The Cloud: A Novella It was the most audacious undertaking ever conceived by man. The building of a system-spanning Starway where giant light-sails would journey on beams of laser-light to distant stars. Not only a pathway to the stars but also an abode of life, the Starway included many space habitats built to maintain its great focusing arrays. But there was misunderstanding along the Starway. Misunderstanding between the Starway Corporation and the settlements. And misunderstanding always leads to disaster. The Cloud is a novella set in the future (2320s) and is the tenth story in the Future Chron Universe. The Future Chron Universe consists of 9 novels, 16 novellas, and 8 short stories. Hard Science Fiction - Old School.