In all our observations of Earth, the most obvious fact we learned was that its dominant race was aggressive and war-like in nature. Having no desire to introduce this war-mindedness to our peaceful world, we avoided all contact with Earth.
We realized, however, that in time the Earth race would accomplish space travel and thus force a contact with us. Therefore, we devised highly potent weapons for our defense in the event that the people of Earth ever stopped quarreling among themselves and attempted an attack on our world.
High officials in our government were appalled at the thought of war with its chaotic and indiscriminate killing. There were those who deemed it an actual act of aggression on our part to arm ourselves in preparation for a war. The opposition to our defense program was strong. Yet, it was our preparedness which saved our civilization from destruction when your forces launched their invasion of our planet last year.
To understand the events which led to The War, it is best that we briefly review the history of space travel by Earthians. In the year 2002, the six remaining nations of the Earth formed the Federation to abolish war and to enable the people of your planet to put forth a united effort to discover the secret of interplanetary travel. This endeavour, in itself, was considered by our leaders to be most creditable. But the entire pattern of your development, observed for many centuries, instilled seeds of doubt in our minds. You were conditioned to war and the mere establishment of a Federation to monitor the future was not adequate insurance, we felt, against further conflict. In your concentration on conquering space, however, you did stop warring among yourselves.
Space travel from Earth began thirty-eight years ago. The first successful trip to Luna and back was made in 2011, and by 2020 the Lunar space port was opened. It was in 2020, also, that the space ship, Pioneer, left for Mars. It was never heard from again.
Unsuccessful attempts to travel to the other planets were made during the years 2021-2027. The Pioneer II, bound for Mars, the Adventurer, bound for Mars, and the Enterprise, bound for Venus, all disappeared without a trace.
In September, 2028, the Space King returned to Earth after completing a voyage to Mars. The ship landed safely, but the excited celebration that greeted it was short-lived when it was discovered that the entire crew was afflicted with a neurological disease that your Earth scientists labeled 'space sickness'. This disease posed a new obstacle to interplanetary travel. It attacked indiscriminately and it proved fatal in almost every case.
Research and experimentation on the cause and cure of 'space sickness' was carried on continuously from the time the Space King returned with its dying crew until the disease was conquered in 2041. During these years, the experimental ships Enterprise II, Razorback, and Space King II were utilized as laboratories in orbital flights.
In April, 2041, the space liner Morning Star was completed, incorporating technological improvements designed to prevent the occurrence of 'space sickness'. The Morning Star left the Lunar station on July 17, 2042. Its destination was Venus.