Chapter 716 Speculation Amidst Silence

Chapter 716 Speculation Amidst Silence

Outer space.

In the ship’s control room, an air of tense silence prevailed as they awaited a response from the other side.

Half an hour passed without a reply. Then an hour, three hours, and finally five hours went by with no indication of contact from the Visitors.

“Is it possible that our assumption about their understanding of binary was flawed, or are they simply ignoring us?” the captain wondered aloud, his concern growing with each minute of silence.

“Should we consider shifting to another means of communication?” the vice captain inquired, glancing at the captain as the waiting game continued.

The empire, known for its meticulous planning and preparation, always ensured they had multiple backup plans when dealing with significant situations like first contact with extraterrestrial civilizations. In this case, they had more than just one method of communication, anticipating the possibility that their initial approach might not be effective.

“Not yet. We will continue monitoring for three days, and if there’s no response by then, we’ll move to the next step,” the captain said before refocusing on the data collected by the ship's sensors.

As he reviewed the information, he paid particular attention to one detail: the active engines, specifically those facing their side. These engines emitted a small amount of mana, indicating that they were either partially or fully powered by mana.

The silence persisted as the ship closed the ten-light-second distance, further suggesting that the object might be buying time.

However, when they reached a distance of fifteen light seconds, the stillness was broken. The other side finally responded by repeating the same message they had been broadcasting.

“Stop,” the captain commanded as soon as the AI reported that the other side had responded.

{They sent two similar responses: one through the same means we did and another via mana. They might be testing our development in mana or assessing our ability to detect the difference. It also seems like they used this time to prepare equipment for sending the conventional response.} The AI provided this analysis as the ship came to a full stop.

Why do you think that is?” the captain inquired.

{The conventional response is about 22 centimeters thick, which could indicate calibration issues, that they’re using the signal for the first time, or that they’re testing our ability to detect differences. The mana transmission was sent after the initial response, possibly as a backup or another test.}

“We don’t have time for this speculation,” the captain said firmly. “Stick to the protocol and use this opportunity to develop a basic communication language with them. Respond using conventional means—we don’t need to play their game or follow their rules.”

{Understood. I’ll get to work on that. It will take a few hours, depending on how quickly their AI responds.} The AI acknowledged and began the task.

Thus, the rapid exchange of communication between the two sides began, with the only limitation being the speed at which signals could travel. Both AIs appeared to be sufficiently fast, meaning the primary constraint was the signal transmission speed rather than any lag in processing on either side.

“I hope you’re not just buying time,” the captain muttered as he reviewed the exchanged information being used to establish communication between the two sides.