The science officer turned as the captain walked onto the starship's bridge. "We’ve picked up a transmission, captain. Potential First Contact with an alien civilization.”
The bridge fell silent. The crew had never been part of a First Contact event. Nothing could be more exciting. But the science officer warned: “There is a problem, captain. The signal originates 20 light years from our present location. It appears to be a local purposes signal only, unintentionally beaming into outer space. And its contents are … disturbing.”
“Show transmission,” the captain ordered.
On the holo, the alien transmission unfolded. The crew watched with growing horror. Within minutes, the captain took a firm decision:
“First Contact cancelled. Inform Galactic Central that we will quarantine this planet for the next millennium. Jam the signal. Launch isolation buoys. Secure an area of 50,000 cubic light years. We can’t risk contamination.”
The captain sighed. “The scientists had warned us we would come across civilizations like this sooner or later. I always thought they were too pessimistic. How can a people be so full of hate and greed and so out of touch with the cosmic reality?”
As the crew went about the business of carrying out the quarantine orders, the captain continued to stare with disbelief at the continuing transmission. In a language the crew could not understand, it said: “That was the evening news, now these short messages.”
A resident of Belgium, Karel is a writer of six children's and juvenile fiction books, and has been writing "since forever." Find out more at this site (Dutch only).
Speculative Flash Fiction - Text and Audio
|
