The Tiny Planet
The Majestic Draght enters the system of the white dwarf Wolf 489 – reverently called the Trident by the Grosnops. On board, the ship's AI clings to the hope of finally finding traces of the mysterious builders here and perhaps even a cure for the plague that keeps Adam, Ragnor, and dozens of others trapped in cold sleep.
But the reality is bleak. The system's only planet is a dead world riddled with cracks, scorched and lifeless. Commander Gronolf's skepticism seems to be confirmed; the enormous sacrifices made to save the ship may have been in vain. Time is running out for the sick.
Just as despair threatens to paralyze the decimated crew, the sensors discover something that defies all expectations: a tiny, perfectly round object orbiting the dead star. It is far too small to explain the previously measured gravitational disturbances, and yet it appears to be the only unusual celestial body in the system.
The Majestic Draght enters the system of the white dwarf Wolf 489 – reverently called the Trident by the Grosnops. On board, the ship’s AI clings to the hope of finally finding traces of the mysterious builders here and perhaps even a cure for the plague that keeps Adam, Ragnor, and dozens of others trapped in cold sleep.
But the reality is bleak. The system’s only planet is a dead world riddled with cracks, scorched and lifeless. Commander Gronolf’s skepticism seems to be confirmed; the enormous sacrifices made to save the ship may have been in vain. Time is running out for the sick.
Just as despair threatens to paralyze the decimated crew, the sensors discover something that defies all expectations: a tiny, perfectly round object orbiting the dead star. It is far too small to explain the previously measured gravitational disturbances, and yet it appears to be the only unusual celestial body in the system.
