Publisher's Synopsis
Millions of miles beyond Earth, in the frigid emptiness of space, the sun had always been a steady, comforting presence. For billions of years, it had radiated warmth and light across the solar system, a stable celestial body that was essential to all life. But on this crucial day, the sun made a revelation that would demolish the idea of its perpetual stability.
Dr. Rebecca Anders looked out the Solaris Observatory's viewing glass, following the sun's scorching surface arc with her eyes. Despite her considerable training as a bright astronomer, she had dedicated her life to the study of the sun, yet nothing could have prepared her for what she was seeing. The solar scientists had seen a little deformation in the sun's corona at first, hardly noticeable at all. But the oddity had become increasingly noticeable as the days stretched into weeks and the weeks into months. The surface of the sun trembled and shook in a manner that went beyond all accepted astrophysical rules. It appeared as though the sun had evolved into a sentient being with its own secrets. Not only was Dr. Anders fascinated, but her concern was also mounting. The world's scientific community has been speculating a great deal about this mystery. Some thought it was a natural, although inexplicable, event, while others had unfathomable suspicions of a cosmic conspiracy. Strange events on Earth started to be reported as the Solaris Observatory kept an eye on the sun's unpredictable behavior. Worldwide blackouts were caused by the destruction that magnetic storms wrought on electricity systems. Astronauts on board the International Space Station noticed odd disruptions in the Earth's magnetosphere, and satellite connections failed. As governments throughout the world tried to figure out what was causing this turmoil, panic spread.To solve the sun's riddles, the nations of the globe came together and combined their resources and scientific expertise. However, in spite of their best efforts, the solar anomaly grew larger and larger, looming large over the world. It appeared as though the sun itself was hiding a terrible secret that endangered not just Earth's future but also the universe's basic structure.
Dr. Rebecca Anders believed she was on the verge of a discovery that may change the destiny of humanity, deep within the Solaris Observatory. One thought tormented her mind as the globe descended further into chaos: could they solve the riddles of the Solaris Strain before it was too late? The sun, our source of life, was concealing a terrible and sinister secret. The countdown to the biggest crisis facing humanity had begun, and the solar clock is ticking away.