The Cloud

By Ray Hammond

Proof that there was another form of technologically capable intelligence in the universe was what an increasingly irreligious world fantasized about. For many, the concept was a replacement for God.

2033. The first alien radio transmissions have been received on Earth-a torrent of encrypted information that no human or computer can crack.

But the decision to reply is made, and messages of goodwill are beamed into deep space. Thirty years later, just as humankind is expecting a reply from the aliens, the signals disappear.

Then scientists detect a space cloud approaching the solar system at high speed. Immense in size, immeasurable in power, this blazing storm of energy is on a collision course with Earth.

As one man desperately struggles to decode the original transmissions, Earth prepares to launch a nuclear attack against a seemingly unstoppable foe.

As the cloud rages through the solar system, the alien code is finally broken-and mankind realizes that the enemy is far closer than they knew.

Praise for Ray Hammond:

‘Compelling, vivid and utterly terrifying… Be afraid, be very afraid.’ – Daily Express

‘This dazzling vision of global chaos explodes off the page with the dramatic force of a smart bomb.’ – Daily Express

Ray Hammond is a novelist, dramatist and non-fiction author. He is also a futurologist who lectures on future social and business trends for universities, corporations and governments. He lives in London and can be found on the web at www.rayhammond.com. His other works with Venture Press include The Black Hole, Extinction and Emergence.