[snip]

When the microphone was dead, Glen said, “This does not look like a technologically advanced civilisation! If General Order number One applies, we are still permitted to make initial contact, and even diplomatic exchanges are permitted within limits, but we will need to take delicate care not to disrupt local culture or customs. We cannot reveal the existence of the United Federation of Planets to their greater society unless we deem that they are Warp-capable. We can’t talk about technology they don’t have. I’m going to try to engage him in conversation and find out exactly how advanced they are, and how they have cryogenic and stasis technology. He obviously isn’t phased by the fact that we come from the stars. I’ll also find out about the child. But I may have to be economical with the truth about us and where we come from. Maybe we can pretend to be Alstaireans? Do you have any suggestions guys?”

Joe had been holding his hand over his mouth in an overall heroic attempt at hiding his smile at watching the captain attempting to shift gears so quickly. Finally stifling his mirth, he removed his hand and said to Glenn. “Sir they don’t seem to be overly surprised or alarmed by the fact that someone they don’t know has just popped up into their solar system for a cup of tea as it were. I wouldn’t volunteer any information that they don’t ask for at this point. Evidently, they’ve been visited by another people with warp capability or they themselves had it and something happened, war, plague or something else which set them back.”

“My own thoughts, given the information about the nebula maybe, is a once advanced civilisation that had a catastrophic failure and a more recent partial recovery?”

Glen signalled the Communication Officer to resume the conversation again.

With another nod the NE showed the channel had been restored.

=/\= Hello, Hello. Is this thing still on? =/\= Glen asked.

=/\= Yes! We can hear you now Captain Glen. It seems both our comm systems had a communication problem. My communications chief feels it is due to your likely differing use of technology compared to our own. We can hear and see you now though. =/\= He replied.

=/\= Yes! No doubt it’s due to incompatible database harmonics =/\= Glen replied. =/\= Your technology is very advanced to build these floating Habitats and stasis boxes. You must also have ships that travel in space like ours. And yet your child was placed aboard a passing ship. Why was that? =/\=

Keeping the microphone off in the connection with Dol for a moment longer, Glen received a Com from Sickbay.

= /\= Cross from sickbay ,an update from the child who is now fully awake drinking and asking for food =/\= Cross took a deep breath before continuing =/\= When asked for his name ,he was told that his new family would give him one and is thinking it is us, though we explained that we’re still looking for his family .The child seem to be intelligent…Captain any orders from your side? =/\=

=/\= I’m busy speaking with an official from the planet right now. I’ll have to get back to you, but that’s an interesting observation. Are you familiar with the life cycle of the Earth bird called the Cuckoo? Glen out! =/\=

=/\= Captain I thought I have just heard you say you are busy,anyway is the cuckoo who lay its egg in another species bird’s nest and the poor bird has to feed it until it flies away from the nest…wait eh ..oh no =/\= came the surprised voice over the comm....which rendered her speechless.

=/\= Glen Out! =/\=

William turned from his station “Brood parasitism does imply a purpose of increasing survival chances by integrating an offspring with the host parent, that is if it is a biological need, although a sociological need may imply a political landscape that requires such nesting habits” He chimed in.

“And an excellent way to expand your technological base… but please could I have quiet on the Bridge again while I speak to him!” Glen told no one in particular.

With the Mic back on, Glen repeated =/\= Sorry Dol, for the communications issue, I asked whether that was your child that we found on the ship and how he came to be there. =/\=

-Glen, CO

Finally the habitat master replied to Glen. =/\= Ah it sounds like you encountered one of our seed pods! =/\= He said. =/\= You would be wrong though Captain, to assume we have ships so grand as your own. We lack such technology or capability. =/\= He clarified. =/\= You see our system lays within this region of space which over time we have discovered is a cross roads of sorts for many other space faring species like yourselves. Often we will request that passing ships who enter our system take one or more of our ‘seed pods’ with them. Our idea is that these children will grow with their new parents and homes. Enriching them in their local culture, beliefs and more. Then as we hope these same children once they grow will return to us and share their wisdom and ideas before returning to their adoptive homes. We then take the best and most capable ideas we find from each returning child and integrate it into our society and technology. In some cases though ships that come here are quite primitve, and so we put these children into cryogenic pods and then send the ships back in the direction which they came..=/\= he went on.

=/\= Sadly, this idea which we have used for several generations has not been as fruitful as we had hoped. Many of our children we send out rarey return, either because they can’t, do not wish to, or perhaps something happened to them. We often do not know. That said the three times on our history since we began this effort has resulted in us adopting and adapting several ideas to better our habitat life here..=/\= he said.

GM CockRoach