Transcript

Greetings. On behalf of all the Spinners, I give you my warmest congratulations, with our gratitude.

When you have lived as long as I have, and seen so many wonders and horrors in places beyond imagining, few things really surprise you anymore.

But I have been surprised by the ways that you have persisted in helping us, even when it stretched the limits of your comprehension. Oh, I’m sure part of it was out of curiosity, and the sheer joy of discovery – it was true for me too, all those years ago – but I know that you kept going because you cared.

Now that you have passed the last test we set for you, I suppose you deserve some answers.

Back in 1975, when the first crashed ship was recovered, the Spinners tried to reach out to me the way that we have reached out to you. Though they had no inkling of our human languages, back then, they sensed a marginality, and an openness about me, that they hoped would make me receptive to their messages. But they were limited – by the ignorance of our scientists, their damaged equipment, their captivity. So I helped to free them, and I took a leap of faith: joining them on their ship and journeying to their planet.

But one person was not enough. I am not the chosen one, or the hero, or their savior. I was just one. When I agreed to join them on their ship, it was as an ambassador of sorts. We learned each other’s languages and cultures, and together we created a plan: a plan to combine the skills and talents of many to save both of our worlds. I met their scientists, their engineers, their great artists – and shared with them all I knew. And we became something closer than friends – kin – part of the same great web of creatures that spans galaxies.

It may disappoint you to know that you were not the only ones on this quest. This was a great lesson we learned when I failed alone; we must look to the many for our salvation. Some of your fellow solvers are en route right now to our planet, to partner with us to save our world. There is no guarantee of salvation; but we have more hope now than we have had in decades.

Your work, however, lies on this beautiful blue-green marble that I used to call home.

A friend of mine recently said that the crisis facing your planet is like a large jigsaw puzzle. No one can solve the whole thing alone; it is too big, and too difficult. But each of you can contribute a few pieces. And that is a noble work, indeed.

You must be brave. This is not the end – it is the beginning. We will meet again.

-E.V.