Present Day
Life had returned to the same routine at the Starlite, Starbrite ever since the day everyday teen and handyman Alex Rogen had left it in 1984. While the populace had originally thought of fame coming to their lonely trailer park, it never arrived. For one thing, the rest of Earth didn't know about the Star League, and the government was still doing its job covering up for UFO's and reports of aliens. Any proof the residents had was vaporized…and, of course, Alex and Maggie had never returned since that night.
Waking up with a grumble, 23 year-old James Rogan, the cousin of Alex and Louis, got out of bed-the same bunk that Alex had occupied 26 years earlier. He'd never met his much-older cousin, and had only a passing relationship with Louis. Louis had moved onto City College and joined the Air Force, his dream of being a Starfighter devolving into a more pragmatic life goal. Now a pilot, he still imagined himself fighting alongside his older brother.
James, on the other hand, had no such lofty ambitions. His own dreams had been crushed when he'd flunked out of City College a year ago. He'd gone along moping so long that his parents shuffled him off to his Aunt Jane, thinking that time away from the city would help. But of course it hadn't. He got dressed and headed out the door, no particular place to go; the story of his life.
"James!" his aunt called from their trailer. "James, Mr. Mengies is waiting for your help with the antennae, don't forget!" she said to his back.
"All right, Aunt Jane!" he called from over his shoulder. Instead of heading to Mr. Mengies' trailer, however, he headed to the little diner and the one piece of entertainment in this Podunk town; Starfighter. The game was ancient, and the graphics completely behind the times, but it was challenging. James had played all the classics, Centipede, Galaga, Asteroids and a slew of others…but he couldn't beat Starfighter.
"Greetings, Starfighter!" the game began as he walked up to it, "You have been recruited by the Star League-"
"To defend the Frontier against Xur and the Ko-Dan Armada!" James finished the cheesy narrative. He slipped in a quarter and began to play. He was determined that today would be the day he'd beat the stupid thing.