Ross 128

Ross 128 is a star in the local stellar cluster that, according to data analyzed by the Petrova Taskforce, has been infected by Astrophage and is dimming at an exponential rate, confirming that the Astrophage infestation spreads from star to star within a range of under eight light-years.

Role in the Astrophage Infection Map

During a briefing on the Chinese aircraft carrier Stratt's Vat, Eva Stratt presented Ryland Grace with luminosity readings from amateur astronomers across the world. The data, normalized across thousands of data sets and corrected for weather and visibility conditions, showed that the sun was not the only star getting dimmer. Stratt explained that the NSA had used its supercomputers to run propagation models for how Astrophage could spread through the galaxy. The resulting chart traced a clear pattern of infection from star to star. According to that chart, Ross 128 was infected by the star WISE 0855–0714, which had itself been infected by Sirius, which had been infected by Epsilon Eridani. From Epsilon Eridani, the trail of infection went cold. The chart also showed that Ross 128, like every other star within range of an infected neighbor, would eventually be infected. Stratt told Grace that the data suggested Astrophage has a maximum range of just under eight light-years; any star within that distance of an infected star will eventually be infected. Ross 128 sits within that range of WISE 0855–0714, making its infection a predictable consequence of the Astrophage's sporing behavior.

Astrophage's Interstellar Sporing Mechanism

The pattern of infection across the local cluster, including Ross 128, confirmed Grace's earlier hypothesis that Astrophage acts like a spore. He had reasoned that because Astrophage can travel at 0.92 times the speed of light and can go dormant and stay alive long enough, it could infect nearby stars, just as mold spreads from one food source to another. The data on Ross 128 and other dimming stars supported this theory. Stratt explained that the stars only get to about ten percent dimmer before they stop dimming, but that even a ten percent dimming of the sun would be catastrophic for Earth. The infection of Ross 128, along with stars like Wolf 359, Lalande 21185, and others, demonstrated that the Astrophage infestation was not a local problem confined to Earth's solar system but a galactic-scale phenomenon.

Narrative Significance

Ross 128's place in the infection map served as a crucial piece of evidence that the Astrophage problem was not unique to Earth's sun. It showed that the infestation was a widespread, interstellar event, which justified the enormous international effort and resources poured into Project Hail Mary. The star's infection, traced back through a chain of other dimming stars, underscored the urgency of the mission to Tau Ceti, the one star in the cluster that remained unaffected. The data on Ross 128 and its neighbors provided the scientific rationale for the Hail Mary's one-way journey: if the solution to the Astrophage problem could be found at Tau Ceti, it might save not only Earth but potentially other worlds threatened by the same cosmic parasite.