The Black Cloud

In The Black Cloud, a harrowing sci-fi thriller, the unsettling discovery of a mysterious cosmic object sends shockwaves throughout the scientific community. Spotted by two teams—an American crew at Pasadena and their British counterparts at Cambridge—the object lurks at a staggering distance of 21.3 Astronomical Units from our solar system.

The Looming Threat

What makes this celestial intruder particularly unnerving is its deadly trajectory towards the Sun. This places it on a collision course with Earth’s orbital path, casting a looming shadow of impending doom. Due to its immense density, the Cloud would effectively cut off sunlight, ushering in catastrophic consequences for all life forms on Earth.

Collision Course

Survival of the Elite

Speculation runs rampant regarding the aftermath of this calamity. Kingsley, a member of the Royal Astronomical Society, postulates that survival would become an exclusive privilege. According to his conjecture, only high-profile individuals—such as politicians and celebrities—would secure spots in subterranean sanctuaries with stable temperatures. Meanwhile, the overwhelming majority of the population faces a grim fate, with a life expectancy reduced to a mere 16 months. The darkest period would be a month-long eclipse, where the Cloud obstructs the Earth-Sun axis, sealing humanity’s doom.