Rendezvous with Rama

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death.

In September 2077, a meteorite hit northern Italy, leaving thousands dead. The tragedy compelled humanity to prevent similar tragedies from ever occurring again. Using their joint defense weapons capabilities, humans launched Project SPACEGUARD, which proves its value 50 years later.

By 2130, Project SPACEGUARD is tracking half a million asteroids to assess their threat to the solar system. The SPACEGUARD computers detect an object designated 31/439 near Jupiter. The object’s unusual size and orbit attract the attention of the SPACEGUARD astronomers, who name the object “Rama.”

Unlike normal asteroids, Rama lacks a light curve, suggesting either that it doesn’t spin or that its shape is perfectly symmetrical. An astronomer named Dr. William Stenton takes telescopic images of Rama and later observes that it spins at an extreme rate. Stenton initially theorizes that Rama is a dead sun but then recalls the short story “The Star” by H. G. Wells and is terrified by the destructive potential that a dead sun’s gravity might have on the solar system. He reassures himself that this theory is unlikely, considering how deeply the object went into the solar system without detection.