Silence // Danger Days (Book 1)

Prologue

The following is an excerpt from Better Living Industries' "12th Grade Recent History" textbook.

"Perhaps the most harrowing time for America was the Helium and Analog wars. The Helium War began when North Korea invented an atomic bomb that used nuclear fusion instead of fission, and fused hydrogen into helium. The war got its name when the enemy country loosed the bomb onto the state of California, nearly destroying it. This event is called the Fires of 2012. This began a war between two halves of the planet, but in 2015, our country's enemies won, and the economy was left in shambles. In the midst of the devastation, a corporation called Logos Incorporated, led by C.E.O. Edward Castellan, invented a series of weapons entitled the Analog models, which fired rays of electromagnetic energy instead of bullets, to try and overthrow the government and establish anarchy. They established an army, rightfully called Killjoys, to carry out the corporation's duties. Thankfully, Better Living Industries rushed in and prevented Logos Inc. from doing this. It took many battles to defeat them, which are now collectively called the Analog War. In the spring of 2016, BLI triumphed. The American government was so grateful for this action that they passed along their power to BLI. However, the country's land was left in nuclear waste, so BLI graciously constructed Battery City, a shining empire in which everyone is sheltered from the harsh conditions of the surrounding desert, and in which every citizen is accepted and equal."

🌩

From the personal accounts of the events of the Helium and Analog Wars by Edward Castellan (2018):

"I remember the wars as clearly as if they had transpired yesterday. The Helium War began with North Korea's invention of the Helium bomb, which fuses Hydrogen into Helium to create an explosion. They released the bomb over California, beginning the war. The event is now called the Fires of 2012. Of course, the Communists, having the advantage, won the war, ruining our economy. This sparked the attention of a rising industry, Better Living Industries to be exact, and they made many attempts to infiltrate the government from the inside. The corporation that I run, Logos Incorporated, was forced to create Analog weapons to try and prevent this, and then recruit a freedom fighter group entitled the Killjoys to help us. We made significant progress, but in early 2017, we were rendered unsuccessful. BLI had already constructed a domed city for their capital, and America was no more. My corporation was dissolved and I was forced into hiding, while BLI was zombifying the populous with their emotional suppressant medication. I struggle every day to keep myself and my family safe, all the while trying to blend into the city and dislodge BLI at the same time. I have heard rumors that the Killjoys are still moving to support our cause, but that is highly unlikely, given the state of the surroundings of Battery City."