A team of scientists studying the Kuiper Belt, make the chance discovery of an abnormally large comet.

Far larger than any previously known, it is seven hundred fifty miles in diameter. At first there is concern about it’s possible Earth crossing trajectory, but it is soon learned that the freakish object will pass close to Mars instead.

As the trajectory is updated daily, concern again grows when it appears that it will likely pass very close to the Red Planet.

After weeks of fine-tuning the projected path of the moon-sized ball of ice, the worst fears are confirmed.

It will collide with the planet Mars, most likely shattering it into a new asteroid belt, and forever destroying the only other terrestrial planet in our solar system.

With the paralyzing knowledge that nothing can prevent what is about to happen, concern shifts to the possible fallout effects upon the Earth.

After intensive computer modeling, a consensus is reached.

Earth will suffer no harm. The Mars debris will be confined in a narrow ring, following its present orbit.

The good news is little solace to the few who realize, that the only other potentially habitable planet in humanity’s reach, is about to be obliterated.

As the weeks tick by, a carnival like atmosphere develops in the media, and in popular culture.
The “Mars Bash” will be a televised/web cast event, the likes of which have not been seen since Y2K.

As the countdown approaches its finality, and media festival is in the air, the planet crusher suddenly alters its course and slows dramatically.

It assumes a perfect geo-synchronous orbit around Mars.

One by one the various NASA Mars probes grow silent, but not before one of them relays photographs of a massive logistics (landing) zone, 75 miles in diameter.

Futile attempts are made to cover/spin the evidence from the general public. They fail due to the instant reality of world-wide-web communications.

A shock wave moves through the population of the world.

Markets react, then falter, then react again. Each days events trigger new volatility.

After six months of wall to wall coverage, the general population “numbs-out” , and tacitly admits, they’ve had enough.
Ratings slump, and unbelievably, life begins to return to normal.

But it is a “new” normal.

The governments of the world unite to face the dilemma.

The lone NASA probe, Mars Odyssey II, has been left unharmed, and continues to send back high-resolution imagery of the Martian surface.

It is clear from the pictures that some form of intelligence, is setting up a gigantic infrastructure, near the Martian equator.

After a full year of build-up on Mars, the NSA (National Security Agency) succeeds in decrypting a fraction of the Alien communication code.

From this they learn that millions of alien forces have secretly based themselves, on the far side of the Moon. (Always facing away from Earth)

At this point, an attempt is made to communicate with the aliens on the Moon.
To every ones astonishment, they reply immediately, as if they had been waiting in anticipation.

Even more surprising, they begin to answer any, and all questions, without reservation.

They are from the nearby Sun like star Epsilon Eridani, located 10.5 light years from our solar system. Their planet is a virtual twin of Earth, temperate zones, vast liquid water oceans, large vegetated continents, and a nitrogen/oxygen atmosphere almost exactly like ours.

Life on their planet is based on DNA very similar to that of Earth, but different enough to determine that the two strains developed independently.
Their world is populated by plant and animal life very similar to that of earth, but still biologically unique.
For example, on their world, what would be analogous to insects and reptiles, developed as one phylum, with attributes of both, blended together.

Even though there are many species of mammalian like animals. (mice, squirrels, otters, gophers,..etc.) It is this reptilian-insect life which is the dominant, and more highly evolved life form. It is to this family of animals, that the aliens belong.

The Eridani attained our current level of technology, 40,000 years ago. They have harnessed the “Zero Point” energy of the universe, and can manipulate the effect of gravity, and warp spacetime.

The aliens will release no images, over concerns of causing unwarranted fears, but describe themselves as basically humanoid in configuration, (two legs, two arms, a head) but not in appearance.

Their culture and societal hierarchy are based on what we would refer to as a “hive”. They possess no religion, or system of government, other than the instinctive order of the collective, ruled by the local “Queen”. (as in “Queen bee”)

Their minds are intellectually powerful, but completely devoid of emotion. They are not warlike, in the sense that we understand, but they are incapable of grasping the concept of morality.
Not because of malice, but by evolution.

SOLUTION TO CRISIS:
In short, humans realize they cannot win in direct conventional combat with a technologically (40,000 years) advanced extraterrestrial culture.

We exploit a weakness in their genome, and infect all of the Earth with two engineered viruses, one from reptiles, and the other from insects. Each genetic pathenogen counteracts the immune response of the other, in an endless, encrypted cycle.

The “tag team” biogenic weapon renders Earth uninhabitable by the Reptilian/Insect race.

True to form, the Eridani simply acknowledge defeat, and leave without any retribution, or revenge.

They are incapable of those Human attributes.

Note to Zoners:
This outline was never intended to be fleshed out into a novel. I wrote it to illustrate a point to my writing partner.

We were arguing as to whether or not a visiting sentient extra-terrestrial species could be a threat to our civilization.

My friend took the well founded, and quite reasoned opinion that any species advanced enough to travel interstellar distances would have evolved into a peaceful culture, much more interested in knowledge, than conquest.

I agreed with that sentiment, but pointed out that another form of life, one not based on the nurturing mammals we descend from, could have a different view of morality, or more importantly be incapable of the concept.