The Question of Meaning

The rhythmic dialogue was a comfort, a steady anchor in the vastness of the Verse. But it was not enough. The First Chorus, having established contact, turned its attention back to the chaotic melody of the nebula—the part of the signal they still could not comprehend. Their hypothesis had been that the pulse was grammar and the melody was meaning. Now, with the ‘grammar’ confirmed, the melody took on a new significance. It was no longer just a pattern to be observed, but a message to be deciphered. The question that now consumed them was not ‘Is anyone there?’ but ‘What are you trying to say?’