344: Uninvited Guests and "Interstellar Gestures"

When the emergency meeting of hope was held on the bridge, the atmosphere was so heavy it felt like it could drip water.

On the holographic star map, three dark red dots were slowly emerging from the warp exit, moving in a triangular formation toward New Homeland.

Their speed was not fast, one could even say they were very cautious, but the oppressive feeling of "we have been discovered" made everyone tense up.

"Distance is 0.48 light-years, speed is 3,000 kilometers per second, expected to enter the orbital range of New Homeland in 48 hours."

Aila Xinghen - Deputy Captain reported the data, her indigo eyes fixed on the scanning screen, "The ship design... I've never seen it before."

"It's not streamlined, nor is it a regular geometric shape; it looks more like... some kind of creature's carapace? The surface has structures resembling insect compound eyes, and they are constantly rotating."

The star map zoomed in, revealing the details of the three ships.

Indeed, they did not look like man-made objects, but more like three giant, hard-shelled space beetles.

Each was about half the size of hope, deep red all over, with the surface covered in honeycomb-like protrusions that opened and closed from time to time, revealing glowing "eyes" beneath.

"What about the energy signature analysis?" Wen Youyi asked in a deep voice.

"Chaotic," Senior Brother Zhang pushed up his glasses, "Not disorganized chaos, but... a mix of various energy patterns."

"There's bio-energy, thermal energy, some unknown radiation, and even faint fluctuations of spiritual energy.

It's like they've forcibly welded several completely incompatible propulsion Systems together and somehow they still fly; it's an engineering miracle—or perhaps a nightmare."

Luo Chen (his injuries were basically healed, but his face was still a bit pale) stared at the image, frowning deeply: "I have served in the Sky Patrol for three hundred years and have seen starship designs from at least two hundred different civilizations, but this one... I have absolutely no impression of it."

"They do not belong to any known interstellar civilization System."

"Could it be a new model from the Creation Heavenly Court?" Wang Wu asked.

"Unlikely," Yun Zhi shook her head, "The style of the Creation Heavenly Court is extreme order and regularity, pursuing symmetry and a sense of divinity in aesthetics."

"These ships are too... brutal; it's like they were dug straight out of some primitive planet and modified into spaceships."

The bridge fell into a brief silence. The unknown is often more terrifying than a known enemy.

"What do we do?" Zhao Iron Pillar broke the silence, "Fight or run? How about I take a team, pilot the 'Hidden Dragon' over to test the waters?"

"Don't be impulsive," Wen Youyi stopped him, "The other party has shown no hostile intent, and there are only three ships; they don't look like they're here for war."

"We will attempt contact first—but we must prepare for the worst. hope will ascend and enter a defensive orbit."

"All ground personnel, prepare to take cover and retreat to the ship if necessary."

The order was quickly conveyed. Alarms sounded in the camp, but there was no panic this time—having experienced the flight from the Ranch World and the adventure in the Star Devourer Royal Court, the residents of New Homeland had become much more resilient.

Everyone began to pack important items in an orderly manner, and the elderly and children were prioritized for the underground bunkers (which had just been dug, and they didn't expect them to be used so soon).

Wen Youyi took the core team and boarded the "Hidden Dragon"—this time the group was small but elite: him, Aila Xinghen - Deputy Captain (translation and energy analysis), Senior Brother Zhang (technical support), Zhao Iron Pillar (security), and the Sword Maniac, who had insisted on coming along.

"I want to see what kind of thing dares to come and disturb our settling down." The Sword Maniac held his sword, looking eager to try.

"Senior, we are going to make contact, not to hack people," Wen Youyi said, laughing and crying at the same time, "You must restrain yourself."

"I know, I know, courtesy first, force later," the Sword Maniac waved his hand, "But if they strike first, this old man's sword won't be so polite."

The "Hidden Dragon" slid out from the belly of hope and flew toward the three unidentified ships. This time, the stealth System was not activated—since the other party had already discovered them, stealth would only seem suspicious.

The flight was calm. The other party did not accelerate or change direction, just kept approaching at a constant speed, like three slow-moving space turtles.

"Distance 10,000 kilometers, entering visual range," Aila Xinghen - Deputy Captain stared at the porthole, "My god..."

Now there was no need for the star map to zoom in to see clearly. Those three "beetle ships" were even more... vivid than imagined.

Their surface was not smooth metal, but a keratinous layer covered in textures; those "compound eye" structures were still rotating slightly, as if observing the "Hidden Dragon".

Most eerie of all, some soft tentacle-like structures extended from the edges of the ship, slowly drifting in the vacuum.

"Is this thing a ship or a creature?" Zhao Iron Pillar widened his eyes.

"Perhaps... a combination of biology and machinery?" Senior Brother Zhang's lenses reflected light, "Like modifying a living creature into a starship. Theoretically feasible, but ethically... and the energy efficiency should be very low."

"They have stopped," Aila Xinghen - Deputy Captain reported, "Distance 5,000 kilometers, relative velocity has dropped to zero. They... are waiting for us."

Indeed, the three beetle ships were hovering in a triangular formation, no longer advancing. The one in the front suddenly had a crack open on its bow, revealing a glowing organ—like a mouth, or perhaps a sound emitter.

"Attempt communication," Wen Youyi said, "Use the standard interstellar friendly frequency to send basic mathematical sequences: prime numbers, Fibonacci sequence, and Pi."

This was the universal opening for interstellar contact, using mathematics, the common language of the Universe, to indicate "we are an intelligent civilization wishing for friendly exchange."

The signal was sent. A few seconds later, the other party responded—but not with radio or lasers, but with some kind of biological light signal. The "compound eyes" on the surface of the ship began to blink rhythmically, flashing complex light patterns.

"What is this? Morse code?" Zhao Iron Pillar asked.

"More complex than that," Aila Xinghen - Deputy Captain recorded the flashing sequences quickly, "It seems like... some kind of 'image language' based on vision and bioluminescence. I am trying to parse it... wait, what they sent also seems to be a mathematical sequence, but the way of expression is completely different."

On the holographic screen, the other party's light signals were converted into graphics: not numbers, but a series of constantly changing geometric patterns, with clear logical relationships between them.

"This is... using graphic changes to represent mathematical relationships?" Senior Brother Zhang's eyes lit up, "A very ingenious design! No need to translate a number System, directly using visual logic to transmit information. They might not have the concept of 'numbers', or their way of expressing numbers is completely different from ours."

Wen Youyi's heart stirred. He thought of the way primitive tribes on Earth used knotted ropes to record events, and the hieroglyphs of the Mayans. The paths of civilization development are vast and varied; this race might have developed a completely different cognitive System.

"How do we reply?" Aila Xinghen - Deputy Captain asked, "We don't know their language."

"Reply in their language," Wen Youyi said, "Express the prime number sequence we just sent using their graphic logic. Senior Brother Zhang, you are good at math, design a set of geometric transformation rules to convert these numbers—1, 3, 5, 7, 11...—into a cyclical graphic sequence."

This was a challenge, but Senior Brother Zhang clearly enjoyed it. He quickly sketched on the whiteboard: "The property of prime numbers is that they are indivisible... we can use a 'basic shape' to represent 1, and 'shape split but cannot be evenly divided' to represent prime numbers... yes, that way they should be able to understand!"

Ten minutes later, several high-intensity floodlights installed on the exterior of the "Hidden Dragon" began to flash according to the designed patterns. This "geometric prime number sequence" was much more complex than the other party's—after all, it was made up on the spot by humans—but the core logic was consistent.

After the signal was sent, the three beetle ships clearly reacted. The frequency of their tentacle movement increased, and the flashing of their compound eyes became rapid.

"Are they... discussing?" Aila Xinghen - Deputy Captain guessed, "It's like a group of people whispering to each other."

Sure enough, a few seconds later, the other party sent a new signal. This time it was not a mathematical sequence, but a simple graphic: a large circle enclosing a small circle, the large circle had complex textures on its surface, and the small circle was pure white.

"What does this mean?" Zhao Iron Pillar scratched his head, "A big pancake wrapping a small pancake?"

Wen Youyi stared at the graphic and suddenly understood: "A planet and a satellite? The large circle is a planet, and the small circle is its satellite. They are asking where we come from—or rather, where our home planet is."

"How do we answer? Draw New Homeland?" Senior Brother Zhang asked.

"No," Wen Youyi shook his head, "Draw hope and the 'Hidden Dragon'. Tell them we are interstellar travelers and do not have a fixed home planet."

He asked Senior Brother Zhang to design a new graphic: a simplified version of hope (a long bar with a few thrusters), followed by the small "Hidden Dragon", with the starry sky as the background. To express "travel", a circular arrow was added next to the graphic.

The signal was sent. This time, the opponent's reaction was stronger—the three ships suddenly spewed out a... colored mist? The mist quickly spread in the Void Realm, forming a brilliant patch of color.

"Is this... happiness? Anger? Or a warning?" Aila Xinghen - Deputy Captain was unsure.

Wen Youyi observed the distribution of those color patches carefully and found they were not random, but had a certain rhythmic quality.

"They are 'talking'," he judged, "using combinations of colors and shapes to convey more complex information. Aila Xinghen - Deputy Captain, record all variation patterns of the color patches and build a database. Senior Brother Zhang, analyze their combination rules."

The next two hours turned into a silent 'interstellar guessing game.'

The beetle ships 'spoke' a message using glowing patterns and colored mist, while the 'Qianlong' side tried to interpret and design a reply. Due to the vast difference in cognitive Systems between the two sides, misunderstandings were endless.

Once, Wen Youyi tried to express 'we seek peaceful coexistence' and designed a handshake pattern (two simplified human hands clasped). As a result, the other side replied with a large area of sharp red triangles—only later did they figure out that in that civilization's cognition, 'physical contact' was an extremely dangerous and provocative act, meaning 'I want to grab and control you.'

Another time, Senior Brother Zhang wanted to ask about their intentions and drew a question mark shape. It turned out the other side couldn't understand the concept of a 'question' at all and sent back a series of chaotic ripple patterns, roughly meaning, 'Is your signal malfunctioning? Do you need repairs?'

The funniest part was the exchange about 'food.' Wen Youyi wanted to express 'we can share resources' and drew simple sketches of a rainbow potato and a Moonlight Rabbit. The other side stared at the pattern for a long time and replied with... a decomposition diagram? A figure was broken down into basic elements and then reassembled. Only after repeated confirmation did they understand that the civilization's way of obtaining energy was through 'decomposing and reassembling matter,' and they thought Wen Youyi was asking, 'How do you like to decompose food?'

"This is more tiring than fighting the Star Devourers," Zhao Iron Pillar slumped in his seat, "I'd rather have a real fight with blades and guns."

Sword Maniac was quite interested: "Interesting. If this 'graphic-color' language were used to describe sword moves, perhaps it could create a brand new way to express Sword Intent..."

Just as the communication reached a stalemate, the other side suddenly sent an unprecedentedly complex signal.

It was no longer simple graphics or color patches, but a... dynamic image? Using high-speed flashing light points and color changes, it outlined a moving picture in the Void Realm.

In the image, first there was a dark starry sky. Then, a huge dark golden vortex appeared (Wen Youyi immediately recognized it as the scene of the Star Devourer Royal Court collapsing). Next, the image switched to a blue-green planet—it was exactly New Homeland. Finally, the image froze on the current scene of the three beetle ships and the 'Qianlong' in a standoff.

"They are telling us," Wen Youyi realized, "they saw the Star Devourer Royal Court collapse, tracked the energy trail to find New Homeland, and then discovered us."

"So they came because of the destruction of the Star Devourers?" Aila Xinghen - Deputy Captain asked.

"Probably more than that," Wen Youyi stared at the final frozen frame, "they specifically drew the standoff scene, maybe they are asking: Did you do it? Or... are you related to that event?"

Now the problem was complicated. Admitting it might attract unnecessary attention or even hostility; not admitting it, the other side might continue investigating and would discover the truth sooner or later.

Wen Youyi thought for a moment and made a decision. He had Senior Brother Zhang design a reply: instead of answering directly, he drew a 'process diagram'—first the scene of the Ranch World shrouded in the spirit net (represented by a web-like graphic), then human resistance (several little people breaking through the net), then the starship setting sail, and finally the collapse of the Star Devourer Royal Court.

He used this comic strip to tell the other side: We are an oppressed civilization, we resisted, we escaped, and we accidentally caused the collapse of that dark golden thing on the way.

The signal was sent. The three beetle ships were silent for a long time—for a full ten minutes, there was no response, just floating there quietly.

"They are digesting the information," Aila Xinghen - Deputy Captain guessed, "or... internal debate?"

Finally, the beetle ship in front split its light-emitting organ again. This time, what it emitted was not a pattern, but a... sound? A low, complex sound like insect chirping mixed with metal friction, which was transmitted directly into the 'Qianlong' through some kind of biological resonance.

Accompanying the sound was a gentle mental fluctuation carrying curiosity.

Aila Xinghen - Deputy Captain shuddered: "This is... a direct attempt at mental communication! They are using sound as a guide, trying to establish a connection at the level of consciousness!"

"Is it dangerous?" Wen Youyi asked.

"Not sure, but I don't feel any malice," Aila Xinghen - Deputy Captain closed her eyes and felt it, "it's more like... they want to understand us more deeply. Just like we used the comic strip to tell a story just now, they now want to 'hear' a more complete story."

Wen Youyi looked at the others. Zhao Iron Pillar looked like 'I don't care,' Senior Brother Zhang nodded while pushing up his glasses, and Sword Maniac said: "I've lived for so long and haven't 'chatted' with an alien bug yet, no harm in trying."

"Then accept it," Wen Youyi said, "but everyone stay vigilant, and disconnect immediately if anything goes wrong."

Aila Xinghen - Deputy Captain adjusted the neural connection System and guided the mental fluctuation in. Instantly, everyone 'heard' a voice in their minds—not any language, but a direct stream of concepts and images.

The feeling was strange, like dreaming, and also like watching a fast-forwarded movie. The other side 'told' their origin:

They were a civilization known as the 'Symbiote,' whose main body was some kind of silicon-based biological hybrid life that had drifted in the Universe for millions of years. They didn't develop technology but acquired capabilities through 'symbiosis'—finding the creations of other civilizations, analyzing, understanding, and then 'imitating' and 'improving' them with their own bodies. Those three beetle ships were the product of them symbioting with the remains of an extinct insect-type civilization.

They had no fixed home; the entire civilization was a fleet that was forever traveling. Purpose? No purpose, just 'experiencing' and 'learning.' The huge energy fluctuation released when the Star Devourer Royal Court collapsed attracted them, and they tracked it all the way to find New Homeland.

Finally, the other side conveyed a clear question: "You are 'Resisters.' You possess the power to 'destroy great evil.' Are you... willing to 'share knowledge'?"

Not asking for technology, not demanding resources, but 'sharing knowledge.' This request was beyond everyone's expectations.

Wen Youyi thought for a moment and responded with his consciousness: "We can share. But knowledge is two-way. We share our stories and technology, and you also share your 'symbiosis' experience and travel observations. Fair trade."

After a brief silence, a joyful emotional fluctuation came: "Agreed. Fair. Interesting."

Then, the other side proposed a concrete plan: they would send a small 'symbiosis unit' to land on New Homeland to have a face-to-face knowledge exchange with Wen Youyi's team. As a gesture of sincerity, they would first share an experience on 'how to maintain ecological balance in extreme environments'—this was exactly the knowledge New Homeland urgently needed.

"Accepted," Wen Youyi agreed, "but we will designate the landing site, and our defensive forces will be present. This is for the safety of both sides."

"Understood. Safety. Important."

The communication ended. The three beetle ships began to retreat, increasing the distance. One of their bellies opened, and a basketball-sized thing, like a silver sea urchin, floated out and flew slowly toward New Homeland.

"Qianlong" returned. On the way, everyone was silent, digesting the information just received.

"So... we're going to be neighbors with a bunch of talking space sea urchins?" Zhao Iron Pillar summarized.

"Not just neighbors," Wen Youyi looked at the blue-green planet getting closer outside the window, "possibly... the first extraterrestrial friends of New Homeland."

He paused, a smile appearing on the corner of his mouth: "This is great, the problem of knowledge sharing hasn't been solved yet, and a batch of new students has arrived—the kind that brings their own textbooks."

(End of chapter)