03/25/10 [DMFA #1096] - Maybe it's a comic about Spiders!

[jeffh4]

I once read a short SF story about an alien invasion fleet who sent an advance force to Earth.  They came across a kid reading some kind of space-opera comic, who convinces them that the comic is a training manual.  The aliens panic and retreat, believing that they'd mis-categorised Earth's level of development.

I remember reading a story where the alien invasion force believed it was unwise to attack earth because one alien had encountered a five year old  kid that  had had telepathic powers. Ironically, the alien just assumed that "if all humans are at this level at such a young age, then of course the adults must be that much more terrifying." Thing is, the five year old didn't have telepathy he took one look at the the alien and said "you're lost aren't you?" and followed this up by "Wanna' see a magic trick?" this of  course was followed by the boy showing him a magic trick wherein the boy predicted the card the alien had chosen from deck of cards at random... and, of course, the boy figured out it was an alien with the simple question "are you from outer space?" the alien had too escape quickly before the boy could probe his mind further and returned to warn his species about the terrifying earthlings... who probably already knew about the planned invasion and were clearly just toying with them so as not to arouse suspicion.

Reminds me of a short story where the alien races of the known galaxy put a shield around the Earth and moon to contain the most dangerous race, humans.  After 100 years, a more dangerous race was found that began tearing through the known worlds.  A diplomatic party is sent to Earth to negotiate humans engaging the new threat in return for their freedom. They find a completely agrarian setting.  One of the diplomatic party wanders into the countryside during negotiations.  He hides when he sees one of the dangerous race's destroyer-class ships land nearby.  A landing party of the aliens leaves the ship. One picks up a small un-frightened boy, and disdainfully tosses him away.  The boy floats to the ground, points his stick as the landing party and says "Bad mans." They evaporate away.  Then he points his stick at the Destroyer. "More bad mans" (still one of my favorite SF quotes).  The ship evaporates away.  The boy returns to drawing designs in the dirt.  Turns out technological innovation has continued during the interregnum. All of it is underground and all people and animals are linked in and have access to the world-computer's power.

[Tangent]

You forgot the part at the end where Humanity agrees to help, and once the shield is opened, the entire planet (and the Moon) follow the aliens rather than having humanity get on spaceships to help against the enemy aliens. ^^

[127.0.0.2]

We're not reffering to shapeshifting, we're reffering to healing. And as for shapeshifting a new tail Dan doesn't know how to do those kind of spells yet (if ever), so if Fi asks anyone to shapeshift his tail he should ask Abel.

Well, I've always assumed that the black critter Warp-Acis appear as is actually more some kind of "projection". At least according to the Demo 101, the "actual Warp-Aci" seems to be that awesome blueish glow effect around it! So I think that bite mark is not a real injury either but more some kind of cosmetic problem. And that would fall less into a "healing" and more into a "shape shifting" category.
And I don't think Abel could help, since Fi is linked up to Dan as its new owner since they left SAIA. So If Dan doesn't know the spells, it looks like bad luck for Fi  

You forgot the part at the end where Humanity agrees to help, and once the shield is opened, the entire planet (and the Moon) follow the aliens rather than having humanity get on spaceships to help against the enemy aliens. ^^

That story sounds pretty interesting. You don't happen to remember the name? 

[VAE]

I do not think so - i think the "contains" in this case means that its form is enclosed and shielded by the energy around it

[A. Lurker]

That story sounds pretty interesting. You don't happen to remember the name? 

If TV Tropes and my rusty memory can be trusted (I've read the story ages ago, but the library wouldn't let me keep the book ), that would be With Friends Like These by Alan Dean Foster.

[Anker Steadfast]

You forgot the part at the end where Humanity agrees to help, and once the shield is opened, the entire planet (and the Moon) follow the aliens rather than having humanity get on spaceships to help against the enemy aliens. ^^

Jeebus, with tech like that, they could probably have just busted trough the shield whenever they wanted to.


Edit :

That story sounds pretty interesting. You don't happen to remember the name?  

If TV Tropes and my rusty memory can be trusted (I've read the story ages ago, but the library wouldn't let me keep the book ), that would be With Friends Like These by Alan Dean Foster.

I can confirm this, I just read the short story ... it's only about 15 short pages long.