Message to Tien Terra Beta

My name is Captain Zheng Hui, of the starship Astral Zephyr.  The Astral Zephyr is a craft capable of travelling faster than light, due to alien technology we do not understand.  We come in peace.

Some of you may recognize my family name: Zheng.  I am, in fact, the grandson of the great explorer Zheng Lee.  Nearly two gigaseconds ago, my grandfather built a Gateway, and then disappeared through it.  At length, he returned, bearing trade relations and diplomatic ties, transforming the Tien Terra system into the trade hub it is today.

I do not come bearing trade relation and diplomatic ties.  Over the last half-dozen megaseconds, I have merely scratched the surface of what may exist out there.  I have tested the waters, visiting three colonies, including our neighbor C-131.  I bring back records of the worlds I have seen, and I give them freely, only asking that you share them with the rest of the Linked Systems.

Now comes the time to take the plunge.  My grandfather was gone for hundreds of megaseconds.  I might be gone for longer – the FTL drive provides freedom of travel, not the instantaneous speed of the Gateway system.  But I will travel, I will visit every colony I can, I will meet the aliens who created this FTL drive, I will return bearing knowledge of this galaxy beyond imagining.

But for this, I need a crew.  The Astral Zephyr currently has a crew of seven, including myself.  The ship is currently built with room for up to 64 crewmembers, more if we wished to sacrifice comfort.  We need ship engineers, pilots, and quartermasters, yes, but this is not merely a voyage – it is a voyage of exploration!

We need scientists, linguists, historians, and more, just to explore.  We need doctors, hydrobotanists, and even cooks for the long voyage.  We need an automated mining specialist for picking up raw materials and construction engineers to manufacture any tools we may find ourselves lacking.

If you have the thirst for exploration, the desire to be part of history… then imagine what role you might have on a starship.  I will be sending an envoy to the ZLMSET—the Zheng Lee Memorial Space Elevator Terminal—and within a day I will be sending out a transmission detailing the various positions we need on the ship.  Do not take the list as conclusive.  If you think of another position we need, send a message to our envoy, and we will revise the list.

But be warned.  We may be gone for a long time.  We may never return.  I do not ask you to leave your families, only to return when your children have grown without you, but only if you are willing to leave the Linked Systems and make the crew of the Astral Zephyr your new family.  We will be isolated, tens, hundreds, even possibly thousands of light-years away from the nearest Linked System, and we will not turn around for homesickness or regret.  Be sure of your choice, and if you are not sure, then stay in the Linked Systems with your family.

Lastly, we will not be paying the crew, at least not monetarily.  We are not traveling to trade, or to make a profit.  Instead, we are traveling to share information and better the lives of everyone we meet.  Our mission is to help, not acquire scarce goods, and, as such, we will likely have very little money by our return to the linked systems.

But do not thing you will not be paid.  Payment will be in priceless experiences.  Payment will be your mark in history.  Payment will be you knowing that you have returned bearing knowledge that may advance the Linked Systems a thousand-fold.

If you desire to explore… let us know.

This message will repeat in one kilosecond, after assorted data-packets have been sent.