The mission was a no-brainer, even if few people knew about it. Nuclear war seemed imminent, especially after Syria got nukes, followed by North Korea. People were wondering when, not if, someone would push the button.
At a secret meeting between the American, Russian, and Chinese presidents, the powers agreed upon an expedition to search for a habitable planet. Each country was to send three representatives from various fields on the dangerous mission, and not even their families were allowed to know the nature of their assignment.
The scientific community had already determined that Alpha-rho 94's atmospheric conditions were 90% the same as earth's and that it had water. If human life had a chance anywhere in the universe besides earth, that was the planet. Unfortunately, they knew nothing about its life forms.
Jameel, a loyal American, would never have turned down any mission his country gave him. A five-star general, he was the trip's military advisor. Nobody expected the crew to have to fight, so his job was more observational. He was to determine what fortifications, based on the terrain and life forms, the coalition would need to secure the territory. Although only the Chinese considered it a strong possibility, he was also to evaluate the weapons and combat capability of any intelligent life on the planet.
The mission may have seemed like a great display of cooperation among the global powers, but the crew knew it was a hail mary. Russia and the United States were no more likely to sign any arms treaties at the expedition's onset than they had been a decade before, but knew they had to cooperate for this.
Now Jameel stands in the observation room of the ship, reflecting on everything that went awry. Earth is mere hundreds of miles away from him, its smoldering husk reminding him how helpful the mission could have been.
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