Aeneas wasn’t expecting a trill in response. All the other creatures here talked. None of this mattered, of course, thanks to translation devices.

The alien’s purr changes pitch, suddenly manifesting into recognizable speech. Different tones, frequencies, dynamics, or textures could manifest as words or moods. It was surprisingly complex a language for such a simple sound.

“Hello.”

…And far too complex a sequence for such a simple word.