Chapter 01 (IC)u
"Okay, I'll begin," Dr. Spence said without preamble. On the screen behind her video images start playing, in some cases in overlapping windows, with no sound. They show a strange mix of low and high technology and people dressed in odd, somewhat restrictive looking clothing, but by all appearances human. "These are the video transmissions we began intercepting upon arrival at the warp point. The specific images here are newer, acquired after moving closer, and some of them are real-time. We determined these are information and entertainment broadcasts," she explained indicating the moving images. "Underlying most of the transmissions is a sort of carrier wave that is compatible with Federated communications systems, though it uses an older modulation. This suggests intentional signaling with a history of previous contact. The underlying signal in fact provided a specific frequency and a cryptographic key for communication in a way undetectable to what appear to be standard reception systems on this world," she highlighted one pane that shows a couple of wave functions and some mathematical code.
"The population is estimated to be nearly one billion sentients, concentrated along a band centered on the equator and reaching 70 degrees latitude both north and south. The polar regions are confirmed to be uninhabited. The climate is temperate and cool in that band, obviously warmer along the equator, with most settlements within 30 degrees of it and in coastal areas. There is no indication of fossil fuel usage, though obviously advanced technology is present. Electrical storage and renewable energy for charging them is our best estimate," she finished her presentation and stepped back, letting Dr. Kaspersen step forward.
"We decided to reach out on the provided frequency using the cryptographic information and made contact with a government agency in the Northern hemisphere. They confirmed that they are a human colony from Earth, established early in the Empire of Humanity, and they referred us to an agreement with the Empire in which the colony leaders erased the history of colonization and the Empire was complicit in keeping the population ignorant of the wider galaxy. Before anyone passes judgment, understand that it would have taken the unanimous agreement of every colonist who made the transit to keep the secret from future generations. The government retained records and communications protocols and apparently had regular dealing with the Empire until it was overthrown. We have not yet apprised the government of the geopolitical situation," he said pausing. "Are there any questions so far?"