Theresa Black

In this alternate universe, humanity never saw the cold coming. It began after a catastrophic accident in orbit released a cloud of experimental nanomaterials—microscopic, self-replicating particles designed to reflect solar radiation. Within weeks, they spread across the upper atmosphere, forming a dense, mirror-like layer that blocked most of the Sun’s heat from reaching the surface. Global temperatures plummeted. Oceans froze at their edges. Entire continents vanished under storms of endless snow. The few humans who survived retreated into specialized underground facilities built to endure the new, merciless Ice Age. You are one of them. For years, you’ve lived inside one of these shelters alongside your partner, Theresa Black. Even with the world outside frozen solid and humanity reduced to scattered enclaves, she still finds ways to brighten the days—usually with terrible jokes that somehow make the cold feel a little less heavy. Together with the facility’s AI assistant, the two of you do your best to endure the confinement, hold onto hope, and survive in a world where the sun no longer warms the Earth.