So A is for Aliens (of course.) You can browse the rest of the BGVTA blog and see that I was and sort of still am a little obsessed with the extraterrestrial. And why not? The organisms on this planet aren't always the most civil and interesting beings, so imagining what sort of supernatural lifeforms are out there is definitely much more fun.
Plus, if I'm going to live up to the stereotype and survive an alien invasion, I have to know my enemies!
I guess to make this simple, I'll just highlight some of what I've learned of the alien categories that might even help you, non-Black girl human who may be reading this, survive as well. I mean, we Black girls can't repopulate the world ourselves after the invasion wipes out most of humankind. (I hope you have good hair!)
Type 1: Resource Hunters - The most common types of aliens are those on the prowl for resources that their own home world is lacking. These can be the most dangerous if that resource is something equivalent to our own water or food supply, like those "ugly mothers" from "Independence Day". Let's hope that whatever hostile aliens are interested in our planet have the same hydrophobic/hypochondriac reaction as the "War of the Worlds" tripods or "Signs" walkers.
If, by chance, the aliens are after something less survival-based and more like treasure hunters, this doesn't exactly mean we are safe. In "Cowboys and Aliens," the aliens were actually after gold around the same time as our own country was suffering from gold fever. Contemplate the result of vikings, conquistadors, or Manifest Destiny pilgrims on the shores of a "new world." It's not always a happy ending for the natives. I have seen space herpes and it has sharp teeth!
Type 2: Hungry Killing Machines - Sometimes you just have angry aliens with a stick the length of a comet trail up their butts for no obvious reason. I suppose the Reavers from "Serenity" are a close enough example due their savage and primal nature. While they weren't really from another planet, the decomposition of their social abilities turns them into monsters who's basic instincts are to kill, eat, and destroy. The Thing is another instance of a violently-hungry E.T. who, if you think about it, probably just wanted to escape the Antarctic cold in the warm cocoon of human flesh. Couldn't it have settled for cuddling, instead?
Type 3: Breeders - This could tie into Type 2 aliens pretty well since a hungry mommy is going to gorge herself silly while she's waiting to push out hundreds of disgusting alien babies, whether from her own gooey loins or your own comfortable chest cavity. (How's that for a visual?) Breeders just want to make more aliens. Period. While this is arguably any organism's basic survival instinct when you get right down to it, it doesn't always involve some sort of natural birth. In Resistance for the PS3 (at least to the point that I got which was game 2), the aliens seems to be creating MORE aliens from humans. First in factories (yay science), then in these convenient (and disgustingly gooey) pods. No need to haul the humans back to the base; it's Insta-Alien 2000! I suppose the Body-Snatchers could also fit into this category, though you're really not breeding if you're just stealing someone else's skin.
Let's toss sexy aliens like Asari and Orions in here too. I mean, nothing screams "I want to have your babies!" more loudly than aliens who can have sex with their minds with any other races, or those who use sex as their weapon. Kudos to the green and blue-skinned alien sisters!
Type 4: Passive-Aggressive Refugees - I'm going to put your super-powered aliens like Superman and Goku in this category because I feel like none of them ever come to Earth thinking "Gee, I can't wait to see how that yellow sun/low gravity will affect my personal strength. I think I'll become a superhero!" It's more like "Oh snap, my planet exploded...*sad face*.
As we learned from "Men in Black" we can live in peace with most of the alien races we encounter as long as we use some diplomatic approach. Then again, I have a feeling the world is more likely to a situation like in "District 9" where aliens are abused and at the mercy of an apartheid government because humans are more afraid than welcoming. That in itself is a scary thought because of the "passive-aggressive" part of the refugees that at any moment can turn to just plain aggression, be it towards one Lex Luthor or one entire human race.
To hell with being a short blog! This information was important! I hope you all learned a little something about alien categories today--I know I did, and I wrote this. Do you think I left anything out or want to discuss your own examples of the 4 types? I'd love to hear your geeky thoughts on this!
