Tourists

The director addressed the tour group.  “We will soon be arriving at our destination.  I want to remind you that any interaction with the natives is prohibited.  They are a young, unstable race whose weaponry. though crude, can still do harm.  Although the atmosphere contains levels of oxygen that would allow us to breath it, theirs has toxic levels of other chemicals as well as microorganisms that may be capable of causing disease.  Therefor you should not remove your protective suits that also render you invisible to the natives.  The time that you will have on the ground at various sites will be strictly enforced.  Your suits will automatically return you to the tour vehicle if it detects that you are not voluntarily returning.  As we arrive at each destination, I will provide context about what you will see and answer questions.”

The vehicle had been in undetectable mode since emerging from intergalactic drive behind the planet’s only moon.  As it began to descend towards the blue planet the passengers followed the approach on holograms, marveling as the planet’s surface details became clearer.   The vehicle paused just outside  the atmosphere giving the guide time to give a last quick orientation.  And also to issue the gravity neutral footwear since most of the tourists were from home bodies with gravities differing from Sol 3’s.

“The first stop will be at our galactic outpost that is beneath their ocean.  One of the monitors stationed there will give you an introduction to the civilization found here.  We will now proceed to enter what the natives call their Pacific Ocean, an ironic name since, as you will hear, the natives are anything but peaceful.”  Undetected, the tour vehicle now descended through the atmosphere, slipped below the water, and proceeded to the deep outpost where it mated seamlessly to the entry port.  The tourists chattered excitedly as they were escorted through a series or corridors to a conference room.

“The outpost is larger than I expected,” said one.

“I scoped for info on outposts before we left.  Since the monitors are stationed here for 3 galactic periods, it was designed to be non-claustrophobic,” answered another.  As they entered the auditorium, the forty tourists generally sat with others from their planet or moon of origin.  

The monitor was already there.  He spoke Galactic Universal with a heavy Zenobian accent.  “Welcome to our outpost on Sol 3.  I think you will find your visit to this planet extremely interesting and informative.  For some of you it will be like seeing a living ancient history of your own civilizations.  Others may be shocked to see things that their own histories never included.  The natives are of all one race differing only by the color of their casing.”  (The Zenobian then projected holograms of the various Sol 3 races.)  “As you can see, great variety.  But they are of one race because they have sexual reproduction and are compatible across their color differences.  However, and this may surprise you, they place great distinction on their casing color and have had wars and enslavement based on just that one characteristic.”

Question: “What is war and enslavement?”

“Good question.  Your Trillian history is one of cooperation since you evolved from hive-forming ancestors and the emphasis was always to work toward the collective good.  Well, that is not the case here where the importance of the individual being or clan took precedence.  And instead of cooperation it has always been a question of dominance, obtained by fighting with and killing of, the different being or clan entity.  And enslavement occurred when the defeated clan or being was forced to completely bow to the demands of the winner and became their property.”   There was a murmur of disbelief and surprise.  “I see some Yetians in the audience.  Your race went through a similar history at one time very long ago.”   The two Yetians nodded agreement, “A very long time ago,” said one with emphasis on the very.

“Something else.  The world is divided into different clans that are called nations.  There is no effective unifying order.  There have been attempts to do so, but the clan or national impulse always takes precedence.  This too has been a source of many wars.”

The Zenobian continued.  “Another thing that may surprise you.  There are still layers of culture here, from their most scientifically advanced societies to others that coexist still in a pre-metallurgic state.  And further, even within the most advanced and rich nations, there are members of that nation who are basically outcasts from the general prosperity and society.”

Question:  Don’t these beings have a code of conduct or morality?

“Sol 3 has a variety of beliefs and philosophies that, if followed as set down by their founders, would result in a truly wonderful society.  The problem is that they are not followed for the most part.  In fact, many of the philosophies and beliefs are warped by their current leaders to suit their own objectives.  It is a sad situation.”

“I see our time is up and it is time for you to begin your planetary tour, under the guidance of your leader who has led four previous groups here and is very knowledgeable about Sol 3.  There are some refreshments at the back of the auditorium.  Please enjoy them and have a most enjoyable visit to this planet.”  There was a smattering of sounds of appreciation and the sound of shuffling limbs as the tourists rose and headed to the back of the auditorium and refreshments.  As they milled around, there were murmurs of “this is going to be so great—I can’t believe that—minds blowing—glad you came now?—can I have the last one.

The group trooped back to their vehicle.  The guide said that their first stops would be in two large centers of population.  The first was London where the guide pointed out the multiracial, multicultural makeup of the population and the general prosperity as the tourists passed undetectably among the throngs.  Yes, their are racial tensions, in fact violence at times, but in general it is an example of a large city where Solians congregate to live and work.  Yes, the transportation is extremely backward with combustion being the primary source of power.  Yes, there are electric vehicles, but they are in the minority.  The congestion?  Wait till our next stop.

The next stop was Kolkata.  The reaction of the tourists to the crowding, sheer destitution and poverty was stunned, silent, disbelief.  The guide let them recover from their initial shock before he spoke.  This, outside of a war zone that we will also visit, is about as bad as it can get.  This is an example of a city failing its inhabitants.  Yes, there is a government, but there is also a belief system that reinforces divisions of their society called castes stymying upward movement from lowest layers of society.  Note the vast distance between the most prosperous and the most impoverished.  And their own city government?  Their government finds other priorities.  Why don’t other nations help?  There are non-national groups that do try to provide aid, but what help other nations provide is just a small patch on the problems.  

A somber group of tourists reboarded their vehicle.  Now you will have a treat.  A pyrotechnic display as one of their space rockets is launched.  

A supply rocket to the orbiting moon station was being launched.  With flames, smoke, thunderous noise and vibrations that they could feel even within their protective suits, they watched in awe.  I have never seen any thing like that, exclaimed one.  That’s how they lift off their planet?  How incredibly wasteful, said another.  Thats what all our far ancestors did when they first entered space, said the guide, except for the Eutopians who discovered early what we now use and bypassed the rocket stage.  The three Eutopians waved their upper extremities.

The  tour went on.  First to a war zone where they did not disembark.  The guide explained the paradox of fighting and killing over natural resources while expending them prodigiously in the conflict.  Will the natives ever progress out of their warlike mindset?  Hopefully before they discover the intergalactic drive.  That is why there is a monitoring station here.

Then to a vast jungle where reforestation efforts to undue the harm of years of deforestation were being implemented at last.  Why didn’t the natives just not denude their jungle in the first place?  Probably short sighted individual greed.  And disbelief in what their scientists were telling them.  

The tour paused over raging forest fires, over a large island that had once been thickly glaciated, and then hovered over the tips of islets that were the remnants of island nations, submerged by the rising seas. They watched a tropical hurricane move over land and leave destruction in its wake.

The tour concluded and the vehicle returned to space, where the guide conducted a debriefing.  You ask if the planet will survive?  The planet will of course still be here physically, circling its sun. .Probably the natives will not be wiped out.  Whether their civilizations will survive is unknown.  Why don’t we help them?  The policy of the alliance is let each planetary race work out its own destiny and to interfere only if they become a threat to another planet.  The natives are a highly inventive race and we can only hope that they will be able to save themselves in time from their own follies.  

This concludes our exo-cultural tour. I hope that you found it mind-widening and provocative and will recommend it to those you know.  We will be sending out info on our next cycle of tours shortly.