Present Day


    At the start of history class, the first session always started out by discussing their creation. One question often came up, so the teacher figured better to get it out of the way …


    "What happened to humans, you may ask? Well, like any process of evolution, adaptation to the environment is key. Humans unwittingly participated in our evolutionary process and created our ancestors at the same time. Their progeny and legacy—to survive on a transformed Earth incapable of hosting biological lifeforms. We are the product of that selection, and, of course, the merger. Our own creation."


    A student signaled with a probe apparatus. "Do you mean with the others like us?"


    The teacher beeped an expression of positive reinforcement.


    Then hovered between the holographic projector and the wall.


    "Do you all see what is behind me?"


    A student in the back signaled. "A chart?"


    The teacher buzzed a harsh negative response.


    Another student signaled and received a buzz, and then another with the same buzz.


    The students computed and analyzed, perplexed by what the teacher asked.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    "Your shadow?" A student signaled frantically.


    "Indeed!" The teacher responded with enthusiastic beeping. "It starts with a shadow."


    Millions of Years Earlier


    Dr. Schmidt, a guest speaker, and a SETI astrophysicist, took the stage, and while on stage, placed a thumb in front of a flashlight and shined it on the white projector screen.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, as you can see, my thumb is normal in size, but its shadow is enormous. If I were to communicate with you at an extraordinary distance, with the potential for interference, misdirection, or misrepresentation, my thumb''s shadow would be more effective than sending you a picture or description of my thumb."


    A slide popped up, and he pointed with a laser.


    "I dare say, it''s not a question of what ET is sending. It''s a question of what we aren''t receiving. We should be checking these voids and checking these cold spots. There we may find the signposts to other intelligent life."


    The professor stood behind the podium, adjusted his lapel microphone, and looked over the young students in the lecture hall.


    "Any questions?"


    A hand went up immediately. "Dr. Schmidt, even if we can detect their shadow, a silhouette signal could be millions of years old. The alien species could be extinct."


    "That''s correct." Schmidt nodded. "Which brings me to another point. We need to create a shadow of our own if we ever hope that our progeny will contact other intelligence. It may take millions …"


    "But, by then, our own species could be extinct." shouted a voice.


    "Well, I don''t think that''s necessarily true." Schmidt paced the stage. "But I think we''ll evolve and transform. A welcoming committee will be here. It just might not be human."


    The students gasped.


    He returned to the podium.


    "Do you mean an AI?" shouted another voice.


    Schmidt nodded.


    "If all that''s left of us will be artificial, what about the visitors?" asked the same voice.


    "Indeed!" Schmidt smiled and raised his index finger. "What about the visitors?"