Timeline

1946
Lawrence is Born

1967
Valentine Hardgrove is born

1978
The United States begins using the effects of Nuclear Raditaton on human beings to see how they react top secretly.

1988
Scott Green is Born

1989
Ryker Asden is Born

Aaron Bretweiler is Born

Dale is Born

1997
Cassie Green is Born

Late 2004
Ryker Asden is adopted by Noah Wendell

Ryker and Scott become friends

Mid 2005
Dale is moved to Daffodil by another foster home, becomes friends with Scott and Ryker

Early 2006
Scott, Dale, and Ryker become friends with Aaron

Mid 2007
Aaron accidentally causes the death of Noah Wendell, the same day Ryker got his last name changed to Wendell

The Rot epidemic begins in Albuquerque, and soon spreads to all of the United States

Late 2007
The Rot begins killing in large numbers across the United States and soon spreads to the rest of the world

The United States ends up collapsing after the death of millions

Early 2008
Ryker after having living as a looter and salvager in Portland, is eventually found by Scott Green who offers to take him on the way to a Refugee Camp in Sacramento with Dale, Ryker Agrees.

The three of them end up spending the night in an abandoned motel in Redding, CA. Dale falls asleep relatively easily after a long day of driving, while Scott and Ryker spend more time awake. The next morning the drive into Sacramento
 * Ryker finds Scott having a nightmare in his sleep and wakes him up.
 * Scott talks about how he watched his family die and that everytime he shuts his eyes, he sees his younger sister, Cassie, die in his arms.
 * Both of them grow a look of grief and regret. Ryker leans forward and pats Scott on the back and tells him they they should both head to bed as they have a big day tomorrow.

Chunk of the Book
They reach Sacramento which has massive walls along the two main rivers heading into the city.
 * They walk to an entrance into a wall and walk in. They are met by a group of guards who begin to search them, and then make Scott and Ryker take a breathalyzer test.
 * Once they get to Dale for taking the breathalyzer test they notice Aaron walking in the distance and push past the guards, one of them begins to go stop Aaron but the second one says it doesn't matter, he probably doesn't have it anyways.

Main Chunk of the First Book
After a few days of being there, Dale is found to have the Rot.

Dale is taken into quarantine in Sacramento to the disagreement of the group.

Lawrence, one of the leaders in Sacramento informs them that Dale will be given a merciful killing due to his highly contagious condition.

Ryker punches Lawrence in the eye and tries slams him against the wall, demanding to know where Dale is.

Lawrence takes the group to Valentine Hardgrove who explains the situation to them over wine, and brings Dale with them.

 * Valentine informs them over wine how contagious the Rot is and that Dale will die a painful death from it.


 * Valentine pours Dale a glass, Dale reluctantly begins to drink it. Aaron slaps it out of Dale's hand, saying that it was most likely poisoned.
 * Valentine tells them that she would never do something as inhumane as poisoning someone's glass of wine.
 * Ryker makes a comment about the morality of killing and implies heavily about Aaron causing the death of Noah.
 * Lawrence sighs and walks over to the spilt wine on the ground and takes a shot glass of the desk and scoops up some of the wine and drinks it without missing a beat.
 * Ryker stands up and tries to take Dale away with him, but is stopped by Lawrence.
 * Valentine informs them that she's dying of a strand of the Rot that isn't contageous, but is all the more deadly and can be saved by getting blood transfusions over time from someone with the same blood type, and she has AB Negative, the rarest kind.
 * Aaron has AB Negative as well, and Valentine tells them that Aaron will give Valentine a blood transfusion.
 * Ryker asks or what, Valentine informs them that not only will Ryker, Scott, and Aaron die, they will make sure that Dale dies a more painful death from the Rot than they can imagine.
 * Lawrence escorts them to their homes.

Ryker wakes up the next morning to Lawrence waking him up from his bed.

 * Ryker shoves Lawrence off of him asking him "What the hell are you doing?"
 * Lawrence responds simply by saying "Hell's it look like i'm doing? I'm waking you up."
 * Lawrence walks into the living room and pokes his head through the doorway, "Be ready in ten minutes. I'm making you breakfeast."
 * Ryker grows a look of confusion but walks over to his dresser and opens it to find various shirts and pants there that he didn't put in, he figures that the Sacramento Faction put them there.
 * Ryker finishes getting dressed and walks into the living room/kitchen to see Lawrence putting bacon on a fryer. Without looking away from the bacon Lawrence asks "You like your eggs sunny side up or scrambled?"
 * "Sunny side up." Ryker responds, still looking confused at Lawrence. "Have a seat." Continues Lawrence, motioning towards the table with a hand that's holding a spatula. Ryker walks over to the table and pulls out a chair and sits in it.
 * Lawrence goes over to a fridge and begins going through it. Ryker once again realizes this is the work of the faction.
 * Ryker begins to speak. "So is this like room service? Y'know all the workers in the faction here going to fully refill my fridge everyday?" He asks. Lawrence responds, "Something like that. You're lucky you got an apartment. The bosswoman made sure to give you the luxury treatment of an apartment that's consistently being cleaned and replenished with everything you need because you and your friends are neccesary to our survival. Or at least that Aaron kid is neccesary, we're letting you and Scott have the luxury treatment as a curtesy if you will." Responds Lawrence with his head in the fridge.
 * "So Scott and Aaron get the same kind of cramped apartment like me?" Ryker asks. "Not fully, Scott yes, Aaron gets the penthouse. Bosswoman wants to make sure he's perfect for blood transfusion. That includes having a good mental state and diet. Anyways, the ladies who fixed up your apartment, they put any Grape Juice in your fridge cause i'm not seeing any. This is gonna be a pretty boring breakfeast if there's no Grape Juice."