Deep beneath the Pacific Northwest lies the Cascadia subduction zone—an earthquake factory that is long overdue for a “big one.†Tensions have been building for over three centuries, and it’s not a matter of if but when and how big. Retired earthquake expert Carl Strega thinks he may know, and it’s much sooner than anyone would like to think. But he can’t rush his discovery to the scientific community or the media just yet because his data is based on a cutting edge, unproven branch of chaos theory. Avoiding the destruction of his reputation and mass hysteria is the order of the day.
Carl secretly assembles a team of local university researchers to put his theory to the test, but they only have so much time. Before they’re finished, word gets out that a magnitude-nine earthquake is going to rock the Pacific Northwest in less than a year. Panic ensues, as does a backlash against the scientists—all of which slows their progress toward confirming if it’s even true.
An ever-present clock ticks down in this high-stakes thriller, as one cutting edge scientist desperately races to save countless lives, while many attempt to destroy his own.