There is no life beyond the Earth. There once existed a very large, very alive planet: the only planet with intelligent life known. That was a long time ago. Now that planet it's just a dry, overheated giant rock.
There used to be cities with millions of aliens too. The cities were destroyed by meteorites and died, along with most of the aliens.
Nowadays, if you want to have an alien you can just buy it and educate it as your pet—that is, if you can do it. Intelligent life doesn't usually like to be a pet.
The only aliens that are not pets are called "wild trolls". "Trolls" was the way in which the first scientists who explored their planet decided to call the aliens, because of their gray skin and tiny horns.
Of course, their surveillance robot didn't last long there. It was destroyed by order of her Imperious Condescension. The Condesce was the alien queen.
When the apocalypse arrived, the aliens who survived packed all the belongings they could and fled with their ships to the nearest habitable planet: the Earth.
Now, this is an important rule to remember about trolls: if you don't do anything stupid, they won't hurt you.
Unless they do.
Being attacked by a 4-inch alien is not the worst thing that can happen to you. Surely you will not die.
… unless you do.
Sometimes a camper in the woods or a new neighbor pruning his garden will be bitten by a poisonous cerulean-blood, a low blood, or even a sea dweller out of control. Afterwards, they'll spend a few days in the nearest hospital, recovering from the effects of the poison or the serious wounds.
That's the main reason why people do not like wild trolls: their bites are one of the most painful things you can ever experience in your life.
After someone is attacked by a wild alien, the troll will be searched and trapped. Then they will kill it.
Always.
Sometimes, after injuring a person, the wild troll will sneak into a silent garden and lie down in the meadow, enjoying the summer heat and the beauty of the stars.
After all, what else can it do anymore?
Some must be asking: why would someone want to have a troll as a pet?
Having an alien was a popular thing. They were the smallest, most adorable, and most impressive pet of the moment.
If you take a wild animal and train it to do what you want, it will make it a good pet. Or at least that's what some persons thought.
Jade Harley didn't thought much about trolls. Actually, nobody had ever asked her what was her opinion on that theme.
She had only had one pet in her entire life.
No one had prepared her to find a wild troll.