THE STAR

On the first day of the new year, astronomers across the world announced that the motion of the planet Neptune had become irregular. The discovery came almost simultaneously from several observatories. At first, ordinary people paid little attention. Many had never even heard of Neptune.

But scientists were alarmed.

A faint object had appeared beyond Neptune — a wandering mass from deep space. Each night it grew larger and brighter. Soon even small telescopes could see it near the constellation Leo. Newspapers finally reported the possibility: a planetary collision.

The next morning, before dawn, people across the world saw it — a great white star blazing in the sky. It shone brighter than Venus and remained visible even after sunrise.

Fear began.

In villages and cities, men and women stared upward. Sailors at sea, farmers in fields, and workers in streets watched silently. Some believed it was a divine warning — a sign of war, plague, or judgment.

But in observatories there was no superstition — only terror.

The strange body had struck Neptune. The impact turned two planets into a single mass of flaming fire. The new star was not merely shining — it was moving toward the sun at immense speed.

And toward Earth.

Each night the star grew larger. People whispered the same words everywhere:

“It is nearer.”

Some laughed at the panic. Others prayed. A few scientists began calculating.

One master mathematician worked without sleep for four days. When his calculations were complete, he addressed his students calmly:

“Man has lived in vain.”

The new star, dragged by gravity, would pass near Jupiter. Its path would bend. Earth might not be struck directly — but the effects would be catastrophic.

He predicted earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions, and unbearable heat.

Most people ignored him.

Daily life continued. Shops opened, factories ran, politicians argued, lovers met, and newspapers mocked the warnings. Humanity trusted common sense more than mathematics.

Then the change began.

The star brightened until night looked like day. The air warmed. Frost melted in midwinter.

Soon storms struck. Thunderclouds raged across continents. Rivers flooded. Glaciers melted in the mountains. Entire valleys filled with water. Earthquakes split the land.

Tidal waves rose across oceans, drowning cities along the coasts.

In Asia, millions fled before walls of water fifty feet high. Volcanoes erupted. Forests burned. The sky glowed red with ash and steam.

The closer the star came, the hotter Earth became. People could barely breathe. Seas boiled into mist. Ships wandered blindly through storms.

Human civilization collapsed in days.

At last the star reached its nearest point.

For hours the world waited under unbearable heat — and then something astonishing happened. A black disc crept across the blazing light.

The moon eclipsed the star.

Soon after, the sun rose beside it. For a moment sun and star burned together at the center of the sky. The star had curved past Earth and was falling toward the sun.

The danger passed.

Clouds gathered, and torrential rain fell across the world. Floodwaters drained away, leaving mud, ruins, and countless dead. For months earthquakes continued.

Humanity survived — but barely.

When the skies cleared, Earth had changed. The climate was hotter. The moon’s orbit altered. Many lands were destroyed while others became fertile. People migrated toward the poles to survive.

Civilization slowly rebuilt.

Yet far away, astronomers on Mars observed the event calmly. To them, Earth showed only minor changes — a slight melting of polar ice.

From millions of miles away, humanity’s greatest disaster seemed insignificant.

Scientists understand the danger, but society ignores them. People trust routine and common sense rather than knowledge until catastrophe arrives.

Within days, cities, governments, and culture collapse. Human achievements depend on fragile environmental stability.

The story shows how tiny humanity is compared to cosmic forces. A single astronomical event nearly destroys civilization, yet from Mars it appears trivial.