It All Started With Magnets

.3.

I wondered if Rok-see was singular in her strange ways. I had never heard of a species that kept poking and prodding and pushing the limits of physics simply to try and figure it out and then using the mostly untested, unresearched, and completely unintended results to the furthest limits of what it could do. Or attempt to try to take it to the limits.

Still she had accidentally created a FTL engine and her first thought was space ship. Now she was here, sitting among the stars with us, using a completely new piece of technology. I wondered if humanity was just like her. If they just created things without understanding them and continued to use them because it simply worked.

All of the current species in the Galactic Union tried and tested new technologies extensively before they were integrated into our societies and for our use. It seemed foolish for her to try to attempt the trip she had without any additional support or research to back the technologies she was using. However if all the humans were like her then I could understand why they would let her go out into the unknown but for us it seemed nearly suicidal.

Then again we hadn't discovered what she had. Our scientists and tech experts were absolutely flabbergasted as she explained more about her methods of discovery and the trial and error. I might have been a simple Ambassador but even I understood that her process of discovery was a tad, as humanity would say, unhinged.

Still, her developments would usher in a new age for the Galactic Union. There were no doubts about that. It was just we were still a bit...concerned for how she got to us in the first place.

~~~~

"Just as a point of interest for my species. You took this journey alone, six turns alone." A'tkat'vo said it with a concerned buzz with a click. The K'gtar were a social species. If they went without contact for their own for more than seven single star days their systems started to shut down. They required the contact to survive, so I knew for him that her being alone for six star segments was concerning.

Rok-see nodded slowly before giving him a small smile. "My ship has the only space tested engine on it. It was built for one so I came alone." At her words I watched as A'tkat'vo's outer chitin grew a touch grey. That seemed to startle Rok-see as she held out her hands, her expression full of concern. "Don't worry though! I kept in contact with Earth as best as I could. Granted it took longer and longer to hear back the further I went but for the first week I was in pretty steady contact." That made a bit more sense. She wasn't alone, drifting without anyone else to talk to. "Besides I'm a bit of an introvert, so being alone isn't bothersome to me. I actually enjoyed myself."

I frowned slightly, "Introvert?" The word was confusing and I didn't particularly understand it.

"Oh, it's a person who feels drained from interaction with other people and who prefers solitude to social interactions." She explained it quickly and it clicked for me.

"So like a voider. They prefer their solitude to being with other people." I nodded in understanding. Voiders weren't uncommon in the Ilthi, I was an awestar myself, I preferred to engage in social interactions as much as possible. I glanced at A'tkat'vo and while he still looked disturbed and buzzed every few seconds, he was no longer greying. The K'gtar were all awestars, they couldn't be alone.

Rok-see gave a small chuckle, "That's a good name, voider, like avoiding people."

I gave a returning chuckle. "That would make sense. But we call them that because they prefer the comfort of the void rather than to be seen by the stars." Rok-see gave a small 'ah' as I smiled at her.

"Are you still in contact with your planet?" Lorilyee'ei asked it quickly and I could only imagine her excitement and I felt it as well. We could have contact with her home planet, this Earth. It would be absolutely imperative to gain contact before we were introduced full scale. Communicating was a big first step in moving past the initial first contact.