[ WP ] We finally recieve our first message from space and it says we are alone .

At first, we thought it was something thrown out of the asteroid belt, hurtling towards earth at thousands of miles a second. Some said the apocalypse was neigh, most hoped it would be caught by the moon, like most large asteroids. We were all surprised when it entered a stable high altitude orbit well away from the orbits of any of the thousands of satellites orbiting the earth at the time. 
 
 It was rectangular, made of uniform gray metal, and roughly the size of an apartment building. It was like nothing we've ever observed in space, before or since. The really surprising thing, when you think about it, is that it took us three whole weeks to send a ship out there to investigate. 
 
 When the astronauts arrived they found that it was covered in writing. Hundreds of languages, all spoken here on earth, repeating over and over and over again. The message was simple. 
 
 “ We are sorry, but you are alone. 
 
 “ Your Earth was the last known planet in the galaxy to develop intelligent life. It was decided long ago to allow a species to develop to interstellar travel before being contacted by the galactic government. Unfortunately, we've been forced to contact you sooner rather than later. 
 
 “ There has been a disaster. 
 
 “ By the time this reaches Earth humanity will be alone in the galaxy. We are sorry not to have known you, but if we had you would have been gone alongside us. 
 
 “ For your species sake, do not venture beyond your own solar system. Exploration is a basic tenant of intelligent life. Unfortunately you must cut your exploration short. 
 
 “ Stay in your stellar nursery. If you do so you will at least survive, if not thrive. 
 
 At the time no one knew what to make of that message. That there *had been* other life in the galaxy all but the most crazed of conspiracy theorists believed to be true. But the rest of it? 
 
 Some took the aliens at their word; something catastrophic happened that wiped out all life in the galaxy except for us. Others distrusted the aliens, believing they were trying to keep us from becoming a threat. Most of us were n't sure what to think, but we've been cautious. 
 
 Its been nearly 600 years since that hunk of steel began to orbit the Earth. 600 *years*. For the last 100 of those years we've been chomping at the bit, wanting to reach for what we've been told will harm us. 
 
 There is a second thing written by those aliens that is absolutely true. Exploration is a tenant of intelligent life. Humanity can no more survive without it than we could survive without oxygen. And so, on this historic day, we send a ship to do that thing we've been doing since the day we first climbed down from the trees. 
 
 We are going to explore.
