NOVEL NEXT Chapter 716 Speculation Amidst Silence
Chapter 716 Speculation Amidst Silence
Outer space.
In the ship’s control room, an air of tense silence prevailed as they awaited a response from the other side.
Half an hour passed without a reply. Then an hour, three hours, and finally five hours went by with no indication of contact from the Visitors.
“Is it possible that our assumption about their understanding of binary was flawed, or are they simply ignoring us?” the captain wondered aloud, his concern growing with each minute of silence.
“Should we consider shifting to another means of communication?” the vice captain inquired, glancing at the captain as the waiting game continued.
The empire, known for its meticulous planning and preparation, always ensured they had multiple backup plans when dealing with significant situations like first contact with extraterrestrial civilizations. In this case, they had more than just one method of communication, anticipating the possibility that their initial approach might not be effective.
“Not yet. We will continue monitoring for three days, and if there’s no response by then, we’ll move to the next step,” the captain said before refocusing on the data collected by the ship's sensors.
As he reviewed the information, he paid particular attention to one detail: the active engines, specifically those facing their side. These engines emitted a small amount of mana, indicating that they were either partially or fully powered by mana.
Additionally, since visual monitoring began, none of the engines had been turned off. Instead, their intensities had fluctuated, which negated the initial assumption that the engines were there to protect against potential hazards. The current location was relatively clear of asteroids and debris, making this explanation unlikely.
“But why are they maintaining exact coordinates?” he wondered aloud, hoping that the question might trigger a response from the control room or the ship’s AI if one was available.
The ship seemed to be using its engines to maintain exact coordinates relative to the galaxy's rotation, with a deviation of only a few meters. Given the ship's massive diameter of a thousand kilometers, this level of precision was unusual and implied a highly controlled positional maintenance. Such meticulous accuracy seemed unnecessary unless there was a specific reason for it.
The ship's AI responded, outlining several potential reasons for the activity: {There could be a few explanations for this behavior. They might be gathering coordinates and calibrating their sensitive equipment, mapping the area, or their species might have specific requirements for remaining still. These are the possibilities we can infer at this moment, and additional reasons might become apparent as we continue to monitor them.}
The captain, seeking clarity, inquired, "Mapping for what purpose? What are they gathering coordinates for?"
{If our theories about space travel are correct, then the coordinate collection could be related to hyperspace lane mapping or navigation, which requires extremely precise data. However, this is based on our current research on hyperspace, which has not yet yielded conclusive results, that is one of the many reasons they might need accurate coordinates,} the AI responded,
The captain, considering the implications, said, "If what you're suggesting is true, allowing them to continue could be problematic for us. It might explain their delay in responding to us." He paused, deep in thought, then continued, "But this is all based on our limited understanding. We can't use this as a justification for taking action against them, as it might be a misunderstanding and could lead to unnecessary conflict." He made sure to voice his reasoning clearly, so everyone in the room understood his perspective and was not swayed by purely negative assumptions.
“But we can’t remain too passive. Move 20 light-seconds closer and observe their reaction,” the captain ordered, directing the ship to make the maneuver in an attempt to provoke a response from the object.
The control room members promptly responded to the captain's order, and the engines roared to life, propelling the ship steadily closer to the object.
As the ship crossed the five-second light-distance mark without any response from the other side, the captain muttered, “Come on, do something,” in a low voice, audible only to himself and the AI.
The silence persisted as the ship closed the ten-light-second distance, further suggesting that the object might be buying time.
However, when they reached a distance of fifteen light seconds, the stillness was broken. The other side finally responded by repeating the same message they had been broadcasting.
“Stop,” the captain commanded as soon as the AI reported that the other side had responded.
{They sent two similar responses: one through the same means we did and another via mana. They might be testing our development in mana or assessing our ability to detect the difference. It also seems like they used this time to prepare equipment for sending the conventional response.} The AI provided this analysis as the ship came to a full stop.
Why do you think that is?” the captain inquired.
{The conventional response is about 22 centimeters thick, which could indicate calibration issues, that they’re using the signal for the first time, or that they’re testing our ability to detect differences. The mana transmission was sent after the initial response, possibly as a backup or another test.}
“We don’t have time for this speculation,” the captain said firmly. “Stick to the protocol and use this opportunity to develop a basic communication language with them. Respond using conventional means—we don’t need to play their game or follow their rules.”
{Understood. I’ll get to work on that. It will take a few hours, depending on how quickly their AI responds.} The AI acknowledged and began the task.
Thus, the rapid exchange of communication between the two sides began, with the only limitation being the speed at which signals could travel. Both AIs appeared to be sufficiently fast, meaning the primary constraint was the signal transmission speed rather than any lag in processing on either side.
“I hope you’re not just buying time,” the captain muttered as he reviewed the exchanged information being used to establish communication between the two sides.