Spaceship of Theseus

Time passed by, and emotions calmed somewhat. As the weeks grew into years, humanity grew to accept the inevitable truth: they weren't the only ones in the universe, and they weren't the most advanced beings either. It took time for some to swallow those realizations. There were some who still argued here and there that we should not be so trusting of the other worldly strangers, but as usual the path of least resistance prevailed, and that path was acceptance. It was easier to go along than fight, especially since the reasons for fighting still seemed unclear.  The aliens, after much discussion, asked humanity for mostly just one thing. They wanted to build an island in the ocean at the most remote place they could be on earth and generally stay out of humanity's way. While it was not explicitly said, the sense was that the alien island would be a kind of rest stop where the aliens could land, refresh themselves with supplies and rest, and then continue on their journeys t...

Humanity was nearly undone at the suggestion of doing anything together, but it was obvious that united action was required somehow. Nations argued with each other, societies were rocked, politicians fell, and still the aliens floated in orbit ominously doing seemingly nothing. The many and varied imaginations of the world were wild with dark speculations. Fear made every person's skin crawl. Eventually, after a serious and extensive European led diplomatic campaign, humanity chose a small global group to negotiate, or at least investigate, what it was that the aliens actually wanted, if anything. Small groups of aliens had landed in obscure countries where they could easily nullify small arms and pacify human hostility with a confusing ray of energy that emitted from nowhere. Contacts were brief, but no one of either group died or were captured, including those human beings who frequently and violently attacked the other worldly beings through either fear or desire to control.  A ...

It was a total shock when the aliens landed. Simultaneous landings in Bolivia and Senegal. No one, no scientist, no astronomer, no military leader from anywhere on the planet saw them coming, or had a single word of warning. Panic set in almost immediately. Strong nations sent delegations, military groups, and scientists to confirm and coordinate. They operated both in public and in secret. Incredulousness faded slowly, and many still had a hard time believing it was true, but the evidence stacked up. The Argentinian Prime Minister had fainted at the U.N. Video, which theoretically could have been faked, piled up in an manner that overwhelmed most conspiracy. Aliens had landed, caused panic by merely existing, and humanity faced a shocking crisis about how to compose itself in regards to itself, each other, and the aliens.