They called themselves "Noi."
This seemed to be the name of the planet beneath their feet, as well as the name they used for their own people. In fact, the Star Resolvers did not even know whether they had pronounced the word correctly, and could only use this unusual term as a temporary designation for the "alien civilization."
According to the Noi, they had been broadcasting signals into deep space for a full fourteen hundred years. This lengthy endeavor had spanned two dynasties and the lifetimes of many Noi people, and had now become an almost institutional practice, deeply ingrained in the workings of their society.
This mysterious alien civilization was even more forthright and easier to communicate with than people had imagined—though perhaps, as they claimed, time really was running out, and they had no other choice.
In Cecil City, Gawain sat behind his desk, following the progress of the entire affair. Before him, a Holographic Projection displayed real-time footage from the Sorin Command Center, while the interstellar communication spanning light-years was continuously translated by the Star Resolvers behind the scenes and relayed to him in real time. The most nerve-racking and unpredictable stage, the "initial conversation," seemed to have passed safely. The experts at the front were now transmitting their carefully prepared introductions and communication materials according to plan, while all sorts of information about this mysterious "alien civilization" continued arriving from the other side.
"They seem to have known about the existence of the Magic Tide for a very, very long time. They even vaguely understand the truth behind this celestial-scale disaster," Amber said as she watched the printer continuously spit out sheets of paper, then looked up at Gawain. "They mentioned a 'Pioneer Civilization.' That civilization left them prophecies about the disaster and a great deal