We tend to imagine alien civilizations as minds, people, someone to talk to.

First contact, we picture diplomats, scientists, ambassadors.

But there's one answer to the Fermi paradox I've always found more unsettling.

Not that aliens are rare, not that they're hostile,

but they might be everywhere, and nobody's actually home. Let me show you what I mean.

When humanity first encountered alien intelligence, it was no surprise it was through a radio

signal rather

than a personal visit.

Due to the inherent signal lag, the messages between the two civilizations had to remain

somewhat general and vague, and the shock had long since worn off when we got back the

first reply to our own first message to them.

Astronomers speculated that the beacon we were communicating with, located a light

sentry away, was likely automated and positioned far from the alien home world for safety.

The fact that it could produce fairly elaborate replies was not surprising, especially after

the exchange of Rosetta Stone's style of messages enabled solid translation,

even for euphemisms and abstract concepts. Naturally, humanity relied on its own advanced

AI as a translator. Some even wondered if the video feed, showing a rather humanoid alien face,

had been artificially designed to make us feel more at ease. While the face seemed alien, it wasn't disturbingly so.

Interestingly, when a face-to-face meeting finally occurred, the humanoid appearance turned

out to be a coincidence, a natural result of evolutionary convergence.

The breakthrough moment came after centuries of back-and-forth communication and humanity's

gradual expansion beyond Earth.

...