In the year 2978, North and South Korea became one; both halves were under communist rule. In 3625 China, Japan, Taiwan, and Korea built an alliance with Russia, known as the Rujakotach Alliance, to take over the world. The United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia built an alliance, called the United C.A.S.K., to resist the Rujakotach. The rest of Europe refused to ally with either side, building their own alliance—the European Old Guard. A third world war broke out as the United C.A.S.K. fought to keep their territory, the Rujakoch Alliance fought to take over the territory, and the European Old Guard fought to keep their territory as well as take over any territory they could.

            Then, complications arose in the European Old Guard, as France and Germany argued bitterly over where the EOG headquarters should be located. Finally, Germany turned on France and conspired against them, turning all other countries in the EOG against them, and wiping France’s population out. Germany became headquarters for the EOG and became determined to rise in power and recognition. The world would fear them. Their fight for survival turned into a fight for domination.

            The war lasted for 75 miserable years. As the years went by, the difference between United States, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom slowly dispersed; the four countries were referred to as one: The United C.A.S.K. They became one government and one country officially in 3668.

As the United Cask alliance flourished, the other alliances began to falter and fail. Japan turned against Russia, Korea snubbed China, Italy spited Spain, and Hungary raged against Czech. The only alliance that held together was the United Cask. The true reason was never discovered; the presumption held by the public was that they were the only alliance fighting with valor. While valor and honor were part of the reason, they were not the main reason.

With wit, intelligence, and determination, they managed to arrange treaties and contracts with Japan and Korea. If they surrendered to the United Cask, their original territory would be restored, under United Cask government, with full pardon. In return, they had to help put an end to the rest of the rebelling countries. Taiwan, China, and Russia refused the contract, joining the EOG alliance instead. As country after country in Europe was utterly destroyed, however, Taiwan and China followed Japan and Korea’s example.

Russia, Italy, Spain, and Greece fell one after the other as the United Cask wiped their civilization out with bomb after bomb. It wasn’t until half of Germany lay in ruins, however, that what was left of the EOG surrendered.

The United Cask rebuilt and modernized the destroyed countries as well as Japan and Korea. The greater part of Germany was rebuilt, but parts of it remained as they were before the war. No explanation was asked and none was ever offered. It simply remained a mystery.

By the time the year 8000 arrived, the greater part of the world enjoyed peace and modern convenience under the United C.A.S.K. government. All parts of the country were lost in the hubbub of happy lives, well-paying jobs, and easy travel. Only small parts of Germany, with their villages and houses of the 31^st century were isolated. Though they lay merely 200 kilometers from the large cities—and with modern transportation, these trips took no more than 10 minutes—they were a world of their own. And, as is usually the case with little worlds like this one, strange, and sometimes even supernatural things can happen… things that could change the world… things that the world never discovers…