The Event
More space opera shenanigans! This time 850 words that answer a question that close readers of the Deep Patrol stories might have; namely...
What Was The Event?
Some call The Event the end of human history; others the start of it. The Event was, amongst other things, first contact with one or more alien species. In any case, in early 2042 the planet Minerva made its appearance in the Solar System. As might be expected this caused some panic, several religious revivals, a revolution in Albania, and the various space-going nations to grudgingly co-operate in sending expeditions to the body.
The planet was of approximately Earth-size and although in a wider orbit, thick coverings of clouds and a strong greenhouse effect made it close to the same temperature. Spectrometers showed free oxygen in the atmosphere. With partial views of the green land masses and the radio signals emitting from the surface it was clear that it was life-bearing.
Most of the radio signals were coded and incomprehensible. Some seemed to be in unknown languages. A handful could be understood; children’s stories in Latin, numbers in Proto-Indo-European, music with classical Chinese lyrics.
Within hours of their arrival messages were beamed back and forth. Interplanetary communication is difficult without dedicated equipment; with a babble of a hundred different stations in a score of languages trying to compete with each other it was chaos.
Some stations were nonsense, strings of words bereft of meaning. Some were messages of welcome, invitations to visit. Some were warnings to leave the new planet alone. Others attempted to ask questions, many of which made no sense, or answered Earth questions in strange ways. One began to broadcast a hymn to Minerva that never quite repeated itself despite eternally chanting in Latin; it was this that eventually named the planet.
Probes were dispatched, and manned spaceflights were increased in both number and size. Expeditions were planned and several competing space stations were launched. Telescopes were constructed on the ground, in orbit and on the moon.
All this was thrown into confusion when six weeks after arriving Minerva launched several spaceships. Most put constellations of satellites in orbit. A set of huge spaceplanes from the Northern polar continent began to construct a space station and then an interplanetary vehicle of their own.
The various Earth space organisations re-doubled their efforts. Probes were launched by the dozen. A manned mission was brought forward, and eight more begun. When the giant Minervan spaceship – called variously Lux, Nemesis I, and Flower of the Dawn by different radio stations – was unexpectedly launched towards Mars the main emotion felt was consternation followed by the question – what had we missed there?
The first pictures of the Minervan surface were those broadcast by the planet’s inhabitants. They showed humans; tall, slim, narrow-faced humans. Latin speakers, dressed in hoods and robes. They told a variety of histories.
That humans came originally from Minerva and been transplanted to Earth. That humans came from Earth and had been transplanted to Minerva. That Minervans were Atlanteans who had developed space travel and flown to Minerva. That Minerva had always been here and Earth was the newcomer. That the eldest Minervans had been born in the reign of Septimus Severus and had walked to Minerva. That Minerva was future Earth, brought back in the hour of need.
A race of spider-like beings also sent television pictures. They had only one message. Be ready. Something is coming.
As probes began to arrive in Minerva orbit experts assured people that this was all to be expected. The transmissions from Earth were just as confusing to the Minervans. Scientists trying to exchange information and corporations the same (though with different motives). Governments and quasi-governments making diplomatic overtures. Churches and other bodies looking to convert or educate the Minervans. Our usual transmissions – news and documentaries of course, but also entertainment and fiction. And odder groups, with their own agendas, such as the Pi Society who were sending each digit of the number to the newly arrived planet.
(It was clear that Minervans were already familiar with Pi, even using the same Greek letter for it.)
The first probes had a high failure rate; the fastest used aerobraking to make orbit or land, risky even if it weren’t taking place light minutes away on a planet that had been detected mere weeks before they launched. One was shot down; several ended up in oceans or seas. Orbital ones did better for the short period before Minervans arrived to investigate them.
Every question the probes answered raised more. It was confirmed that there were humans and other earth-like animals and plants on Minerva, but their origin was unknown. The Minervans themselves had plenty of theories. There was also non-earth-like life, including at least two species that displayed a technological civilisation, one clearly in advance of anything Earth could accomplish. Meanwhile, across an invisible border, humans ploughed fields with oxen and armed their troops with flintlocks.
The manned missions – to Minerva, Mars and the Moon – promised answers. Privately experts admitted that even with thousands of years of research many aspects of Earth still remained a mystery. How then could the newly arrived Minerva be explained?
The explanation, such as it was, arrived soon after when the Wavefront made its appearance.
(The Deep Patrol stories Partial City Diplomacy and Poor Losers can be downloaded for free from my Patreon which supported this post.)
What Was The Event?
Some call The Event the end of human history; others the start of it. The Event was, amongst other things, first contact with one or more alien species. In any case, in early 2042 the planet Minerva made its appearance in the Solar System. As might be expected this caused some panic, several religious revivals, a revolution in Albania, and the various space-going nations to grudgingly co-operate in sending expeditions to the body.
The planet was of approximately Earth-size and although in a wider orbit, thick coverings of clouds and a strong greenhouse effect made it close to the same temperature. Spectrometers showed free oxygen in the atmosphere. With partial views of the green land masses and the radio signals emitting from the surface it was clear that it was life-bearing.
Most of the radio signals were coded and incomprehensible. Some seemed to be in unknown languages. A handful could be understood; children’s stories in Latin, numbers in Proto-Indo-European, music with classical Chinese lyrics.
Within hours of their arrival messages were beamed back and forth. Interplanetary communication is difficult without dedicated equipment; with a babble of a hundred different stations in a score of languages trying to compete with each other it was chaos.
Some stations were nonsense, strings of words bereft of meaning. Some were messages of welcome, invitations to visit. Some were warnings to leave the new planet alone. Others attempted to ask questions, many of which made no sense, or answered Earth questions in strange ways. One began to broadcast a hymn to Minerva that never quite repeated itself despite eternally chanting in Latin; it was this that eventually named the planet.
Probes were dispatched, and manned spaceflights were increased in both number and size. Expeditions were planned and several competing space stations were launched. Telescopes were constructed on the ground, in orbit and on the moon.
All this was thrown into confusion when six weeks after arriving Minerva launched several spaceships. Most put constellations of satellites in orbit. A set of huge spaceplanes from the Northern polar continent began to construct a space station and then an interplanetary vehicle of their own.
The various Earth space organisations re-doubled their efforts. Probes were launched by the dozen. A manned mission was brought forward, and eight more begun. When the giant Minervan spaceship – called variously Lux, Nemesis I, and Flower of the Dawn by different radio stations – was unexpectedly launched towards Mars the main emotion felt was consternation followed by the question – what had we missed there?
The first pictures of the Minervan surface were those broadcast by the planet’s inhabitants. They showed humans; tall, slim, narrow-faced humans. Latin speakers, dressed in hoods and robes. They told a variety of histories.
That humans came originally from Minerva and been transplanted to Earth. That humans came from Earth and had been transplanted to Minerva. That Minervans were Atlanteans who had developed space travel and flown to Minerva. That Minerva had always been here and Earth was the newcomer. That the eldest Minervans had been born in the reign of Septimus Severus and had walked to Minerva. That Minerva was future Earth, brought back in the hour of need.
A race of spider-like beings also sent television pictures. They had only one message. Be ready. Something is coming.
As probes began to arrive in Minerva orbit experts assured people that this was all to be expected. The transmissions from Earth were just as confusing to the Minervans. Scientists trying to exchange information and corporations the same (though with different motives). Governments and quasi-governments making diplomatic overtures. Churches and other bodies looking to convert or educate the Minervans. Our usual transmissions – news and documentaries of course, but also entertainment and fiction. And odder groups, with their own agendas, such as the Pi Society who were sending each digit of the number to the newly arrived planet.
(It was clear that Minervans were already familiar with Pi, even using the same Greek letter for it.)
The first probes had a high failure rate; the fastest used aerobraking to make orbit or land, risky even if it weren’t taking place light minutes away on a planet that had been detected mere weeks before they launched. One was shot down; several ended up in oceans or seas. Orbital ones did better for the short period before Minervans arrived to investigate them.
Every question the probes answered raised more. It was confirmed that there were humans and other earth-like animals and plants on Minerva, but their origin was unknown. The Minervans themselves had plenty of theories. There was also non-earth-like life, including at least two species that displayed a technological civilisation, one clearly in advance of anything Earth could accomplish. Meanwhile, across an invisible border, humans ploughed fields with oxen and armed their troops with flintlocks.
The manned missions – to Minerva, Mars and the Moon – promised answers. Privately experts admitted that even with thousands of years of research many aspects of Earth still remained a mystery. How then could the newly arrived Minerva be explained?
The explanation, such as it was, arrived soon after when the Wavefront made its appearance.
(The Deep Patrol stories Partial City Diplomacy and Poor Losers can be downloaded for free from my Patreon which supported this post.)
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