[ WP ] In a war of words , describe the nuclear option .

Humanity has long looked to the stars, seeking intelligence there to match our own. We were never sure if there was even anything out there, but we looked nonetheless. It was on the third of March, 2047 that this question was finally answered. 
 
 A massive alien ship crash-landed in the middle of the sahara desert. The site was swarmed by news crews, military, science crews - anyone you could think of. It was hours before the first alien emerged from the ship, and upon his exit the alien was immediately bombarded with questions - but it did n't answer: it just went about effecting repairs to the ship, and anything in its' way was gently pushed aside. 
 
 At first we assumed it was language difficulty. So, we tried more languages. We used pictograms, every form of written communication in the book, every spoken language, we wrote mathematical constants and equations - anything that might reach it. In desparation we even tried explosions to catch its' attention, but they were simply ignored - seemingly nothing could harm it. 
 
 More aliens emerged from the ship to assist with repairs, and each was asked the same questions, shown the same barrage. We began to grow more and more creative: radio waves, midrowaves, gamma radiation bursts, statuary. We even brought in buddhist monks to meditate in their general direction! But still, nothing. Not a peep, not a glance, nothing. 
 
 Finally, the aliens finished their business and got back in their ship. Just as the last was entering, one of the men who had been directing the operation screamed, at the top of his lungs, `` Why wo n't you answer us, damnit?'' 
 
 The alien turned, and in one moment ended our dreams forever. Eight words. That was all it took. Scientific funding withered and died, space exploration was given up on. It was the end of our great shining hopes for the future. Those eight words? 
 
 `` Humans were, are, and shall forever remain irrelevant.''
