Little notice is taken for the first few years until its unusual nature is finally revealed - it is not from the Oort cloud or the Kuiper belt but is interstellar in nature and is moving very rapidly. This rogue planetesimal. 400 km in diameter, is destined to pass very close to the Earth. A collision in the asteroid belt deflects its course sufficiently to put it on a direct impact course with Earth. Earth is effectively destroyed in the cataclysmic collision but two unlikely survivors make their escape under harrowing circumstances to the Moon Observatory and Mining facility.
Disaster follows disaster.
A young female astronomer and the two Earth refugees finally escape the moon under a rain of ejecta from the bolide collision with Earth and begin the long journey out to Jupiter. Back on Jupiter Station all does not go well. A mad man nearly destroys the food production machinery and mutiny is always near the surface. Insanity, depression, and heroism mark the conclusion of this tale. If belief is in tatters in the Western World, here is a book that will knit it up again.