Drive to survive, man! he screamed. Keep moving ... or you're dead! It's been more than a year since the Earth saw its last pandemic, yet things still aren't right in the world. Human births have slowed to a virtual crawl, and birds - along with most large mammals - are becoming extinct at an alarming rate. In addition to these odd happenings, people all over the globe are starting to act strange ... as if their personalities have been changed. Some of these altered individuals go into wild tirades trying to destroy everything around them. Whereas others ... others affected by this alteration simply curl up in place and die. Seeing society crumble all around them, Paul and his wife, Lorie, leave their Northeast Ohio home in search of the two things they need the most: power ... and normal people. People, like themselves, unaffected by the bizarre affliction that seems to be killing off everything and everyone. Paul eventually realizes they have only one option: If they want to live, they'll need to keep moving. They need to get on the road and try to find a place unaffected by this mysterious malady. A bizarre affliction some have started calling ... The Surge.