The Inner Region

1. These are symbols that any species capable of space flight should be able to decipher.
2. They are not mathematical symbols. Try writing them as described on a piece of paper.
3. Try experimenting. Put the proper item into the first, second, or third red slot and see what happens. (It will take a while to notice the effect.)
4. The proper item to put in the slots is the red crystal rod.
5. Have you ever studied chemistry?
6. The six dots with four evenly-spaced dots around them symbolize methane (carbon of atomic number six surrounded by four hydrogens of atomic number one). The seven dots with three equally-spaced dots around them symbolize ammonia (nitrogen of atomic number seven with three hydrogens). The two groups of eight dots closely associated represent the oxygen molecule (two oxygen atoms of atomic number eight). These gases make up three possible planetary atmospheres.
7. In case you don't know, you want oxygen (that's the second red slot).