The Maelstrom Conundrum - How did we get here?
12 May 2023Foxtrot Echo One
The Thargoids are a mysterious alien species that have been attacking human-controlled systems in the Milky Way galaxy since the beginning of 3309. They are highly advanced, and their ships are far more powerful than anything we have. Recently, we finally got a glimpse of their Motherships, which are located in the middle of a massive stormy, caustic, gas cloud called the Maelstrom. The Titan Motherships are massive, and I mean larger than any structure or creature we have ever witnessed. These beasts resemble what we once referred to as a base, that we now believe was a crashed Mothership.So, how did we get here? Well, I don’t have all of the information, but here’s what I know. A man called Salvation, tried to exterminate the Thargoids in 3308. He was a human commander and a self proclaimed “man of science”, who believed that the Thargoids were a threat to humanity and that the only way to protect humanity was to destroy them.
Salvation, aka Caleb Wycherley, the leader of Azimuth Biotech, a modern incarnation of Azimuth Biochemicals, developed a weapon of mass destruction called the "Proteus Wave" and used a Thargoid base in the Pleiades Nebula to wipe out the Thargoids. The attack was successful in destroying the Thargoids, but after the attack, the base came to life and performed what I can only explain as a “resurrection” on the downed Thargoids in the Pleiades system.
The Thargoids quickly destroyed the Azimuth Biotech mega ship, and left the system in their usual way of “frame shifting”. As they left you could hear a giant roar, and the scene ended. It’s been said that the “Thargoid Roar '' was a response from a single entity to the Thargoids in Pleiades that “We see them, we are coming”.
It’s believed by many that Salvation also died, but recently another character known as Seo Jin-Ae has stated that this is not the case, and that Salvation may, in fact, live on as data or something else equally as scary using Guardian technology.
Eight comet-like vessels called Stargoids arrived in human space in late 3308. The Maelstroms formed in an octagonal shape near the bubble. Each Maelstrom is a dangerous place. The gas clouds are so dense that it blocks out all light, and the temperatures are extreme. The Thargoid’s Motherships are dead center of the Maelstrom, and it's clear that they're very comfortable in this harsh environment. The Mothership appears to be a place not only of birth to a new variant of Thargoid called the “Glaive”, but also a portal where larger Thargoids can move about inside and outside the Mothership.
So what do we do about the Thargoids? Do we try to destroy them? Or do we try to talk to them? As I see it, neither is an option right now, but more a period of discovery and discussion while the next phase of the saga is made available over time.
Destroying the Thargoids would be a difficult task. Their ships are far more powerful than anything we have, and they have a homeworld that is located in a very dangerous place. We would need to develop new weapons and technologies in order to even have a chance of defeating them. There is also the question in my mind as to what the single entity was that answered the call from the Pleiades Thargoids, and if the 8 motherships are a method of bringing that single entity to the Bubble.
Even if we could defeat the Thargoids in battle, it's not clear that this would be the best solution. The Thargoids are a highly advanced species, and they may have valuable knowledge that we could use. If we destroy them, we may lose out on this knowledge. They also may have other cards up their petals that we are currently unaware of.
Talking to the Thargoids is another option. Seo Jin-Ae does seem to have an inside track on speaking with them. We could try to understand why they're attacking us, and see if we can find a peaceful solution. This would be a risky proposition, but it's possible that it could be the best way to resolve the conflict.
We don't know much about the Thargoids. Talking to them would give us a chance to learn more about them, and it might even help us to build a relationship with them.
The Maelstrom Conundrum is a difficult problem. There is no easy answer to the question of how to deal with the Thargoids. We need to weigh the risks and benefits of both destroying them and talking to them.
Ultimately, the decision of what to do about the Thargoids is up to us. We are the only ones who can decide what is best for our future.
One thing I know for certain. We probably shouldn’t repeat the mistakes of Salvation. It doesn’t seem like that has worked out well for us.
-Foxtrot Echo One