It was a momentous occasion. Millions watched as the crew of the first flight to the red planet set foot on its surface. Captain Saule said his proscribed line as he stepped from the small lander onto the dusty, orange ground.

The rest of the team followed, and then started on their assigned tasks; they only had three days to get as much research done as possible before they returned home. Saule started unloading the rover and generator; Wensly, the biologist/geologist, started to take soil samples, and the engineer, Naytani, set up a small antenna for future missions. As soon as she booted it up for a test, it chimed that it was receiving a signal.

It was a low strength signal that had barely enough power to register on the antenna. Puzzled, she gave the antenna a few percussive taps to see if it was simply a boot error. It chimed again that it had a signal, which wasn't right since the main transceiver on the orbiter wasn't yet transmitting.

"Wensly, could you send a request to the orbiter for a comms check? I'm having some issues with the low band on the one I'm setting up." Naytani radioed.

"Affirmative. What’s the issue?" Wensly asked. "Interference from the media transmission?"

"No, it keeps saying it has detected a signal, but I haven’t aligned it yet. It’s pointed the wrong way, out of the system,” Naytani replied. “Never mind that there shouldn't be any signal being sent out here on this band yet."

"Yeah, that's odd. Can you make out what the signal is?”

“No, it’s too weak for this receiver. I can’t make it out.”

“It’s probably a signal echo but I'll get Stuhkey to point the orbiter’s receiver in that direction and see if they get anything. Should have a response for you shortly."

It wasn’t long until Naytani got her answer. Stuhkey up on the orbiter, had switched to her radio channel.

"Naytani," Stuhkey sounded odd, as if he was expecting a heavy object he couldn't see to fall on him. “You said you were picking up a signal, but couldn't make any details out?”

"Yes, were you able to replicate the problem? " Naytani asked, "Is there another issue? You sound odd."

"Yes," Stuhkey responded. “Your equipment isn’t malfunctioning, there actually is a signal."

"You're joking, there's nothing out there! If anything it's probably some phenomenon involving a crystal and some kind of vibration for the planetary winds," she stated, a tad forcefully.

"I'm not joking,” He flatly said, “and we need to let the Captain know. There is another issue. The signal... says 'Hello'."

---

Back in the landing craft, Captain Saule, the tallest of the crew, sat in the flight seat. Wensly and Naytani were seated in the crash couches. Stuhkey was listening in over the communication system.

Saule spoke, his voice steady. "So, to my understanding, we have received a signal from the largest gas giant in our system, directed at us, the same day we first set foot on another planet, and that signal just happens to say ‘hello’."

Naytani fidgeted with her straps. "Yes, when you put it that way, it sounds very strange."

"It sounds like it could be contact with an alien race to me," Wensly added. "This could make our mission infinitely more important than it already was."

"It sounds like something we might never be allowed to talk about," Stuhkey added glumly over the radio.

"What it is... is out of our hands. We have a responsibility to report any urgent findings immediately," Saule stated. "Admittedly those guidelines didn’t cover this scenario, but nonetheless we need to send this information back home ASAP and get back to finishing our mission. Does everyone agree?"

The crew confirmed, and while Stuhkey sent the transmission back to the Science Center (using the encrypted non-public channel), the rest of the crew left the lander and returned to their tasks, but with a noticeable lack of enthusiasm. The remaining two days of their mission passed uneventfully, the weak signal still continuing to broadcast. They started the return voyage home amidst a flurry of speculation and theories by the government specialists and the scientific community that had been let in on the secret.

---

After a tense year of political debates, theological questioning, and philosophical bickering, the decision was made to send an expedition to whatever it was that was broadcasting the signal. The same crew that received the signal was designated to go by way of experience, and the other trained astronauts had all developed a case of frigid feet.

Saule, Wensly, Naytani and Stuhkey spent 9 months traveling to the signal. Most of the trip was spent debating and arguing what the signal was. Wensly had taken the stance that it was an alien exploration craft. Naytani had solidified her theory of it being a crystal of metallic hydrogen being statically charged to produce a radio signal then, being vibrated by high speed, high pressure winds made the repeating message. When pressed, she tended to gloss over the science of it rather quickly. Stuhkey held that it was a trap set by opposing governments to destroy their long range craft and discredit their Astronomy division. Captain Saule didn't say much, but mostly kept the arguments civil.

As they approached the gas giant, the signal's point of origin was narrowed down to an asteroid within the gas giant's ring. Which presented a few issues of how to approach the source, or rather if they should approach it.

Saule started. "I think we should send one of our small satellites to take a look. It won't risk us being pierced by micro meteors, and won't waste fuel if it turns out to be natural radio."

"I'm not sure that's the case anymore," Naytani said, deflated. "That assumption was based on the source actually being inside the atmosphere. Out here I'm unsure how a naturally occurring radio would exist, let alone one outputting a steady signal."

"I think the satellite is a good idea, but I've been looking at the objects in the ring, and I'm not seeing the usual range of sizes. If I had to say I'd say we found a 'bald patch' in the ring. It might be safe to approach ourselves." Wensly added.

"Stuhkey, what do you think?" Saule asked "If you have a third option I'd like to hear it."

"I think we should approach ourselves, I want to find out what's making this signal, and Naytani is right, it isn't something natural." Stuhkey sighed, "And I just know that if we half ass it and play it safe, we'll regret it and probably have a lot of angry people back home too..."

"Are we all agreed?" The captain asked "If so let's get to it."

As the craft came in from the south hemisphere up towards the ring, several things soon stood out. There seemed to be a rather sparse section in the ring around the signal source. As they gradually came closer Stuhkey saw something move.

" Captain, I have movement, on the far side of that empty area, something is interacting with that small curved rock." He exclaimed, an edge of excitement tinged his voice.

"I see it, Wensly, can you train our telescope on it. Naytani can you get the radio ready and tuned in to the right channel?"

"Yes sir." "Can do"

"I've got it on the scope Captain, should be viewable on channel three," Wensly soon said. "It's definitely alien sir!"

"Radio is ready as well sir, just waiting on you to be your usual eloquent self." Naytani followed.

As they all looked at the thing through thier terminals. The source was revealed, and was rather underwhelming. It really wasn't much to look at, a small twenty unit craft, bit of a lengthened hexagon, with engines on two opposing sides, a central bay, and a sensor ball on the belly, they could even see fasteners on the panels. Two arms came from the bay interior with a strange red emblem on each arm. The two arms held a small asteroid, as several smaller arms seemed to dismantle the asteroid. The strangest thing was that it was broadcasting, a cheery little tune about resource extraction of all things.

"HI ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go!"

Perplexed, Saule transmitted, a bit hesitant, "Unidentified object, do you understand me? Please respond"

A voice came over the radio deep but cheerful, almost chipper. As if the speaker had just received good news. "Oh finally! I've been wondering when you would show up. I've been waiting here since I first said hello, you guys must really be shy."

"We weren't actually sure what you were, we came here to find out what the source was." Saule replied after a moment of thought.

"Hmm, I suppose that's a safe bet. Anyways, you're here now!" The voice replied, somehow adding another layer of cheer "And I'm real too, definitely not a naturally occurring radio."

Naytani blurted out, "How do you know what we said! The radio wasn't even on when I said that!"

"I may be using a simple radio, but that doesn't mean I'm simple. Your encryption methods are almost non-existant. I've been listening in since I first saw you guys land on the red planet. That really got the nostalgia flowing for me," The radio responded, with an exhale that sounded strangely digital.

At this Saule forcefully shut the other mics down, except his "You've been spying on us, what are you here for? I must tell you our government will respond accordingly to whatever actions you take against u-"

"Oh no, I'd never. Though your race does have some pretty effective chemical rockets, my race doesn't need any of your technology." The voice interjected, no longer as cheerful as it had been but not put off either.

Saule asked "If we have nothing to offer you, why are you here?"

"Honestly, I got bored. I picked up your transmissions as I was in a nearby system for a surveying contract. I figured watching you guys would be a nice way to kill time while I waited for my next contract." It responded "Also, you do have something to offer. My race loves to meet new people, and I think we'd get along like two peas in a pod"

"So you just want to know us?" Saule asked, looking at the rest of the crew. All of which had hopeful looks.

"Absolutely! Humanity is all about friendly relations," The radio chimed, "Where it's applicable. I realise I know who you are but you don't know me. So let me formally introduce myself."

"I'm Eli, a digitized human persona, embedded in a Class One Mining and surveying Probe of the Vesuvian guild, Sol system. I can't wait to introduce you, the Glint, to the rest of Humanity."