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If we consider Big History as simply 'our' example of the process of cosmicevolution playing out, then we can seek to broaden our view of our possiblefate as a species by asking questions about what paths or trajectories otherspecies' own versions of Big History might take or have taken. This paperexplores the broad outlines of possible scenarios for the evolution oflong-lived intelligent engineering species---scenarios which might have beenpart of another species' own Big History story, or which may yet lie ahead inour own distant future. A sufficiently long-lived engineering-oriented speciesmay decide to undertake a program of macro-engineering projects that mighteventually lead to a re-engineered galaxy so altered that its artificiality maybe detectable from Earth. We consider activities that lead ultimately to agalactic structure consisting of a central inner core surrounded by a moredistant ring of stars separated by a relatively sparser 'gap', where starsystems and stellar materials may have been removed, 'lifted' or turned intoDyson Spheres. When one looks to the sky, one finds that such galaxies doindeed exist---including the beautiful ringed galaxy known as 'Hoag's Object'(PGC 54559) in the constellation Serpens. This leads us to pose the question:Is Hoag's Object an example of galaxy-scale macro-engineering? And thissuggests a program of possible observational activities and theoreticalexplorations, several of which are presented here, that could be carried out inorder to begin to investigate this beguiling question.

Galactic-scale macro-engineering: Looking for signs of other intelligent species, as an exercise in hope for our own