Likely response to Extra Terrestrials asking for help finding one of their own?

[Will Fawkes]

Another one of those 'I'm working on a book' type things guys.

Granted we're all nerds and not politicians but I'm sure the question has been asked at least once or twice. 'if ET phoned in from somewhere close enough we could answer back and it's easy to tell it isn't a hoax what would happen?'

IE Ship in orbit (which orbit I'm not sure but close enough for near real time (Meaning at furthest lunar.) Not liking the idea of even a two second pause between things but if you're trying to keep people from looking up and seeing a mile or so of spaceship (WHo'm I kidding space is flipping huge, most people wouldn't notice anyway.)

Not ure how important the reason for them showing up would be but let's go with 'lighter and softer General Zod here: 'One of our people is roughly speaking 'here' and we would like to collect them as they are mentally unwell. All we ask for is that you keep your own people away in case they become violent and we will compensate for your cooperation and any damages incurred.'

And, unlike so many aggressive aliens in scifi it would be a genuine agreement. Granted they wouldn't negociate FTL away, but sitting the major governments down and offering up better methods of harvesting energy would probably buy a ton of good will and have people bending over backwards to comply so long as it isn't looking like prelude to invasion or something.

The trouble is I'm not sure how the first couple hours would go after contact has been established and confirmed. I've watched the vsauce video on the subject (vsauce tends to be pretty zonking awesome) but still.

Ideas?

Aliens already in orbit and at least sound willing to be peaceful about things with the outside chance of technical exchange going on (what they'd get is probably culture/entertainment in nature. I'm not saying we don't have anything they wouldn't want but the chances of it being technical are slim so go with what's unique to earth. Us.)

The other thing is in a situation outlined above where an alien government/group is asking for help and apparently going through diplomatic channels. What kind of criminal charges could be leveled against someone harboring their target? If it escalates to violence that's more cut and dry assault/use of deadly force/etc (assuming 'they' let us deal with the offending persons instead of demand using their legal framework.)

Fantastic situations so i'm trying to give at least a small touch of plausible feel to it all.

[Godot]

Depends on how many listen.

If only the american, russian or chinese government receive the call,

the spaceship will most probably be landed from orbit in all secrecy and then be disassembled in order to gain knowledge of the technology.

Its alien pilot will most likely get imprisoned, then interrogated about his race/star system, his technology, how one flies the spaceship and so on ...

afterwards he will be dissected to gain more knowledge about the alien physiology.

If many/all humans are able to receive the aliens cal, however,

all countries will try to be the ones where the alien lands ...

also, all TV stations will bid large sums of money to get exclusive interviews with the alien

and all countries will try to get the alien to reveal secrets about its advanced technology (for exaple by offerng huge sums of money, or a life in luxury)

Edited December 21, 2013 by Godot

[AndrewBCrisp]

Hm. I would like to think that the major powers would not be so stupid as to try to trap, imprison, and kill a representative of a race with superior technology for personal / national gain. If nothing else, it will likely tick off the rest of said race's fellows once they find out, perhaps to the point they would quarantine us ("You stole our FTL drive? None of your ships will leave orbit ever!") or even invade to bring the parties responsible to justice. (And they WILL find out eventually. Don't think they won't.)

About the original scenario:

First, while I doubt the average citizen would notice a "mile long" spaceship in low orbit, just about every professional and amateur astronomer would find it in short order. The ISS is a similar size - though not as robust as the design you're probably envisioning - and we can see it as a bright moving star in our night sky. With the whole astronomical community turning instruments on the ship, we can forget about any notion of the aliens' arrival being secret.

Second, part of the reaction will depend on the alien physiology. The General Zod/Man of Steel scenario had to work with Superman being human in appearance. While I personally doubt that any alien race will come close to us in appearance to pass for one of us, it has been done in fiction before, and there can be justifications (deliberate body modification, either because the race are shapechangers, or because they have the technology to port themselves into specially designed bodies for different environments). Even if the aliens are friendly, the mere ability to look like us - and the fact that one of their own is hiding among us for whatever reason - would give every government, intelligence agency, and law enforcement agency seizures. O Senator McCarthy, where art thou?

It also depends on the fugitive's behavior and abilities (either natural or technological - what devices / weapons does the fugitive have access to?) I suspect if the fugitive does have any advanced technology on his/her/its person it would likely be imprisoned / "disappeared" by the major powers for technology or interrogation because after all it IS a fugitive, and in today's post-9-11 world governments are more willing to do that sort of thing to people they consider to be "nonpersons". An alien fugitive has an even worse standing in that regard.

If the fugitive has been a troublemaker of some kind (committing robberies, feasting on people's spleens, selling pirated alien ****), I expect our governments would be only too willing to cooperate with the alien authorities in rounding him up. If on the other hand the fugitive has been either a good citizen or even a help, governments might accept the alien authorities' line for a time, but I expect there would be legal / sentient right issues blowing up on the public arena once the nature of the alien-hunt becomes widely known.

You're spot on about all the world's governments salivating over getting their hands on new technology, and the trade negotiations would be something else again. Expect private enterprise to also go ape over the issue, and depending on what technologies are being negotiated, we can expect the stock market to go crazy at intervals - even BEFORE the new tech is sold, developed, and deployed, a process that will take years.

That's all I can think of at this time. If there was someone here who has actual diplomatic experience (working for a consulate or something) or who studies law, they might be able to help further.

[Will Fawkes]

Well the situation I'm envisioning having the ambassadors/representatives being human...ish looking however it kinda ends at 'head with tow eyes, torso with four limbs' looking like us. they clearly can't pass for human. Maybe hints at common ancestory or past dealings that would explain the sorta kinda has the rubber forehead alein thing oing on.)

As for the rest. Hm.

Part of the situation i have painted is it's somewhat clear the visitors are here for a specific job rather than bringing enough ground forces or ships to have any sort of plans.

And that the delegates/visitors are obviously more than one species (all humanoid, but obviously not human or unable to blend in.) They'd make a few things clear in terms of any technological exchange.

They are not handing us FTL. We can't just be handed everything on a silver platter til our own back yard is cleaned up.

There had been a few incidents of landings in the past, but generally individuals rather than attempts at guiding culturally so earth and the cluster of systems around it had been declared off limits to give growing space and to keep outsiders from moving in as the next god-king.

Roswell. Don't know. Wasn't us if it's real. Please don't ask again.

As for the 'fugitive' I'm still corridinating/idea bouncing on how the'd act after crash/landing.

[Ralathon]

I suspect that the major governments would first ask for information on how to find the fugitive, any weapons he has, possible ways of detection etc. After that they'd launch a worldwide manhunt to locate the guy/alien/thing. As soon as they have him and the situation is stable the negotiations and discussions can begin. On one hand we shouldn't judge an alien legal system since their moral values likely differ from our own. But the fugitive lives on our planet and is therefore subject to our laws for sentient species. So it's going to be a few months of philosophy and bargaining. Meanwhile the markets will go haywire and scientists from all over the world will flock towards the landing site to pick up alien tissue papers.