[Snip[

The elder regarded Glen for another moment.

=/= And when you encounter a people unlike yourselves… what do you hope to find? =/=

The question lingered within the gentle resonance of Vey’lan.

For all the extraordinary technology surrounding them, the Shiarians’ first true question was remarkably simple.

They wanted to understand the people who had come to them.

Captain Glen replied =/\= In our ship, we are representatives of Starfleet, the exploratory arm of the United Federation of Planets. The Federation was founded about 140-years ago by four species, Humans, Vulcans, Andorians and Tellarians, from Earth, Vulcan, Andoria and Tellar Prime. It is an interstellar republic which promotes peaceful coexistence; universal liberty, rights, equality for all sentient beings; together with cooperation in scientific research and development, space exploration and mutual defence. =/\=

=/\= You asked that given the dangers involved, why do we explore and what do we hope to find? We’ve found that exploration is something common and universal to all sentient species we have met. Even those yet to develop the capability to travel beyond their own home star system still have a longing to do so. In the past, planets have had various different reasons that include the opening new trade routes and economic success, political reasons such as acquiring new territories and wealth, or spreading religion and political ideas, but that desire and longing seems to go way beyond that, and is often merely to satisfy some very basic curiosity. Starfleet does not engage in exploration for military advantage or resource exploration, although there is safety in numbers and there are minerals like Dilithium crystals that we cannot synthesise, but rather because seeking out new worlds and civilisations drives scientific advances and allows us to encounter new life and new ideas. There is also that thrill of exploration and of being the first to venture into the unknown. Nothing great has ever been achieved without danger, and we feel that our cause is worth the risk. When we encounter new people we hope to gain mutual benefits from an appreciation of their culture and their scientific knowledge which we append to own own. We might also offer them membership of the Federation, but that comes with later diplomatic negotiation, as while joining such a large organisation has great benefits it also means a loss of sovereignty and autonomy, and more bureaucracy and constraints, so it is certainly not something that is forced upon any cultures that we encounter. =/\=

• Glen, CO

Lieutenant Junior Grade John Reeves had remained quiet throughout Captain Glen’s explanation, his attention moving between the Captain, the elder Shiarian, and the crystalline chamber surrounding them. As Security, his primary responsibility was not to decide whether the Shiarians were friendly or hostile. That assessment belonged to the evidence. His responsibility was to make certain that if the situation changed, the away team would have the time and space necessary to respond.

So far, the evidence remained remarkably encouraging.

Reeves glanced briefly toward Thalos before returning his attention to the elder. The Andorian’s assessment had been sound, and Reeves had found nothing during their time inside the chamber to contradict it. The Shiarians had made no threatening movements, their energy signatures remained stable, and even the extraordinary technology surrounding them had shown no indication that it was being prepared as a weapon. If anything, the opposite appeared to be true. The Shiarians seemed genuinely interested in understanding who had arrived at their doorstep.

That, Reeves thought, might actually be the more important security consideration.

First contact was rarely dangerous simply because someone wanted to start a fight. Sometimes it was dangerous because two civilizations had completely different ideas about what constituted a threat.

He lowered his tricorder slightly and spoke quietly enough that his words remained directed toward the officers nearest him rather than becoming an interruption to the Captain’s conversation.

“Sir, for what it’s worth, I think the Captain gave them the right answer.”

His eyes remained on the elder Shiarian.

“We’re not here because Starfleet thinks every unexplored corner of the galaxy belongs to us. We’re here because we don’t know what’s out here.”

There was a faint hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth.

“And apparently, neither do they.”

Reeves fell silent again, allowing the elder to consider Glen’s words. There was something almost refreshing about the simplicity of the Shiarians’ question. They had not asked about weapons, military strength, technology, territory, or resources. They had asked why the Federation ventured into the unknown.

For a security officer, the answer was surprisingly easy to understand.

“Curiosity can be dangerous,” Reeves added after a moment, his voice still measured. “But so can ignorance.”

His gaze briefly swept the chamber once more. The crystalline walls continued their gentle harmonic resonance, giving him the distinct impression that the entire room was somehow listening.

“And if we’ve learned anything in Starfleet Security, it’s that neither one is a particularly good reason to stop asking questions.”

Captain Glen thought about Reeves words and found it to be a truism. The Shiarians had deliberately isolated themselves from everything and everyone, and now that they were cocooned here in their Expanse home, they were out of touch with the rest of the universe. “No man is an island!” Glen replied to Reeves. Glen felt more comfortable with the Shiarians now, and his concerns about someone saying the wrong thing had eased. He couldn’t think of a good question to ask them in reply, but was sure that Lieutenant Reeves had a good question formed out of his observations. He indicated that he could ask it now.

Reeves returned his attention to the elder Shiarian and straightened slightly.

“We came here peacefully. We’d like to leave peacefully. But more importantly, we’d like to understand why you waited so long for someone to arrive.”

That last statement was deliberately simple.

Reeves did not reach for his phaser. He did not move closer. He simply waited, alert and professional, allowing the Shiarians to decide whether they were ready to answer the question.

Because whatever had kept Vey’lan waiting for visitors for so long, Reeves suspected that the answer might tell them considerably more about the Shiarians than any sensor reading ever could.

Lieutenant (Junior Grade) John Reeves
Security Division
USS Merrimack (NCC-2346)
Starfleet Command

• Glen, CO