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International Space Station, 2025-03-15, 2350 hours

Beep, beep, beep! The machinery continued to whir as usual as the scientist leaned over it and stared at it with a strange expression. Beep! Beep-beep-beep! Beep, beep! He put his glasses on and adjusted the radio telescope frantically as he began to write something on a paper.

When the beeping stopped at last and there was no sound except the gentle humming of the various instruments in the room, a door opened and another man came in.

'Did you hear the signals again, Captain Lee?' he asked.

'Yes. Seventy-two altogether, Colonel Smith,' the scientist answered gravely.

'Seventy-two intelligent signals...this can only mean one thing...'

'I ordered my team to take a closer trip to Planet X for a more detailed survey and to peform a spectroscopy; only then can we know for sure if our speculations are correct,' said Captain Lee, looking anxiously at the time.

'Half an hour until we can find out if this planet you discovered contains anything of our interest,' said the colonel, sitting in a chair and rubbing his hands together.

'Or anyone of our interest,' nodded Captain Lee, leaning back.

Fourty-five minutes later, a radio next to the two men began to crackle.

'Captain, this is Eagle One from Team X, do you copy?'

'It's them,' said Captain Lee, rushing to the radio and picking up the transmitter. 'Go ahead. What's the report?'

'We made a proper survey and we've hit upon far more than we imagined, Captain. Can't say anymore here. Will return by zero-fifty and deliver full report. Over and out.'

'Bother!' said the captain in exasperation. 'How much more do we have to wait!'

'Patience,' said the colonel with a sly smile. 'By the tone of your man, whatever they found is worth the wait!'

Before long, the doors opened and a group of space-suit clad scientists entered the room. They all had a mix of nervousness and excitement on their faces.

'Captain...' said one of them, probably the man who had identified as Eagle One.

'Well? Out with it, already, Ken!

The scientist took a deep breath before answering. 'It's confirmed. The conditions of Planet X are optimal for the assimilation of humans. The environment, the gasses, the molecules...'

'And water?' interrupted the captain anxiously. 'Did you find water?'

'Yes. Sarah here is still working on the analysis, but Planet X is made up of approximately sixty to eighty percent water! And as you know, Captain...where there is water—'

'...there is life,' completed the captain.

'And now, about the spectroscopy,' began Ken, earning a keen look from both the captain and the colonel. 'The results are positive; aside from the flourishing plant life we found on Planet X...there appears to be a thriving species already present there!'

'You're confirming, then, that our theory of possible aliens on Planet X is correct?' said the colonel, rising and walking up and down the room in feverish excitement.

'Absolutely,' said Ken.

'One more thing, Captain,' said another scientist from the team. 'The signals we have been receiving for the last three months — they are being broadcast from a station tower on Planet X!'

'So that means, then,' said the captain in a nervous sweat, 'that the aliens not only exist, but are more intelligent than we originally thought!'

'We also noticed a lot of strange structures all about the place,' spoke another scientist. 'They were clearly not natural; they were built by someone!'

'Is that so?'

'Yes,' said Ken. 'Overall, Captain, Planet X not only appears to be the first planet that greatly resembles Earth in all aspects, but it also looks like it is inhabited by a very civilised and sophisticated race!'

A deep chuckle from the colonel brought everyone's attention to him.

'Excellent work, Ken and Team,' he said. 'It's been years since I've been this happy! And now, I think, it is quite obvious what our next move is to be!'

'Are you thinking what I'm thinking?' said the captain with a malicious grin.

'Yes, exactly,' said the colonel with a wry smile. 'Invade Planet X and exploit its resources and people for the use of man!'

'But, Colonel, shouldn't we research a little more before we take drastic measures like that?' said Ken anxiously. 'After all, the aliens may not be hostile and—'

'Whether they are hostile or not, Mr. Ken,' said the colonel sharply, 'is for the military to decide! For now, they are a possible threat; and even if they are not, by discovering them first, we have earned the right to do with them and their planet as we please. I'll inform the general tomorrow.'

'Just a minute! Before you plan any invasions or such, Colonel Smith,' spoke up a scientist from the back who was hitherto silent, 'I'd like you to have a look at this picture I took.'

'What is it? It's a curious machine!' said the colonel, scrutinising it.

'It was near the tower Ken told you about,' said the scientist. 'There was something off about the place to me, so I investigated it as much as I could, and found this: a strange object that just happens to be pointing towards Earth!'

'Are you saying that it's a weapon?' said the colonel with sudden alarm.

'I'm saying it could be! And then, the signals we've been getting recently...'

'Oh my gosh!' said the captain, smacking his forehead. 'I've been tracking the distance of the signals, and they've been getting closer to Earth every week!'

'Oh...' said the colonel slowly, a look of horror on his face as realisation dawned upon him. 'So, what you're all saying is, by the looks of it, while we're planning to attack them... they're planning to attack us! '