The Incoming SignalIt happened during Earth's annual "Day of Memory"—a global celebration where people paused to reflect, forgive, and remember the past.
At exactly 00:00 UTC, the Himalayan Listening Tower received a new frequency.
But there was no echo.
This was the present tense.
"We hear you."
"Can we… be forgiven too?"
The signal came not in a spoken tongue, but through a shared emotional wave—a blend of grief, shame, and longing.
It wasn't from any known species.
It was from the Auris.
The Auris: Echoes Who Chose SilenceOnce a powerful galactic civilization, the Auris had silenced themselves voluntarily after triggering the extinction of 17 species in a single war.
For 30,000 years, they wandered in interdimensional exile, avoiding contact, choosing silence as atonement.
Now, after hearing Tima's forgiveness radiate through the Archive, they wished to return.
But not as leaders.
As students.
Global ReactionThe news hit Earth like a supernova of emotion.
India held vigils. Brazil painted murals of blue flames (the Auris' symbol of apology). In Germany, choirs sang songs written in Auris-frequency pitch, attempting to bridge the emotional language barrier.
But not all approved.
A rogue faction called True Earth protested, fearing manipulation.
"They destroyed 17 civilizations! What if we're next?"
Still, the majority had moved beyond fear. They had learned the lesson from Aarya and Elena.
Forgiveness is not forgetting.
It's remembering with grace.
Tima's DecisionInside the Archive, Tima stood before a new door, pulsing with Auris frequency. Elena and Aarya watched silently.
"They want to connect," Tima whispered. "But connection without trust is dangerous."
She placed her hand on the panel.
A light surged.
And suddenly, Tima wasn't in the Archive anymore.
She was aboard an Auris vessel.
Face to Face with RegretThe Auris were unlike anything she had imagined—glowing threads of consciousness wrapped in flowing energy, constantly shifting colors to express feeling.
One stepped forward.
Its hue was deep grey—the color of mourning.
"We destroyed… because we were afraid."
"We want to learn love… from the species that found it again."
Tima looked at them. She saw their truth.
And said:
"Then your exile ends today."
First Contact CeremonyIn a unified event broadcast across Earth, the Auris descended not in warships—but garden ships, vessels that spread seeds of unknown interstellar flora.
Every country participated.
Japan hosted the Welcome Feast of Frequencies.
Kenya danced rhythms of remembrance.
France gifted the Auris a restored Louvre archive of human art.
India opened its skies with colored drone-lights spelling: Welcome, Seekers of Peace.
The world cried together.
For the first time, the Universe felt small… and kind.