Advent

Will the world end in the 21st century?

In this techno-thriller, astrophysicist Greg Sorensen discovers an inexplicable object, a faint star he intuitively believes to be “Nemesis”—the sun’s twin star, returning to our galaxy after a 13 million year journey. Few scientists, including his astronomer friend, Audrey Asher, believe him. Greg is convinced that the recent increase in catastrophic events on the Earth can be explained by the approach of Nemesis. These cataclysmic events had, in fact, already spurred the development of a safe harbor for world leaders—Genesis, an underwater city in the North Sea.

Valerie Chapman, an intimate friend of Greg’s, discovers a comet that may be headed toward Earth. Greg believes that Nemesis may have unleashed the Chapman Comet as well as other comets in the Oort cloud—located in the outer boundary of the solar system. Greg and Audrey are assigned by NASA to rendezvous with the International Space Station and to set up a space telescope called the Alexandria to finally determine whether the approaching star is Nemesis and accurately gauge the trajectory of the Chapman Comet. Once they are in space, however, Greg and Audrey learn that their true assignment is to add the critical components of a highly sophisticated Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) weapon—capable of destroying all electrical and electronic systems at specific geophysical positions in the world.

It’s all part of the plan previously set up by U.S. President Brian Miller. The President, working clandestinely as an agent for The Brotherhood (an international organization comprised of the Russian Commonwealth and an Islamic terrorist network), wants to accumulate global power by blackmailing any nation he chooses with this EMP weapon (which can be activated via a secret code transmitted to the space station). But the approach of the Chapman Comet interferes with his strategy. He agrees with scientists that the only way to prevent it from striking Earth is to divert its path with a precisely executed nuclear explosion near the comet. But to do that, President Miller must accomplish two distasteful things. First, he will be forced to have the Russian Commonwealth admit it possesses a 50-megaton hydrogen bomb (a violation of a worldwide test ban treaty). Secondly, he must force Israel to turn over its top-secret missile guidance system called the Advent. But he must accomplish both tasks as it is the combination of Advent and the hydrogen bomb which can hopefully destroy the approaching comet. Unfortunately, a Christian cult anticipating the Second Coming, believe it is God’s plan to punish the Earth with the comet. Hence, they sabotage the computerization of Advent so that at launch, the nuclear-armed missile, which was to destroy the comet, veers off course.

Fortunately, the Chapman Comet misses the Earth, despite the sabotage. But troubles for the world are just beginning…Nemesis is on final approach.