Rendezvous with Rama
In 2077, a devastating asteroid strike on northern Italy shatters humanity’s false sense of security, spurring the launch of the Spaceguard program to track cosmic threats. Fifty years later, astronomers detect Rama—a massive, cylindrical interstellar object hurtling through the solar system. Captain Norton and the crew of the *Endeavour* are dispatched to make first contact, venturing into the hollow alien vessel to uncover its secrets. Inside, they discover a vast, engineered world with artificial gravity, frozen oceans, and strange cybernetic organisms maintaining the ship. Tensions escalate when Mercury launches a nuclear missile to destroy Rama, fearing it poses an existential threat. Norton defies orders to disable the warhead, preserving the alien artifact. As Rama reaches the sun, it reveals its true purpose: refueling using solar energy before departing for the Large Magellanic Cloud, leaving humanity with lingering questions about the enigmatic Ramans and their interstellar mission.