Starhopper
was humanity's first interstellar probe. It was
designed to search for intelligent life beyond the solar
system. Before it could be launched, however,
intelligent life found Earth. The discovery of an
alien light sail inbound at the edge of the solar system
generated considerable excitement in scientific circles.
With the interstellar probe nearing completion, it gave
scientists the opportunity to launch an expedition to meet
the aliens while they were still in space. The second
surprise came when Starhopper's crew boarded the alien
craft. They found beings who, despite their alien
physiques, were surprisingly compatible with humans.
That two species so similar could have evolved a mere twelve
light years from one another seemed too coincidental to be
true.
One human being soon discovered that
coincidence had nothing to do with it ...
Excerpt from THE SAILS OF TAU CETI:

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