Just obsessed, not impolite

It just takes so long that Steve finally gives up hope…

So the only sensible way to do it is to add taumoeba-seeding probes, similar to the beetles but with an automatic deployment when they reach their destination, to missions that are on their way past other systems. And almost all the missions that will be launched in a post-taumoeba world will be to Erid.

Which means that, in time, the path of travel between Earth and Erid will be marked by a line of notably brighter stars. And if they ever are discovered by another species, eventually the paths between their world and the other two will also be brightened. Whenever a sentient species looks out to the sky, they’ll be able to see the bonds between peoples by looking for the connections of light.

Read it here

New tag explanation is linked in beginning notes of the story.