Zirick Cooperative, western sector of the standard starmap, a border system.
The Cooperative's science ship hung quietly on one side of the star. On the other side sat a black-and-red science ship.
Space was silent, yet the faster-than-light communications bands were flooded with immense streams of data.
Both sides sent vast amounts of information to each other.
They had remained there for a long time, each attempting to decipher the other's language.
Today was the day their efforts bore fruit. The language-deciphering team, composed of sociologists, had fully decoded the language used by the unidentified alien empire opposite them. New translation software would be transmitted to the science ship to facilitate communication.
The Zirick birdfolk, whose brown feathers felt superb to the touch, finally finished downloading the translation software and loaded it into the science ship's communications channel.
First, they sent the translation software to the unidentified empire's science ship, hoping to demonstrate their own empire's technological superiority, just as the M'tok had first contacted humanity in the human language.
Then the Zirick science ship sent a greeting.
{Zirick Cooperative: Greetings, aliens. Respect and cooperation are the foundations of friendship. We hope you will not interfere with our government.}
The alien empire opposite them was unfriendly, so the Zirick greeting was laden with hostility as well.
Yet the black-and-red science ship remained motionless, and no transmission came from it.
Refusing to give up, the Zirick sent another message.
{Zirick Cooperative: Hello. Please respond if you receive this. Don't play dead. Such petty tricks aren't amusing.}
Once again, the message disappeared into the void.
Could there be something wrong with our translation software? Puzzled, the science ship's crew sent an inquiry to their homeworld. The researchers at the Academy of Sciences angrily told them not to question the translation software they