CHARACTERS

1 Professor Peter Giles (Age 52)

Positions
Creator of the GMS (Global Monitoring System)
Chief of Seismology at Facility 238
Personality
Forgetful
Sweet
Family
History
Lived through the Global Blackout
2 Lindsay Baker (Age 25)
Positions
Secretary of Peter Giles
Works at Facility 238
Personality
Comical
Family
Mother Denise lives in Japan
Father David died from radiation poisoning
History
Was born after the Blackout and never experienced the
world previous
LOCATIONS
1 Facility 238
Research Facility located in the American Mid-West
Completely self sufficient
Named 238 for the obscene amount of uranium it consumes to
run its 6 nuclear reactors
TIMELINE
2089-Global Blackout
2126-Global Technological Renaissance
2130-Facility 238 was completed
2132-Peter Giles becomes Chief of Seismology at Facility 238
2134- Lindsay Baker
2135-GMS (Global Monitoring System) is implemented
2136-Chapter 2 takes

CHAPTER 1
It was thirty-seven yeas ago when the world experienced the worst
natural disaster in the history of recorded humanity.
Technology was
booming and artificial intelligence was widespread. Peace and prosperity
flourished and hunger and disease was thought to be beat, until solar activity
from the sun reached its peak activity and released massive radiation and
flares from its core. At first, astronomers dismissed the increase in solar
wind and electromagnetic radiation, but eventually computer systems and
processors worldwide were failing slowly. Life support machines no longer
functioned, and most computers decayed. Then the world went dark. A
massive solar flare erupted fro the sun and sprayed the planet with a global
EMP wave wiping out all technology on the face of the earth; a technological
dark age.
All humans with Computer Aided Life Support Systems or CALSS
suffered first, never getting a chance to realize what happened to Earth. The
technology keeping them alive failed and masses of people around the world
fell victim to their own illnesses. Planes fell and satellites crashed as all
systems onboard were rendered useless. The International Space Station,
which was its own self-sufficient habitat the size of a small suburban town,
was one of the last artificial satellites to fall to the earth. Its collision into the
Atlantic Ocean created a tidal wave over one hundred feet high that collided
with Europe and the East Cast of the United States. The United Kingdom,
Greenland, Iceland, and most of the coast of Europe was completely
destroyed, as well as a large majority of the American East Coast, lands
bordering the Gulf of Mexico, and all of the Caribbean islands.
Europe was the hardest hit, it being the biggest supporter of nuclear
energy. Without computers monitoring nuclear stability and energy output,
all nuclear generators ignited in a wave of radiation that brought humanity to
its knees. France was the first to experience the true impact of global EMP
waves, as they were the first to be annihilated by the very technology used
to sustain them. The radiation spread across the globe in the atmosphere
creating large inclusion zones that irradiated unsuspecting cities and
farmlands. In a time of complete darkness, cancers spread and humanity
was powerless to fight it. Processed food became a thing of the past and
factories became nothing but a reminder of what once was.
Humans had to function for ten years without electricity, technology, or
communication; they changed. Countries that once hated each other saw
times of peace and coexistence in an effort to survive what many thought
would be the end of all things. Nations found new allies and eventually many
considered the global blackout the best thing to happen in human history.
Polluted skies cleared, the night sky was more beautiful than anyone had
seen since the dawn of electricity. For the first time people were looking to
the apocalypse with hope and eagerness.
It took ten years for humanity to regain its ability to create and use
technology; ten years to realize that burning fossil fuels and having the world
run by computers was not the way. But this darkness brought on a

revolution that saw technology and ecology merge into a prosperous

coexistence.

QUAKE: 1ST EDITION

CHAPTER 2
It had been almost three decades since the global blackout changed
everything, but humanity and its home had never been better. Despite
radiation hotspots across the globe, there were many sanctuaries that had
survived the collapse of the nuclear energy empire. After ten years without
technology, mankind was able to build installations deep underground and
way above the planets surface. It was a long road to recovery, but the world
had seen a new age of prosperity and ecological health since mankinds first
civilization attempts.
Following the technological renaissance, many facilities were
constructed with the sole purpose of studying the Earth, its location in space,
and all things that could possibly affect it and the life that lived on it. Such
research and study facilities were placed in the worlds most populated cities
and most remote islands. The most famous of them being Facility 238, the
only facility that studied the seismology of Earth as well as its satellite and
other close planets. There were hundreds of top researchers making sure
global tsunamis and disastrous earthquakes were understood, prepared for,
and properly avoided.
Facility 238 sat directly in the middle of what used to be the American
Mid-West, but was now just unclaimed territory void of life and water. The
facility was self sufficient, as most were, and had a constant buzz of
scientists, mechanics, and businesspeople. All were crucial to the function of
238, but one man stood over all of them in power, passion, and knowledge.
Peter Giles was a world-renowned seismologist who had lived through
the Blackout and knew what it was like to experience catastrophe like none
other. He survived the explosion blast when the International Space Station
crashed into Earth, but he was also there during the time of rebirth. He
realized that the most realistic and reliable way to make sure that anyone
could be assured safety would be to monitor the conditions of the earth. For
years, he developed a system of meters that would communicate with
various research facilities around the globe and send them feedback on the
earths condition. Within years, all of the safe zones were connected to the
Global Monitoring System (GMS). Humans had mapped out the safe zones
all across the globe; they knew that anywhere they monitored on the planet
was safe.
Lindsay? Do you know where I left my keycard?
Getting that old, huh? Lindsay Baker was new to 238, but had
already created a special bond with Giles that no one else at the facility had.
They often joked about his age and the difficulties of their jobs, creating an
almost adoptive daughter relationship.
Yeah, yeah, Giles said sarcastically, you want to tell me where it is
Lin?
Lindsay walked into Giles office. There were papers scattered on his desk
and electronic components scattered on the many shelves and surfaces that

QUAKE: 1ST EDITION

occupied his office. Hmm, it might be over here, she said as she lifted a
stack of unopened envelopes from the corner of the desk.
Nope. He smirked.
She gave him an equally sarcastic look, You know, you could help.
Thats true, but I think you got this one. He sat back in his chair and
took a sip from his coffee mug. Lin.
Yes? she said as she continued to rummage through scraps of
computers and old schematics for the GMS.
This has to be, he paused as he took another sip of his coffee and
moaned. The best cup of coffee you have made. He looked at her and
smirked again.
Lindsay didnt believe him for a second. Giles always hated her coffee,
and it was never a secret. It was one of the only things that he said that
actually upset her. Almost every morning he would stumble out of his office
still groggy from the morning and ask for a cup of black coffee, only to
complain that it was bland upon drinking it. You hate my coffee Peter. You
tell me every day. She tried to play it off as if she wasnt bothered but she
didnt have a very convincing poker face. Lucky for her, Peter wasnt looking
her direction. She continued to search for his keycard. She paused for a
moment while searching under a coffee table and then picker her head up
and plopped herself on the only clean corner of Peters desk. Youre in your
office and are the only person in this building that knows the access codes to
every door here. Why the hell do you need your keycard, and why do you
need me to look for it? You do it, lazy. She laughed a little.
There are two things I have to tell you. One, I dont know every access
code for here. I dont know the one for the greenhouse in the East wing.
She rolled her eyes at him. Also if I find it for you, it might just ruin the
plans for today. He looked up at her from his coffee. Lindsay. He paused,
gross. Coffee is not your strong suit. She looked down at the floor and he
could tell she was upset. But, I never liked coffee anyways. Youre a fine
helper. Trust me I couldnt do anything on my own without you. He
chuckled and she joined him. They both knew it was true and that Peter was
pretty much useless without some extra help.
Lindsays smile soon turned into a face of confusion. Im confused.
Why do you keep asking for coffee if you hate it? Duh! They both sat
laughing until Peter pulled a gift-wrapped box from under his desk. He
pushed it towards Lindsay and it caught her off surprise. Whats this?
You really want me to spoil this for you, dont you?
No. She giggled a bit and then tore the gift open making sure to
throw all of the wrapping paper in the garbage. She knew how peter was
with his so-called OCD. She got down to a boring brown box. She looked
confused, as she truly didnt know what it was or why she was getting it, but
Lindsay was no stranger to Peters ridiculous antics and surprises. Last year,
she got a notebook for a gift with every paged filled in saying happy birthday.
She expected no different here, but still was on her toes about it. She

QUAKE: 1ST EDITION

continued to open her gift and found a small plastic card taped to the bottom
of the otherwise empty box. Umm?
Turn it over Lin. He smiled.
There was a picture of the Las Vegas skyline on the other side of the
card. She instantly knew what it was. Oh my God Peter! She exclaimed,
whered you get this?
Places. He was as smug as could be. He knew Lindsay being only
twenty-five had never seen the world before the Blackout. He knew she
collected pictures and scraps that she could find, but in the years before,
almost all information was digital and therefore lost when the world
experienced the worst solar storm since its genesis.