《The Shaking》Author's Note
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I hope you found it worth the effort.
As with the disaster thrillers The Shaking pays homage to, the novel is a mixture of fact and fiction. For those of you who are wondering nervously could it really happen? I have both good and bad news.
This story came about when an internet search brought up a link describing how the UK is at risk of suffering a fatal earthquake. I was intrigued by the notion and slowly the genesis of the plot began to take shape; especially when I learned that even in earthquake prone areas which are intensely studied such as the San Andreas fault region in California, seismologists are still discovering previously unknown features.
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2010/sep/16/british-science-festival-2010-british-science-festival
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11327433
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Kent_earthquake
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_earthquakes_in_the_British_Isles
I must stress that even though the UK does experience minor tremors from time to time, there is no danger of the fictional megaquake I describe occurring. Given that, you can be reassured the Dungeness B power station won't suffer the cataclysmic fate I described in the book. In fact it would take an unlikely series of worst case events for anything to go wrong there.
My online research about the the complex came up with a dearth of technical information with which to construct a chain of events leading to a disaster, as there exists a culture of secrecy surrounding the nuclear industry: So taking my cue from the genre's canon I invoked my artistic licence and winged it. Hence the interior layout of the reactor described in the closing stages of the story is entirely a product of my imagination.
If I had access to a better source of information than a blurry 1960s era cut away illustration of the unit I discovered online I might have been able to produce a more realistic portrayal. But given the paranoia of our age, with the fear that were detailed descriptions made publicly available, a jihadist armed with a multitool might break into the plant and attempt to lay waste to several counties, it was left to me to fill in the gaps.
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Yes, I might have contacted the relevant press office and asked some questions; in the process becoming a Person of Interest and being involuntarily entered onto some more databases. I could even have taken the guided tour of Dungeness - provided I didn't mind being treated as a potential suspect and having my name screened in advance - but I decided not to. If anyone connected with the nuclear industry is reading this and gnashing their teeth as a result, well tough luck! You made your ridiculously obsessed security bed and you can lie in it!
https://www.edfenergy.com/energy/education/visitor-centres
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-37789654
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/510439/Chernobyl-UK-disaster-plot-map-explosion-kim-jong-un-nuke-bomb-WW3-nuclear
In any case the threat posed by nuclear power in my opinion comes not from the occasional disaster such as Chernobyl, Fukushima, Three Mile Island - bad enough as they are - and of course our very own airbrushed from history Windscale, but the humdrum day to day operation of such facilities. Not to mention the intrinsic connection between the 'civil' nuclear programme and the creation of nuclear weapons materials, as well as how the existence of the Nuclear Security State poses an ongoing threat to our civil rights.
From the pollution caused by uranium mining tailings all the way through the nuclear fuel cycle, to the eventual disposal of the spent fuel rods and radioactive waste, the nuclear industry continually creates new radiological hazards along with opportunities for accidents or human error. We can only hope the real life Alan Carters are able to mitigate the risks as best they can.
The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 exists in law. In theory it's provisions are subject to the Human Rights Act, but at the time of writing the government proposes to repeal the HRA and replace it with a far weakened Bill of Rights. In any case, were the UK to be affected by such an incident, the government of the day would most likely just push aside such inconvenient little trifles as our freedoms and do what they wanted to anyway.
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An interesting aside on the CCA: When the law was being drafted one early provision which was later ammended listed one of the criteria under which the act could be invoked as the risk of a severe threat to the UK economy. Had the original clause been kept then just a few years later - with a global financial meltdown in progress, along with some UK banks as well as building societies teetering on the edge of insolvency - we might have found ourselves living under a Gordon Brown declared State of Emergency.
The PINDAR Whitehall bunker complex exists in real life, though having never been inside it my description of it is speculative.
As far as I know the mass distribution of official government emergency apps which write themselves into devices' operating systems to avoid deletion is hopefully only fiction. However the detectors which use phone cameras to detect gamma radiation are factual, and several of them can be downloaded for free. A few examples include...
You never know when they may come in useful.
Unfortunately the devolved Scottish government does have ideas above its station and is developing a surveillance network independent of Westminster. Smart TVs may well become an integral part of the Orwellian nexus as they can be used to eavesdrop on their viewers.
Finally, if I ever should be proved wrong or you find yourself in the midst of an earthquake somewhere else, I hope this link will come in useful.
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A Cosmic Weight
Decades ago, strange gateways to other worlds opened across Earth. With these came alien races, strange magic, and danger unlike any other. Reed is what most would call an everyday citizen, but when thrust into a broader universe filled with ancient civilizations, eldritch horrors, and godlike powers, it's only natural one must adapt in order to survive.
8 137Systemic Revolution
The world has been experiencing strange phenomenon for the past half a year. Massive hurricanes, erupting volcanoes, and earthquakes all on a scale and in times of the year never before seen. Strange sightings and disappearances have become common in the news. However, for the majority of the world's populace these events are just a new headline to discuss over their morning coffee. This all changes on the day of July 8th, 2050 which will become known as the "Systemic Revolution". The world is plunged into chaos as Earth is brought into a larger system known as The Conglomerate. The Conglomerate introduces worlds to its system when it deems said worlds on the route to self destruction. Seizing the opportunity to both save the planet and its population, while simoultaneously providing eresources to the rest of it’s system residents. Carter is your everyday brown haired, blue eyed 26 year old addicted to caffeine and devoted to his family. Living in a one of the many cities in the United States' Appalachian Mountain chain. The world has gone through a fundamental change. Can Carter manage to build a stronghold for both humanity and his family.
8 204Gameworld
Twenty years ago something had happened. The land and everything in it had changed. Magic was real and Technology was limited. New Races arose from the old and everyone was brought to an even playing field. Everyone starts at level 1 and levels up from there. Most folks will choose their class by level 5 and begin to grind out higher levels as they struggle to survive. Omachiw was different, half human and half elf he had been raised by the Elves he had once hunted. With no class and no family, he has become a jack of all trades, trying to survive in a world that had turned into a game. Based in part in the city of Regina in the Province of Saskatchewan Canada. This is a gritty urban fantasy story with horror elements set in a game world.
8 235What Do I Want
A book on a lonely "secret schizoid" writer who longs to search the ties between the real world and his own divine fantasies. He finds that through his unmindful efforts people have confided in the person behind his books, comics, and songs. He only wanted to be better. "But was it enough?" He finds friends along the way that guide him personally through his "story", as they think it. He feels closer and closer to what he doesn't understand. So close to achieving true potential, but the question still remains. . . . what does he want?
8 90Readers Make Their Choice as a SPACE COP
Yes, you read the title right. You are the MC of this story. Aliens have invaded your planet and you are in the mood to fight them off. Get ready to become an intergalactic cop, fight in different dimensions, get to know aliens from different planets, kick the buts of bad aliens, become an intergalactic mafia, create a space empire, destroy it and do all sorts of things. But one wrong choice and you may never come back.
8 134Take Me Down
The world has many secrets that very few humans know. Meet Amanda. She's a strong-minded shapeshifter, hiding in the human world, who doesn't like being pushed around. She's joined by Avery, a water-bending elemental who grew up by Amanda's side.After their home is invaded by a group of nasty vampires, they discover the bounty for Amanda's kind and go into hiding.Join them on this wild journey where they encounter some people with amazing powers, a few vampires, a werewolf, some dragons, and a whole lot of others.*Editing*
8 135