Fiction has almost always been the first to address a number of alien invasion scenarios before being theorized on seriously by both serious government agents working out “exercise” scenarios and by a public wary of the possibilities for the future. But if alien invasion is a serious matter, then it might be a good idea to look at one of the most often overlooked scenarios of an alien invasion: mass abduction of vast areas of the populace.
In this scenario of our ongoing coverage of alien invasion scenarios, their possibilities, and reactions from the public, we take a look at one rarely covered but commonly depicted in film. If the populace were suddenly made aware of massive ships hovering over the planet’s surface, is there any defense to a mass abduction and if so, how could it be implemented by individuals? We’re not saying an alien invasion will be happening any time soon, but in the same vein as government agencies “decoding alien transmissions” for no reason other than a thought exercise and then releasing their results to the public, we’d like to take into consideration a slightly more dramatic scenario.
If alien ships were stationed all around the world above cities and were known to be taking up people against their will to be taken away to far away places, what could we do as a population to defend ourselves? First, we have to take into consideration -as with so many other possible scenarios – the motivations of any potential captors. If the motives were to eat their human prisoners (as is so commonly portrayed in film) then it might be important to learn the physiology of the offending aliens. In doing so, we may learn what they are selecting for. Depending on how choosy they are, we may ascertain that they are not interested in people who have been exposed to certain elements, shy away from certain areas, and do not consider people who have undergone certain medical procedures worth “taking.” Of course this final point is the way some may choose to defeat this alien selection process. If they cannot eat people who had the flu, for example, that would be something you may want to go for. If they were shy around mountainous areas or near radar installations, it may be wise to start building such a system.
But what if no such means of “alien repellent” could be created? What should you do if you’re already on the invader’s vessel? Just as with so many other scenarios, it’s possible to address possible escape options by looking at how the subject has been handled by fiction. It may not be the only reliable way of learning about your options (certainly not encouraged in other scenarios) but it is one of the only ones currently available without better knowledge. Speculation and fiction go well hand in hand, although one must be more structured than the other. In films and videogames on the topic the only way to combat the aliens is to acquire their technology and attempt to learn how to use it. And then the survivors after a long battle would have a difficult choice – do they return to their home planet, or escape at top speed beyond the reach of their pursuers?