my guess these things, whatever they are, are real, but they see us the way a scientist see animals while studying studying them in the wild. they take some reasonable steps to not upset the local ecosystem too much, but when collecting information and genetic samples they can't help but be seen.  they probably don't want to contact us or anything like that for the same reason the leader of a large modern country doesn't want to open diplomatic relations with a troop of chimpanzees roaming the jungles of the congo. there will be no invasion, no landing on the white house lawn and inviting humanity to join the galactic federation, no exchange of technology and culture. they won't openly come here, and we probably won't be allowed to ever travel beyond our own solar system. we're just not that important to them, nor are we intelligent and civilized enough to be allowed to go out and mingle with them. can't blame them honestly. i know humans, and i don't want anything to do with other humans. you know how you feel about jeets and hispanics and ghetto trash moving into your neighborhood and shitting it up? that's probably how they would feel about humanity moving out into the galaxy.
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