# A ragtag fleet of humanoid aliens seeks sanctuary on Earth. What should we do? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 5, 2013, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-ragtag-fleet-of-humanoid-aliens-seeks-sanctuary-on-earth-what-should-we-do/660238 "2013-06-05T20:39:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-ragtag-fleet-of-humanoid-aliens-seeks-sanctuary-on-earth-what-should-we-do/660238/1 "2013-06-05T20:39:24Z")
Imagine that the events of the _[Battlestar](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Series/BattlestarGalacticaReimagined) [Galactica](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battlestar_Galactica_(2004_TV_series))_ reboot happened substantially as told on the first three seasons of the reboot series. There are some differences, of course. Nobody ever rises from the dead, and there’s never been any evidence of divine intervention, and importantly, the only Earth that exists is the one you’re living on now. So there’s a ragtag fleet in orbit, with circa 50,000 human colonists looking for their ancestral home, which they believe to be our planet. Establishing communication through technobabble means I’m too lazy to make up, they tell the world their story and ask for help. What do you want the world (or your own nation) to do? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-ragtag-fleet-of-humanoid-aliens-seeks-sanctuary-on-earth-what-should-we-do/660238/2 "2013-06-05T20:42:59Z")
How substantially is “substantially?” Because if they’re being pursued by Cylons then it’s “Sorry, bye-bye. Don’t let the solar system hit you in the ass on the way out. By the way, forget you found us.” ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-ragtag-fleet-of-humanoid-aliens-seeks-sanctuary-on-earth-what-should-we-do/660238/3 "2013-06-05T20:45:24Z")
If they have working interstellar or even interplanetary starships, some governments and maybe private corporations are all over them to promise them land in order to learn the secrets. Can they feasibly mine the asteroid belt, establish outposts on Titan, etc? But where the heck did they come from if there is only one Earth? Where have they been spending heir time? And are large alien monsters tracking them? ---
**Author:** ![SirRay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@SirRay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirRay)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-ragtag-fleet-of-humanoid-aliens-seeks-sanctuary-on-earth-what-should-we-do/660238/4 "2013-06-05T20:49:29Z")
Isn’t this topic kind of the theme of [“Alien Nation”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_Nation_(film)) (both Movie and Series) ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-ragtag-fleet-of-humanoid-aliens-seeks-sanctuary-on-earth-what-should-we-do/660238/5 "2013-06-05T20:53:01Z")
> [@OldGuy](#): > > If they have working interstellar or even interplanetary starships, some governments and maybe private corporations are all over them to promise them land in order to learn the secrets. Can they feasibly mine the asteroid belt, establish outposts on Titan, etc? > > But where the heck did they come from if there is only one Earth? Where have they been spending heir time? And are large alien monsters tracking them? I thought the existence and hostility of the Cylons was implied, but since neither you nor silenus are nitwits, clearly I should have been more explicit. Sorry. Yes, the Cylons exist. I’m saying to assume that, apart from the magic stuff (which is a pretty big component, I know), the series occurred up to the point where they found the burnt-out Earth–that, instead, the Earth they found was this one. In this scenario I’d assume that humans evolved here and that, say, 75,000 years ago had created a high-tech culture which went out and colonized first Kobol, then the colonies. So yes, they’re being chased by an extraterrestrial species that knows of the legends of Earth and wants all humans dead. One might use that as an argument both for and against allowing them sanctuary here. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-ragtag-fleet-of-humanoid-aliens-seeks-sanctuary-on-earth-what-should-we-do/660238/6 "2013-06-05T20:57:15Z")
> [@SirRay](#): > > Isn’t this topic kind of the theme of [“Alien Nation”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_Nation_(film)) (both Movie and Series) No, it’s the theme of _Battlestar Galactica_. And [blatant lies] I don’t know what Alien Nation is, nor do I know how to click the link in your post and read the Wikipedia entry. I’ve never even heard of Newcomers. [/blatant lies] ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-ragtag-fleet-of-humanoid-aliens-seeks-sanctuary-on-earth-what-should-we-do/660238/7 "2013-06-05T21:17:12Z")
Of course we offer them help. After all, the Cylons hidden within the fleet have just told the Base stars of our location. And regardless, we’re morphologically ‘close enough’. The world shifts to a war footing, we mass-produce weaponry and proceed to kick Cylon butt. And Humanity lives happily ever after. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-ragtag-fleet-of-humanoid-aliens-seeks-sanctuary-on-earth-what-should-we-do/660238/8 "2013-06-05T21:19:47Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > …So yes, they’re being chased by an extraterrestrial species that knows of the legends of Earth and wants all humans dead. One might use that as an argument both for and against allowing them sanctuary here. I doubt sending them away would do much to keep their pursuers from finding Earth, but it would completely destroy whatever small chances us Earthlings have of offering resistance. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-ragtag-fleet-of-humanoid-aliens-seeks-sanctuary-on-earth-what-should-we-do/660238/9 "2013-06-05T21:30:38Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > I doubt sending them away would do much to keep their pursuers from finding Earth, but it would completely destroy whatever small chances us Earthlings have of offering resistance. Bingo. Combining their information and technology with our manufacturing resources and population would be the best bet for any of us surviving. That is, of course, leaving aside the problem that a high-tech spacefaring civilization could not possibly have existed on Earth 75,000 years ago without us having found huge piles of evidence of their presence. Something is wrong with this scenario, but we’re not going to find out what it is by sending them packing. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-ragtag-fleet-of-humanoid-aliens-seeks-sanctuary-on-earth-what-should-we-do/660238/10 "2013-06-05T21:41:13Z")
Keep them. They are certain to have kick ass music, the like of which we have never heard before. Definitely original music. ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-ragtag-fleet-of-humanoid-aliens-seeks-sanctuary-on-earth-what-should-we-do/660238/11 "2013-06-05T21:50:11Z")
Lob some particularly choice words at them when we realize who, er, what is riding their asses, then inform them that their and our only hope of survival is to make damn sure that ALL of their tech and medical advances get promulgated to damn near every house on the planet, so we can make like ants and try like hell not to get killed off. Also, know that we’re screwed anyway, since the toasters can act (and actually think they ARE) human, and we’re not nearly good enough to counteract that. So we may as well enjoy the short quality-of-life boom while we’re ramping up military production before they show up and we’re eventually infiltrated and then nuked to death like the Colonies were. Also, I liked the Alien Nation series. I thought it was sweet that they didn’t like cut flowers for sick people because the flowers were dead. ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-ragtag-fleet-of-humanoid-aliens-seeks-sanctuary-on-earth-what-should-we-do/660238/12 "2013-06-05T22:12:27Z")
If there are Cylons they need to do what Admiral Adama did in Galactica 1980 and lead them away from Earth while we undergo a massive military build up with space weapons, just like we did in the 80’s. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-ragtag-fleet-of-humanoid-aliens-seeks-sanctuary-on-earth-what-should-we-do/660238/13 "2013-06-05T22:50:26Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Keep them. They are certain to have kick ass music, the like of which we have never heard before. Definitely original music. And Sociolators. Keep those, at least. ---
**Author:** ![Black\_Bisector](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ce73a5/32.png) [@Black\_Bisector](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Black_Bisector)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-ragtag-fleet-of-humanoid-aliens-seeks-sanctuary-on-earth-what-should-we-do/660238/14 "2013-06-06T00:19:38Z")
I say let them in, why not, throw the door open with arms wide open! Then I find this doctor guy they have. I punch him until his brain implant falls out. I put it in my brain. There is only profit. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-ragtag-fleet-of-humanoid-aliens-seeks-sanctuary-on-earth-what-should-we-do/660238/15 "2013-06-06T01:23:35Z")
> [@SirRay](#): > > Isn’t this topic kind of the theme of [“Alien Nation”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_Nation_(film)) (both Movie and Series) We should leave some sour milk out for them. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-ragtag-fleet-of-humanoid-aliens-seeks-sanctuary-on-earth-what-should-we-do/660238/16 "2013-06-06T01:33:17Z")
> [@Aquadementia](#): > > If there are Cylons they need to do what Admiral Adama did in Galactica 1980 and lead them away from Earth while we undergo a massive military build up with space weapons, just like we did in the 80’s. Don’t forget about the part where you contact one physicist and one sexy TV reporter instead of any governments, then evacuate a group of schoolchildren to Earth, and have your only two agents on the planet babysit them. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-ragtag-fleet-of-humanoid-aliens-seeks-sanctuary-on-earth-what-should-we-do/660238/17 "2013-06-06T01:35:50Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > We should leave some sour milk out for them. And perhaps some gopher or mole. Preferably with the skin still on. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-ragtag-fleet-of-humanoid-aliens-seeks-sanctuary-on-earth-what-should-we-do/660238/18 "2013-06-06T12:22:27Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > I doubt sending them away would do much to keep their pursuers from finding Earth, but it would completely destroy whatever small chances us Earthlings have of offering resistance. The Cylons don’t have any beef with us though. They just want to kill their former oppressors. Maybe we should make friends with the Cylons. I’d be friends with Sex er.. um.. I mean Six. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-ragtag-fleet-of-humanoid-aliens-seeks-sanctuary-on-earth-what-should-we-do/660238/19 "2013-06-06T14:13:50Z")
Invite them to stay in exchange for technology and integration. Build as big of a fleet as we can. Build a lunar base (finally). Colonize the local planets as well as we can, spread ourselves out. Then, practice fighting and wait for the inevitable attack. That would have made a much better series ending.