Some day in the future, I have no doubts that giant corporations will be interested in all the “free” resources floating around in space. Of course, the word “free” here has to be in quotes because to reach those resource floating around in space will require a lot of money, a very great deal of money.
Yet, some day someone will start exploiting the riches of space and will become a very rich. That some day is now here. Mason Randle, the current CEO and major stockholder of the SmithField Mining Corporation, has his HQ inside a hollowed out asteroid! That in itself is a significant story but his unique position allows him a view of Earth that few every have or apparently ever will. Things are going along as usual; having enough equipment, enough qualified space miners and government regulation are the day to day things that have been of concern to Mason Randle, until now!
Aliens have suddenly entered the solar system. They seem particularly interested in Earth, by passing the Lunar installations and totally ignoring Randle’s Smithfield Mining activities. Their intent is unknown. Small shuttles are launched from the huge mothership and we find that these shuttles are completely invisible to our radar detection equipment. Where these shuttles go and what they do are unknown until people start reporting to military bases for work. All the troops are gone!
And then the Aliens leave Earth orbit! Just a quickly as they came, they take off. Unfortunately, on their way out of the solar system, they launch one missile back towards Earth. One single missile which nothing Earth defenses can do to stop it.
You need to read the book to find out a few things, like why did the Aliens abduct military personnel and large amounts of military supplies? How much damage can one missile do to Earth? And how is it that a space based mining company can become the last of the surviving Human Civilization?
Great reading and should be a really good series.