Young Writers Society

The desktop monitor squeaked as Chip tried to wrestle it around so that it didn't face the light anymore. He and Captain Barrett had taken a test photograph with the webcam and realised that their faces were entirely in shadow because of the sharp contrast, but the monitor's wires disappeared through a hole in the desk with very little slack. As a result, getting it to turn around had been almost impossible.

"Good work," Barrett said, readjusting his wrinkled white shirt. "Let's see if we can get the application to work now."

Chip tapped the screen, but gulped as he realised that this was not an iPad, and he had to use the mouse. Patrick had chosen to give the animals tablets rather than having communal computers - apparently Holly and Scott fought over their shared electronics in a way that would just not be conducive to the strong sense of team spirit needed for the zoo's acts. Chip sighed, shoved the memory of Patrick and his grandchildren out of his mind, and took hold of the mouse.

He clicked on the installation link for a program the contacting ship had sent in something labelled "Universal Messaging".

He let the cursor hover over the button that let the software make changes to the computer and looked up at Barrett, who was leaning over the back of the chair. "You sure about this, sir?"

He waved a dismissive hand. "It's just one computer. And a bloody old one at that. I have calculated that the risk of a virus is worth communication with... with alien life. Blimey, that sounds brilliant, doesn't it?"

Chip wished his friends could see Barrett be like this. His enthusiasm was like Patrick's sometimes. But Barrett always acted so in control when he was around the crew, as if nothing overwhelmed him. It was intimidating.

He clicked the confirmation option.

After a little loading time, with a series of green progress bars quickly filling up and giving way to the next, a dialogue box popped up in the middle of the screen.

Welcome to Universal Communications. You have registered as text, audio and video transmission and reception. To add or remove communication options, please toggle options in Settings. Onwards, explore!

Chip took a deep breath and dismissed the dialogue box, opening the application properly. It was a simple, streamlined messaging service, but Chip had a feeling that the interface was tailored to suit what the computer was used to. What would the interface look like on the ship they were to communicate with? Or would it even look? Maybe it would smell.

They had one notification in a little red circle, which turned out to be the communication request from the other ship, though how they'd got that through to an application that hadn't even been downloaded yet Chip had no idea.

"So, um, I guess we call them back?" Chip said.

"Of course!" Barrett shouted, slapping the back of the chair. "Let's do it!"

The controls were very user friendly, which Chip's nerves were grateful for. The whole experience of alien contact thus far had resembled most closely Chip's experience of joining Facebook. So sleek, ready and waiting to draw you in with all manner of fun features just a click away. Within five seconds he had iniated the video call - or at least, video on their end.

"Dammit," Chip muttered. The first shot the aliens had access to was of the underside of Barrett's chin. He'd forgotten to readjust the webcam once he'd turned the monitor around.

Some simple white text popped up on the screen. Geerhaldian to English: Greetings, fellow travellers! Do not worry; that is far from the most undignified first contact this alliance has ever seen.

Chip giggled - at a joke cracked by an alien. A Geerhaldian? And why was the text on the screen? Did they not have audible speech?

A moment later a head and shoulders appeared in shot. The head was round and spiky, and seemed to protrude backwards, but it was hard to tell from the angle. The shoulders seemed to roll around a lot, as if the bones of this species were a lot less rigid than most of those found on Earth. But most striking were the cool grey eyes. They looked identical to Patrick's. Or at least, enough to make Chip jump out of his skin.

Chip let his eyes dart around, taking this all in, as Captain Barrett returned their greeting.

"It is a pleasure to meet you!" he shouted, far louder than he had to. "Thank you for giving us access to this enlightening software."

Ah, good, we are glad it works for you. Some instantiations have been a bit hit and miss. We think we have got the hang of translating colloquialisms this time around!

Chip bit down on his bottom lip as the three examples contained within that sentence proved its own point. He allowed a grin to spread wide on his face.

Apologies for the method, the text read, our psychic-audio relay tablets sound terrible over video connection, and since you have no telepathic capabilities...

Chip gaped up at Barrett, who took a deep breath and said, much quieter this time, "We appreciate the effort regardless. Now, I should introduce myself. My name is Captain Dominic Barrett, and this is Shadow Captain Chip... do any of you have last names?"

Chip shook his head and before he could censor himself said, "Like Patrick was going to call over the wrong Chip?"

He knew that was a terrible idea, but Patrick’s eyes were stuck in his mind. Barrett's eyes widened at the mention of Patrick, as Chip had expected as soon as the words were out of his mouth, but luckily he was distracted by some more text on the screen.

Hold on, our research led us to believe that only the fully erect primate species was capable of speech?

Chip leaned forward and said, "My friends and I are something of a special case. And uh, who may I be explaining this to?"

Oh, of course, my name is Hilo. What do you mean special case?

Chip frowned. This conversation was far, far less professional than the software it was being conducted on.

"I mean that there was an incident just over a year ago that resulted in about forty animals being given the consciousness equivalent to a human. There's several more ships full of us a little ways back," Chip said, trying not to sound like his throat was too scratchy from nerves.

Oh... Oh God, oh no. I have to go. I - the rumours. I thought there was no way. Please, stand by for about ten minutes.

With that, the signal cut out and they returned to the main homepage of the application.

"What the heck..." Chip whispered. He looked up at Barrett. "Do you think I should have kept my mouth shut."

"No!" Barrett snapped. He raised his own eyebrows and shook his head. "Sorry, my friend, I've no idea what came over me just there. What I meant to say was, you are not so very different from a human. I intend to treat you as one. You speak whenever you like."

Chip felt a little rush of warmth at Barrett's passion, but a sharp spike broke into it as he wondered which of his toothier friends that sentiment extended to.

Barely a minute later, a call came through again, and this time they faced two Geerhaldians, if that was what they were called. The new one was slightly taller, with darker purple, more circular eyes.

Sorry about that. This time the text came up in green. I had to go get my colleague here, who remembers the incident better than I do. Are you saying that you and your friends have been exposed to airborne Cerdulite?

Chip glanced from the screen to Barrett and back. "I... not as far as I know. The scientist who did it couldn't even figure out how it happened."

Purple text this time read, And did this incident take place in the north end of an island proximate to a large continental land mass? Just to the east of one of your bigger oceans, though with a smaller island in between?

From the newcomer's intense frown, Chip reckoned it was this Geerhaldian speaking now, and the colours were to tell them apart. That didn't mean he had any more idea of what was going on.

He did however recognise what northern region of an island may be being referred to. "Yes, that does sound like Scotland. Though some of us call it a country."

Both sets of eyes - piercing grey and round purple - widened and seemed to be looking far, far away.

Green text: Bloody hell. They went through with it.