Not From Earth

Last Hope

Prologue

In the 1940s, with the detonation of atomic bombs, Earth became the interest of several advanced alien civilizations. And one observer found a threat that would soon end all life on the fledgling planet.

Earth had not yet unlocked the keys to quantum entanglement for faster than light speed transportation, so it was no threat to other planets. And with this impending natural disaster, there was little chance the planet would ever become a threat.

On Jul 25, 2020, an asteroid 130 meters across missed the Earth by just 50,000 miles or 1/5 the Moon’s distance. Close encounters with asteroids passing through the Earth-Moon space are not unusual.

An object is a Near-Earth Object or NEO if its closest approach to the Sun (perihelion) is less than 120 million miles. If any NEO’s orbit crosses the Earth’s orbit and has a diameter over 460 feet, it is considered a Potentially Hazardous Object or PHO. By 2020, Earth was tracking more than 20,000 NEOs, of which 10% are PHOs.

But these are just the known asteroids and comets that are threatening the Earth. The Near-Earth object population doesn’t make up the entire threat. Asteroids migrate into near-Earth space from the distant Main Asteroid Belt, the well-stocked group of rocks orbiting between Mars and Jupiter. More than 2 million Asteroids larger than half a mile in diameter populate the Asteroid Belt.

Then far beyond the Main Belt is the Kuiper Belt, a vast population of icy Asteroids and Comets in the Neptune and Pluto vicinity. And still far beyond the Kuiper Belt, at the very edge of the solar system, is the Oort Cloud, a massive icy reservoir of more than 2 trillion comets.

In 1946, an intelligent alien probe found a 92 km (57 miles) wide Asteroid leaving the Kuiper belt that would strike the Earth in 2034. Unless repelled, all human life on Earth will end that day.

Advanced civilizations seldom interfere in the evolution of planets harboring life forms. They have learned that interference can result in dangerous aberrations of worlds that might threaten the galaxy. The process of self-survival produces civilizations that advance beyond perilous aggression. Erratic aggressive civilizations self-destruct before reaching quantum level intelligence.

The aliens do keep a record of life forms of interest and observe their progress. In 1947, an alien joined with an embryo human to place an observer on Earth. The alien hybrid observer would live to see if the planet might exceed expectations and survive the deadly Asteroid.

……

Unaceptable

Miles received the response from Juni and eagerly translated the encrypted message with his alien device.

..~..

Since the day you were born to Earth, we have studied the human inhabitants. The fate of any race depends on its ability to end self-deception. As a longtime observer and a perceptive resident of Earth, you know the leaders worldwide lie to the inhabitants. How can humanity advance beyond self-delusion when so easily misled?

You make an interesting argument for the positive influence of Artificial Intelligence in advancing human knowledge, integrity, and coherence. But do you believe there is time? Humans have just recently achieved singularity.

As of now, a warmongering race controls the Earth. And their wars are almost always based on disinformation. The leaders lie to start wars because that benefits the oligarchs. The few humans seeking the truth become chastised and ignored. Yet we find humanity itself is insane.

Network news outlets could help, but they are afraid of the weaponized stories. They are complicit in the disinformation advancing impossible narratives. There is a long history of false flags and disinformation for war. Logical reasoning requires the multitudes to reject fabrications programmed since birth.

Humans find themselves on a planet with nuclear weapons pointed at each other. Wars between countries rage, not for freedom, but for the profit of the greedy few in charge. Humanity has been destroying the planet’s environment for decades. They seem to delight in self-destruction.

A pandemic strikes the Earth and the people rebel as if eliminating the virus is an assault on their freedoms. They are deceived as always into believing the false narrative. Their delusions should serve them well, as the asteroid approaches.

And now you ask for our help. Why do you still have faith in this species? This is unacceptable. The Asteroid will end human life on Earth. Nothing can stop that. For us to interfere would set loose a race of maniacs. If human technology was to advance exponentially before humans conquered their destructive nature, the galaxy could be at risk. Only civilizations that end their self-delusions and aggressions advance to the next stage of survival.

Your request is denied. I am sorry Miles Ripley. You will be extracted before the Asteroid strikes.

..~..

Novel under construction