The Aliens

Only the aliens know all the reasons why they risk coming to Earth. Exposure to Earth's atmosphere seems to cause the aliens to age to what appears to be their true physiological ages. The alien equipment fares no better, disintegrating after a mere 48 hours of exposure to air.

Physiologically, the aliens differ little from Earth normal. The brain capacity appears slightly higher, implying a greater intelligence, while musculature is underdeveloped, possibly as a result of long periods of weightlessness. The aliens that come to Earth appear uniformly male and physical examination indicates extremely low sperm counts and the possibility of hereditary sterility.

We know the aliens raid Earth for replacement body organs and possess extremely advanced techniques in spare-part surgery. Frequently their victims are never found. The rare times an abductee has been returned alive, they have been found to be programmed into lethal weapons by their captors. The aliens use extremely advanced psycho-surgical techniques to erase the abductee's personality, replacing it with one more useful to them.

This ability has lead at least one researcher to theorize that the aliens may have no corporeal form at all and require brain-wiped hosts to enable them to travel in space. Another theory suggests the aliens are diminishing in number and use the unreturned abductees as slaves and brainwashed soldiers. However, no evidence exists to confirm either of these theories.

The aliens have perfected the use of oxygenated breathing fluids to minimize the effects of variable pressure during space-flight. They also have highly advanced techniques in underwater construction, transport, and weaponry.

Direct communication between Earth, represented by SHADO, and the aliens has yet to be established. Indirect communication through persons under the influence of the aliens gives a confused picture. On one hand, the aliens apparently believe they are far superior scientifically and technologically to Earth humans. On the other hand, a least one alien, communicating through John Croxley prior to his death, seemed confused at Earth's hostility, claiming his people meant no harm, were from a dying planet and needed to come to Earth to survive.

Add to this that on at least one occasion, an alien ship was fired upon and damaged by a second alien craft. The occupant of the first ship attempted to make contact with SHADO, possibly with the intent to defect. This action led to his death, apparently at the hands of his own people.

There are speculations that the aliens are, in fact, an alliance of non-Earth races sharing nearly identical technologies, each group coming with their own agenda. Other speculations include a single race and planet with a renegade group and/or government acting without the knowledge of its people or other governments.

The aliens have faster than light travel. Their form of communication is unknown as no alien has been heard to speak, no radio transmissions have been intercepted. There are speculations that the aliens may be telepathic.