The Dawn of a Galactic Era

"The signal of Enlightment"

**Velutaria Prime, Empress Thyssara's Chambers**
March 26, 2024
Empress Thyssara stood before a large holo-display in her private chambers, surrounded by some of her most trusted advisors and communications specialists.   There were humming sounds from the advanced technology all around as they readied themselves to send a signal to Earth, a crucial threshold to be crossed in their engagement with the newly discovered civilization.

Thyssara looked at her Director for Communications, Chief Officer Jelan. "We are ready to go ahead with sending our signal. The message will be one of enlightenment and spiritual upliftment, reflecting our values of wisdom and respect. It is vital that we communicate in a manner that fosters curiosity and openness rather than fear or aggression."

"Yes," Director Jelan nodded and began adjusting the instrument's controls embedded in the holo-interface. "We have set the radio waves at Earth's frequency bandwidth, so the signal should fall easily into the bandwidth of their technology for detection. The message is also translated into each of the known human languages to provide for full reception."

**The Message**

The Empress herself took a seat and wrote the message, ensuring the words chosen reflected the values of the Velutarian Hegemony:

"To the people of the Earth, this is the Velutarian Hegemony. We come to the cosmos in peace and with an enlightened spirit. Our civilizations are far from one another, but united in a very basic core drive for knowledge and understanding. We extend a hand in friendship to you, offering our support for continued growth and exploration. May this message be moved and uplifted as we begin this new chapter of cosmic discovery."

The message was finalized and then encoded to allow it to spread over frequencies of all kinds of radios and satellite arrays on Earth. A signal was sent out, the Empress watching as it began propagating through vast distances of space.

**Earth, News, and Social Media**

Back on Earth, the signal was received and decoded. Radio stations and satellite arrays around the world picked up a signal that had never been seen before. The broadcast was picked up by every available channel, causing activity across various media to surge in all parts.

**Human News Networks**

There was overdrive of global news networks. On major channels, live feeds of the mysterious signal staked most of their breaking news segments. A message from the Velutarian Hegemony emerged from the background noise and professional and amateur pundits tried to break down its meaning.

"We are receiving an extraordinary transmission from an unknown source," said one of the most reputed TV news hosts, his face filled with a strange sense of admiration and confusion. "The message appears to come from alien civilization, yet at any case now, it is subject to so many questionings of hoax or prank."

**Social Media Explosion**

That was when social media went berserk. Tweets, posts, and videos were all over as users shared what the message supposedly said and their speculations about it. Soon, hashtags like #AlienSignal and #MessageFromSpace went viral across the globe.

Some enthusiastic and hopeful, others skeptical and dismissive. That's when the wild theories began: everything from governments hiding it, to giant media schemes. The scientific community was on fire since all instances connected to verifying the authenticity of the signal were carried out and the source located.

**Scientific Reaction**

The reaction from the scientific community was one of scrupulous examination and great excitement. Around the world, scientists began studying properties of the signal and endeavoring to discover its source. Announcements about the possibility of an advanced extraterrestrial civilization caused a stir in the scientific community, culminating in rush deliberations over the subject. "This signal seems to be real," said a rather excited Dr. Emily Carter, an astrophysicist at a sprawling research institution. "The methods used in encoding and transferring the signal are very advanced, far above what our level of technology is right now. Of course, we have further analysis to do, but this can very well be our long-awaited breakthrough." **Empress Thyssara**                                                                                                                                                                                               From her chambers, the Empress watched the response. She was calm, composed. She had expected Earth's media and public to react in all manners. Her intention—in fact, a Flek parent's intention—had been to initiate contact in such a way as to foster curiosity and dialogue, not fear. At this, Thyssara turned to her staff and nodded decisively. "We've established contact, put enough warnings out there, and even extended an offer of peace and knowledge. Shortly, we should see replies and be prepared for all responses. Let us just be ready to engage Earth in a manner that fosters understanding and cooperation. Her subjects would have to deal with that in good time. Meantime, though, the message from the Empress was the next chapter in the story of cosmos and, while the Earthlings digested the possibilities of that amazing message, the Velutarian Hegemony would plot the next course of their journey through the stars.