The 27th Day 1957 Five individuals from five nations, including the Superpowers USA, USSR and China, suddenly find themselves on an alien spacecraft An alien gives each a container holding capsules No power on Earth can open a given container except a mental command from the person to whom it is given Each person has been provided with the power of life and death Any of these individuals has the capability to instantaneously launch the capsules to whatever coordinates heshe chooses, and each capsule will then eradicate all human life within a 3,000 mile radius of its designated location