ComicCon 2040 was the first Con to register over one million attendees. In celebration of this milestone, numerous special activities were designed. Appearances by a number of famous actors and personalities including the first Lunar Olympics winner, former U. S. President Kanye West, and Willhelm Shatner--the best of twenty clones grown from the famous actor's cryogenically preserved cells.

Particularly celebrated was a small group of famous and long-lived authors. A panel was arranged in the Galaxy Room of the San Diego's Semiterrestrial, Aerial, Recreation, Learning And Conference Center (also known as the SARLACC), at which they were to jointly speak. The crowd's expectations were high. Many had dyed their hair blue in imitation of their favorite author Jesse Sprague. No one had seen Jinn Tiole in years and many believed she was now a ghost and the first true "ghost writer." Rumors surrounding the fact that Chay Avalerias' refused to attend any Con in daylight hours fueled speculations that he had become some kind of vampire. Consequently, a number of his fans adopted a gothic look. A few of David Cardwell's fans wanted him to arrange a special session to discuss his work on quantum computing.

When the authors were late, however, the audience started grumbling. Minutes ticked away, then an hour passed. Nancy S. Brandt's fans were among the most tranquil and patient as they worked at their stitching. Many of K.J.Gillenwater's fans nibbled their power bars and took to running laps, demonstrating their dedication to fitness in honor of the successful marketing work she did prior to her literary breakthrough. Steven R. Brandt's fans and detractors got into a shouting match about whether stories from other dimensions counted as fiction. Holly Gonzalez' fans began doing a strange dance. No one knew what that was about.

An effort was made to locate the bus they were taking to the conference center. Neither the San Diego police, nor the well-organized drone militia was able to locate the vehicle.

Concerned, Amber Boyd's readers took to dealing Tarot cards and trying to read the mysterious fate of that most beloved group of authors--but the readings conflicted. One thing, however, remained consistent. Nearly every fortune they read contained the Major Arcana known as the Moon.