The Forerunners, as they would someday be known, had traveled the stars since before the Sol system had even formed. They had advanced from a civilization bound to a single world, yet now traveled even across the gulf between galaxies.
They were advanced enough that nothing seemed beyond their power, but a civilization will always strike a plateau at some point in it's development if it remained without contact with others.
The Forerunners had often wondered if they were less or more advanced than their peers, and some even thought that their lack of encounters with others meant that those peers were so beyond them as to be able to remain undetected.
As the eons passed and sensors were raised to levels that could peer through nebulae in the neighboring galactic cluster, this idea seemed ever more unlikely.
The Forerunners grew tired of never encountering any others. They had never once encountered life that originated from beyond their home system, not even the smallest microbe.
After many millennia of debate, for time is meaningless to immortals, it was decided that if there was no life beyond their own, then it was up to them to create it. Even if this new life would be as children to them, children can dream of things beyond their parents imagination at times.
The Forerunners would have been preparing this unassuming planet for the seeds of life soon, yet they had found something... new.
Something that was not created by them.
Word spread at speeds inconceivable to mankind, relayed across the unremarkable Milky Way galaxy in moments. The galactic cluster was soon in an uproar, most thinking it some sort of hoax.
Ships from a million worlds were soon speeding to disprove this impossible story.
For it was impossible: they had proved their uniqueness amongst the whole of explored space. Some flimsy energy reading of an unknown type of atmospheric converter and barrier could hardly be proof of anything.
Ten life signs of an unknown species, ludicrous, the ship on site must simply have faulty sensors.
But... what if it was true? It could reshape their very understanding of the universe.
Were these people who had concealed themselves for millions of years? Perhaps some equipment failure finally disrupting their cloaking technology when they were being watched?
Were they simply a Forerunner's experiment that was unreported and discovered while it was away?
Perhaps these were even travelers from the distant future? Bah, their own scientists had spent millions of years on that subject and seemed to only inch forward.
If these were a different race how should they act?
No one could know what their customs might be; there existed no possible point of reference.
What if they interpreted the Forerunner's as a threat? The Forerunners could hardly destroy what they had searched for for so long.
Should they simply observe from orbit? Perhaps building a space station of some sort? Would these people notice if they did and view it as a hostile act?
Should they attempt contact, hoping for pictures to be enough to communicate, or that their long unused translator constructs might somehow interpret the language?
Perhaps they could even bring them aboard a ship for more direct study, regardless of it almost undoubtedly being viewed as a hostile act?
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(Posted Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:54)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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