They were imposing, each of them over eight feet tall. Their bodies possessed an almost painful thinness, their limbs long and graceful like those of insects. Their heads, entirely hairless and of a perfect oval shape, gleamed in the pale light. They wore suits made of a shimmering fabric that refracted the sun's remaining light into spectral colors, making them appear like walking prisms.

"Position confirmed," said Unit 7-Alpha. His voice was flat, devoid of any modulation that might have suggested excitement. "We are in the sector ancient maps designate as Paris."  He pointed a long, four-jointed finger toward the north. There rose a bizarre structure: a massive skeleton of iron, buckled in the middle like a crushed blade of grass, its brownish-red struts devoured by rust. The Eiffel Tower, once the symbol of an epoch, leaned toward the bone-dry bed of the Seine, which was now merely a deep, scarred trench in the cityscape.

"Radiation levels are within acceptable parameters for biological units of our class," 4-Beta stated while swinging an analyzer. "Oxygen saturation at 18 percent. Nitrogen dominant. Toxins present but neutralizable by our filters. The species Homo Sapiens has been extinct here for approximately 1042 standard years."

"Logical," 9-Gamma replied. "The ecological suicide rate correlates with the data from the Exodus. The year is 3126 according to their chronology. We are returning to the origin of the failure." The three archaeologists moved through the ruins with fluid, efficient steps. They showed no fear of the collapsing facades or the toxic dust. Emotions such as awe or dread had been purged from their genome centuries ago to ensure the efficiency of the colony. In a half-buried building that might once have been a luxury boutique, 4-Beta came across a collection of small, rectangular objects. They lay protected under a thick layer of preservative silicate dust.

"I have found data carriers," 4-Beta announced. "Primitive communication devices. Capacitive screens. Organic polymers and metals." With surgical precision, 7-Alpha activated a mobile energy transmitter. He placed a flat, black device—a smartphone—into the induction field. The display flickered. After a thousand years of silence, the hardware woke to one last, desperate life under the impulse of superior technology.

"I have access to the local cache," 7-Alpha said. "Visualization beginning." A holographic window opened above the device. The three beings stared at the flickering images. A young man wearing a cap was seen filming himself in a bathroom mirror. He pulled a face, flexed his muscles, and pursed his lips into a strange protrusion.

"Analyze action," 9-Gamma requested. "The subject is documenting its own physical appearance," 4-Beta replied. "It appears to be a form of ritual self-representation. Purpose: Unknown. Utility for the community: Zero."

A new series of articles on the topic of UFOs—now more commonly referred to as UAPs (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena)—will be launching on this website shortly. This series is not about sensationalism, myths, or modern legends, but about a sober, scientifically grounded assessment. It takes a clear position: There are no extraterrestrial visitors on Earth—and there never have been. Why? Watch the Teaser!