AAR: Second Contact, Dinner and a Show

kermit · March 11, 2024, 11:49am

Stardate:
100189.3

Filed By:
Perim, N.

Clearance:

LOCATION Unnamed Planet

MISSION Conduct planned diplomatic contact with unnamed species (Starfleet Second Contact).

OUTCOME Success. Completed traditional meal and sharing of experiences. Trust built between members of the delegation and species representatives. Arrangements made for a representative to return with us to DS13 for ongoing diplomacy.

KEY PERSONNEL

Ambassador Neema Perim
Captain Coby Morton
Captain Alistair Nimitz
Captain Percy Ward
USS Minerva

BACKGROUND Spontaneous first contact between the Federation and an unnamed species of powerful telepaths took placed on Stardate 100131.4. At that time, Starfleet responded to a telepathic distress call and found one of their vessels under attack by Nausicaan vessels, presumably pirates. Starfleet intervened on behalf of the unknown species and subsequently opened a dialog.

During first contact, this species expressed a request for assistance improving their planetary defenses after being attacked. The ship encountered was reported to be pursuing their world’s attackers when it was engaged by the Nausicaans. It is unclear whether the original attackers were the Nausicaans themselves, or if that was a secondary encounter.

It is critical to understand that this species communicates exclusively through language-independent telepathy. Thought and intent are conveyed primarily through the sharing of memories and imagery. As a result, they do not utilize names or shorthand identifiers - rather they seem to recognize others at least partially through telepathic instinct or feedback. Regarding this method of communication, three general levels of contact have been observed:

At baseline, thoughts seem to be transmitted with specific intent, unidirectionally and consciously targeted: either person-to-person, person-to-group, or even potentially person-to-location. This ability has been seen used at extremely long ranges, and appears to have either no requirement for line of sight, or at minimum, a requirement that can be satisfied by ship-based sensor readouts.
A more invasive form of contact, referred to as “open link”, involves the sharing between individuals and/or groups of all surface-level thoughts and feelings. This is most similar to unrestricted Betazoid telepathy, with the caveat that there is no fallback verbal language to provide structure to the thoughts shared. Interestingly, when forming this link, the species seems to relay the thoughts of even non-telepathic participants to the rest of the group.
An intimate form of contact, which may or may not require physical contact to initiate, involves a more holistic bidirectional sharing of thoughts and experiences. This appears most similar to the Vulcan Mind Meld, though the exact extent and limitations remain largely unknown.

NOTE For the purpose of internal consistency, I will hereafter very tentatively refer to this species as The Evocative, and the two individuals primarily encountered as The Captain and The Envoy respectively. Note that these ‘names’ are strictly inventions after the fact and are used without the knowledge or consent of the species and persons involved. While I believe them to be generally inoffensive, readers are advised to use caution repeating or codifying these terms elsewhere, especially in the presence of the subjects.

NARRATIVE The Captains comprising the Starfleet Delegation and I traveled via USS Minerva to The Evocative’s homeworld. We discovered several starships of the same general design as the cruiser previously encountered. The planet was protected by an energy shield and transport inhibitors. Before long, Captain Morton was telepathically contacted by The Captain he had encountered during first contact, and received an invitation and planetary coordinates. In the interest of safety, we opted to transit by shuttlecraft rather than transporter.

Arriving on the surface – or rather, an open-air rooftop platform – we were greeted by The Captain in person, along with another more diplomatically-inclined representative, The Envoy. Their initial greeting was conducted vocally, though communicating through speech was obviously difficult and foreign to them. Our delegation greeted them in return and indicated our willingness to attempt to communicate using their native method. They expressed a desire to build trust by initiating an “open link”, which we accepted. For the remainder of our visit, I endeavored to convey official communications both verbally and evocatively.

Note: While outside, Captain Nimitz discovered that all local fauna is likewise telepathic, and received instruction on a method for deterring wildlife from unsolicited contact. While not strictly mission-relevant, it is a fascinating glimpse into this species' evolution.

A minor faux pas transpired when Captain Morton’s thoughts drifted to milkshakes. The thought seemed to spread rapidly outside our immediate area and possibly to the entire planet. It is unclear whether this was the result of The Evocative simply having no analogous beverage, or if the Captain’s love of milkshakes is so strong as to sway an entire sentient species. In either case, he seems to have become something of a celebrity and was advised by our hosts not to wander the planet unattended. Apparently the overwhelming amount of attention he might garner could be a risk to his safety.

We proceeded inside and were led to a dining hall, where we were treated to a tradition known as “The Sharing”. This was a multi-course meal where each dish was associated with a communal sharing of memories of a certain category by all present. Our meal consisted of the Bread of Boredom, the Soup of Sadness, the Fish of Rage (which thankfully one was not required to eat), the Meat of Joy, and concluded with the Egg of Friendship. As the description implies, the tradition appears designed to help build the foundations of a relationship. In our case, I believe it to have been quite effective.

While no names or titles were apparent, and indeed they confirmed that the concepts do not exist in their culture, there was a clear difference in mannerisms and function between our two primary contacts. The Captain was clearly a leading military officer. His memories included encounters with pirates, starship operations, and the like. The Envoy by contrast, appeared to be an academic, with memories of research and planetside civilian life. We learned, indirectly, that despite the differences in communication most of The Evocative’s fundamental societal elements are perfectly familiar to members of the Federation – and ours to them.

At the conclusion of the meal both sides expressed gratitude and a new level of trust. We suggested further contact and cultural exchange and The Evocative were amenable. It was decided that The Captain would accompany us back to Deep Space 13 to learn more about us. He confirmed that he is able to negotiate on behalf of his people and communicated an eventual goal of securing Federation aid in stopping the repeated attacks against his world.

RECOMMENDATION Ambassadorial quarters aboard DS13 are requested for our new guest. Starfleet personnel are advised to afford him treatment appropriate to his status as a visiting dignitary.

FDC advises Starfleet Command to share this report or similar memo with starships operating in the area for understanding and situational awareness, given this species’ unique method of communication and the threat of hostile action against them. Starfleet is advised to contact FDC for assistance as soon as possible following any unplanned contact.

OOC Gotta admit, @Isadora puts on a pretty good show!