Seven days ago, the alien starship arrived with a single message:
“First know that we come in peace. We have been observing the evolution of life on your planet over the past ten thousand years and have become intrigued by your species, Homo sapiens. We had planned to keep our existence unknown so as not to interfere with your development; however, present circumstances have changed. We have detected a gamma-ray burst that will reach Earth in eight days, destroying all humans and most other life forms on your planet. Our protocol is to not intervene in any existential threats that a species creates itself, but considering you had no control over this impending natural disaster, we have decided to provide assistance to ensure humanity survives and continues to evolve. Regrettably, we do not have enough space on our ship to accommodate the entire human population. Therefore, a test will be administered, and those deemed most worthy will be spared. The test will take place in seven days, the day before the gamma-ray burst, giving you a week to prepare. Thank you and good luck.”
That was it. They did not say what the test would consist of. There was no further communication, and they thwarted our attempts to launch spaceships to meet theirs. We didn’t even know what the aliens looked or sounded like. They used advanced technology to access our telecommunications networks, broadcasting their message worldwide in every language over the internet, television, and radio. I’d have thought it was all an elaborate hoax, except you could see their futuristic ship in the sky with the naked eye, orbiting Earth like a second moon.
Needless to say, the world went into a panic. Some retreated to underground bunkers as if they could hide from a gamma-ray burst. Others armed themselves with weaponry as if guns could protect them from a space-faring civilization. Then there were the conspiracy theorists, those who now (ironically) did not believe aliens were visiting Earth. They dismissed it all as a ploy by the deep state globalists to grab more power. Most of society took the message at face value and speculated about the nature of our imminent test.