The Problem with Cloudland
A slow and seemingly inevitable descent toward Earth.
For a long time, Cloudland was considered to be evidence of infragravitational pockets within the Earth’s atmosphere. While there is still some merit to this theory, recent measurements reveal an unprecedented gravitational acceleration. Some scientists attribute this to climate change, however, the underlying causes appear to be far more complex.
Ever since the Cloud was first discovered, there’s been an ongoing debate concerning the existence of infragravitational pockets (also called subgravity bubbles), filtered space matter and atmospheric disturbances that might explain, in tandem or independently, the spontaneous fossilization of a single cumulonimbus cloud at an altitude of 22 000 feet - an event that contradicts everything we know about the forces of gravity.
At this critical juncture, a comprehensive unified theory capable of elucidating the aerogeological mechanisms behind this airborne rock formation remains a subject of scientific scrutiny and discourse.
A theory of subgravity
Within the larger scientific Cloud community there are three major schools of thought and a smaller one on the left, and each is championing a completely different perspective.
Those who rely on gravity to explain what is believed to have been brewing for at least a thousand years, point to the existence of a singular infragravitational pocket inside which Cloudland is cocooned. According to this theory, the pocket’s dimensions have started to shrink due to climate change and other atmospheric factors (Faculty of Cloud Morphology Studies (2007). Cloudsplash Progress Report 2006), such as shifts in air pressure, rising sea levels, and minor alterations in the Earth’s orbit. Consequently, it can no longer bear the weight of the Cloud, estimated at approximately 19 863 ton with a rock density of 1.6 gm cm.
Despite its appeal, the cocoon hypothesis raises substantial concerns. For example, if gravity inside the pocket is minimal, or even non-existent, how come everything inside it remains anchored to the rock instead of drifting about like tiny flakes of plastic inside a snowglobe that’s being turned over and over… and over again?
The gas hypothesis
The second theory is not very far from the first in that it recognizes the element of subgravity, albeit in the form of gas (that is, gravity-resistant gas) inside the cloudrock rather than around it. Cloudrock has a spongy structure, like that of pumice, but its hardness is superior to feldspar, limestone and other rock-forming minerals. Within these rocky pores lie deposits of a rare form of hydrogen called neodeuterium (²N). The remarkably lightweight nature of neodeuterium is what holds the entire mass (stone and gas) aloft through the constant flux of air in the atmosphere. The extreme air pressure subjects the stone to a continuous cycle of expansion and contraction, reducing the size of these “pores” over time. Gas escapes into the atmosphere like froth from a sponge when squeezed, producing a notable drop in altitude.
This does not explain, though, how the Cloud has managed to maintain a more or less stable position over time, in spite of the powerful wind masses that pummel the region, which has spurred proponents of the gas hypothesis to incorporate additional elements of subgravity and create a new and improved (not entirely convincing) gravity gas pocket hypothesis.
A question of quantum mechanics
The so called Quantum Mechanic subdisciplinary movement has been studying the behavior of cloudrock atoms for over forty years, looking at patterns and common denominators, seeking to understand the rock’s elemental language. So far, they’ve found nothing.
Still, the absence of reliable data has not dissuaded the Mechanics from attempting to decipher the workings of this extraordinary supraterrestrial phenomenon through complex algorithmic code. They call it EQC (Jastreblansky K. The origins of Experimental Quantum Coding). An overwhelming majority of their peers call it bullshit.
The bigger perspective
In 2020, a small group of Mechanics disassociated themselves from the faction to start a clique of their own that would focus on a fourth theory dealing strictly with gravity on a global scale. The self-proclaimed Clasher Theorists suggest that rifts in the ozone layer directly influence the gravitational density in the atmosphere. And so, while Earth’s gravitational force exerts a constant pull on the Cloud, the rift above it allows enough infragravitational force to pass through and neutralize the planet’s natural magnetism. In other words, Cloudland is the manifestation of a perpetual tugging war between earth and space.
Regardless of what theory is trending at any given moment, the consensus is that whatever is holding the Cloud up is starting to deteriorate. While most predictions indicate that it will take at least two centuries before the rock makes contact with the surface of the North Atlantic Ocean, every registered dip in altitude will require an adjustment in the microsphere, which costs billions. In the future, Cloudland could well become the last bastion on the planet to withstand the cataclysmic impacts of climate change. But for that to happen, it must stay in the sky.
First time here? Welcome to Cloudland!
Your experience has just begun and a journey of stratospheric exploration awaits. Here are some things to consider before you start 👀✨
