This is a question I came across while trying to apply for a writing job. It was either this or “write about your happiest memory.” Immediately, I knew I wouldn’t write about my happiest memory. Who does that? It is then, “what would you do if you woke up and found yourself surrounded by Aliens”.
I knew this was the question I wanted to answer. But when I tried to write, I realised there was no answer in me - not after the first 30 words I could pen down. I left the application there and binged watch “Alchemy of Souls” on Saturday. (Note: Don’t watch it yet. Wait till Netflix releases the whole thing. If not, you’d have a hard time waiting. Like me and countless others.)
Anyways, the day is Sunday, and I finally penned a 400-word answer to the question. Here we go (Tell me you got the humour here).
Question: (Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten the question already -_-)
My answer:
As someone fascinated by Space Technology, waking up to find myself surrounded by aliens will be initially terrifying. However, I’d settle into the new reality quite nicely. Though the existence of aliens is yet to be proven, such creatures on other planets probably exist, especially those that support organic life. Though they may not exist in the human-like, two-walking-legged form, sci-fi movies have portrayed them to be. They may have ten legs or crawl on their belly. Who knows?
Upon waking up, I’d understand that such an occurrence can’t just spring on humanity in a matter of hours. Hence, I’d try to find a sense of time. I’d peer around, searching for a wall clock, phone, or wristwatch. Anything.
However, the ability to do this depends on the context of being ‘surrounded by aliens.’ If I woke up to find myself held captive by them, finding a sense of time becomes impossible because my instinct at the time would be about survival and the quest for freedom. In such a scenario, I’d try to ask questions of my captors to check if communication was possible.
If communication were possible, at the very least, I’d expect to get answers to why I’m being held captive – of course, the variable here is if the aliens have a sense of decency or morality.
However, if the context of the situation is that the world suddenly played host to an army of aliens, and they are everywhere around us, I’d try to find other humans. If the TV is working, I will try to switch to a news channel for a sense of global awareness. To find other humans, I’d first remain indoors and try to reach people on the phone. I’d also log on to social media to find out what’s happening.
If nothing worked from these efforts, then I’d get ready to go out into the world. This will require ample preparation of supplies because I can’t tell how much the new reality affects the global status quo. As much as I can, I’d try to keep a low profile in my movements, especially if I don’t see other humans moving around. The aim here would be to survive for as long as possible to get answers about what’s happening – if the aliens aren’t friendlies.
On the other hand, if they are friendly, and have come in peace, then it’s all about figuring out how they got here, amongst other discoveries I’m sure the American government would work towards getting. At this point, I’d guess the world has changed, and it’s time to reinvent myself towards relevance.
That’s my potential story. What would you do if you woke up to be surrounded by Aliens?