The Search For Non-Terragen Intelligence
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The Search For Non-Terragen Intelligence |
In 1959 c.e. Giuseppe Cocconi and Philip Morrison outlined the possibility of a determined Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence, or SETI, using the instruments available at that time, and radio astronomer Frank Drake made the first search the next year. The noisy technosphere of Earth made detection of weak signals very difficult, and so it became obvious that SETI would have to be conducted in orbit.
By the time the first satellite interferometer array for the detection of terrestrial planets, with an associated wide spectrum SETI function, was in place in 2010 c.e. no more than a few erratic signals had been detected, attributed at the time to distorted transmissions of human origin (more recent analysis suggests that some signals may have been intership relay communications of the type routinely intercepted in later years). Before any interstellar probes were launched, the local stars had all been surveyed with enough resolution to detect the earth-like (Gaian) planets at Delta Pavonis and HD 3823, and several candidates for terraforming. This gave a terrific spur to the colonisation movement, but still little evidence for data-bearing radio traffic had been found, although the search now covered the entire galaxy.
The first detection of an extraterrestrial radio civilisation was in 2230c.e. (261 a.t.), by Julie Denley and a team of Space Adapted astronomers, using the PanTrojan Baseline between the L4 and L5 points of Jupiter. The artificial origin of the smear of modulated signals coming from 20,000 ly distant in Carina was soon accepted, although the data could not be decoded, and after only two hundred years ceased altogether. This source (now known as Medium Energy Emission Civilisation One) has since been observed by more sensitive instruments and is still active, but the transient nature of the source indicated that many civilisations would not use broadcast radio or other wavelengths for an extended period in their cultural development, so other methods of detection would need to be utilised.
Throughout the region known as the Terragen C-Horizon an increasing number of false detections of alien intelligence were occurring because of the independent spread of rogue artificially intelligent space probes. Entities aligned with the so-called Diamond Network and the Solipsist Panvirtuality often established themselves in systems well outside the reach of human colonisation efforts, and their emissions were often mistaken for alien civilisations until contact was made. When the first alien civilisation was finally contacted in 2831, expectations were once again proved wrong; after its unusual high CO2 ecology was detected by interferometry a thousand years before, To'ul had been a target for exploration, but the low-tech civilisation discovered there would never have been found from any great distance.
So, by learning about the incredible diversity that intelligent life could take, the search became more accurate; such species as the Cthonids and the Daharrans were detected easily by their emission characteristics, while others such as the Paulans, the Kemmerer sentient forest and the Whisperweed were only found by close range survey of Gaian planets, all of which had been accurately surveyed at great distances without any detectable signs of intelligence. One very high technology civilisation restricted to a single solar system was only detected by close examination of their homeworld; the Silent Ones have become withdrawn and self-absorbed, using very secure communication channels which were indistinguishable from random noise to an observer. Such withdrawn species may be widespread but undetectable in the Milky Way galaxy and elsewhere.
Using the thousand-light year baseline of the Argus Array, the Milky Way galaxy and the other members of the Local group of galaxies have been comprehensively surveyed over the last seven thousand years. It is likely that all civilised intelligent species have been located except the well-hidden Low Energy Emission Civilisations (which may be as many as three-quarters of the total). The most spectacular results have been in the Triangulum Galaxy, assisted by an unsolicited data transmission giving many details of the society found there. Even more advanced emissions have been detected from the Andromeda Galaxy, but none at all from the Sagittarius Dwarf, for instance.
Within the Milky way nearly two hundred medium emission civilisations have been found, all apparently consuming less power than a Kardaschev type 1 civilisation, so probably no more advanced than interplanetary age Earth. Approximately half of these have disappeared over the period of observation, some to become more advanced societies with different characteristics, some perhaps have retreated into solipsism or been destroyed.
The High Energy civilisations are of particular interest, particularly HEEC2, located around the galactic core (a dangerous radiation flux environment) and also HEEC3 and HEEC5, all of which share some elements with the Meistersinger migration route adjacent to Terragen space, so may be associated with that race. The distant volumes HEEC7 and HEEC4 have displayed clear signs of high tech combat and weapons of great destructive force, while the closest advanced civilisation HEEC1 has apparently suffered conflict with the backscattering waves of its own expansion front and is considerably weakened.
A vast area of the galaxy in the Counterspinward direction seems to have no high or medium emission civilisation at all - this may be due to a depopulation event or a high civilisation now using advanced energy efficient technology such as reversible computation.
Five Medium emission civilisations (shown in red) outside the current range of spacecraft have made contact with the Terragen civilisation by radio or laser, but the rest of the galaxy is outside our effective C-horizon; no light from here has reached them since the development of spaceflight. Unless (as is sometimes suspected) there exists a secret network of alien communication wormholes, the rest of the Universe is unaware of the existence of Humanity's mind children.
The
following are dates at which Terragens are known to have first detected
or
discovered xenosophont civilizations
by various methods.
| Event | Date |
| First
unequivocal
xenosophont radio emissions detected (in Carina 20,000 ly distant, by
Julie
Denley, using the PanTrojan Baseline; source eventually known as MEE1) |
261 AT |
| First high
energy
civilizations detected (infrared
emissions in the Cepheus direction, 50,000 light years distant distant,
by Sam
Mwiraria; eventually known as MEE6) |
340 AT |
| First artifacts of an extinct xenosophont civilization (Meditating Idols, paleolithic or neolithic equivalent tech) |
1681 AT |
| First direct contact (the To'ul'hs, by the MPA explorer transapient Fortunate Cloud) |
2831 AT |
| First intergalactic HEEC signal intended for reception (Triangulum
Transmission, unsolicited) |
5845 AT |
| First detection of radio emissions leading to direct
contact (Cthonids,
by the Andian
Mission) |
6850 AT |
| First extragalactic object/envoy (Semblance of Eternity; possibly a hoax) | 10404 AT |
