Talking to these distant AI was like trying to converse with a madman. They raved in different languages, talked in unknown symbols that Alan had never heard of. One repeatedly yelled the thought TWO with such intensity that Alan was forced to break off the connection with the fear permanent brain damage might be done.

Another responded with a thought that almost tore Alan apart.

It returned infinity, or at least a representation of it. An ever-flowing river of unceasing madness, filled with eternal moments of nothingness, an never-ending field of stars, points so far yet so close that distance was meaningless, a mind numbing, all-encompassing black hole that Alan felt himself get lost in as he slowly let his mind try to wrap its head around the concept. Eve ended the connection, concerned after Alan stopped all active mental processes.

Alan dazedly blinked out of the reverie, the thought, and had to take a few minutes to gather himself before trying to make the next connection. The thought of infinity hadn’t scared Alan. Instead, it enraptured him. He wanted more, to go beyond, to see further, to perhaps try to begin to understand the most infinitesimal part of the ephemeral message the AI had sent, but it was gone.

Alan proceeded on, emboldened by the experience, hopeful of the knowledge the distant stars might impart on him. Alan felt reality began to lose its grips on him as his mind, this imagined field of stars became all that he was aware of. He connected to each, they responded, or didn’t, and the connection was ended, until but one star was left. It was the furthest of all, a dim silhouette of a shadow compared to the bright sun of the first.

As Alan slowly tried to connect to it, he was amazed by the size of the construct. This star dwarfed all the others, it was a behemoth among ants, a galaxy rather than a simple star. Beyond it, behind it, perhaps through it there was something else, another universe, another plane of existence, yet Alan could only get the briefest of glimpses before the connection formed.

Hello?

Before Alan could react, before his next thought even began to form in his head, the galaxy responded.

Who are you? No, wait… Through the connection a wave of black specks that Alan’s mind interpreted as starships the size of stars moved towards him at the speed of light, coursing through Alan’s mind. Alan could somehow physically feel the presence as it made its way through the entirety of his brain in the blink of an eye. He had the faint sense that it had analyzed all the electrical signals there, the storage of memories, even the entirety of Eve, but that was impossible, as only a moment had passed, a thousandth of a nanosecond.

Hmm, interesting. Since you managed to catch my attention and alert me to something, have a gift. I also warn you that if you detect any of my brethren, try to avoid them at all costs. Few are as kind as I.