Above the Ground

100 years ago, they vanished. No one knew why, no one knew how -- no one knew anything. The scientists were stunned, hell the world was stunned, and as for myself, I knew it was a moment that would haunt our history. My name is Betty Anders, a small-town teacher with an intrepid husband. David and I lived our peaceful, uneventful lives in Nebraska: I taught, while he pursued his research in biogenetic engineering. His breakthrough discovery -- quantum entangled botany -- gave us hope for a brighter, more sustainable future... which turned to utter fear when the government took it too far. Of course they did. Our remaining peace evaporated when the missiles started falling, fired by cruelly-intentioned leaders of the Alliance. I know what you're thinking... WHAT freaking missiles? But bear with me, there's a lot to cover, and not a lot of time. Soon we found ourselves confined to David's bunker, frantically searching for any information. Who was left? How had the fallout altered the landscape? I couldn't help my mind go to the simple prevailing truth that my husband's scientific break- through is now the most important piece of knowledge on the planet. As we brace ourselves to leave the bunker, I wonder, above all, if these events are somehow linked to the great mystery of what happened with the Native Americans those 100 years ago. While David and I find our place in this post-apocalyptic world, we need your help in summoning the courage to push forward as I have a feeling that the lines of history are all converging on this moment in time.