The nation teeters on the brink of civil war. More troops are called for, but the government no longer has the funds to supply them. Emergency food and relief efforts grind to a halt as funding runs out. Numerous insurance companies file for bankruptcy. July 8 -- The stock market crashes. Thousands of banks fail. Many more are forced to close their doors, declaring a bank holiday to prevent customers from making massive withdrawals. The U.S. economy fails and the country enters another major depression. Stranded since shuttle launches were halted, with little hope of coming home, the crew of Space Station Alpha begins to fight. A fire is started, which escalates in the oxygen-rich atmosphere. Millions watch at home, horrified, as all those aboard the space station die. NASA collapses, and with it dies the dream of space exploration.