Pebble in the Dark: The Trauma (Pebble in the Dark, Book 2)

A sci-fi thriller and the second in a series of novels by Antony Botting.
An artefact known as the Pebble is found. When the Trauma begins, no-one is prepared.
Terror descends, as life on Earth changes in an instant.
The effects are felt worldwide as survivors face the greatest danger.
Strange beings walk the surface of the planet as science, religion and criminal enterprise struggle to comprehend the offensive.
Humanity seeks sanctuary, unable to come to terms with the Trauma.