No. We do not speak with you.
When the aliens finally arrived, it was bizarre to say the least. We didn’t have a classical first-contact scenario, if you can even call it that, instead, one day countless of their ships arrived above every major metropolis and settlement, unmoving and silent like a guillotine ready to chop our heads off. They were massive and funnily enough a bit recognizable, as if we had designed them at some point. Nothing major happened after that and for the next few hours the human species had millions of videos floating around on the internet and every single platform you could think of was filled with the same discussion.
What do they want? Who are they? What do they look like? Are we in danger? Are they like us?
It made your head spin if you really thought about it. Aliens, right here on our little planet, it was insane.
On TV and on the radio, news was playing non-stop about how every major political figure was preparing to meet our new ‘guests’. No communication signals could be heard or received from the ships or their inhabitants and for hours none of our methods seemed to evoke any reactions. It was getting pretty uncomfortable to say the least. I don’t think we ever had a day in our lives where almost every activity on the planet stopped because we were all fixed on one singular thing.
After a day or so, finally something happened. Radio stations and news outlets reported the same thing, every single ship in orbit around the globe opened up with a loud hum and vibrations you could feel in your bones carrying what looked like to be a bipedal alien on a flat platform. Once descended it became apparent how much different they look to us. They were tall, at least two meters, covered in sleek, iridescent metal that seemed to fold like clothes would do. You couldn’t get a good look at their face because they were all covered in opaque visors and their muscular stature was awe-inspiring. They had fewer fingers and huge feet, covered by the same metal as their suit.
They were quickly surrounded by the press and political leaders, trying to offer a warm welcome, gifts and establish a proper first contact. Anything to get them to react positively to us I suppose.
The aliens remained eerily silent at first, they didn’t even react to any of the world leaders, every single channel had similar footage. Everywhere on Earth the aliens just stood there and listened to political heads and scientists without reacting. And after the sounds of the crowds surrounding them died down, they answered in perfect human language corresponding to the region they were in.
“No. We do not speak with you.”
The politicians were surprised, the scientists shocked, and the people around them confused. This confusion quickly dissipated when the aliens began pointing to random men and women asking them questions instead.
“What is your name?” “What do you do?” “Are you happy?” “Is there anything you hate?” “How is your life on Earth?” “Do you hate your job?” “Do you have any personal problems?” “What are your dreams?” “Are you scared?” “What do you plan on doing today?”
The questions seemed absurd at first. They randomly stopped citizens at their leisure, interrogating them with these mundane questions, their translator perfectly capable of understanding and speaking to humans everywhere. One news outlet filmed a very shaken woman in her forties while she answered questions.
“M-me? I’m just an a-a-accountant…No I mean…yeah the job is okay…no if I were being honest I’d rather do something else but I have bills to pay….yes I have children…no I don’t feel comfortable answering those questions.”
Another channel showed an old farmer with dirty overalls, chewing tobacco and raging about politicians and banks, another channel showed an alien surrounded by a force field, talking with prison inmates while dumbfounded guards couldn’t stop them.
Everywhere on the planet they asked questions and listened, never speaking about themselves, always focusing on seemingly random individuals, ranging from poor beggars, wealthy businessmen, junkies, construction workers, farmers, prostitutes, office workers, students, the list was endless.
The country heads, scientists, paparazzi and lots of people with phones kept following them everywhere, unless actively stopped by military personnel. The aliens themselves traveled freely wherever they pleased, those who tried to stop them were just simply pushed away by their force fields, they were above our technological understanding.
After a week they returned to the platforms underneath their large ships and addressed our leaders for the very first time.
“We are leaving. Hear us and listen. Were it not for the average inhabitant of this planet, we would have judged your world harshly. It is thanks to their nature and spirit that we shall abdicate and extend forgiveness. We see your potential and inherent capacity for greatness. Do not squander it. Do not repeat the same mistakes again. This is not a warning. It is an observation. We will return again when the time is right and hope to see you rise above your limitations.”
And they left just like that, leaving us forever marked by their presence and their trust in humanity.