First-Contact
Indoraptor Year 1263, February, onboard the Union Navy Vessel (UNV) Coelacanth...
"Comms Officer, have you translated the unknown language? Be sure to avoid mistakes in grammar, phonetics, and intonation. I want to be sure that these aliens are indeed harmless."
"Affirmative, Admiral."
"Good. Tell the aliens to come where we wanted them to. Once they arrive, open communication channels. I'll handle the welcoming part."
"Understood, sir. Shall I record the whole conversation?"
"Yes. The Prime Minister will want to hear their language firsthand."
Admiral Kalini Ender held his breath and growl. Approximately twenty-four hours ago, the Union was contacted by an alien society, much to the Union citizen's confusion and worry. For unknown reasons, said unidentified aliens also included a crude form of translation software that allowed the Union's researchers to extrapolate a simplified meaning of the message they'd sent.
If the translated message was correct, the first-contact message read "Greetings. We, the sender of this message, is known as the Aviren species from the Polity of Laritem. We hail from a planet named Laritem. Are you a friendly civilization or not?"
Whoever sent it must be a xenophile race, the minor Ministers deduced, judging from the message's cordial tone. One that was committed to societal understanding and cooperation.
Their statement generated a new theory as to why the Indoraptors hadn't found other forms of civilizations yet; from the cordial and polite tone of the message, the senders appeared to be cautious about first-contact scenarios, unquestionably not desiring hostility of any kind. Perhaps they feared the prospect of inviting unfriendly entities into their space? Very likely, according to fringe theorists.
Decades ago, such theorists and their 'unscientific' notions would be ignored, but with the emergence of the alien message, their speculation on alien societies performing self-imposed isolation sounded more plausible than the concept of 'Fermi Paradox' that some scientists uncovered from the human archives. A concept which stated that space was empty because there was no intelligent life at all out there.
The appointed translators had put into words an equally polite answer to respond to the Aviren's message. It read "To the Avirens, we Indoraptors of planet Terra Prima would like to greet you as equals. Do you desire a friendly contact and diplomatic association with us?"
And so a plan was formulated to request the aliens to send a ship or two to serve as their first-contact ambassadors. The Indoraptors would send theirs too, as well as two translators working along with the ambassadors, plus two destroyer-class ships, the UNV Carnotaur and the UNV Hyenadon as escorts. The idea was, if everything went smoothly without any hostilities done, the aliens would be permitted to land on the homeworld and initiate communication. But should there be aggression, the aliens would be given three ultimatums to abandon Union-controlled space at once; failure to comply would result in the aliens getting arrested or blown apart with their ships.
First things first, the linguists had to perfect the rudimentary translation software that the aliens provided before.
The meeting was scheduled in the Zulu system, a star system that lacked habitable planets due to all celestial bodies there being hot steamy planets and gas giants. Thanks to the abundance of resources in the system, especially rare metals and Helium-3 for starship fuel, a frontier outpost was constructed to secure the valuable properties.
Admiral Ender took the opportunity to directly welcome the unknown civilization by staying onboard the UNV Coelacanth, all the while maintaining a stable internet connection with Adar Flam spaceport; no doubt the other officials remaining on the station would want to witness it too. Such enthusiasm was warranted since a true meeting with extraterrestrials would be written in history books as the most extraordinary event ever in the Union's history.
"Comms, what time is it now?" Ender asked.
"0900, sir, if our calculation is correct, the Aviren diplomats will arrive in the system in fifteen minutes or less," the officer replied.
"Very well. Did our scientists found anything about the aliens' FTL capacity, government type, and the like?"
"It appears that they possess the same kind of FTL drive as ours, sir. Their political system seems to be a form of materialistic oligarchy. As for the rest, the lab boys did not release any more information," the officer replied as he displayed some data on his computer. The anxious admiral stepped closer to examine the information.
"An oligarchy, with a 'House of Governors' ruled by several political parties?" the Comms Officer nodded at the admiral's question.
The subsequent pause was quickly interrupted by warp energy detection via the ship's long-range scanners. That could only mean one thing; their first-contact scenario was about to happen soon.
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Indoraptor Year 1263, March, Earth...
Seated in front of the living room's television alongside his parents, Raizex raptly paid attention to everything the TV announcer reported on the Union's major first-contact scenario.
That's right, a very special and world-changing event where the Indoraptors experienced something far beyond their human makers' imagination. They actually encountered aliens! Raizex could only imagine that the long-gone humans could do nothing but feel envious.
"Are you seeing this, dad?"
"I am, and what timing it is!" Farrell smirked, "I thought I'd be swamped in my work schedule on Graniva, but as it turned out, my Institute Master gave me three weeks off until I take flight to the colonies again."
Two-legged avians in rich red feathers and short, crested beaks referred to themselves as 'Avirens' as they walked out of their space ships and introduced themselves in front of the thrilled journalists and ambassadors. They originated from a dry savanna planet some 36.9 light-years away called Laritem, where frequent volcanic activity gave rise to tropical islands more verdant than Lemuria's jungles.
After making their landing in Washington, America, the Prime Minister and his diplomats and translators greeted the red birds, making sure to remain respectful but also cautious as to how the aliens behave. The aliens in turn cheerily gave their salute. Their language seemed fast-paced, but to accommodate their interaction with the Indoraptors, the aliens slowed their speech to a more manageable level.
"I'm glad they let you back home, son." his mother said, still watching the breaking news.
"What? It's not like I requested it. The other 'greens' were given some free time, too." the young dinosaur shrugged; of course he was not expecting to have his homecoming day handed over so early in his service history.
"Either because the Prime Minister wishes for everyone to witness this, or... because Admiral Ender wanted you to be safe."
"Wait, what? You know him?" Raizex looked at his mother with disbelieving eyes.
"Oh yes, we do. We're not close friends, but we do have a good relationship with him. In fact, he's secretly mailed us your assessment file, and from his private e-mail he sent us a day later, your superior is sufficiently pleased to have you under his wing. You know how dangerous your line of work is," Farrell answered nonchalantly, his eyes wandered from the TV for a while.
The confused Raizex chose to shut his mouth from asking more questions. Minutes later, an interview with an Aviren ambassador was aired on TV.
"Thank you for joining the conference, ladies and gentlemen, and thank you very much to Ambassador Xilan of the Polity of Laritem for your presence here. It's an honor," the Union's diplomat, Kieran Zerrith opened the session.
"Likewise, Diplomat Zerrith. I am very glad that our first interaction is done diplomatically and courteously. My people are very interested to initiate peaceful interaction with the Union." Ambassador Xilan replied, using his gadget to translate the Aviren's primary language, Vasilis, into the human English language.
"For the purpose of this interview, you may refer to me using Kieran." the diplomat offered. Ambassador Xilan caught on quickly with the new culture.
"Ah, I see. Is using people's first name an accepted tradition among your people? We Avirens usually refer to people by mentioning their occupation title first, followed by their last name. The first-name basis is usually done in family interaction."
"I see. In our non-formal activities, we do use the first name to call people. Although our interview today is... very formal, to say the least, I would be happy to lessen the tension by generating a laid-back atmosphere, despite the Union's public norms dictating that last-name basis is the norm of formal meetings."
"Very well, you are truly gracious, I suppose. From my observation, you are willing to conduct conversations while performing things to make it feel approachable, such as using first-names when talking and presenting drinks, it seems." the ambassador noted as he saw two Indoraptors brought him and Diplomat Kieran two cups of warm beverages. The Indoraptor nodded in eagerness.
"Yes. During our earlier interaction before this meeting, your government has shared your genetic structure with our scientific community, allowing us to determine what foods and drinks are safe for your consumption, and we are 100% certain that you are able to consume these with no danger. Now, what we have here is called 'tea', an herbal plant grown on mountainous regions. We used them to make beverages and traditional medicines," the diplomat described the drinks to the fascinated alien, The audience was unsure if the Aviren found it interesting or disgusting, but they paid close attention all the same.
The diplomat patiently watched as the alien ambassador tasted the tea a bit, "My, I am impressed! While the drink is earthly brown in color, it does have a pleasing taste and aroma. I never thought you'd indulge me in culinary diplomacy."
The audience laughed.
"Eh, that's correct, but... while talks about politics, ideology, and national culture are more preferable than this, the majority of our people believed that, by introducing your people to mundane things like our traditional beverages, your people won't feel intimidated by our presence or our space navy. We may be naturally suitable for battles and such, but we can be resourceful and inquisitive in science and philosophy at times. As of now, let us interact in the spirit of cooperation."
"Ah, yes. I've seen how much more advanced you are compared to the Polity," Ambassador Xilan shifted slightly. Raizex could see how the red avian glanced back and forth between the diplomat and the surrounding audience.
"I assume that you're… uncomfortable?"
"More like worried that I somehow made a wrong first impression on your people."
"Don't worry, ambassador. You haven't done any wrongdoing. We aren't going to berate your people for that," Kieran gently assured the ambassador.
"Thank you for your… kind words."
As Raizex excused himself to fetch a glass of water, Anna changed the TV channel to other programs; almost all of them aired the interview with Ambassador Xilan to a certain degree as both he and the diplomat continued with other topics. Some had the interview aired without commentary, while some others had spectators voicing their opinions from the safety of their studio rooms. The old female Indoraptor knew the talk would be aired until late night.
"If you want, you can turn the TV off. I have to finish some paperwork for my Institute Master, anyway," Raizex's dad spoke up just as he returned to his previous seat.
"Sure, sure, but remember to buy little Raizex a new set of uniforms tomorrow," his mother chimed in, "We can talk about the Avirens later, but let's not veer into politics, since I can't stand it."
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Sylvon Year 2192 (Indoraptor Year 1263), March, planet Akantorin...
The two Sylvons, Councilor Astrax and the spy mistress, once again stood in the female's private office room, observing the hacked live vid broadcasting the Polity of Laritem's peaceful first-contact encounter with the Indoraptor Union.
Normally, they'd disregard any news coming from the Polity space since they already had quite some spies tapping into their satellites, but with the two civilizations slowly paving their way into a solid and mutual relationship, the future of the Sylvon's government was in a crossroad. What the Council of Elders wanted was to bring the Avirens into subservience and trick the Indoraptors into waging a war against the Human Republic of Earth. This first-contact event between the Union and the Polity dictated the Council to alter their schemes.
"What do you make of this?"
"Personally, councilor? I think attracting the Polity into our side would prove difficult in the coming years. Remember, we still have the Human Republic to contend with. We can't struggle against a two-front conflict."
"Who says anything about a struggle?"
"There's always a chance of an open confrontation with either of them… and we are not ready yet," the female Sylvon hissed.
To be honest, Councilor Astrax had never seen the usually stoic spy mistress becoming upset like this. But true to her personality, the spy mistress shook her head, took some deep breaths, and returned to her previous passive expression. The councilor curled his cranial tentacles, unsure if her preceding outburst was real or not.
"I can have the commodores send their best scout ships to monitor the latest development from up close, as I originally proposed."
The spy mistress caressed her tentacles as she considered the offer, "Can they do it from around the Union's frontier systems instead of entering their space outright?" she muted the vid before turning to face the male Sylvon, "Not to disturb their outposts, that's for sure. They must find out how many strategic star systems the Union hold and which one has the least amount of patrols. If the conditions are right, we can use the momentum to send in our ambassadors and initiate nonviolent first-contact while my agents try to hack the Union's network servers." In her mind, the spy mistress was certain the Union might be keeping something special in their pockets. They had to know if there's anything the Silver Blade organization and the Council of Elders could exploit.
Should the Union's Admiralty Board noticed something out of ordinary, Councilor Astrax could shift the blame onto any group opposing the Sylvon's central government.
"It may take some time, but I'll see to it."
"And lastly, pretend as if you don't know anything. Don't let the opposition to snoop around too much," unsaid in her sentence was a bit of advice to have anyone who knew too much to be silenced.
Astrax didn't like how things turned out, but knowing that they'd be in greater danger if inaction was chosen, he needed to have accidents engineered to get rid of possible pro-alien factions within the Council.
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EXTRACTING SPECIES PROFILE: AVIREN
Species Name: Aviren
Scientific Name: Ignis avus vermiculo
Classification: Avian
Homeworld: Laritem, Nira system
Preferable Habitats: Tropical and Savanna
Lifespan: ~85 years
Length: 1.5 - 1.7 meters
Height: 1.65 - 1.83 meters
Weight: ~40 kilograms
Diet: Omnivore
Locomotion: Bipedal
Ethics: Xenophile, materialistic, Individualistic
Special Attributes: Thrifty, intelligent, possessing short but muscular necks, being resistant to most diseases and fatigue, fairly xenophilic, and higher-than-average IQ.
Overview:
The bird-like Avirens thrived well in their semi-arid homeworld, where volcanic eruptions had given rise to dry yet bountiful plains and lush archipelagos for over three millennia. A long time ago, big powerful Avirens once thrived at the feet of those volcanoes. Taking advantage of their hot and humid world, the Avirens developed tough musculature that was resistant to heat, protecting them when traversing volcanic hollows and peaks. This way of life persisted for seven hundred years until their equivalent of the Renaissance Age, where they slowly learned how to create new substances like plastic, alloy, and glass.
During their 'Iron Age' and 'Medieval Age', physical prowess was one of the most defining traits of ancient Avirens.
Laritem is perhaps twice bigger than Earth, it is also more prone to tectonic shifts. Almost every tectonic shift on Laritem resulted in volcanic eruptions, but once or twice a tsunami may occur as well. These disasters often transpire near coastal areas, therefore the Avirens tend to build their civilization in valleys and hills, protected from natural disasters until the time came when the planet's tectonic plates calmed down.
As they slowly began to enter more modern ages, the Avirens who used to mine and carry minerals from the ground were replaced by drones and robots. As a result, these avians lost their physical aptitude and eventually left the dry valley of volcanic regions to live in rainforests and prairies, where they adapted into omnivorous dietary. Their primary occupation also changed, from mining minerals and manufacturing metallic tools to farming and architecture. A century before they completed their first spaceship saw a resurging interest to renew their manufacturing, although the modern Avirens are no longer as tough as their ancestors used to be.
Unlike Indoraptors that can switch between two-legged and quadruped stances, Avirens are fully bipedal. It should be noted that the modern ones have longer and more slender legs than their ancestors; this is important since they have to waddle through wetlands and cross open grounds quickly to get to wherever they needed to go. Their preference to travel on foot persisted even after public vehicles were mass-produced, likely because of their resistance to illness and fatigue.
As education and civil rights developed from Year 1578 to Year 1711, and then a second Renaissance surged from Year 1750 up to Year 2010, the Avirens slowly transformed their government system from feudalism to oligarchy, ruled by a small handful of political parties. As they entered the space exploration age, this oligarchic government eventually birthed the Polity of Laritem. Their society centers itself mostly on mercantilism and academic pursuits.
The Polity's spread to space was still fairly limited, as they only established several mining stations on gas giants and asteroids in their star systems. The two space stations orbiting the Nira system are representing only 20 percent of their total population (approximately 13 billion people as of 2210).
