Free Solbidyum Wars Saga 4: Too Late for Earth by Dale C. Musser

certain, we’re going to Earth!”
    The meeting with my crew was a blur for me, while I was absorbing the details, it all seemed like a nightmarish dream.  I still find the words ringing in my ears, but can’t recall the reactions of the people in the room.  It was as though I was the only one there as the news hammered home.
    My fellow earthlings had been at war off and on several times since I had left Earth over 60 years earlier.  By 2030 China and Russia had formed a political alliance and had begun expanding their territories militarily.  Both countries recognized the United States no longer had the strong leadership it once had, and its citizens had grown tired of policing the world and trying to defend its allies.  On top of that, several decades of poor leadership from both main parties had resulted in the loss of manufacturing, as well as the production of natural resources in the country. This left the nation in economic ruins.  Relationships with other nations declined as our Presidents treated them poorly and with an air of dismissal when in their presence.  With the weakening of the Americas influence in NATO, and the stressful relationships within the European Union, both Russia and China saw the opportunity to expand their territories unchallenged.  Russia made the first move in taking over the Crimea and the Ukraine and while the NATO countries and the USA made verbal protest and threatened sanctions;, however, serious actions were never taken.  China, observing Russia’s success, moved against Japan, Viet Nam and the outlying islands offshore territories, laying claim first to oil-rich regions and fisheries, and then later to islands in the area.  Once again, while many nations made protest, and some posturing was made by the U.S. Navy, no real actions were taken to stop China as territories were taken over.  In the Middle East and throughout Africa and Indonesia, country after country fell to Fundamental Terrorists’ rule.  Without strong allies to help defend them, these countries slowly crumbled under the Terrorists’ oppression. When old governments were ousted, the countries quickly deteriorated into conditions which existed pre- World War II, and human rights violations abounded; but other than rhetoric, no one stood up to stop them.  Once the oil fields in these nations were lost, the energy prices sky-rocketed, forcing the United States to relax most of the regulations that had prevented domestic production in the early 2000’s and slowly its economy began to recover.
    During this time, China made several journeys to the Moon, laying claim to the whole moon as part of China, and they began establishing a colony and military presence on the lunar surface.  Their claims to the complete moon were rejected by the United Nations and every other country on Earth, but no country was prepared, interested, or strong enough economically to go to the Moon to challenge the claim directly.  The United States joined with England, Germany, India, Japan and Brazil in sending a team to Mars to establish a colony and were joined later by other nations, including Russia, in sending teams and supplies with following expeditions.
    Early on, the United States had abandoned their base at Guantanamo in Cuba only to have the Cuban government turn around and lease the base out to Russia.  By 2040 there were five huge Russian military bases in the Western hemisphere.  By 2050 China had taken over Viet Nam and absorbed North Korea, after the mysterious death of Kim Yung Ill, numerous border skirmishes took place with South Korea.  Japan and South Korea formed an alliance in an effort to provide a unified front against China.  By then Russia had reclaimed many of the old countries that once had been part of the Soviet Union. All the while the European Union continued to suffer economic problems, but realizing the growing threat of the new Russia, they abandoned the weakened NATO and formed the European