Аннотация

The Passage follows several groups as they experience a pole shift and are
increasingly introduced to friendly aliens. These themes and the cover-up over
the approaching danger are introduced early. Martha, as a child, and her
young son Billy are both shown to be contactees. The cover-up over the
approaching rogue planet that will cause the pole shift is encountered when
the public tries to use observatory telescopes.

Danny, a young journalist encounters the pole shift cover-up when he tries to
publish a theory held by a local East Coast professor. The story follows
Danny. Discouraged at being dismissed by his editor, Mr. Maya, he goes on a
camping trip to the West with his girl friend Daisy. Hitting it off with
another couple, Frank and Jane, up in the Rockies, they discuss professor
Isaac’s theories and the congruence of prophecy, folklore, and geographic
evidence.

A local rancher, Big Tom, finds his cattle restless and his wife Martha
drinking beer in the middle of the day when the earth starts moaning. The pole
shift hits, preceded by days of darkness, red dust, and a slowing rotation. A
tent city is erected. An old timer at the ranch, Red, keeps the family on an
even keel. Martha and Red feed the group possum and earthworms and Red cobbles
together a windmill from a lawnmower and car parts.

Various groups migrate to a local ranch, as the roads and communications are
disrupted. Danny and his friends are looking for a working phone and some gas
for their car. The local Mayor, Herman, along with a couple close to the ranch
folks, Len and Clara, are looking for any place not devastated. Netty, the
lone survivor at a resort, is being pursued by the Groggin brothers, who are
dealt with in vigilante style justice. Mark, the pilot of a downed small
plane, and his lover Brian are looking for rescue. The group shares stories.

Insanity due to the stress of the changes affect little Tammy and Brian. Young
Billy receives a gift from the Zetas to cure his sister. Mark takes Brian back
to the plane wreck to rig an air balloon, traveling under strong west winds to
New York City, viewing the devastation as they go.

The group gathering at the ranch soon encounter a rogue military unit, lead by
General Flood and his acquiescing assistant Sergeant Hammond. They must leave
the ranch for their own safety after Jane has been killed during a rape
attempt. The traveling band lives off the land as their supplies have run out.
The group find evidence of cannibalism.

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The traveling group then encounter another survival group led by Ian,
established on a river bluff. There Frank meets a new love in Madge, a mute
cook. Red helps an old timer at the camp cobble together a wood gas generator
for the antique tractor.

The rogue military unit follows, as Colonel Cage and others assigned to quell
the ranch rebellion have broken orders. On the move again, the group encounter
an innovative houseboat city afloat in the river, using plastic bottles as
floatation devices. They arrive at a dome city under the protection of benign
visitors, the Zetas. The dome city is self sufficient, growing food indoors.
The city mayor, Jonah, is an obvious contactee and hybrid children live at the
dome city. After a battle in which the protection of the Zetas plays a part,
the residents of the dome city find they have some friendly new neighbors, not
entirely human.

Danny and Netty are taken on a tour to meet alien lifeforms. Billy is the tour
guide. They meet an intelligent octopus, a hominoid pair with thick plate
covered skin, an intelligent jellyfish in a living ball of water, and
intelligent manta rays living on a poisonous gaseous planet.