So, from Sleafar's cracking of the cipher, we now know the cryptic hints were referring to the fact that 

>! aliens have to resort to analyzing energy and heat levels because they can't see.

So, it figures that if the cipher referred to meatspeak in the way we usually process it, and not in a way suited to the aliens' usual way to process raw data, it would be hard for them to get.

>! as in, the data describes the way we would draw the letters, which the aliens have no way of knowing.  

From this, we can gather that the states refer to the following:  
>! 0 = forward  
>! 1 = load position  
>! 2 = pen down  
>! 3 = pen up  
>! 4 = turn right  
>! 5 = save position  
>! 6 = turn left  
  
Following these commands, we would get the following message:
>!  [![enter image description here][1]][1]
>!  
>!  "ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US"


  [1]: https://i.sstatic.net/BiwyW.gif