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Chapter 3
Thechosenworld’sparentstarcouldnotbeattoogreatadistance,norwouldabinaryorflarestarsuffice.TheplanetitselfwouldhavetomaintainanorbitaroundaG-classstaratadistancesufficientforwatertoexistinliquidform.Theonestarsystemthatmetthesecriteriawasthestarwecallthesun.TheydidnotworryforlongthatthisonestarmightbetheonlyoneinthiscorneroftheMilkyWaythatwashometointelligentlifeliketheirown.Noattemptwasmadetocommunicate.Theplanetwasoverfortyyearsawayatthespeedoflight,andtherewasnotimetowaiteightyyearsforthechanceofareply.
ThespacecraftbuiltonthatdistantplaneteventuallyreachedEarth.Itbroughtwithitnomembersoftheirspecies.Noweaponsofinvasion.Itwasbasicallynothingmorethanaconstructionmachine.
Whenitwasdetected,theinterstellarcraftdrewtheattentionoftheworld.ButallEarth’sattemptstomakecontactwentunanswered.Thentheshipsplitintoeightpieces.Fourofthepiecessankdeepundertheocean,whilethreefellonland.Thefinalpieceremainedinorbit.ThepiecesthatlandedinNorthAfricaandAustraliawerehandedovertoNATO.RussiaandChinafoughtoverthepiecethatlandedinAsia,butChinacameoutontop.AftermucharguingamongthenationsofEarth,theorbitingmothershipwasreducedtoasmallpieceofspacejunkbyavolleyofmissiles.
Thecrechemachinesthatcametorestontheoceanfloorbegancarryingouttheirinstructionsquietlyandmethodically.
