Aftermath

[Gumby]

Earth is suddenly experiencing radical changes after the Yeerk invasion. They've established strong connections with the Andalite and are taking their steps towards being a presence in the galaxy. Despite Andalite refusal to offer us military technology, we have a trove of Yeerk technology laying around, along with the various ex-Yeerk technicians, engineers, scientists, etc to help run it. Doubtlessly some Yeerks would agree to work with the US government in exchange for limited freedom, like Nazi scientists after world war 2. Earth is bound to become a major and powerful presence in the galaxy to some extent or the other. We're innovative, fast-learning, vast in number, and have a long history of warfare. Doubtlessly, the Andalites would object to us expanding so fast.

What do you think would happen on earth? For humans in space? For Human-Andalite relations? Thoughts here, please.

[donut]

Short answer:  In the long term there would be a major war around the time of the shift in the balance of power

It's suggested in the series there are more humans than any single species, of course there might be a larger one.  Humans are supposed to be very fast at developing technology, even if we're a couple centuries behind.  The yeerk technology might be too advanced to reverse engineer on it's own, like dropping a cell phone off in 1805.  But there was enough data in the computers for the yeerks to reverse engineer andalite tech in a year or 2, so if any of the ships survived it shouldn't be too hard.

Given the population, and what you've already covered, humans should eventually overtake the andalites.  Especially with the andalites hurting after a decades long war.

Since any major shift in the balance of power results in conflict, this mean there would eventually be a major war.  Maybe not between andalites and humans, but as the andalites no longer have dominance, and humans start to take it, it's going to cause ripples in every state in the andalite's and human's spheres of influence.

This is based on that every time in human history there was a major shift in power, it resulted in wars.  (which has the unfortunate implication that as the world reshapes the balance of power in the next couple decades, there will be wars).

Rainbows and butterflys right?

On the plus side, the influx of technology, new areas to colonize with ships, and since the andalite government would have been fairly well embarrassed at their plans to glass the Earth, they would give considerably latitude in human expansion, would all lead to something like a golden age for humanity, at least until we started butting heads with the powers that be.

[TobiasMasonPark]

      I think that humanity will go the route of the Yeerks: become expansionist oppressors who believe that the Andalites are trying to keep them out of space. The humans would claim that the Andalites weren't the saviors of the human race--the Animorphs were-- instead the Andalites ignored the invasion of earth. And the humans would rant about how it's their right to explore space (if they had a strong enough leader).

      Although, we're not entirely stupid, either. We don't have the advanced technology of the Andalites to start making offensive attacks on the Andalites. So maybe they'd start an alliance of sorts.

[Gumby]

I don't see us going on the conquering route just yet -quite likely we'd end up fighting each other, since we're not a unified force like the Andalites. Probably we'd end up with an Enders Game-like situation, with an International Fleet dedicated to protecting Earth and human colonies from alien aggression, and completely neutral in wars on earth.

[donut]

I think Earth would more or less unite with some dissenting groups, but nothing major.  People uniting against what they see as an outside enemy (pick any alien race), just like what national leaders do all the time.  It works really well.

[TobiasMasonPark]

     I don't know, guys. Look at how crazy everyone went during Imperialist times. The moment they discovered Africa and Asia and found that it could benefit white Europeans, they were all up in that stuff. Picture a human race capable of exploring the stars.

     On the other hand, it's probably unfair for me to judge the human race based on 1870s-1890s white-European thinking. So, maybe I'm wrong.

     Space travel and war aside for a second: what about the morphing technology? After the war we seem to have a few problems--I can think of two:

     1) Now that EVERYONE is aware of the stuff that went on during the invasion--particularly morphing-- we now have a number of morph capable humans. How are they being monitored? What are they using their powers for?

     2) Health care. Morphing is pretty much cure-all system. You'd think people would be pushing for that in Post-war society. The problem is, no one can be sure that said people will use their new powers for good.

     And, as a little side note that really doesn't have to do with the aftermath: anyone ever wonder what effect being able to morph would have on an individual's offspring?

[donut]

  And, as a little side note that really doesn't have to do with the aftermath: anyone ever wonder what effect being able to morph would have on an individual's offspring?

Probably not much, at least if things work right.  The DNA is supposed to be encapsulated inside the blood stream.  It shouldn't affect gametes at all.

I don't know, guys. Look at how crazy everyone went during Imperialist times. The moment they discovered Africa and Asia and found that it could benefit white Europeans, they were all up in that stuff. Picture a human race capable of exploring the stars.

     On the other hand, it's probably unfair for me to judge the human race based on 1870s-1890s white-European thinking. So, maybe I'm wrong.

You're right.  Humans have always pushed really hard, in almost any society.  It wasn't just a European thing in the 1800s.  Egyptions, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Mongols, Chinese, Japanese, Moors, Spanish, British, Americans, all at one point or another expanded through military force and conquered.  So you're spot on with that.

I don't think there would be a way to monitor the morphers.  I guess we'd have a bunch of superhero/supercriminals running around if they wanted.   

[Tim Bruening]

 1) Now that EVERYONE is aware of the stuff that went on during the invasion--particularly morphing-- we now have a number of morph capable humans. How are they being monitored? What are they using their powers for?

     2) Health care. Morphing is pretty much cure-all system. You'd think people would be pushing for that in Post-war society. The problem is, no one can be sure that said people will use their new powers for good.

     And, as a little side note that really doesn't have to do with the aftermath: anyone ever wonder what effect being able to morph would have on an individual's offspring?

Morphing uses:

I: Saving endangered species.  Acquire the male of the species, then morph it to mate with the females!

II: Search and rescue.  Morph bloodhounds to sniff out missing persons.  Morph birds of prey for air searches.  Morph dolphins for ocean searches or to rescue the drowning.  Morph small animals to reach trapped persons through small spaces.  Morph gorillas for heavy lifting.

III. Explorations of the ocean, Antarctica, and other difficult regions.

IV: Morph small animals when your space ship is about to take off!

V: Morph gorillas and pedal on stationary bikes to generate electricity.

But I expect a plague of identity thefts!

[donut]

IV: Morph small animals when your space ship is about to take off!

There's an interesting idea.  If the Andalites had the ability to just shove inconvienant mass into z-space then pull it back out again, I wonder why we never saw them doing this to save fuel or to accelerate faster when travelling in normal space.  We know they used it for storage for at least some things, the portapotty used z-space to store waste, I think.

Saving endangered species.  Acquire the male of the species, then morph it to mate with the females!

ummmmmmmmmm