[img[https://exophiles.org/gallery/secret.png]]
The government is hiding a big secret. What is it?
[[It's aliens]]
[[It's not aliens]]
[img[https://exophiles.org/gallery/crashed-craft.png]]
Of course it's aliens. Of course!
The U.S. and other nations have non-human craft and bodies. These were retrieved from crashes, either through malfunctions, or caused deliberately, over the decades.
So, should we be worried? Are the aliens...
[[Non-hostile]]
[[Hostile]][img[https://exophiles.org/gallery/aliens.png]]
Wrong.
[[It's aliens]].[img[https://exophiles.org/gallery/contact.png]]
If the aliens aren't actively trying to conquer us, why haven't we been told about the aliens?
The government actively suppressed information about aliens because...
The government has been [[Infiltrated by aliens]]
The government is [[Paranoid about the public and its adversaries]][img[https://exophiles.org/gallery/ufos-and-nukes.png]]
Well, that doesn't make sense, since if the aliens can remotely disable our nukes and if they have transmedium vehicles capable of sudden hypersonic velocities, we wouldn't stand a chance and instead we'd all be dead and you couldn't be reading this.
No, instead, it's safe to say, the aliens are [[Non-hostile]] [img[https://exophiles.org/gallery/men-in-black.png]]
Our leaders weren't ready, so they thought the people weren't ready. Or maybe they just wanted to deny the Russians advanced technology that could be used against them.
We started a reverse engineering program led by a non-governmental organization known as Majestic 12, or MJ-12. They work with certain portions of the government and its spy networks to retrieve exotic technology of non-earth origin and deny its existence to the broader public.
The results of this effort were...
[[Successful]]
[[Unsuccessful]]
[img[https://exophiles.org/gallery/infiltrated.png]]
It's a possibility, and difficult to either prove or disprove. Perhaps they're doing it for our benefit, or perhaps it's to suit some perverse need for, say, containers for souls. Or perhaps they didn't need to infiltrate, just co-opt and favor specific national governments to secretly do their bidding.
An interesting thought, certainly, but there are other possibilities...
[[Back|Non-hostile]][img[https://exophiles.org/gallery/observation-craft.png]]
They can certainly talk to us, they've been observing us for long enough. It'll take some work to be able to respond to them, though. Maybe you can help with that work.
Come to think of it, though, why are they here?
[[Are we just being studied?]]
[[Or are they altruistic?]]
[img[https://exophiles.org/gallery/insectoid.png]]
Unfortunately, it's going to take a lot of work to talk to them, because, it turns out, they're insectoids and aren't anything like us.
But we put our minds to it anyway, and we go to work.
We start by studying their language and trying to understand their communication methods. We learn that they use a combination of pheromones and vibrations to communicate with each other. This is challenging for us because our sensory systems are very different from theirs, but we persevere.
Next, we work on establishing a diplomatic relationship with them. We send delegates to meet with the aliens and try to build trust through gestures of goodwill. It's slow going at first, but over time, we begin to understand each other better.
We also start working on technology that can help us communicate with the insectoids more effectively. We develop devices that can detect and interpret their pheromones and vibrations, allowing us to have conversations with them in a way that is more familiar to us.
As we continue to work together, we learn more about each other's cultures and ways of life. It's not always easy, but it's incredibly rewarding when we make progress. We start to see the aliens as fellow beings who have their own unique perspectives on the universe, just like us. We even come to see some of them as colleagues, and friends.
In time, our relationship with the insectoids grows stronger and more meaningful. We learn from each other and become better for it. The government may still try to keep things hidden, but we know that there's a whole world of possibilities out there waiting for us to explore.
[[The end?]][img[https://exophiles.org/gallery/menagerie.png]]
We're just some cosmic zoo to them. They've got a ton of tech, solved all their problems, and now are just really, really bored. So, for fun, they come to watch us. Some people even volunteer to take part in alien menageries, on display for curious onlookers.
[[That's fine, I don't mind being studied]]
[[That's insulting, they need to leave]]
[img[https://exophiles.org/gallery/altruism.png]]
The offworld sapients are here to save us from ourselves. It turns out, they've seen civilizations in similar stages of development in other parts of the galaxy, and despite a policy of non-interference, they've wound up destroying themselves. They saw us going down the same road with our wanton use of nuclear weapons. There came several points where they had to intervene. Members of the galactic community sent agents on a mission to nonviolently, surreptitiously, remotely monitor and disable our military technology, especially at key moments. Throughout the years, it would seem that they were successful enough that despite a few close calls, we did not unwittingly come to the destruction of our civilization.
Upon contact, we'd realize the value of a civilization such as ours; we're new, but not so technologically and culturally distant from the galactic community to not one day be their peers. And thus began a new era for humanity, as we came to adopt their languages and technologies while adding our own perspectives and experiences, and join the broader galactic community of greys, reptilians, insectoids, and many others, who all had to go through their own similar journeys.
[[The end?]][img[https://exophiles.org/gallery/cultural-engagement.png]]
In some ways, it's kind of flattering. We're different enough from the greys, reptilians, and insectoids that we're quite novel, physiologically, culturally, and even technologically. They've come from afar to study humans, and see what we're like. They'll probably never see us as equals, but we can try, much to their bemusement. Ever since contact, galactic tourism seemed to have really stepped up. Especially as they can interact directly with some humans... For a price, of course. One they're all too willing to pay, and in return, humanity gets access to exotic technology of non-Earth origin. Interactions are restricted to designated cultural engagement centers, spread out all over the world, and some are more reputable than others. There are institutions where our brightest scholars come to entertain their children. And there are clubs where humans can show an alien a good time. It's not the most dignified start, but, well, it's a start. Perhaps one day, through friendship and hard work, little by little, they will come to see us as equals.
[[The end?]][img[https://exophiles.org/gallery/the-resistance.png]]
Unfortunately, you alone can't tell aliens what to do. This is the recipe for a life of incredible frustration, as others around you come to acceptance, and you remain resistant. You find others online of similar mind, and even join a formal resistance, planning an act of domestic terrorism against offworld sapient political envoys. Unfortunately, you are caught, and incarcerated.
--
If you wanted an "alien resistance story" or "violence against aliens" story, let's just say, those are not unique. Let's imagine a different world, for once.
[[Back|Are we just being studied?]] [img[https://exophiles.org/gallery/taxonomy.jpeg]]
Thanks for reading this short story and exploring this problem space with me! I'd be very curious about your thoughts and suggestions. Apologies in advance if other theories hadn't been explored. Tell me yours!
If you liked this story, come join other alien appreciators on Telegram!
<<linkreplace https://t.me/exophiles>>https://t.me/exophiles (caution, some NSFW!)<</linkreplace>>
[img[https://exophiles.org/gallery/reverse-engineered-craft.jpg]]
Never underestimate the U.S. military industrial complex. Through the ingenuity of private aerospace contractors working on carefully hidden budgets, they figured out how to crack the anti-gravity problem, and even created the TR-3B craft reverse-engineered from non-human technology, and is currently being fielded from an underground air base hidden in a mountain in Dulce, New Mexico.
So, we've got it all figured out and don't need to reach out to aliens at all, turns out! So, do they tell us about the aliens?
[[Yes, they tell us]]
[[No, they keep the secret]]
[img[https://exophiles.org/gallery/disclosure.png]]
Non-human technology proved to be so advanced that neither the U.S. nor any other nation in the world can figure out how the technology works, such as its power supply, how to turn it on or even open it, no matter how much money or brilliant minds are thrown at it, which are actually both in limited supply due to the secretive nature of the reverse engineering program. Black budgets are harder to conceal the larger they are, and a job you can't really put on your resume is the very definition of a dead-end job. Or perhaps we can turn on the craft, but we can't operate it in any sophisticated way, since we're lacking important physiological features the aliens possess, <a href="https://aedes.notepin.co/ebo-biologist-qa-reddit-2023">such as nodules located deep within their brain</a>.
There is no zero point energy that could save the world. There are no high-K metamaterials that can be used to induce levitation. There are no craft that we can hop into at a secret hangar somewhere and take E.T. home in 5 minutes. We can’t figure it out, it’s far too advanced. We can’t even operate it or turn the damn things on.
Could this be one of the main reasons for the secrecy and the coverup? Country A doesn’t want Country B to know that they can’t figure out this non-human tech and vice versa?
Each country that has these non-human goodies are all worried about another country making a discovery or a breakthrough with this non-human technology.
They don’t want anyone to know that they can’t harness this tech or use it to their advantage. A secret arms race where the finish line is still out of reach for everyone. <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeColangelo/status/1693777988926484915">//theory credit, Mike Colangelo//</a>
Either way, the Roswell incident occurred in 1947. It is now roughly 80 years later. For whatever reasons, either cultural or geopolitical, the government thinks we're ready to learn about aliens, and they're willing to share what they learned, slowly, to a public already widely aware of concepts in science fiction. Most people go about their day as if nothing has changed.
You haven't, though. You're not like them. You've had your eyes open, and now you're ready to get involved.
The first thought that runs through your mind upon contact is, can we talk to the aliens?
[[They can talk to us]]
[[They're not on our level]]
[img[https://exophiles.org/gallery/zero-point-energy.png]]
The government eventually comes clean now that they've solved for limitless energy, this revolutionizes our development as a species, and soon we come to rival aliens on the galactic stage.
Finally, we get to ask the big questions. Do aliens use currency?
[[Yes, in fact they do]]
[[No, they're past it]]
[img[https://exophiles.org/gallery/q-clearance.png]]
The thing about secret programs is, so long as they keep coming up with new secrets, it's easier to keep the old ones, because those with security clearance never want to lose permission to access those secrets. Once you've had a taste of what the intelligence community has to offer, it's hard going back.
That said, there are still whistleblowers, and those who leak information. Some of it gets through. Over time, more individuals get involved and //the phenomenon// eventually becomes an open secret, even though the government won't admit to it, nor do they divulge all that they know.
And that's where things stay, allowing those who wish to stay ignorant to remain ignorant of the alien contact that's been occurring for quite some time.
[[The end?]]
[img[https://exophiles.org/gallery/alien-marketplace.png]]
Yes, aliens have used money for millions of years. Its properties are different than ours, though. It is a bearer currency, like cash, but it is electronic and can't just be printed. It's secured by something scarce, even in the large quantities of the cosmos, there are always limits. That scarce something is energy. It turns out, there's a network of linked Dyson spheres all throughout the galaxy, and we've been invited to join. The work ahead will be long and difficult. Furthermore, Earth money is no good on the galactic stage, so we'll need to find ways to earn the money of the Galactic Federation until we can get the Dyson swarm operational. Tourism could help a lot. And due to its national security importance, exotourism is held in high importance by national governments.
It'll be interesting to see if there's opportunity for trade, also. For some reason there seems to have been interest in our cattle. Ranchers will need UAP defense systems to prevent theft, and instead they'll be compensated, selling the money they earn for Earth currency, and then those little green men can do whatever weird stuff they want with no complaints.
[[The end?]][img[https://exophiles.org/gallery/future-society.png]]
Aliens have long been in a place of cosmic abundance and for all but the scarcest things, no currency is needed. Subsequently, they help humanity learn how to end energy and commodity scarcity for everyone.
So, I guess that's it, then. [[The end?]]