"[SYMBOL FOR IF (previously established)]
[SYMBOL FOR LIFE (previously established)]
[PICTOGRAM INDICATING THIRD PLANET FROM STAR]
[SYMBOL FOR THAN (previously established)]
[PICTOGRAM INDICATING MANUFACTURER]
[PICTOGRAM INDICATING ROUTE FROM ROSS 128 TO SOLAR SYSTEM]
[PICTOGRAM INDICATING FIRST PLANET FROM SUN]"
- From "The Silicone Square" on board the Iʻa 2.
"Further analysis has shown the square is not actually Silicone, but uh, well I'm guessing that's not what you have questions about."
- NASA Director Sage Smith, August 1 2035
"The main issue we have is with the symbol for life. Several pictures of the Rossians and what appeared to be other plant life were equated with it. Then what appear to be rocks and a star are shown to be not equal with it. But there's the possibility it means 'bounty' or 'family' or something along those lines. The rest were established via basic math. But overall, we feel very confidant about the translation."
- Head of the Harvard Linguistics Department (Under Contract by NASA), August 3, 2035.
"All available evidence suggests that the Iʻa 2 is transmitting back to Ross 128 b, likely with video and audio of what the astronauts have put in front of it, although given the camera size and how close they are, we've had to get creative. In addition pretty much every radio powerful enough is pointed at Ross 128 b, playing similar messages on repeat, with requests for a response. If they're listening, they'll hear us.
But time and space are not our friends at this juncture.
These messages are moving as fast as they can, the speed of light. But Ross 128 is a smidge over 11 light years away. So it will be a smidge over 11 years before they even hear of us. Any reply will then take 11 years to return. Then the Manufacturers will have to assemble a craft, select a crew, make plans and everything that goes into space travel. I do not know how long that will take. Even assuming their crewed craft can move at the same speed as Iʻa, one half the speed of light, it will take that crew over 22 years to reach Mercury, which we believe to be their initial destination.
That brings us to a total of 33 years in transit, and an unknown amount more for preparation. That is not a long time for astrophysicists, but that is a long time for everyone else.
And so we must do what we, and I speak both of Americans and Humanity in general, hate to do above all else.
We must be patient."
- NASA Director Sage Smith, August 13, 2035
"
WHAT ARE THE ROSSITES?"
- New York Post, August 30, 2035
"why are they backwards? ive looked at the damn things for months, why are they backwards"
- Internet Commentators th78hb, September 2, 2035
"
NEITHER ANIMAL, PLANT, NOR FUNGI: The Curious Classification Conundrum of the Rossians"
-
Scientific American, September 19, 2035
"All life on earth originates from a single source. One basic self replicating cell that's taken over everything.
A common origin with life on Ross 128 b is possible but highly unlikely. Thus, humanity is more closely related to the smallest bacteria than we are to the Manufacturers. And the same goes for any other living being."
- Head of NASA Xenobiology, September 29, 2035
"
CRAB COSTUMES SELL IN RECORD NUMBERS"
-
The Wall Street Journal, October 23. 2035
"Any deception will inevitably be inaccurate perhaps even offensive. NASA will not consult on any Manufacturer films."
- NASA Press Secretary, November 3, 2035
"
PARAMOUNT'S 'BATTLE IN ORBIT' TO PIT HUMANS AGAINST ROSSITES"
- Los Angeles Times, November 4, 2035
"
NEW THEORY CASTS LIGHT ON ROSSIAN CLAWS"
-
Scientific American, December 29, 2035
"
CLAWS USED FOR COMMUNICATION, NOT COMBAT"
-
New York Post, January 2, 2036
"While the claws can be pivoted forward, this mostly seems to be used to provide a wider array of sounds. It is the limbs near the mouth that provide the object manipulation."
- ESA Study, January, 2036
"
PORNHUB REPORTS THOUSANDS OF ROSSIAN UPLOADS"
-
National Enquirer, February 14, 2036
"As far as we can tell from the Silicone Square, the Manufacturers reproduce via spawning. One lays eggs, another fertilizes them. No intercourse.
…
No. I don't know whether they enjoy it. Please stop with this line of questioning."
- NASA Director Sage Smith, February 16, 2036.
"ONE OF US ONE OF US ONE OF US."
- Top post on r/asexuality in 2036
"
SCIENTISTS, DIPLOMATS, GATHER IN ZÜRICH TO DISCUSS ROSSIAN CLASSIFICATION"
-
Washington Post, March 3, 2036
"It would be absurd to call everyone here an American, just because they are the ones who have sent the most probes into deep space. It would be absurd to assume that the Manufacturers are synonymous with every resident of Ross 128 n. Meanwhile Rossian sounds too much like Russian.
So I move for Rossite as far as English goes."
- Indian Diplomats, March 4, 2036
"Oh sure the everyday name stuff went well. But the 'latin' names are going to be a shit show. We have to make stuff for every single level, and everyone wants it to be cute. It'll take months, and we'll wind up with a hodgepodge."
- Anonymous Biologist, March 7, 2036
"98% SUPPORT MORE NASA FUNDING"
- Gallup Poll, April, 2036
"
MARS FEELING LEFT OUT NOW THAT EVERYONE GOING TO MERCURY"
-
The Onion, May 2, 2036
"
OPINION: AMERICA CANNOT BE BEATEN TO MERCURY. NOT BY ROSSITES. NOT BY HUMANS"
-
Washington Post, May 25, 2036
"We would be extremely happy to work with anyone. The Chinese, the Europeans, the Russians. Anyone this should be a joint effort. And effort for all mankind."
- NASA Director Sage Smith, June 12, 2036
"
TALKS IN TOKYO OVER JOINT MISSIONS"
-
New York Times, June 20, 2036
"
TOKYO TALKS COLLAPSE"
-
New York Times, June 25, 2036
"There were, of course, key differences. The Second Space Race was not accompanied by a Second Cold War. Earthbound tensions did not disappear, or even lessen, but there was not quite the level of perverse paranoia or fear of armageddon seen in the 1900s. This in turn created a more cooperative spirit. Although the Tokyo Conference failed to unite the programs, it did promise rights to observe other nation's programs, and set a better tone then the Sputnik launch at least.
And of course, there were more players. The Americans and ESA pretty quickly teamed up. The Chinese were eager to show their place as a premier world power. The Russians also prepared a program aimed at Mercury. Many mocked the so called 'Southern Compact' headed by India. No member of the group of mostly democratic third world countries had ever had a human launch. But in time they would surpass the ailing Russians…."
- “The Second Space Race”, 2100
"On this, the Anniversary of the launch of Apollo 8, the first manned mission to slip the surly bonds of Earth and travel to another world, we are pleased to make a major announcement.
The Hermes Program.
A joint venture by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the European Space Agency, the Hermes Program will be the first to meet with beings from another word. With components on Earth, in orbit, and around Mercury, it will be the most ambitious project to date. And not only will it bring us First Contact. It will open up the solar system."
- NASA Director Sage Smith, December 21, 2036
"
FIRST CONTRACTS AWARDED FOR HERMES PROGRAM"
-
Chicago Tribune, March 25, 2037
"
PRESIDENT: EARTH ORBIT STATION BY THE END OF THE DECADE"
-
Washington Post, July 12, 2037
"SS: We can have *a* station by the end of the decade. I'm not sure it will be fit for the intended use of launching interplanetary missions. The docking plans are both still early on and completely unprecedented. And since we're intending it to be a test for long-term habitation, there'd be not really answers….
JF: We need a win. Look, I really don't want to rush you. But regardless of who is where, we need the first punch.
SS: Sir the dangers of rushing cannot be overstated.
JF: I'm not asking you to rush. Just find something that'll come up soon. Then we'll spin it as a win.
SS: Er well. The vehicles we're using for launching to the station, they're technically new. Just some minor modifications to our existing stuff. A 2.0 thing.
JF: That's a start."
- White House, January 2038
"
IRIS LAUNCHER ANNOUNCED"
-
Scientific American, February 2, 2038
"First Contact presents several unique issues.
Firstly there will need to be experts in a wide variety of fields present. Diplomats. Linguistics. Cultural Anthropologists. Not to mention the military presence that will no doubt be imposed.
Secondly they will have a full slate of duties related to their field of expertise.
Finally, some degree of regular rotation csb be expected.
Thus, the prospect of 'passengers' looms over the Hermes Program."
- NASA Memo, dated June 2038
"81% SUPPORT NASA BUDGET"
- Gallup, June 2038
"Although a gross oversimplification, the maximum that starting in the late 2030s, the Unites States spent money on the 'Four Ss' remains a dominant historical narrative.
The Four Ss were:
Services
Security
Seawalls
Space."
- Journal of American History, October 2099
"
CHINESE LAUNCH CREWED FLIGHT INTO ORBIT"
-
Denver Post, August 3, 2038
"
MISSON 'LIKELY PLANNED WELL BEFORE IʻA 2' SAYS TOP OFFICIAL"
-
Washington Post, August 19, 2038
"
CAN THE US RESPOND?"
-
Time, September 3, 2038
"
FIRST UNMANNED OLYMPUS MISSION SET FOR EARLY NEXT SUMMER"
-
Washington Post, September 13, 2038
"
OPINION: A WEAK RESPONSE FROM A WEAK ADMINISTRATION"
-
New York Times, September 14. 2038
"This is all ridiculous, utterly ridiculous. Yes there is symbolic weight to getting there first. But so long as we're there when they get there, it's all the same. They'll just see multiple stations. Some older than others, some younger There is no imperative to get to Mercury first."
- NASA Director Sage Smith (Private), September 15, 2038
"
OLYMPUS BASE: WHAT WILL IT DO?"
-
Scientific American, May 2, 2039
"
HOW THE TALARIA MODEL CAN TAKE US ANYWHERE, NOT JUST MERCURY"
-
Vox Media, May 22, 2039
"
OLYMPUS PRE-SUPPLY MISSION 1: AN ITINERARY FOR EARTH ORBIT"
-
Time, June 3, 2039
"
SUPPLIES ON SPACE STATION PRE-SUPPLY MISSION INCLUDE ENTIRE SPACE STATION"
-
The Onion, June 4, 2039
"
SMITH: THIS IS JUST MODULE ONE OF MANY, BUT WE ANTICIPATE SUCCESS"
-
Miami Herald, June 6, 2039
"
HURRICANE MIKE TURNS TOWARDS FLORIDA"
- National Weather Service, June 7, 2039
"
DELAY LIKELY"
-
Washington Post, June 12, 2039
"
LAUNCH POSTPONED"
-
Washington Post, June 14, 2039
"
NEW DATE SET FOR JUNE 30"
-
New York Times, June 17, 2039
"
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT OPSM 1 (AGAIN)"
-
Vox, June 29, 2039
"
BREAKING: INCIDENT AT CANAVERAL"
-
Des Moines Register, June 30, 2039
"And, lift-
My god. The rocket is tipping. It's falling to one side. That's a lot of fire, and the entire launchpad apears to be collapsing.
My god."
- CBS Broadcast, June 30, 2039
"
NASA CONFIRMS: OLYMPUS MODULE UNUSABLE AFTER LAUNCH DISASTER"
-
Washington Post, July 1, 2039
"We are lucky it fell the directions it did. No deaths on the ground crew is a genuine miracle. A full investigation will of course be made."
- NASA Director Sage Smith, July 2, 2039
"
FLOPNIK 2"
-
National Enquirer, July 3, 2039
"Better another Flopnik than another Apollo 1."
- NASA Director Sage Smith (Privately), July 4, 2039
"
PRELIMINARY FINDINGS SHOW SUPPORT SYSTEM FAILURE RESPONSIBLE FOR OPSM 1 FIASCO"
-
Washington Post, August 31, 2039
"
SMITH'S REFUSED RESIGNATION OFFER LARGELY PRO FORMA, INSIDERS SAY"
-
Washington Post, September 9, 2039
"SS: The repairs we've made will hold up for a few years, even if it gets hit more. The launches under the revised plan can continue. But long term…sir I realize selecting a new launch site will cause a host of problems. The pork barrel alone will…
JF: Forget the new location, think about the old one. It will look like a retreat! Everyone else leaps ahead of us while we tuck our tails between our legs.
SS: I understand that Sir, but…
JF: All of us grew up watching landings from Canaveral. It would be a massive psychological blow! The nation wouldn't stand for it!
SS: Sir the nation would be best served by having a functioning…
JF: How would I explain this in Florida? How would I sell abandoning the Kennedy Space Center in New England? And that's not even getting into…
SS: SIR
JF: What?
SS: The flooding isn't going to stop.
JF: ...I know."
- White House, December 2039
"
WILL OLYMPUS STATION BE CAPE CANAVERAL'S LAST HURRAH?"
-
Washington Post, January 3, 2040
"NASA's efforts have been laudable. But America's national security is dangerously exposed in Space.
There is no telling what types of weapons the Rossians may possess. But both of the engines used on the Iʻa 2 could easily be weaponized. It is absurd to think they will not come armed. Yet no provision has been made for the defense of our brave astronauts.
And there is no telling what our more Earthbound competition may do. Increased orbital presence likely means increased orbital militarization."
- Lockheed Martin Lobbying Memo, leaked February 9 2040.
"
NO, THE OUTER SPACE TREATY DOES NOT BAN WEAPONS IN SPACE"
-
Vox, February 10, 2040
"There may be some use to having a first line of defense at Mercury. Although, if they launched a full on invasion, they wouldn't have indicated their plan on the probe.
As far as China or Russia, militarizing Mercury is a complete waste of money. What would it even do? All our station could do is spy on and attack their station. And all their station could do is spy on and attack our station. Its MAD, but with nothing at stake."
- Chairman of the Joint Chiefs (Privately), February 27, 2040
"
BOTH CANDIDATES REAFFIRM SUPPORT FOR NASA BUDGET, KEEPING SMITH AS DIRECTOR"
-
Chicago Tribune, October 9, 2040
"
NEW POPE: ROSSITES ABLE TO BE CONVERTED"
-
BBC, March 5, 2041
"
AYATOLLAH ISSUES FATWA ON ROSSITES"
-
New York Times, April 29, 2041
"It is time we settled this once and for all. A fatwa is not a death sentence. It is a non-binding legal opinion from a scholar of Islamic Law. The Ayatollah did not order the killing of Rossites. Quite the opposite. He said they should convert Islam."
-
Vox, April 30, 2041
"
SUPREME COURT TO HEAR CASE ON ROSSITE WORSHIPPERS"
-
Washington Post, September 9, 2041
"In the case of The Church of Virgo Attained vs the State of Washington the Court is deadlocked, and so the lower court decision stands, although without precedent being set."
-
Washington Post, November 30, 2041
"
'GODS OWN IMAGE' INSIDE THE GROUP ALREADY CLAIMING ROSSITES HAVE NO SOULS"
-
Time, December 4, 2041
"
DO THEY COME IN PEACE? REASSESSING THE SILICONE SQUARE"
-
Wall Street Journal, June 5, 2042
"what if they never come, and it was all for nothing?"
- Internet Commentator TreeJune, December 26, 2042
"what if they do come, and it was all for nothing? That's scarier imo."
- Internet Commentator correct, December 26, 2042
"NASA did a good job, uh, a really good job pulling the wool over our eyes on this one. They tell us all this Hermes shit is for first contact. But get this, they can repurpose it all, except the Cadecus, for other planets. They tricked us. They tricked us into going to Venus and Mars and Jupiter and shit.
Probe is prolly fake anyway."
- Head of the Earth First Society, July 6, 2044
"
MAN WAKES UP, REALIZES ALIENS ARE BORING NOW"
-
The Onion, November 24, 2044
"54% SUPPORT NASA BUDGET"
- Gallup, December 5, 2045
"Why are the Rossites coming? Why would we go to a distant star? That is the best question we can ask right now."
- Oscar Acceptance Speech, February 10, 2046
"It as all well and good to expect peaceful intentions. But intentions do not always equal actions. And there must be some sort of gain for the Rossites. Any individual making the journey that will likely add up to nearly half a century requires a profit motive."
- , March 2, 2044
"
WAR PLAN GOLF MIKE: AMERICA'S PLAN TO DEFEND AGAINST ALIEN INVADERS"
-
New York Times! May 12, 2045
"
GOLF MIKE 'WOEFULLY INADEQUATE SAYS RETIRED ADMIRAL"
-
Washington Post, May 15, 2045
"War Plan Golf Mike was only a semi-serious plan, drawn up in the late 90s. Its lack of detail is testament not to negligence, but to the fact that it was never seriously accessed. It was the functional equivalent of making an animal an officer. It has been superseded.
…
No I cannot tell you about the new plan."
- Pentagon Spokesman, May 20, 2045
"
BILLIONAIRE THINKS 'GLOBAL SPACE COMMAND' NEEDED"
-
New York Post, July 12, 2045
"He doesn't actually know anything about anything. He launches one private rocket into space and thinks he knows everything. No one is going to surrender their authority to some vague Space Command."
- Anonymous DoD Source, July 15, 2045
"
IN THIS IOWA DINER, DEBATES OVER SPACE POLICY MEAN LITTLE"
-
New York Times, August 7, 2045
"
WHAT CAN COOPERATION ACHIEVE IN PLANETARY DEFENSE?"
-
Chicago Tribune, September 18, 2046
"
UN: AGGRESSIVE STANCE MAY BACKFIRE"
-
Des Moines Register, October 23, 2046
"
CONFLICT WITH ROSS: A SELF FULFILLING PROPHECY?"
-
Time, November 3, 2046
"Some say a balance must be found, between peace and security. But I say those are not mutually exclusive. Some say that peace can be found through security. But I say security can be found with peace.
And we shall find this with cooperation, not conflict."
- State of the Union Address, February 21, 2047
"
NEW TALKS PROPOSED AT UN"
-
New York Times, February 6, 2047
"
UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY SETS TERMS FOR TALKS"
-
New York Times, February 10, 2047
"
CHINESE, EUROPEAN LEADERS REJECT UN TERMS"
-
New York Times, February 13, 2047
"In 2045 the 'Southern Compact' was still a distant fourth in terms of Space capabilities, and was troubled by factional strife as countires with little else in common needed to work together. India and Brazil in particular struggled amongst themselves.
However the Indian Government had also established itself well with the other great powers as a fairly neutral broker. They had helped forge the deal that still governed interactions with the Iʻa probe. So it was not surprising that it was in a close Indian ally, Nepali, that talks were eventually held."
- “The Second Space Race”, 2100
"Today the Secretary of State outlined the key American positions going into the Kathmandu Conference:
The Independence of all parties with regards to military policy
The Independence of all parties with regards to their civilian space policy
The Independence of all parties with regards to economic policy
The Ideal that Independence does not mean an opposition to cooperation
The establishment of uniform standards for conduct in Space and mechanisms for their enforcement.
The creation of mechanisms to ensure security for Earth, its people, and its resources
The Secretary of State believes these points can provide the frameworks for a successful summit."
- Department of State Statement, June 13, 2047
"
KATHMANDU SUMMIT BEGINS"
-
New York Times, September 15, 2047
"The mutual assistance provisions that would require uniform airlocks, a uniform method to transfer oxygen and electricity. Those sound nice, but it is going to be hell on the engineers, having to back track and redesign It quadruples the number of people involved. And how are we supposed to ensure it all fits together on their end if they won't agree to show us their designs!"
- Anonymous American Science Advisor, September 23, 2047
"The South African negotiator stood up and proposed banning all weapons in Space. This was widely ridiculed, what with the aliens about. But the real reason was that the Americans, Russians and Chinese all had their own satellite vs satellite weapons. And the Indians were planning their own."
- Memoirs of the Italian Representatives, 2065
"
KINETIC BOMBARDMENT: THE WMD YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF"
-
Vox, October 1, 2047
"Half the time of an ICBM. Harder to detect. And cheaper, just a hunk of tungsten. Point and shoot from a satellite. Let gravity do the rest. The rod from god. Level a city without violating that pesky nuclear taboo."
- Pacifist Critic, October 3, 2047
"Much in the same way the Army never quite got over losing its air wing, the Air Force never quite got over the Space Force becoming an independent branch.
In recent days this interservice friction has emerged once again. The Air Force has emerged as a stalwart defender of Kinetic Bombardment, while the Space Force is less sold on the destructive but hypothetical attack. It is all but confirmed that the United States has weapons designed to destroy satellites, but nothing of the Kinetic variety. Likely because, despite the apocalyptic imagery, conventional explosives are still more efficient in destruction."
-
Washington Post, October 9. 2047
"
DEAL BANNING 'SPACE TO EARTH' WEAPONS REACHED"
-
New York Times, October 15, 2047
"Word of the Day: Extraterritoriality"
- Dictionary.com, October 19, 2047
"The question before us now, I believe, is how do we ensure that we are not divided and conquered. How do we ensure potential hostities do not gain a foothold, without surrendering our independence from one another."
- Chinese Representative, October 21, 2047
"On the justice side of things, its fairly simple. A commitment to no extraterritoriality and an affirmation of priority extradition to other human nations.
On the economic side, there's a complicated formula involved, and there will likely be plenty of loopholes. But in essence it keeps any trade agreements at a certain percentage lower than Most Favored Nation status. The idea here is that any individually important technology can break through, but if they have replicators or something they can't just flood the market.
The protocol is vague on enforcement, although it does require all bonding agreements to be filed with a soon to be established office in Paris."
-
Vox, November 3, 2047
"As we sign this Treaty, the beings of Ross 128 b likely have received our frantic messages from 11 years ago. They probably grapple with many of the same questions we do. How do we approach such a monumental occasion? What do we have in common with those who seem so strange at first glance? We will have decades more to reach the answer. But this is a good first step."
- Indian Prime Minister, November 27, 2047
"
HOW DO THE SPACE FARING POWERS CONVINCE THE OTHERS TO SIGN?"
-
BBC, December 1, 2047
HUMANITY ADDRESSES HYPOTHETICAL ALIEN INVASION BEFORE CLIMATE CHANGE"
"
The Onion- The Onion, December 2, 2047
"This all seems a bit silly now. And with any luck it will seem ridiculous in 50 years. All this hubbub years in advance for a mission that appears to be headed for Mercury, not Earth.
But can you blame us?
Humans are a species haunted by our past. And for now, our past remains the most brutal of any in the Galaxy. Wars, atrocities, rivers of blood. From the first pointy rock to the first atom bomb. From the death of Cain to the genocides still ongoing.
The only intelligent life, with apologies to Chimpanzees and Dolphins, we truly understand is ourselves. And when we look in the mirror, what do we see? We see murder, we see rape. We see the most trusted of men betray that trust. And we do it globally as well. The Voyager Probes bear the words of a war criminal, wishing peace onto the universe.
The Rossites are an empty vessel, and we cannot help but project ourselves into them. I honestly think that we would blow them to smithereens the moment they arrived, if it didn't feel like we deserved the same treatment.
Every one of the signatories of the Kathmandu Protocol has colonized or been colonized at least once. And, to our credit, we seem to be learning from the past for once.
It took Christopher Columbus more than two months to reach the Americas after he left Spain. During that time no one in the New World did anything. Not even the Aztecs or the Inca, the greatest powers of their day. They did this not out of naivete or blind faith in humanity. They simply did not know he was coming. They did not know what strange voyagers from far away lands could do. They did not know what happened to the Muslims of Spain, or the ports of the Far East.
If they had known, they would have prepared.
And who would blame them?"
- Spring Commencement, Harvard 2048