The Fermi Paradox asked why, if life was common, we had no Contact with aliens. As we expanded, we began to worry that the answer was that they were simply too far away. We could only travel a hundred lightyears away before hitting The Wall. On a galactic scale, we were walking around the block, and could not see across the street. There could have been someone on the other side of the street, let alone the other side of the city, and we never would have known.
I’ve flown a lot of places. I’ve been to most of the Terran worlds. I’ve shipped stuff into every major nation, even the edges of Shang space. I’ve seen a lot, learned a lot. A few years ago that prompted me to take a trip to the near side of the Perseus Arm. I found something there that the government asked me real seriously not to talk about. I haven’t, but it’s time to talk now. People deserve to know that not all aliens are human.
We spent several weeks on British Albion after The War ended. It’s one of the Core Worlds, colonized back before the Peloran made Contact. It is a fun world to visit, with its entire capital built as an amazing 22nd Century reimagination of King Arthur’s Camelot. Gravtech has made it even more impressive, with true floating bridges and islands in the sky. I’m a cyberneer, maintaining the gravtech systems that keep the world looking magical.
The creationist answer to the Fermi Paradox has received intense ridicule from the evolutionists over time. Then we met human aliens. But we actually have met many alien alien races as well. The interesting point is that they are between 2,000 and 5,000 years old, the result of uplifting very similar to what we did with dogs and cats. The most common “creator” was the Albion. There was some disagreement between them and the Ennead over that. Now they are dead.
One of the more interesting ships I served on was the HMIS Mumbai. Now India’s not part of the Western Alliance, but is still part of the British Commonwealth, putting it in a rather unique political position. The Mumbai was caught at Alpha Centauri when The War started and fought with the British Navy. I flew off her during some of the fighting in the Hyades. I have to say, the Indians are real scary intense fighters. Great friends. Dangerous enemies. I like ’em.