Dabner & Blaze

Chapter One

            The news room at First Edition was active this morning. Nearly a hundred people on the staff of the paper navigated through narrow and crooked aisles now arranged in an unusual maze. Reporters sat at off-centered desks to write up their stories. Many of the light fixtures at First Edition had crashed to the floor when the shaking began in those early twilight hours. The editor had been forced to hire extra staff just to answer the calls coming in. No story was too small to consider when natural disasters brought out heroes. Tales of bravery poured in, creating front-page reading. The news room was a mess, but it was in the same condition as other buildings in the city.  Cleanup was postponed until organizational efforts were coordinated and damages assessed.  You might ask what brought about this chaos. One answer—earthquake.

            Calls came in from around the world, asking about the disturbances in this area, where seismographs showed powerfully disruptive patterns.  There was a sense of fear mingled with awe on the East Coast.

            The First Edition trademark, a huge zoom lens located on the top of the building, leaned precariously over the edge. The words, 'We're Watching The World' were broken and dangling. An emergency crew of technicians was hired to reposition it.  

            Earthquakes seldom happened in Oceanside, New York, because it was not resting on a major fault line.  There was no scientific explanation for the remarkable phenomenon that had shaken the residents out of their beds. The story was repeated all along the upper eastern seaboard.  Cities reported shock waves registering near seven on the Richter scale. It didn't take the experts long to declare Oceanside the epicenter.

             The caliber of its people began to show. Those who weren't victims became heroes when they rolled up their sleeves and went to work.  The surrounding communities rallied to the call for help, and volunteers poured into Oceanside. Cannon Labs called in scientists from around the world.

            Cole Patrick Dabner, like many other citizens in Oceanside, had been jolted awake with his bed literally bouncing across the floor. The movement lasted only twenty seconds but felt longer. The suspense was overwhelming as everyone waited for what might happen next. Was this the beginning? Was this the only tremor they were going to have? The radio announcer's voice was excited as he read the incoming reports.  Cole sat up in bed and glanced around. This was all new to him. 

            His apartment building groaned as forces attempted to twist the massive beams. The sound of plaster crunching against plaster added panic and uncertainty. There was a fear in the air that he could hear—feel, along with faint screams of surprise throughout the area.