(On the bridge of the vessel Dauntless, flagship of the fleet of the Ashtar Command, in cloaked orbit around the Earth)
Admiral Barian is hailed.
"Sir- monitoring of the planet shows no letup in their efforts"
"It is to be expected. This has been so on other pre-awakened worlds. Continue to observe. I sense the overall vibration to be lifting but stabilization is not yet. Humans can be swayed and their societies are prone to periods of extreme fluctuation. We must, however, be ready for any unexpected openings that may occur"
Decades of development go by.
Communication and technology is passed on to capable citizens and willing countries at appropriate intervals.
2012 happens.
The Dauntless stands at the ready, along with other ships of the fleet. Not to invade, for if they had wanted to they could have easily overtaken this primitive world, but to protect the earth and her citizens from technologically superior but otherwise not-so-highly advanced beings holding intentions best left to the imagination.
During one orbital pass in early 2019, Barian is again hailed. A new communications officer, Ensign Takana, an earnest yet eager fellow, has news to share.
"It is most distressing, admiral. Citadel mentality has taken hold"
Barian is not shaken by the news. Though tragic, earth is a free will world. "In what way, precisely?" Barian asks, for there have been many variations of this strategy being employed in his vast experience, and his memory can clearly recall a few notable attempts.
"A communications platform named 'Twitter' is being used to spread outright lies and wild claims. This serves a dual purpose- it agitates the base of the great one claiming to be fairly elected while its relentless use dismays the great one's many detractors"
"I see"
"But there is more. Standing at the communication's podium inside the great one's house stands an entity loyal to the great one's cause. Unflappable, this one is"
"We have seen situations like this before. Many times. We must wait"
"Wait, sir? It would appear that these ones could gain leverage over the populace and reverse much, if not all, of the progress that has been made......"
"It shall not be so for they talk as if into a void. Though reporters monitoring Twitter explode in Twitterstorms, and reporters allowed to witness the presentations of the one at the podium in the great house stand with rapt, dumbstruck, and befuddled attention, ready to erupt like volcanos later, most of the rest of the populace turns a deaf ear. 'Tis nothing".
"'Tis nothing, sir? But the great one's followers....."
"Who are called upon to not think? To overlook numerous transgressions? To ignore allegations, investigations, and accusations galore? Who are asked to blindly accept the great one's purity in the face of a building mountain of evidence? 'Tis quite a stretch! They only appear to stay loyal, for no one else will support their causes, save for this one, who claims to be concerned as to their various plights. But as time passes and change does not occur, their support will fade. We must wait"
"Let things run their course!"
"Yes. There have been many, many ones over the ages who have stood upon stones, stumps, or soapboxes and claimed to have The Answer. Hope springs eternal in frustrated peoples' breasts and any who stand up before them and say that their cause be true and just garner attention. Even more attention is paid to those who actually accrue enough power to be able to change things. But power is more often the case sought by those who use it only for their own benefit.
"With this one it appears that that is exactly the case"
"This sort of deceptive posturing need not in any way be dealt with by us. The house of cards being built will collapse in due time. Of course, excuses as to the collapse, when it occurs, will rain down. "Others are at fault! 'Tis not I!" will be heard. We will be there to render aid when and where we are allowed. Our Prime Directive is that we cannot offer direct intervention. Humans must be allowed to make mistakes. We can only prevent the worst of their decisions from happening".
Barian sighed, then looked down and away from the blue-white jewel on display on the screen before them before adding "At least we are allowed that."
"'Tis madness we are witnessing, surely!"
"'Tis choice!" Barian said sharply, looking up directly at Takana. He then regained his usual serene composure before continuing.
"For the voice of reason, though it has been by many fervently spoken, cannot sway those within The Citadel, deeper within which is The Ministry of Misapprehension, and out of which flows twisted words. The powerful are afraid of losing their grip on things. 'Tis from them a desperate countermeasure"
"'Tis a measure of the length a faction will go to maintain the status quo!"
"Alas, 'tis so. But time has a way of weakening even the most impenetrable fortress, for while change may not happen within it, change invariably happens without. Perhaps, and I have seen this personally before, The Citadel might even be forgotten by most of the populace, who may simply choose to move on. They may choose to pay it no attention anymore, as if it is of no consequence"
"Such a thing appears to be possible now!"
All Together- Now.
Nasa- Unsplash.com
"This is why the great one pokes and prods the media incessantly. It keeps him and his ill-conceived singular causes on the front page. The public grows ever more weary of this, however, and many are turning away or changing the channel. It's only a matter of time"
"Results are key!"
"Yes. Very perceptive, ensign. Back in the olden days you could keep populations on hold forever, or for what seemed like it, but in the sped-up environment that earthlings live in today they expect change. They actually anticipate it, and many even hunger for it. This is why the entertainment industry is so busy. Distractions must be employed- or should I say deployed- to keep the populace from becoming restless"
"The plethora of entertainment options the entertainment industry provides seems to be doing a very good job of preventing dissatisfaction!"
"I'll agree. A very good job. It doesn't take much to placate the average human. Still, there are those who would like to experience more than just the comforts of home, watching TV, and occasional travel. They want to build stuff. Expand. Improve things for themselves and others. This drive to better one's situation is built into humans. They're hard-wired like that. Those in The Citadel don't want to see great change. They want to see slow change, want to steer and monitor change, and will even act to prevent change. However, the business world needs to continuously grow, and the social fabric as well is compelled to broaden and include everyone in the name of evolution, while those in The Citadel act as the lone holdouts to progress. This cannot last. Why?
Because there is no resting point! Ever! The human race's destiny lies before them and they are just getting started!" Barian's voice was rising again.
"They're hardly going to accept anything less than their full potential, whatever that turns out to be. Humans are creative. Inventive. Put them in any situation and they will try to improve it! It's in their nature. So, if you're going to promise them The World, like those in The Citadel say they are, you had better deliver The World! And the sooner the better!"
"Admiral, you seem a little spirited. I hope I'm not being too forward!"
"Thank you for speaking up, ensign, and you're not being too forward. I'm enlivened because I'm passionate about these humans, as are all those in the fleet. We've wanted them to welcome us for a long time. We'd love to freely land on the earth and actually interact with the people there but...."
"The Prime Directive"
"Yes. Thank you. 'No direct interaction until they're ready for it'. The only question before us is how low the ones in The Citadel will go to retain their grip on power. We've already witnessed an astounding amount of mortifying behavior but apparently the bottom has yet to be reached. Time is on our side, however, like I said before. While change is highly unlikely to be spurred by those within The Citadel, any number of precipitating events outside of it could revitalize the populace. God is in charge of that. For now we observe- and wait"
"Its distressing in the extreme that we can't do more"
"Take heart in that the party is only delayed, ensign. This last bit of inky darkness the Earthlings have been wrestling with towards the end of their long journey will make the light they eventually- and inevitably- witness shine all that much the brighter".