This choice: You have a question that needs answering. • Go Back...Chapter #8You have a question that needs answering. by: ghossedwriter   “Actually, I have a few questions you need to answer first.” You replied, turning a suspicious eye to Leslie. She bristled at the new line of questioning. “How is it that you know so much about Earth? We have told you so little about this planet, yet you seem to know many things already.”
“What—what do you mean?” Leslie stammered.
“First, you know that the name of this planet is Earth.” You described. “You have a device that can translate your thoughts into English. You have an extensive knowledge of how plants on Earth function, as well as a partial understanding of human anatomy. You also know the components of Earth’s atmosphere. And by mentioning Earth’s daytime, you know that Earth cycles between day and night. Nina and I mentioned none of this, yet you already seem to know a lot more about us than you are letting on. Tell me the truth, Leslie: How long have you known about Earth’s existence?”
Leslie faltered for a moment, unable to dispel all the points you made in your suspicions. She glanced around as if to affect an escape. Instead she hung her head and sighed.
“That is because we have been observing your planet for a long time.” She muttered breathlessly.
“Explain yourself. Do you come in peace?” You asked.
“Of course I come in peace!” Leslie snapped. “How else except by your remote did I get here?” She paused for another moment before continuing. “Czeulti is a doomed planet. Unlike your Sun, the star in our solar system is a red giant. By our estimates it will explode into a supernova within 20,000 to 70,000 of your Earth years. It could happen sooner. If Czeulti isn’t immediately destroyed by the blast, it will become unsustainable for life. That is why we have been looking for another planet on which to live.
Our search had gone fruitless for many years. Planets just like yours – just like Earth – could have been viable spots for colonization. But their inhabitants, through anger and hatred, destroyed their own civilizations and the planet along with them. Nuclear war. Planet-eating diseases. Environmental catastrophe. Asteroid collisions. We watched as countless civilizations committed suicide, one after another. While we actually contacted a few of those civilizations, the races we encountered were overtly hostile and unwelcoming to aliens. Our explorers were slaughtered the moment they arrived to each planet.
“We first discovered Earth by listening to your radio waves travelling through space. These radio waves hearkened bleak news as well. We listened to one of your inhabitants by the name of Adolf Hitler. We heard the miseries of your wars, your genocides, even though we could not see them. We listened to the Civil Rights movement of your 1960s. We decided that your world, Earth, would be hostile to alien contact as well, and so we avoided you. However, we were overjoyed to hear about your space programs. We believed that someday, when your human race learned how to live peacefully, we could contact you. Hopefully that time would occur before our own planetary death. We have waited for an opportune moment to establish contact. This… wasn’t exactly according to plan.” She finished, referring to her mixed-up situation with Nina.
Leslie’s story was touching to say the least. All this time, you thought, we had questioned why we never had contact with aliens. The classic Fermi’s paradox was finally answered. Leslie’s story also implied that there were (are?) many Earthlike civilizations, many facing similar problems that Earth itself is facing. The coincidences were almost too perfect to be believable, and your colleagues in the field of science would laugh you out of a room if you retold such a tale! But your eyes cannot deceive you. Standing next to you in your garage is a bona fide alien… and your wife is sharing its body!
“I am very sympathetic to Czeulti and your people.” You replied after this moment of reflection. “Not everyone on Earth is hostile to the idea of aliens, but we have had a bad history involving colonization in the past. Is it necessary for you to come to this planet? Are there no other alternatives between salvation and destruction?”
“I’m afraid not, Farley.” Answered Leslie.
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