It was 2168.
But Captain Stanley Rathmell, who excelled at wormhole warfare - and entertaining mischief - would have something to say about that..
And there were romantic intrigues afoot, including between Captain Jennifer Keith, Commander of the Starship Ambrosia and Captain Thaddeus Wright, Commander of the Aires.
Yet hope sprang eternal.
Some of the starship captains had also become pirates.
There were rumors of a civil war.
After 50 years of failing to find a new planet capable of sustaining human life, some were losing faith in The Intergalactic Command.
But all was not rosy.
For one, because of breakthroughs in stem cell research, the Life span had been greatly extended, then extended again - until by now, 240 years was the average.
There were other upsides, to be sure.
NASA and The Intergalactic Command had also established bases, mines, and factories on many planets.
By 2168, there were hundreds of starships and thousands of space tankers, hovercraft and other support vessels out there.
They were well-equipped for searching.
Now they were Searching the Stars for new life.
A killer comet had destroyed the earth.
But it was.
Their wonderful planet dead? All of it? It couldn\'t be true.
The earthlings now out in space, out exploring the cosmos in a variety of space craft, were in shock.
It was 2168
