and any information concerning the blackout. Rachel suspects that Ben deliberately cultivated a
relationship with Aaron because unknown to Aaron, some of his early work in programming at MIT
may have been used in the development of the technology that caused the blackout.
Tom Neville: A former insurance adjuster who joined the Monroe Republic
militia after the blackout. As a Captain, Neville is the first antagonist in the story.
He is very calculating and committed to the militia, seeking primarily to survive
and to keep his own family safe. Originally a mild-mannered and compassionate
family man, the blackout forced him to become more ruthless; he is frequently
encouraged to be even more ruthless by his politically ambitious wife who
wishes for him to replace Sebastian Monroe as president. Afterward, he is
promoted to Major. Neville’s focus on himself and his family sees him changing
his allegiances frequently, based on what he thinks is to his advantage at the time.
Jason Neville: A former lieutenant of the Monroe Militia, tasked with tracking down
Miles. He is the son of Tom Neville. Initially loyal to the Militia, he develops feelings
for Charlie, which results in him choosing to protect her on several occasions. When
the militia start hunting down the rebels with their helicopters, he defects because
he views the massacres as inhumane. He joins the rebellion to fight alongside
Charlie, with a reluctant Miles refusing to trust his motivations until he agrees to
help interrogate his own father. He initially has an extremely difficult relationship
with his father, Tom.
Sebastian "Bass" Monroe: A former U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant who co-founded
the Monroe Republic. He was the president (de facto dictator) of the republic, as
well as the commanding general of the militia. Monroe and Miles had been best
friends prior to the blackout, while they grew up and served together in the
military. Seeking at first to defend innocent people and restore order to society
after the collapse, they used their combined military experience to organize a
standing militia. Monroe knew the Matheson family well before the blackout.
After Miles defected, he kept Rachel in seclusion for many years, letting the world
believe she was dead. After Rachel's escape, Bass cooperated with Randall Flynn,
who has a supply of pendants and amplifiers, allowing vehicles and weaponry to work under Monroe
Republic control.
Nora Clayton: A woman who has a history with Miles. She has connections to the rebels,
who fight against the Monroe Republic to restore the United States of America as part of
an organized rebellion. Her primary expertise is in explosives, and Nora's connections to
the rebellion help at various points throughout the story.
Dr. Gene Porter: One of the civic leaders of the town of Willoughby, the town
doctor and the father of Rachel Matheson.
Danny Matheson: Charlie's brother who gets captured by the militia. Danny is
asthmatic and before being kidnapped, was constantly watched over by his sister.
Similar to Charlie, Danny feels sympathetic for various people, and in a moment
when Capt. Neville was vulnerable, chose to help free him and get recaptured rather
than escape and let the Captain die from collapsing rubble.
Ben Matheson: Charlie and Danny's father. Along with Rachel he initially
developed the technology that caused the blackout. Initially meant as a method of
cheap green energy, the project's failure had the unintended outcome of
suppressing all electronic activity within a given radius. After the Department of