At the heart of much speculative fiction (and fiction in general) is a question. What if? On Tuesdays I like to throw one out there and see what you make of it. Do with it as you please. If a for-instance is not specified, feel free to interpret that instance as you wish. And if you find this becomes a novel-length answer, I'd appreciate a thank you in the acknowledgements. 😉
Sometimes an article pops up (like this one about Oumuamua, which an astronomer hypothesized might be alien tech), and the what if writes itself...
What if we were visited by an alien craft that we all saw?
I would hope it went better that last week's The Orville episode. That was just a train wreck. I suppose that Star Trek answers your "what if" question lots of times with their "First Contact" episodes. I'd have to go with one of those as my answer.
ReplyDeleteI'd go with Michael's answer of First Contact.
ReplyDeleteAfter everyone stopped texting each other, there would be several groups. One would weapon up, the other would take them a casserole, and any others would stare.
ReplyDeleteBut, really I agree with Alex and Michael.
I like the two groups. That sounds likely.
DeleteI'm sure everyone would run up to it and pull out their cell phones for a selfie.
ReplyDeleteI could see that happening.
DeleteSusan's answer was great! Loved it. I think I'd be trying to get away from it unless I could determine they were friendly. I'm thinking of all the excitement with people at the tall building watching the spaceship in Independence Day and we know what happened next.
ReplyDeletebetty
I'd scream "Take me with you!!!"
ReplyDeleteI, too, agree with Michael but not the way The Orville team did it. I would think, if they have the technology to come here, they would have already been studying us from afar for quite some time. Since they did run from us, they must think we have some good and decided to greet us. They would tell certain leaders to stay home
ReplyDeleteI know which leaders you mean ;)
DeleteHa! I'm with Birgit about the certain leaders. That Orville episode was interesting. The aliens were like aliens in science fiction movies of the 1950s.
DeleteInteresting answers! I've sometimes speculated that what people took for angelic visitations were actually aliens. ~grin~ Thanks for the kind word. We usually don't buy warranty plans, but the one for our super expensive furnace includes twice yearly checkups, a nice bonus.
ReplyDeleteSure, why not? Why are angels not aliens? That would make way more sense.
DeleteWell, assuming they managed to land without some idiot govt. trying to nuke them, my guess is all the powers that be would try to cozy up to them for their technology. Maybe the various countries would all vie for the privilege of hosting the aliens - in exchange for some alien technology of course!
ReplyDeleteI have too many questions to give a quick answer. If "we all" see it, that must mean that the space-ship hung high enough in low orbit, and was big enough to see at that distance - AND it would have to hang there long enough that the entire earth's rotation came within eye-sight of it.
ReplyDeleteGiven all that, whichever hemisphere saw it first would probably try to make contact if they were hanging there silently. If they were staying silent, it would be reasonable to assume they were observing us, and that would beg the question "why?" A ship so big that it can be seen while hanging in low orbit would be a terrifying phenomenon.
...I think maybe I should have been drinking before trying to answer this!
It's easy to go down a rabbit hole of "well, then what about this?" That's why I deliberately leave some things open to interpretation. Because the answer to one supposition tends to limit others. Or open others up.
DeleteI wish I never see an alien....
ReplyDeletehave a great day
I think it would depend on the alien.
DeleteWell first off I would jump up and down saying, "I told you we were not the only ones"! Then I would probably run till we knew what they wanted. Not looking to get probed!
ReplyDeleteOh, are they the probing sort?
DeleteWhat, all visitor's are not the probing sort? haha...I went with that cause I have always heard on movies about them they PROB everyone! haha.
DeleteOK. I hadn't specified, so that means it's open to answerer's interpretation.
DeleteTo Serve Man - don't get on the ship; it's a cookbook!! But seriously...I think it would be a combination of people trying to take selfies and the armies trying to attack the ship. Why am I thinking of The Day the Earth Stood Still right now? I truly think if aliens just showed up one day, it wouldn't end well.
ReplyDeleteWell, not now. I wonder if future generations would do better.
DeleteWe'd still have people saying it didn't happen. Or that it was a government plot.
ReplyDelete