Alien species called the Fithp Essay Example

their interactions with other worlds and are perplexed by humanity's attempts at peaceful contact.

The aliens waste no time in attacking the Russian space station as soon as they arrive, catching both Russian and American personnel by surprise. They proceed to demolish significant military sites and infrastructure on Earth. As a result, a US Congressman and Russian astronauts are taken captive from the wreckage of the space station. In terms of human characters in the novel, they can be categorized into two primary groups: those who stay on Earth and those who become prisoners aboard the Fithp starship.

In the United States, civilians experience the daily impacts of war, while the military and government offer a broader perspective on events. Science fiction authors such as Niven (known as "Nat Reynolds"), Pournelle ("Wade Curtis"), and Robert Anson Heinlein ("Bob Anson") serve as technical advisors for foreign technology and behavior. To prevent potential extinction from biological weapons, a specific group of high-ranking Fithp were selected to escape to space. This group, known as the "Traveling Herd," is divided into "Sleepers" and "Spaceborn" aboard their ship, which functions as both a generation and sleeper vessel. The original leaders of the herd pass down their knowledge to the spaceborn members who are well-prepared to establish a civilization in space but remain devoted to the age-old ideal of conquest. After launching their initial attack, the Fithp deploy their ground forces primarily in and around Kansas, located in the heartland of North America.

They successfully defend against attempts by the National Guard to withdraw (and later, three American armored divisions) to free them using orbital lasers and kinetic energy weapons, but a joint Russian

and American nuclear attack annihilates their beachhead. The Fithp, who are familiar with nuclear weapons but prefer cleaner alternatives, are horrified by what they perceive as humanity's willingness to contaminate their own environment with radiation. However, human supporters are celebrating with victory. It is during this initial invasion that more prisoners are captured, including a diverse group of civilians such as an elderly couple from the US Bible Belt and a young woman who was a high-performing mental patient at Menninger's.

The Fithp put them to work on their mothership and expect them to integrate into the herd. The worlds decide to cooperate until an opportunity arises for significant sabotage.