If you guys need something to pass the time besides refreshing this sub, try In Her Name; First Contact, by Michael Hicks.

The series really immerses you in an alien culture. The whole series is awesome, but I find the first book really relevant to my ‘what if’ pondering. What if they are just impervious? What if there’s a chance for bridging the gap between species? Would we, as a predominantly xenophobic species, even be capable of sincerely trying to learn and adapt to an alien culture; or even multiple cultures?