When the Moon Hits Your Eye

Virgil Augustine, director of the Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta, Ohio, receives a call from facilities director Bud Roldan just before a planned date with his wife, Emily. Bud insists that Virgil visit the “Moon Room,” where he and curator Willa King are examining a central exhibit: a moon rock collected by Neil Armstrong. Virgil inspects the rock, which should be pyroxene and plagioclase, but he notices that it looks off-white and slightly larger than normal. He suspects that it is modeling clay.

Willa reports that the rock looked normal at two o’clock in the afternoon but changed by 5:30, with no signs of tampering. Security footage offers no answers. Though they briefly suspect a late visitor, they find no evidence of theft.

Virgil contacts Police Chief Herb Wopat, who is also on the museum board. While they examine the exhibit, Emily calls to comment on the unusually bright moon despite it being just one day past a new moon. Virgil steps outside and confirms that the moon is unnaturally large and bright. Back inside, he scrapes the fake rock with his fingernail and tastes it. He declares that it is cheese.

Virgil contacts Dr. Julie Doss at Space Center Houston’s Lunar Vault to ask about their lunar samples and finds that their lunar samples have also changed.

Meanwhile, Reddit users on r/Astrophotography argue over the moon’s appearance, confirming that observers across the country have noticed its extreme brightness and size, but no one knows why.

White House Chief of Staff Pat Heffernan convenes a high-level meeting to discuss the moon’s transformation. Dr. Debra Dixon from NASA explains that lunar reflectors stopped responding to lasers and that satellite tracking systems lost contact with the moon. NASA used “moon bouncing” (bouncing radio waves off the moon) and discovered that the signal returned too quickly, indicating that the moon is 300 miles closer.

However, Dixon clarifies that the moon is not closer but larger. Dr. Miriam Golden from the National Science Foundation confirms that the moon’s diameter has increased by 600 miles, though its mass remains constant. A new, less dense substance has replaced the original rock. Scientists are still investigating but report that many lunar samples, including those in museums, have turned to cheese. This cheese moon, called “Caseus,” matches the new moon’s density. Unlike the original moon, which had a layered, rock-based structure, Caseus is uniform throughout.

Dixon warns that the new moon is unstable and will collapse inward. When Heffernan asks about an upcoming moon landing, Dixon states that the mission is unsafe. National Security Agency (NSA) leadership confirms that other nations have observed the moon’s change but have not disclosed the cheese connection. Heffernan asks whether the change could be an act of war, but Space Force Commander Axel dismisses this idea: No military advantage would justify replacing the moon.

Heffernan orders the scientists to attend a press conference. Later that day, President Brett Boone addresses the public. He acknowledges that the moon has changed and assures citizens that it poses no immediate danger. He confirms global cooperation and promises further investigation. Dr. Dixon cautiously states that the moon is now composed of organic material and stresses that safety must come before any lunar missions resume.

Astronaut LeMae Anderson, assigned to the upcoming Diana moon mission, speaks with her mother, who worries about the launch. Although LeMae insists that nothing has changed, she secretly feels uneasy. She receives a call from NASA Communications Director Dennis Gable, who instructs her not to speak with the press. LeMae complains that she learned about the moon’s transformation during the president’s briefing. Gable tells her to attend a Johnson Space Center (JSC) meeting.

The next day, LeMae joins all 18 Diana astronauts, Mission Administrator John Able, JSC Director Tamara Whitehead, and NASA Administrator Kevin Olsen. Technicians bring out sealed lunar samples. When astronaut Davis Baruch examines one, he declares that it is cheese.

Able confirms that NASA has verified the new moon’s composition. It is entirely cheese, and internal pressure has caused it to form geysers of liquid whey. LeMae realizes that this means the lunar mission is canceled. However, due to the president’s enthusiasm, NASA places the mission “on hold.”

Olsen appoints LeMae and Davis to a commission on the moon’s current status. He says that the public will eventually learn the full truth, but they want to avoid causing people to panic. LeMae and Davis are roped into a press conference that afternoon. Meanwhile, LeMae’s mother calls again to report that news outlets are already speculating that the moon has turned into cheese.

Retirees Clyde Ramsey (a former philosophy professor), Dave Potter (a retired radiologist), and Alton Nunez (a former bus driver) meet for breakfast at the Short Stack Diner. They debate the moon’s transformation with their waitress, who dismisses the idea that it is cheese.

Eleanor Connor, a New York Times stringer reporter and editor-in-chief of Oklahoma State University’s paper, interviews them for “common man” reactions. Clyde delivers a philosophical reflection: Skepticism is healthy in an age of misinformation, but no one gains from the moon’s change. He emphasizes that the scientific consensus supports the moon’s transformation, no matter how unbelievable it sounds.

Connor thanks the group and reveals that she once took Clyde’s philosophy class. After she leaves, the men continue their discussion. Dave suggests divine intervention, while Clyde muses that humanity is now closer to the moon than astronauts have been in decades.

Jody Bannon, an arrogant billionaire and head of PanGlobal Aerospace, learns that NASA has postponed the Diana mission, which was supposed to use his company’s rockets. He argues that the mission is more crucial now that the moon has changed, but John Able refuses to risk astronaut safety.

Jody suggests using PanGlobal’s HMS (human modeling system) bots (which are like advanced crash-test dummies), designed to gather data on stressors to the human body. He even built two “JodyBots” modeled after himself. Jody, outwardly calm, ends the call with Able and then immediately smashes his phone. He orders a replacement from his assistant, Maria.

He calls Byron Matthews, his financial analyst, who explains that without the launch, Jody faces insolvency. The government will tie future payments to PanGlobal to a successful moon landing. Jody cannot meet his loan requirements without the government’s funding. Although he could liquidate assets, the company’s board would block it. Byron warns that Jody has three weeks before disaster.

Desperate, Jody decides to force the launch. PanGlobal’s contract only requires a successful landing, not NASA’s approval. Since the launch is based in Ecuador and the company is registered in the Cayman Islands, he believes that he can bypass federal restrictions.

Byron advises lobbying lawmakers. Jody spends three days contacting congressmembers on appropriations and science committees. He donates heavily to their campaigns and plays politics.

Five days later, Able calls Jody. NASA will allow the launch, but only if the lander stays in Earth’s orbit. Jody tries to argue, but Able cuts him off, recognizing Jody’s efforts as a financial maneuver. If Jody follows orders and retrieves the lander safely, he will receive his funding. Jody agrees on the call but privately celebrates and plots to land the craft on the moon anyway.