"Long story short, a Vulcan scientist managed to mind meld with one. Before that, people thought they were monsters, or some kind of really weird animal. They mostly keep to themselves, but the ones that don't use telepathic translator devices that the Vulcans invented ages ago. And they can write, sort of." He gives her a wry grin. "They can produce a really strong acid that eats through rock, so as long as you're someplace that doesn't mind corroding the floors, they can write simple messages with it."

Two thousand years is a respectably long time. No wonder Earth was nothing more than a legend to them. "That sounds rock-solid. Bet that was a surprise."