Hundreds of thousands of light years away, in what is now known as the Milky Way galaxy, there was a small life bearing planet. In its most fertile years, it hosted an intelligent form of life. They were similar to us. Carbon based and highly adaptable, constantly improving through curiosity and technology. In time, they had developed complex computational systems, though their method wasn’t built around wires and silicon as it is on Earth. Rather, they focused on organic structures and unlocked methods of manipulating genetics and biological data in a way that cured every ailment, unlocked genetic manipulation and accelerated their evolution exponentially. But like all great civilizations, theirs would come to an end. The star that had sustained them for billions of years was nearing the end of its life.
Knowing the end was near, they abandoned their home to seek a new world in the cosmos.
Along with life sustaining arks, they launched messages towards a number of potential star systems. Inside was a device able to share information through a complex system of chemical and biological processes. Each contained the vast array of data and medical knowledge that this space-faring civilization had amassed during their moment in the light.
These peaceful messengers were destined towards star clusters and nebula with the potential to form life-supporting solar systems by the time they arrived. Some would be traveling for billions of years, outliving their creators even if they managed to find a new home.
While the pods rapidly traversed the vast emptiness of space, new planets formed. Nebula dust and debris coalesced into gaseous giants, ice chunks, molten rocks and countless asteroids.
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When one pod was within 250 light years of it’s destination star, it began detect unique radio static. It began to slow, scanning for signs of life...
Whether it found life or not, this was the end of the road. The tiny payload was destined to burn up in the rapidly approaching star if it didn’t detect anything. For several more years, it flew, gradually coming closer to the outermost planets in the system. Distorted signals continued to hit the pod, becoming more clear with each passing day. The signals seemed to originate from a planet in a stable orbit, roughly 150 km from the star.
Binary information became more clear and, while it wasn’t a guarantee of intelligence, this was the only shot the pod had to share the knowledge of it’s creators. Long dormant propulsion systems woke and began to adjust the trajectory, putting Earth directly in it’s path...