographic image materialized next to the screen, far more detailed than anything we had.
My jaw dropped as I stared at the breathtaking images. The difference was astounding, like comparing a Pong to the latest Unreal Engine.
Nolivrex continued, "Your assumptions on rocky and gas planets were correct, though your count and size estimate were significantly off. Our sensors were also able to catalog a great number of details about the planets, record enough information about their orbit to extrapolate full motions of the body."
I blinked, trying to make sense of the information being shown. I didn't recognize the symbols, so I gut extrapolated that some of them were numbers and others letters.
I glanced around the crowd and noticed more than a few slacked jaws.
"Thank you for the help. Let's move on to the next slide," I said, clearing my throat and clicking the button on my remote. The image on the screen shifted to a pixelated representation of another solar system we had been studying. Nolivrex waved one of his hands, and a much clearer holographic image appeared next to it.
"Wow," I breathed, taking in the crisp details of the planets' surfaces that our primitive technology could never have captured. "This is incredible."
As we continued through the presentation, I couldn't help but feel a surge of nostalgia. This was reminiscent of when I first discovered my passion for astronomy during college, poring over grainy black-and-white images of distant stars and planets, trying to decipher their mysteries. And now, here I was, sharing that same wonder with an alien being.
Somehow, we finished the presentation together. I removed my thumb drive and I made my way toward Sarah. To my shock, Nolivrex followed me like an excited puppy.
"Unfortunately, our collection ends close to your solar system, maybe a few dozen light-years or so. And astronomy records weren't prioritized in the data storage," Nolivrex said, sounding genuinely regretful.
"Ah, well," I sighed, disappointed but grateful for what we had already seen. "Maybe we can collaborate on building something that can capture even more detailed images in the future."
Nolivrex's eyes seemed to light up at the suggestion. "That would be most interesting! I would love to work together on such a project."
"Me too," I agreed, smiling, reaching Miles and Sarah. Miles gave me a fist bump. Sarah gave me a hug. Letting go of my wife, I turned to find Nolivrex looming over me, his face level with mine.
"Dr. Shepherd," he said, "would it be possible for me to visit your office and discuss our potential collaboration further?"
"Of course!" I replied enthusiastically. "I'd be more than happy to have you over."
"Excellent," Nolivrex said, a note of excitement in his voice. "I look forward to our meeting. I will organize a time and date with Zenthara and ask him to pass along the communication through Gabriel Torres."
Sarah's Perspective
As the reception concluded, I could feel the energy in the room slowly dissipating. Mr. Torres approached me with a serious expression on his face. "Sarah, would you join me in talking to Zenthara?"
"Sure," I replied, slightly nervous about what might be discussed. I left Issac with Miles and followed Mr. Torres through the crowd towards Zenthara's towering form.
"Zenthara," Mr. Torres began as we reached her, "how was the reception for you?"
Zenthara looked down at us and squatted to be at eye level. "Yes, Gabriel. This was pleasant. We are happy to have 'broken bread' with you and your kind. Did we satisfy your goal of demonstrating our potential usefulness?"
Mr. Torres smiled warmly. "Yes, this was perfect. Especially Nolivrex's images – they were amazing."
Zenthara shifted, glancing at Nolivrex, who stood nearby. "That wasn't planned..." Zenthara admitted.
"It did humanize you, though," Mr. Torres said reassuringly. "Which was good. And our species always had a fascination with the stars, so seeing them in greater detail probably inspired and motivated more than a few people."
Zenthara shifted around and said, "I'm surprised that is what generated the peak of your interest. Not any of the other things we have discussed over chat communication."
Mr. Torres chuckled, then went serious. "One more thing that I received just before today's reception. We are ready to host the diplomatic meeting with the world leaders. Are you ready for that?"
Zenthara nodded. "Yes, the sooner the better. Just remember that the diplomatic reception should also be here."
"Of course," Mr. Torres agreed with a chuckle. "It will be held similarly to this. Do you have any requests?"
"No," Zenthara replied. "I have a clear proposal. I just need the leaders to hear it and present their people's opinions before voting on it. I assume you have forwarded all the documents to them?"
"Yes," Mr. Torres confirmed. "I have made sure that all your opinions and options are clear to them."
"Good," Zenthara said with a nod. "When will we have the meeting?"
"The earliest is in three days," Mr. Torres replied. "It will take a few days to coordinate all the transportation."
"Good. Please let me know the exact details when you have them."
As Mr. Torres and Zenthara continued discussing the upcoming meeting, my mind wondered to thinking of the world before zeroing in on thinking about my husband and kids. I stole a glance at Issac and saw him staring at me with sadness in his eyes.
Zenthara's Perspective
After the reception was over, I walked beside Nolivrex, who seemed to be overflowing with excitement as we made our way to the ground vehicles. "Zenthara," he chattered, "I want to have a meeting with Dr. Miles Abraham Nelson and Dr. Issac Shepherd. It will be an amazing conversation. I want to volunteer to discuss our understanding of cosmology and astronomy with them."
"Enough," I signaled my irritation, cutting him off mid-sentence. He fell silent, and I continued over the coms, "You are in public. Act accordingly." After a few seconds, I asked by coms, "Why do you want to have a conversation with them?"
Through the coms, Nolivrex responded, "I don't have much opportunity to share my passion for astronomy with my people. Even from my own type, there are few who are interested in stars. So I find it pleasant to talk about these things with the humans who are as passionate about it as me and the biologicals of my parent race."
All of my people loaded up on the ground vehicles, and the humans started driving us back to our ship.
My Second and I were walking next to the ground vehicles now. I contemplated Nolivrex's request as we reached our destination. "You have my permission," I told him, "but follow all protocols and limit your information share to the pre-established boundaries. Purge any information that would risk compromise before going to the meeting."
"Thank you, Zenthara," Nolivrex signaled his excitement, practically vibrating with anticipation. "I am grateful and will fulfill your directive."
As soon as my Second and I walked into the ship, barely having crossed the threshold and significantly before reaching the command center, I received a message demanding my presence in the high council. I cycled through every expression of annoyance I had available to me, earning amused glances from The Mind and my Second.
Upon entering the command center, I went straight to my station, disconnecting my optical sensors and logging into the high council virtual room. The room was empty, save for the Governors. They summoned me to the center as soon as I appeared.
"Zenthara," one of them said in a stern tone, "please report."
"Everything is fine," I said, not bothering to hide my irritation as I relayed the data from the reception. "We were able to share very simple information. Gabriel claimed it would ingratiate us in the eyes of the humans."
As the governors reviewed the report for a few processing cycles, I took a moment to process the events that had unfolded, just to make sure everything was good.
One by one, the governors acknowledged the completion of their review, their expressions unreadable behind their stoic faces. "Do you have anything to add?" asked the lead governor, his tone clipped and cold.
I couldn't help but signal my irritation again. Was there no end to their scrutiny? "Just that I gave Nolivrex permission for personal communication with two humans," I said firmly. "And before you say anything, I've already instructed him to follow the standard rules and limitations. Stop micromanaging me and my team. Or I will cut communication and only appear at my pleasure."
Fear rippled through the room, though the governors tried to hide it. They exchanged glances, but none dared to challenge me further. After a few tense seconds, the lead governor finally spoke up. "I trust your judgment, Zenthara. If you think this is the right choice, then let us go with your decision."
"Thank you," I replied tersely, wanting nothing more than to be done with this meeting. But before logging out, I needed to ask them about something else. "Did anything come through the FTL buoys?"
The governors' faces transformed into a mix of emotions – surprise, relief, perhaps even a smidge of worry. They passed along a file with data from the buoys we had set up as we flew into the heliosphere. I reviewed the information quickly.
"So, the test signal is returning, but we haven't received any messages or summons?" I asked, seeking clarification.
"That is correct," confirmed one of the governors.
I mulled over the data one last time and sighed. "That is probably for the best."
As I reconnected my optical sensors, the command center came back into focus. My Second gave me a sympathetic signal, no doubt having caught a glimpse of my frustration from the meeting.
The following is a transcript from the Tech Blog and Chanel of "Gizmo Geeks with Gary"
It was published the same day the reception was to be held, before the recording was made public.
[Opening Graphic: Gizmo Geeks with Gary Logo]
[Cut to Gary in his tech-themed studio, surrounded by various gadgets and a large monitor displaying a galaxy.]
Gary:
"Hey there, Gizmo Geeks! It's Gary here, and boy, do we have an electrifying episode today! Strap in, because we're about to embark on a speculative journey into the not-so-distant future, thanks to our newfound friends from the stars. That's right, I'm talking aliens, folks!"
[Cut to an artist's rendition of a handshake between a human and an alien.]
Gary:
"Let's kick things off with a bang - propulsion systems. Now, imagine this: what if traveling to Mars was as easy as a flight from New York to London? With alien propulsion tech, the stars might not be so far away anymore. I mean, think about the possibilities here! Interstellar road trips could become the new summer vacation. We did watch them coast into the solar system in under 2 years."
[Cut to a CGI sequence of a spaceship zipping through space.]
Gary:
"Now, onto energy systems. Picture a world where your phone never dies, cars run without a hitch, and clean power lights up our cities. Sounds like a dream, right? Well, with a little help from our extraterrestrial pals, we might just be looking at a future free from the chains of dead batteries and endless charging cables."
[Cut to visuals of futuristic energy sources and devices.]
Gary:
"Materials science, folks, is where it gets even crazier. Imagine clothes that heal themselves, or buildings that can withstand any disaster mother nature throws at us. Alien tech could bring about materials that seem to have superpowers, transforming our world in ways we can barely begin to comprehend."
[Cut to animations of advanced materials in action.]
Gary:
"Building in space? Now that's a frontier we've all dreamed of conquering. With alien insights, the moon, Mars, or even asteroids could become our new neighborhoods. Heck, space hotels might just be the next big thing in luxury vacations!"
[Cut to visuals of space construction and habitats.]
Gary:
"Radiation shielding - this one's a big deal for space travel. The cosmos is a beautiful but deadly place, thanks to all that radiation floating around. Alien tech might just offer us the shield we need to explore deeper into space without turning into a human microwave."
[Cut to an infographic on cosmic radiation and alien shielding.]
Gary:
"And let's talk communication. With alien tech, we could be looking at breaking the barriers of distance like never before. Instantaneous communication across light-years? It's a possibility that could change the very fabric of human connection."
[Cut to visuals of futuristic communication devices with a pinaple logo on it.]
Gary:
"Finally, the integration of AI and computing into our daily lives could leap forward by light-years. We're talking about AI that could revolutionize how we live, learn, and even love. The future's looking bright, and it's not just because of the new LED bulbs I installed."
[Cut back to Gary, full of enthusiasm.]
Gary:
"So there you have it, Gizmo Geeks. The arrival of aliens could herald a new era of technological wonders, making today's cutting-edge tech look like stone tools. And while we're still in the realm of speculation, one thing's for certain - we're standing on the brink of a whole new world of possibilities."
[Cut to Gary, grinning widely.]
Gary:
"Don't forget to hit that like button, share this video with all your geeky friends, and subscribe to Gizmo Geeks with Gary for more tech-tastic updates. Until next time, keep your eyes on the skies, and stay curious!"
[Outro Graphic: Gizmo Geeks with Gary Logo]
[End of Video]
The following is taken from an astronomy forum "AstronomyEnthusiastsOnline Forum Post"
IssacTheStarGazer: Hey everyone! Just had the most mind-blowing experience at the recent reception with our visitors from the stars. Got a sneak peek at the Centauri system in a level of detailwe'vee never seen before - and I mean never.We'ree talking about clear images of the planets, their orbits, and even hints of their atmospheric composition.
StarWatcher101: 😮That'ss incredible, Issac! Ican'tt even imagine what thatmust'vee been like. Seeing the Centauri system in such detail is literally everyastronomer'ss dream.
CosmicCuriosity: So jealous right now! 🤩 Did you get to see it in person, or was it through some kind of advanced telescope they brought with them?
IssacTheStarGazer: It was a holographic display brought by one of the aliens, Nolivrex. The clarity and depth of the data were unlike anythingI'vee worked with before. I couldn't read it, but it looked awesom. It felt like I was right there in the system, observing everything up close.
NebulaNerd: This is HUGE! Any chance we can get our hands on that data? Or at least see the images?
IssacTheStarGazer: Definitely!I'mm planning to sit down with Nolivrex again soon to go through the details.They'vee agreed to share some of their findings with us. And the best part? The recording of our meeting, including those Centauri system details, will be published in the next day or so. No later than three days, I promise.
GalacticGeek: This is beyond exciting! 🌌Can'tt wait to see it. Thanks for sharing this with us, Issac.It'ss not every day we get such direct insight into the cosmos from a whole new perspective.
IssacTheStarGazer: Happy to share! Stay tuned, andI'lll make sure to post an update as soon as the recording is live. This is a big step forward for us all, andI'mm thrilled to be a part of it. Keep looking up, folks!
[End of Thread]