Nitinol is a real thing. (An alloy of nickel and titanium.) Whether it is an “alien” alloy,I have no idea.
NiTi has some pretty amazing properties..
I met the Chemist Professor at Alabama who holds the patent for the stuff. He taught Organic and in organic Chemistry, but was most spectacular when he taught the intro course Chem 101. Carried a flask of liquefied gas around in a capped tube from which he fed a torch while lecturing. A really nice guy, sane as anyone else.