In this universe there was first the devastating Doomsday War, a sort of World War III that left America and many other parts of the world in ruins. Then came about a century of rebuilding from the ashes until this global union called the Terran Associated Governments (TAG) was formed. They were effective enough as a government, but not a utopia by any means. Unfortunately, some people in TAG decided they wanted to run the whole show and thus a civil war destroyed TAG and created global chaos.
In this world, everything runs on a barter economy, cupcakes are luxury goods on Mars, and mercenaries outnumber the civilian population. Who would blame anyone for wanting to get out of that? Fortunately, a young Chinese scientist named Ling whose gift from her dying father was the location for a planet similar enough to Earth to start a new colony. Even more fortunately, her boss is the wealthiest man on Earth and his operatives have located a ship that can serve as a new Ark to save humanity. All he needs are some mercenaries to take possession of the ship, a brilliant engineer to get the ship working, and a crew to fly it.
Enter a group of Mexican mercenaries, none of whom is over the age of 25, who've spent the last few years fighting phony wars for a trade union of mercenaries. Then there's Jacoby Lester, a young genius who travels the crumbling highways in an armored tractor-trailer to sell weapons systems to communities. Finally, there's Captain Alicia Stowe of the Martian Aeronautical Command--an impressive title for a navy that consists of a handful of armed freighters that might fall apart if they ever hit full speed--who comes from good military stock but has spent the last five years sitting behind a desk, easting ill-gotten cupcakes.
This motley crew has to come together to steal a ship and fly it light-years across space, where even more danger awaits them. (If you read the original "First Contact" or the first remake "Rebirth: The Oracle" then you'll know what will happen.)
Please enjoy First Contact (2008)...
