The Armstrong emerged from the space/time tunnel and immediately deployed a small cloud of probes that shot off in every direction to subject the "Sun" system to a deep scan. Meanwhile it bombarded the system with its own active short-range sensors.

"I think I've found our 'Terra' Captain," said Marceaux, after looking over the data for a few minutes. "Third planet from the sun, Goldilocks zone, energy readings imply about point seven of K."

"Good work, Ensign," said the Captain. "Now let's find out which of our two doppelgangers is actually in charge of the place."

"We're receiving a multiplicity of hails again, Captain," Marceaux added. "Some from the planet, but a lot from elsewhere in the system."

"Anything attempting to use encryption they already know we don't have the key for? Originating from the planet?"

"Aye, Captain."

Littlecrow sighed.

"Put it on the screen."

Yet another nonsense world of colorful static appeared on the main screen.

"Hello President Gibson. As we discussed I don't have the key to your encryption but we've arrived in your system so I will be able to send a delegation down to speak with you in person," said the Captain.

The image of the screen snapped back into an actual image, and the green-and-blue President Gibson, as opposed to the blue-and-green President Gibson, appeared.

"That is most gratifying, Captain. We the true and only Terrans, keepers of the ancestral homeworld of mankind, welcome home our lost children. I'm glad to hear we have finally and forever settled the matter concerning the false Terrans."

The Captain maintained her composure.

"I'm sure there will be an interesting cultural exchange."

The console on Gibson's command throne chirped softly, and he looked down. Marceaux had sent him a message. How inefficient, he thought, he was easily within speaking distance.

PROBE DATA:

SECOND PLANET

COUNTER-ORBIT

HAILING US

Oh no, thought the Commander.

"Captain," he interrupted, "Lieutenant Chen needs a word with you."

"That's Engineering," said the Captain. "I'm going to have to let you go. I'll hail you again when I have a team assembled and you can send us the landing coordinates."

"I understand completely and agree to your terms," said the President.

"End transmission," said the Captain, and it cut out. "What's wrong in Engineering?" she asked, turning around.

"There is no problem in Engineering," said Gibson, a little too dramatically. "It was all a ruse. It would appear that there is another habitable world in this system with a 180 degree orbit, a Counter-Terra if you will."

"Oh no," said the Captain.

"It's inhabited and hailing us."

"Is it-" began the Captain.

"-encrypted, yes," finished the Commander.

"So there aren't just two Presidents, there are two Terras?"

"It would appear so," said Gibson. 

Although Gibson couldn't help but privately think she was wrong. There were at least a hundred Terras. Every unimaginative civilization in the galaxy lived on a 'Terra'. 

"Counter-Terra will have overheard our entire conversation," lamented the Captain.

"Don't call them that to their face," Mitzner chimed in.

"This is a diplomatic nightmare," said the Captain, shaking her head. "Ensign Marceaux, split the main screen. Answer the hail from the other Terra and put it on the right. Then hail the first Terra and put them on the left. I'm sick of this ridiculous back-and-forth I'm going to hammer all this out."

A scrambled mess of nothing filled the right side of the main screen.

"Encryption," said the Captain.

It resolved into a man in blue-and-green.

"How absolutely dare you," said President Gibson.

"I apologize, Mr. President, it was a diplomatic misstep. We detected the other planet first and at the time we thought there was only one Terra."

"There is only one Terra!" President Gibson barked, slamming his hands on his desk.

The Captain took a deep breath.

"The other planet is returning our hail," announced Marceaux.

"On screen left," said the Captain, exhaling.

A jumble of colorful static appeared on the left side of the main screen.