
You’re pulling the night shift at the telescope array. The dishes are pointing toward a cluster of rogue planets that have recently been discovered in the Upper Scorpius region. Suddenly, the receiver crackles. The oscilloscope goes wild. A signal is coming in! This is not random noise – it’s a message. Time to wake everyone up!
A letter, a text message, a radio signal, a carving in a stone tablet – what kind of message may you receive? Messages need not all be written or spoken. They could also be scent markers like the kind dogs leave on fire hydrants.
What does the message say? Is it a call for help, or a warning? Who left it? If it’s a message from an alien species, how did you decipher it? How will you respond?
What stories do you know where the inciting incident was someone receiving a message?
Who would send or receive a message on your planet?