Quoted By:
“It is still difficult for me to judge their facial expressions. There is no biological homology between us – no shared past to reference as a source of common ground.
But when I choose to accept the distress call, I am confident that I can recognize surprise. The alien jerks up before bending forward, bringing its silvery-black eye-pits closer to its display. Translucent skin flashes pale green, tracing a mantle piece crowned with minimalistic status-markings.
I know this one. Both the vessel and the alien captain. We had chosen to spare its transport ship during our attack on MIZAR-V-A. Now, the vessel is drifting – crippled by a chance micrometeorite impact that had cored its drive column lengthwise. Through the RAIN’s infrared display, I can see the temperature of its habitation compartments tick downwards as the void began to steal away life-sustaining heat.
I knew that the vessel would never reach its home world. There were no other ships here. And in two hours, even the RAIN would outpace the range of her failing comm array.
The alien fixes its eyes forward. I see suppressed bursts of color. Sadness. Frustration. But no fear
.
A transliteration crawls down the display.
“Know that this individual/lineage has failed to return/perish with the rest of its lineage.”
“Know that this individual wishes to present your lineage with a query before it perishes.”
The color trails off for a few seconds before resuming.
“What would your species/lineage have done? If you had known everything we knew, and we had not?”
- [UNSIGNED], EXECUTIVE AUDITOR, TRS NOVEMBER RAIN, AD. 2242, DECEMBER 5th, PERSONAL JOURNAL
> DISCONNECT. End the interaction.
> PEACE. We would have attempted to seek peace, even if we had known the risks.
> WAR. We would have pursued war, but war does not equate to extermination.
> EXTERMINATION. We would have struck first and left no survivors.
> DEFIANCE. We would have found a way out.
> [WRITE-IN]
