r/hypotheticalsituation • u/Available-Drama-276 • 8h ago
You come across an injured and frightened alien. You don’t have a cell phone signal.
Let’s say you’re on a walk and you’re by yourself.
Doesn’t really matter the point is in that moment you were the only person aware of this situation.
Don’t answer reflexively and really think about it.
What are the options here?
1) you walk away.
2) you try to help it.
3) you capture it.
4) you kill it.
Pretty straightforward, yeah?
Now let’s expand on this.
What is the nature of the alien?
For the sake of conversation let’s say it’s one of those big headed gray aliens.
So it’s not an animal and it’s probably way smarter than you.
Now you have to ask yourself exactly what the nature of it being there is.
I’ll do you a little service and tell you right now it’s not there to conquer the world. If a species can travel the universe I promise you annihilation or invasion is out of a question. If they wanted to do that they would do that and we would be powerless.
Some more than likely it would either be a tourist or a zoologist.
And think about that for a second.
If they don’t want to be found out and you’ve literally done just that then where does that leave you if you help it get back to it people?
Seems likely they would kill you if you got it back to its people. Or at least neutralize that threat, whatever that might be.
So walking away is not the worst choice.
If you choose to help it does that mean you call 911 or do you try to communicate with it to figure out how to get it back to its people?
If you do call 911 consider the ramifications of all that entails.
The government might not take kindly on you knowing something you’re not supposed to.
If you detain it you could be starting a literal intergalactic media shit storm.
If you kill it, they might come back for you.
Really truly consider all the ramifications of the situation.
What would you do and why?
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u/HammtarBaconLord 7h ago
I'm fine with its people phazer-ing me if I help it, what I do speaks to my character, how they react speaks to theirs.
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u/Fluffy-Brain-7928 8h ago
I think attempting to help it is the least bad option. Chances are communication won't happen, but there's always a chance of working out simple stuff like a yes/no system that you can both understand even if nothing else. I'm afraid my skills and abilities to help are limited though, and at some point if I want to help it I might have to bring it to...someone in the hopes that things we do to help people/animals on Earth might help somewhat. And that probably leads to it getting to the government and whatnot, which doesn't end well for the alien if they don't know about the aliens, and might not end well for me if they do. But I'd rather try to help than walk away.
But actively detaining or killing the alien? Right out. Even killing it in the middle of nowhere and actually getting away with it in the short term would leave me paranoid about aliens coming to take me and try me for murder on a ship or an alien world for the rest of my life.
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u/Mysterious-Taro174 8h ago
- Dear Diary: Jackpot
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u/Available-Drama-276 8h ago
OK, elaborate.
I would think this is a situation that transcends economics, let alone personal wealth.
So I’m dying to know how you would monetize this or how it would matter.
1
u/rickallen71 8h ago
I would run to almost any crazy thing like that and I would love to help and talk with a being like that. Even some arrogant species that would just kidnap and probe me not very gently I'm sure but who gets to do that ever. And the chance to see something amazing and bigger than us would be awesome.
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u/No-Willingness-4804 6h ago
I'm too nice and wouldn't be able to leave them alone. I would try my best to help them, talk to them, reassure them, etc. If the injury is fatal, I would sit with them until the end and offer my hand since no one should have to die alone. Might even offer my cellphone in case they can make it work in an E.T. phone home kind of way.
I don't care if there's a communication barrier. Kindness is free.
0
u/AutoModerator 8h ago
Copy of the original post in case of edits: Let’s see you’re on a walk and you’re by yourself.
Doesn’t really matter the point is in that moment you were the only person aware of this situation.
Don’t answer reflexively and really think about it.
What are the options here?
1) you walk away.
2) you try to help it.
3) you capture it.
Pretty straightforward, yeah?
Now let’s expand on this.
What is the nature of the alien?
For the sake of conversation let’s say it’s one of those big headed gray aliens.
So it’s not an animal and it’s probably way smarter than you.
Now you have to ask yourself exactly what the nature of it being there is.
I’ll do you a little service and tell you right now it’s not there to conquer the world. If a species can travel the universe I promise you annihilation or invasion is out of a question. If they wanted to do that they would do that and we would be powerless.
Some more than likely it would either be a tourist or a zoologist.
And think about that for a second.
If they don’t want to be found out and you’ve literally done just that then where does that leave you if you help it get back to it people?
Seems likely they would kill you if you got it back to its people. Or at least neutralize that threat, whatever that might be.
So walking away is not the worst choice.
If you choose to help it does that mean you call 911 or do you try to communicate with it to figure out how to get it back to its people?
If you do call 911 consider the ramifications of all that entails.
The government might not take kindly on you knowing something you’re not supposed to.
If you detain it you could be starting a literal intergalactic media shit storm.
If you kill it, they might come back for you.
Really truly consider all the ramifications of the situation.
What would you do and why?
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11
u/SingsEnochian 8h ago
I'd definitely try to help it. That includes trying to communicate with it. If I were lost, alien or not, I'd be so grateful that someone spent their time trying to help me. Of course, I'd try to help some alien! I'm...just a nice person, I guess.