365 tomorrows

RELUCTANT by R. A. Jackson is now up.

“What do you think their response is going to be?” The Commander paced in front of the many consoles.

“I don’t know. You’d think it’d be obvious, but the Observer wasn’t optimistic.” Drayden joined the Commander at the viewing panels. They displayed the planetary analysis of a beautiful world. Vital data such as topography, climate, industry, population, and ecology were shown in great detail.

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That was a good concept, and it was well written. My favority part was the description of the critical view panels: It really brought me right into that command center...

But can anyone tell me the last time earth had a mutually benneficial, happy ending, kind of first contact? Of course I'm assuming this was a first contact, and not just one of many. But It seems that Earth gets wrecked a lot around here. I don't particularly mind, but I'm thinking about what this tells us about our outlook. If this trend is more than just my imagination, then what does it tell us about how we in this community perceive our destiny?

One of my favorite sci-fi movies (though I considered it to be more of a cop movie than really sci-fi) was Alien Nation.

The concept I liked most about it was the view of the Newcomers toward the fact that we allow them to live amoung us.

Detective Samuel "George" Francisco:

That was such a good show.

It's true - a lot of first contact stories have a very bleak outlook. It seems to demonstrate a certain cynicism that we have about ourselves.

I do wonder, though, if humanity was actually presented with a choice like this, would they really say 'no?' It seems like there are a lot of folks who would be happy for a peaceful meeting with an alien species.

I can't help but look at us as a species blowing each other up every chance we get, and flying half way around the world to blow each other up with frighteningly escalating degrees of efficiency, and be a little cynical about our chances with another species that managed star travel before they wiped themselves out.

I mean - would you invited us over to meet your parents?

Tribe of Humanity issue: We only extend our morals to that which we consider one of us, a classic justification for terrible brutality and torture against men and animals (though I suppose the blood of animals that I've eaten or worn the skins of are on my hands).

As for the story, I find the invading race to be hypocritical. Suppose they were to come upon a race with power greater than their own, but opposed to the possibility of Symbiosis? How are they suppposed to be different than Man, which they find stupid and brutish?

I would think that even an alien race would be at least a little ego-centric. Most people think they have lived a just and reasonable life and wonder why others can't be more like them.

I wonder what a target planet's life would be like if they accepted. I mean, after all, we are talking about a race whose alternative to living in "symbiosis" is to use their vast armada to invade. I would think any race that accepts this race's terms is then subject to subjugation on their own homeworld. What kind of life is that? Live free or die, man, live free or die.