Excerpt:

In the year 2678 a large mass appeared about 50 Au outside of our solar system. Scientists assumed it was a black hole because anomalous light patterns and range scanners showed infinite distance. The odd thing was that it had no effect on the planetary systems around it. Thus, they classified it as the first non-violent black hole discovered. A team of scientists continued researching the anomaly but funding dropped as the people, and government grew interested in other, closer things. Some of the scientists also followed popular opinion, and money. Only a handful of scientists remained researching funded by an anonymous and wealthy benefactor. For many years the scientists wanted to put a station at the edge of the black hole in order to study it from a much closer vantage point, but for years this was just a pipe dream. For years they sent probes to the anomaly, but most of the data gleaned was inconclusive, if the probe hadn't already disappeared upon arrival. When they revived a total of two trillion dollars in their accounts, the understood that their benefactor genie had granted their wishes. Their slogan became 'To nothing or bust!' and in the year 2700 that mantra became reality.