Fault: The Coming Disaster

By David Erickson

CALIFORNIA, IT'S YOUR FAULT!

Robbie Martin was a simple student of seismology who was mentored by Dr. Rudolph Stone, a famous seismologist and geologist. On one of his first adventures to the San Andreas Fault, Robbie met Dr. Julie Richardson, and together with the help of Dr. Stone, they formulated a theory of what might happen in the nex

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
• Release date: Aug 25, 2023
• ISBN: 9798890411501

David Erickson

David Erikson is the author of several books, including The Norther Force Book Series, Inside the Cover, Hurricane Blast, and Dniknam the Lesser. He was born to missionaries, Wesley and Gladys Erickson, who ministers to the American Indians in Nevada. David was the elder child of four brothers and a sister. David and his wife, Janice, have three sons and three daughters between them. They currently live in Missoula, Montana.

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Chapter 1

Robert Robbie Martin, 27, had an apartment in Costa Mesa, California, just down the road from the college where he graduated a few years earlier. Robbie would love to tell everyone that he was working full-time as a geologist, but he was unemployed and worked a few hours a week washing dishes at a local restaurant. At the same time, he did a few paid errands for his mentor, Dr. Rudolph Stone, a geologist.

One June morning Robbie knocked on his roommate’s door and called out, Joseph, wake up…I have something to tell you.

Joseph woke up with a start. He sleepily came to his bedroom door and opened it. Then he replied, What, Robbie, what’s up? I’m sleeping. Remember, I work for a living. Tell me, already!

Dr. Stone has an assignment for me. I’m going to get paid. Can we talk in the kitchen?

I guess. Wow, that’s good. Maybe we can pay the rent this month.

Robbie led his roommate into the kitchen and sat him down at the kitchen table. Then he began, Joey, I’ve been praying about this. I’m a geologist, not a newspaper boy or a dishwasher.

I know that, Robbie. But….

The doc thinks I’m good at reading the data and figuring out stuff from the data.

Figuring out stuff?

Joey, there is going to be a big one, an earthquake, and I want to predict it. I’ve been praying about it. I know you think I’m stupid about this praying and rocks and earthquakes, but you will see when it happens—not very long from now. Believe me.

I believe you, buddy, but I must sleep. I have to work tonight. ‘Washing dishes,’ remember?

Joseph got up to walk back to his room, and Robbie grabbed his arm. Joey, when can we talk? Soon…about things?

Soon, Robbie. I’m off on Sunday. How about Sunday after football?

Football? When did you start watching football?

Joseph shrugged his shoulders and began, Thought you did.

I go to church on Sunday. Hey, I’ve got an idea—why don’t you come with me …to church?

Joseph sat back down and laid his head on the table.

You okay, Joey?

I’ll go with you, and then we can talk. How’s that? Now can I go to sleep?

Awesome! Get some rest and we’ll talk on Sunday. Night, Joey.

Later in the evening, Robbie heard on the nightly news that ninety-five miles northeast of LA a 4.7 earthquake shook northwest of the southern California city of San Bernardino. He discovered there was very little damage in the cities near the quake though rocks tumbled down from the hillsides on the fault line further north.

The apprentice geologist decided that he would investigate for himself the damage at the fault. Robbie packed supplies for a few days, including all the equipment he needed to do geological tests and inspections on the fault.

As he exited his apartment, he left a message with Dr. Stone just in case his mentor tried to call while he was gone. Robbie also anticipated there may be poor reception on his cellphone where he was headed. The smart young man wanted to ensure someone knew he was at the fault line.

In about an hour and a half, he stood within a mile of the San Andreas fault line, just northeast of the city of San Bernardino.

Robbie parked his rusted Subaru in a turnout on Lone Canyon Road west of state highway 138 just ten or so miles from the little town of Wrightwood, California.

It took Robbie a couple of hours to backpack his gear and supplies to a good monitoring location near the fault line. By the time he had set up his campsite, it was rapidly getting dark in the San Gabriel Mountains of Central California.

The tired young explorer started a small campfire and sat on a large rock nearby. Immediately, he felt the ground beneath him rumble and shake. A large earthquake rattled near the fault area.

Robbie fell face-first to the ground and covered his face until the shaking subsided. When the aftershock had subsided, he got up carefully and checked the equipment he had set up an hour earlier.

None of his gear or supplies were damaged, so he quickly checked the seismometer. It had recorded a 5.1 quake on the Richter Scale. The instrument also estimated the quake was very close to the surface.

Earlier in the year, a few miles north of where Robbie camped, Dr. Stone and a crew of engineers constructed and installed several sophisticated pieces of equipment to monitor the fault for several important measurements, such as creeping and strain. The young apprentice decided he’d better check those measurements as well.

The sun was very close to setting on this busy day in the foothills, so Robbie decided to wait until morning to walk the mile to the weather reporting station. He quickly warmed his dinner with a small propane stove and, after eating, laid out his sleeping bag for a well-deserved rest.

Robbie was awakened early the next morning by the sound of a helicopter hovering nearby. He poked his big head out of his sleeping bag into the cold, crisp air.

Wow, a chopper. Interesting.

Robbie quickly jumped out of his bag and grabbed his binoculars. He followed the path of the aircraft as it landed about two miles north of his camp.

Being very curious, Robbie quickly pulled his boots on and ran north toward the landing location.

He cautiously moved closer to the chopper, then abruptly stopped and watched as a young lady exited the aircraft. She unloaded camping gear and what looked like seismic measuring equipment, similar to what Robbie had packed in the night before.

The young scientist hesitated for several minutes to confront the stranger near the San Andreas Fault. He wondered if she was there for the same reason he was. Robbie also thought that maybe she could be a help to him, as well.

After watching for almost half an hour, Robbie sheepishly walked closer to the young female stranger who was in the middle of unpacking her gear and setting up camp.

Robbie Martin called out, Hi, over there. Can I help you?

The young man nervously walked toward the stranger’s half-set-up camp. Startled, the female stranger spotted Robbie, pulled out a concealed weapon, and pointed it at Robbie.

Don’t shoot! I think we are in the same business. I’m here because of the earthquakes. I’m here for my boss, Dr. Rudolph Stone. Do you know him? He’s a famous seismologist.

The female seismologist slowly lowered