In the 2040’s, Earth was wrecked with a catastrophic war. Known as World War III, billions of lives were lost in combination of civilians and soldiers. The war was devastating to not only the population, but the economy as well. With most governments spending budgets on the war efforts, many areas were left with minimal support causing a domino effect that would take decades to recover from.

As a revolution was fought in many of the largest countries, any attempt to rebuild after the war was slowed down, if not halted completely.

Many feared the Earth would never recover to its former glory. Those with the money to fund it, turned towards drastic measures theorized and further planned by NASA and SpaceX to save the human population. With the first attempt at colonizing Mars underway during the World War, many supported the creation of a new space station known as the Ark.

This station would orbit the earth, acting first as a hangar for the construction of not only the station itself, but for the fledgling Mars colony. After 15 years, the Ark was complete and population began.

The first to arrive were the Founders, those that funded the project and lead its construction. These people created new laws for the station and gave birth to a new, luxurious lifestyle. The next group of people to arrive were hand picked, screened, and heavily tested for designated roles on the Ark such as security, engineering, and culinary, along with many others.

Over the next ten years the Ark was populated with the Earth’s most desired people. New college graduates were often hand picked to live amongst the elite instead of the drab, dying existence so many were forced to live back on the ground.

The richest of the world had focused so heavily upon the Ark and their own survival that they allowed the rest of the world to fall to ruins. Anarchy spread wide and far and new forms of governments crafted from coalitions and militias. Those deemed unworthy were left to starve and die. Many turned to a criminal lifestyle just to get by while praying their children could be accepted to the Ark.

Once the Ark was self-sustainable, they attempted to police parts of the Earth. They were only successful in places that still maintained order. While they would never allow just anyone to come to the Ark, they opened the gates to those who passed compatibility tests. Many had to pay a lifetime's worth of money for a chance trip, while others were offered free rides for the sake of hiring them.

The colony on Mars was also successful, giving birth to the human’s first Martians. With such success, the Ark began to plan and fund for a new colony further away. Their next feasible location would be Venus.

They had already been able to colonize space upon their own station, and then the surface of the dead planet Mars. Next would be the skies of Venus.

They used drones and infant nanomachines to build massive structures from Venus’ surface that stretched up above the clouds. Saucer shaped structures were built atop the pedestals, stretching dozens of miles in diameter. Over a few decades, dozens of these buildings were constructed.

Colonization of Titan was next. Another feat in the step into interstellar travel. With the combination of knowledge of building upon Mars and within Venus’ skies, the humans were able to building miles of structures underneath Titan’s frozen surface where the salty water gave birth to life.

An expedition to one of Jupiter’s moons gave way to a mystery. A hunk of metal had been found partially buried by dust. It was obviously manufactured and burned. Painted white and incomprehensible red lettering. The first true sign of alien life.

Humans followed the trail, bit by bit. Finding piece by piece of the remnants of alien life. They first believed it was part of an ancient civilizations long gone to ash. Yet this was not the case. Relatively new in terms of space and time, the bits and pieces they found were what was left of a destroyed ship.

To find this out in full, humans made an attempt to travel outside of their solar system. For years they traveled and searched.

Then they bit off far more than they could chew.

They found the source of the ship. Found what happened to it.

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Aliens. Ones that were not friendly in the least to the intrusion of their space sector.

These aliens attacked. They did not aim to kill, though perhaps they should have. Fresh life was rare to find, so the aliens sent it packing back the way it had come. A mistake? Perhaps in the long run.

Humans often responded to violence with violence. The return of some of their people on a damaged ship paved the way to war efforts. The people began to build fleets and better train soldiers for combat in space.

The aliens should have watched them more closely. Should have readied themselves. They underestimated the strength and determination of a fledgling species.