One of the fundamental aspects of Stardrifter's setting is that, at least up to the point of the stories written thus far, it's a humans-only future. No life that isn't ultimately derived from a Terran source has ever been found. Not even a simple virus.
I went this route for two reasons:
I wanted to tell stories about people. Some writers use aliens as metaphorical stand-ins for humans, examining issues and beliefs we have on Earth in the here and now, through the slightly skewed lens of an otherworldly race. I didn't want to do that, because, while it makes the aliens and their problems (which are really our problems) more relatable and understandable for readers, it also makes them less-than-believable as distinct species that is entirely different from humans.
By their very nature, intelligent aliens would be strange to us. Physically, mentally, socially. Possibly so strange as to be unknowable, even after close study and extended exposure to them. The things they value would not necessarily be anything like those we do; even what we may consider to be of primary importance to all life may turn out, well...not to be.
In other words, I don't want any unrealistic aliens in my stories, but I don't know how to write realistic ones. This is a me problem, not a science fiction problem. Some authors do really well in this very arena, but I'm not one of them. At least, so far. I make no guarantees about the future.
That brings me to the recent revelations by the United States military that strange objects which defy explanation have, indeed, been spotted from time to time by their personnel. Some of these have been caught on video, and appear to be corroborated by sensor records, such as radar, IR telescopics and more. Other nations have been making similar reports and disclosures. This is all inconclusive so far; more smudgy photos and video that intrigue people, but ultimately prove nothing.
Frankly, it's annoying, but mostly for selfish reasons.
I mean, think about it: if some kind of open admission is made, or a conclusion is reached by the governments of the world, that these sightings are actually evidence of technologies far beyond those of Earth, then alien visitors are the de facto conclusion. Alien life.
See how that's a problem here? I'm writing about a future with no aliens. If they really do exist all of a sudden, where does that leave Stardrifter? How do I continue crafting even a slightly believable future that can no longer realistically come to be?
Now, if it's a possibility at all, then assembling irrefutable evidence of alien life must surely be a remote one, just like it's always been. But these are the sorts of questions I think about in the middle of the night: irrational fears about unlikely occurrences.
Insomnia sucks.
-David