NASA’s Near Earth Asteroid team is tracking asteroid 2027 UX25 when, without explanation, it changes direction and heads for earth. When they inspect the impact sites, they discover that the meteorite fragments are not what they expect.

 – “Storyline picks up right where longer books start ‘getting good,’ and maintains momentum throughout. You get a good feel for the characters by their interactions, without the author delving too deeply into their backgrounds. The asteroid and it’s affect on the planet are center stage in this story, which kept my interest and kept me from putting it down! Highly recommended!”

“When I first recorded the asteroid,
I named it Hachiman after the Shinto god of war
and patron god of the samurai. I had no idea how prophetic it would be.

Hachiman may kill us all.”

~ Mr. Taksu Kobo, amateur astronomer

JPL – Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Pasadena, California, USA

     “Eight minutes to impact.” Astrophysicist Dipesh Patel, member of the Near Earth Object team, read aloud the data on the wall-mounted display – telemetry of three nuclear missiles headed for asteroid Hachiman. NEO team members, scientists, engineers, and technicians from other departments huddled around the display, all of them disheveled, haggard, and unshaven. Dipesh savored the electrifying excitement that still lingered even after thirty-six hours of sleepless anticipation. It had the feel of an all-night movie marathon. Their lab was dark and crowded and smelled of stale deep-dish pizza. Dipesh liked it that way. The darkness cut down on monitor glare, the closeness taught them to conserve space, and the pizza, well, it would have to do. If he focused on his data long enough, it gave him the feeling of being in a space capsule, which is what he had dreamed of doing since childhood. A fear of flying crushed any hopes of that, so he contented himself with the next best thing. “Come on, Hachiman,” he said. “Stay real still.”

     Dr. Irene Clemmons, the matriarch of the NEO team, patted him on the back. “The laws of physics won’t change if we don’t watch it.”

     “Not if it’s quantum physics,” Dipesh said, turning and winking at her. With her frizzled gray hair, piercing blue-gray eyes, and intense features, Irene reminded him of Jane Goodall, the scientist famous for her pioneering study of wild chimpanzees. Irene had nurtured the NEO program since its infancy, and had inspired others to postpone their academic careers and join the ranks of asteroid hunters …