First Contact

Sir, unknown ships are activating weapons! Dammit! Captain Galren stand down! This is an order!
Sir, you can't be serious?! These aliens are about to attack us!
This is clearly a response to you activating your weapons! We entered their territory! Stand down before this escalates further!
I am not going to let us be slaughtered at the hands of some abominable alien beast. Unknown ships in range, sir! Open fire!

— log recovered from the Battle of Sakapea

Your first impression of someone can determine how you view them for the rest of your life. On a personal level, this can make the difference between friendship and dislike. On a grander scale, it can make the difference between war and peace. First Contact is one of the most important events for any space-faring civilization. An event that has in equal measure brought great boon and destruction upon the species of the Andromeda Galaxy.

Protocols and Failsafes

It is a twist of irony that no civilization seems to be prepared to enter its first First Contact Scenario. For an event as present in pretty much, every culture there rarely seems to go much thought into preparing for such an occurrence. Logs show that standard protocols are only established once a contact has already happened. Such protocols usually follow a similar template no matter the culture. How xenophobic or militaristic a species is, usually only affects both fail-safes and further contact. A First Contact Protocol is designed to prevent military conflict and allow diplomats to iron out any further relations if intended or wanted. Minor species-specific variants aside, all contacts with an unknown species are to follow six steps:

• Upon noticing alien fleet hail them directly. Prevent appearance of ambush or surprise attack. Immediately notify high command.

• Deactivate weapons but keep defensive systems (shields, point defence etc.) running.

• Send prepared message showing pictogram instructions on further actions: fleets to keep distance awaiting arrival of diplomatic mission.

• Remain inactive until diplomatic mission arrives. Entertain "conversation" to keep up non-threatening appearance.

• Once diplomatic mission arrives they will take over, fleet to provide security.

• Mission is to stablish conversation and diplomatic relation, state claim/border, make alien fleet return to own space. Once initial talks are finished, mission is to retreat.

• Further actions are the responsibility of the respective governments.

Fail-safes include the dispatching of a military escort should the vessel that made contact be civilian, retreat toward the edge of the system/outside the system in event of alien hostile action and continued surveillance of the system during and after the event. What is important about a First Contact is that it is the point during which the greatest amount of possibilities are present. Knowing next to nothing about who you are talking to means that anything can happen. Once control is established and behaviour can be predicted the chances of disaster are significantly lower unless conflict is actively sought.

So you object to being regularly questioned on the First Contact Protocol, Mr Andrews? Let me tell you something. I am well aware that these steps seem rather simple and are not 100% foolproof. But the last time someone failed at even these basic steps, resulted in the death of over 7 Billion Humans. Let's hope you will never have to bear the weight of such a situation.

— log taken during a lecture at New Carnavon Naval Academy

by Balance Sheet

Notable First Contact Events

• The ancient Krigan were known to attack anything and anyone that entered their space. Ruins show that several hundred civilizations were destroyed by their Empire between 500 and 1900 AD

• Sakapea - 03.04.2639. First Contact between Human Stellar Confederacy and Krigan Empire results in a First Contact War. Ten years of bloody conflict ensue.

• Aldran - 19.07.2704. Marati and Sruvi encounter one another via satelite. Constant contact during space age developement builds the foundation for the later Alliance.

• Siminy - 08.12.2772. Initial meeting remains uneventful. Argument between emissaries causes diplomatic incident between Ska'Ani League and Teutan Hierarchy. Relations never recover. Both nations remain in cold war since.

• Edani - 11.11.2801. Battle between Holeans and Colosians. Diplomatic meeting manages to avoid escalation into war.

by Nick Bateman