Stories can be outlined and planned in extreme detail. Even so, they tend to grow organically. Characters that were planned to be a utility in the background can become major players in the plot. Items and inanimate objects that appear important at first may fall by the side without a clue. All of this is a natural part of the story writing process. Just as life can change plans in the real world, a fictional world can develop a life of its own and alter the original plans of the author. A good tale is one that balances the author's first intentions with the wild growth of the tale itself.
The young technician was having difficulty getting any of her superiors to take note of the signal she had found. Some said the signal was too short and couldn't be anything more than a simple distortion. Another informed her that the Noah had transmitted their initial signal in many languages of Earth, therefore her signal couldn't be anything because it was too alien in nature. He pointed the nearly random nature of the signal further showed it was simply a natural phenomenon. She was escorted out of his office before she was unable to point out the base 6 encoding he has missed that made the signal appear random to anyone used to seeing data in patterns of base 8 or 10. Anyone else that she felt would understand what she had was either in Antarctica or at a dedicated research station in communication with Antarctica. She would have to find a way to get the data she had into the hands of someone closer to the South Pole.
In the cold at the bottom of the Earth, a small discovery had been made. The varying artifacts that had been scattered around the planet as proof of their former presence could all be joined into one object. When combined, the object seemed to modify electromagnetic signals nearby and give off a new signal. The new signal was the same, regardless of the frequency or type of signal present. AM radio signals, VHF television broadcasts, and digital data transmissions were all apparently detected, modified, and transmitted again as the same signal. Through much experimentation it was discovered that the only variation in the new signals was one of strength. Each retransmission was slightly stronger than the original broadcast. However, an inability to understand the signal the object transmitted meant the scientific minds were still stumped as to its purpose.
A studious officer on duty in the communications building happened to discover something the scientists had all missed. Each time there was a test on the strange object, he picked up a signal similar to the Noah's that lasted the exact duration of the test, but much weaker and locally sent. He recognized the nature of the alien transmissions from reports and recordings he had been studying in his off duty hours. After detecting a week's worth of tests, the officer took his readings and the detailed reports of earlier signals from the aliens to a group of scientists having some food in one of the common buildings. They quickly understood what he was trying to show them. They took this new information to the laboratories without finishing their meals. There was finally a way to directly communicate with the Noah. Now it was up to the diplomats and numerous governmental representatives to come up with a message to send. Hopefully there would still be time for the Noah to help humanity when the politicians reached a consensus.
When the officer returned to his quarters, he was in a good mood and decided to read some of his personal emails. He found one from a cousin of his that worked for NASA, and she was asking him for a favor. He would read the rest of that one later. His sister was due to have a new baby any day now and he had a pool going with some of his comrades that involved the new baby's birth weight and time. There was an email from his mother that could have some interesting news.
A number of Drag'kon attack craft quickly approached the orbit of Uranus. They were still undetected by the single Noah craft. None of the technology on Earth was capable of seeing them approach before they wanted to be seen. The captains were all anxious about the pending battle, but visibly relaxed. A number of the weapons personnel were salivating at the thought of a fight, even when not at their stations. The lower ranks working in the bowels of the ship were only aware of their ever present duties, in battle or traveling between systems didn't change anything for them.
I will admit that certain connections have appeared in this segment that I didn't really expect. The relation between the communications officer and the technician that discovered the Drag'kon was completely unplanned. It does add a possible tool that can be utilized in more than one way later as well as a possible wrinkle to add a touch of drama if needed.
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