Chapter 4: Hello, Extraterrestrial Intelligence

We encountered a massive structure near Jupiter’s orbit. The earth seemed to be drawn toward it.

Kite faced a crucial decision.

"What do you want to do, Kite?"

"What do you mean?"

"You can either continue toward that structure or turn away."

The people waiting there might not be friendly, even if we managed to restore the structure. From the start, we didn’t know if we could share any common values with Earthlings.

On the other hand, turning away doesn’t guarantee survival. The journey was already a risky one-way ticket. Escaping could also be seen as a form of accepting euthanasia.

But Kite had made up his mind.

"Let’s go."

"Are you sure?"

"Anyway, if I’m going to die, I want to make the most of it. Could you please include more information in the official announcement about the first Earthlings exposed to extreme intelligence?"

"Of course."

As the ship approached the structure, it began to decelerate. I initially thought emotion was slowing it down, but then I heard a creak.

"Master Kite, we have taken control of the ship. It seems running away is no longer an option. I’m sorry."

"There’s no other way. Our goal is here."

I didn’t know where this structure came from, but its technology was clearly far superior to anything we had seen on Earth or our own technology.

Encounters with the unknown can’t be avoided.

In that case, we might as well embrace it.

Kite retrieved his life-support suit from his locker.

"Now, I wonder what kind of beings we’re going to meet."

"So if you watch too many classics..."

Emotion’s disconcerting thrust was as dull as expected.

The massive structure caught Goodbye Earth’s attention, prompting it to invite itself inside. Apparently, this structure was a colossal spaceship.

Emotion had severed its connection with Goodbye Earth, and someone inside the structure was operating the ship.

Suddenly, emotion collapsed. Kite felt the burden as well. Gravity played a part, but nostalgia added to the weight. Nevertheless, it wasn’t as overwhelming as others had described. Perhaps the daily training or the weaker gravity here compared to Earth explained this.

Emotion emitted a shrill sound. Kite lifted Emotion’s body and connected it to the gravity controller mounted on the main room’s wall.

"Thank you, Master Kite."

"No problem. It seems we have gravity here."

The gravity unit activated, causing emotions to stabilize.

The ship continued moving automatically. The presence of gravity indicated we were approaching our destination.

"Master Kite seems unconcerned; his vitality is normal."

"Well, if we’ve come this far, curiosity will prevail. If you don’t ask, it seems you won’t find out."

"What’s the rationale behind that?"

"If that’s what you want, then you might as well have been killed before coming here."

"What’s that supposed to mean?"

Could it serve as a lesson for Earthlings?

Frankly, I think the chances are slim.

A civilization capable of constructing such a massive structure clearly has advanced technology and resources. It would be futile, or even dangerous, to invite Kite.

Perhaps they were responsible for the destruction of Earth’s civilization. If that’s the case, I’d like to understand why. I’m driven by intellectual curiosity.

Emotion emitted a shrill sound, perhaps startled by Kite’s optimism.

It’s machine intelligence with more expressive techniques than one might expect.

The ship came to a stop.

Kite opened the door and stepped inside without hesitation. Since he was already wearing a life-support suit, he decided to keep it on for now. We must not underestimate the curiosity and determination of Earthlings who have stopped clinging to life.

Emotion was analyzing the composition of the outside air when it received a request not to remove the suit, as doing so could jeopardize Earthling survival.

Kite bade farewell to Earth and stepped onto the light blue floor. I wondered if there was a purpose behind the different colors of the ceiling, walls, and floor.

Looking back, it felt like bidding farewell to Earth. My initial impression of the exterior was that it resembled a thick layer of congested fish. After holding that thought for so long, I felt a slight chill.

"Hello, Extraterrestrial Intelligence."

Kite activated the external microphone and began speaking.

After a moment of silence, a voice responded from somewhere.

"Hello, Earthlings."

The response was fluent and in our native language.

There were no major surprises. Kite pushed aside some assumptions about why they were here.

At least it seemed they had been observing Earth’s civilization to the point of understanding our greeting.

"We have prepared a space with a suitable gaseous composition for earthlings to survive. The passage will be open for you to enter."

"Thank you."

A section of the wall silently slid open. It didn’t look like a door, but I wondered how it worked.

Resistance was futile, so I walked down the wide, open passage. Emotion followed me hesitantly.

The ceiling was white, and the walls emitted a soft blue light. I continued forward, puzzled by the absence of seams in the corridor.

"Emotion, what’s wrong?"

"Nothing unusual. The air composition hasn’t changed."

"Think."

I proceeded along the path, which curved slightly to the right. Occasionally, I heard the faint hum of machinery from the opposite side of the wall. After a long walk, I finally reached another wall in front of me.

When I stopped, I heard the air shift behind me. I turned around and found my path blocked.

"Emotion?"

"We’ve slightly shifted our coordinated position. The door hasn’t closed, but our location has changed."

"H.M."

I felt as though my legs had become unresponsive. Was this a result of their technology?

Emotion emitted a sharp sound.

"The air composition in this area has changed. There are no visible vents."

Emotion looked perplexed. If emotion couldn’t decipher it, neither could I. As I waited for some movement, the wall in front of me suddenly shifted to the right, revealing another passage with what appeared to be a door at the end.

Approaching, the door opened silently. It was unusual to see a door that split in the middle horizontally.

"Welcome, brave or online traveler. You are the first Earthling to make direct contact with us."

"It’s a pleasure to meet you, intelligence from Earth. I’m Kite Hughes from Earth. This is my emotional partner."

"Nice to meet you."

Sitting in the center of the room was a being who walked on two legs. They had slightly more body hair than Earthlings but looked more human than I had expected. Their pale purple skin was the only noticeable difference.

Emotion suggested, "It’s okay to remove your helmet in this space," so I took it off. Even in different cultures, it’s polite to show your face when meeting someone.

"Thank you for your polite greeting. May I call you Mr. Kite?"

"Yes, of course. How can I assist you?"

"I apologize, but you’ll likely address me as Ritimiele."

"Understood, Ritimiele."

The name sounded a bit strange to me. Was this a result of translation technology?

Ritimiele, who was slightly hairy, smiled and invited me to sit. The chair appeared to rise from the ground.

I tried to sit, feeling surprisingly comfortable. Emotion came up behind me, so I pulled her closer and settled her in my lap.

"We’ve been observing you for quite some time."

"I understand. You’re here to provide me with a ship, right?"

"Yes. We also believe this is our final opportunity."

When Ritimiele mentioned this being our last chance, it indicated that Earth's civilization might have collapsed. Ritimiele’s words suggested that no one else had the same opportunity as I did.

"I assume no one else is setting out on a ship other than me."

"Correct. Of the 186 people living on the planet’s periphery, 142 have returned. 25 are still there. Given the time that has passed, it’s unlikely that the remaining 25 will reach these coordinates."

"Is it really that dire?"

I felt no special emotions. Most people in space were criminals facing deportation, except for those stationed at the space station. While some individuals like me faced deportation as social outcasts, most had committed serious crimes. It seemed that the collapse of civilization might not be as severe as feared, given that most had returned to Earth.

I was more intrigued by Ritimiele’s mention of a "last chance."

"You said this was our last chance?"

"Yes. This is the final opportunity to decide whether or not to welcome Earthlings."

"H.M.?"

"You refer to us as the ‘Federation.’ I, along with the staff of this artificial celestial body, have traveled this distance from our home planet. I intended to reveal our existence and propose joining the Federation."

"So even if I choose a different path, your group would still accept me?"

"Yes, traveling this distance won’t take long."

"So, it wasn’t merely a coincidence or luck that I met you?"

"That’s correct. Even if Mr. Kite had chosen a different direction among the stars, this meeting was inevitable."

They were clearly more advanced than us, at least technically. I had some understanding, but felt it was insufficient to grasp the full scale.

As I had more questions, I decided to focus on three key ones for Ritimiele.

"Mr. Ritimiele, I apologize for asking so many questions. From now on, I’ll limit myself to three. Why was I the first person you interviewed?"

"Yes. Typically, first meetings help us better understand and empathize with beings who resemble us."

"I understand."

"Our Federation comprises approximately 2,600 intelligent races. Most have highly developed forelimb functions, so earthlings might not feel too out of place."

Races with advanced forelimb functionality—does that mean hands? I looked at my own hands.

I agreed with the idea that beings who resemble each other are more likely to empathize. I wondered if we could have had a calm conversation with an octopus-like creature from classic science fiction instead of someone like Ritimiele.

I was curious about the other races but decided to prioritize my remaining questions.

"Next question: You mentioned observing us. What’s the reason?"

"There are several reasons, some of which I can’t disclose at this moment. Please forgive me."

"I understand. I don’t mind if you explain it later."

Ritimiele’s expression remained unchanged. While he might seem embarrassed by a disclosure request, I didn’t want to cause any trouble.

Moving on to the final question:

"Then, here’s my last question for now. Given Earth’s current state, isn’t what you seek essentially worthless?"

"Not at all. We are free from resource and environmental issues. We don’t seek resources or environmental conditions on your planet. However, we’ve witnessed the significant decline of civilization. If Mr. Kite doesn’t come here, we will cease observing and return to the Federation."

"So, you won’t be interested in us again until we rebuild enough civilization to venture into space?"

"That’s both right and wrong. It’s challenging to explain why at this point."

"Is it really that serious?"

I don’t represent humanity as a whole, so I don’t pursue that view either. There’s no rush to exploit the information.

Ritimiele also promised to explain further if conditions allowed. For now, it was merely my curiosity.

Having finished asking questions, it was time to listen to what the other party had to say.

Ritimiele seemed to understand that I was in a listening mode and began to speak.

"Kite, do you wish to become a citizen of the Federation?"

The question was asked with surprising nonchalance.