RAR. Aliens? have been detected. You must advise POTUS.

[open_sketchbook]

If we establish communications with the probe in a way that confirms that there is a fancy enough computer on there, we might be able to just dump data on them and let them brute force it. Given a large enough sample size, some basic references and enough processing power they could probably sort out a language in very little time. After we've done all the basic contact stuff and we've acknowledged each other, we just send them a children's dictionary with pictures, examples and discriptions of some basic electronic communication formats and protocols, and the front page of the last fifty years of the New York Times and not only will they be speaking English but they'll have a good grasp on the current world situation and they ought to be able to talk to us with our own machinery and in our own language.

Dr. Layton Dreer
Transhuman Institute for Artificial Intelligence

[Uncluttered]

Well Sir, as I said in my first message to this council, I was involved with SETI first-contact scenarios before I came to CIA. I believe I can offer some ideas on goal 1.

1. Communicate. This is fairly simple in hardware terms. We have all the kit we need from satellite comms gear. Option number one is to point an earth-bound transmitter in the direction of the probe and sending a message. Option 2 involves sending a signal to Cassini-Phoenix and having it re-transmit to the probe around Saturn. That's the technical aspect.

As for the message itself, obviously sending a "Hello we're human" message in an Earth language probably won't work. At SETI we worked up a number of ideas for mathematical transmissions: prime numbers, squre numbers and so on. This would show them we have an understanding of mathematics and that we could understand a message in kind.

I've got a bunch of S&T guys looking at some ideas here, and with your permission I will contact my old friends at SETI and see what crazy ideas they have kicking around.


Dr. Wallace, CIA DDS&T

Dr. Wallace, Just gather your data, and present it for now.

But that's a good question, do we even have a protocol, let alone something to say?

"Onion breath, why don't I have someone representing SETI here?"
"In fact, we have enough politicians, we need more scientists. Grab some names from that pile of resumes and start making calls."
"I want rocket scientists, geologists, mathematicians, nuclear weapons designers, astronauts, and those guys who do the xprize."

-Leon TWHCOS

[NecronLord]

Gentlemen, the Imaging Teams have reported back with the latest updates regarding the ongoing efforts to probe both objects.

SDA-1a

Thanks to traces from radio telescopes and repositioning space assets we are now able to pinpoint a second object, which we now have an estimate of the size and general composition of.

Length appears between three and ten kilometers, and width less than one kilometer, with ‘bulbs’ at each end. The same fractal pattern is on each of them. Notably, on the linking column between these two units there appear to be several hundred egg-like objects with approximately the same dimensions as SA-1. If anyone’s seen Kubrick’s 2001, we’re looking at something like Discovery in that, but more than ten thousand times the mass, and with a crapload of probes clinging to it like baby spiders.

It’s also got a fair bit of space detritus, ice, perhaps from comets, carbon dioxide, rock, and so on stuck to it. There’s no sign of damage, though, which could mean a number of things. Either it’s taken damage and repaired it, or it deliberately agglomerated this material, perhaps it travelled in an outer casing of material (which could account for the SDA-1b object that broke off, but I wouldn’t pin my hopes on it).

We can forget about nuking it. This thing is carrying hundreds of sub-craft, if it can’t intercept any attack we can put up there, then its creators would be best described as dooling morons. SA-1’s demonstrably faster than anything we’ve got. If it thinks we’re attacking it, it can just release fifty of those at whatever we send and hard-kill it by collision.

Presumably, though this is only an assumption, the other part of this craft is either some kind of detachable stage, like the tanks on the shuttle, or a second craft similar to the first.

Someone was asking about how fast the objects that hit SA-1 would be, in equivalence to nuclear weapons; we can’t really tell at this stage, unfortunately.

In other news, the NASA website went down this morning from volume of hits, and our anti-hacker squad report far increased numbers of intrusions. Perhaps some folk out there think we might have secret pictures of the alien ship or something.

~ Gen. CF Bolden, NASA.

[open_sketchbook]

I'm wondering how disposable the detachable units are. The instinct would be to assume that the bulbs are where the aliens or the computers are that would constitute the aliens themselves, but I think it may be possible that the larger structures are merely engines to get everything around around and the little probes are the aliens. I can't see a proper ship needing hundreds of little probes, but I can see a colony of indepedent but linked machines catching a ride on a big space-bus, in which case the SA-1 object has gone out to look at something interesting and might return to share the data between them. The bulbs might be storage for fuel or reaction mass. It might be an anthropomorphic bias of sorts, though; the way I see it, it looks like the ship is built around the probes, central to the design, and well protected by an ablative shield of space junk and flanked by engines, whereas if they were just little dumb vehicles I would expect them on the outside of the design on hardpoints, like missiles on a fighter jet.

Easiest way to know is if SA-1 heads home at some point. If it's just a dumb probe, they'd have less reason to waste the resources to recall it. If it's one of their buddies, then he'd head back. Of course, they might be advanced enough that recalling it isn't a massive drain on their resources, or SA-1 may have no preservative instinct and has sacrificed itself to collect data to better the whole. Or I could be completely off altogether.

I hate guessing. Can somebody please talk to this thing so I can actually have some data I can work with?

Dr. Layton Dreer
Transhuman Institute for Artificial Intelligence

[Uncluttered]

HOLY mother of shit! Damn things a carrier!?

I'm looking at a printout from wikipedia on "fractals" here.
I get "what" a fractal is, but what I don't get, is what is the significance of the fractals.
Do fractals make the rocket stronger or faster?
Is it just the aliens version of art deco?
Is the giant snowflake a sort of camouflage?

More to the point, does this fractal thing help us know a little about how they think, and communicate?

-Leon TWHCOS

[Night_stalker]

I can't say as to why they picked a fractal for a shape, but maybe it's some part of their aesthetic value? I have no idea, and with regards to getting a line to them, it could take awhile.

We've managed to get what we think is a simulation of it on a basic level. We do NOT have any possibility of a complete simulation, but if we get more data on the probe's behavior, we might be able to synthesize more accurate results. If the aliens are a little more willing, we may end up with a communication protocol.

Any ideas on who we should have be the voice of the planet?

Alan Smithee, Deputy Director, Information Assurance, NSA

[Eternal_Freedom]

Sirs, I am Doctor James Saunders, vice-chairman of the SETI Institute. My apologies for not speaking with you sooner, but we at SETI had a bit of a wild few nights after the announcement. We've planned that party for a long time.

I have read over the transcripts of the previous meetings and I feel I can shed some light on contacting them.

As my old friend Dr Wallace said, the simplest way is to point a radio dish at them and send a signal that is mathematically based, like a series of pulses representing prime numbers. This would serve several purposes:

1. It shows them we're here, in case they didn't know already.
2. It shows them we have a relatively advanced level of technology and understanding of science.
3. It provides a "beacon" they can track to find us.

I know that number 3 will probably cause a stir amongst the military men of this council, but having looked at their actiosn I see no reason to see them as hostile in any way. As others have said, if they were hostile we wouldn't be here right now.

Hopefully, they would respond to our signal in kind. Our best theory is then we should do the same thing, but with signals of increasing complexity and at faster data rates. If that works, we should send a basic lexicon to them so they can understand voice communications.

As for the "voice of the planet" that Deputy Director Smithee mentioned, we feel it should be a representative of the United Nations, not a single country. They should if possible be our best and most experienced negotiator, as speaking with the aliens will be a negotiaion with the highest stakes imaginable.

In terms of the negotiation itself, I suggest being friendly and honest above all else. If we are open and friendly and willing to talk reasonably then they may be too. "Treat others as you wish to be treated" is the expression I'm looking for.

My apologies if that is getting ahead of things, but we're all still pinching ourselves in case it's a dream. I'll send more details of the first-contact protocols we've developed once we adapt them to the present scenario.

Dr. James Saunders, Vice-Chair, SETI Institute

[Uncluttered]

WARNING 4TH WALL BROKEN--------------

Hi Guys. I hope you are enjoying this game.
PM me if you have any feedback.

The first round was introductions and atmosphere.
The second round, was driven by player decisions to go public.
This is now the third round. Brush fires and space policy.

The "Brush fires" will be on earth. Political and Social upheaval on earth, as a result of knowledge about the ET.
These brush fires, will have real consequences, but will give your Politico characters something to do.

Space policy is going to be very technical.
Players are invited to create a second or even third character for this.
You may also swap, or give away your character to other SDnetters.
In fact I encourage you to ask other SDnetters if you have technical questions.


The only rule, is that the character must sign its name, so that we keep the confusion to a minimum.

Your Techy Character is going to help plan space missions, even "design" rockets and other spacecraft.
I've already heard mention of Orion, and Seadragon. Two great concepts. Keep em coming.
We have many space goals to explore, and they don't have to involve bomb propulsion.
I will compress time as needed, so don't worry if your mission takes 12 years.

-Uncluttered

Have Fun!

[FaxModem1]

General Holden, is the probe forming a shape around the rings of Saturn? If so what shape?

I think I may know something about this, but I want to confirm first.

Charles Woods, civilian adviser.

[Uncluttered]

General Holden, is the probe forming a shape around the rings of Saturn? If so what shape?

I think I may know something about this, but I want to confirm first.

Charles Woods, civilian adviser.

What is that, some sort of glowing ball shape in those pictures?

[FaxModem1]

Mr. President,

It took me some digging through a backlog of scientific journals and old letters, but I found it. I also had to get my nephew to go to my old attic in Las Vegas. He wanted to know why I wanted this so badly, but I didn't tell him. I don't know if he read it or not before he mailed it to me. Have a look.

http://www.centauri-dreams.org/wp-conte ... ase_II.pdf

If you'll turn to page 14 and 15, you will see that it matches the configuration of the devices proposed in the paper. Sir, Its a harvester for anti-matter. That's why they're near Saturn, they need the rings to harvest it, its why they're there and not at say, Jupiter. This thing wasn't meant for us at all, we're just the seagulls flying around the oil rig, what they really want is to harvest antimatter.

Charles Woods, civilian adviser.

[Uncluttered]

Sir, Its a harvester for anti-matter. That's why they're near Saturn, they need the rings to harvest it, its why they're there and not at say, Jupiter. This thing wasn't meant for us at all, we're just the seagulls flying around the oil rig, what they really want is to harvest antimatter.

Charles Woods, civilian adviser.

I'm reading this report and trying to understand as much as I can.

It's a fascinating technology. I always thought antimatter production would take all of CERN to do.

What I don't understand, is why come all this way for antimatter? Surely they can get enough at home. No, I suspect antimatter is just a means to an end.

-Leon

[FaxModem1]

Well, if one were to think like that. It could be a fuel depot. Such as a toehold or foothold for this part of space. Maybe they're building a gas station or a refueling port and locally.

Maybe its a final fuel stop for an all out invasion. Either way, it means they're establishing a presence in this area of space, and probably a permanent one.

Charles Woods, civilian adviser.

[madd0ct0r]

Chuck Malinowski,
Construction Engineer and Project Manager, Stennis Space Center, Nasa

Howdy Gents. I've been asked to attend, read over your notes and keep track of what ever you folks want to build.

Ah'm the lucky guy who'll be arranging where the thing is built, assembling the guys who'll run the work crews, breifing on what parts of the design I can, and also the same for the launch pad.
You will need a launchpad right? *laughs*

Now, a copy of the minutes and associated commentary was included in my briefing pack, so let me just dive right on in.

What we've got is big. Big in mass, and, if I'm reading General Bolden's reports properly, it's doubled in mass while in orbit
.
Anti-matter or not, it's clearly after something from Saturn (unless it's from Saturn - anybody checked that possibility yet?)
What do we have that in common with the big yellow one that might make SA-1 (or SA-2, SA-230 ect) come over here and start scanning us? Ah assume we don't want that.

The damn description of the carrier made me think of eggs. And in this context Ah don't want to be fed to the hungry brood by Mamma Bird.

[Uncluttered]

Well, this is interesting.

A radio host has just accused the POTUS of being an extra terrestrial spy.

I don't know where he finds the time, or the giant antenna for that matter, to communicate with the mother ship.

,
What we've got is big. Big in mass, and, if I'm reading General Bolden's reports properly, it's doubled in mass while in orbit

That's not the way I read it. I read it as 3, possibly 4 different objects. We have the one out at 550AU, we call SDA-1a, SDA-1b, because we think it's two.
The original discovery team called it "Scattered Disc Anomaly one".
You following me now?
Then we have 2 (two) more confirmed objects on orbit around saturn. SA-1 is the little egg shaped bugger with the strange glowing cage behind it. Mr Woods thinks the cage is there to gather antimatter.
SA-2 is what we're callin the big ass mother that just appeared. The one with all the little egg clusters on it.
we suspect the "eggs" are copies of SA-1.
Right now, Cassini-phoenix is in an orbit between them.

This reminds me. Is there any significance to 550AU orbits? Is there something at 550AU the Aliens are using, like a 9th planet, or a comet?

Anti-matter or not, it's clearly after something from Saturn (unless it's from Saturn - anybody checked that possibility yet?)

Good question. Could this thing have evolved naturally? It seems pretty, I don't know, "organic" looking. Or are the aliens just using biomimicry?
My gut instinct, is that this this isn't natural. But if I didn't check my gut with my head, I'd be a fool.

What do we have that in common with the big yellow one that might make SA-1 (or SA-2, SA-230 ect) come over here and start scanning us? Ah assume we don't want that.

The damn description of the carrier made me think of eggs. And in this context Ah don't want to be fed to the hungry brood by Mamma Bird.

Strange. Earth has an atmosphere and a magnetic field also. Who aren't they harvesting antimatter out here as well?

-Leon Spencer WHCOS

[open_sketchbook]

I've been working with the NSA guys on their simulation stuff (by the way, the computers you have here are fantastic) and we're certain at this point it's more than white noise. SA-1 is definately communicating, and doing so in a fairly straightforward manner. I can't pretend to understand most of the technical side of the communication (I'm a software expert, not a commucation engineer!) but with the data coming across my desk I think we've isolated most of the basics of their communcations protocol. Of course, we can't understand the data they are sending, but I'm fairly sure we've got the pattern down for how and I can make a guess as to what each part of the transmission is. What we thought was continuous transmission is actually short pulses, repeating constantly; a quick pulse that is always the same, which I think is an indentity or handshake confirmation, followed by a fairly consistant pattern which I'm pretty sure is a self-diagnostic, then a long, inconsistant stream of data which I assume is a report. Fianlly, it caps off with a consistant little pulse I think is a sign off. Luckiest for us, at the end of the pulse is a changing set of pulses which we are almost certain are a timestamp, so we might be able to figure out their numbering system (not everyone works in base 10) and how they communicate it, which is a pretty good head start on communicating with them.

Also, not to complain about my role in this or anything, but I know nothing about communication and I think another specialist might be better suited to working wiht the NSA guys.

On a side note, I just had a completely insane idea I wanted to share with the group. Total wild guess, sounds way sci-fi, but considering what we're dealing with... it makes sense to me. at any rate. What if there is a fermitron (That's a particle collider encircling a planet) sitting in Saturn's orbit, and SA-1 is monitoring or was going to dock with it? That would make it an all-in-one refueling station; hydrogen for reaction mass, and the fermitron for making antimatter. Maybe SA-1 isn't docking because they know we're watching it. I dunno, just throwing that out there.

Dr. Layton Dreer
Transhuman Institute for Artificial Intelligence

[Night_stalker]

Just out of curiosity, has anyone considered the fact that the aliens we are seeing may be in a situation similar to the Quarians, or even something out of Battlestar Galatica?

That is, they are refuges fleeing something much more powerful than themselves? Last thing we need is a District 9-esque scenario, or worse yet, the pursuers find them, and while they fight it out, a stray shot, or two hit us.

Alan Smithee

Deputy Director, Information Assurance, NSA

[FaxModem1]

Alan Smithee,

Are you suggesting that if for some reason, aliens come to Earth requesting asylum, we refuse because of what might be following them? What makes you think they are in that position, especially considering they seem to be setting up shop near Saturn?

Charles Woods, civilian adviser.

[Night_stalker]

I am merely stating a possibilty. Besides, it's not my decision to make, but I was trying to point out that if they are fleeing something much more powerful than themselves, who's
to say that we might not be able to give them much in terms of either info or supplies. Let's face it, what do we have to offer to someone who is capable of harvesting antimatter in a star system far from their home?

Alan Smithee, Deputy Director, Informaion Assurance, NSA

[Uncluttered]

If they are refugees, we can always open a dialog. The problem is we haven't attempted a communication yet. They currently hold the high ground, and POTUS doesn't want to piss them off.

We don't know how they would react, because they are frankly, Aliens.

POTUS wants us to get a few replacements for Cassini in place, then use the hopefully harmless looking Cassini as a platform to open a dialog.

So, gentlemen and Ladies. POTUS wants to send new probes to Saturn, and he wants it yesterday.

How are we going to do this?

-Leon WHCOS

[CaptainChewbacca]

*Voice from the Back*

A probe? Well what do you want it to do? We could stick something on a missile and send it straight up. Jam every sensor and transmitter we can fit in the thing, and put it on a direct ballistic course for the object. Gravity shunting to get it into a stable orbit would take too long, but a hard burn in a direct course could give us a flyby in as little as eight months. Hell, if we're lucky we could even crash into the thing or get close enough that it takes a shot. If the object has weapons we'll get a look at what they can do, and if it doesn't... we'll know that too.

Once we get a better idea what we're dealing with, we can get some better, more permanent probes in place.

[Uncluttered]

A probe? Well what do you want it to do? We could stick something on a missile and send it straight up. Jam every sensor and transmitter we can fit in the thing, and put it on a direct ballistic course for the object. Gravity shunting to get it into a stable orbit would take too long, but a hard burn in a direct course could give us a flyby in as little as eight months. Hell, if we're lucky we could even crash into the thing or get close enough that it takes a shot. If the object has weapons we'll get a look at what they can do, and if it doesn't... we'll know that too.

Once we get a better idea what we're dealing with, we can get some better, more permanent probes in place.

It's a start.

If we can make it cheap enough, a sequence of flybys might be beneficial.
We'll need something to follow up.

Someone handed me this document:
lawrencehallofscience.org/pass/ringworld/rwFlightPathOptions.pdf
So I'm a little worried we have a rocket big enough. And by "we" I mean humanity.

Tell me more. I'm all ears.

[Uncluttered]

I have some news.

3 Hours ago, by secret vote, the G20 has agreed to allow the use of nuclear weapons in space for defense of humanity.
We're working to get this formalized into a new treaty.

[FaxModem1]

On the probe, should we include a self destruct if our main priority is to observe but avoid contact? A bad consequence of that is that it could blow up what investigates it, and we could get into a whole mess of trouble if they discover where the probe comes from.

Charles Woods, civilian adviser.

[open_sketchbook]

I disagree. We shouldn't be trying to poke too close, we should be trying to talk. While we should be ready to defend ourself, we should be more concerned with not having to in the first place and crashing something of ours into something of theirs is not a good way to go about that. In theory, our simulation results mean we're pretty sure we know how they transmit numbers; we can probably beam them a few numbers in sequence. It'll be meaningless, but, well, imagine if you were going to step on an ant and it started counting out loud. Lets get a probe up with the ability to communicate with SA-1 and say hello.

I think we should stick a nice diagram on the probe of us, Pioneer style, and no self-destruct. If they try to initate contact, maybe drag the probe home, thats a good thing; it means they are interested in us and want to learn more about us.

Dr. Layton Dreer
Transhuman Institute for Artificial Intelligence