I stumbled upon a fascinating post the other day. It spoke of captive alien beings, held by the USA in underground facilities. The post, by Nicholas Robson, offers up some questions about this notion. How did we come to capture these beings, if they possess advanced and superior technology? Why were these NHIs not rescued by their peers? Is it possible there is some kind of treaty or arrangement that permits governments to hold NHIs?

Interesting questions, though they all assume that there are indeed NHIs held in captivity by the powers that be. If we assume this to be true, then the questions become very intriguing indeed.

How would we capture aliens in the first place? If they have craft capable of travelling between the stars, they would have the means to build strong, powerful vessels that we could not hope to punch out of the sky. The only thought to therefore come to mind is that the aliens would have arrived in small scout ships, possibly holding no more than two or three beings, and perhaps these craft were even dedicated landing craft, not designed like an interstellar ship, and therefore more vulnerable. One popular theory regarding Roswell is that the alien craft was struck by lightening. Whilst it still strikes this meerkat as faintly absurd to think advanced alien ships could be felled by lightening (I mean, modern commercial jets can withstand lightening strikes and carry on flying), it could still be the case that serious weather conditions disrupted or felled a landing ship. Equally, a small landing craft would potentially be more vulnerable to a missile strike.

Why would no one come to rescue these NHIs? Good question, and a tough one to answer. Perhaps their compatriots believed them to be dead? The absence of any communication, combined with the uncertainty of risking losing more people, might have hindered any rescue efforts. Alternatively (and perhaps a more sinister prospect) the aliens may place different values upon life, and view the scout crew as expendable.

What if the aliens are willingly being held? They could even be part of an exchange program? They’re here because they are emissaries, and they have been holding negotiations and discussions with high-ranking government officials for decades, for purposes unknown. Who knows what the motives of an advanced alien intelligence would be?

Food for thought.