Also known as Alds, Alpha-Taurans and Taurans (because their home star - Aldebaran - is located in the Earthling constellation "Taurus" as seen from Earth, and is officially designated as "α Taurus"), the Aldebarans are a moderately friendly race, passionate about money, monetary systems and their effects on Three-D and Four-D life forms, consciousness and (particularly) cultural development.

This passion borders on a racial obsession

and seems universally shared by all members of this species. There are very few independent Ald / Tauran rogues or mission groups. The few that are known (to these archives, at least) also share in some form or other this passion to understand material acquisitiveness and how the concept of "Money" influences consciousness and how it evolves or enters into a culture.

The primary question they keep asking is simply stated: At what point in a culture's or species' development does money -- which usually has no intrinsic or material value in itself -- become a thing of value? Further, when does money become an object to be bought, sold or traded? And why do species, cultures and races become so attached to money, forgetting that money is not actually anything at all?

Careful observers at this point may notice that this is precisely the state of affairs on Earth right now, that Earthlings have moved from money as a simple medium of exchange, to a property sought after in its own right. The Earthling International Money Markets are an excellent example of "medium of exchange" being used and abused way beyond its purpose or capabilities, yet few Humans recognize any problem with the money markets. Why is this?

The Alds also are studying in great detail the current institution of "Debt Economy," which seems to have originated in the United States, probably during the early 1960's (common western calendar). This is a very peculiar situation where the ability to go into debt carries more "value" than any amount of actual cash a person or institute may actually possess. In many cases it even goes so far that a person who pays off his debts in full every billing cycle is considered a "dead beat" by the earthly financial institutions.

The Alds have reported some of their findings to date. They state that this "debt economy," while unusual and difficult for most visitors to Earth to understand, is not unique in their records, that they have observed other races and cultures on rare occasion who have developed a similar perversion of the economic concept.

They also project that at latest by the end of the current century (common western calendar, again), "money" in its present form will have totally vanished. There are three most likely outcomes, they project, but won't discuss them in any detail, as they do not wish to "damage the experiment" by offering details to the ETsOnly council, not all of whom have "pure" motives, naturally enough.

A few of the primal forces driving these changes are:

• Gold having more value in industry than as a medium of exchange, so "going back to the gold standard" is simply not a practical option any more,
• The entire diamond market is about to collapse as it becomes gradually known that diamonds exist in such quantities as to be worthless, plus technological innovations are moving toward using a diamond substrate in chip manufacture, instead of silicon. Though these will be artificial diamond matrices, that will only point out how easily diamonds can be manufactured -- have been for decades -- and will further decrease diamonds' perceived value
• The fact that something over 90% of all "money" on the books no longer has any physical existence at all,
• the leakage of "the Secret" (though visitors to Earth will probably ask themselves "whom was that a secret from?), the idea that a person can simply "manifest" his needs and then receive them, which of course messes totally with an economy based on lack and scarcity
• The growing social awareness of the dangers of the "1% / 99%," or "the haves vs. the have-nots"
• And, most important of all, the internet, which allows any person anywhere on the planet to talk to any person, anywhere on the planet. Governments and corporations simply can not maintain an effective power structure, given such a communication potential.
• There are many, many more factors, of course, but the Alds say this sampling should be enough to make the point, without giving away enough to lend an advantage in any one species' or groups' missions here on Earth.

The Alds say ED Humans (Earthlings) are headed to one of three possibilities by century's end at the latest:

• Total economic and industrial collapse, which would probably knock Human culture back 400 - 600 years (most likely outcome, but would be to no one's advantage, Humans and ETs alike)
• A totally service-based economy, where services are traded, rather than a physical or electronic medium of exchange, possibly "service chits" becoming the new "money". Put money on the "service" standard, in other words. Inflation, interest and many of the factors that damage an economy become virtually impossible in such a scenario, (the most positive outcome for all individual Huamns), or
• A total master / slave economy, but with something over 95% of the population being the "slaves." (Highly unstable, these situations never last long and are usually violent at their ending)

Stated another way, the three possiblities, respectively, are: Disaster, Cornucopia, or Post-Technological Feudalism. In short, per the Aldebarans projections, ED Human culture is about to change radically and probably forever. In fact, it must change, as the Earthlings are already way past the usual point of transformation in any exponential growth curve. The fact their economic and industrial systems have not already transformed (collapse-replace) is... interesting.

The Alds also admit that, complex systems being what they are, the "real" outcome will undoubtedly be something else. They are watching with great interest how things unfold on Earth right now.

Here at ETsOnly!, the Alds provide some basic banking and financial services, since they are well practiced in it anyway. All the usual associated services are available as well, and some Human type services (such as loans, credit, and other "debt economy" factors are also available, should you wish to experience them. Shipping on and off planet, delivery of good ordered, and Black Market connections are also available, total confidentiality, and so on, just as with any reputable higher level Earth bank.