The aliens made it the same way the pranksters did, by walking around with a piece of wood underfoot. If you recall the basic principles of extraterrestrial con

The aliens made it the same way the pranksters did, by walking around with a piece of wood underfoot. If you recall the basic principles of extraterrestrial contact with pre-warp civilizations, it is against the prime directive to reveal yourself or imply that your advanced technology is possible. In this legal context, the prank crop circles were a loophole - that allowed aliens to land and write messages that we will all have a good laugh about once you are admitted to the local group federation.