An earthquake measuring 9.5 on the Richter scale splits California into an island with a perpetual dust cloud hanging over it. The survivors of the terrible ordeal have started to come together in the shape of Nick Preston an air force captain and other fractions of the military, including Sarah McBride and Lucky Simcoe, they have situated themselves in a warfare junkyard, holding weaponry from forgotten conflicts. They are searching for food, fuel, fellow survivors and a possible path into the next world, while also dodging a violent plague.