Back in 1977, the first Voyager probe was launched towards the far reaches of our solar system bearing a golden disc containing information on our species and the location of our homeworld. The disc also doubled up as a vinyl record (the most popular media of the era), holding further information on our civilisation in an audio format; an initial message to any alien race whom was to discover it.
In 1985, we received an answer.
Data recently retrieved by renowned Astrophysicist Dr. Martin Wendt from his contacts at the NASA archives revealed that the Atlantis intercepted a capsule of unknown origin whilst in orbit around Earth on her maiden flight (STS-51-J). The capsule had no obvious propulsion system and analysis and carbon dating left experts puzzled – the object was less than one year old. It was as if it had been carefully placed, knowing that the shuttle would cross its path.
The report states that if the capsule was intended as a reply to our Voyager, then it meant that the respondent had managed to somehow translate our recording without interrupting the mission itself – the onboard computers had not reported any interference since launch. The more disturbing fact that this theory suggests is that the alien civilisation must have been present in our solar system during the initial planetary stages of the Voyager mission, as the probe didn’t even begin its interstellar flight until 1990.
Not Even Human