Comedy | Sci-Fi | Short Story
The Cry for Help
An alien intervention for the people of Earth
In 1971, NASA launched Voyager 1 and 2 space crafts carrying greetings in 61 different languages. Among them was the song of the Humpback whale. Indistinct screams from the unexplored world below to the unexplored world above. Scientists thought this would be a signal of virtue to any civilisation that intercepted the recording. The ultimate flex, that we of earth ‘lived peacefully with many races and cultures and in harmony with those below us on the food chain, etc etc.’ It didn’t have to be true.
The message was received by aliens in another solar system and understood correctly as a cry for help. The whale’s song predated language as a means of communication and was widely recognised by civilisations more sophisticated than our own. As the appointed custodians of Earth, the Humpbacks were well within their rights to flag concerns. The earth was at a dangerous precipice. Resources were depleted, pollution was rampant, and many ecosystems were facing complete collapse.
The aliens had appointed the Humpbacks after a lot of discussion. Humans were also considered, but the whales’ brains were 5 times larger and they had a lot more experience. Whales had been around for 880,000 years while humans were relative newcomers. Sperm Whales were also interviewed. They had the largest brains in the animal kingdom, but they were seen to be a bit lazy with poor personal hygiene. And let’s face it, first impressions count in interviews. The Humpbacks had great presence and were the obvious choice.
In truth, the whales didn’t have much to do with humans. Apart from the handful that worked part-time at Sea World, They were mostly preoccupied with the 260,000 different species of aquatic animals, each with their own agendas and idiosyncrasies. Great White Sharks were a bit of a ‘fin-full’ with their bad tempers and insatiable appetites. Seagulls were loud and Sea Lice just annoyed everybody. But as the ice caps began to melt and the water temperatures began to rise, it was apparent that the humans were ruining it for everyone else. The ‘new guy’ was really killing the vibe, and causing mass extinctions. By 1971 the situation on Earth had become so dire that an intervention was needed.
The Aliens informed the people of earth that they had received the cry for help from the Humpbacks and that an attack was imminent. This was bad news for the humans. It was not what they had expected, but it was the wake-up call they needed. There were urgent meetings and heads of state came together, not to posture and engage in petty politics, but to make decisions and act.
Countries that had opposed each other for decades began to unite against the common alien threat. They combined their wealth, intelligence and military might. They finally provided food and shelter for the poor and hungry to prepare them, as brothers in arms, for the long war ahead. It seemed, at least to the Humpbacks, that they were finally putting their self interest aside.
Meanwhile, a young marine biologist focussed on interpreting the message from the whales and she finally decoded it. The message said, “The humans are destroying the planet that created them in an endless selfish desire for comfort and pleasure. They are actually worse than those sharks, that we told you about. But they are worth saving. Their main obstacles are selfishness and disunity. We recommend that they be warned. In the face of their certain destruction, they will begin to see past their differences and will unite as a species with the one goal of self preservation.”
Of course, the aliens had never intended to attack. The mere threat was a shot over the bow and an effective one. The whales had been right all along; the people of earth were once again united. Rather than being the destroyers of the planet, they started to rebuild it.
In the minutes to their Annual General Meeting, the Aliens made a note. “The Existential Threat tactic seems to be an effective intervention for the small-minded humans. If things don’t improve, we may need to step it up. Something like a Global Pandemic, wiping out part of the population, might be worthwhile. Let’s keep an eye on them.”
