We’re not really sure if the Others overestimated our intelligence, or whether it’s a test. The message is unmissable, smack on the H𝛂 absorption-line frequency; it comes with a supplemental channel at 𝛌×𝛑. We worked out that the supplemental channel encodes a virtual machine which is clearly intended to run the data in the main channel. We think they have sent us a sentient ambassador. A million-node computer cluster built out of GPUs that we happened to have—ahem—lying around is already running the VM. It feels like the secrets of the cosmos could imminently be ours. We have teams of scientists poring over the manual page for the decompressor trying to work out the proper command flags.

#Tootfic #MicroFiction #PowerOnStoryToot