First Contact

The crew steered their spaceship into a synchronous orbit above the planet. They were about to make first contact with an alien species.

After decades deciphering the messages, determining their origin, replying to them, and developing the technology to reach the source, they would be the first to meet these aliens. Would they be hostile? The messages seemed friendly enough.

They detected satellites in orbit, but no evidence of communications.

The commander asked, "Are we in the right place?"

"Affirmative, but no one's here, commander. It's a dead planet."

"What did the transmissions say this planet was called?"

"Earth, sir."