Eventually, every adult in the whole world had the longest running, most miserable head cold known to man.  Sales for tissues, cold remedies, and antibiotics had hit an all time high, but nothing seemed to work.  The three biggest problems with this disease were; the crippling effect on all aspects of World economies and all other human endeavors  (No one, other than children, seemed to be able to focus on anything for any length of time),  potential infant mortality due to the increase in premature newborns delivered by sick mothers, and the premature deaths of the elderly. 

     In February, the Dominai showed up.  Keeping a respectful and wary distance from the races they considered a bloodthirsty abomination, their ships took up station near Mars.  Dominai ships looked like a pair of extremely large arrow points connected together by a central bridge structure.

     Broadcasting on what the Dominai considered Earth’s primitive communication systems, television and the internet, they informed the World in almost every known language of their intentions.  They told Earth that they infected every human,  that the infection was painful, that left untreated the infection would be fatal in 5 years,  that they did have a serum for treatment, and that the price of treatment was Earth’s help in fighting their Galactic war.

     It took the World Government another three months of haggling to capitulate to the Dominai.  Relief was almost instantaneous but very short-lived.  The initial serum supplied to Earth by the Dominai was only effective for two weeks and then all the symptoms came right back.  To keep a continuous supply of serum flowing with a one-month potency, Earth started shipping out the military of every government on the planet.  There were seven different debarkation points all over the Globe.  The Galactic Alliance was only interested in the soldiers (savages in their parlance), their uniforms, and enough rations for three months until they could figure out how to synthesize Earth food.  The Dominai took an unusual interest in the incarcerated murderers of every county’s jails.  They demanded custody of some and turned over evidence of the innocence of others.  How the evidence was gathered was a mystery and led to general hysteria over whether the Dominai could invade the privacy of humans at will.  Rick's unit had one of those convicted murderers.  Rick snapped himself back into the present, ignored the Qwan's insult and brushed by the Qwan.